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

It's ... camouflage, I guess. I've only had the chance to practice around the HQ. [Not on missions, not yet. Their past two instances didn't leave a lot of room for that. That said—] So it might not work as well, but if the gates open, I can probably get through.

[He looks off in the distance, and then frowns.]

They will open, right?

Tastes like hot garbage.

[ said Majima, knocking back the rest of the glass and setting down the empty on the table because sure. Why not. Free booze. ]

But I guess that's why they're payin' us to be the guinea pigs.

[ The next cup he simply held out, waiting for Poe to clink glasses with him before drinking. ]

Here's to not screwin' it all up.

Not really.

[ Simon recognizes this guy — most of Ophelia have at least seen each other around, surely? — but they haven’t really spoken. They’re just currently united in being weirdos standing around outside in the small hours of the night. ] No circadian rhythm. I think.

[The good thing about fighting is that Keith knows that he can figure out an opponent swiftly enough. The ronin are armored in such a way that it slows them down, because their armor is meant to catch some of the very same fatal blows that they're delivering. In turn, Keith isn't wearing much of anything, and he begins to catch on enough to duck under a blade just as it's about to hit him.

Again and again and again—until he tires out the ronin, springing left and right almost with unnatural speed and agility.

He finally hits her in the face with the flat side of his blade, knocking her back until she's dizzy, and then he kicks her down, forcing her to collapse in the moment.

Sweat beads over his forehead.]

Let's move these two to somewhere safe.

They'll have to bring supplies in eventually.

[ she shrugs her shoulders. ]

I could try to convince them open them up and give you an opening to sneak past. [ 'convince' here meaning ... well, Keith probably knows. ] But ... getting you back out would be harder, and you wouldn't be able to stop camouflaging without them noticing something strange going on. It could be days or weeks before they move anything in or out.

I can't hold it forever, not without passing out. I'd have to find a place to hide.

["Hiding" in some way is the biggest inconvenience possible in all of this. Keith doesn't know where he'd hide. He doesn't even know what's inside.]

I don't get it. Why are they keeping us out?

[The appearance of a centaur doesn't phase him. Part of it is the fact that he'd seen Hayame around by now and her help with the mission so far. Most of it was the mere fact that he'd trained briefly with a centaur before, not to mention grew up around fawns and other creatures with part-human, part-animal characteristics.

He ties the cloth over his mouth and picks up one of the shovels he'd laid out on the ground. Centaur aside, he was glad it was Hayame who was here to help. Hayame had been helpful with traditions and customs of this land so far -- or at least the customs from her world were certainly closer than Jason's understanding of Ancient Rome. She'd then helped him and the others further with more tutoring before their appearance in the court of the mountain clan. But, for a third time it seemed, she was going to once again help with a ritual.

This one wasn't going to be nearly as pleasant though. Jason never thought he'd miss acting humble and submissive in the empress's court. He'd take that over burying bodies. Although, there was another matter to address first, before they could do anything else.]

We need to clear them from the rubble first. The farmers didn't seem too thrilled with burying them on their land, but I found a spot near the fences that might work as a compromise.

Maybe they're afraid the Mountain Clan will do to them what those Sea Clan women did to the Mountain Clan.

[ js. the mountain clan is more militaristic — they can stand to have open borders. if the sea clan is more peaceful like the dossier suggests, then they probably wouldn't have the resources to react if someone tried to start something. it'd hurt them worse. better to just avoid it entirely. ]

You should look into getting one. We fight a lot as a team. [Not internally—though Keith doesn't make any strides to clarify that. It's not that he means to make them seem like they fight a lot, it's that he doesn't have the social awareness to see how his words can be taken any other way.]

How good are you with a spear? I picked it up to learn it, but fighting against it could help. [It's nothing that would typically be found out in space, but that's a good thing. Trying to expand his horizons is what matters most. So far, he's taken to other weapons rather well while training here, but he always returns to his trusty sword and dagger. They're the weapons where he feels the most comfortable.]

We're not even from the Mountain Clan! [And do they even know what happened? Keith doubts they have E-Mail. Then again, that's an argument that doesn't slip out as he begins to raise his voice.] We're just ... we're just tourists!

[A beat.]

Ugh, we're just tourists.

[That's the worst.]

[ naturally, she turns to find another gorgeous white-haired woman... congratulations. this one has a blindfold on, though. ]

... We should be paying attention to what she said. Her appearance doesn't matter.

[ not that 2B really has any frame of reference. She just looks like another human to her - androids don't pay much attention to physical appearances. ]

[Its been roughly a week since he'd last spoken to Rey -- it was somewhat cathartic, to be able to sit and think on what they had learned. It didn't take a radar technician to know that they were missing pieces to the puzzle, and those pieces would be found in the Empire of the Crashing Wave.

As a man used to hyperspace travel rather than travel on foot, he hadn't imagined the journey would last quite this long. On the final day, he finds himself staring out the window at nothing, a progressive irritation creeping up the back of his neck. She was supposed to have contacted him with information once she had gotten inside, or had found something of note. Had she failed? Was she with-holding something, in a moment of regret? Perhaps he could contact her through the magitek -- but then she would grow irritated with him, and claim some nonsense about him being worried for her.

Somewhere in the middle of all those thoughts, he'd turned away from the light of the window to close his eyes and breathe outward. That's when he feels the familiar pressure on the front of his forehead, begging him to open them again --

And there she stands. Perhaps there was something to their theory after all.]

Where are you?

[Its a frustrated demand for information. He does not take the time to understand what she is doing, only vaguely aware that he's interrupted something.]

Edited 2018-02-04 21:20 (UTC)

I know that it's frustrating, but … [ rey's answer trails off. her attention is on keith, soft and understanding and empathetic, and then —

it's that sound. or rather the lack of it. the birds sound more distant. the ocean, further away. and … the rustle of leaves closer. her face falls, and her focus seems to shift.

she turns her head and sees him there.

shit.

now? she'd told him they should try initiating the bond, but she hadn't figured the result would be an impromptu intrusion on — well, anything. she should have. she presses her lips together. ]

This isn't a good time. [ she mutters it under her breath, her gaze quickly averting from where ben stands. or … doesn't stand. shit, again. ]

[Keith isn't perceptive enough to totally understand what's happening. What he does figure out is that Rey says something that's not meant to be heard, and it's weird. It's the definition of weird. She hadn't even finished her thought. She had a finished thought there, right?

His eyebrows pinch together.]

What?

[Because what the heck else is he gonna say?]

[He hears her loud and clear, unlike Keith, and pauses to squint and attempt to assess the situation. She's with someone -- he can't see who, but it is someone familiar, and not one of the Sea Clan. Someone she'd traveled with?

So he brushes past her discomfort.]

There is never a good time.

[Blunt, but #wheresthelie. The irritation is still plain on his face, but better safe than sorry.]

Are there Hanabirans with you? Just nod, or shake your head.

[ oh. duh. keith.

what was she saying? she searches his expression for some kind of hint but all she finds there is confusion, and it doesn't help that ben won't stop talking at her. she could honestly choke him right now.

she grits her teeth, a tension flickering through her jaw, but she pulls her lips into a strained smile and

shakes her head. ]

Sorry. [ there's a distinct lag before she explains. ] I thought I heard something.

[ though she resents that they must happen, 2B is thankful for the continuing skirmishes, too. Not because she enjoys bloodshed and violence - though a great part of her is hard-wired to do so - but because it's the one thing here that she can throw herself into entirely with great effectiveness. Navigating an unfamiliar culture in an unfamiliar world is nigh impossible, and exploring and information-gathering aren't her strong suits, either. But facing others in battle? That's what she does. Even among androids, she's one of the most powerful models to exist.

As it turns out, that's a bit of a problem when she's facing humans that she'd desperately like to avoid killing. Things like restraint and mercy weren't necessary in the war against the machines; here, they're things she's trying to learn as quickly as possible to avoid shedding human blood. So it's actually fortunate that Keith has drawn the attention of his attackers when she comes across them. If she doesn't have to defend herself, she can focus more on softening her blows and targeting non-critical areas.

2B recognizes the boy immediately from afar; she knows he was a soldier, but she doesn't know the details. What she does know is that he's no android, and he's looking fairly outnumbered - and he's her teammate, and part human. There's no way she'd leave him. ]

Behind you!

[ not an enemy behind him, though - the warning call is to make sure she doesn't hit him as she rushes into the fray with a superhuman leap over his head. The ronin directly in front of him is knocked to the ground as 2B collides with her shoulder while rolling into a landing; there's an audible crack from her arm as it buckles under the android's weight. But 2B has no time to be concerned about whether that damage is irreversible or not - she's up on her feet again quickly, a pure white katana in her hands.

With one comrade reeling in pain on the ground, and a second enemy appearing, the other ronin back off slightly, giving the two of them just a second of breathing time. She takes the moment to ask an important question: ]

What's the best way to subdue them?

[ she'd been in a castle somewhat similar to this once before, only that one had been decaying for thousands and thousands of years; it's been interesting for 2B to roam these grounds and see what's familiar and what isn't. She has to imagine that one day she'll get used to seeing these places that had always been empty and haunted filled with life, taken care of - but that day certainly isn't today. Even the battles haven't been able to dim humanity's gleam in her eyes. ]

... Do you really think so?

[ she doesn't sound skeptical, per se, but she does sound unsure. Wars aren't things that end so simply, are they? ]

[he's clearly already committed to this and if majima is game then so is poe. they're doing this. it's a bonding experience. or something.]

I'd say that I dunno how hard it'd be to screw up trying drinks, but we're already off to a strong start. [he clinks his glass with majima then goes in for round two. ]

This one's not ... that bad ... is it spicy?

[The wolf's eyes aren't unlike Inuyasha's own, and that may be telling enough. He doesn't budge a single inch when Nymeria gets between them. Kilala was a cat demon; however, there's some similarities, and Inuyasha doesn't feel threatened by Nymeria's show of warning.

But there's respect. He doesn't get any closer; he doesn't need to anyway.] Same reason she's [He tips his head at Nymeria.] got 'em: because I was born with them. [The inquired ears stand facing forward, aside from one turning to the side once or twice when there's noise in the distance.

The farmer is almost twice as big as he is, but he doesn't seem burdened by the weight on his shoulder.] Give her to me. I'll take her with this guy.

Edited (you didnt see anything) 2018-02-04 22:25 (UTC)

[Still looking over his shoulder, he gives Sieglinde a strange expression. It's not every day you hear a kid say they need something for an "experiment."

Kaede and Kagome were exchanging the art of medicine, but even then, he never heard either of them refer to what they made as experiments.] Oh yeah? [The pace is agonizingly slow for him; he keeps it for the sake of allowing her to walk mostly beside and behind him as he leads.]

And what exactly are you gonna do with it?

Of course.

[ rey lives in idealistic hope land where this is realistic and practical. also, she doesn't understand how politics work. ]

Maybe they'll get together to sign some kind of formal treaty, but once they're in agreement that there will be peace, that's all there is to it. Right?

Huh. Tastes kinda like fish roe. Like the kind ya find over in Hakata.

[ This glass got a dubious look before Majima decided that the flavor was at least an improvement over the last one, so he might as well use it to delay the next, possibly even more questionable cup. ]

This your first time tryin' sake?

[ they’re not the most gruesome dead bodies Simon has seen — that honor goes to the sprawled corpses in PATHOS-II, once scientists and engineers, now mottled and emaciated, bodies bursting with the WAU’s cancerous mechanical growths. The lucky ones are dead, at least. The really lucky ones stay that way.

But it’s still a sobering sight, and if Ophelia can see off Hanabira’s dead in a decent, human, way, regardless of what the ronin did, then they have to. So he nods. ] Right.

[ he picks up a shovel. They’ll have to move them, but, well. He’s had to do grosser. ] Don’t know how a Sea Clan warrior would’ve felt about being buried, but it’s better than nothing.

[ the frown grows, but zokla does not answer. after meeting — and providing food and drink for — two gods, other stories tend to seem mundane in comparison.

she faces away from inuyasha, bending over the woman's body. were she alone, she would never have turned her back. but nymeria is with her and nymeria will defend her. she finishes quickly: the hands, the face, the neck. the terrible sight of her shoulder she can't do much for other than drape the folds of the woman's clothes to hide it some.

zokla bows her head. ] Valar morghulis, [ she whispers. all men must die.

shifting her weight back to a crouch, she slings her arms around her legs. without spoken command, nymeria moves aside, though she keeps her eyes on inuyasha. zokla motions for him to take the body. ]

Where are they being gathered?

[ she presses at her eyes with the back of her wrist. after the adrenaline faded, she can feel the night's interrupted sleep. after this is over, she'll follow nymeria into the forest, collapse under the shade of a tree or a bush, and sleep the day away. ]

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EVENT ▸ EMPIRE OF THE CRASHING WAVE

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