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

[ Is she dead, excuse?? ]

Of course she's not dead! Just because I'm supposed to be a Bruiser or whatever now doesn't mean I've forgotten everything about healing!

[ Lissa's never been more offended in her life. (Except for that time Chrom forgot her birthday. And that other time Vaike called her too short. But you know.)

As if to confirm Lissa's statement, the woman stirs....opens her eyes....and then practically starts yelling about how she would have been fine on her own and why did Inuyasha have to step in and honestly he really should be more considerate of a woman's pride next time!

Um.

Lissa's gaze wanders back and forth, between Inuyasha and the other girl and back to Inuyasha. Veeeery tentatively: ]

Is she your girlfriend or something?

[ Lovers have spats like this, right?? ]

You're a Bruiser?! [WHAT THE. HIS LIFE IS A LIE!!

Before he can say anything else, the woman moves, and his mouth snaps shut. Then... snaps right back open when he starts getting the third degree from some random woman! HELLO.] Wha-- That's not--

WOULD YOU JUST SHUT UP FOR A SECOND AND LISTEN! THOSE WOMEN WERE GOING TO KILL YOU!

[He can't believe this? He spent so much time and energy saving her ass, and this is what he gets? Ridiculed. Ummm.]

What?! No, she isn't my girlfriend! [His face breaks out in enough red embarrassment to be seen in the dark.] I don't even know her!

[ Don't judge based on appearances!!!!!!!!!

Except that's what this woman is doing right now, taking in the fact that Inuyasha is a Dude and immediately disregarding every word that's coming out of his mouth. (Sorry buddy.) She gets up, face distorted with disdain, and promptly tells him to keep his hands to himself and that if she ever needs saving she'll be damn sure to tell him.

And then.....she huffs off, leaving the two of them behind. Huh. ]

She didn't even say thanks!

[ What the heck!! Clearly the most offensive of all the actions she could have taken. ]

I'm glad she's not your girlfriend, she's really mean.

[Frankly, Inuyasha has absolutely nothing to say to the woman after that. He got accused of--! He still can't believe this? Why are women here so ungrateful? FINE. HE WON'T SAVE ANYMORE STUPID WOMEN HERE IF THEY ARE GONNA BE LIKE THAT.

WHY DID SHE SOUND LIKE KAGOME!] What the hell was her problem?! She was lying on the ground, and she was about to be ripped apart by those attacking women!

[He cuts his look back at Lissa.] I said she wasn't my girlfriend to start with! Ugh!

Why did you heal her?! We should have just left her by the stall!

[ Wow!!! ]

What do you mean, why did I heal her? You told me to heal her!

[ Not......in so many words, she'd kind of assumed...but look he hadn't said no!! So this is all clearly her fault and she's entirely innocent in this whole thing. At least, that's what her offended expression seems to say. ]

Besides, we can't just leave people to die. [ Stated extremely matter-of-factly. ] That wouldn't be nice either.

[ SPEAKING OF LEAVING PEOPLE TO DIE she gets up off her knees too. ]

We should go look and see if anyone else got hurt.

[ The implication here being that he can be her bodyguard. ]

[She healed him because he asked; however, THAT IS IRRELEVANT.] Yeah, well, I'm not helping any more of these idiot humans if all they're going to do is yell at me afterward!

Why should I help any-- [The white ears swivel immediately forward, and he visible "perks" like a dog.] Hey. [His voice is way less harsh than it had been five seconds ago.] You're bleeding. [It's not much of anything--probably a cut on her leg from a rock, but he can smell the blood, and it's dribbling, and HE'S WORRIED.]

Are you okay?

[ Oh my god, she's not a paper doll?????? ]

Huh? I am?

[ Honestly she hadn't even noticed she was bleeding, too busy with first being nearly killed and then being witness to the loudest yellfight she's seen in the last 24 hours. Also, she's poked her finger so many times trying needlework now that small cuts barely even sting.

HmmMMMMMmmmmmMMMMM

She scans both her arms (nope), stares down at her torso (nope), then hikes up her skirt to peer at her legs. (Hope he doesn't mind exposed skin.) Oop, there it is, a small cut from a well-aimed kunai. ]

Oh. That's nothing, I'm sure it'll heal up on its own. [ More importantly: ] How did you even know it was there?

[ummmmmmmmMMMMMMMMMMMM MOM HOLY SHIT

All at once, he turns completely red in the face, and he jerks his head away. Shoulders up, bristled. The ears fold directly back like an offended cat. EMBARRASSED!!] YOU COULD HAVE JUST BELIEVED—

[He won’t look back at her at all, even if she has returned to presentable measures.] It doesn’t matter! I could smell it is all!

[ Y'all ain't never seen a woman before or something.

If Maribelle were here, she'd be screeching loud enough to break both their eardrums over Lissa's inappropriate and highly unladylike behavior. Showing more than the ankle, ridiculous!!!

But thankfully Maribelle isn't here and Lissa doesn't give a single fig over being prim and proper (most days) and so she simply scowls when Inuyasha turns beet red. ]

I just wanted to see! Yeesh, you don't have to get so worked up over it.

[ More importantly, what was that he just said about being to smell it? ]

How come you can smell it anyway? [ Oh wait, she sees those ears now. ] Are you like a taguel or something?

[He still isn't looking at her! If he looks back, she could very well have her clothes jacked up to her waist, sticking her leg out for him. And he would die. His soul would leave his mortal body. So he's not going to look.

Very much in the fashion of men, the falchion-esque sword suddenly glows and... shrinks. Back into the banged up katana it had been before. Equally embarrassing.] I don't know what the heck a taguel is.

I'm a demon! [He chances a look at her finally, but only out of the corner of his eyes.] I can smell everything. I can hear everything, too.

[ What the heck, is that a magic sword? She's gonna have to ask about that later. But first!!! This demon business. ]

A demon? [ That sounds super bad. ] But you look so normal. And you're pretty nice too.

[ What does that even have to do with being a demon, she's being demon racist now. Wait. If he can hear everything, does that mean.............her eyes widen, and she leans back. ]

Can you hear what I'm thinking too??

[ No thought is safe. ]

[Let him just casually stick his entire bare foot in his mouth.] What? No! That isn't what I meant! [He wants to die.] Nng...

I'm a half-demon. [To explain his looks. He doesn't comment at all about the niceness. GOD.

At least he's looking at her fully for once.] But I'm going to become a powerful full demon once I have the Jewel of the Four Souls.

Don't judge someone by how they look anyway!

Jewel of the Four wha?

[ Repite, por favor. She squints at him, doubtful. Half-demon or all-demon or no-demon, that sounds hella shady. ]

Why is it called the jewel of souls? Do you eat people's souls or something? Are you going to eat my soul??

[ WAS THIS WHOLE THING JUST A TRAP TO GRAB AT HER YOUTHFUL AND PURE SOUL. ]

Four Souls. [UGH. BEING AROUND THIS GIRL IS PAINFUL!] It's called--

No! Some demons-- NO! Would you just shut up and listen for a minute?! [He heaves a great puff of air.] It's a Jewel that gives anyone who has it a lot of power. It can be used for good or evil. So all the demons want it to be able to become a powerful demon.

Are you done with the questions yet?!

[ The answer to that is a big fat no. But FINE she'll do her best to keep her mouth shut for longer than three seconds at a time. See, look, she's listening for once! ]

How am I supposed to learn anything if I don't ask questions?

[ This is rhetorical and she's muttering it to herself, don't answer that.

But okay, one more question. ]

So if you get it, are you going to use it for good then?

[Honestly, he looks absolutely shocked and offended at the question.]

What're you trying to say, huh? Of course I'm gonna--! I'm not like all the other demons! Those demons were rotten eggs from the very beginning!

I have way more control than that!

[ She's good at eliciting shock and offense, go her. But alright, alright, his loud and vehement protests are good enough to convince her, especially since he had saved both her and that other rude girl before. ]

Then if you really wanna do good, help me find people so we can patch them up!

[UM ???? WHY IS HE ALWAYS GETTING ROPED INTO HELPING PEOPLE/HELPING HUMANS HELLO!!!! The look on his face goes from irritable, to surprised, to irritable all over again.] I--

Why-- [--should he? BUT HE JUST said. He just SAID. Basically he was a Good. But being good with the Jewel has nothing to do with helping everyone.] Ugh. Fine! Whatever.

Hurry up. I got better stuff to do than help a bunch of humans.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

EVENT ▸ WELCOME TO HANABIRA

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