hideous, frightening eye monsters called MOGALLS have been spotted IN NOYILLAI. they have rudely interrupted the final day of the lotus festival, crashing through the windows, causing all sorts of damage and destruction in lotus hall. it’s not just lotus hall that is under threat, however; mogalls have sprung up all across noyillai, emerging from the ground and very depths of the underworld itself. they are not just nuisances; they are dangerous. they use DARK MAGIC to fight, and are quick and capable of flight, ensuring even high altitudes are unsafe. they have high resistance, but little defense, making them weak to physical attacks. they are less likely to attack fellow dark magic users, and are especially weak to light magic damage. these mogalls have 23 HP, and it is recommended only characters LEVEL THREE OR ABOVE take them on.
welcome to your second enemy encounter!
these encounters are essentially a mini event. your role here is to write as much (or little) about encountering mogalls as you'd like. this can include your character defending innocent civilians in lotus hall’s ballroom, to working together with a new ally to defeat a mogall, to trying to run away from them themselves. there are plenty of possibilities, and given mogalls are cropping up all across noyillai, you are not only limited to threads taking place at or close to lotus hall. you may also receive submits from this blog related to mogalls during this time, where an official battle may take place.
in order to potentially receive submits, however, you must like this post. by doing so, you give the main permission to have enemies run wild related to your muse, whether in their submit box or relevant threads. it’s important to keep in mind that given official battles can be unpredictable, your character may be injured as well, perhaps severely. choose carefully!
by writing about your character's encounter(s) with mogalls during the given time period, you will level up. we won't reveal your levels until after the enemy encounter's time period ends, but the more you write, the more levels you'll gain. both threads and solos will count, but note that threads will net you more experience, which leads to more leveling up. although it’s recommended those fighting mogalls be level three or above, this does not mean lower level characters cannot fight them. they’ll just likely have a bit more trouble than their higher level counterparts!
this enemy encounter lasts until NOVEMBER 1ST, 11:59 PM EST. please tag all posts related to this enemy encounter as #uf:lotusenemy, and note that after the time period for this enemy encounter ends, the mogall threat may not be entirely dealt with. you may encounter them again later. you can continue all threads after the event ends; you just won't level up from doing so like you will during this time period.
you will also submit everything you write about this encounter to the points blog by the end of NOVEMBER 2ND EST.
submit the following form:
TITLE: MUSE NAME: LOTUS ENEMY
[ link to your uf:lotusenemy tag ]
[ link to your status page ]
if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact the main!
"attention, everyone!" the lion councilor kahuzoa announces from the top of the staircase, voice loud and booming, managing to fill the entire ballroom despite its massive size. the music stops immediately, and the bustle below them calms to murmurs. those closest to the staircase look up, giving deyuis's leaders their attention as requested.
"thank you for coming today," kahuzoa continues, proud, albeit close-lipped, smile on his face. "250 years ago today, we all came together to create lotus campus. as you can see, it's stood strong and grown immeasurably since then. it's quite impressive," he chuckles. "of course, this is worthy of celebration! we're glad you could enjoy the festivities."
thegrorthius speaks next: "it certainly is worth celebrating, but it is also worth remembering. many lives were lost in the conflicts before the lotus campus's inception, and we should be grateful for their sacrifices, which served as great inspiration to work together to create noyillai. without these wars and loss of life, there would be no need for the neutral zone, and so something beautiful arose from the violence. may our ancestors look upon us proudly for this accomplishment." he bows his head politely; thoughtfully, and the other leaders are all quiet for a moment. thegrorthius, as old as he is, is inarguably respected by the others, his words always considered carefully, and often heeded.
before long, it is andreas to speak up. "for the first time in centuries, deyuis is at peace. there is no longer any war." he pauses, and it's laurelia that gets the hint and claps enthusiastically. some in the audience follow suit, while others don't. "i am very grateful--"
there's a near deafening shatter, and suddenly, a monster flings itself through the now broken window closest to andreas. it's a grotesque thing: it hovers above the ground, tentacles flowing from behind it, attached to a massive eye.
misu is the one that reacts first, drawing her sword and slicing the creature.
"what the hell is that?" ysmene hollers, drawing her own sword.
just as she does, more of the creatures explode through windows, this time in the ballroom itself. some of the guests scream, and all chaos breaks loose, people trying to escape, the guards on standby trying to fight.
"mogalls," the archsage replies, voice troubled. "we sometimes see them in omaduun."
"their appearances historically have coincided with the use of dangerous dark magic," thegrorthius adds, moving to stand in front of faeryn; he knows from experience, as he was alive among some of the first dark mages in existence.
andreas turns on the archsage. "you did this," he claims, with little room for argument.
"for what reason would i summon mogalls to a celebration like this?" the archsage fires back.
"your people will do anything to sow chaos! you expect me to believe it's a coincidence that you finally show up to a meeting and these things do too?"
"gentlemen!" ysmene loudly interrupts. with her sword in one hand, she motions with her free one to an approaching mogall. "get busy."
it's enough to stop their bickering for now.
"kahuzoa," faeryn says, somehow calmly and urgently at once. she stands with kahuzoa and thegrorthius in front and back of her, protecting her from any oncoming attacks given her inability to fight.
"if you are able to fight," kahuzoa's booming voice echoes through the ballroom once again. "gather your weapons and join us in neutralizing this threat. otherwise, find safety as soon as possible. look to laurelia for guidance."
he then shifts into his lion form and lets out a roar that does little to disturb the mogalls.
"daldona and gleil help us," laurelia mutters under her breath from her place in the chaos on the ballroom floor itself. she raises her voice a mere moment after: "do not exit through the broken windows! you may take shelter in the eastern part of the hall where there are no windows, or use the north and south exits to evacuate. your weapons are being held in rooms by the doors you entered in, sorted in alphabetical order based on what name you gave upon entry. i know everyone is frightened but the entryway to these rooms is small, so please form a line outside the door and move to find your weapons as quickly as possible. we will prevail!"
– ♕ –
well...this really throws a wrench in celebrating lotus campus's 250th anniversary, doesn't it? even though the lotus festival event is technically over, it's also...not quite. that being said, the first part of the event is over, meaning you may no longer level up from or start more festival threads taking place before the mogall attack. you may, however, write about anything mentioned in this post and the events following it that you'd like. more details on that coming up in an additional post!
BANDITS have been spotted ALL AROUND DEYUIS. they are plaguing towns and trade routes alike, attacking and stealing whatever they are able to, though they tend to avoid cities or anywhere heavily fortified. they mostly use AXES to fight. their attacks are strong, but can be a bit clumsy, as many of them tend to be overconfident and reckless. these bandits have 20 HP, and it is recommended only characters LEVEL ONE OR ABOVE take them on.
welcome to your first enemy encounter! these posts will appear from time to time in under the flag.
these encounters are essentially a mini event. your role here is to write as much (or little) about encountering bandits as you'd like. this can be anything from rping out a normal interaction with someone and having bandits attack, to your character hearing about the bandits and seeking them out, to your character running away from bandits, or anything in between! you may also receive submits from this blog related to bandits during this time, where an official battle may take place.
by writing about your character's encounter(s) with bandits during the given time period, you will level up. we won't reveal your levels until after the enemy encounter's time period ends, but the more you write, the more levels you'll gain. both threads and solos will count, but note that threads will net you more experience, which leads to more leveling up.
this enemy encounter lasts until AUGUST 23RD, 11:59 PM EST. please tag all posts related to this enemy encounter as #uf:enemy01, and note that after the time period for this enemy encounter ends, you are still welcome (and encouraged!) to use bandits in your threads. you can continue all threads after the event ends as well; you just won't level up from doing so like you will during this time period.
you will also submit everything you write about this encounter to the points blog by AUGUST 24TH, 11:59 PM EST.
submit the following form:
TITLE: MUSE NAME: ENEMY 01
[ link to your uf:enemy01 tag ]
[ link to your status page ]
if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact the main!
the leaders of deyuis enter lotus hall rather inconspicuously; thanks to warp spells by the countries' priest, primarily.
laurelia awaits them in lotus hall, currently empty, main hall still not quite restored to its former glory.
it is the councilors of the zoratori alliance that arrive first. they each bow to laurelia, who bows to them in turn.
"thegrorthius said he smelled trouble and we needed to arrive early," faeryn quips, soft smile on her lips sporting a little more sarcasm than characteristic of her.
"well, we'll just have to hope thegrorthius's nose is wrong this time," laurelia replies with a tense smile of her own. she knows just as well as everyone that thegrorthius's nose (or intuition–– who knows which) has never failed yet. maybe there's a first time for everything. or maybe not.
they'll find out. ysmene enters next, sword strapped to her hip, as always. she greets everyone with a handshake and a smile, and the typical easiness of it seems a little more precarious than usual.
they wait a few minutes. "we're sure they're coming?" kahuzoa asks.
"they said they would," laurelia replies. "maybe we should head to the meeting room. i don't want anyone wandering in and knowing you're here."
the others agree, and they make the long walk through the hall and up the grand staircase to the room the leaders of deyuis always meet in.
before they make it there, clamoring of armor comes from behind them, a sound so loud that they can hear it all the way across the ballroom. it's king andreas and his entourage: surely more bodyguards than he needs, but perhaps it's better to be safe, even in an area where violence isn't permitted.
he makes his way toward them, and by the time he and his allies reach the top of the stairs, two more figures appear in the entryway to the hall.
faeryn narrows her eyes. "the archsage didn't rsvp, correct?" she asks laurelia.
"right. we don't know if he'll show or not."
the others all turn toward the approaching figures. one is misu, certainly.
"alfan von etlia," faeryn gasps, brilliant heron eyesight making him out before the others.
"he has some nerve, showing his face here. he's alfan von nothing now. isn't he ashamed? isn't she ashamed, that she couldn't fight her war without the assistance of a fallen duke she broke out of prison? why does she think i can't defeat him twice?" andreas says from behind her."
no one responds, everyone processing the situation in their own way.
suddenly, in a puff of smoke, the archsage appears, right beside alfan and misu as they approach the stairwell.
"nice of him to join us," andreas grumbles.
the archsage, hooded as always, waves at everyone at the top of the stairs.
misu's gaze is cold, the well-mannered woman of a year ago replaced by a woman hardened by grief and war. once they reach the top of the stairs, she simply nods her head in greeting to the others. when her eyes settle on andreas, she pointedly raises her chin, refusing to offer him any respect.
"it's nice to see you too, empress," andreas hisses.
alfan touches misu's arm lightly, a silent gesture in hopes of keeping her calm.
"shall we commence the meeting?" misu says.
"yes," laurelia, still stunned, agrees with a rapid nod.
"wait a moment. i don't want her to enter the room with a weapon," andreas argues.
"then you can't enter with your guards," misu spits.
"how about everyone leave their weapons with laurelia, and andreas's guards wait out side," ysmene suggests.
"the zoratori councilors don't need weapons to fight," andreas points out.
"if you truly think we'll break the peace of the neutral zone then you are sorely mistaken," kazuhoa growls.
"can we calm down..." ysmene grumbles under her breath, though of course, she, like all of them, knows better.
they still all enter the room unarmed, and take a seat around the table.
"misu, we need to discuss your pointless war," andreas says, just moments after.
"perhaps we need to discuss you assassinating my mother first."
"we did no such thing," andreas counters. "how would that benefit me or my people?"
"you completed your crusade against etlia. we all know gleerium's true desire to conquer deyuis as a whole. it has never been a secret." fire burns in misu's eyes. "if i give you the benefit of the doubt, and say you did not kill my mother, then what of drewitt?"
"his death was quite unfortunate, but once again, out of my hands. perhaps he just ate something rotten, or a rogue poisoned him. i had no involvement."
alfan can't hold back the frown that crosses his lips, but he remains quiet and dignified.
meanwhile, misu shouts, "you filthy liar!" and alfan once again places a hand on her arm in hopes of calming her.
"emperor misu," faeryn mutters, a gentle warning on her other side, and she places a hand on her arm as well. misu shakes it off, and faeryn stiffens.
"if you believe getting my mother out of the picture will put you one step closer to your goal, you are wrong, and you will regret it," misu promises.
"you are just a child sending your people to die for something you've made up in your head, and i am not afraid of you," andreas counters, perfectly calm.
misu is not. misu stands from her seat, and her hands glow a dark purple. an orb of dark magic materializes in her hand, and she hurls it toward andreas.
ysmene jumps in front of it, drawing a sword from seemingly nowhere and deflecting the magic. it bounces off her weapon and disappears into thin air.
misu grits her teeth, and practically growls, and it's alfan to pull her back.
"she broke the vow of peace. she must be escorted out," kahuzoa points out, and he and thegrorthius rise, their unparalleled strength more than enough to open the doors and pull misu through despite her protests and attempts at getting away.
laurelia, who waited patiently outside, looks at the scene with wide eyes. "what happened?" she asks.
"misu broke the peace," thegrorthius replies gravely.
"we took away her weapons," laurelia says, still confused, and faeryn reaches a hand out to her. "we'll fill you in."
"where on earth did she learn that?!" andreas shouts, looking to the archsage with accusation in his eyes.
"not me," the archsage replies. "andreas, you really need to quit believing everything related to dark magic is my fault. i may be powerful, but even i am not capable of that much."
andreas turns to alfan then, who still stands by the door of the meeting room despite andreas's guards rounding up misu to escort her out.
"are you really going to side with her after that?" andreas hisses.
"with all due respect, your majesty, i will certainly not be siding with you," alfan replies, voice entirely level and calm. he turns to the others then. "it was good to see you all again. it's unfortunate that we don't have more time to catch up. i hope we will in the future." after, he takes his leave.
the rest of deyuis's leaders can still hear misu yelling, "you can't silence me!" even as guards escort her down the stairs.
"actually, i'll catch up later. i should make sure that goes smoothly," laurelia decides, bowing to the leaders of deyuis as she rushes to catch up with misu.
"thegrorthius," faeryn mutters as he returns to her side. "i felt it. the dark magic. she is unwell."
"we may be in for even more trouble than we anticipated," thegrorthius replies, just as quietly.
"we should also probably...not let this get out to the public if we can, correct?" ysmene speaks up.
no one would blame noyillai if they continued on with business as usual, not a mention of this year's lotus festival in sight. after all, last year's, with its now infamous monster attack, caused so much damage that the entire continent is still recovering, let alone the neutral zone that was the location of the main battle. some of the locals can't help but associate the celebration with the fear of that day now, and many left for other parts of the continent, noyillai spoiled as a whole for them due to the terror of last year.
it's an understatement to say noyillai is not at full strength. lotus hall has made nearly supernatural strides in rebuilding, with so many willing to help in the efforts, but even it is not fully restored to its former glory, and the recovery efforts for the rest of the area are still well underway and necessary.
it doesn't stop laurelia, however, determination always unmatched. she sees the anniversary of the neutral zone as an event so important it should be celebrated no matter what; perhaps even more so in days such as this.
their continent is war torn once again, conflict raging on between gleerium and ganggyn, and she sees noyillai, and an event where they can all come together safely, as more important than ever. many agree with her, and she's able to convince many others that are more skeptical of her cause.
by september, she has a festival on her hands, however humble it may be. the zoratori alliance councilors agreed to provide their assistance, many laguz merchants setting up shop in noyillai for the month, selling goods rare to most of the rest of deyuis for lower prices than usual, half of the profits going to efforts to help rebuild noyillai. the arch sage doesn't vocalize his support, but storytellers and magical performers from omaduun join the celebration anyway, and some of the kinder town leaders of podakko help plan different contests of strength for anyone celebrating to enjoy: swordfighting, archery contests, and other games of skill.
notably, ganggyn and gleerium's influence is missing from the celebrations, yet laurelia does something brave: offers them an invitation anyway. more than that, she suggests all of the leaders once again meet together in lotus hall to discuss the issues plaguing their continent in the past year.
more shockingly, emperor misu agrees. so does ysmene, as well as the councilors of the zoratori alliance. king andreas refuses at first, but after consulting with advisors who suggest misu may turn the rest of the continent against him if he is not there, eventually decides to attend the meeting as well.
the festival will run for the general public from september 4th to september 29th, with the last day being the actual anniversary of the neutral zone. the last day's celebrations will be the most grand, as always, despite the dark memories of the year prior. lotus hall's ballroom will once again open for dancing until well into the night, though it will lack the free meals of festivals prior. food will still be present, but at extra cost to attendees, all proceeds going straight to the recovery efforts of noyillai as well.
the leaders of noyillai themselves will also be absent for the anniversary, their meeting taking place quietly in the middle of the month instead.
laurelia is hellbent on ensuring the neutral zone remain exactly that, even during these trying times: neutral. she's also determined that it remain a safe zone for all around the continent. any violence (outside of contests involving it) will not be tolerated, and those engaging in serious fights will be promptly returned to their home countries.
maybe it's too optimistic, but laurelia hopes the citizens of deyuis can forget the war for just a little while by attending the festival.
welcome to under the flag’s second lotus festival! this event will run starting september 4th until the 29th ic, and will end OCTOBER 7TH at 11:59 PM EST ooc. please tag all posts related to this event as uf:lotusfest953. this event will not make use of the battle system (unless you would like an intermediary for any fighting contests)...at least as long as things don't go south. hopefully everyone will just be able to join the festivities this year!
in order to level up from writing, please submit everything you write for the event to the points blog by OCTOBER 8TH at 11:59 PM EST.
submit the following form:
TITLE: MUSE NAME: LOTUS FESTIVAL 953
[ link to your uf:lotusfest tag ]
[ link to your status page ]
we hope you enjoy the event, and of course, if you have any questions, feel free to send us a message.
with ganggyn’s declaration of war on gleerium, the country’s SOLDIERS are on high alert. these members of gleerium’s army fight with IRON LANCES. these enemies (or allies, depending on whose side you’re on) are fairly well-rounded, with physical strength and precise attacks. what their armor fails to protect them from is magic, which could be considered their primary weakness. gleerium has a vast amount of soldiers in their army, and they are poised to make a hearty defense in GLEERIUM, but many of their soldiers lack experience. still, it is recommended fighters LEVEL THREE AND ABOVE take them and their 26 HP on.
ganggyn’s first line of offense, their PEGASUS KNIGHTS, have launched a full scale attack in GLEERIUM. these warriors fight on the back of pegasi, typically with IRON LANCES, but sometimes with IRON SWORDS. they are quick and a nuisance to try to put down, given their ability to flee to the skies. they, unlike soldiers, boast a natural resistance to magic, given they ride atop magical creatures themselves. if you manage to pin them down, they are quite physically fragile, and can’t withstand too many attacks. this is especially true when it comes to archers; a good shot with a bow can take a pegasus knight down with ease. ganggyn’s pegasus knights are well trained, however, and it is recommended characters LEVEL SIX AND ABOVE take them and their 25 HP on.
OOC NOTE: it’s time for another enemy encounter!
these encounters are usually essentially a mini event, but this time they’re tied into our larger event: spring’s state of deyuis. your role here is to write as much (or little) about encountering the enemies in this post as you’d like. this can include your character being mistakenly (or perhaps intentionally...) attacked by a soldier or pegasus knight, your character picking a side in the war and choosing to fight them themselves, or you can even write about them fleeing from the war. there are plenty of possibilities, and you are welcome to write about anything you can think of regarding pegasus knights, soldiers, and anything you read on the spring state of deyuis post. the main point of this post going up is to alert everyone that you may also receive submits from this blog related to these enemies, where an official battle may take place.
in order to potentially receive submits, however, you must like this post. by doing so, you give the main permission to have both soldiers and/or pegasus knights run wild related to your muse, whether in their submit box or relevant threads. it’s important to keep in mind that given official battles can be unpredictable, your character may be injured as well, perhaps severely. choose carefully, but know which enemy you encounter will be based upon your character’s affiliation. most likely, anyway.
also important to note: it’s recommended those fighting these enemies be a certain level before fighting them, but this does not mean lower level characters cannot fight them. they’ll just likely have a bit more trouble than their higher level counterparts!
given this is ultimately part of a larger event, you won’t have to submit a second form for the enemy encounters, but please tag all posts related to enemy encounters as #uf:spring1 and #uf:spring1enemy.
this enemy encounter lasts until JUNE 3RD, 11:59 PM EST, just like the spring state of deyuis event. you are free to write about encounters with either (or both) enemies; just keep in mind what would be most realistic. note that after the time period for this enemy encounter (and event) ends, the war will not be entirely dealt with. you will likely encounter these enemies again later. you can continue all threads after the event ends; you just won’t level up from doing so like you will during the event time period.
don’t forget to submit your uf:spring form to the points blog by the end of JUNE 4TH, EST.
you’ll want to submit this form, but you only need to submit it once for all of your event posts, enemy encounters included:
TITLE: MUSE NAME: SPRING 1
[ link to your uf:spring1 tag ]
[ link to your status page ]
if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact the main!
sometimes, the moon is visible from the small barred window near the ceiling of the dungeons. natural light filters in and shines on the prisoners, so they are no longer shrouded in darkness.
tonight, only one person is awake to enjoy it. it’s strange for the other prisoners to sleep so soundly. the living arrangements are not the most comfortable, after all, but maybe daldona chooses to grant them a little more peace under her full moon.
alfan, the former grand duke of etlia, doesn’t flinch as the sound of footsteps grow louder against the cobblestone hall outside of their cells. his eyes remain fixed on that small window, and the way the moon barely peeks through.
he only turns when his cell door quietly creaks open. he’s met with an armored guard, helmet and all, and looks at them with confusion. they haven’t told him he will be executed yet. why is a guard paying him a visit, then?
the guard removes their helmet to reveal a woman. she hands the helmet to alfan wordlessly, then takes off the rest of her armor. she’s clearly planned to do so, because she wears a full and presentable outfit underneath.
“put this on. we have to go,” she instructs quietly, and alfan only hesitates for a moment before he does so. the armor is a little snug, but fits well enough, and maybe, just maybe, he will pass for a castle felice guard. “follow me,” the woman practically whispers. “you need to act like you’re the one guiding me.”
“i take it you aren’t bringing me to be executed,” alfan replies, too lighthearedly for a man that has been locked up for over a year. the woman shakes her head, and steps aside so he can exit his cell. she wordlessly points in the direction of the dungeon’s stairs; their escape.
castle felice’s halls are relatively quiet this time of night, which grants the female guard plenty of room to guide alfan through them. eventually, they reach an exit, near the back of the castle, and escape into the night.
“where are you taking me?” alfan questions, only once they’ve reached the relative safety of the outdoors.
“no time to talk now, your grace. we will fill you in once we get to the safe zone.”
he realizes where they’re going when they’ve walked just far enough for his legs to grow a little sore. there, a pegasus awaits them. the woman beside him makes a clicking noise with her tongue, and the winged horse approaches them.
“i’m not sure of your experience with pegasi, your grace, but rest assured, if you fall, we will catch you.”
GANGGYN
alfan doesn’t really expect to be taken directly to dalyang palace, but he quickly is granted audience with emperor misu herself.
they bow politely as soon as they see one another, and misu dismisses alfan’s guide with gratitude.
“princess–– ah, emperor,” alfan greets her.
misu raises an eyebrow. “you heard, even in the dungeons?”
“what can i say,” alfan chuckles, mostly humorlessly, “the guards tend to gossip.”
“regardless, it’s good to see you, your grace.”
“ah, no need for the titles. we know each other too well for that, and i lack the power i once had to go with that name.”
misu nods, and her lips quirk up in a smile. “alfan, then. my point stands.”
“you as well, your majesty, though i do wish it were under better circumstances. thank you for saving me, though i take it i am not here just to give you my gratitude.”
“that’s correct,” misu nods. “in a bit over an hour, minister dani will be leading a large force of ganggyn soldiers into gleerium territory: vessalius, to be precise. we intend to use the element of surprise to deal a hefty blow to ouros before felice can send reinforcements. in a few days, i will officially declare war on gleerium.”
if alfan is surprised, his expression doesn’t show it, aside from the slightest frown marring his features. “you believe they killed your mother.”
“i know they killed my mother,” misu corrects him, fire in her eyes. “they killed drewitt, and then my mother. my mother may not have seen your son’s–– my fiancé’s ––murder as reason to intervene in the war, but my ganggyn will not simply stand by and let gleerium do whatever they wish. it is time they pay the consequences.”
“understood,” alfan replies levelly. “what do you intend for my role to be?”
“we were a staunch ally of etlia in your war against gleerium, albeit secretly. it is my hope that you will pay us back by helping us familiarize ourselves with your country’s territory. we intend to occupy valenvers, soule, and remilly as soon as possible, but we do not wish to harm your people. we want to be allies once again, and together, we will chase gleerium out.”
silence stretches between them for several moments, alfan’s face still unreadable, before he says, “very well,” and bows his head.
“good. we have already prepared a room for you in the palace, so you may safely stay here for now. i look forward to working with you.”
ZORATORI
kulpat hall typically sits quietly on a hill in the middle of the zoratori alliance, zoratori constitution hanging proudly on the wall of the primary meeting room, but today, there is squabbling.
“we have larger enemies than each other right now, skrarrenniek!” daak, king of the hawks, shouts over the meeting room’s table.
“relax, daak, that was just one group of ravens that chased after one hawk,” skrarrenniek replies, far more casually than his hawk counterpart. this seems to only infuriate daak further.
“one group of a larger whole that continues to be a problem for my hawks. we are fighting monsters. if there is any time for us to be allies, it is now!”
“i didn’t say we shouldn’t be allies,” skrarrenniek drawls. “but there aren’t many monsters in raven territory anymore. have you taken care of the threat on your side, daak?” there’s a dark glint in his eyes, his lips upturned in the slightest smirk.
“perhaps we wouldn’t have issues anymore if ravens weren’t attacking hawks!”
“that was oneee timeeee, daak,” skrarreniek counters, still nonchalant, though he appears a little more annoyed now than before, if only when he rolls his eyes.
“it’s not one time,” daak argues. “this happens all the time and you know it. this is just the first time it was brought to my attention since the appearance of the monsters. i’m certain this was not a one off event.”
“okay, since you know everything,” skrarreniek replies, and he slams his hands down on the table, leaning a little closer to daak on the other side. “what do you want out of this, daak? how can i appease you and lessen your rage, your highness? i am oh so sorry.” his voice is heavy with sarcasm. he doesn’t sound remorseful in the slightest.
“i want territory lines,” daak answers back. “if a raven commits a crime in official hawk territory, he will be subject to zoratori law. no more casual agreements or letting things slide. enough.”
skrarrenniek blinks in surprise. “what about wanting to be allies?” he counters with narrowed eyes.
“you don’t seem too keen on the idea, and i am starting to believe it’s impossible. let’s quit wasting one another’s time and settle it once and for all.”
“fine.”
daak, clearly prepared for this moment, pulls out a map of the zoratori alliance and lays it out on the table.
as soon as he does so, a commanding voice sounds from the doorway of the meeting room: “gentlemen.”
both bird kings nearly jump out of their skin.
“lady faeryn,” they say almost simultaneously, both bowing to the zoratori alliance’s bird councilor.
“i heard you were causing some trouble,” she chides them, but rather lightheartedly, though she turns serious soon enough. “let’s sort this out like adults, shall we?”
the bird kings remain with their heads bowed to her as she makes her way over to the table, and looks over the map daak revealed. she soon rolls it up, and hands it back to daak.
“there are no official dividing lines in the zoratori alliance, and neither of you are any position to start drawing them up now. that is a decision all of the councilors must make, not two bird kings whose only power rests in their fancy title and nothing else.”
skrarrenniek raises his head, and daak elbows him in the side, and his eyes soon return to the floor.
“if your disagreements have become this large of an issue, we will take crimes within the bird tribe more seriously. should anything serious enough happen that you would like to fight over it, i would like a detailed report sent to me, with accounts from all parties involved included. then, i will review the crimes with the rest of the council, and we will decide how to act. i assure you i will make sure these matters are dealt with fairly and with care. understood?”
“yeah,” skrarrenniek replies.
“yes,” daak agrees, far more earnestly.
“i will be counting on your assistance. while the monster threat is far less severe than it was several months ago, we must not grow complacent. can you assure me that you and the rest of the birds will assist any herons in trouble if they come to you?”
“i cannot promise all hawks will cooperate with that demand, but i will do my best to ensure they do. if they do not and it is brought to my attention, i will let the council know.”
“thank you,” faeryn replies with a gentle smile. she then looks to skrarrenniek expectantly.
“yes, lady faeryn. the herons will be in good hands.”
OMADUUN
“what may i do for you?” a cloaked, mysterious woman behind a desk questions.
“i would like to meet with the archsage,” gayeon, late emperor yumi’s personal priest, replies.
the woman snickers. “my dear, the archsage is a very busy man, and he does not meet with others so easily.”
gayeon’s gaze hardens. “tell him it is about emperor yumi’s death.”
the woman frowns, and takes a sheet of parchment out of her desk, where she then jots something down with a quill and ink. “i will send a note from you to him. is there anything else you’d like for me to include?”
“tell him it is important for me to meet with him over the cause of emperor yumi’s death as soon as possible. we believe dark magic was involved. i will not tell you anything further because the details are a private matter.”
the woman writes down gayeon’s request, then hesitates. “perhaps our library may aid you in your quest. typically only students of the school of sorcery use it, but you are here for important reasons and there are no rules against outsiders looking through the texts.”
gayeon nods. “thank you.”
the secretary of sarlimar’s school of sorcery writes down directions for gayeon on another sheet of parchment, and gayeon is left to wander the halls of the magnificent school by herself.
remarkably, when gayeon arrives, the library is empty of all but one person. perhaps it is daldona smiling upon her, granting her this privacy in which to conduct her work and get to the bottom of yumi’s death.
she must look lost, though, because the single man in the library says, “is there something you need?”
“ah, are you...the librarian here?”
“correct.”
gayeon hesitates, trying to decide how much to share. “i’m here to do research on dark magic.”
“you’re a priest, aren’t you?” the librarian questions.
she wants to ask how could you tell? but instead simply nods.
“is there something in particular you’re looking for?”
“ummm...” she hesitates further.
“all books on necromancy have been removed from the library, if that is what you’re searching for. we don’t want to encourage the students to practice such dangerous magic.”
“all of them? do you not think it’s important for the students to have knowledge, so long as the texts aren’t teaching them necromancy itself?”
“perhaps. the archsage is still thinking about it.”
from what yumi told her about the archsage, gayeon gets the feeling he’s been thinking about it for a while (he probably forgot about it.)
“well, where would i find the books on different forms of dark magic, then? i’m not necessarily interested in learning how to practice it, i would just like to understand it better,” gayeon says.
the librarian points her in the right direction, and she wanders past dozens of bookshelves until she reaches the back corner of the library. there are countless books that fit the description. she suspects one day here won’t be nearly enough time to find the information she needs.
the first book she pulls from the shelf is about the origin of dark magic itself: omajug, god of death, and sarlimar, the first practitioner of the “art” of dark magic, as the book calls it. it details the events of sarlimar’s war, but she closes it and places it back on the shelf when it gets into ganggyn’s involvement in the war.
PODAKKO
“queen ysmene, ganggyn has declared war on gleerium.”
ysmene quite literally does a spit-take, mouthful of ale spraying across the floor of her bedroom. “eugh, sorry,” she apologizes, then gives the messenger her full attention. “they did what now?”
“emperor yumi has passed, and the new emperor misu declared war on gleerium, claiming they assassinated her mother.”
ysmene falls into quiet thought for a moment, then sighs. “alright. i’d love to keep helping them fight monsters in their territories, but if they’ll be fighting one another, i don’t want my forces involved. of course, podakko mercenaries are free to fight with whoever they wish, but not the army of xakar. i’d advise the other town leaders to withdraw any troops they offered to ganggyn and gleerium as well. i’d rather none of us get wrapped up in this.”
the messenger bows to ysmene, then excuses himself.
ysmene takes another sip of her ale.
“misu, what are you up to...?” she wonders aloud.
OOC
welcome to your second state of deyuis post! this is an event, but one with lots of wiggle room on what to write about. all you have to do is write about anything mentioned in this post, and tag it with #uf:spring1 for it to count for the event. no matter where your character is located, you are still welcome to write about anything relevant to them happening in other countries, or have them travel there themselves! warp travel is quite easy, after all.
this is a lot of information, so don’t hesitate to send any questions to the main if there’s any confusion or you’d like clarification on anything.
this EVENT will run until saturday, june 3rd, at 11:59 pm est. this means you will submit the following FORM to ufpoints by sunday, june 4th, at 11:59 pm est:
TITLE: MUSE NAME: SPRING 1
[ link to your uf:spring1 tag ]
[ link to your status page ]
this event does run for a long time, and a lot can change over the course of a few months, so just like the events this past winter, keep an eye out for any changes in the state of deyuis along the way 😉
at first glance, emperor yumi would appear to be sleeping soundly in her bed. at first glance, she looks comfortable and at peace.
her personal priest takes a seat at her side and tearfully checks for a pulse once more, now accompanied by misu and minister dani. she looks up at them and shakes her head, then closes her eyes and weeps. “i’m sorry, there’s nothing i can do,” she manages.
“it’s okay, gayeon,” misu assures her, though her words sound hollow. she approaches, and with a closer look...yumi is pale, becoming more and more like the image of death by the second.
misu takes her mother’s already-cold hand. “mother...” she breathes, and she observes; watches the way the esteemed emperor’s skin grows taught around her bones in mere minutes, her appearance far more skeletal now than when misu first took her hand.
“goddess...” dani mutters in disbelief. misu simply frowns, and somehow, doesn’t look surprised.
“princess...ah, emperor?” gayeon says, her cheeks still wet from tears, but eyes full of questions.
“it’s gleerium,” misu repeats, voice unwavering, full of confidence.
“with all due respect, emperor, how do you know that?” dani asks.
“it’s the same way in which they murdered drewitt. etlia didn’t even hold a proper funeral for him because he was nothing but bones within a few days. alfan and the others didn’t want to disturb anyone that saw his body.”
“how did you know it was gleerium then?” dani questions once more.
“they found the assassin and plenty of information to confirm his affiliation to gleerium,” misu practically snaps, patience clearly wearing thin, but she soon sighs and releases some of her tension.
“what is it...a form of dark magic?” gayeon asks next.
“yes...magic that both poisons and drains life force simultaneously. we don’t know much about it. perhaps the archsage or one of his students may be able to help us.”
“if you would allow me, emperor, i would like to be the one to try to find our answers,” gayeon requests, and misu is quiet, considering. “i have experience with magic, as well as a personal stake in the matter. if i failed to prevent this magic from taking yumi’s life, i would like to redeem myself by learning about it as the source of her death.”
“very well,” misu agrees with a nod, and gayeon bows in gratitude.
“it isn’t your fault, gayeon,” dani attempts to reassure her, and gayeon bows to her as well.
“i appreciate it, minister dani.”
silence falls upon the women and the disintegrating former emperor, before dani finally speaks up: “emperor misu, what is our next move?”
“i’m not certain,” she admits, then thinks in silence for several moments more. “i believe we must follow alfan’s example and not hold a funeral; at least not a more public one. perhaps those closest to her...” more silence, and then: “dani, what is the state of our army?”
“certainly been better. much of it is spread throughout ganggyn to deal with the monster threat.”
“well, i would like an organized army. please find some way to accomplish it.”
“emperor...?”
misu does not acknowledge dani’s concern, and instead says, “may i have a moment with my mother, please?”
both dani and gayeon linger for a moment, before dani nods and leads the way out of the emperor’s bedroom.
it’s only now that misu cries openly. “mother, what happened...?” she whispers, and then she drapes herself over her mother’s body and weeps.
THE ZORATORI ALLIANCE
hawk king daak’s castle is not nearly as impressive as any other castle in deyuis, but that much makes sense: he is not really a king at all. maybe it can compete with faeryn’s relatively humble home, but it certainly cannot touch the rest of the zoratori council’s magnificent forts. still, as is the case for most structures in kesthe.
daak doesn’t exactly have a throne room either. instead, it is more of a very large and impressive office, ceilings remarkably high, plenty of room for any bird to stretch their wings.
now, however, he sits at a desk, perhaps surprisingly, scattered in parchment, making him look far busier than he actually is. maybe it’s intentional.
of course, the young and troubled hawk cannot visit the hawk king’s “throne room” without guards, so they lead him there. it’s only when daak takes one look at the young hawk that he nods to the guards to let him go and leave them be for a few minutes.
“i heard we have a problem,” daak addresses the other hawk, and already sighs.
“yes sir,” the young hawk replies, nodding several times. he recounts the same tale he told the guards outside the hawk’s makeshift palace, and daak listens closely. he sighs once again in the end.
“we had an agreement,” and he sounds both disappointed and exasperated, as if he both expected this result, yet still hoped for better. he turns his attention to the other hawk, looking him right in his eyes. “thank you for telling me,” and then he looks back down at his desk. “it looks like i’ll be paying our dear friend skrarrenniek a visit.”
