epidemiology | EVENT ▸ WELCOME TO HANABIRA

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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

[ It all happens quickly enough — what she thought would be a successful slow down ends up being an outright stop, and the Sea Clan woman's suddenly closer to her even before she's taken the first step.

There's no time to be surprised, though — Lucina weaves through the crowd in an attempt to catch up to the few steps, except she's not the only person with the idea, apparently. The masked woman ducks, effectively hiding herself within the crowd.

And the next time she appears in their line of sight, she's gone and taken a side street across the main road. Lucina's jaw tightens, and as soon as she meets Alucard's eyes— ]

Let's go. [ They don't have a lot of time to waste. ]

Agreed.

Excuse me, my lady. I hope you forgive me for this.

[Without another word, Alucard sweeps Lucina into his arms bridal style before he's leaping over the crowd, floating across quickly. It allows them to at least get over the people who are working on escaping.

Gently, he places her back down, then nods to Lucina.]

Let's go. [He takes off, narrowing his eyes to run after the masked woman.]

Huh—? [ She barely gets a chance to respond before her feet are in the air. Which means the sound she makes is far from graceful, but she has half a mind not to resist.

... But she's still tense when she's let back down. Clears her throat, her cheeks dusted with pink because her delicate medieval sensibilities don't take well to suddenly being manhandled. ] It's— it's alright.

[ More like, they don't exactly have time to waste. She nods, a little more certain than before, chasing after the tail of the woman's clothes. Turn the corner to a crowded alley, with crates stacked as high as the walls— ]

Watch out! [ Lucina skids to a step a few feet away, eyes immediately seeking out her teammate. ]

[Alucard is quick to stop, but he's looking irritated after the masked woman.]

This woman becomes a nuisance.

Quickly! Get on my back.

[This sounds alarming, but hopefully slightly less so when Alucard's form transforms into a large wolf. His golden eyes look to Lucina, waiting for her.

Enjoy your new canine mount.]

[ So people turning into animals isn't an entirely new concept. Except it kind of is, because the last time she saw someone turn into something else was back home. When her friends turned into giant were-rabbits and dragons at will.

Also, he literally floated over a crowd seconds ago — which means she now has to wonder who exactly he is.

... Not that she gets a whole lot of time to ponder that, because their target's still very much getting away. Once she's over her shock, she nods, and throws her leg over his back. Balances herself on top of the giant wolf, hands on his shoulders.

This is ready as she'll ever be. ]

[Once he feels his teammate on his back, Alucard immediately takes off, as if her weight bears nothing on him. He's leaping over their obstacles, growling and baring his teeth as he runs to chase the masked woman.

Like this, Alucard is ridiculously fast, but he tries to keep himself balanced as to not throw Lucina off. But his strength is no less, neither his speed.

Through the alleyway, he follows, either by grand leaps or actually running. Eventually, with a snarl, he's launching himself over the woman, landing in front of her, somehow retaining his elegance even as a wolf.

He snaps his jaws at her, his way of attempting to tell the masked warrior to surrender.]

[ The two of them ( read: Alucard ) are relentless in their pursuit, at least. Lucina, if nothing else, is holding on — her experience on mounts coming handy now, in the narrow alleyways of a festival gone wrong. Not to say riding on a wolf's back is the same, but — at least they're gaining on the woman.

Which seems to be an obvious fact on both sides. The woman's figure tenses as she tries to create a little more distance between them, but that results in turning into a dead end some distance away. Quick thinking on her part has her skidding to a stop, unsheathing a blade, and taking a sharp, 180-degree turn to run back at the pair.

Lucina's hand raises, the sword at her side shimmering to view in her hand, ready to defend — ]

[Without pause, Alucard's form melts into a mist before he's appearing as his normal self again, sword in hand. The woman is fast, and although Lucina is quick, Alucard launches himself to defend her.

The way Alucard moves is quicker than the masked woman can react to, and he thrusts once with his sword, cutting across her throat and spilling her blood onto the ground.

She chokes, fingers going to her neck helplessly before she collapses.]

[ And as Alucard disappears from under her — Lucina drops. Graceless, sudden, and instead of hearing the clang as the two swords meet, there's only the harsh, sudden impact of her back hitting the ground enough to distract for some time.

— Until she comes to, and she immediately scrambles up. Eyes wide as she looks for her companion, to get an understanding on what on earth could have happened, and getting the shortest, most straight-forward explanation possible. A bloodied, lifeless woman on the ground, and a sword that tells the story. ] Oh, gods—

[ It takes a moment, but she stands. Lips thinned as she studies the woman once more, before quietly addressing Alucard. ] ... Are you alright?

[As Alucard turns around to face Lucina, he pauses upon her reaction. True, they weren't trying to initially kill the woman, but this is perhaps too far.

Perhaps better, then, that the blood is on his hands.

He slides his sword smoothly back into his sheath.]

I am. My apologies for dropping you, my lady. You are not harmed?

[ Quickly, easily ( as if she's answered the question hundreds of times, the answer barely different )— ] I'm alright. [ It could have been worse, she's been through worse. She dusts off her clothes before she examines the scene once more, as if to truly come to terms with what's happened.

... Not that she seems particularly concerned about the victim, aside from the way that her eyebrows knit together. The expression clears just as quickly, at least, before she turns to Alucard. ] ... We should begin moving, quickly.

It would not bode well if we were found beside a corpse.

[A practical perspective. She isn't wrong, and the city guards can sort the rest of it out. He calmly slides his sword away into its sheath, approaching Lucina.]

You are correct. Let us take our leave.

[This time, he doesn't scoop her up or offer his back as a wolf, but instead walks beside her as a man. A novel concept considering this is their first meeting thus far.

This did not quite resolve as he'd have preferred, but what's more important is that Lucina is unharmed.

Much of the crowd has managed to escape the flames of the festival, but there are still those around in the midst of the chaos as people try to find each other, and the guards are doing their best to sort out the mess. Perhaps they have had better luck arresting the women responsible for the entire affair.]

Do you suppose the sea clan would take such action to terrorize these people?

[ Her shoulders relax once they begin walking away. There's a brief glance backwards, as if they should do something about the body that they're leaving behind, but — hopefully it doesn't trace back to them, if nothing else ( there are many to take care of, and Lucina's priorities have always been with her team ).

As for his question — she thins her lips. ] It is too early too tell... but it's certainly possible. [ She thinks of Plegia, and their plans to provoke her country to war. The bandits that terrorized the villages ( her people ), and the purposeful, haphazard way of covering it up. ] If they were truly thirsty for war...

[ Then, maybe. No matter how obvious this was. But it's too early to be jumping to conclusions — so she inhales, and squares her shoulders once more. Takes care to blend in with the crowd, fixing her robes. ] We will not know, until we learn more of them. [ She will not make her judgement early. ] What are your thoughts?

[At worst, Alucard assumes that he can inform the local guards to tend to the body in a roundabout way. He would not be so cruel to leave it behind for good.

Upon her question, Alucard frowns a little as if he needs to consider her question. He tilts his head, then eventually answers:]

People left to their own devices, if they feel frustrated, may lash out. It is the nature of mortals to show their rebellion, whether well-intentioned or not. Sadly, I don't think I could say more until we better know the sea clan.

In due time, I think we will know when we speak to their people.

[Once he feels confident that they are far enough away from most of the mess, whether it is fire or the body left behind, Alucard stops long enough to bow politely to Lucina.]

Forgive me. After all of this, and you don't even know my name. [He even carried her a few times yikes] I am Adrian Ţepeş. I am also known as Alucard.

[ So similar enough thoughts — but she's left to digest his words regardless, all the while walking in companionable silence.

Except before she could ask him about any of it, she gets a proper introduction. Not that she's complaining, really, and his bow is returned with one of her own. A small shake of her head to easily wave the apology away ( none needed, the situation was dire at the time — ) ] It's a pleasure, Alucard. My name is Lucina, of Ylisse.

... You mentioned... mortals. [ The one thing that stuck out in his response. She takes a small pause, unsure how to go about asking it exactly, but— ] Are you not ... human?

The pleasure is all mine, Lady Lucina.

[The question does not offend, and it seems a fair one considering how he had it phrased -- also, with what she has witnessed of him in terms of some of his abilities.]

My mother was human. [That, he says with a bit of fondness.] My father is a vampire, on the other hand. Though I don't know if that term means much to you.

[ Vampires — ] ... Not very much, unfortunately.

[ She has zombies and dragons but not vampires, only 0.5 fantasy, smh. She gives an appropriately apologetic look, at least. ] Are they common where you hail from?

That's quite all right.

[To him, it's a bit of a mixed blessing. Monsters are not all ill-intended, but many do often give in to their impulsive natures.]

Somewhat. Fewer than humans, more than humans expect. There are many details to it. I've no concern in sharing them to you, but perhaps now is not the best time.

[From what little he's seen from Lucina, he certainly has less qualms about talking about what he is as opposed to ~~Inuyasha~~ some.]

Oh — yes, of course. [ Though that does give her enough to think about, for the time being. Even if this may not be the time or the place for it ( it's never bad to learn more about her teammates... ).

For now, they have a job to finish. ] Once [ If ] we get a moment of reprieve, I'd like to hear about it.

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EVENT ▸ WELCOME TO HANABIRA

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