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

I had spoken with Kylo Ren over magitek regarding that lead. I hadn't known if anything else had come up while we prepared to meet with Empress Nama. [She tucks her arms into the overlarge sleeves of her disguise. Her voice goes a bit lower.] What makes you believe that it is not a third party involved in the attack?

[AGAIN SHE genuinely wants to know what Keith thinks. Still looking to him as a leader-type.]

And I understand that this is different from Voltron, but I just-- [a pause. She frowns, uncertain how to continue with what she wants to say.] Never mind. You are correct, I need to remind myself that this is much different than Voltron and the Coalition.

I suppose I am still used to having you as a teammate.

[aka you and Lance (and the two mice) are all she has here from home, so there's that desire to keep them close so that there's some familiarity to be had in this guild.]

Ah—

[ Rey watches Yusuke just go and — well, it seems about right, from what she's seen of him, yet she can't help being frustrated. ]

That's not what we're here for!

[ She !! signed up for training!!! And sparring!! But she grabs her staff and follows after him anyway, scrambling over the fence. ]

We were supposed to fight each other.

[Kylo Ren turns from Thrawn to reach out into the crowd of wounded until he finds what he is looking for.

Every now and then, he glances between the remains of the battle. It would be easy enough to end their lives now, and avoid further conflict. Empress Youmi had even given express permission to do so, as far as the sea clan went.

He only leaves him for a moment to collect an older warrior -- grizzled, and hopefully more knowledgeable about the conflict occurring. She is unconscious when he brings her.]

Empress Youmi was explicit in terms of what would happen to those who escalated this conflict.

Edited 2018-02-12 20:29 (UTC)

I don't doubt there are daemons like that.

[ He wonders if that may explain the emanating despair that he's sensing, but he's not going to openly call that out...

Crouching before one of the graves, he tries to keep himself busy by re-arranging the flowers neatly. ]

But my friends aren't like those kinds either.

[His head tilts almost curiously, his hand once again returning to his side.]

Explain.

[There's a lot of subjects on the table right now, Rey. Pick a topic for 500.]

Patterns. Galaxy politics.

[ She waves a hand vaguely about it. The answer is really 'whatever' because, again, she doesn't know much. ]

Now that you know more about what is to come, surely you have feelings about it. [ More debris settles and she wipes sweat from her brow. This doesn't seem like the sort of thing that should be hard — she's not using any muscles, — and yet. She turns from her task to look at him more fully. ] I'd like to hear them.

[ Maybe she'll hear something that she can use to give her some idea of how to approach these skirmishes, for instance. Loki sticks in her mind. He'd seen this coming, and she hadn't. There are people who know how to read the climate much better than she can. Maybe it's time to start listening to them, and stop dismissing this stuff as abstract and pointless. She may not be a negotiator, but she still has eyes and ears. ]

[Another nod, this time one of slowly blooming acceptance: if she seeks to learn more, to broaden the scope of her abilities and sharpen her perception, she has indeed come to the right person for it.]

I cannot give you answers that I do not yet know myself.

[Which is why he clings to the silence between them for a moment longer, his breathing going even and still.]

How did the Empire fall?

Oh good. I'm not big on getting bit.

[ Scott's...pretty sure he's kidding about sharks. But also, how scary is a shark when you worry about sky-scraper sized robots hunting you down?

Since no one seems to give a damn at this moment, there's really nothing to stop him from getting out of the water, lack of clothes be damned, to come sit on the dock next to this guy. Who is vaguely familiar, in the way that all Hathaway agents have come to be, even though they haven't spoken before.

Scott hauls himself up out of the water onto the dock, a couple of feet away. Don't want to disturb the potential fish or anything. ]

I went salmon fishing with my dad, once or twice, back when we lived in Alaska. [ He shrugs. ] Back before Copper River got clogged with tourists every summer. I don't know that we were that good, but at least we were locals.

[The dead are like kindling. When erased by flame their cause could easily burn hotter and brighter— all it takes is a swift wind to carry the embers at just the right moment. Thrawn's voice holds warning, and caution, his attention sliding back towards Ren as he forces his eyes open, attempting to see through the haze.]

When last I checked, Lord Ren, you were not Empress Youmi.

[From there, he carefully moves to a nearby table, pouring out a small portion of water into a porcelain cup using a combination of touch and memory— it had been intended to steep tea at first, before the battle had broken out— after hours of sitting untouched, it is now freezing cold.

He strides closer to Ren, lifting it as an offering. A means to wake their captive, rather than exercising unnecessary force.]

You must ask them how they select their targets, or plan their attacks— and whether or not there is a method of communication between these misguided ronin.

If we are to predict and stop future incidents, this is the information that must be ascertained immediately.

Hah!

[ The laugh was short, but Majima meant it. He'd been a transplant into Sotenbori himself, at one point, but settled in relatively quickly. ]

Well, you got the outlook down pat. Pain in the butt -- dealing with people crowding around on the streets, not lookin' where they're going. More often than not, they get their wallets emptied, too.

...guess that's more of a problem for the local police, but when they get busy, they can't spend as much time looking out for local businesses.

Sure. It's always better to practice with someone.

[ Truthfully, Scott's probably just as awkward. That sort of mid-range fighting hasn't really come up much in all his training: either they're in your face or half a block away. Still, there's something to be said for working with someone who's more or less at your level?

At the very least it's better than getting your ass handed to you repeatedly by your dad. ]

Do you have a spare or should I go track one down?

[ Oh, for the love of—why does this have to turn into an interrogation every time?! Why do her words feel so accusatory? He was minding his own business out here...! ]

Er... To see my data easier. [ And because he knows that won't be enough to satisfy her—it never is—9S goes on to add: ] I view a HUD through 'em—it keeps my hands free, for the most part.

[ A pause. ]

That a good enough answer?

[Thrawn gets a look for the remark about Empress Youmi as he sets their captive down on the chair. He takes the cup of water and pauses for a moment. Doing this without binders would certainly be an exercise in caution.

The idea that there was a movement among the ronin to escalate tension was the one he'd found to be the most likely, next to the idea that they were simply too ingrained in their own nationalism to stop when commanded.

Kylo Ren moves to close what remains of the door.]

You will ask. I will extract. That will make this go much faster.

[He turns to wake their captive, splashing the water on her face until she snaps awake. His other hand lifts to hold her in place with the Force.]

Edited 2018-02-13 00:54 (UTC)

[ "Weird guy", thanks Majima. He moves on swiftly through topics though, which 9S is thankful for, and he goes from gradually sinking further into the water to shifting back a bit straighter. ]

—Oh, I'm 9S. [ To get introductions out there. He pauses briefly in thought, then goes on to ask: ] What's a cabaret?

[ She frowns. Giving him this would mean giving him the power to change it, in some capacity. She studies him for a moment. ]

What did Kylo Ren tell you?

[ On the other hand, it might not give him any power at all. Maybe he does not know Luke Skywalker, or Vader. Maybe they are so distant that Vader's turn will mean nothing to him. Maybe ...

So much uncertainty. ]

[ Scott's not always the biggest sleeper. Mostly problems getting his head to turn off, and sometimes bad dreams, and sometimes just because the best time to get something done happens to be when no one else is around. Most of his teammates think he's an overcompensating weirdo (true) and that spending 3 hours training in the Danger Room for breakfast is obsessive (also true), but it's worked for him.

But holy shit, has he ever been that enthusiastic to be awake in his life? Survey says: no. Furthermore, no stranger has ever been that happy to see him— Scott finds himself waving back automatically, slightly mystified that the whole situation's even occurring. ]

Hi.

[ Because what else do you say when a woman twice your size comes enthusiastically jogging up to you? ]

Mind having some company?

[ It feels like the only natural option is to participate. Albeit...not with quite as much joy. He's not sure he's ever been that cheerful in his life. ]

[ Oooo-kay... 9S is straight up confused, mimicking Bortz's similarly baffled expression. ]

Uh... You know, built? With metal and wires and an OS? ... C'mon, you gotta know that much.

[ If this were one of his siblings here instead of himself, Ahad reflects, they would likely think it over. The mortals were rescued from the fire, were they not? Even many of those who dealt more closely with humanity wouldn't think about where to place the injured. ]

I would assume the castle.

Boredom. I might as well try everything they have to offer.

[ He'll shrug, before lifting a hand to flag the barkeep down again. ]

Was that a preference for something drinkable or are you looking for a surprise?

Whatever. [ He'll shrug. ] I never asked what it was called.

[ With Majima's stamp of approval on it, Ahad will finally take a sip from his own glass. There's a moment where he considers the taste, before nodding in approval. ]

I may be finished with experiments, for the day.

It's a...

[ nightclub, he almost said. Only he had a feeling that would get a blank look. ]

It's a place you go to listen to music, drink booze, and talk to pretty girls.

[ Ahad's quiet for a moment, unwilling to discuss the role he's found himself in here. He can grudgingly admit that it will likely suit his nature, but it's not something he wants. Instead, he'll focus back on the immediate, raising an eyebrow at Keith. ]

I assume the lord of this land is likely supplied with something. The castle may be the best place for them.

Nothing. [Thrawn says, his tone low and grim, the sharp lines of his features angling downward as he shakes his head. He does not need to strain himself to know that she's clinging to the knowledge like a safeguard. That she knows exactly how dangerous a revelation it might be—

But that does not change the fact that it is information he needs.]

So I will ask you again: [The words are slower this time, enunciated clearly.] how did the Empire fall?

[ It's a few minutes, before Ahad emerges again. There's a woman running besides him, and someone wrapped in blankets in his arms. It's just in time, too, as part of the roof of the farmhouse collapses behind them.

When Ahad notices Wylan hovering at a safe distance, he seems mildly amused. ]

There was no need to stop me.

[ Despite their adventure out in the Flowerlands, they didn't really get a chance to talk too much. (Though he's glad she and Peter did most of the talking after.) And he's pretty sure he's not always the best at talking to people, but they're all they've got around here, so hopefully she won't mind too much if he sits next to her on the bench?

(Like a foot away, though. Just in case she wants to pretend she doesn't know him, if she's trying to keep cover.) ]

That smells good.

[ It really does. He may really need to get some. </small.]

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

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EVENT ▸ EMPIRE OF THE CRASHING WAVE

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choosing is hard but I guess iii

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A also sorry this is late, I hit a ton of work but Zarya's too great

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3 b/c as a scientist I feel there are limits for how many people can go science shopping