So: How does arrival work? It's actually the most frequently asked question, and it gets its own page. The answer is pretty flexible based on the character.
A door in your world opens into a door in this one. "Door" in this case is a very loosely-defined concept—anything that is between two spaces can count as a door, on both ends. You can walk into your office and instead of your office you're somewhere on the Lilypad (technically anywhere, but it's going to be anywhere on the western shore area, just to keep people together). You can be swimming and surface in the water on said western shoreline. You can go outside, and the outside of your home or workplace or the store you were in is now the Lilypad.
So long as you're still in the doorway, you can step back to where you were and close it ... if you're in a physical doorway, anyway. Doesn't work with the swimming example, pardon. You can close it and open it repeatedly, but the Lilypad isn't going to go away until you pick one of two options: go through, or walk away completely. The second one wouldn't really get you into the game, so we will skip option 2. (However, if you want to have faced it a few times before taking the final step, that's totally allowed!) You're also allowed to walk through it and not close it, if you want to risk others wandering through it in either direction -- either following you from your world, or going back into your world.
But the Lilypad doesn't really care where you came from, so long as it could be argued as between two things. You can cross a border in a car. You can even land a plane, though the landing areas are going to look a little strange as Lilypad's aircraft operates vertically ... might not be the best idea to try a plane, either.
Okay, so it's any door-like concept into any other door-like concept. Then what?
Then you're somewhere! We have a few options for your somewhere:
the Western shoreline, but Convenience Magic is going to keep you near where other people are, and you can do this by swimming, boating, or walking
the mall which is just like a standard real-world shopping mall except that it's full of water features and indoor trees (even more than your standard shopping mall), has plants growing in the walls, and is fully stocked but has no employees; any other 'customers' are PCs, and no you don't have to pay for things
a random apartment in one of the western buildings which can look however you want it to as it's yours now (keep in mind that everything runs on wind-powered electricity)
one of the wet parks with their little floating loungers
the spa, where we hope you brought your swimwear (but if you didn't, try the mall!)
Other Important Questions
Is anyone going to guide me or help me out here?
Nope.
Well, maybe. Other PCs may try, a few of them have been around for a little while. There are no NPCs to provide any guidance. Making an open post is your best bet - wandering around, someone is going to find you because everyone is entering in the same general physical location for right now.
Can my character have arrived before the start of the game?
Yes, that's fine, so long as it's no longer than two weeks!
If I was on a boat, can I keep my boat?
Yes.
Will it still work?
If it runs using any kind of fossil fuel: congratulations, not for long. You will not be able to refuel, and the water is also not going to like you.
If it uses wind energy, steam, magic, etc: yes.
Does the same apply to any other vehicle?
Yeah. If you're driving an electric car, cool, you can find a charging port. If it runs on diesel, you've got a lot of metal parts that can get turned into other metal parts, or a shelter from rain. There aren't roads, just canals, so you also have nowhere to drive unless you've got offroad capacity, but small craft that can float can take you places.
What if I'm dying/seriously injured on arrival?
That's player choice. Characters can be magically healed, or come through still dying/hurt and helped by other PCs. We almost definitely have someone around who can lend a hand at any given time, considering the makeup of the early cast. The entryway may choose to revert anything life-threatening and simply minimize any cause of death or serious incapacitation. This is all up to the individual player.
My character is a vampire/has a disease that makes them allergic to the sun.
Ostensibly we move 1:1 to RL time, on Northern Hemisphere seasons, but when it comes to time of day you're welcome to handwave this to your desire. Want to be arriving outside at night? Sure. Feel free to manipulate light for your own entrance and any other outdoor interactions. When arriving in others' top level posts, you'll be able to find sun protective gear inside the mall.
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