New Island: Monsun

[lifeaftr_mods]

NEW ISLAND: MONSUN

As our updated Locations page can attest, as of November 24th, a new island has risen from the depths of the surrounding oceans. Explorers now have a new and uncharted land to chart in full, laden with dangers and resources alike.

Transportation
The Storyteller is willing and able to transport characters directly to the island itself should enough of them express that interest, but they also understand utterly if characters would rather not be displaced in the same manner that they were in October. With enough offerings pooled together, the Storyteller may be capable of reconstructing some of the wooden rafts that the first round of characters arrived upon for the purposes of traveling to the new island.

As the island itself is wholly uncharted, the Storyteller cannot promise the presence of a mana pool to take characters to and fro the location itself, though they can recommend that prospective explorers keep an eye out for such a construct. ICly, characters are NOT being forced to travel to the island against their will, as the Storyteller has made quite clear.

As Ensō's resources are running low due to the regular influx of characters, OOCly, it is highly recommended that characters attempt to forage for resources on the new land.

Oh, and lest we forget: the Storyteller is certain to impart the name of this new land as they inform characters of the above in their typical favored method, via dream.

MONSUN has now been added to the Locations page.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
The land of Monsun, even from a distance, may strike travelers as a peculiar one. One half appears to be made up of lush, deciduous woodland entirely at odds with the coastal, tropical aesthetic that Ensō so boasts. The other half appears to be dry and bare, full of cracking cliffs and sandy wastelands. Indeed, once characters set foot on this new land, they will discover that this is precisely the case: the island is divided by a dark ribbon of water, an east side rich with life and a west side stark and rife with danger.

And yet, it isn't that simple. As soon as characters step onto the island itself, a peculiar effect will start to take root. You see, the dichotomy of the island itself isn't merely physical - it's psychological as well.

Monsun's eastern side may be verdant and appealing, stuffed full of resources of vast and colorful varieties, but characters who venture there will begin to feel, deep in their soul, something building; something inexorable and inconsolable. Whatever it is, they will find it to be as intrinsically and intimately familiar as it is unpleasant. Whether it be rage, discontent, jealousy, wrath, selfishness, cowardice, greed...whatever foibles or flaws your character has will soon find themselves multiplied a thousandfold. The longer they remain on Monsun's lush eastern side, the more predominant these feelings will become. Once characters pass the twenty-four hour mark, all of their most flawed and unlikeable traits will be so exemplified that they have drowned out all else.

Conversely, Monsun's harsh western side is far more physically dangerous, prone to natural disasters and filled with predators. Yet characters who journey there will find that they will endure the precise opposite of what those the eastern side experience: their best and most positive traits will be magnified until, by the twenty-four hour mark, they are well and truly living as the best possible version of themself. No matter how the storm rages about them, characters situated at Monsun's western region will be far better, emotionally, than anyone on the opposite side of the island.

At present, there is no notable way to avoid the effects of either side of the island. Yet, the way characters are affected by the island's strange atmosphere is not due to anything fabricated or engendered by some external source; every trait and instinct that comes from them, good and bad, must remain true to the nature of the character themself. So there you have it, adventurers! Bond a little tighter with your fellow explorers or attempt to reap Monsun's resources as you begin to live the very worst version of yourself, but regardless of where you end up, know that there will be danger. Whether that is to be internal or external is up to where you might be.

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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( CODED BY BOOTYCALL )

Comments

QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS

[lifeaftr_mods]

[yourattention]

. . . question: how far is monsun from enso? because while he doesn't want to buy a boat connor may ask for rope to build a . . . uh. boat-raft abomination? he's gonna put a sail on a raft. that's what's happening and i want to know if he's gonna die in the middle of the ocean if he tries that.

youve heard of snakes on a plane now get ready for

[crosslaced]

HEY DO YOU WANT A BOAT

Hey so. Laurent and co. are asking about an alternative transport to the new island here! please fund our kickstarter for a boat.

If you're interested, reply here with:

1. How many favours your character’s willing to contribute to Project Boat. I'm going to probably link this post in the item request so please only pledge if you're definitely willing to spend!

2. If your character is going on said boat. It will take longer and probably involve some tigershark attacks…. but it should be 100% free of storyteller shenanigans! Plus it'll double as a forward base to work from.

“but star what kind of boat is it?” That depends on the number of people/stories we use…. It will be at least a rowboat, hopefully bigger. Probably you can mention what kind of boat your character would want because I guess ICly they’re gonna cash in their stories separately. Comments / suggestions welcome!

Spiders on a boat

[prettypurpleparlor]

Muffet is definitely willing to donate a favor to this, although she's going to go ahead and accept the Storyteller's offer of transportation so she can keep an eye on the other volunteers and make sure that no one, y'know, actually dies before the boat arrives and they have a viable way off the island.

[the usual ffxv spoiler warning]

[scourgingstars]

okay so uh there are two ways this can go and i'm genuinely open to playing out both of them:

western side gets you ardyn lucis caelum: selfless and self-sacrificing healer, actual messiah figure, would-be savior of an entire world, he's literally jrpg jesus lucian christ i don't know how clearly i can impress upon you that 'literally' is used as the dictionary definition of the term here. expect to be worried over and aggressively cared about, whether you like it or not. also expect ardyn to deny anything of the sort ever happened once he's back to normal.

eastern side gets you the accursed. ardyn at his worst point is a barely coherent amalgamation of malice and rage, and the degeneration to get to that point will not be a pleasant one. expect his actual true face to be out more often than not, gross running black miasma eyeliner just part of the deal with the indiscriminate and rapidly increasing homicidal tendencies/anger problems.

[shedgrace]

Grabby hands, IF YOU GIVE FUCKFACE A COOKIE WILL HE ASK FOR A GLASS OF MILK

She can find him as he's already starting to come down from that if you'd like and try to soothe the savage beast and so on

november/december spoilers, you know the drill

[raygunner]

so let's talk issues, fam

the WESTERN SIDE involves Actual Detective and Good Boy Goro Akechi, who truly does want to help you! At his core he's someone who really wants to get close to people and build relationships. Also, if anyone tells him their issues, especially concerning people who've wronged them, he might offer to deliver JUSTICE. He'll be a little more genuine here, shockingly enough.

And then there's the EASTERN SIDE. Akechi's a severely fucked-up kid who's full of anger and jealousy, and all of that is wrapped up in a neat little rage package. Similar to the eastern side, he'll be concerned with JUSTICE except it's more like

J̋̊̀̓͟͠͏̸͔͉͚̞̦̙͈̘U̘̰̝̫̮̹̜̯ͣ̍̒͌͗̌̅̑ͪ͗͒̒̄̽͘͞͞S̵͉͙̹̞̰͔̯̼ͨ͗̽͊͠T̷̸͕̤͚̖͇͉̮̬̖̖͖̜̩͈̍̒̓̅̌̎̈́͠I̶̢̛̫̺̣̹̺̟ͭ̾ͧ̒̐̓͋ͥ̎̊ͧͬ͢͞C̵̡̬̳͈̖̮͓̺̪͈̱̑ͭ̓ͩ̊ͤ̾͊ͫ̉E̶͎̙̘̥̥̩͂ͮ͑͐̓̎̄ͧ͟͜͢

so uh, if he feels like someone has wronged him, he'll probably lash out. Really, really intensely.

Naturally, I won't go murder-route without planning, so there's that, but I'm honestly up for anything.

[bloodyashes]

two highly suspicious youngsters hit the western side together, lose their suspicion, become friends, are intensely confused by it later? :D

[encircling]

SO, on the western side, Mira'll be exceedingly helpful. To the point where she might need to be told to sit down and drink a water or take a rest for, like, five seconds. She won't necessarily Leeroy Jenkins anything, but she'll want to help and likely won't accept payment of any sort. She'll also be a little more perceptive, depending on how I wanna go with this. She'll also be That Mom Friend. you know the one. the one who gives you tea and a big hug when you're looking down. (and there will be plenty of hugs.)

But on the eastern side she'll be a ton more withdrawn and closed off. She internalizes a lot, to the point that when it boils over, she lashes out a lot--think flashy and powerful magic. Since she's had less than wonderful experiences here, she'll be quietly but intensely angry about it, which can lead to her being more demanding and selfish--think "why won't anyone return the favors I give them." (Expect many apologies and her trying to make it up to whoever she might be with once they leave the island.)

[shedgrace]

East Side Girl Gang?

[bloodyashes]

OKAY LET'S. THIS.

Bad side - Asch is a deeply suspicious human being with a temper that's known to turn violent and very little in the way of an off switch. He's impatient, cutting, bitter, and pretty fucking remorseless. So while he's not as overtly dangerous as some of the other people around here, uh... don't look at him funny or try to follow him.

If you want to get on with Bad Side Asch, let me know now - once he's taken a break from it and realized what tends to happen, he will generally avoid like hell going to that side of the island with anyone else. He's not completely lacking in self-awareness.

Good Side - Did someone ask for a JRPG Jesus? Because buried way the fuck down there is a kid whose life dream was literally abolishing poverty. Like. That's literally what he wanted to do with himself prior to the kidnapping and all that garbage. He refused to join with Van because he loved the world in spite of all evidence that the world didn't return the sentiment. And so on.

Also he wants hugs and may be a bit more touchy-feely than usual, and by a bit I mean a lot, because all that suspicion that normally keeps him at arm's length? Buh-bye.

[scourgingstars]

hey there smaller chosen one

do you want a hug

[unpurify]

Well this is going to get interesting. For the Batter and the Big Mood brigade:

Good Side: More like he normally is, although a bit more talkative then usual. Might even actually smile! He will actively try to help people by offering to get items, help them out in fights and so on. Nice things. However the Batter's policy of 'if someone is suffering, then putting them out of their misery is the best thing to do' is still fully intact. So if your character has been mauled by something it's very likely the Batter will attempt to mercy kill them if they can't stand on their own or appear to be beyond saving. See? Helpful.

Bad Side: So remember OFF's entire everything and the Batter being created to wipe out impurity that lead to the destruction of the entire world? Yup, still intact. He'll be going out of his way to find said impurities and may be even more judgmental then usual on what he perceives as 'impure'. Basically you do not want to run across him after the 24 hour mark defenseless. It will also be possible to see the Batter's other form from the get-go once 24 hours have passed!

Once he realizes what's going on the Batter is going to try and ollie out because fuck emotional manipulation but I'm down for anything that happens beforehand! Come at me bros :D

[shedgrace]

HOO BOY well, Lunafreya will be accepting the Storyteller's offer of immediate transportation because StoryFreya has been the real OTP all along. That means she'll be on the island nice and early to look for resources.

East Side: For maybe an hour or so, Luna will be open to company helping her gather food and resources and having a jolly old time--except for her growing stubbornness and self-righteousness. While her whole schtick is self-sacrifice, she is a princess, and she is used to getting what she wants one way or another. (See: 'If you won't land this plane I will simply take my leave from up here, Sir Ulric.') However, she'll catch on to something being wrong pretty fast and will apologize and make a break for the river and fresh air as soon as possible.

West Side: She'll mostly be taking breathers here and trying to gather her thoughts. She won't wander very far from the eastern half unless it's to help someone else, as her goal is still to get after the resources available in the forest. But no matter how long she stays here, there isn't really a marked difference in her from her normal demeanor because, man, she's always that good.

tl;dr Luna'll be hopping back and forth across the river basically as soon as they get to the new island and is available for adventuring from that area.

Ignis Scientia | Final Fantasy XV

[shatteredlenses]

WELP. This isn't going to be painful or anything...

No matter what side he's on, Ignis' main goals are going to basically all come back to one thing: 'Make sure that Noctis survives.' How this goal is met (and, frankly, how desperate he is to meet it) depends on what side he's on.

Good Side: Congrats! You've run into an Ignis that is pretty much like the man you know and remember only MORE so. Need food? He's going to find a way to get it. Need water? Working on it. This is a desert? Who cares? We need to make it work and he's going to take care of you because the more people there are to work together and use their skills, the safer it is for Noctis and everyone he cares about by extension.

Emotion and self-sacrifice will be in balance on this side because they are good traits here, not negative ones. Thank goodness, because those negative versions...

Bad Side: 'When things are bad,' as they say. Ignis on this side is going to be focused and emotionally barren. He has one goal and he doesn't care how it happens. It just has to happen. People have been known to compare him to a robot with how detached and efficient he can be. The reason for this is going to show clearly within a very short time of him crossing the boundary onto the bad side of the island. If he thinks you are even the SLIGHTEST danger to Noctis' survival, you're toast.

Possibly literally, as he will not hesitate to kill and if you underestimate him because he's blind, it's your funeral. Self-sacrifice will be at the forefront with both versions, but here, if he has to, he will go down with you. There is absolutely no question about that. Nothing is too much to give to keep Noctis safe from danger (real or imagined).

I'm going to be honest, I doubt I will be playing him much on the bad side because of how emotionally dead and violent he would be over there. It's not my cup of coffee as the case may be, but if someone is really interested in running afoul with bad!Ignis, let me know and we can make de plans. Same goes for the good side. Everyone wants a loyal and caring advisor to take care of them, right?

[shedgrace]

Sir Scientia please love yourself, we beg of you

Karin Miyoshi | Yuki Yuna is a Hero

[maku]

WELL THIS IS FINE

Karin's going to be heading to Monsun as soon as a boat is reliably available and she's gotten some items from the Storyteller to make the trip a little more bearable. She's got it in her head to be useful but we'll see how well that actually shakes out when she's on the island.

On the eastern side Karin's most prominent flaws are going to be dishonesty and self-sacrifice. Expect to see this fool child putting herself in danger for every single person on the island in a number of ways -- getting them out of harm's way, getting involved in any fights they pick and the like. This is also where her dishonesty is going to be a danger to herself in particular; she'll be offering people her supplies to use and lying about how much food and water she has left for herself. Fun!

On the western side you'll be getting a Karin who's exceptionally caring and loyal. She'll be sticking by everyone's sides through thick and thin and be much more open to showing that she actually, yknow, cares.

Karin will be making a point of seeking out and sticking with her existing CR in the western side, but will be actively looking for strangers to protect in the east. Each side's effects will also drive her to the other side (self-sacrificial Karin will want to explore the danger so others don't have to, loyal Karin will want to try and find her friends who may be on the other side of the island) so she'll flitting back and forth a lot. I'm open to basically any plans right now! COME AT ME

[shedgrace]

Mom is going to find you and PROTECT YOU

[ratsinadaze]

WESTERN SIDE Gobbet will be easy-going and humorous, lifting the spirits of everyone she meets. She'll be more willing to share her food and water, relax with you at base camp, and just generally chat or assist. Monsun's Eastern side brings out the social side of Rat's devotee, as well as her observant nature.

A practical and (somewhat) considerate person by nature, Chris is genuinely excited to share his knowledge with you. After all, this is where he thrives: in dangerous wilderness. Sure, he's more used to the cold and several feet of snow than he is to sand and harsh heat, but it doesn't change that he has an ironclad will to survive. And because west Monsun is such a lovely place to be for everyone, he's willing to extend a helping hand to make sure you survive too.

EASTERN SIDE Gobbet will be lazy and aloof. She will be selfish with her finds, hoarding resources and not wanting to waste her spell uses on silly things like healing allies. The longer she stays on this side, the more paranoid she will become about the motives of those around her. Isolating/breaking away from the group will be her go-to method of coping with this paranoia, so keep an eye on her if you're not willing to let her get away - quite possibly with your stuff.

It's no secret that Chris' pragmatic approach to life wins out over his considerate side 7 times out of 10. Eastern Monsun cranks that up to 11. You fall behind, you get left behind. Don't know how to make it on your own? Tough shit, he's busy surviving. Eastern side Chris will probably come off as quite callous, especially when he shows his true colors as a blatant opportunist.

[forgetmenow]

Well, Cole's gonna have... A Time.

On the Western Side, you're gonna get Compassion turned up to eleven. It's essentially Cole being as true as he can possibly be to his nature as a spirit. So he'll be extra caring, helpful, protective, completely selfless... Really just himself but more, since those traits will drown out any insecurities that usually hold him back. He'll just... be the kindest, sweetest spirit. So you'll have a nice time if you meet Cole here!

On the Eastern Side, though? Oh boy. Initially, this side will simply magnify the things Cole... prefers not to think about. His feelings of helplessness, his buried anger at those who choose to hurt others, his anguish over being unable to help some people. He'll just get more and more emotional. And he'll still try to help, but less by actually... helping them with their problems and needs. And more like, um. Putting people out of their misery.

And... Well! Hey kids, who wants a quick lesson in how spirits work? See, when a spirit takes their innate trait too far into a negative direction, do you know what you get? That's right, folks! You get a demon. Take Wisdom too far, you get Pride. Take Justice too far, you get Vengeance. And when you take Compassion too far, well... that's how you get Despair. So after 24 hours pass? Cole will fully be a demon and he will need to be put down.

[jinglejangle]

I am still 100000% down for murdering the hell out of a despair demon. Guns work on demons, right?? Right.

It's been two years do Undertale spoilers even count as spoilers anymore

[achievementhunter]

Hohoho boy.

So like everyone else, Chara is going to come in two flavors- the results of which may not even remotely surprise you:

For anyone who'd like to plan for Western Shenanigans, look forward to meeting the child who actually fits the title of The Future of Humans and monsters. Chara's loyalty to the people they love will be turned up to eleven, but on top of that their deep-rooted kindness and sense of justice will be at the forefront. They're liable to be extremely giving, extremely uh... checking up on people, and also much more geared to a few genuine smiles and easy jokes. The potential to be pranked is high. It's very high.

Meanwhile Eastern Shenanigans will involve Chara giving into what is essentially every bitter, angry little piece of paranoia they have; their lack of trust will be palpable. For characters they know well enough, they will potentially rip into any potential weak points they know are there, as well as using their own horrid experiences to shove people away by thoroughly burning bridges with the best tool they have for the job- their existence as a whole.

Though they'll predominantly be geared towards being verbal, physical violence is a very high likelihood if any physical contact is attempted. If started, they'll be looking to either maim or kill as well, so fair warning that we'll need to plot and see what outcome we'd like to reach if you're looking for a physical fight!


there may be an additional plotting point here later but we'll see =)

[greatcleavage]

Roy is sticking to the Western Side for now, because frankly he clashes so badly with so many people on this island I don't need to sabotage his CR any more. :)

Roy's good sides are really, really good sides. He's legitimately a decent and caring man who cares about Good, so here's your chance to see him without his frustrated edge and snark sabotaging things.

[onemanstrash]

You didn't see that but hey since I'm here-- Hey Roy, sorry about just wanting your eggs and feathers. Want a buddy wolf around on the west side?!

[onemanstrash]

Oh boy oh boy. Keaton is going to be all over getting transported right away so he can poke around and survey things. And grab new stuff for his collection. Let's be honest here.

Eastern side will be Birthright bad end, complete with a distrust of humans. It will start with him mostly being condescending and talking down to anyone who looks human with it eventually escalating to a complete lack of trust and paranoia. All humans are just a bunch of liars and tricksters. If things get that far then he won't hesitate to resort to physical violence to either scare people off or to kill. So if you're looking to be maimed by a wolf, hey there.

Western side is less wolf and more... Excitable dog. He will quite happily follow people around just for the sake of being near them, offering to help out and providing support as and when needed. Gross treasures will be put on the back-burner as he prioritises real treasure, resources and anything he feels humans would appreciate and enjoy. Ear scratches and head pats are encouraged.

[jinglejangle]

rolls into this really late, BUT for any of y'all who want to deal with a shitty cowboy, here are your options!

McCree will...probably avoid the Western side of the island because deserts are The Worst, but if he gets transported there and sticks around...You'll run into a McCree who's, well, downright nice and kind. Very much Justice, Honor, doing things For Others, that whole kit and caboodle. This is a McCree who will very much believe that people and things need to be protected, and he'll go above and beyond to make that happen. Essentially, it'd be him if he wasn't so goshdarned jaded.

But on the other hand, there's the Eastern side. This McCree will take the cynicism and disregard for authority and rules and crank it up to 11 so he's just a shitty Talon AU at that point. Much less concerned with what's Right as opposed to what's True, but with how cynical and jaded he would be at that point the truth is more than likely everyone is an enemy. He's going to have a bad attitude and an itchy trigger-finger and his arrogance will be off the chart.

So! If anyone wants a gentle, kind protector or an egotistical murderer, the option is out there!

[onegreeneye]

SO basic timing stuff first off: Ginko will be exploring the west side first, and all his active exploration will of course be happening at night (though he'll probably sleep in the shade of the forested side which... will end badly lmao)

On the west side Ginko will be... basically the most gentle, protective, quietly friendly trolldad someone could ask for. He will look after everyone, your problems are his, etc. He just cares about everyone so much ok. This might also be a good time for anyone who wants to to hear about more of his friends from Ryslig since he won't be as... averse to acknowledging that he has feelings oops

ON THE OTHER HAND. On the east side Ginko will be getting increasingly closed-off, apathetic, openly self-hating, and eventually aggressive. He will eventually end up in what is basically an ongoing troll berserker state, and this is where warnings come in because early in his time there there's a significant risk of suicidal ideation in his tags (though that can be avoided if you'd prefer), while later points in the forest will involve a lot of good old-fashioned indiscriminate violence.

Which... basically can't be avoided so if you don't want him trying to maul your character we probably shouldn't do anything late in the forest trip.

tl;dr version: desert for sweet protective dad, forest for reclusive self-loathing disaster OR straight-up murderous beast. THE CHOICE IS YOURS

[souris_keteer]

Mickey's bad sides - and yes, he has them - are probably going to be anger (due to frustration) and jealousy, so expect those amped wayyy the hell up. He's not going to physically hurt anyone, but there will be yelling.

As for his good sides... okay look at him he's pretty much already THE BEST VERSION OF HIMSELF until he sobers up and becomes king some odd years later so i genuinely have no ideas for that, I may just stick to eastern side. I am willing to plan for west stuff too, though, if you're up for it!

spoiler: a goat

[dontkillme]

Hoooo boy what is Asriel if not a character who fits very neatly into these extremes lmao

On the eastern side, you can expect the kinds of things Asriel likes to tell people not to think of as really him. The lack of compassion and emotional numbness, the bullying, manipulative words, the ability to kill and feel nothing at all on his conscience, the abject nihilism, the lashing out he learned from years and years of living with rampantly untreated CPTSD ha ha hahhaaaa. He's not very powerful as a soulless husk, but he is willing to get violent, lie, and try to strike at someone's most vulnerable moment.

On the western side, you can see the uwu flawless cinnamon roll most people assume he is. His loving, selfless kindness will come out in droves here; he'd do anything at all for a friend, but he'd also do whatever he could to lend a hand to a complete stranger who's crying out for help. His gentle side will be resurfacing here; he'll be way more willing to turn the other cheek, to the point where he'd rather get ripped to pieces than hurt anybody. If you're really in need of some empathy or someone willing to lend an ear, then he's your goat!

(don't reply to this one I'm keeping it for plans)

[dontkillme]

Once I have an idea what I want goatboy to get up to it'll go here.

Additional warning that there is potential for child death, violence, emotionally abusive language/tactics, and discussions of suicide with Asriel - I'll be trying to keep the sensitive things out of his threads unless y'all okay them when we're planning things out.

[stoleyoursweetroll]

AS FOR SEV

Her good side, such as it is, will play up her levity, playfulness, and the present-minded flexibility that makes her so forgiving. Her soft spot for the underdog will be cranked up to 11, so if you've ever wanted to have a velociraptor take you under their wing, this is a good chance to come close! You might actually manage to get a peek at her sense of justice (such as that is) and loyalty to the people she considers kindred spirits, too.

Her bad side, on the other hand, will lay out how flimsy and contradictory that sense of justice can be. Get ready for a long, hard look at the indiscriminate and unfeeling bandit-slaying stripping away her sense of the sanctity of life! Her apathy toward some conflicts and causes that a Dragonborn could probably put a stop to but NAHHH politics aren't her problem the Blades are buttheads who cares if the Emperor dies at a time when the Thalmor are eroding away the Empire into a puppet lol. Get ready for some avarice, dishonorable shady tactics, and backstabbing!

[stoleyoursweetroll]

And a plans comment for the lizard, too!

No real big CWs for the kinds of things that Severs will be dealing with! lol I doubt anyone is sticking in the game if discussions of death and murder are sensitive for their wellbeing, considering the events have been Monkeys Try To Boil You Alive and Body Horror: The Event. There might be allusions to Fantasy Racism, so if you'd prefer your RP to be escapism from prejudice, then that can definitely be abstained from.

[postictal]

Oh fuck it’s Timothy Marblehornet and Drifter Hyperlight
TIM has a lot on his plate at any given time but he's also gradually becoming more proactive, especially as he gets attached to people. He might very well volunteer to be one of the first to touch down on Monsun, regardless of personal danger to himself.

On the western half, his GOOD traits involve: genuine compassion paired with an incredible resolve; if he sees that someone needs help, he will do everything he can for their sake. He's also rational and resourceful, paired with a strong sense of caution that befits a horror canon protagonist who knows what genre he's in. Additionally, he is extremely loyal and unwilling to give up on the people he's chosen to roam with, to the point where he's ready to walk straight into his literal worst nightmare for their sake, no matter what they might have done to him.

Tim's BAD side, on the other hand, leads him to be a manipulative and compulsive liar who will hide vital information from others if he thinks it will protect him - or simply because he finds that he distrusts him, because he's additionally highly paranoid. He tends to lash out in a violent fashion in a crisis, when he isn't internalizing everything into himself with a glut of self-blame, self-loathing, and self-destruction. He also has a tendency to be floored by his own panic and self-pity in a crisis, along with a hefty dose of suicide ideation. He's cynical, passive aggressive, argumentative, aloof, mistrustful, stubborn, withdrawn, and deeply hypocritical. When he isn't turning the blame on himself, he's finding a way to project that blame outward onto others, warranted or not.

THE DRIFTER is likely to volunteer their ass to head to Monsun as well, since what is self-preservation and they need to protect and get food and care for people anyway. They're likely not to gravitate toward either side in particular, even once they catch on. They'll figure both are worth the risks.

Their GOOD side will probably be recognizable to most, built of a genuine desire to protect others along with a sense of generosity and compassion. They're extremely resourceful and highly determined to push through to their goal at any cost.

Their BAD traits, on the other hand, haven't quite come to light just yet. They have a hard tendency for selfishness, resorting to corpse robbing and petty theft at the expense of others if it means they can get what they personally need. They do not hesitate when it comes to resorting to violence. Their single-minded resolve, while a positive thing in most contexts, can be downright lethal here, as they allow it to morph into tunnel vision that excludes others for the sake of the Drifter's own self-preservation, ignoring or hurting others for their own goals.

THAT BEING SAID........who wants to make a search party and where to?

[prettypurpleparlor]

Okay, so Muffet has two main goals here: one, make friendly contact with this island's god in the hopes of gaining a new ally for herself and her fellow castaways, and two, try to make sure nobody dies this time by being on hand as a healer.

Ironically, this is going to result in her heading straight for the western side, since it contains the more obvious physical dangers and is therefore where she'll assume her healing will be the most needed... resulting in her not being on hand to help if the much less obvious mental dangers on the other half of the island start getting people into serious trouble.

Oops.

Muffet won't seem too different under the western side's influence- while monsters certainly aren't perfect, they are canonically creatures of hope and compassion, and no one on the island has managed to really get on her bad side so far. The end result is that she'll be treating people pretty much like she has been- polite, friendly, and helpful, always working hard to make things better and willing to lend one of her many hands to help out with anything you need. The only real difference is that she'll be more at ease than she has been the last couple weeks, the island's effects soothing her bottled-up stress and worry about the increasingly unpleasant events they've been through recently.

She'll be doing a lot of baking in the days leading up to the expedition to try and make sure that she's got enough monster food on hand, as well as bringing a full jug of water to drink- so feel free to hit her up if your character needs some food or water.

As per the Storyteller's advice, she also has carefully wrapped away in her bag one lovingly-made mango tart and very roughly-carved wooden jar full of the same blackberry whiskey she brought to the party a few days ago. Her intent is to offer them as gifts to the local deity, in order to make a good first impression.

Most of her time will be spent trying to track down the god or their temple, and she'll happily invite anyone she runs into to join her in searching.

If she does somehow wind up on the eastern side at some later point, she'll be... much less polite and thoughtful than she's been so far. Muffet is very prone to tunnel vision, getting so caught up in achieving her goal that she doesn't consider whether or not what she's doing is worth it. She's aware of this particular flaw, and has been trying to work on it ever since it nearly ended up with her committing murder in her canon, but personal growth isn't an instant thing and it's still an issue she has.

She's also in the habit of trying to do everything herself. It's not that she thinks other people are incompetent, exactly- teamwork is a beautiful thing- but she's kind of a perfectionist and used to having a lot of responsibility, so she'd rather just handle everything personally to make sure it's exactly the way she wants it.

The end result is that Muffet on the eastern side will be focused exclusively on her goals and uninterested in working with anybody else- she's got work to do, so just sit down, shut up, and stay out of her way.

[justribbing]

Sans will initially start off in the verdant east, but once the effects begin to set in he'll be wandering to the west side, which is where I expect most interactions will take place. Surprise! He's actually quite the relatable intellectual, cares a lot about people, and has a patience and perseverance that can see him plodding through the most dreary of circumstances. It also means his more discerning and constructive critical eye will be at play.

He's not a powerhouse, really, and his fragility makes him a liability in such a dangerous place, but, hey. At least he'd make for good company.

[want_to_belong]

Good Prompto Prompto's best qualities revolve around loyalty and supporting his friends. He does his best to keep people happy and cheer others up when he can. He sees the beauty in the world, and would find some way to view that unattractive scenery as "interesting" or "unique" or "striking".
He's also a little 'gullible', and with that he'll be more willing to give people a second chance or believe the best in them.

Bad Prompto I'll be trying to stay away from playing too much bad Prompto. Prompto's worst traits point inwards. Self-loathing, depression, anxiety, feelings of worthlessness... Rather than strike outwards at others, he would hate himself. I'll likely have him follow/chase after someone else early on to get him to the other side of the island, because I don't want to play him too much in this state. In game he attempts self-harm at one point, so his negative side would get too depressing.
While he's on this side he'll be more sensitive to criticism towards him.

[bloodyashes]

gently attempts to collect every xv

[the_word_is]

Eastern side Maka is going to be angry, excessively so. What starts out as mild distrust of strangers is eventually going to slide into defensive paranoia. She's going to become increasingly violent as time goes on, and by the time twenty four hours have passed Maka is going to go for the kill as soon as she encounters anyone. And then she'll raid your corpse for anything you had.

Western side Maka is an adorable, friendly, helpful sort of person! She'll pitch in on projects, make sure anyone she encounters is doing okay, and generally be intensely cooperative. If you want cute cr with an excited nerd, this is the way to go.