epidemiology | EVENT ▸ WELCOME TO HANABIRA

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Rather than stealing like some people, Hayame is out shopping, a pair of saddlebag-like baskets slung over the vermilion harness she's wearing on her equine half, human portion dressed immaculately in arrow fletching patterned silk, black mane waxed and oiled into shape. Feeling more comfortable than she has in months.

She... seems to be looking at men's clothing, however, mulling over a navy silk patterned with what seems to be dharma wheels and... lightning?

The words she only barely overhears, gaze flicking over but not planning on lingering, already back to inspecting the fabric-

Before she straightens up suddenly and does a double take.

Wait a minute... was that... Loki crossdressing? (Crossdressing shockingly well?]

[ it's not, actually. (even if Loki wouldn't mind a bit of that, either.)

while Hayame looks straight at her, Loki looks over her shoulder like Hayame may be looking at someone else. when she realizes that it can't be anyone else, she points to herself as if she's somehow the person in question? ]

You could always take a photo—the Midgardians rave how they last longer.

[ she leans back just a hint, curving her hip in a pose as if to be ready for the camera. ]

[She knows the words by now- Asgard, Midgard. Knows the meaning enough and has been introduced to the concept of photography by a pair of rather rude oglers at the Leramzen ball, but despite a momentary flash of pleasure to understand what to her is a very convoluted reference... it’s overshadowed by her confusion, squinting at Loki fiercely before she lays the silk aside (with a note to the shopkeeper not to sell it while her back is turned) and sidetrots over closer, arms crossing beneath her breasts and... appraising?

She’s seen some damned awful attempts from some of the others on this team, so she had concerns... but. It’s... almost impossibly impeccable...

To prevent leering she finally pulls her gaze back up, close enough to lower her voice.]

What are you doing? If it was an escort that’s you needed-

[Hayame sort of... owed him one. Sort of. Silently.]

[ when Hayame fixes her eyes on her and there's a pause. Loki shifts her hip and strikes a casual pose, as if she has something to put out for display. from her perspective, she's got this covered. there's another bite of the apple as she turns it between dark nails, letting herself be observed without a hint of discomfort. ]

Hm? An escort for eating an apple seems a little ... excessive, don't you think? Want one?

[ she exposes the apple stash in her open sleeve. ]

[Why... is Loki stuffing their kimono sleeves with apples... ? (More like, Hayame thinks, why is she continually asking herself "why" about him? Her? Him?)]

No, I do not need your apples-

[Even if they are... way more large and juicy than the wild apples she is used to in her own world, and part of her is sort of curious about the taste.]

What is it you intend to do, dressed like that? Smuggle fruit?

[It... no matter what she actually says, there's surely no way this is just dressing up. But she doesn't have the words for what it is, really, either, so... "dress up" it is.]

[ absolutely her.

closely, there are subtle changes to her body, even if she looks much like Loki. Hayame looks at her, and she looks over at Hayame with a raised brow. ]

I'm dressed appropriately per cultural norms—is that a problem?

[ some norms really do pass through universes, don't they? ]

Causing trouble of course is a problem-

[But that’s more an automatic reply than anything but else, and more of her thoughts are occupied trying to determine what she actually thinks happened here. It might be somewhat comical how she looks him (her) over, more trying to figure out how af this point...

Until her gaze flickers down to the ring she wears on her left hand, and quickly makes a fist as if that would hide it, the realization dawning with a bit of all too obvious look (and a suspicious flush).

... well. That would explain some things.]

[ there's a little scheming curl of her lips and she leans forward into Hayame's personal space, a long lock of dark hair falling over her shoulder. ]

Not always.

[ the knowing smile grows, and grows, as if they're sharing a private secret. ]

[Personal space for Hayame is several feet to either side, and she nearly rears or backs up in distaste for the invasion, only barely containing her discomfort at the closeness she reserves for only the most intimate of times... or battle.]

Well-

[Magic and the like is not her forte, coming from a world with only stories but all of which were more like warnings, but like it or not, she's growing used to it, fist still clenched around the ring she wears as she forces herself to follow the theory to conclusion, to accept that this was not a very, very good attempt at cross-dressing.]

If it is done so skillfully as that... I suppose I've little right to stop you.

[Her concern was attention being drawn to the outsiders in ways that might come across as spying, such as the men she'd seen poorly attempting to pass as native women, but if he was a woman...]

EVENT ▸ WELCOME TO HANABIRA

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