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 don't want anymore people to die.

[ His eyes follow her gaze. Never has he had to experience something like war or loss personally. But it's through others that he feels their aching pain and sadness. ]

What do you want to do?

[ she's surprised to see him. well, that's not entirely true. rey knows that lance is back in the way anyone who's on a team of like sixty people would be aware enough. but she also knows that it's not lance as she knew him. he has no memories. if he did, he would have sought her out.

more, she's surprised to see him here, and now, and calling out to her. her heart lifts in her chest for a moment with the illusion of hope. she squashes it quickly this time, instead of letting it drag out.

no. that's not fair. she can get to know him again. ]

I thought it looked a little deep. [ her brow furrows. ]

Stop the next one before it starts.

[ she sighs and settles down onto the pile of debris she has collected. ]

I just wish I knew how. That's why we brought the negotiators, right? They're supposed to know what to do about this.

I. ALL THAT GLITTERS TURNS TO- (DORO'S CASTLE)

[The halls of the castle should feel comfortable, or at least, more well-suited to a man of more refined tastes.

And yet something about the air of elegance around him is stifling, the high walls a reminder of another life and painful memories, of china so pretty and furnishing so nice that the cold words exchanged among them are almost possible to ignore.

Asher has been able to distract himself with so-called subterfuge and mulling about, but alone with just his thoughts this idle afternoon, he is forced to finally confront the insecurities that have been welling up inside of him.]

God.

[His plan to be of some use has gone to waste, nay, gone down in flames, and he has not even secured a specialty that would guarantee his potential as a lawyer, a leader, or an anything that matters-]

Am I ever gonna stop bein' such a loser?

[Muttered under his breath, while rubbing his temple with a stray hand.]

II. MAN DOWN, MAN DOWN (FLOWERLANDS)

[A fight breaks out nearby and he is compelled to step into the fray, stupid as it may be.

By the time he reaches the nearest farmhouse, it has already been set ablaze, the air thick with smog and the smell of charred wood. Asher pulls the hem of his robe up and over his mouth in a piteous attempt to keep his lungs from filling with tar, eyes wet from irritation. Still, he continues to survey the area with one free hand clutching a knife in case he is attacked by an intruder, although there are no ronin left in this area for the time being.

For a few minutes he wanders uselessly, passed once or twice by some stray cattle that has gotten loose, doing his best to spot anything or anyone in need of assistance. Combat is no longer a weakness of his, though he certainly is no match for a clan of warriors, and so he trudges forward, suddenly stubbing his toe on what looks to be an ashy pile of rubble-]

Ow! God, trees can be such dicks sometimes, even when they're super dead-

[But as soon as his shoe brushes a dark pile of wood aside, he spots a set of fingers, the nails and skin black with soot.]

Oh no.

[Asher kneels immediately.]

No, no, no, no-

[And begins to toss the rubble to his right.]

Yes, of course. [She eyes him for a moment longer before sipping on something that is ... overly strong. Her nose wrinkles. Best to keep talking. And maybe consider another flight with a name that's not as clever as what they can come up with.]

But is it a good change or a bad one? Were you just itching for the opportunity to be strong jawed or is it more ... whimsical?

[ To Simon’s absence of surprise, her stance on robots doesn’t seem to have changed any. He stiffens, still unsure how much he should be capitulating to her. Since, you know, he’s not into the constant suspicion, but he’s not exactly sure how structure gel stands up to being cracked over an insanely ripped Russian woman’s knee. ]

I’m just thinking.

[ Maybe it’s the suspicion, or maybe it’s that she pegged him immediately for a robot that “thinks” it’s human. It’s an exhausting mix of defiance and self-loathing, feeling defensive over something he doesn’t even want to be. ] What could you possibly think I’m here to do?

[While she gets the message, she's still finishing her rendition of an older pop song—"Kiss Me" by Sixpence None the Richer—before she pulls up her magitek. Veronica peers an eye around, unable to spot him. Then again, it makes sense that she can't. Her musician in arms asks if he can head off for the day, and she nods her head, accepting it. His patience that day was admirable—and hopefully they can do it again.

For now, it might just have to be a capella until someone else comes along. (Assuming there will be someone.)

She smiles, and then replies—not through the magitek, but out loud. Hopefully no one thinks she's talking to air, but oh well.]

Hmmm, probably not. Unless you're a fan of teen rom coms from the 90s. I'm willing to bet that doesn't ring a bell for you at all, does it?

So, not human.

[ It’s only a half-question. Even without the mutual weird sleep stuff, most humans probably wouldn’t be keen on the phrase “what I am” as a self-descriptor. ]

Not entirely. One of my parents was human, the other is not.

As a result, I need sleep less, and I work best at night.

I think that's what we all want.

[ Their team, anyway. Hopefully.

He goes to lift up the plank he tripped on earlier. It's a little heavy for the small boy, but slowly he drags it to join the pile. He pauses a moment, to talk. ]

We managed to come together and convince Empress Nama for an audience. That got us our truce. Surely we'll be able to think of some kind of peace proposal.

[ What kind though? That still requires some thought. ]

[It's never the time for congratulations mid-battle.

Once her arrow looses she throws herself into a canter towards the barn. With the house already on fire, there was only the barn left, this wasn't a city where the fire could jump from house to house and take the whole place, but-

She still snatches up the torch from the one she's incapacitated before she slams a hoof into their back to knock them back to the ground and keep them there, the flame so close half-blinding her more sensitive low-light vision.

Was that the last of them- ?]

[ Instant approval points to this guy for agreeing to it so readily. She picks up her pace again immediately, falling into an easy run. She'll pick up the pace on it if it seems like he can keep up. ]

Aleksandra Zaryanova. But to a running partner? I am Zarya. [ Much easier to remember, she knows. ] What has you awake for so long, Majima?

[ This robot, it always looks and sounds so defensive. But Zarya has seen that before, and it doesn't soften her heart in the slightest. Anything can be made to look defensive. She pulls to a stop, hands planting themselves on her hips. She may be stripped down to convenient workout clothes instead of in her usual armor, but she looks no less large for it. ]

I would not know, you and I don't think in the same ways. [ She looks like she wants to add a little more insult into that, but she can't pretend she isn't at least a little curious: ] What are you thinking about?

[ She doesn't sound curious, more like she's an interrogator following up on a suspicious lead, but that's just default when it comes to robots. ]

[It takes about two point five seconds for Keith to pull his knife out. The purple symbol glows against his hand as he glances around.]

What did you hear? I wouldn't be surprised if we finally ran into trouble.

[He sounds like he's both eager and a little irritated.]

[ Majima didn't seem to be having any trouble with it, at least -- hoofing it was just how you got around Sotenbori, unless you wanted to burn all your cash on taxi fares.

As for her question, well... ]

Nothing new -- haven't been sleepin' solid for a while now. It's gotten better since I came here, though.

[ If there really was any 'better' when it came to waking up in a cold sweat, convinced you were still trapped in that lightless pit. ]

So is this part of a trainin' regimen or just a hobby?

[ It was now, anyway, as Majima pulled his knife from the body of another attacker. She fell to the ground in an ungainly heap.

Inside, the smell of fear, and a high whinny. A horse had been left inside the barn, and the state of the splintered wood in its stall suggested that it had lashed out wildly in an attempt to escape. Its coat shimmered with sweat, but at least it was safe from the immediate danger of fire. ]

[Kylo Ren squints in confusion, until he remembers that she is probably not talking to him. There is yet another flicker of irritation, but this time, he stays quiet. There is a pressure that sits on their link as he attempts full focus on Rey’s end of the bond, to see if he can make sense of the situation without being able to see it, and without distracting her too much.

It is in his interests for there not to be too many questions, after all.]

Edited 2018-02-05 05:40 (UTC)

The letters are a good sign. [ Her father would be proud, she thinks, to know that she's becoming a little ... better. At whatever this is. There had been enough of a crowd that it wasn't necessarily difficult, but — she had helped.

Her shoulders relax once they're outside of the Empress' immediate sight. So many subtle mannerisms to think about, so little training. She's going to go have to run laps to clear her head, or something. ] Thank you, for ... accompanying me. [ So to speak. Her gaze remains straight ahead, because facing him might be a bit too much, but her voice remains steady. ] I'm aware I was not the best ... speaker. [ Or actress. But she tried, and she probably sucked a whole lot less thanks to Alucard. ]

[ From one soldier to another — context is everything, probably. Nudity from a strictly military perspective is practical, and functional. She's seen enough injured men and women in the line of duty to not be ... fazed by it. But casually? While they're supposed to relax?

There's more than one modestly-wrapped woman in the hot springs tonight.

Except navigating sorely by staring at the floor in a dimly-lit place is the worst idea she could have had, she's not sure why she's decided to do this. The collision isn't... bad, aside from a few staggered steps and a surprised look on her face. But the fact that it happened more than makes up for the completely underwhelming run-in, probably. ] O-oh.

Aleksandra— [ Her eyes are wide, and heat floods to her ears. How embarrassing. ] I apologize, I should have— I should have paid closer attention to where I was going. [ ... Yeah. ]

[ she's not expecting a call; it doesn't startle her, although being called ma'am does make her face pinch slightly. 2B shakes it off.

The username of whoever's calling her isn't familiar, either... so she just assumes that there's some kind of emergency, and her team needs her. Standing up from her stool, she first makes sure none of the other people fishing are looking her way, then answers the voice message. ]

This is unit 2B. What's going on?

[ your optimism is beautiful, rey, don't let it die ]

It feels too easy. [ a pause; after a second, she adds: ] But I hope you're right.

[ she doesn't want to have to kill any humans, or watch them kill each other (more than she's already had to just by being here.) It stands in direct opposition to everything she was created for. ]

I might as well take the bodies, I mean... you don’t have gloves or anything.

[ He doesn’t have a ton of experience with lifting heavy things in this body, but it might make it easier on the other guy not to be the one carrying corpses around. Granted, he’s being pretty game about it all, but it’s gotta be the worst job here if you have skin exposed. Or, well, even if you don’t. ]

The mission. Home. Normal things.

[ Simon hears only distrust in her voice, of course, and his guarded tone grows exasperated and he gestures to himself. ] I’m literally a diving suit, how many more qualifications do I need to be allowed over here? Look, you don’t like robots. I don’t like being a robot. So we agree it would be better if I wasn’t a robot, but that’s not exactly in the cards right now.

[ He’s pretty sure she’s not really primed to attack him, or kill him — even if it’s just because Hathaway would not be happy with her for it, the result is the same — but the suspicion is really almost as bad. ]

I guess.

[Fiona. C'mon. Jin gives her a skeptical look, stopped still as sea clan citizens seem to flow all around them in every direction.]

Is that really what you're getting from this?

[Jin could protest. He's just happened upon the scene and barely recognizes Zarya as part of Ophelia (but then again, she's definitely not a local). But truth be told, he's not any less eager to stick his nose into trouble to stop any more trouble from coming up to a boil than she is-- and, with a nod, he's doing exactly as she says.]

You got it.

[The merchant woman protests, shouting nastily at Jin. He's stronger than her, though, so it doesn't take much. Even if the two of them are still screaming at each other.]

So, lovely day out here, isn't it?

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EVENT ▸ EMPIRE OF THE CRASHING WAVE

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c. i'm gonna do it.

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