The first thing I remember was the feeling of the sun shining down on my face and chest, followed by the movement of something above me. As my eyes cracked open I could make out the silhouettes of something pink, black and white before closing them again. The pull of sleep enticed me to continue my rest. High pitch meows, deep bawks, and a low bleat made the action quite difficult though I must say.
'What is this, a farm?' I thought. 'It's far too early for this crap.'
However, due to the incessant noise and bustle, I ruefully opened my eyes once more to come to the realization that what was above my face was a trio of animals that seemed to be drawn to my unconscious form. For what reason, I didn't know. One thing I did, was that out of the three, one had me confused, one had me intrigued and the other had me absolutely flabbergasted.
First reason, chickens shouldn't be that large without difficulty walking. Second, I have never seen a lamb that round and fluffy looking as soft as a cloud. And lastly, I have never seen a pink feline in my life.
"What the-"
Not only that, the trio were making noises to one another with a communicative facial expression before looking back down at me, now noticing that I was awake. With startled faces they all audibly yelped before scrambling away as fast as they seemingly could. As I sat up I even witnessed the feline trip over its own feet and land directly on it's face into the dirty sand, take a second to process its shameful display before erecting itself up and jetting off once more, this time more careful of its footing. Did I mention that it did so in a bipedal fashion? That's right. A feline, not just walking, full on sprinting on two legs.
As I questioned my sanity I placed a palm on the side of my head that had begun to slightly ache in discomfort. A faint beeping had started to become audible in my ears. Not the distressing ticking down of a 'this is a bomb timer beeping down' but the 'alert, listen to this message' kind. Difficult to explain but it is noticeable if you were here. What was I thinking again? Whatever.
Taking the time to look around I noticed I was on a beach with the waves of the ocean behind me. 'This is so strange. How in the world did I end up here?'
Standing up I followed after the sound until I came across a device with a screen that had the words [The towers are the key... the tree holds the truth.] As I picked up the device I became even more confused.
"Towers? Tree?" Taking a gander around I noticed that ahead of me was a trail that lead up to the face of a cliff seemingly into the mainland of the area. "There are a few trees up there. Maybe there's a tower next to this special tree? Or there's perhaps a cluster of them surrounding it?" Looking back to the waves that washed ashore I could see the remnants of a rowboat sticking out of the sand. 'Can't use that. Even looks rotted beyond repair anyway.'
"Whatever, staying here won't help, might as well go see if there's a way to find shelter." Taking the path that has been laid out before me I made my way up the trail into the face of the mountain. A few mere moments look after I reached the stairways I took notice of the architecture and how foreign it all seemed to be. It didn't appear Asiatic nor European. Wel,l that's not true, if I was forced to choose I'd likely say it had a little European inspiration based on how the tops of the rails looked but even then that'd be a stretch. When I made it in the grassy area I could tell that where I stood was the remnants of what could possibly be a tower. It reminded me somewhat of a Rooks chess piece. It honestly left me baffled. 'How did they build these structures? It looks like they carved this place into the rock itself rather than out of it. Also, what is this feeling of something wrong? Not as in danger but...' It left me with a sense of uneasiness the longer I looked at it.
Pretty soon I could make out a wall of jutted out stone that led deeper into the building. Looking at myself for a moment revealed that I was now in fact wearing a pelt across my waist with Jesus sandals on my feet. I noticed it when I first woke up but actively ignored this fact for as long as possible. "At least I'm still wearing my boxers underneath this thing I guess. I don't even want to think about it. Last thing I need to be right about now is pissed off and violated more than I've ever felt in my life." Taking a few good deep breaths I psyched myself up for a decent climb by stretching each individual finger and limb after tucking the tech pad in my pelt. Didn't want to pull any muscle on accident like a complete idiot where there didn't seem to be any sign of a doctor for a significant distance.
Pacing myself with one arm pull and leg lift made for great time if I do say so myself. I didn't rush and I made sure not to scrape the tops of my feet on the stone. It was easygoing so far. When I made it up I dusted my hands off my makeshift loincloth and looked back down the way I came.
"If I had came here on holiday I'd say this place would make for the perfect vacation spot, heh." Behind me was the ruins of the structure that more resembled ruins that have begun to fall apart due to time. I could see pillars as well as arches formed from the stone, however nothing really laid within the entrances. 'Freaky.'
To my right was another stairway that led up so that's where I went. What awaited me was an area that had the mountain as the roof with twelve pillars (that seemed to support it?) two of which were now broken with one that laid on the ground. Not due to erosion, but of damage that came from the... outside? 'Perhaps this place was a stronghold? I dunno.' As I spent more time staring that feeling in the back of my head crept back in. Unease. It was even more prevalent as I made it up to what at first screamed 'Temple' out to me. It was more Nomadic than tribal if that makes any sense, as though a simple but intelligent people carved it in only a practical fashion and left it without the artistic touch of culture one is expectant to see. The frameworks and pieces that are indicative of a temple was here, sure. But, everything else was left out. No deity carvings. No paintings. No designs that were carved alongside the pillars or the arches. Not even an altar to make sacrifices. Nothing. 'Wait! I got it! It lacks culture! That's the reason this place feels so off!'
A faint glow down to my right brought my attention to a futuristic piece of tech if I ever saw one, sitting on a small pedestal. Picking it up I began to read what seemed to be at first glance a journal of sorts.
It reads thus, [Castaway's Journal-Day1-1]
I found a strange device on the shore.
It appears to be some kind of electrical contraption, but its odd design looks like no modern technology I've ever seen.
The device is capable of recording images and displaying information about what is shown in them.
I have decided to take photographs of the island using this device and use them along with this journal to document what I find.
Above was a digital image of the same device I had tucked away except it was still in the sand where I had found mine own. Now that I had read the message there was no need for me to keep a hold on its container. To keep the spirit of the original writer in tact of 'spread the info for others' I placed it back down on it's pedestal and began to ponder on an important aspect of what the message said.
'...How did this guy take a picture of the thing if it was still in the sand there? Unless there were two and he left the other for someone else to find just in case they came the same way he did... And this thing can take pictures? If I can glimpse any info for where I am that'll be great.' Without a second thought I whipped it out and began to viciously tapping at the screen till it came on. As my fingers pressed on the screen I accidentally took a picture of the fallen pillar. "Whoops... well is it going to say anything about it if I tap it again?" As I brought the screen down and pressed again it clicked off the picture and showed a live screen of what it was pointing at, which right now was the ground.
"No luck huh? Oh well, it was worth a try."
Placing it back I noted that the screen turned off as though recognizing that its use was finished. Neat. As I turned once more to the stairs I noticed that they were lined with fire caged lamps with blocks of wood on them that were currently burning. Making my way up I could inspect them closer and to my shock I saw ooze set atop the blocks seemingly feeding the fire. 'It looks a bit like lava, but it can't be that hot right? If it were the cage and wood itself would melt to the floor.' Safe to say I have never seen anything like it. Extra strange.
Pressing ever onward, I followed the hollowed out pathway through the entrance and into a tunnel that light bled into partially. Right as I got to the halfway mark a jingle sounded once more from the device in my pelt. Taking it out once more it read [Windswept Hills] before the screen once more shut off. (Likely to preserve power?) 'Is that where I am? I haven't heard of that place before. Especially if its the local name people here call it.'
Taking my mind off the weird naming sense I made sure to mind where I was stepping. Ahead of me was a root that was reaching in through the rock. Overgrown vines that crept out and upwards to the roof spilled into said light hoping to feed the parent vegetation.
I didn't have any real idea of what the sight would show me when I stood in the threshold of the exit, but when I tell you the most visually stunning sight took my breath away. I was stuck there speechless left with my jaw on the floor. Picture a vast open land of a pre-colonized Hispaniola, fill it with the vegetation of the Amazon Rain forest. Everywhere. Dump the mountainous area of Tibet into the distance both on the far left and right. For fun why don't we pour a splash of unpredictability from Australia. Lord knows what lurks throughout this ecosystem ready to jump out at me. And this isn't even counting the giant elephant in the room. The giant freaking tree that should not even exist on any planet! Seriously! Its so large I'm pretty sure its ten times larger than the mountain parallel to it. No wait, hold on....
Oh. I was mistaken. They're not parallel. The mountain is closer. I can see the base of it. The tree is positioned behind the opposite mountain... Oh God. The top of the tree is much clearer through the haze of the morning fog and clouds up above while the middle of it is fading through the distant haze. How is the land beneath it even able to hold up something that massive? If I had to eyeball it? I'd say it was at least more than ten miles in width. It was so large it should by all accounts even be seen in low orbit.
Smelling the aroma of stew wafting in the air was the only thing that shook me from my stupor. No, it full on startled me as I was so out of it that I didn't even notice anyone nearby. 'That's not good. I should be paying attention. Yes, I'm clearly not anywhere I should be. Everything is unfamiliar and the environment is throwing me off but that's no excuse. I need to find a way to stay alive while in this place.' Rubbing my hands over my face and through my hair I set out to get the lay of the land. Immediately to my front was a stone dial carved from the ground with a spiraling staircase down into the valley. Peeking over the edge of the dial was a statue of a bird that... was... glowing? 'Nope. Not getting distracted. I can freak out later.'
Stepping up onto the circular dial I saw that the bird was perched atop a pillar. This one was different than the ones that were made to support like the ones I've seen till now. It appeared more futuristic. Closer to modern in some ways, (if you took away the magical/holographic glowing and levitating stone anyway.)
'It looks like it was meant to be apart of a garden that has since been broken down. Was the interior meant to be a mansion/palace that was never built fully? The traces and structure didn't seem all that old. If anything it looks as if it was built within two to three generations. I wonder what happened.' As I took in the area I saw a woman who appeared to have been eyeing me for quite some time. She was sitting with one arm supported on one raised knee. Her clothing threw me for a loop as everything else did. I've never seen armor like that except in fictional fantasy paintings. She was sitting across from a small cauldron over a fire-pit, 'Likely caught her during her morning meal. Would it be a bad time?'
To try my best to break the ice I offered a friendly wave of my hand paired with I can only guess as a smile as a greeting. I didn't know what would happen next but from her waving me to come down to her makeshift camp was an A plus in my book. Tracing around the spiral stairs I noticed that when I passed by the pillar, a sort of Pull tugged on my psyche. I could feel something. I just didn't know what. Pushing the intrigue down, I made my way over to the woman hoping to find out what all this strangeness is all about.
When I got to a certain point of distance she stood up. That didn't startle me, what did was the large shotgun she wielded at a low carry only a tip away from being pointed at me. 'She's not... I mean, I don't really have anything.' Without a thought I put my hands up to try and placate her. "Sorry! I didn't mean to- I mean I thought you called me- I'm not even familiar with the customs of- ....Please don't shoot me."
"You're quite the chatterbox when spooked ain't ya?" She leaned heavily on one leg.
When I heard her voice I noticed how young she sounded. It completely clashed with her body type and how old she seemed.
"Uh...yeah. Sorry."
"For what? Did you do something against me?" Her voice took on a edge to it.
"No! I mean I don't think so. I just got here. Woke up on the beach half an hour ago."
"A castaway, huh? Been a while since someone who didn't stink of Pals washed up here." She muttered the first part under her breath. I barely caught it.
"My name's Kris, nice to meet you." I held out my hand only for it to be left hanging in the air.
"Only time can prove that." She didn't get closer nor did she back away. This was starting to feel very awkward on my end.
"Uhhh. Right. I guess so," Was I acting too familiar with her before? 'I just didn't want to get killed. If the average guy got drawn on by a complete stranger I'm pretty sure they'd be a bit anxious too.'
"Well?" She spoke as though I never finished my sentence.
"Huh?"
"Are you just gonna stand there?"
"Um...no?"
"Okay."
'Okay? What does she mean? Is she asking me to sit?' With a bit of hesitation I lowered myself to the ground only to notice that the tablet was getting in my way. With slow movements I made sure not to scare her into thinking I was pulling out a knife or something.
"Hey..."
"Hm?" I froze just for a moment before letting gravity pull me the two inches for my butt to land on the ground.
"No... Never-mind. You sure you wanna be way over there?"
"...You won't shoot me if I get closer, right?"
"Only if you can't control your hormones."
"Eh?" That was a joke, right? She's gotta be. But the lack of a smile on her face is telling me otherwise, so I feel as though she's absolutely serious. It threw me off to the point she visibly tensed up ready to fire.
"You can't?"
"I can! I can. I just- Didn't think the locals were..." Is that why she seems so on edge around me? She thinks that I'm going to try and force myself on her?! What sort of place did I wind up in?
"You should be wary of anyone on this island. If you aren't careful they can easily take advantage of your naiviety. If you run into the wrong sort more likely than not you can expect the worst." She crouched down until she was in her original position I saw her in before. Of course with the difference being her weapon right next to her within arms reach. "A lot of my friends learned that the hard way. I had to learn the hard way." Her other hand reached up to the side of her head where I could see traces of a scar peeking through her hair and metal helm.
If this place really is a nightmarish place to be... A long list of horror films descended in my mind. "There isn't like, a group of cannibalistic... psychopaths on the hunt on this island, is there?"
"If that's all it was then that'd be a blessing. For a large part alot of the people here are your basic nomadic tribes. People who simply live off the land and camp for a while before moving on to the next village. Then the settlers, those that have found their lot and have decided to stay rooted till they die. No matter the cost," She paused as her hand gripped tighter around the handle of a blade that she pulled out before using it to carve on a block of wood. "Then there are a number of factions that have gone to taking districts of the island as their own and have taken it upon themselves to institute their own laws. If you disregard them or get on their bad side they will be more than happy to make an example out of you by way of publicly feeding you to their pals or by having you rent in pieces."
The description of what could happen had me involuntarily grasp my arms towards my bosom.
"I advise you stay off their turf in the meantime, that is, unless you plan to join them."
The idea of being apart of something that could possibly be as cruel as she was describing was nowhere near what I would want to consider. The concept of it reminded me of all the documentaries I had watched of people being sent to jail or prison. Many of them were forcibly put in racial ethnic groups that was enforced by the inmates themselves. Not to mention that the rules and codewords used by said inmates was equally as important to know. If worst came to worse, I should know what I would be getting myself into. "How many are there?"
"Of the major ones you should look out for?"
I nodded.
At my confirmation she held up the hand holding the knife and began curling each finger as she listed them off. "There's the Palpagos Island Defense Force spearheaded by Marcus. Standard militarized group. Closest thing you can get to the police here. Then you have the Genetic Research Unit whose head researcher is Victor. They conduct scientific study on any and all creatures on this island. The Free Pal Alliance. Their preistess is named Lily. And lastly you have the Rayne Syndicate, they're led by Zoe."
So in short there's the Police, Mad Scientists, a Cult, and Capitalists. It sounds like it'd be much better to be a Nomad. "...I think I'll steer clear."
"Really, why is that?" The tone in her voice rose in intrigue as she brought her attention back on me.
My hands brushed against the grass under my legs as I began to think hard about these so called groups. "Because you haven't joined them."
Her head tilted to the side in wonder of what I meant.
"I may never know, its not my business to know, but there is a reason why that is. And I don't think you're a bad person. At least your'e not trying to be a bad person to me right now. So, if a person who isn't bad isn't joined to a faction, I think its safe for me to not join too." By the time I was done with my reasoning I could see the traces of a smile on her face before she turned away from me.
"That-....You, may just survive here longer than I thought."
"That's a relief."
"Keep one thing in mind though. Out here you are responsible for your own safety as well as your life. Every choice you make can be your last if you're not careful. No matter how pretty this place may seem on the outside. Remember that."
"Got it."
The conversation came to a halt all of a sudden before I knew it and I became fidgety for noticing the sudden awkwardness I put myself in.
"Got any more questions?"
Thankful that she didn't let me suffer longer than a few moments before throwing me a lifeline, I jumped at it instantly. "How dangerous are the creatures here? A trio of them were just huddled over me when I woke up and ran away."
"Lemme guess, Cattiva, Chickipi, and Lamball?"
"You mean the cat, chicken and lamb?"
"Have you ever seen a cat, chicken, or lamb look like those before you got here?"
"Well...no, I haven't." That is a very good point, I'm not gonna lie.
"Then no. Cattiva, Chickipi, and Lamball," She took a moment to sigh, likely bracing herself to explain something very complex to me, like Mandarin to a middle school english student. "The animals here are nothing like wherever you came from. Take what you know about whatever society and common sense you had and toss it out the window. None of it matters nor will it help you unless its about strict survival. The Cattiva for example, its known for being a coward to the average human or other larger predator. But if the predator is weakened or dying, best believe that it will take the oppurtunity to finish it off."
"Hold on. Are you saying that it was planning on killing me?" The cute and skittish image I had of that cat was just shattered.
"Not just 'kill' you, 'eat' you. All three of them."
"All those things eat meat?"
"Everything here can and will eat meat if given the chance, granted there are few exceptions. But the minority doesnt make the rules unless its strong enough. The only reason they ran away I bet is because they thought you were playing dead in order to lure them in and eat them instead. It's not as uncommon as you might think. But back to the main topic, even those three are indeed dangerous if you let your guard down. Everything out here can and will hurt, kill, and eat you not particularly in that order. If you don't believe me, just wait until you see the other beasts that roam this island. It's a nightmare to behold I can promise you that."
My gaze dropped down to the burning coals under the cast iron couldron. I couldn't believe it. In an instant a knot formed in the bottom of my gut. I honestly couldn't picture a sheep or a chicken, actively eating a carcass of another animal. I've heard horror stories of lone owners who may have died without any family or friends knowing and their pets who are left without any food for long periods of time will resort to eating the dead body for nourishment. But out in the wild, wouldn't other smaller animals be a better choice? Like mice, or snakes? A small shiver ran up my spine as the first thought in my head barked out of my mouth without me even realising it. "How do I leave this place?"
As my eyes darted up to hers I could see a small pang of hurt as well as resignation in them before she too looked down into the small fire. "You don't."
"What do you mean? There has to be enough materials to build a ship if not a boat to sail away right?" I began to point to a visible forest nearby.
"Don't you think we thought of that? It's the first thing anyone would consider when faced with the consequences of staying here." Her voice turned cold as she focused more on her craft, which by my account seemed to become rougher.
"Then what's stopping us from leaving?" A weight pressed onto the back of my mind at the unknown. "Is it some massive creature that's living in the waters? A giant shark like Megaladon, or giant squid like the Kraken?"
She shook her head only once. " Far out into the waters lies a perpetual storm as fierce as a hurricane that keeps everything inside. Even the currents that lead out wind up joining others that pull you back in even if you try to swim under the storm above. It's possible to force your way inside when in range of the island, but once you cross the border, you can never leave. Countless have tried. None have succeeded. Many were pulled down into the deep by the currents. If there is a creature as big as a Kraken no one has seen it yet. Better yet, no one has lived to tell the tale if it exists."
The realization that I won't ever be able to go home creeped into the forefront of my psyche and began to taunt me as though it was a nefarious deity that caused me all this turmoil. But this all can't be what's for us is there? Doom, gloom, and hopelessness? No. I refuse. "So what do I do?"
"I've asked countless people and myself that very same question. And each time the response was always the same. Doubt followed by silence. Until I met my mentor, they were the one person that had an answer."
"What did they say?"
She stopped whittling and took a metal thermos and dipped it into the soup. When enough was in the container she closed the cap on it and held it out to me. "You do what you can."
*End of Chapter One.*
A/N: The first interaction we all had with the first human we saw has been some iteration of this if you didn't immediately attack them. It will always be in my mind. I'm glad this game was created. The direct response is as follows ~
{Expedition Survivor: I'm so tired. I tried making graves for everyone at first, but when more than a hundred died, I gave up on that idea. Here, ignorance leads to death. There's a sliver of hope to be had if you manage to tame a Pal, but not one of my comrades was able to accomplish that.
You have one of those ancient devices. With that, you should be able to make a Pal Sphere. If you make some, you can catch Pals with them! You've got what it takes to be a Pal Tamer. Craft some Pal Spheres, get out there, and catch some Pals. Pal Tamers gain levels by catching Pals, you know.
Stay away from that tower until you get a little stronger. The Rayne Syndicate controls that place. They're a dangerous group. You'll be killed for sure if you go now. My friends who tried ended up dead just like that."}