EVENT ▸ WELCOME TO HANABIRA

[futurologists]

LAND OF CELESTIAL MOUNTAINS Following guild Ophelia's first mission, after which the temporal shard was found and safely disposed of back on Headquarters, Guild Master Imogen informs them they've received a contract to help ease tensions in a land known as Hanabira, on an unnamed planet designated as Hathaway-484. However, the contract is from a third party and the Hanabirans themselves do not know about interdimensional travel, she explains, so it'll be best to announce Ophelia as visitors from a foreign land. Any strange appearances or abilities will be able to be brushed off as magic, as the Hanabirans are no strangers to things such as ogres and imps. They're given five days to look over the dossier, and then it's through the rift they go. Those who are new to rift travel may find themselves a bit dizzy on the way out, but overall, everything seems to have gone according to plan. Upon arrival, their magitek projects words in front of their eyes that only they can see: Location reached: HANABIRA. No events scheduled. You may wish to survey the surrounding area. » LAND OF CELESTIAL MOUNTAINS A militaristic society that values strength. Main sources of income: mining, foresting, hunting, blacksmithing. Heavy matriarchal ideals. Empress NAMA resides at the HEAVENLY SUMMIT. Those who attempt to reach the Heavenly Summit, which turns out to be the name of a castle situated on the tallest mountain peak, will not make it very far. Empress Nama's guards have no time for foreign strangers attempting to enter the castle without an audience, and there are plenty of them. It looks like that plan of action is going to take some time to rethink. There's still much more to look at, though. In the Merchant's District, you can stock up on everything you'll need to blend in. A cursory look at all the clothing and it's clear that the Mountain Clan style focuses on a more powerful look, with broad shoulder accents and thick fabrics. Both men and women wear kimonos, but it seems men's fashion changes depending on their age and marital status. Time to figure out those backstories! There are several more items for sale as well, as long as you're willing to pay -- or if you're particularly good at sleight of hand. The Commoner's District, derogatorily called the Slums by some, is where many of the lower class Mountain Clan work and live. Those who don't have the coin to buy a space in the Merchant's District sell their wares here; they are at a lower price, but often of lower quality as well, unless you're particularly lucky. This is the most densely populated area of the Celestial Mountains, and also the most egalitarian. Here, both men and women must do the same work to provide for their families. However, you will still find that the prevailing cultural attitude supports the matriarchy. On the other side of town is the Noble's District, which is patrolled by guards on regular routes. Men on their own will arouse suspicion in this area, as will anyone in any garb but the noble disguise. Troublemakers will be asked to leave and unceremoniously escorted out. Those who manage to stay will be able to find conversation with the nobility, many of whom are high-ranking military leaders. The rest of the town belongs to the lower to upper middle class, who are friendliest to women or groups with at least one woman in them. Women's reactions to sole men may range from dismissive to awkward, although men alone are not in any danger of angry or violent reactions (as long as they don't provoke anyone). ▸ SPRING FESTIVAL After a bit of time for exploring, a new message flashes in front of recruits' eyes. New event scheduled: MOUNTAIN CLAN FESTIVAL. » INFORMATION: Analysis of all mentions of 'festival' since the arrival of OPHELIA suggests heavy HANABIRAN presence at this time, during which guild members may wish to gather intel. It appears as though Ophelia has arrived just in time for the Spring Festival, a yearly celebration in honor of the changing of seasons. Plum and cherry trees throughout the Celestial Mountains flower in white and pink blossoms, creating a cheerful atmosphere as the population goes about their daily business during the day. Workers view the flowers during their lunch and tea times, and nobles can be found strolling through gardens in the Noble's District at all times. In the early afternoon, food stalls begin to appear in the Merchant's District, and by the late afternoon, the festival is in full swing: dumplings, noodles, persimmons, and skewered meat are available at various stalls, as well as plenty of sake. Other stalls sell beautifully designed kites, fans, and kimonos, and as the sun begins to sink down, some stalls begin to sell incense-stick fireworks. There are also games to take part in, from the light-hearted collaborative ball game kemari, to an archery competition, the winners of which are rewarded with plums and sake. An old man near the archery competition invites any passersby to join him in a game of Go, and he'll even offer to teach foreigners the rules of the game. There is also a falconry competition for the nobles, but unless you have a disguise, you'll just have to content yourself with watching. With so many people milling around, it's a good time to ask questions and try to get a feel for the political opinions of the people of the mountain clan. They are all in favor of their empress ruling Hanabira, supporting the spread of their traditional culture over the more lax culture of the sea clan. If asked their opinions on how to ensure there is no war, suggestions will range from preemptively killing the sea empress and her army, to banishing them across the sea. It should be noted that the mountain clan is not especially known for their expertise in diplomacy. As the sky darkens, fireworks light up the sky. It's very beautiful, but also very distracting -- the perfect time for something to go wrong. ▸ AN AMBUSH The fireworks are loud, and everyone -- even guards milling around -- are looking skyward toward the display. No one notices the danger until it's too late. A scream pierces the air, and everything after that happens quick and sudden: people are running in all directions, panicked, trying to escape. Stands are knocked over and food goes flying through the air. A merchant struggles to reach her wife, caught across the fearful throng of festivalgoers. It's chaos. As the panicked crowd begins to thin, those of Ophelia who stay behind to help will see the cause -- women wearing clothes of the sea clan and masks covering their faces are laying waste to the festival ground. They begin to set stalls ablaze, and though they aren't targeting any civilians, a handful lay dead or injured, crushed by the panicked stampede. Guards rush in to stop the women, and they could probably use help; they will be trying to capture them, but if your character is killing an ambusher instead, please let the mods know with a link to the thread. For those who aren't the fighting type, there are plenty of other things to do -- direct traffic, try to rescue civilians from the stampede, or go find someplace to hide yourself. Once the immediate trouble is dealt with, the festival unceremoniously ended, the civilians drift back to their homes to begin a restless sleep. If your character hasn't found lodgings for the night yet, they'd better get that matter settled soon. The morning after the ambush, there is tension and unease in the air. The people of the mountain clan mutter about taking revenge or continuing peaceably; the ambush and its effect on their relations with the sea clan is the topic of the day. Was this an attack sanctioned by the Empress of the Crashing Wave? Were these sea people acting of their own volition? Does it matter? The festival grounds could use cleaning up, and tending to the injured can be a good way to ingratiate foreigners (that's you) to the mountain clan. Otherwise, the forests of the Celestial Mountains are open for exploration, or the Flowerlands and its farms below. ▸ OOC NOTES Welcome to the first mission of the season! Apps are now closed and will remain closed until the mission is over. If you have questions about this log or the overall mission, please ask them on the dossier. Questions about Futurology in general should be directed to the FAQ. ▸ The festival and ambush lasts one IC day, after which characters may continue to explore. Areas currently open are the Land of Celestial Mountains or the Flowerlands. The Empire of the Crashing Wave will be introduced in the next log on 3 February. ▸ The Bounty Board is now live, as well as an items page. The February calendar will go live in late January. ▸ January AC will go up on 1 February. You will only need to supply one proof. February AC will require full activity.

Comments

2A

[forcevisions]

Look out!

[ Rey's shout is not meant for Lucina, but for the people who nearly trample her before her shield bobs up. It's brilliant, such that Rey hesitates a moment before moving closer through the throng of people. She is not delicate in how she moves, throwing elbows as needed even at civilians.

She makes her way over and plants her quarterstaff in the ground as a sort of waypoint to force the people around it, then turns to Lucina and extends a hand. Like this, she takes the brunt of the tide of panic. ]

Come on. We have to get you out of here.

[tolight]

[ Her instincts manage to save her at first — it'll take ages before she can use these new powers properly, but at least they seem to work at the diciest of times.

Though it flickers the moment the area clears, seemingly done with its job ( whether or not Lucina deems it so is another matter entirely ). ] I— [ But she's got no time to worry about that when the people part when they definitely ... shouldn't be. Cue using her arms as a support to sit up, almost blinking owlishly at her rescuer.

She recovers her wits soon enough, thankfully, and she's gripping Rey's hand before she can really think about it. ] ... Thank you. [ And using the weight to pull herself up, and on to her feet, studying the strange barrier she seems to be a part of.

— No time to worry about that, then. ] This way. [ By which she means a convenient side street that seems to be filled with slightly less people than the one they're standing on. ]

[forcevisions]

[ rey takes her staff back up and uses it to help clear a path for them amongst the panicked civilians towards the narrow alley. too narrow to be used as an escape route, it's perfect for them to catch their breath and let the space clear. it'll get them the chance to move closer to where all the shouting is coming from. ]

You're lucky. Before I got to you, I saw that crowd break a man's leg, stampeding over him.

[ that's … not reassuring, rey. she glances out at the crowd, then back at lucina. ]

What was that thing you did?

[tolight]

I appreciate it. [ She does, really; her jaw tightens uncomfortably at how careless she had been the moment before. Letting her guard down during a festival isn't a mistake she plans to make anytime soon. Or ever again, really.

But that's neither here or there. For her question — ] The shield?

[ There's a pause just before Lucina blurts out an all-too honest answer, taking the moment to study her rescuer properly. Eases her shoulders knowing it's a familiar place, far away from here — which only really leaves one other option. ] It is a skill I was given, as a Sentinel.

[ ... And then, just to check: ] I assume you've been given a similar ... designation. [ She's so screwed if Rey's not from Hathaway, rip. ]

[forcevisions]

[ she holds up her staff to exemplify, ] Bruiser.

[ then she shrugs it onto her shoulder like let's keep that here for now until it's time to get back out into the fight. ]

I haven't seen a sentinel do that yet. It's … It's really incredible. [ a smile works its way over her lips. only then does it occur to her how long it's been since one was there. god, it feels like a weight lifting off her chest. ] Can you do it again? You aren't the only one who was pulled down by the crowd. If I cut us a path and you can throw that up to protect them, maybe we could do something about it.

[tolight]

[ Rey's smile's quickly echoed with one of her own, already worn around the edges but very much present. Her heart still thrumming in her chest from nearly getting trampled, but — Rey's right. There's still much work to be done. ]

Thank you. [ As for the actual question — ] Not for very long, unfortunately. I suspect no more than five minutes. As long as we can move swiftly...

[ Which means she's willing to try. Absolutely. Though before she jumps back into the fray: ] ... What was it? What you've done, back there.

[forcevisions]

I didn't do anything.

[ she says it honestly enough, but the Force has power over the weak-minded. whether she meant to or not, it was her presence and her energy that acted as a rock in the stream, diverting it around lucina. not just a quarterstaff made of spare parts. she just doesn't always realize that it's the light inside of her doing something exceptional.

she's quick about dismissing it. after all, they're short on time. ]

Come on. Stay behind me, if you can. I'll keep you safe while we pull the injured out of there.

[ and she sets off back into the frenzy. sure enough, as before, it's not that she cleaves a path exactly, but that there's less aggression in the way the crowd fumbles against her, allowing her to be gentle in rebuffing them with her staff when they come too close. ]

[tolight]

[ Immediately, there's a need to take her word for it, as if what she saw was nothing but a trick of the light, easy for her to gloss over. It may have been the shock of nearly getting trampled to death, or the sheer desperation of the situation.

... Except that doesn't feel right, either. There's a nagging feeling that insists she knows what she saw, more than anything else. Not that she gets much of an opportunity to chase either trains of thought, considering they're moving right now. And Lucina's single-minded in her tasks, if nothing else.

So — she swallows down the question, and nods. Follows after the girl into the thick of things once more, where she's left following behind someone who's traversing against the current of the crowd. The same crowd that nearly trampled her, more or less.

— No time to dwell on it. If Rey's doing her part, it's time for Lucina's to do her's. ] On your left! [ A young man who's taken quite a few hits already; he struggles to sit up, only to be knocked down again.

It takes a moment before the shield flashes around him — but it's there. ]

[forcevisions]

Good eye!

[ rey follows the flash of light to find him. wow. he really was having a rough go of it. she points to a safe nook behind one of the abandoned stalls for lucina to crouch in, and only when she's safely inside does rey move around it to get to the fallen man. she pulls one of his arms up around her shoulder. ]

Come on. You're alright now. [ and she hobbles him back with her towards that same stall, leaning him against the counter, clear of the lanes of traffic. ]

[tolight]

[ It feels — wrong, almost, to stand off to the side. There's parts of her itching to help, and yet there's no feasible way for her to help just yet. She's only human, and the pace of the crowd is unrelenting. The last thing she should do is to try and make more trouble for her teammates.

... Except it's not right for her to stand still, hidden away. She stands, keeping to the edge of the street, as she watches Rey approach the man while the crowd parts around her. It keeps her reach frustratingly short, but she can at least help the people who want to make it here.

Like an elderly woman who nearly trips back into the crowd. She reaches out, steadying the almost-victim by the shoulders. ] You're alright. [ Lucina tugs the woman back to the stall, arriving a moment or two after Rey ( the woman, though frightened, looks like she's catching her breath ).

Which means she shifts her attention to Rey— ] Are you alright? [ Fit to keep going? ]

[forcevisions]

[ she nods her head, glancing at the woman. this is too slow, she thinks. not enough. they'll never be able to make a dent. but she pushes those thoughts down.

every single person is something. the two they've helped look relieved already, catching their breath. that counts for something, even if it doesn't stop the flow. ]

Yeah. [ the nod becomes more focused now. ] As long as you can keep that shield going.

[tolight]

[ The most she can hope for is that there are others, working on calming the crowd. Getting them to the safest place while the fire spreads around the streets, so that all of these people — thrown wayside or otherwise — have a place to go.

So that she can focus on this. The nod — the second more so than the first — pull a smile out of Lucina. ] I believe we still have some time.

Shall we?

( ooc: we could wrap this up here, if you'd like? they were generally protags who saved a lot of people and were very productive, etc. )