EVENT ▸ DIPLOMACY

[futurologists]

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

Comments

[justbeingknife]

[ wh at

kind of logic was this

then again, it was harder to get a handle on a bow or a slingshot than it was to jab someone with a spear. ]

If you want, I can show ya a thing or two. I use it more like a pole than a naginata, but it seems like that's what you're goin' for anyway.

[dominance]

[ #bellamylogic ]

[ he studies majima for a moment, although it isn’t necessary. from their time battling ogres with oliver, bellamy already knows what type of person majima is. he’s the type bellamy trusts. ]

That’d be great. I’m kind of useless, if you didn’t figure that one out already. [ self deprecation at its finest! the only thing bellamy knows how to do. ]

Whats a naginata?

[justbeingknife]

[ why the fuck would bellamy trust him, he's not ready for this responsibility!! ]

It's a spear with a curved blade at the end. Looks kinda like a katana blade.

[ There were a few training weapons at one end of the courtyard, probably used by the guards here. Majima selected one and made his way over to Bellamy, demonstrating his grip and stance. ]

I'll skip the flashy shit; it'll just get you an arrow in the back.

[ Majima dropped his left hand from the spear and pulled his right arm back, allowing for a one-handed thrust straight in front of him. His grip, held further towards the back of the spear, allowed for a dramatic increase in range -- though it also required additional strength and coordination to keep the weapon on a direct path. ]

[dominance]

[ too late, he has already made shirts. ]

[ what the fuck is a katana ... you know what? bellamy's going to put his strategy of just pretending he knows what people are talking about to use here. it'll ease up on the amount of headaches he's going to inevitably experience. ]

[ watching majima, he finds himself thinking of the grounders. they'd always used their weapons with force, with an ease, as though it was their very own limb. ]

You know you're making it look easier than it is, right?

[ bellamy blake, ogre slayer, pessimistic opportunist. ]

[justbeingknife]

[ This was clearly a trap. Bellamy didn't wear shirts!! ]

Yeah, yeah. Ain't expecting you to get it perfect, just give it a shot. I'll be able to tell what ya need to work on.

[ Even Majima, whose closest experience to a proper student-teacher relationship was occasional meetups with a crabby old man in the local park, realized that normal people didn't learn Pointy Sticks 101 without some practice time. ]

[dominance]

[ FUCK. ]

[ this is already a Way Too Much Pressure situation. can bellamy perform under pressure? wait, he trained as a guard on a piece of metal up in space under the watchful eyes of assholes. he can do this. the perfectionist within him, well ... that's another story.
]

[ but having paid attention to majima's own movements, bellamy copies it, although not as skilled or experienced as majima had held his body or even the spear. he doesn't quite drop his left hand behind his back all too tightly, still in the need for some semblance of not only stability but control with both hands, and with his right, pulls it back to try and thrust the spear. the power behind it is there, but the precision isn't. ]

[ if he had to spear a grounder on a horse again, he'd still miss. ]

Where'd you learn to fight?

[justbeingknife]

Gonna sound like a cop out, but I've always been fightin' one way or another. That's just how it is where I grew up. I'm mostly self-taught, but I grab whatever I can use from other people.

[ Just about what Majima expected. Bellamy had struck him as someone with decent upper arm strength, which was the only reason Majima had had him try the thrust in the first place. ]

You got a leg up. Don't look like you need to build up much strength; just need to practice till the movement's second nature. Here, this is somethin' you can use right away.

[ With that, Majima slowly demonstrated a series of swooping slashes with the edge of the spear. The strokes, by and larger, were wide and much easier to duplicate than the first thrust had been. At the very end was a single tight turn and flourish. ]

I noticed the fighters around here tend to stick to clean strikes. But there's nothin' that says you gotta play by their rules. Can you kick?

[dominance]

[ the answer doesn't surprise him. majima doesn't seem like the type to sit down and count berries like monty, but bellamy's long since learned to never judge a book by its cover. this book, though, is exactly what he needs to read in order to survive. the battle with the ogres had shown him as much. ]

[ watching majima, he tries to picture himself doing those motions. they're a hell of a lot easier than the thrusting of the spear. it left him with less need for being too precise to hit his target. ]

[ he looks a little surprised at the question. ] Yeah. I can kick. [ is it a mean kick that could take down an ogre? totally. look at his pins. ] I trained as part of the Guard ... [ for a moment bellamy thinks of how to equate that to a group that would exist pre-apocalypse. ] It was a security group. The fighters. We didn't fight like warriors, but we were taught how to do a mean elbow hit.

[justbeingknife]

Security group? So you were what, some official outfit?

[ Majima had little if any understanding of what Bellamy's world was like, except that it apparently had need of trained fighters.

In any case, Majima demonstrated pulling the spear back and lashing out with the butt of the weapon, aimed low as if at an opponent's weapon or foot. He followed up with a side kick. ]

Then don't be afraid to switch it up if it'll give you that extra edge. Lotta guys pick up a knife or whatever, and it's like they forget how to use their arms and legs. Weapons are tools; you can always sideline or toss 'em aside if they ain't working in a situation.

[ He inclined his head toward Bellamy. ]

...Kinda figured ya had some prior training.

[dominance]

[ this time, bellamy doesn't mimic majima's chosen movements. ] Guess you could call it that.

[ in comparison to the grounders, or even majima's style of fighting, the guard was nothing. it was merely a group equipped with dealing with a group of people tucked away in a space station, floating around in space. despite him putting it down over the last several months, bellamy knows it's better than nothing. at least he knows not to rest his chin against the blade of a spear. ]

We weren't anything like warriors. We weren't trained for that kind of combat. [ perhaps if they had retained those skills and those perceptions of needing to be quick, brutal, and take on a lot more strength than they truly possessed as individuals, they'd have been better equipped for life on the ground. but the past can't be changed, regardless of how desperately bellamy wishes for it to. ] It was more ... You kept people safe, you deal with situations that went against regulations whether you liked it or not, and you used a gun or your hands. It was never meant to be lethal. The decisions made by certain people were more lethal than us.

[justbeingknife]

So you never killed anybody.

[ A statement and a question. Lee claimed he could look at Majima and instantly tell everything about him; he'd considered this total bullshit at the time, but his initial assessment had been pretty much right on. Well, up until Majima had wrecked his countrymen and their Mahjong parlor.

As he listened to Bellamy's story, he toyed with the spear idly, spinning little arcs and flourishes through the air. ]