epidemiology | 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

Why not one tooth for each of them?

[ Yusuke's sat down heavily on the grass, knocked back by the thudding rush of adrenaline. ]

Wait, you don't think there's more where they came from?

[ It's hard to tell whether Yusuke is excited or apprehensive about the prospect. ]

There's always more. But if they find these, they should know to steer clear of the farms.

[ Rey glances back at Aizawa in consideration, then shrugs. Yeah. He makes a point. A tooth is easier to bring. She approaches one ogre, crouches, and indelicately pulls its jaw open.

She uses the knife in her belt to work one of its pointed teeth free from the side of its mouth. That movement alone causes a lot of blood, but she does deft and quick work, like it doesn't bother her to carve animals for parts.

Then she turns the knife around and offers the hilt up to Yusuke. ]

Take as many as you want. Might make a good story amongst members of the Sea Clan.

[ Aizawa watches them, arms folded over his chest. He nods towards the cave, which still has a rank scent pouring from its mouth. The smell of rotting meat and unwashed skin. ]

They're all holed up in the caves. We don't need to root out every last one of them, though. Just cow them into behaving.

[ Like Rey, he's pretty sure this will be an effective display. ]

[ After having just pummeled an ogre into pulp, Yusuke has no business being squeamish about yanking out some teeth. But it still takes him a couple seconds to accept the knife Rey's offering. ]

Well, a bunch of corpses will get that job done.

[ How the fuck does he do this?? Yusuke wedges the knife in between two molars and starts trying to pry something loose. Help him. ]

[ Oh, you pitiful soft boi. Rey watches Yusuke for a moment before she crouches in beside him and starts to show him how it's done. She does the first one as a model, indicating with the point of the knife, which is really obscured by the bloody damage Yusuke has done for it.

Then she leaves it with him again, and she almost wipes her hands clean of blood on her kimono but stops. Hayame would be proud. It's ruined anyway, but Hayame would be proud.

She asks Aizawa, ] What was that thing you used to catch it?

[ Working together to dismember the corpse of a fallen enemy. Heartwarming!

Though, in truth, now that the danger has passed, Aizawa seems to be spacing out a little. He blinks when Rey addresses him, then glances at the scarf piled around his neck. ]

This? It's a capture weapon. It's made of carbon fiber and a special alloy.

[ Hard to get out of, in other words. ]

[ Well, now he has some teeth. This is a skill no one at home is going to thank Rey for teaching Yusuke. He looks at the teeth, makes a quiet bleh sound, then puts them into his pocket. ]

Do you have other weapons?

[ Yusuke's not very interested in weaponry for himself, but he's interested in what Aizawa has and how he might have used them. ]

[ She nods her understanding. That makes sense. She's not as interested in his other weapons, but — ]

For capturing what?

Villains, mostly.

[ He shrugs. ]

And whoever else.

[ He's trudging on back towards the farm now, hands firmly lodged in the sleeves of his haori. ]

And yeah, I have other weapons. Caltrops, a long knife. I suppose my quirk qualifies, too.

A quirk?

[ Yusuke's ears prick up, more intent than his casual inquiry about a weapon. ]

Is that a kind of weapon or is it like a magic trick or something?

[ Is it like Rey's rock levitation? ]

A power.

[ Rey looks surprised, but she bites it back. ]

Like Bakugo.

[ He'd been so insistent about it that the language had stuck out in her mind, firmly. ]

He thought that's what my abilities were.

[ He nods at Rey. ]

Correct. Bakugo is one of my students.

[ He runs a hand through his hair, shrugging. ]

It's probably not logical to assume people from different worlds have quirks, too, or to call them that ... but it's our only frame of reference. Most people can do something, back where we're from.

[ He glances back to Yusuke. Normally, he doesn't like to discuss his quirk too much, but they're all teammates, so it's fine. ]

My ability is called 'Erasure'. It nullifies special powers. All I have to do is look at you.

[ Yusuke bristles, a little shaken by the possibility. He's worked very hard to get to his current power level. If abilities like Aizawa's existed, it could potentially make his life difficult. ]

That's probably useful. [ It's a faintly begrudging proclamation. ] If we ever get in a fight with super powered ogres.

[ Rey feels Yusuke's unease, and realizes she's feeling something similar through that awareness. It's not just picking up on other people's emotions and mirroring them, either. It's … Well, she's been conscious of this connection she has to the Force for two years now, and the thought of that being severed even temporarily frightens her.

Aizawa is not someone to take lightly. ]

Or if someone can't control their quirks, or uses them to the wrong purpose.

Correct. Power such as some people have ... it makes an irrational, unfair world even less fair.

[ He slouches along, his eyes downcast, his expression tired. Their discomfort doesn't escape him, but he isn't responding to it, either. Even back home, his quirk had often inspired such fear. A person's power is part of who they are, and taking that power away--even temporarily, as he does--unsettles everyone who experiences it. ]

I do what I can to restore order.

EVENT ▸ EMPIRE OF THE CRASHING WAVE

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