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

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I see. [Alucard's voice turns a shy more sympathetic.] I have always been what I am since birth. I cannot imagine adjusting to such a state.

[He is curious to know more about this man's nature, but he isn't so cruel to ask invasively.]

I do not need to sleep often, but when I do I prefer to rest during the day. I am sensitive to the sun.

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.

[ You know, it sounds kind of fantasy out-there even for Hathaway, but there is a centaur lady running around. ]

...Vampire?

[ he did it!!! did good simon ]

[There's a moment of silence between the two of them, then Alucard lets out a deep chuckle, baring his fangs.]

Well, I have to say. I'm a little impressed. Not even a demon could figure it out.

[u did it my dude]

[ Oh. Well. If Simon had seen those sooner he would have totally figured it out right away. ]

Do you use those on people?

[ There’s already an undercurrent of wow not cool in his voice, because he has to, right? Why else would he have them, he’s a vampire. ]

[That's a fair question to ask, and one he'd expected more commonly from people.]

Not without their consent. Beyond that, I prefer to use other methods. Know that I only take someone's blood if I have their express permission first.

I do not hunt. I cooperate.

Who would volunteer for that?

[ It’s not that he doesn’t believe him — if there was a vampire on the team running around biting people without their permission, they would’ve probably all heard about it — but like. why. ]

An excellent question.

Back at home, there were many unfortunate people with little money. They would allow me to bloodlet with a syringe in exchange for payment. Within our team, there is an alarming many who have allowed me to do the same, but with no payment. As to their motivation, I could not say other than it was done out of their desire to work as a team.

Okay, donating blood isn’t that out of the ordinary, I guess.

[ Except that some guy is going to drink it. ]

Weird team-building exercise, but I guess drinking each other’s blood would make everybody feel a little closer.

[ Simon’s in no position to talk but

kinda gross but ok

the guy seems honest, though, and he’s being a vampire in the most ethical way possible, so there’s nothing to judge him for, really. ]

[He raises a brow.] If a human drank blood, it would make them ridiculously sick.

[Simon might be joking but that's just too bad my guy.]

And what of you? Something not dead, yet rotting away. You are machine, flesh, and decay.

[ wow ok no fun allowed I guess

Simon’s already looking at him when he poses the question, but as Alucard goes on he goes still with horror, glowing eyes fixed on his face. ] What? I don’t—

[ —“know what you’re talking about”, which he knows better than to think he can actually get away with, but people can’t know this, even he doesn’t want to know this. ]

You know that I am a vampire. Then know that my senses are far keener than any mortal.

I mean no mockery to you, but also be aware that you cannot mask much of yourself from me.

[ aw shit

Simon takes a small step back, eyes darting. He feels his insides gripped with ice at the mere thought of this being public knowledge. ] Okay— look, it’s a long story, but you can’t tell anybody about it. The robot thing’s causing enough problems, I really don’t want to deal with— another thing on top of it.

[ He doesn’t exactly have the authority to tell a powerful ancient vampire what he can and can’t do, but he’s not really thinking about his phrasing. ]

[A brow is raised, but he nods once.]

I know a thing or two about secrets. If it brings you such trouble, then this conversation will not be known to another.

Thanks.

[ Simon has no real choice but to trust him. It’s not like he has anything to gain from spreading it around, though, right? He keeps his voice low, Just In Case. ]

Wouldn’t you be troubled? I mean, I didn’t have any say in any of this. It’s not even my headless corpse. I really miss when I didn’t know that.

[Before, he'd been quick to snipe; a rude thing to do, he knows, and he does feel a bit of guilt for it. His own impatience these days can be binding.]

This body is not your own.

[A pause, then more gently:] What had happened to you? If you are willing to tell me. I was not aware your state of being was unnatural.

I used to be human, and I had my brain scanned -

[ oh god, when is this guy from? Simon barely understands the process himself, and now he may have to de-technology his story. ] It made a digital copy. Of me. And I woke up like this a hundred years later in an underwater research station. This — intelligent machine called the WAU that had control over everything there had started creating monsters and putting brain scans into... things. And mine got put into somebody who died in one of their dive suits, and the WAU just combined it with a bunch of robot stuff and melded it all together.

[ It’s as bad as it sounds. And smells, probably. ]

[A small frown forms on Alucard's face as he listens. He doesn't entirely understand the term digital, but he's able to connect it well enough to overall summary that Simon gives.]

I'm sorry. [His words are softly spoken, sympathetic.]

There are beings of the undead where I'm from. I had... made the improper assumption that you were something like that. Your story is more complex than my original thought.

If nothing else, you still have a sound mind. That is more than even many humans.

Not as improper as I’d like. I thought all vampires were members of the undead, but you were born one, not turned. Even you’re less undead than I am.

[ It’s wryly said, but Simon’s voice is subdued, grateful, when he adds, ] But... thanks.

[ Sometimes it’s a relief just to hear a ‘wow that sucks, my guy, I can see why you’d be upset about it’. Catherine, as much as Simon misses her, was never very good at that. Mostly because she doesn’t mind being a brain scan in a machine. Also, she’s really weird. ]

I’d rather just be a robot — well, I’d really rather be human again. Myself. But I go with ‘robot’ with everybody here. It’s... less disgusting than the truth.

[A sympathetic gaze is still given to Simon. A difficult position to be in, no doubt. Perhaps with questions of a sense of self, the disassociation--

Well. Alucard can really only imagine.]

I will keep it to myself.

Perhaps... there might be a way to help you. One day. There are many worlds and universes of magic and science. Not that I wish to give you false hope, but maybe an open mind.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

EVENT ▸ EMPIRE OF THE CRASHING WAVE

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