epidemiology | EVENT ▸ EMPIRE OF THE CRASHING WAVE

EVENT ▸ EMPIRE OF THE CRASHING WAVE

EMPIRE OF THE
CRASHING WAVE

The royalty of Guild Ophelia has managed to hold an audience with Empress Nama of the Celestial Mountains, urging her to meet with the Empress of the Crashing Wave in the interest of finding an accord between their clans. In return, Nama requests that Ophelia take two letters to the Crashing Wave's court, where, as foreigners, they should be received better than any of her own people.

The Empire of the Crashing Wave is a week's travel by foot from the Land of Celestial Mountains, through the forests and farms of the Flowerlands. There is no visible indication that this universe was once two, with even the road leading through the Flowerlands heading seamlessly toward the sea.

The farms and villages in the outskirts of the Empire of the Crashing Wave are decorated in seashells and motifs of the sea, and the closer one gets to the city, the stronger the scent of the ocean becomes. Once the city proper is reached, Ophelia's magitek projects words in front of their eyes that only they can see:

Location reached:

» EMPIRE OF THE CRASHING WAVE
A progressive society that values innovation. Main sources of income: fishing, pearl diving, jewelry crafting, shipbuilding. Politically matriarchal; socially egalitarian. Empress YOUMI resides at the PEACEFUL TIDE.

No events scheduled. You may wish to survey the surrounding area.

The city is built right on the ocean's edge, with some parts of it even jutting out into the sea on bridges and piers. The castle, Peaceful Tide, is built high above the rest; guards will stop anyone at the gates and, if shown the correspondence from Empress Nama, will deliver the letters directly to Empress Youmi. Attempts to seek an audience with Youmi will be rebuffed for the time being, so you may as well take in the sights...

▸ A PROMISING DEVELOPMENT

Unlike the Land of Celestial Mountains, men may move freely here, the matriarchal rules of the land only extending to politics. Men and women work alongside each other in all sections of the city, nobles and commoners alike, and even the guards have men among their ranks. In the Artisan District, potters, musicians, and artists line the streets and sell their wares, work, or discuss their craft with each other.

Closer to the Beach, there is a boardwalk where young couples stroll alongside grandparents chasing after their grandchildren, electric lamps bathing the wooden planks in a warm glow at night. Fishermen haul in their daily catch in buckets and nets, trailed by a gaggle of hopeful cats. Beachcombers and pearl divers populate the beach as well, making it a clear place for work instead of play.

A few days after Ophelia's arrival in sea clan territory, a bell rings loudly in the late afternoon, drawing citizens toward the castle. Guards stop anyone from getting too close, though the populace seems to know what to expect -- soon, a beautiful woman in an elaborate blue kimono appears in an upper balcony.

When viewing the woman, Ophelia's magitek will tell them:

» EMPRESS YOUMI
Leader of the EMPIRE OF THE CRASHING WAVE.
30 years old. SPECIES: Human. MEDICAL CONCERNS: Lactose intolerant.

The crowd cheers at Youmi's arrival, only quieting once she raises her hand. She speaks clearly and confidently, her voice carrying easily across the assembly.

"I have received a letter from Her Imperial Majesty Nama of the Land of Celestial Mountains. She informs me that their spring festival was interrupted by an attack from our own people, working without my knowledge or consent," Youmi begins, holding her hand up again when a displeased rumble begins to ripple through the crowd. It's unclear if they're perturbed by the ambush or by Nama herself. Once all is silent again, she continues.

"She has detained the criminals, for that is what they are, and assures me she will not bring this to the battlefield. I will send her an agreement to the terms, but hear this: any who escalate this further will be slain by my order. I have spoken. The spirits of the sea watch over us all."

Youmi then retreats back into the castle. While some citizens cheer their empress's decree, others mutter unhappily amongst themselves as they disperse and go about their business.

▸ BUT TROUBLE CONTINUES

The rest of the day following Youmi's decree goes by without incident, leaving time for Ophelia to stop by the sake breweries near the sea or travel back through the forests of the Flowerlands for hunting, hot springs, or simply enjoying the nature of Hanabira. With war averted and the empresses in communication, it seems as though Ophelia's time in this universe will draw to a close soon.

As the sun sinks down, finding a place to sleep might be a good idea. There are hotels in the city, but for those who are trying to be a little more frugal, the Flowerlands is a good place to set up camp for free. Doro, the Lord of the Flowerlands, has heard of Ophelia's efforts in starting communication between the empresses as well, and offers rooms in his castle in thanks; if war were to start between the two, his land would suffer for it.

During the night, those who accept Doro's invitation will hear a commotion very nearby, steel clashing against steel. Doro and his daughters rush out, weapons drawn, and straight into a skirmish between sea and mountain clan ronin. The warriors are fighting to kill, and in their fervor, someone's fire arrow alights a farmhouse on Doro's property. The farmers need to be rescued and the fire put out, and while the warriors will likely kill each other, they could also be subdued to prevent further damage. Please let the mods know with a link to the thread if your character is killing or capturing any of the ronin.

After the skirmish, Doro must be brought back inside his castle, having been wounded during the battle. He pleads with Ophelia to continue to help, as it looks like a tentative truce by the empresses is not enough to calm the citizens. Since they were so successful in receiving an audience with Nama, he believes they can propose a way the two empires can live in harmony.

Throughout the next two weeks, skirmishes between the clans are peppered throughout the Flowerlands, some leaving bodies behind and some leaving damage to farms and forest. It looks like Ophelia's peacekeeping mission just became a lot more hands-on: keep the skirmishes from getting out of control while still working toward a way to end the conflict once and for all.

▸ OOC NOTES

This log will last for two IC weeks: the first three days will be free exploration, and day four is Youmi's proclamation and the skirmish in the Flowerlands. Your characters are free to explore for the next ten days, during which further skirmishes will occur. 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.

▸ Coming next log: Peace proposals! Get your brainstorming started now.

▸ Activity Check is due on 5 February 23:59 UTC. We do not accept late submissions, so make sure you fill it out!

▸ Uniform Design Contest is open! Submissions are due 28 February 23:59 UTC. Gamewide voting will be in March.

▸ Bounty Board ▸ Items Page ▸ Exploration Group Planning ▸ General Plotting ▸ February Calendar

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

[ He'd never lived with other malakhim, but he can imagine this is one of the reasons his kind refuse to mingle or live close to humans. Greed is just another form of malevolence. ]

Why are people greedy? I don't get it...

[ Like a lot of what's happening, pretty much. ]

Understood.

[ the bladed weapon would probably be more trouble than it's worth; flesh parted beneath its edge much more easily than steel had. Her sword vanishes from her hands with a small flash of orange sparks, reappearing sheathed on her back, where it seems to float.

Two should take no time at all. ]

Can you handle yourself?

[Ginko doesn't drink particularly often, but once in awhile he doesn't mind indulging, either. And when you're being paid for it....well, no reason not to.

He picks up the drink Aizawa nudged across the table, taking a sip.]

Not bad.

[The next one gets offered to the table--some kind of mixture of pumpkin and cloves. There's a pleasant aroma to it, though the flavor isn't quite as strong as the last.]

I've never tried flavors quite like these before.

[ 2B's thinking is along the same lines as his. Could a conflict really be resolved with a few letters? She's never heard of such a thing - not that the machines had even been interested in negotiating, for the most part. Maybe the years of conflict have made her cynical; she finds it difficult not to be skeptical about the imminent peace.

Even moreso when she overhears Aizawa. She doesn't know him personally, but she does know he's part of Hathaway's team. ]

She didn't tell us?

[Having been someone who was constantly on the road and with a source of income that tended to rely on Strange Incidents Occurring (which weren't that rare, of course, given that mushi were literally everywhere, but still unpredictable), Ginko isn't particularly inclined to turn down what seems to be an easy source of money. Even if that involves drinking sketchy alcohol. He has the herbs to make medicine if it turns out the drink disagrees with him too badly.

Ginko ends up taking a seat at the table Majima's at, and when the man raises his glass, so does Ginko, in turn.]

Aa. Bottoms up.

[Ginko shakes his head from where he sits, on one of the benches overlooking a small river. The moonlight reflects off the water, shining, and illuminates the fish swimming idly through. It's a picturesque scene, all told.]

I'm not in any particular hurry.

[He's taking a drag from one of his mushi cigarettes when Alucard approaches, and lets out an exhale of smoke before he continues. It's not the best idea, he realizes, to waste them--in case they arrive on a world which has mushi....but the habit is so ingrained at this point in his life he hadn't even thought much about it until the cigarette was already lit.]

I often slept under the stars, back in my own world. It's peaceful, out here.

[Late at night, when the world at large has gone to sleep...the earth takes on its own sort of sound in the silence. It's relaxing.]

[ Simon throws up his hands in exasperation. ] If I’d thought you’d believe me I would’ve mentioned it, but the first thing you said to me was “you probably think you’re human, but you’re not”. I just figured if I stayed out of your way and did my part, you’d come around eventually. Or lay off a little, at least.

[ It would be nice if it was like that and she just came around because it turns out some robots are okay, but that would mean he keeps being an “it”, and just, look, Simon is not principled enough for that. Some other robot is going to have to be her teachable moment. ]

[Ginko just so happens to be walking along the beach when he spots Sieglinde, at which point he makes his way over toward her. The bandages don't go unnoticed; she had said she was a healer, before, which implies whatever the bandages were covering are a long-term injury. He also remembers how she had said she couldn't walk quickly--it leads to a fairly strong inkling about what the bandages are for, but Ginko also isn't someone who pries particularly deeply into the affairs of others just for curiosity's sake.

Instead, he takes a seat beside her on the shore, offering a smile, despite the grumbles of the locals about losing yet another couple of inches of fishing real estate.]

It's beautiful, isn't it?

[The endless expanse of the ocean....there's an almost majestic quality to it. Even the previous mission with the sharkmen can't dampen that.]

[Welp. That sure...is a man surrounded by a lot of cats. Ginko doesn't recognize the man as from the group with which they'd questioned the old merchant woman from the mountain clan until he gets closer, but eventually recognition does set in.

He pauses walking at that point, partly to simply stare at the massive crowd of feline affection this guy is receiving. That's Too Many, Urahara.]

...There's quite a lot of strays, around here. This village must do well for itself.

[There was always a need to remove blades from one's prisoners- not just to make sure that they wouldn't attack you, but to assure they wouldn't slit their own bellies open before they could be interrogated.

At least, that had been her experience in her own world.

And if these women were cooperative... she would gladly allow them to restore their honor through death if that is what they required. (The same honor that had been denied her.)]

I've got it.

[It isn't as sturdy as lariat rope, but she has bowstring, and she pulls it from the coil in her waistpouch and leans back down, roughly forcing the prisoner's arms back behind their back and lashing them, only then stepping back to remove her hoof's pressure from their lungs while hauling them up bodily by the back of their armor.

For the moment her captive is busy trying to inhale, but, actually-]

I need a gag.

[ zokla holds out the shovel for him once he has set the bodies down. her eyes look over the dead man. her mind clinically takes in the details: in his forties; broad of shoulder; a good, laughing face. she looks at the wound that killed him — a deep injury, surely from an arrow — and does not sigh. people die the same everywhere.

as promised, she leaves and comes back, her arms loaded with sheets, and accompanied by a few of the surviving villagers. they, in turn, summon others. all give the direwolf wide berth and so give her it too.

nymeria did not harm them, but all they see is a killer from a story told to warn them away from straying from the path. maybe they saw her during the night, a monster more terrible than enemy soldiers. they think she’ll turn on them. they think she’ll make off with their dead. one young man staggers back so abruptly he falls. a woman grips a shovel, glaring. nymeria snarls.

they’re afraid of me, arya thinks, leaving the sheet on the ground and getting to her feet. the wolf’s growls echo inside the hole in her chest. if nymeria is a monster, I am too.

this grief isn’t hers. she dumps the filthy water from her bucket and ties it to her belt. nymeria turns without command and pads away from the bodies, the weeping, the smell of upturned earth. arya drifts after her wolf. ]

[ rey only sighs. a part of her hurts for him, seeing how he can't understand it. his rejection of the mere concept runs deep enough that he can't entirely form it, and that is when she knows to let it lie.

what does it matter why he thinks she's here? ]

No. Empress Youmi has kept her territory closed off, probably from fear of invasion. [ the mountain clan is more militarized, after all. and if she can give him that, hopefully he can give her — ] Keith knows something's wrong. I have to tell him something.

[ the searching expression she wears doesn't give a damn about permission, but rather seems lost in how to approach that. what could she tell him to explain? the complete truth seems to bizarre to put to words, still. ]

You think you're going to goad me out there.

[ which tbf he's right he's totally going to goad her out there. it's like he never left at all. :') ]

I don't know.

[ she shakes her head. then, thinking on it a while, she supposes that's not true. she's not … material greedy. she's never had enough to feel that way, and she's never been willing to put money or resources ahead of the other things she wants. but she is greedy for those. love. friendship. belonging. ]

I guess … maybe we're all afraid of losing what we have, and getting more is a way to insulate ourselves from the loss.

[ oh not this again. ]

There's nothing to indicate that. [ and honestly it's grating on her a little that people are reaching for a more complicated answer. it would be grating on her less, perhaps, if she hadn't been dragged through why it was important to explore all options by keith's stubbornness, but at this stage— ] Obviously neither of the Empresses believe that.

[Ok, good, they are getting somewhere. Or at least, they were. This request is not gifted with a dramatic reaction from him this time, though he is sill feeling a bit impatient with her. In a mirror of what she had done just a few minutes ago, he gestures out with one hand toward the direction Keith had gone in.]

Tell him, what? He will not understand something we barely understand ourselves.

[Even though his logic is sound, he really just doesn’t want to have to explain it talk about it himself, and the second one person knew meant that it would spread. And worse, it would give Rey control of the narrative.]

[ She frowns to be reminded of her own words, especially because she doesn't think she can actually take them back. But now she can at least admit they are... unkind.

Unfortunately, Zarya has never once been accused of holding back words for the sake of kindness. ]

What I said is not untrue. [ She eyes him, looking grimly unhappy about it. ] You have suffered a great, great loss... but what you were died with it. What you are now is circuits, programming. Machine.

[ It's the bottom line, unavoidable. ]

[ it's good logic. it was the last time he said it too. that's the trouble; there are plenty of good, rational reasons to hide the truth. but there's also the big reason not to: it's hurting her friends.

however there's something in there that she wants to pursue — 'something we barely understand ourselves.' they've both been trying to understand it better, digging into it. but he's … here. like they'd agreed to try. did that mean he had succeeded? was he here deliberately?

she packs that way for later, deeming it less important than the matter at hand, and shakes her head. sadly, though, in a manner which clarifies that she is not asking his opinion whether or not she should at all. ]

I have to try. [ that's non-negotiable. ] I might not know what it's going to look like yet, but if I don't say something, I will lose him. [ that outcome is unacceptable to her, and not because of the silent 'too' hanging at the end of her sentence. keith means a whole lot more to her than poe "i knew him for a week" dameron. so this is what ben is allowed to weigh in on: how she tries to tell him, and how much. ]

[It takes him a second to realize that the reason she hadn’t run off and done so already was because she was looking for guidance from him on the matter. It takes him a second of blinking to process that (Some part of him still can’t believe this is working), but he glances back down at her once he does.

This is something he doesn’t have answers for. If she told the wrong person, they might attempt to manipulate one of them through the other. Or, they would withhold information, on fear of it passing between the bond.]

I cannot tell you how. Or what.

[Because he believes nothing at all should be said, aside from their shared ignorance. Would he even believe her? Would he turn on her? That might work in his favor.]

But I suggest not giving more than is absolutely necessary.

[There is something bitter in his voice, a churn of resentment that has no real direction or target — it had always been an inevitability, but that didn't mean he liked it.]

[ for a moment she appears to mull over what that might look like. 'no more than is absolutely necessary.' she eventually nods, apparently settling on something that she doesn't feel compelled to share. ]

Alright.

[ she can do that. she gets ready to start after keith but stops. curiosity gets the better of her and she turns to look at ben again, studying him. you might think that after her big speech like 'friendship is magic' that keith was more important than curiosity, but — ]

The fact that you're here, now … Is it you doing this?

[ or is it the force? she studies him. they had determined to try, but honestly a part of her had hovered in uncertainty over whether he'd actually bother making an attempt. ben isn't exactly the quiet yearning type, as far as she's concerned, and so sitting around thinking of her, trying to reach out, was …

hard to imagine. but if he had managed to take some control over the bond — actually, that's really yikes. as demonstrated by the consequences of this exact moment. it literally only occurs to rey now that maybe working to increase their power over this link between them could also be … abused …

/faceinhands.

anyway. she's not worried about that because ben is Good Now and they just made eyes at each other like last week on his bed and it's fine. : ) packing away that sudden awareness ("i have a bad feeling about this") in favor of figuring out if maybe this is a win towards having more control over their lives. yes. that's better. happy thoughts. ]

[ Majima threw back his head, then immediately pulled a face as he returned the glass to its spot on the table in front of him. ]

The hell? Kelp and curry? Who comes up with this stuff?

[ Don't get him wrong, he liked both -- just not at the same time, and not infused into his sake. ]

Yes.

[Actually, he wasn’t really sure — but he had definitely wanted an answer only Rey could give him, so it was impossible to tell if he had subconsciously reached out, or if it was just coincidental timing. But he is happy to take credit for the milestone. The potential for the bond to be abused by Rey occurs to him, but not with any great concern. Even though she had proven her power twice over, he cannot see her thinking to use it to her advanatge.

Not in any way that would cause him trouble, anyway. It would simply chase her to the dark, which was fine by him.]

What will you do, when he tells others?

[He glances back down at her this time to watch for her reaction.]

[ Help came swiftly -- a streaming dark shape that revealed itself to be a tall Japanese man in the distant orange light from one of the barns. Majima whipped himself about as he approached one of the struggling captives, using his arms to brace himself from beneath as he lashed out with both feet.

The blow struck home; a wild cry and a spinning kick from a freeze pose dropped a second ronin.

Was he breakdancing on the battlefield, absolutely he was. ]

[ surprise flutters briefly through her expression. planning to work on it and accomplishing it were two separate matters. but then, is it so surprising? she's seen what he's capable of. regardless, he apparently doesn't think it merits further exploration, for he doesn't expand upon that at all.

in fact, he changes the subject. ]

I don't know.

[ she shrugs her shoulders simply. really, she's out on a limb here. but she's not backing off of it because she's afraid and uncertain of what will happen next. she knows that it's necessary. and whatever happens, she'll deal with it. ]

I think I'll start by trusting him, and hope I'm not proven wrong. [ there's a meaningful bite in her expression. like maybe keith isn't the only one she's trusting not to prove her wrong. or ... maybe like someone else could stand to start trusting. maybe a little of both. ] He hasn't let me down yet.

[Bless the floating flowers of ghosts bringing them to the fallen. Maybe they will just think Inuyasha has telekinesis since the flowers will be right beside him.

Inuyasha has zero idea, though maybe would be irritatingly amused at those around the Flowerlands being superstitious of a bunch of hovering flowers.] Hey! Don't go too far. I'm not gonna be responsible if any of those idiots left try to attack you. [Which is to say: he doesn't want to feel guilty for not being there because he's too busy digging graves.

When Laphicet gets back, he's covered everything but the man's head. It'll allow the villagers to identify their family and friends, and then he'll--or they can--finish burying.]

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EVENT ▸ EMPIRE OF THE CRASHING WAVE

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brewhaha

nighttime

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02! i totally forgot about that group exploration log so i hope its okay to make handwavy motions

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let's see if anyone listens to him this time

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