A tense meal with his parents and a few awkward farewells was all Ulle was allowed. Still, he had done what he must, so even if it had been unpleasant, neither he nor his acquaintances and family would be haunted by a lack of closure.
Thus, with basic equipment, a portable shelter, and extremely-nutritionally dense (but rather disgusting) food, Ulle set off.
---
Indeed, the journey had been a strange, and dangerous one. But, nothing Ulle could not handle. His people had great skill in navigating these vast, barren lands. For Ulle, a part of his mind recognizes the hideous nature of this region, yet, he had never known anything else. And besides, as long as one could see the sky, it was an improvement from the ancestral hell that his people had crawled out of.
On the first day of his journey, he had chosen to take the northern coast. This was the less explored direction, as for unclear reasons, most individuals explored along the eastern shore instead.
Regardless, Ulle decided if he was to break new ground, he should start off this way - and this was likely a good choice. Though, it meant he may not recognize as many of the things he did come across. Most likely, it would be no more dangerous except for the unfamiliarity factor.
---
By the ninth day, he had travelled an impressive 135 miles. He was a strong adult man, so he could travel about 15 miles per day. He - and most of his tribesman - also had plenty of experience traversing the difficult terrain of this land, so he was not overly slowed down, and he could even take shortcuts to noticeably improve his travelling speed.
However, he came across a possible danger. These flying reptiles were not a familiar species to his people. Fortunately, the tumultuous landscape was to his benefit this time. The 'earth thunder' as his people called it was a term for extremely lound and rumbling landslides, avalanches and other such events. The icy boulders would definitely fit within this category.
The great cliff he stood upon was several hundred meters high, with sharp rocks below. A fall from here would mean the death of him. Also, the coast was beginning to bend east once more. He was already further north than his people had explored before.
As he turned to the east, he decided not to travel the high cliffs, and was forced inland, the sea no longer visible to him.
---
(
OOC - tiny retcon to your last post: not at shrubby lands yet)
As he continues his travels, Ulle came across a group of unfamiliar beasts! They were huge, and covered in plentiful fur! They did not appreciate his presence, and chased him off with their charges and whooping calls. This sent him even further inland. He travelled over twenty miles before deciding he was beyond whatever could reasonably be called their territory.
He decided to call these great wooly beasts as 'Whompers' because of the noise they made, and the heavy weight of their footfalls.
---
The twenty-fourth day of his journey had him come across a grotesque and surreal site. The skeleton of a massive creature was being picked clean by carrion birds, small scavenger mammals and an uncountable number and kinds of insects.
Ulle also got a meal out of it, but it was thoroughly unpleasant.
The sight of the bones - at least - was somewhat awe-inspiring, in a terrible way. The high-point of the ribcage was over ten meters tall. The creature had died on its back, so the whole thing resembled an upturned, grasping hand or claw. At least, the behemoth had died facing the sky. Far more gracious a death than his ancestors had suffered.
---
Only by the twenty-seventh day had Ulle began to see thorny brambles, and thawing permafrost - which gave signs that he was on the verge of changing biomes. However, a massive thundering snowstorm blew in along with a dense sea fog. Damn it.
He was forced to take shelter for a full day, before he was able to continue his journey. The soles of his feet were pitch black and cracked, like the most ancient basalt. His load was light due to his used supplies, but this was not freeing for him - rather the weight of the corporeal supplies was replaced with the spiritual weight of anxiously awaiting the time he would run out of supplies.
Still, he forced himself to walk.
---
Three more days passed after that. A whole thirty days of travel. Ulle was now officially out of supplies. Worse, even, is portable tent had been damaged during the storm. It was hardly worht carrying, anymore. All he had were his stone axe and bow (he had most his arrows left).
Fortunately, he had managed to prepare the meltwater from the snowstorm - so he still had clean water for a day or two, though it was on the verge of being too salty since it had come largely from the sea.
Despite all this, however, a small corner of Ulle's heart was racing with hope and anticipation.
The lands had changed.
The dark and pale, uneven horrors of the bleached coast had slowly transformed into a harsh shrubland with a more even terrain. The cliffs that had blocked the sea (and the storms) had shrunk and become more sparse, so he could now see the sea.
It didn't seem like the same one he had known all his life.
The dark-green, foaming and raging sea of the Bleached Coast was slowly bleeding into a calm, tranquil, azure expanse that stretched to the horizon, where a warm-colored mist obscured the sunset.
Most incredibly though, was he had begun to see plant life.
A number of thorny brambles had grown to small and hardy shrubs.
He even came across a couple that sported berries, though he had no way to test if they were poison or even remotely nutritious.
Ulle even found a single wildflower, a pale white - like himself. The thing was inland of the sea by about 300m and had survived in a natural crack between two large basalt stones, and it seemed to be surviving off a tiny amount of silty soil that had collected beneath and below the gap over the aeons. It was a wonder how it had not drained the soil entirely, but perhaps the run-off from the seashore was barely enough for the soil to refresh its nutritions.
With this lone flower, doing it's best to survive in these harsh lands, Ulle felt a strange connection. Perhaps this was a symbol of his great loneliness. Perhaps, Ulle decides to pick this flower, and take it with him as a memento - or perhaps he decides to leave it, not wishing to unecessarily interrupt the natural cycle of life. Who knows? The flower may even sprout spores, and reproduce. If he plucks it, such a thing would become impossible... In this small but meaningful matter, will Ulle choose to follow his human
'Heart' or will he respect
'Nature'?
---
Whichever choice he makes, Ulle soon feels rewarded by the universe.
The usually rocky coast has slowly broken down into a lowland beach - a mix of sand and stone.
Ulle stands in wonder, his aching feet resting in the soft sand of the shore. He wiggles his nearly-mutilated toes, feeling as the silky grains caress his wounds.
He feels at peace. Even though he knows he has nothing left to eat or drink, he feels at peace.
---
Another two days pass.
Ulle is hungry. He has slowed down because of it.
Ulle has stuck to the beach so far, captivated by the sights.
But now, he reluctantly turns away.
In the distance, he can see it.
As the pale man crawls away from the shore, he begins to stumble, then walk, then jog, then run with all his might!
Not able to care about his weakness, he runs freely.
He hadn't noticed, as captivated as he had been by the changing shore.
But inland, he can see.
Green.
So beautifully green.
A thick carpet of moss stretches for miles, covering much of the stony ground.
Clovers sprinkle the land, and swathes of small pink petals have fallen from the wildflowers.
Tears drop unbidden from his eyes as he looks at the sky.
In his heart, Ulle deeply recalls a saying from his people;
"From the very moment of their birth, Humans are graced with the infinite blessings of the earth and sky."
It was so memorable, because it was one of the only uplifting things the elders ever had to say about life. So often, it rang hollow. What grace? What infinite blessings? But in this moment, Ulle understood it. Not with his mind, but with his heart.
He realized the world was not his enemy, and neither was the sky. The sky and the earth had no enemies, and hated nobody. Rather, they showed infinite love to all of their children. That is what 'life' was. A blessing in and of itself.
Ulle looked at his hands. Strangely, they seemed less pale than before.
Perhaps, only now, was he truly becoming 'alive'.
---
One day later, Ulle runs out of water. He hasn't eaten in days.
Still, he stubbornly walks.
His eyes, nose, ears and even tongue and skin all work together. His five senses greedily absorb the new world around him.
Grass.
It is the first time has has seen it, so he has no word for it.
But it is everywhere in this strange place.
No, perhaps his people were the ones who had lived strangely. Humans were not meant to crawl among sharp stones, cowering from the raging sea. His instincts told him this.
It was as if in these past days, for the first time since the first moment of his birth, he was understanding what it meant to be 'human'.
The world seemed to agree with him.
His pale skin had changed.
It was strange, and it didn't make sense. But, it had a rosy complexion to it. A healthy blush.
But, where was this redness coming from?
But, the elders had never spoken clearly about his ancestors, either.
---
Ulle got his answer hours later.
He accidentally stepped onto a thorny rose.
His foot bled.
But it's strange.
The color was wrong.
It was red.
His people had always bled a pale hue, somewhat bluish. Only the animals bled red?
Why was it such a deep red?
Other things had started to change as well. Small, almost non-perceivable things.
But the biggest thing were his eyes.
They hadn't changed on the outside, but on the inside.
He could see.
He felt that way.
Ulle didn't know what had changed in his vision... but something that had been invisible before was now visible. He didn't know what?
---
In the afternoon, Ulle came across his first tree. He had no word for it.
It was beautiful, and Ulle had mistaken it for a living creature when he first saw it.
But, it didn't move. It was just a plant?
He didn't recognize the material it was made of... it seemed something like the shell of a nut. Wait... perhaps this was similar to the rare material that sometimes appeared on the shore? Driftwood his people called it, but this was... much healthier? Less soaked.
Perhaps, this was where driftwood came from? But, how would an inland plant like this end up smashing against the southern shore?
So many mysteries.
---
Ulle had begun to despair slightly. He felt that he would not live much longer, if he could not find food or water.
He felt like he had been given countless blessings by the earth, by just being allowed to see these majestic things.
Yet, his life was vanishing?
---
Overcome by these thoughts, Ulle only then realizes something.
Food.
Water.
He is surrounded by both.
The plants that grow from the ground. Could they be eaten?
The moisture on the ferns of the strange flowers - with brighter colors that he had never seen. Could he drink from it?
Then, his heart skips a beat.
Almost as if the world had noticed his woes, and delivered unto him salvation.
A tranquil pond between two trees.
It is slightly greenish with a strange substance (algae)
But it is clearly not from the sea. Water he could drink, once purified by flame.
As he moves forward to it, the world freezes around him.
...
...
...
His mind is clear again.
How had he spent days wandering, not even noticing that food and water surrounded him? His people had lived, eating bugs and salt to survive. Surely, he would not have let himself hunger and thirst for nothing like this?
His eyes open wide. He looks at his hands. They have a slightly rosy color, but that much is normal? Obviously, even pale skin has some color, because red blood flows beneath it.
Red blood. Right, he had red blood. Of course he did. Why had he thought his blood was blue?
Suddenly feeling incredibly cold, Ulle turns back. In the distance, he cannot see it... But he can feel it.
A terrible call. A dreadful noise. The direction of 'home'.
His heart trembles. Literally. He feels like something dark is wriggling in the very core of his being.
A sensation enters his mind. A thought? A feeling? A message?
No. A warning.
You (I). Here (Paradise). Dare? (notformenotformenotformenotforme notforusnotforusnotforus)
A sharp pain in his heart and the corner of his mind.
His fingers tingle.
His eyes begin to cloud over.
Biting his lip, Ulle instinctively understands what is happening.
Rejection.
He is being rejected by this world.
His eyes lift. Around him, things are still.
Ominous.
Ulle recalls his peoples teachings.
He recalls the full phrase that he had forgotten.
"
From the very moment of their birth, Humans are graced with the infinite blessings of the earth and sky..."
"
... But we are not Humans, anymore"
His heart is racing in terror. His entire existence seems to tremble. The world around him seeks to close in on him, threatening to destroy him.
In that moment, Ulle knows he will die. He barely understands why. Why? What did he do? Does he deserve this fate? He was born. Is that a sin? Why should he pay for the sin of his ancestors? Why? whywhywhywhywhywhy-
His heart is stopped.
-
A cursed being of a cursed people, left the cursed land - seeking hope.
He travelled for twenty seven days, barely surviving the harsh land.
Then, he saw a small flower. This flower belonged to the 'earth'.
By seeing this flower, he saw the 'earth'.
And...
The 'earth' saw him.
For the next six days, he wandered steadily - as if unaware of his madness. He saw more belongings of the 'earth'.
He began to believe he was also 'belonging to the earth'.
But, as if the 'earth' had drawn an invisible line...
When the cursed being stepped too far, the earth stopped.
It saw, in his 'Heart' a power contrary to the 'life' it supported.
So, it called out to that power, which it recognized as the work of ⬛⬛⬛⬛
It demanded the power abide by the rules of engagement, the laws of the universe.
The malicious power fulfilled it's most ancient purpose.
It killed the being it had lived within for two decades without hesitation or remorse.
That was the End.
---
But, 13 days and 13 hours later, something impossible happened.
The man stood up.
--- --- ---
Ulle wakes up, surrounded by grass.
As he lays there, sleepily, he recalls his recent journey.
He had left the Pallid Tribe, and wandered for quite a while. Eventually, he had come across a wildflower - which seemed to resemble him in it's hardiness and insistence.
From there, he began to see more beautiful things.
Now, he was laying next to a pond. He must have fallen asleep.
Stretching and yawning as he stands up, Ulle looks around. He seems to have left a rather deep impression in the ground.
Rubbing his stomach, he feels full. He could use a drink, bit he's not unsatiated.
He looks around, blinking the haze out of his eyes. It doesn't go away. He frowns.
Ulle looks up.
NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!!!!!!!!
His neck snaps down at unfathomable speeds.
The moment he had looked up, his eyes had seen 'it'.
He understood now, what had happened.
He had left. When he came across that flower, he had become overcome by something.
Hungry and starving, he had wandered across a pond. The same pond he just awoke next to.
Then... he had... felt something. He doesn't really remember what. It had felt like something dark - but familiar - within his heart had... twisted? He doesn't remember.
Looking down, he realizes his body is the same as it always has been. Flesh as pale as the belly of a fish. His long braided hair is the color of fresh cream and his eyes as pale and as blue as glacial ice melt.
But... why...
His eyes have changed.
When he looks at 'himself' he 'sees' something else.
A gaunt creature. Transparent skin and blood. Cloudy eyes and stark white hair that floats in the air.
Undoubtedly, when he looks at himself, he does not see a 'human'. He sees a 'monster'.
Blinking his eyes is enough to make the vision fade. He looks like himself, now.
But that sense of uncanny terror still lingers. He recognizes himself as something else.
He doesn't feel any different. He doesn't feel like a different person.
Ulle just feels that something is deeply wrong with him. With all of his people.
As he tries to remember if he's ever felt this before, he feels a dull headache.
The past is blurry. He remembers his life... but when he tries to remember the faces of his tribesman... that in particular, gives him a sense of dread... He feels that he could push past it... but something tells him he won't like what he sees if he does.
---
What will Ulle do?
OOC: I got a bit carried away, haha. Let me know if you need any explanations of what exactly happened in this post, it had a lot of weird things happening that weren't super clearly explained.
Also, if you'd like, I can PM you an image of the path Ulle walked.
Honestly, I had to make a scale for the Game Map since you definitely assumed it was a lot bigger than I originally intended. That's fine though, so I decided to make it much larger since it's something I was thinking of doing anyway.