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

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[ Lissa, meanwhile, is tiptoeing into the brewery for the first time, eyes wide with curiosity at the sheer variety of alcoholic drinks on display. There'd never been much time for celebratory drinks while on the long march, and even after battle Frederick had given her too many disapproving looks for her to indulge in more than a sip or two.

What a party killer.

But now Fred isn't here and there's no one to stop her, and so she enters the brewery with a spring in her step and immediately runs up to the first familiar face she sees with a smile on her face. ]

Have you tried them all yet? Which one tastes the best?

[ She'll start with that one. ]

[Upon seeing Lissa, Alucard smiles faintly and bows his head in greeting. She's very keen on them being friends, and he will certainly do whatever he can to respect that.

It feels like it's been too long since he had one.]

I've not yet tried them all, but I have enjoyed this one. I believe it was infused with a type of blossom, but I have not determined what kind yet.

Will you join me?

[ At the invitation, she plops herself down immediately next to him, more than willing to join him in this exciting challenge of tasting every sake under the sun. ]

A type of blossom? So it tastes like flowers?

[ That sounds right up her alley, tbh. The attendant catches their eye and hurries over with several more cups, placing them in a neat row before them and listing off the flavors: lychee, lemongrass, and something else Lissa's brain doesn't quiet catch called kumquat. ]

That's so many....

[ Well, might as well get started. Lychee sounds light and fanciful, so she snags that cup, sniffs it, then takes a dainty swallow. (Maribelle would be so proud.) The alcohol burns slightly as it goes down and makes her cough a bit, but at the end there's a strange new flavor sitting on her tongue. ]

Hey, that's pretty good!

[Alucard allows himself a smile as he watches Lissa drink. To him, he doesn't see any real issue with letting her try them. For him, it's a matter of flavor; he still remains sober as ever as he takes another cup, giving it a delicate sip.]

I'm glad that it is to your liking.

I think that perhaps this is a good moment to catch our breaths after the last skirmish.

[ She takes another drink, letting the flavor swirl around in the mouth some more. Man, she really should have snuck a few drinks from camp sooner, if they all tasted like this. ]

Yeah....I hope there won't be too much fighting after this.

[ Realistically, she knows that's not likely to be the case, but she can dream regardless. ]

What're you gonna do while everything's normal? Sit here and drink all day?

[ Honestly that sounds kinda nice... ]

[For him as well, he would prefer if there was no fighting. Unfortunately, he gets the feeling that will not be the case. People do not let go of their frustrations so easily.]

No. This is but a reprieve.

If anything, I should plan for the future. Whether it is one of our missions, or matters I should coordinate for when I return to my homeland.

[ Preparing for the future....the thought sobers her, has her taking another (large) gulp of her drink - enough to make her cough slightly. That's probably what she ought to be doing as well, but she can't quite bring herself to let go of the fun time they've been having just yet. ]

Well, don't work yourself too hard. Everyone needs a break sometimes. [ Speaking of breaks— ] Hey, I know! Why don't you go spend some time with Lucina during one of your breaks? I'm sure she'd love the company.

[ nudge nudge, hint hint, wink wink ]

[Sorry, he's a bit of a stick in the mud about fun.]

I suppose that is true.

[The sudden mention of Lucina makes him raise a brow curiously.] I suppose that might be true, but she doesn't lack any friends on the team. Why her specifically?

[nah that's going over his head]

[ Why her specifically, that's a good question. Lissa smiles wider, feigns innocence some more. ]

Well, you know, she's my [ niece from the future ] good friend and she really seems to like you!

[ Nailed it. ]

Plus she's so quiet all the time, she'd probably never ask you to hang out. She'd feel like she was bothering you or something.

[Alucard lets out a hmmm in consideration, arching a brow. It's not that he particularly doubts Lissa; he's not known Lucina for very long, and clearly she knows her best.

He takes another drink.]

If she would enjoy it, I will approach her. What sort of things does she enjoy doing?

[ Score. Time to shine off all of Lucina's best qualities. Lissa immediately straightens, takes another drink (of course). Her cup's starting to look mighty empty. ]

Well.....she really likes fighting, and practicing her sword. [ Gods, those make her sound so boring, better try a different tactic. ] She really likes shopping! She bought me a really colorful shirt the other day.

[ It was actually kind of hideous, but no point in hurting Lucina's feelings. ]

Oh! She really likes watching things on Tekflex too.

[ If only she knew about 'Tekflex and chill'..... ]

[The sword practice doesn't disinterest him. He could look for the time to spar.]

She likes to go shopping for clothing primarily, then?

Hm. Tekflex. That's one of the programs on our devices, isn't it? I haven't looked into it yet. If she is familiar with it, perhaps she could show me.

[ Practically made for each other. But whatever. ]

Yeah! She knows exactly how the whole Tekflex thing works, she can tell you everything about it.

[ Sort of. ]

Did you know you can watch something about a bear and a mouse that go on crazy adventures together?

[sure ok lissa]

That sounds... strange, but not too unlike many fairy tales I've read. But you can actually watch these things, like a play but on a screen. Is that right?

[has another drink. nice.]

[ Wow!! Why won't you believe her. :( Not that she really cares, the almost-all cup of sake she's had by now's starting to get to her. ]

Yeah, it's soooooooo cool!

[ In her enthusiasm, she tilts her cup just a wee bit too far and ends up spilling some sake on the table. Whoops. Oh well. What was she talking about again? ]

Hey, what's your favorite fairy tale? Mine's the one about the rabbit that turns into the moon.

[Well, it might be time to nip this in the bud. He'll just gently cut them off from the sake; he holds up his hand politely to one of the attendants.]

I'm not familiar with that tale, but I would be glad to share my favorite with you if I may escort you back to your room first.

[ What? She pouts, clearly unhappy with this turn of events. ]

But we were just getting started! Can't we stay just a little bit longer?

[ Like, one more cup longer ]

[Alucard had been ready to be stern, but when Lissa pouts as she does, he hesitates.

Then he says, firmly:] One more cup. Then you should rest.

I would be a poor friend if I wasn't looking out for you.

[ !! What a magnanimous man. Lissa beams as he relents. ]

No, you're the greatest friend! I hope everyone's lucky enough to have you as a friend on this team. I promise to be really diligent and stop after one more cup.

[ TBD on the success of that plan. ]

You don't seem tipsy at all though.

[ What's his secret. ]

I am only as good as the company I keep. [she is so sweet, he can't really shrug her off]

Mm. I'm not completely human, so I don't get the affects from alcohol. Not unless I partake the blood of someone who is already inebriated.

Oh.

[ She's a little too tipsy to fully comprehend the extent of his words, and mostly just think it's sad that he can't get drunk super easily. ]

Do you miss being drunk at all?

[ Surely it can't be that easy to get drunk people let him drink their blood....or maybe it is. ]

[He laughs softly.]

Not so terribly. I might perhaps like to in celebration, but all in all, I do prefer to keep a clear mind when something important is happening.

And most of all, when someone may need me.

[pointed look. if either of them knew the concept of a designated driver, it's alucard]

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EVENT ▸ EMPIRE OF THE CRASHING WAVE

brew brew brew

chug chug chug

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omg let me just write "i suppose" a million more times

i suppose that's fine, if you must :/ :/ :/ jk

HHHH PLS

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