epidemiology | EVENT ▸ DIPLOMACY

EVENT ▸ DIPLOMACY

DIPLOMACY

As the skirmishes between wandering Mountain and Sea Clan groups continue in the Flowerlands, by this point enough attackers have been interrogated by Guild Ophelia to paint a compelling picture of unorganized chaos. Each time a skirmish is interrupted, both sides blame the other for starting the impromptu fight, claiming no knowledge of or participation in an organized cabal; the conflicts are entirely coincidental, they say, just a situation where enemies clash in neutral territory.

The Flowerlands are suffering, crops trampled and livestock traumatized, and more and more Mountain and Sea Clan people are terrified to leave their cities, lest they be set upon by warriors from the opposing clan. Under this type of political strain, Hanabira threatens to erupt into full-out civil war at any moment, with or without the sanction of the empresses.

Two weeks after Ophelia's arrival in the Empire of the Crashing Wave, Doro sends word: Empress Nama and Empress Youmi have agreed to meet and discuss the term of an alliance. Doro's castle will serve as a meeting place, but the difficult part is bringing the empresses there safely. You foreigners have already proven yourselves to be capable and invested in seeing the conflict to a peaceful conclusion, so Doro contracts Ophelia to act as escorts and guards.

This might just be the perfect opportunity to whisper proposed solutions to advisors or, if you're lucky, to the empresses themselves.

▸ THE RETINUE

Ophelia has a few different options if they choose to take Doro's contract: escort Nama or escort Youmi and/or guard the Flowerlands castle.

ESCORT ▸ EMPRESS NAMA.
It's a week's worth of travel to return to the Land of Celestial Mountains from the Empire of the Crashing Wave, so the sooner Ophelia starts out, the better. Skirmishes between clans still dot the forests and farms of the Flowerlands, and each time the retinue encounters one, they must decide if they have the time to interfere or if they must push on. After all, the longer there is no peace in Hanabira, the more dire the situation becomes.

When the group finally reaches the Land of Celestial Mountains, they'll find that the entire city is locked down. Guards bar the gates, but upon seeing Doro's seal, they'll let the guild members inside and explain the situation:

Mountain Clan rebels have stormed Heavenly Summit, cutting a large swath through the castle. Much of Nama's court and guards lay dead inside, with the rebels holding the remainder hostage -- including Empress Nama herself -- unless war is declared against the Sea Clan. The city guards are afraid to approach, worried that this will only anger the rebels further and cause Nama's death, and have directed all townsfolk to stay in their homes until the situation has been resolved.

The guards caution Ophelia not to try any rescue efforts themselves, and instead ask them to either find a building to barricade themselves in or leave the city. Of course, it's not like they're keeping a close watch on everyone.

Those who choose to slip into Heavenly Summit Castle will find guards surrounding it, trying to stop anyone from coming in as well as keeping arrows trained on all windows in case a rebel shows her face. Stealth is the name of the game, or at least enough brute strength to knock a guard out in one blow before she sounds the alarm.

Inside the castle, rebels stalk the halls of every floor, masked in the green color of the Mountain Clan. Some are heavily armored and some only wear peasants' clothes, carrying farmers' sickles; it seems as though the attack on the castle was planned very quickly, too quickly to evenly distribute armor and weapons. There are corpses left where they were killed, with splashes of bright red blood beside them; there are hostages huddled in the corners of rooms, wide-eyed but silent at the sight of foreigners ostensibly here to save them; and, in the heavily-guarded throne room, Empress Nama herself.

Fight through the rebel guards with Nama's help, or find a back door and snatch her up before the rebels notice. Either way, once Ophelia lays eyes on her, the magitek will project words in front of them that only they can see:

» EMPRESS NAMA
Leader of the LAND OF CELESTIAL MOUNTAINS. 23 years old. SPECIES: Human. MEDICAL CONCERNS: Lactose intolerant, recent blow to the head.

Nama doesn't ask questions, recognizing the foreigners of Ophelia as those who were meddling after the festival attack and trusting they're here to help her escape. Longbow in hand, she leads the group through secret passageways in the castle, insisting they rescue the nobility on the way out. From there, Nama suggests stealthily escaping the castle and quickly riding out of the city to the safety of Doro's castle, unsure who she can still trust in her own empire.

With Empress Nama and her surviving courtiers added to the retinue, it's time to ride back to the Flowerlands -- and hope you aren't chased by rebels along the way.

ESCORT ▸ EMPRESS YOUMI.
It takes half a week to travel from the Empire of the Crashing Wave to Doro's castle in the Flowerlands. Youmi and two advisors ride in a carriage, with an entourage of royal guards on horseback in front and behind; those in Ophelia who choose to escort this group will either be on foot or must find a mount themselves.

The journey is peaceful, allowing for time to make camp by forested hot springs and in farmhouses (in which case Ophelia might need to sleep outside, depending on the size) along the way. The Sea Clan guards are open to idle chatter with the foreigners, curiously discussing cultural differences and indulging in quick lessons in archery.

Everything seems to be going smoothly until the entourage enters Flowerlands territory and is confronted by a winged spirit of the forest, angered by all the recent bloodshed in his home. There is no time to talk; the spirit does not wish to negotiate, only to stop the crew from moving any further into his territory by any means possible.

The spirit calls the creatures of the forest to his aid, controlling them as if they are under some sort of spell. Ogres, imps, bears, and wolves are the most worrisome among his helpers. His own attacks come from the sky, diving down to slash at his victims with exceptional speed. Those archery lessons will come in handy here, because ranged weapons are most effective against him as long as he remains in flight. He can take an astounding amount of hits, and once he is weakened, will land on the ground to fight in close quarters.

Once he is finally defeated, his spell on the forest animals is broken, and even the most aggressive of them scatter. His feathers are black, but up close, seem iridescent in the light, differentiating them from a common bird's. Youmi's guards suggest everyone take a feather to prove they felled a legendary beast.

GUARD ▸ FLOWERLANDS CASTLE.
Until the empresses and their escorts arrive, it's very uneventful at Doro's castle. It's a smart idea to keep an eye out in case someone hears about the summit and tries to interfere, but so far, things seem to be peaceful. Take the time to bolster defenses, relieve a guildmate of guard duty, or explore the castle.

▸ THE SUMMIT

Youmi and her entourage reach Doro's castle first, her royal guards immediately making a sweep of the castle and the grounds to ensure there is no danger lying in wait. Once the castle is cleared, Doro and Youmi disappear into a guarded room to begin discussions. Youmi's advisors are left out of this initial meeting, making now the perfect time to start some discussions of your own.

Days later, Nama's retinue arrives, and Doro and Youmi (and the rest of her entourage) meet her at the castle gates. The two empresses step cautiously forward to meet each other, bowing politely. Moments later, Doro steps forward to gather Nama into a hug, which she gladly returns, giggling like the young girl she is. She's had a rough time, which she quickly explains to Doro, and asks if she can first have a bath and a moment to breathe. Doro and Youmi are more than willing to give it to her after hearing her experience.

Doro tells Ophelia they have their run of the castle until dinner tonight, when Doro, Youmi, and Nama will all be together in the same room with the team. Sounds like the perfect time to propose a plan, so you'd better finish up discussions about what to do! There's a bit of a time limit.

▸ OOC NOTES

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.

▸ Up now:

Proposal submissions and voting, due 21 February 23:59 UTC.
Uniform Design Contest, submissions due 28 February 23:59 UTC. Gamewide voting will be in March.

▸ Coming next:

Formal proposal arguments begin 22 February.
March calendar on 24 February.
February AC begins 1 March and lasts through 5 March. Please review our activity requirements to ensure you have the correct amount of proofs!

▸ Bounty Board ▸ Items Page ▸ General Plotting ▸ February Calendar

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Go ahead. I'll watch you do a couple and give it a shot.

[ When he actually put his mind to it, Majima was a pretty attentive student, and the nice thing about being sort of tired out was that he didn't have that low-grade combination of irritation and impatience exacerbated by chronic sleep deprivation. He set to watching Hayame work. ]

What’s it matter? We don’t really know any of them anyway. But you’re okay with giving everything to the two empresses. It’s all pretty dumb if you ask me.

Someone is always going to be unhappy no matter what you pick.

Depends on what "something else" is.

Forcing was the key point.

I don't think anyone should be forced to do anything, but in the right situation, if it was for their own good, maybe.

[he is TRYING. their first encounter already set the stage for the time he'd figured he was going to have with kylo ren. and it was bad. there has been a lot of trying to leave well enough alone on his part, but also a lot of ... not succeeding because of who he is as a person. can't just sit by and let things happen. nope. that's not how he's wired.]

Oh? Huh. Guess I'll stop trying to stay out of your way, then.

[he's calling him out. trying it. because he can't not. see above: who he is as a person.]

For their own good on your supported suggestion.

[ there's a pause. ]

You do see where I'm going with this, I hope.

Just because I see where you're going doesn't mean I have to agree with it.

You were hardly trying in the first place.

[You want to play the call out game? He's has a lot of practice with a certain insufferable ginger, you're child's play Dameron.]

[ there's a little hm in his voice. ]

Now you just sound stubborn.

[ don't like it, Loki, stop. ]

[he is literally one of the most stubborn people in the galaxy but it's cool.]

I am stubborn. And just because everyone seems content to settle on this as some be-all end-all solution doesn't mean that I have to lie down and agree with it.

I was! [the words come out in an indignant explosion, before he can catch them and regain a semblance of composure. he's gonna do it. he's going to ... not get into a fight with kylo ren. he's got a different approach in mind. will it be stupid and probably not work? yes. but lbr the truce wasn't going so great either.]

That's what I've been doing the whole time. I ran into you, once. But you know what? You're right. I was going about it all wrong. I could stand to change. Be the bigger person. Maybe not literally, that's never gonna happen, but metaphorically.

Ah, yes—we just should make sure that less people die in the whole unhappy part.

...

[ a little lower. ]

Erm ... also? Doro is old, and doesn't quite know when to shut up.

Oh, no one said that. There's still a lot of other work to be done.

...

However ... you should really try stepping out of that comfort zone of yours. There are some other ideas to be had, but not agreeing on the sidelines doesn't exactly lend to good use of time spent.

[Loki gets a weird look.]

And? That just means he’ll get out of the way faster and someone else can have everything.

[She hasn't seen Rey fight properly, perhaps, not yet, but she's human. Humans were better at sneaking in to human places than jinba were... and she has seen her body. She is obviously trained in something, used to the physical, whether it be labor or violence.

It's enough to trust that much, though trust in general does not come easily.]

Let it be so.

[Arrows in place, Hayame takes a moment, eyes closed, both sets of lungs expanding slowly... before she suddenly bursts into motion in a surge of muscle, the sound of her hooves slightly muffled by fabric pads she had tied on before their egress.

Her bow is already up, the arrow flies before she takes three steps, easier to fire on the closer guard because she had sighted her position before. The arrow flies true, and the woman drops with only a gurgle.

Her companion has little time to react, because the next arrow thuds into her chest- not the heart, not an instant kill, but the blood filling her lungs prevents screams. There's enough time for the third guard to turn his head, to notice something is amiss, to spot and turn his own bow over the ramparts... before Hayame's arrow thuds slams hard into his shoulder, and the force of it spins him, he stumbles-

And goes over the ramparts, falling from the castle heights onto rocks below, as Hayame makes it to the other side of the exposed stretch of castle courtyard.]

[...what? There is a clear moment where Kylo Ren can't actually tell if Poe is fucking with him. He searches the Force for hints of deception.]

I'm listening.

[ That was a lot, so Majima was just going to... answer however he wanted. He'd probably hit most of Jason's points, but it wasn't like he was inclined to go into a blow by blow about halftime shows and so on. ]

There're a bunch of people on each team, so they mostly go in order with someone from White and someone from Red and so on. Sometimes that means groups perform, and sometimes solo performers. Depends on whether you're part of a singin' group or not.

In the end, it comes down to whichever side the audience liked best. So talent's a factor, but you gotta put in a good showing with your teammates. You got an interest in singin' competitions or something?

... very well.

[It's better if she doesn't have to speak. Words, as if she'd forgotten, had never been her forte. The discussion amongst the team had more than reminded her.

It's easier to fall into sullen silence as she eases awkwardly to the ground, favoring her right side and keeping that leg stiff instead of curling it beneath her, laying the eagle down between her forelegs. Palms press together in prayer just briefly before she spreads the thing's wings and tail, beginning to search for the strongest, thickest feathers, which she carefully plucks. A small dagger from the pouch at her harness comes to hand, and she begins paring down the ones she's selected, cutting notches in the shafts.]

[ Majima noticed the awkward way in which she sank down to the floor -- apparently, the fighting had been pretty rough. But since he didn't have a Sentinel's talents, it wasn't as though he could do much to help her there.

Instead, he watched her work, the meticulous way in which she selected and worked the bird's feathers. Whether or not she was good with words, she was clearly skilled with her hands. After a moment or two, he began to help her pluck, setting aside the choicest materials within easy reach. ]

[ The arrows find their targets, and Rey — well, she's impressed. Instead of following Hayame out from behind the tree, she prowls up towards the now cleared wall. She stops, briefly, beside the body that had tumbled over the edge and notices now that …

It's not a guard. Not anyone even really decked out in much fighting gear. These rebels aren't experts. They're not organized. They're—

They're just people. So she takes the time to close the man's eyes, right his broken body so that when his family finds it, eventually, they will not be so horrified by the grotesque sight of him dashed against the rocks.

Then she begins to scale the wall. ]

[HE'S NOT BEING DECEPTIVE GET OUT OF HIS HEAD CHARLES. he is just ... very fueled by the idea that he can be a better person than kylo ren by Not Instigating Shit. that's the idea he had just now, and that's what he's going with. is it kind of petty? yeah. but you know what else is petty READING SOMEONE'S MIND JUST BECAUSE THEY WON'T GIVE YOU SOME RANDOM ASS INFORMATION. they are petty apples from the same petty tree.]

There's not much else to listen to. I was in the wrong. I was waiting for you to screw up, and that's a self-fulfilling prophecy or whatever, isn't it? I'm not saying we need to be best friends, but I could stand to be better.

So, I'm sorry.

[it's almost like he ... thought about some of the stuff rey said ... and applied it in a healthy way ... ]

What the hell is that?

[ So much for privacy. ]

[Even if he did... there had been Sentinels in her escort group. There had been healers and magicians.

But Hayame cannot abide the feeling of such things, of another's "power" creeping into her body and forcing it to do such unnatural things. Even if those things alleviate pain or prevent death.

She's collected quite a few scars since joining ALASTAIR.

The arrow shafts she examines for strength and alignment, sighting down them for any warps. The arrowheads she checks for cracks, for weakness brought on by use in arrows now broken, for blunting. She wets the sinew she uses to bind it together before wrapping, typing, and beginning to lay completed arrows by her side one after the other, absorbed in the activity until she belatedly speaks up.]

Use this as an example.

[She pulls an arrow from her quiver, fletched with sea eagle, laying it between them.]

No!

[ Frustrated to begin with, Yusuke's voice edges straight into frantic as he fumbles the bow. There's dirt smeared down Yusuke's face, bruises and scuffs blooming beneath it, but the immediate scowl is obvious. ]

I don't need a crummy bow to pound that feathery freak into the dirt.

[ Though busting out his spirit gun might be overkill. Yusuke hasn't reached the point to toss caution completely to the wind. That, and he's been tangling with ogres. ]

Here, you take it!

[ Time to shove the bow directly into Jin's face. ]

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EVENT ▸ DIPLOMACY

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