World Log: Tundra Arrival

[hadrielmods]

Who: All characters in the city
What: The log for the city's arrivel on the ice planet
Where: All around the city
When: November 21st-November 30th
Warnings: None

You all get some warning to prepare, which is great. A little time to stock up on supplies, make sure everything's where it supposed to be, call your friends in from their fishing boats. And then the city moves. It happens in the blink of an eye - one moment you're on islands, surrounded by ocean, and the next? The next you're surrounded by frozen ground, the temperature has dropped significantly, and even the sky looks different. The air has a bite to it, that familiar feeling telling you it's thinking about snowing soon. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but someday soon.

The city has rearranged itself back into that old, familiar shape, instead of spread out across islands like it was a moment ago. Maybe that'll make things easier for you, maybe it won't, but it also means the return of the lake and river that used to bisect the city - only now they're frozen over. This climate also means it'll be hard for any plants not otherwise protected to survive - and that you, too, will start feeling that cold if you're away from a warm place for too long.

And warm places might be in short supply, because when the city moved the gods did not. What does that mean for you? Well, whatever supplies are in the shops at the moment the city moves are the only ones left. No new food supplies, no new clothing, nothing. In addition, the power across the whole city is out, including water and heating. Anything else powered or supplied by gods (the hot springs, the mopeds, what's left of the orchard, the armory, the GPS) will not work.

You're on your own. Try not to die.

► This log covers November 21st-30th.
► Feel free to make your own logs, as well
► Please tag headers of threads with content warnings where they apply
► Please put your character's name and open/closed in the subject line of your starters!
► If you freeze to death, starve to death, are eaten by the local animals, fall through the ice, or find some other exciting way to die, please let us know here, and be aware resurrection will not be currently happening. You stay dead - for now.

Comments

[unphase]

[she grins and waves back]

No, not from here. Maybe if I got in closer? [she moves to Kettara's side, then moves in to hover over the ice] --oh, I think I see something! But, yeah, lots of things can live in temperatures like this. Polar bears, penguins, seals.

[oldtonew]

Truly?

[ Kettara supposes she knew that places like this were never barren - life adapts and changes as it needs to - but she's never seen anything like it before. She kneels down, pressing her hands flat against the ice. The lake is deep and she can feel life churning deep within. Beautiful. ]

What is a penguin?

[unphase]

Uh-huh! I already saw some of the animals here. One of them is a big, fuzzy thing that looks kind of like a misshapen bear. It has really sharp teeth.

[oh, wow, how to describe a penguin?]

A penguin is a kind of bird. It can't fly, but it does swim really well. They're really cute, with a black body and a white chest and some of them have what look like feather crowns on the tops of their heads.

[oldtonew]

I believe I saw that one as well! I mean to hunt one down. The meat will keep us warm, and perhaps someone here can tan the hide.

[ Kettara is a practical soul. ]

They sound beautiful! I shall have to look and see if there are any here.

[unphase]

Good luck, they're faster than they look. [she avoids mention of the meat for she's a vegetarian and giving that up would be a huge sacrifice] Someone around here has to know how to tan the hide. I sure don't, but someone should?

[and Tinya is a romantic with a practical streak. or is it the other way around?]

They are, especially as they swim. They can go as fast as lightning. Well, almost. [she giggles] If we're lucky, we'll find something like them here.

[oldtonew]

I can be very fast, if I need to. Perhaps you will hunt with me? Together I am sure we could defeat the beast.

[ Kettara is very quick in her ghost wolf form. Unfortunately, she can't hunt in it. But flushing prey is easy enough. ]

I would like to see such things. I have never seen so much ice before! I didn't imagine it could be so lovely. But I am learning. I will see as much as I can before the gods move us again.

[unphase]

Sure, I'd like that. It could be a good source of food for people while we wait for the aliens to show up.

[and her flight is controlled entirely by her will. and she has a strong will]

Neither have I, I've only seen penguins in animal preserves. It is kind of pretty. I wonder if we'll get the chance to do some real exploring. We should do that after the gods come back and everything goes back to normal.

[oldtonew]

Yes. I don't like the idea of going hungry.

[ She's used to forging for her own meals, but not everyone in Hadriel has that experience. ]

Perhaps. I wonder if we will stay in this place after they return?

[unphase]

Neither do I.

[but she'll be hunting on behalf of others who can't hunt themselves as she doesn't eat meat]

I don't know? They made it sound like we'll be staying a while. I just hope they figure out how to get here soon.

[oldtonew]

Hmm. [ Kettara scratches her head thoughtfully. ] I wonder what will happen if they do not.

[unphase]

We'll--[she tries to look positive, but fails]--to be honest, I'm not sure what we'll do. We can hunt the mammoths, that will give people meat to eat and fur to wear, but what happens when we hunt them to death and there are none left? The orchard can't survive here and I know people have gardens, but what happens when the gardens are overcome by the ice? I just--don't know.

[oldtonew]

Back home, there are mages would can create food. Summon it out of the nether. It is...well. It tastes strange, but it would keep us alive. Though I do not know if anyone here has that skill.

[ Kettara flattens her ears. ]

It is beyond my power.

[unphase]

Wow. What I wouldn't give for some of those mages to suddenly show up here. It might taste strange, but it's better than going without. [she sighs] Which we're on the verge of doing. We haven't been able to stop hoarders, so what's left is all we've got.

[she tries to smile reassuringly]

It's okay. Nobody expects anyone to be able to do everything.

[oldtonew]

Yes.

[ A troubling thought, all around. Kettara sighs. ]

No. But it would have helped.

[unphase]

[she sighs, too]

It would have, but we can't focus on what could have been. We'll drive ourselves nuts if we do that.

[oldtonew]

I suppose.

[ She glances at Tinya. ]

You are remarkably calm about this.

[unphase]

[she looks down and seems a little awkward]

I--I have my reasons.

[oldtonew]

Oh?

[ Kettara blinks, surprised. ]

[unphase]

Yeah. I--I told you that we were in the middle of a battle when I came here, right? If I let myself think too much about what might have happened, I'll go nuts.

[she looks worried and bites her lower lip]

[oldtonew]

....I see.

[ Kettara is quiet for a moment. ]

I suppose my situation is similar. I don't know how the battle ends. Only that I was losing. But that is not here, so there is no use in thinking of it too deeply.

[unphase]

[empathy thick in her voice]

I know the feeling. Believe me, I do. [she sighs] I probably shouldn't think about it, either. Can't change it or do anything about it, not from here. But it isn't easy.

[oldtonew]

No, [ Kettara agrees, softly. She has more dreams about that battle than she would like. Often, she finds herself worrying about Master Muln. Did he survive? She prays the ancestors are looking after him. ] I am trying to focus on other things. But it is difficult, surrounded by so many humans.

[ She glances at Tinya briefly. Tinya looks human enough, though she's not. ]

I mean no offense. But it is....difficult, to be the only orc.

[unphase]

[and she's worried about all of her friends. A Daxamite could snap any one of her friends in two like a twig and there were four of them on the rampage] Unfortunately, that's all we can do. Focus on other things. [she sounds dejected]

...I can't imagine. It must be lonely.

[oldtonew]

It feels like a silly thing to complain about, [ she admits. ] But I've never been the only one before.

[unphase]

It's not silly! [she insists] It's not silly at all! To go from a place where you were surrounded by family and those of your kind to a place where there's no one? It must be awful.