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

Yeah. It was ... it was a lot. But I didn't want to think anymore. Sometimes it's too much, you know? Sometimes it's too much.

[thinking? the drama? life? all of the above tbh. he drinks some more water.]

I know that it can seem like a lot at times, but Poe, we're winning. You heard Empress Youmi, didn't you?

[ it's great news!!! peace!! ]

Yeah. I heard.

[he doesn't sound as excited about it as she does ... maybe because it was part of the reason he decided it was time to turn up in the first place. he knows the mountain clan got the information about the attackers, and he's having a hard time reconciling that it's a good thing. that kylo ren (ha ha) could turn around and do "a good thing" that doesn't seem ... like a very good thing to him??? still not completely sold on the ends justifying the means. still not sold on anything. but apparently he is the only one feeling any sort of conflict about it, so. it was time to get shitfaced???? amazing.

does he have the mental capacity to explain any of that to rey right now????? absolutely not. ]

I'm sure it'll be — it'll be great for everyone. We'll all have a party.

Edited (so many typos so little time to catch them in one go) 2018-02-10 04:03 (UTC)

[ oh, he's ... not thrilled. she furrows her brow a bit, but it's not hard to figure out ... why he might not be. after all, he's still poe, and they'd still fought. in that sense, this almost feels like ... like they're only pretending to be alright. and the fight is just back beneath the surface.

it's going to come back. rey realizes it then. until she can find a way to reconcile these things and be honest about them, until they can all really be on the same page, it's going to keep happening.

she drinks the rest of her water down so she doesn't have to look at poe or reply for a few moments. ]

I think you've had enough partying.

Yeah, I'm not ... can't argue with you there. I already had my own party.

[he shakes his head, like why did i do this to myself. why am i such a mess. rip. he doesn't pick up any tension from her at all, because he's putting all his energy into trying to be sober instead. and it's a lot of work. he finishes his water and makes an unsteady attempt to pour himself some more because relying on other people: not even once.]

Careful.

[ she sits up, trying to warn him and keep alert of the possibility that he'll make a huge mess and need help, but he seems to be at least ... able to hold a pitcher steady. so that's something. ]

I'm surprised you didn't bring Finn with you.

[conquering a pitcher: one of his most impressive triumphs, right up there with all the kick-ass shit he's done in an x-wing.

not that he'd be much better hiding it sober, but he's still drunk enough that all his defenses are down and just hearing finn's name is enough to take the air out of his lungs and make his heart skip a beat. finn. finn. that sure is ... his buddy.]

I didn't want him to worry about me.

[finn is everything good and pure in this life, and what is poe? just some garbage trying real hard to be good and failing miserably.]

You know a good way to prevent that?

[ she refills her glass. ]

Don't do the thing you're expecting will make him worry in the first place. [ rather than just not doing it with him around ... ]

[he purses his lips at her and manages ... the only retort he can think of, which is]

Well, I guess that'll have to be a lesson for another day.

[ she sort of nods to that like go figure and then settles back in her chair, letting an uncomfortable silence take them. it's a thing with her. long awkward silences in sake breweries. but also ... the last one wasn't that awkward. it was just kind of there. this one is definitely awkward. she doesn't know what to say to him. ]

[ it's fine. it takes him a minute to even process that it's awkward. he's not in a thinking place right now. he drinks some more water, before trying to fix it. and failing, most likely. gonna apologize again now that he feels better and also maybe he forgot he already did???? ]

Finn is ... Finn is the best person I know. And if he trusts you, I trust you. I'm sorry that I didn't. I'm sorry that sometimes I get worked up and make the wrong call. I should've been better. The whole thing was ugly.

Trusting Finn's opinion of me ... That's not the same thing as trusting me, is it?

[ she says it thoughtfully, like she's not really expecting a response so much as mulling it over for herself. there's a bit of a sigh to it. she's not necessarily glad to be splitting hairs over it, but the distinction seems important. ]

That sort of thinking is why Finn had to go between us in the first place.

[he sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. not really because of anything she said, but because being alive is hard and his head is starting to hurt.]

It's just ... it's hard, because I don't really know you. I know about you, and everything I do know is amazing, but that's ... it's not the same. I get that now. But I want to know you. Can we do that? Can we be friends?

[ she doesn't know him either. not really. in fact, the one thing of which she's certain about him is that he walked away from her rather than giving her the chance to fight it out with him when the singular chip was down. it wasn't even all the chips. it was a $1 chip.

so she hesitates a little on the question. it's as surprising to her as anyone, believe me. the thought that rey would be anything but gung-ho about potential friendships. she's … less … thirsty ?? ?

her thirst is being quenched.

still. she looks over at him and sighs, realizing that she cannot properly hold it against him. not when she understands why he did it, not when she understands how he was hurting. she drums up a lopsided smile and nods. ]

Yeah. I'd like to try.

[ still thirsty. ]

[i mean it's hard for him too, because his usual way of making friends is just existing in the same vicinity as someone and then showering them with affection. but he ... did that with rey and then burned that bridge like an asshole, so he knows it's going to take a little more than that to rebuild. a more delicate touch. which is ... not something he's good at. poe is as delicate as a wrecking ball. but he's trying and that should count for something.

he smiles back.]

Good. So, uh, how far back should we rewind it? Hello, I'm Poe Dameron?

[ her smile widens. it's not as easy as just rewinding. it's ... repairing, something that was hurt and still sensitive. but it's a step in the right direction that he's been the one to offer it, even if he is ... drunk. ]

Rey. [ she claps a hand on his shoulder. ] Finish your water, Poe. I'll get you back home and you can tell me about where you come from.

[ he drinks that water like it's his job. his head kind of hurts which cancels out most good vibes but he feels better after crying and making things better with rey so it was an emotionally productive evening.]

Yeah? Yavin 4. I'm from Yavin 4. Lots of jungle and stuff.

[gonna try to get up?? he pushes himself up with one hand still on the table. we're doing this. it's happening. unsteadily happening.]

Jungle?

[ that's exciting. she latches onto it as she gets up to stand with him. setting her water glass back on the table so she has her hands free to steady him.

rey gets one of his arms around her shoulders and wraps hers around his waist to support him, as if he were injured and not just

drunk. ]

Are there cities?

[i mean he's not going to fight her being overly supportive. it's fine. just like talking about home is fine. home is a safe place. home is not a moral quandary. we're walking, we're talking, the dream is happening.]

Not ... really. Not like a core world or anything. There's an old Rebel base there, and some people besides me and my Dad, but mostly it's quiet. It's nice though. I like the nature, you know, being out in everything.

That's right. Your parents were rebels, too.

[ she looks thoughtful about that. what's it like to have parents who aren't worthless / ?? hm. ]

What kept them on the base after the fall of the Empire?

[well if she was expecting some kind of heartfelt answer ... she wrong.]

I, uh ... I dunno. I guess they liked it? It's not really, we don't live on the base, it's more like ... over there ... [he makes a vague swiping gesture in the direction of where the base might be ... if they were there and not here.]

But they'd fought for the New Republic, hadn't they? And then they ... didn't go be a part of that?

[ this is confusing, but perhaps elucidating to why the new republic fell apart ?? ? if all the ppl fighting for it were like ok glad it's here bye now ??? ]

Yeah, I mean, yeah they did, but ... they settled down before the war was over? [i'm sure that doesn't help her impression of the new republic mess any. but it sure is ... what happened. getting kind of defensive about his parents over here but it's fine.] It was, you know, they did a lot, and everyone was okay with it. There's a letter the general gave them, and — and we have a Force tree. Maybe it was safer there then, with the everything.

A Force tree?

[ she looks perplexed. ]

All trees are connected to the Force.

[IT ALWAYS COMES BACK TO THIS DUMB TREE. his true nemesis. it's not kylo ren, it's literally a tree.] Luke Skywalker gave it to my parents, it was from the Jedi temple on Coruscant. It's supposed to be all ... one with the Force or something. Looks like any other karking tree.

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