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

[sadgay]

[The trek back to Doro's palace is a silent one. Connor resigns himself to Asher's assistance, pressing the kerchief to his neck and holding his gaze somewhere away from his friend. As he trudges along, he wonders how stupid he must have been to think he might help, to think he might be more than the disaster he has proved himself to be time and again. He misses the self-assured man he used to be before he collapsed into this person he despises, this person whose fears and doubts he wants to shed as a snake sheds its skin.

Once back in the wing of the palace that the lord of the Flowerlands had reserved for members of Ophelia, Connor pushes away from Asher.]

I'm not gonna faint.

[moneyballer]

I know.

[Asher watches Connor go, dodging talking points the same way he averts his eyes. Herein lies a great dilemma, that of treading the line between truth and kindness.

The space between them remains, even though the tallest of the two does not leave.]

Connor, I know you wanna help.

And, you can, I know you can, my OG bromie! You're hecka smart, we both know that...

[A quality of Connor's that makes Asher quite jealous in all honesty, though this is not the time nor place for that confession. He is handsome, poised, and smart; all natural gifts that Asher Millstone feels as though he will never possess, no matter how many times he runs his mouth about being any of the three.]

But you can't just run head-on into a fight when you can barely throw a punch, man.

[His head turns this way and that.]

What's the status on the whole work-out thing? You been swole-ing it up or nah?

[sadgay]

[Resentment flares hot in his eyes even though he has no argument on which to stand. He sees his weaknesses all too sharply, but when they're shoved in his face like this he wants to push them away.]

I run every day, and I do push ups and sit ups like crazy. Anyway, I wasn't trying to get involved in the fight - I wanted to help in other ways.

[The fire in his words dies as suddenly as it had sparked, and his eyes flicker away again.]

But I know how stupid that sounds. I don't even know what I was trying to do.

[To distract himself, he gingerly pulls the kerchief away from his neck to inspect the damage indirectly: the cloth is stained a dark red, but not soaked. Closing his eyes, he murmurs the word clean and draws his free hand over his neck as if brushing something from it. In an instant, the blood dissolves and leaves behind a narrow slit in Connor's skin, from which blood now trickles more slowly.]

How's it look?

[moneyballer]

[Perspective's mad wack yo, as Asher would probably say, and he is suddenly reminded that not every man possesses the same physical capacity. Surely he's felt a similiar kind of ire towards some of their broader-shouldered and barrel-chested teammates, so when his eyes are met with the simmer behind Connor's, he relents.

He takes a sharp breath when the wound comes back into plain sight. That should've stopped bleeding a while ago, meaning that the ronin's blade cut deeper than he had initially thought.]

Not good.

[Asher's hand rises up to guide Connor's, and thus the tissue, right back onto the wound.]

You should probably get it looked at.

[For most people, this kind of physical contact would be awkward, but for Asher it feels just right, even natural.]

Were you gonna talk to somebody, maybe?

I'm pretty sure they still haven't figured out who started all of this.

[sadgay]

[Asher relents, yet Connor snaps back anyway, like a tree branch pushed out of place and then responding to the tension once it is released.]

Can you just drop it already? I don't want to talk about it.

[He doesn't resist his friend's hand, though, his fingers tense and cold beneath Asher's but compliant. The sharp sting at the site of the wound is easy to give into.]

Are there even any doctor types around?