EVENT ▸ EMPIRE OF THE CRASHING WAVE

[futurologists]

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

Comments

[refashioned]

I wouldn't want to encourage the locals toward anything that involves fighting right now. They seem to be itching to drop their instruments and paintbrushes. Or they wouldn't mind if someone did that. [Truthfully, there's no proof that the artistically inclined of the bunch are frustrated enough to fight. Still, frustration is in the mix just the same, like it was back with the Mountain Clan. It's just ... thankfully ... much subtler.]

Just the same, you are sporting quite the new look, aren't you? Or is this old?

[selfimage]

[ there's a hum that says he's thinking about the sake before he answers. ]

Everything is comparative, isn't it? Let's just say that it's a change.

[ Loki tilts his head. there's not many good associations that come with thoughts of old Loki, as much as she may not know it. ]

[refashioned]

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?

[selfimage]

Does it have to be one or the other? [ her questions are very mortal questions, specific to culture. he's dealt with it before. it really all boils down to Loki not liking the idea of being stuck. ] Whimsical would probably be the best way to describe it, if I were to pick one. It's about flexibility, and less about opportunity.

[ there's a short, thoughtful pause. ]

But there are many other things that are distinctly about opportunity.

[refashioned]

For instance—this entire excursion. Do you think they changed up their menu once the little ... [How does she put it? Other than calling it "little" being incredibly inaccurate.] ... shake up in their universe occurred? Should we be seeking out what's changed?

[selfimage]

It's our job as tourists.

[ he says with a little inflection at the end of the word to emphasize. it doesn't seem to bother him, as he's been a tourist before. it means that their commitment in this world is brief, however intense it might be. he half turns, leaning his back against counter. ]

Isn't it? Some say we may be managing change, but—hm ... that doesn't sit quite right, does it?

[ it prompts him to take another look at their offerings. ]

[refashioned]

Managing change sometimes means the denial of change. Things have changed here. And frankly, being in denial of the change while denying that change is part of the problem. No one around here can see that a supernatural event completely altered their world views.

[Frankly, Veronica doubts that they have the tools to do that. She's definitely aware of why they can't point out why things have changed. She just wishes there was a round about way to make it clear that it wasn't politically motivated.]

[selfimage]

[ there's another little cup between his fingers, and he drinks to that. ]

There's unrest, and it can't be pinpointed, so it spills over the edges. [ there's a little swish of the small glass, and the sake swells over the sides, breaking into small streams. he finishes the drink and sets it back on the counter with his fingertips. ] People know when things are off ... wrong. [ he clarifies. ]

Even if they don't know what it is. Perhaps something needs to break before the tension can disperse.

[refashioned]

It's actually a little funny that you put it that way. [Veronica fiddles with the item that doubles as her magitek. It rolls between her fingers for a long moment.]

If I read things correctly, weren't the world mergers supposed to be setting things right?

[selfimage]

Yes, and no. Reality is a little more complicated than that.

[ he closes a bright eye. ]

Settle on a cosmic level perhaps, but settle on an individual level to those who can't perceive the larger scope? Probably not. Things just feel different to them without the means of understanding it.

[refashioned]

The best we could possibly accomplish in helping them see and accept the change would possibly involve relying on some form of creation myth. And I'm afraid that steering them toward that would possibly involve relying on gaslighting. Not my favorite tactic.

[Though it's definitely one her father loves to employ.]

[selfimage]

[ but a tactic nonetheless. ]

Maybe they just need to feel some level of control over their enviroment again.

[ there really is no control when it comes to this, but a trick does wonders for the perception. ]

[refashioned]

Barring the introduction of democracy—which is a suggestion I've already tossed away, for the record—what do you propose?

[Democracy being that they can vote, and feel heard.]

[selfimage]

[ he needs another drink for that. ]

Hm—[ it's as if he hasn't thought about it. ]‐they need something to unite under and feel like it was their idea. [ he looks into the little cup and swishes it around. ] Not just the Empresses, but the doubters as well.

[refashioned]

The doubters are acting on behalf of their Empresses, or so they say. Should we really be worrying about a few split individuals?

[They're here to stop a civil war, which, to Veronica, is a major thing.]

[selfimage]

A few split individuals wreaked havoc for Daenerys when she married. [ he's careful here. not Dany. ] You don't want to underestimate the power of opinion when it gets too strong, even a few people can bring an awful lot of violence when they feel need.

[refashioned]

... Fair point. And even if they don't do something, I suppose they can cause problems in other ways. Sentiment can really damage things.

[She sighs.]

What can be done with them?

[selfimage]

It depends—find what's causing them to rage, then it could cause for change. If it's something thin like revenge or tradition, then it's time for more manipulative tactics.

[ that's what he did back in Asgard. it worked out well for mom. ]

[refashioned]

As far as we can tell, it seems like they're just angry about what's happened to them. It isn't revenge so much as ... some twisted sense of honor. They want to feel like something is being done.

[But she may be wrong.]

[selfimage]

Then let's beat them to it.

[ he says cooly. ]

We do have Doro here as well, I'm sure some bridge can be achieved while the two Empresses are here, especially if they agree on the nuptials.