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

[Kylo Ren’s expression displays no shock, or any other real emotion. When he sees her expression start to shift, he subconsciously spares himself the scorn and looks back to the water.

She used the word ‘Master’, but he cannot sense the Force with her. There is only one other class of people that he knows use that title. It would make sense then that she had not journeyed far enough to ever see one. That’s what he assumes, anyway.]

I understand.

[Not really but—]

I do not suppose it is all that unusual. There are many planets that lack large bodies of water. Or, lack ones like this.

[He sniffs some of the salt back.]

[Did he? She's heard that phrase a lot since she was forced into ALASTAIR, since she agreed to join Hathaway... but she has yet to truly believe in it, even though she occasionally found at least some worth in acknowledging the sentiment.

This man she doesn't know well enough to judge, so she lets it go without comment.]

Perhaps.

[She knew it existed, she's seen proof of its foods, and heard tales of its vastness, she knew the land was an island...

And she notices the sniff, her own nose, and advanced sense of smell, full of the cause.]

... Though I do not know why there is so much salt.

I cannot say. I did not see very many oceans myself. Much of my time recently has been spent on a starship.

[--sort of. There's a moment where he wrinkles his nose, as if he'd only just digested what he'd said. Time had become something of an odd construct since he'd gotten involved with ALASTAIR, and the rifts. He remembers the Viridian Sea -- and before that, the Supremacy. And even before that -- Perdition's Rest?

It doesn't quite make sense.]

What do you think of this place?

[Its somewhat abrupt -- she's just a stranger, of course. Presumably, her opinion might not have actually mattered. But hearing opinions that weren't necessarily his own made it easier to get out of his own head, and he needs that pretty badly right now.]

["Starship". She'd learned that term. Ships like Hathaway's, giant, cold metal beasts that soared through the deep black people swore to her was above even her own world's sky, amongst the stars she had never been free enough nor creative enough to stare up at and envision.

She hates starships.]

This world as a whole, or this Empire of the Crashing Wave?

[She hasn't read the files, nor connected this man to the one she had exchanged words with on the network. Not yet, anyway.]

The Empire of the Crashing Wave.

[He has enough thoughts on Hanabira as a whole, and he doesn't want to touch on the Celestial Mountain. Most of that conversation has been exhausted.]

The world itself cannot be judged, with how much of a mess ALASTAIR appears to have made it.

[There's something cynical in the way he says that -- like he doesn't quite believe it wouldn't have been inevitable some other way.]

[She certainly won’t correct or disagree with his comment on ALASTAIR. Though she felt a sense of loyalty to Hathaway, has already come into conflict with others over her perception of their disobedience to the organization and their mission... she hadn’t chosen ALASTAIR. They hadn’t offered her a way to cleanse her failure in her own world, hadn’t offered her the salvation of the lives she had regretted damning.

People could speak as ill of ALASTAIR as they pleased.]

If it came to conflict wth them, it would be a long and tedious one.

[She gestures to the sea, one hoof pawing at the sand.]

The mountain clan has superior military forces, but this land has the sea to make up for their warriors... even a siege would be nearly pointless. They seem more soft here, in a way... the Empress seems inclined to peace, at least, she accepted the scrolls delivered her. But their traditions are not quite the same... of the two, these people seem more inclined to accept change, and yet they are the ones who have sent the first blows. ... what we are to do with that as outsiders, though.

[She has never heard of an Empress who would trust random strangers over her own, but...]

[He understands the concept of battle, of sieges and wars of attrition. He understands it probably better than anything else that has been explained to him about this place thusfar.]

We have been given tools to turn the tide peacefully. Potentially, without their awareness. That is what our negotiators are for. It has already proven an effective tactic.

[Kylo Ren moves to fold his hands behind his back, glancing back out toward the ocean.]

I do not know what was contained in those letters, but they would not have been written, had the terrorists that attacked the festival not turned themselves in.

Our negotiators, yes. Some of them have half a brain for learning.

[She had done her best to drill manner and customs as she knew them into that group, accompanied them to the audience in the mountain lands... but she is not free with her praise as she is her criticisms, and some of those “royals”... well, perhaps in some worlds the imperial lines did not require dignity or sense.

There might be a touch of bitterness there, for not having supported such a venture initially in favor of a more clandestine effort, but she wasn’t so petty as to put it into words. To detail resentment for people who received respect and deference by virtue of a golden seal or bloodline with nothing else of value to support them.

Though Hayame does turn her head slightly to regard him, breeze whipping her long mane into a brief distraction.]

... yes, that was fortunate. It seems we have persuasive persons beyond “negotiators”.

[Kylo Ren lets out a short scoff when Hayame makes her comment about the negotiators. He senses her bitterness, and hones in on it, turning to glance back down at her.]

You believe yourself better suited. [Its an observation, not a question.] Because of your knowledge.

[Yes, he recognizes her now. He offers a nod when she leans into that distraction. Similarly, he finds his methods of oersuation to be more effective.]

Fortunately.

[... a correct observation. One she cannot deny.]

In this instance.

[She was a proud woman, but she wouldn't claim to be better suited in all situations, in all words. After all, she had learned in... every single world until this one how little she could potentially know about things.

But this... to think she'd allowed herself to be naive enough to believe it was a chance for her. A chance to reach out like her lord had encouraged her to before he left, but instead she had achieved the same results as before. Arguments, misunderstandings, and tentative ties ruined.

This is the moment she wishes she had read all those "files" they'd been provided with- or rather, that she'd been able to do so, unable to read in her native tongue and so unable even with the aid of "translators".

Was the implication there... or was she imagining it.]

[He holds onto the silence for a moment, contemplating her reaction. A part of him can sympathize on the most basic level. It was never a good feeling to have something you felt as your own taken from you by less deserving hands.]

I believe we spoke on the network briefly about all of that. Hayame, was it?

[He had not read the files extensively himself, but he had remembered her ettiquette proclaimation from the start of the mission, as well as Urahara’s suggestion that he take lessons from her.]

I appreciated your insight on this land. It is not something I would have been capable of determining myself.

[He can admit that much.]

Edited 2018-02-09 14:37 (UTC)

[So it had been there. Which would make him...]

That is correct. Ren, is it?

[Unless it is obviously some sort of ridiculous farce, Hayame assumes people actually put their names in that field, as she had attempted to do. And "Ren" was a name in her world.

Still... she frowns towards the ocean, her tail flicking out in irritation. Raised by humans, she has a far easier time controlling the expressions of her human half than her equine.]

My insight is available to those who as for it- though I will say that this place's particular power dynamics are not as my world's was.

[As much as she has found she enjoyed the mountain clan's tendency for matriarchy.]

Kylo Ren.

[Though really, he doesn't particularly care what she calls him, so long as it is some variant of what he's given her.]

The galaxy is a big place. Perhaps there is some planet in my own that is not unlike this one. I doubt I would have ever seen it.

[He'd never see everything -- and frankly, after dealing with ALASTAIR and now Hathaway, he isn't anymore eager to make the attempt. All of that said, he was a quick study, but a poor student.

It was easier to learn things on his own, than to have someone else attempt to teach him anything.]

[Kylo, then. She wasn’t so impertinent to address him by his given name.

Still, what he says gives her pause, despite her bone deep discomfort with any topic remotely resembling space. She had been born into a world still medieval in its ways and technology by the standards of others, no matter how normal it had been to her, and the mere concept of space flight, of travel to other stars, of life beyond... it simply hadn’t existed.

She had never even given herself to luxury to stare up at the night sky and wonder.

But...]

What if this place is a planet in your galaxy? And mine.

[What if it was simply a matter of finding a ship fast enough, one of those “portals” directed enough... that she could return home to die on the soil of the land she had always known instead of here. Wherever it was.]

[That’s deep.

But also unlikely, he thinks. There were still some similarities in the universe that he is certain he would have recognized, even on a backwater (which is what he considers this place to be thanks to its lack of technology.]

Even so widespread, you tend to spot similarities...even the poorest planets in my galaxy posses blasters, for example.

[Therefore, it was unlikely they were situated there.]

But I cannot make those assumptions for you, I’m afraid.

["Blasters", just another word from another world she cannot know. So it had been a foolish wish after all... she'd known it, she supposed. Just needed a reminder.]

I suppose I will have to defer to you on this matter. The skies are simply skies in my world- and we are far busier on the ground.

[What a strange concept. Then again, there were planets in the galaxy he was familiar with that were only barely spacefairing. The idea that there was a nation out there who had never seen the stars was not quite so far-fetched.]

You will find the stars, one day. Everyone does.

[Or the stars found them, in conquering nations.]

I suppose, in joining Hathaway, you already have.

I will not.

[It takes a certain amount of... camaraderie to interpret "you" as "your people" or "your descendants" that Hayame does not possess... though she belatedly does realize that he means "the people of her world".

As for now... she doesn't want to think about it.]

I have spoken to someone of a world much like mine, who tells me even four hundred years past my knowing, the sky is still just the sky.

[And trying to wrap her head around that four hundred years was puzzle enough.]

[He could make arguments about time and space, but the truth is that he doesn't really understand them either, and entertaining an attempt to explain it to someone with even less understanding than him sounds like a waste of time.

So he shrugs.]

It comes with its own set of problems.

[It's not something she thinks anyone could understand- even the ones who acted like she was the fool who didn't get it. At least this one wasn't about to argue with her about it.]

I suppose.

[But the silence between the words hangs heavy in the air, suffocating, like almost every conversation she has had since Hathaway's missions began, and Hayame begins to shift in discomfort, staring out to sea.

Is she supposed to ask him a question? Make a comment?]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

EVENT ▸ EMPIRE OF THE CRASHING WAVE

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

sorry for the delay japanese vday is no joke

no worries!!

<3!

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject