Wayfarers: Meeting Ash

Summary: After wandering about the beach in a haze, you ultimately decide staying there isn't the best option. You decide to go chance your luck finding anything that may give you answers. You end up being found by the Island's guardian.

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It's been hours since you've started walking.

You already decided it wasn't the best idea to stay on the beach at night with no cover and nothing edible in sight. So into the jungle you went, stumbling through the brush and dodging the trees. Somehow you haven't run into anything or anyone still, and you can't tell if that should relieve you or worry you. Maybe a little bit of both.

But onward you walk. Your paws hurt, your body aches, you're shivering from the cold of the sea still clinging to your frame, and worst yet? You're HUNGRY. At this point, you almost wish something would pop out from the foliage, if only to break the eerie atmosphere and distract you from your complaining belly--

"HEY! You there!"

Your heart nearly stops as you jolt back with a cry. You whip your head around frantically, trying to pinpoint the voice, when --*THUMP*-- something lands before you in a crouch. Your senses go haywire, flipflopping between fight and flee, before the figure quickly stands and holds up their hands.

"Woah, relax! I didn't mean ta startle ya," the figure says, stepping into the moonlight and allowing you to get a good look at them.

It's a person... you think? Some flavor of human-thing, anyway, with spiked shoulders and a long, stinger-tipped tail swaying behind them. Their eyes are completely covered by a sheep-sized mane of curls, pointed ears poking out from the mess of hair; the only thing clearly visible are their tusks as they speak.

"Sorry 'bout that," They say, unbothered despite the darkness surrounding you both, "I got a lil excited, I guess; I've been looking for ya!"

...Looking for you? What??

You must have a peculiar expression on your face because the person's stance turns sheepish, cracking their knuckles absently. "Ah. That does sound kinda weird, huh? Lemme me start over?"

They stand up straight and raise a calloused hand, an easy-going grin baring all fangs in greeting.

"I'm Ash! And this--" She makes a show of gesturing around them in a grand sweep of the arms, tail arching wide from one side to the next, "--is my island! I summoned you here, y'see. With that thing on your neck?"

Both of you look down at the item in question; a charm of sorts, hanging loosely from a thread around your neck. You almost forgot it was even there.

"That is a Traverse Talisman; let's ya bypass the barrier of the island it originates from. Although..." Ash tilts her head with a thoughtful frown, and you have the faint idea that, if you could see her eyes, she'd be squinting. "...Yours is a little... off. Is it broke?"

Somewhat reeling from the influx of information, you absently grasp the talisman with a paw. It thrums with energy upon your touch, but there doesn't feel like there's anything broken... somehow. You shake your head more in question than confirmation.

Ash hums at that and leans closer to get a better look. "...hm. Another thing to worry about," she says, and you get the feeling she isn't actually talking to you. For a split second she looks troubled, but it's gone within a blink of an eye, and that big grin is settled back in place. "But that's somethin' we can figure out later, somewhere safer than here. There's a lot to explain and I'd rather not do that in Dynagho territory. Lucky I found ya first!"

Ash turns and starts tromping off, waving her hand to beckon you along.

"C'mon, camp's not far from here! We'll get ya settled and fed before I tell ya the details."

...Well. You did wish to run into someone, you suppose. And it did serve as an adequate distraction to your earlier gripes, but at the mere mention of comforts and a hot meal soon to come, it all comes roaring back to the forefront of your mind.

Confusion can wait. For now, you hobble after Ash, still absently toying with the Talisman around your neck.

__________ End of Lore Event__________

The first official canon event for Wayfarers of the Galak'Sea! The basic idea is the story will be told in short lore events that is essentially a cutscene to give you context, but the inbetween moments and how your player character Lil Monster reacts, interacts, and shapes their story based on the information given is entirely up to the player. These events eventually lead to actual REAL community events to encourage you to play should you so choose... and this one is exactly that!

There's an event starting officially tomorrow on my Discord and it's open to anyone who wants to join! More on that later today. Until then, I hope ya'll liked the snippet! More to come soon. :)