usir | Mini-Event: Skywhale + Day of Lefkokó

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The Skywhale & Day of Lefkokó

🜙 The Skywhale

	After fierce retaliation and an increase in city-wide defensive power and measures, it seems as if the orc attacks have, at least for the moment, begun to subside. Along with the lessened threat of orc ambushes, the first storms of winter have died down to a gentle and occasional snow flurry, leaving the world peacefully blanketed in powder snow and a calm stillness. The City of the Free Peoples take this time to celebrate the final repairs of the airship, the Skywhale. With sail balloon once more filled and the engines working hard to keep the air within it warm, easier and safer travel is once more available. The Skywhale leaves once a day in the early morning to head for Didymos, and today is its maiden voyage since the repairs. Thalassa has changed greatly in the last century, blossoming into a massive port and military city, with resources and opportunities unavailable in the more eclectic Cty of the Free Peoples. Restless legs may find their chance to stretch to a new experience. Sail the skies aboard the Skywhale and see Thalassa's grand transformation to Didymos for yourself. Catch the voyage back before nightfall, or remain in Didymos until the ship's return the following day. There is plenty to see and do in the city by the sea. You can even see Logistykon's reef from aboard the Skywhale's deck as it swings around to dock. It is a grim but beautiful sight in the clear blue waters. While the threat of fire and orc ambush has diminished greatly, the City of the Free Peoples is filled with a sense of unease and discomfort as repairs on the city and attempts to put lives back together continue. Murmurs of discontent slip through the city streets, along with rumors that this is all Lykos' fault or accusations that the Captain might be hiding something. For every murmur of distrust, however, there are counters of the heroics and quick action that helped keep the city strong and beat the orcs back. There has still been no word from Krimnos or the airship, Valiant, that usually hails from the cliff city daily. Messengers have not made their wing from the city and those sent to the cliffs have not returned. It's not unusual for this time of year, but the absence is felt keenly by traveling merchants who need to get their wares to or from the city. A journey by horse or on foot would be risky, but the potential rewards for escorting a company up to the cliffs could prove significant.
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🜙 Day of Lefkokó

	No matter what city you find yourself in, the dawn of the 17th sees a change in mood and atmosphere across Idan. Snow has stopped falling and the sky is a bright, clear blue. The weather warms enough to cause water to drip softly from the icicles hanging off every awning and outcrop. Decorations of magical or crafted snowflake art and blue ice flames line city streets and building windows, and jovial merriment spills out into the streets. A sweet wine made from frostberries, warm honey-mead, and spiced apple drinks are offered in taverns, inns, and small shops or homes, a free offering to be had with sweet or spiced cheeses and spiced or candied nuts and fruits. It's a celebration that is far from unfamiliar, one that has been celebrated for centuries across Idan's towns and cities, though the methods and particulars of the celebration have always varied from place to place and people to people. December is the month of the White Raven, and in particular, this day is a day to honor him. Lefkokó, the deity of dance, freedom, madness, and cunning sits at the head of the cause of these festivities and his domains are the focus of the celebrations. Today is a day of dance, drinking, and games of skill and chance. A day to test your bluffing skills, show off, and take deep joy and pride in the liberties and opportunities available to all. Few work on this day, beyond the essentials, and everyone who is able to takes part in this moment of freedom and relaxed expectations or responsibilities. The cities are alive with music and dancing, and the taverns are a swirl of chaos amidst high stake games of cunning and chance. Clever minds clash over riddles, old and new, and as the day progresses a lack of sobriety becomes increasingly evident in the streets and establishments alike. As the sun reaches the highest point in the sky and the shadows dwindle to near nothingness, the aviaries of all three cities release the newest flock of rare juvenile snow ravens to their freedom, letting them take wing to the skies for their first ever flights. The flocks of snow ravens, the most coveted of magic familiars, fly off to the wildlands after practicing their acrobatic feats and visiting various areas of the city in search of food to give them energy for the journey ahead. Once they take their leave of the city, many begin to seek out hidden trinkets, magical herbs, and small, rare items across Idan with a precise and dedicated focus. Those who honor Lefkokó by celebrating in his name may be visited by his rare and clever emissaries later in the month with an offering of thanks from Lefkokó himself.
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🜙 A Warning.

	By the 18th the orc camp has been abandoned, the animals freed and the orcs, whatever was left of them, appear to have fled. Retreat is unusual, even more so for them to cut their creatures loose and flee without triumph or trophy, but this is something different. Many of the weapons, trinkets, and armors coveted by the warring orcs have been left behind, and the fires trampled and stamped out with apparent urgency. Tracks lead to the south a few miles and then vanish into snow in the direction of Lake Atéleio. It and the land south and west of it are consumed in a blizzard blown over from the sea, and tracking beyond that point becomes nearly impossible, though by this point it is assumed the Orcs have retreated to Spear Valley. Whether or not they will return is unclear. Those in the City of the Free Peoples on the 18th will receive another message, this one from a less mysterious source, addressing the coming dangers. Though the attacks have set preparations back a few weeks I would like to quell any worries. The Long Night approaches, but you are a city of strong, brave folk. The threats on the horizon will not be the end of this city any more than these raucous attacks have been. Supplies can be claimed from the defender's camp for any struggling to make the necessary preparations. Those who have lost their homes will be provided shelter and supplies. When the Long Night comes, keep your children indoors, your fires stoked, and your buildings shuttered. There is nothing to fear. Your defenders will keep you safe. -Captain Lykos Several hours later a second and then a third message is received across all kingdoms. It comes only to the couriers of the awakened. The first comes as an audio message: A dull scraping sound followed by the click and whine of metal dragging across stone and the dripping of thick, viscous liquid somewhere distant. It ends abruptly and a simple thought message, short and uncomfortable, follows it. silarclupes irom otnemem The message has no signature.

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I shall take that under advisement.

[Something else occurs to Alucard in that particular moment, and that is that he's yet to see hide nor hair of the ridiculous wolf that has attached itself to him. That being a sign that she's up to no good at all, he makes a polite noise and turns so that he is looking at the deck rather than over the side.]

Something else has come to my attention. Please excuse me.

[He's totally not going to take that under advisement. But he was a grown man and could do what he wanted, and she waves him off/]

Nyaha, you don't have to be so polite with me~

[Though... it was awfully quiet, wasn't it? Shishi was probably somewhere warmer than the deck, but still, she had better make sure he wasn't trying to eat something he shouldn't.]

"They hunt for themselves, right? Just let him go terrorize a herd of sheep or something."

Billie pushes away from the wall and wanders up to where the white raven is perched, considering additional food and all. She doesn't have any food to offer but she is going to reach out slowly to run a finger over its feathers. It shifts a step to one side but that's about it. After being hand-raised by people, they aren't exactly what one could call wild.

Meanwhile, that tern finishes her own bit of meat and turns to eye Shura with the same interest as the raven. Birds of a feather and all.

"You think he'd put effort into that? Nah, he'd see the sheep, decide it's too much trouble, and go after the shepherd's lunch." He was, after all, just one lion. Besides, letting him go after livestock was going to be even more troublesome than feeding him herself. But if this lady's interested in the raven, Shura can Help™.

"Catch!" There's only a little bit of sausage left, and Shura tosses it over to Billie, shifting to block Shishi from trying to run after it. If Billie catches it, she can decide which birdbrain to give it to, but if it falls, then the birds fussing at each other might be just as fun to watch.

[ When she sees him in the ocean quarter, he's been dragged out to dance with someone she doesn't recognize. Certainly not someone who knows what they are or where they come from. There's a comfort in that anonymity. There's still plenty that they need to grapple with to be here.

Rey has certainly taken advantage of it in exploring Didymos, relieved to finally have the chance to see the city she'd long dreamed of. It's been amazing. And so has the food. She's got pastries in her mouth when Kylo Ren finally frees himself from the company of the girl who'd gotten him out onto the floor, and Rey's visibly laughing at him through the food in her mouth. ]

You seem to be doing alright, getting your feed under you.

I haven't been given much of a chance to do otherwise.

( his initial awkwardness had been swept away with the lively strains of the music, falling quickly into step with the other dancers. the aggressive cheer of the festival catching. )

Though I see I'm not the only one indulging myself. ( a nod toward her hands, her fingers smeared with oil. )

I think I like eating more than you like dancing.

[ She points it out ruthlessly, sucking at her thumb to get the last of the sugars and fats onto her tongue. It doesn't hurt to point it out either. It's not that he looked miserable, exactly. His partner was fine and good. But she really likes eating and he doesn't seem like the courtly type. ]

I doubt anything could match your love of eating, cyar'ika.

( there's a playful lilt to the last word, his mouth tipping smile-wards. she'd pegged him rather well, all things considered. still dressed in his threadbare tunic, his dark hair shaggy and unkempt, he looks even less like a soldier than a dancer.

he rubs a hand across his bristly jaw, looking thoughtful. ) Does this mean I can't coax you into a turn around the dance-floor?

[ Cyar'ika is no name she has heard before, but she can tell there's some affection in it. That both makes her uneasy and makes her chest warm. Especially when paired with his request, which somehow surprises her. It shouldn't. It shouldn't at all, but... ]

You want to? I don't know how. I never -- [ There's some awkwardness in the admission. She isn't the kind of person who goes to things like dances, not even in taverns. ]

Well, she's right on that one. They're already out here, already enjoying the situation, why not have fun and continue to dance until the festivities end, they both get sloppy drunk, or they both get too tired, whichever comes first. Strange nods, giving Shura a wide grin as he agrees with her assessment.

As the musicians start talking about the next song, Strange keeps an ear out, listening in the hopes that he'll recognize whatever the hell they play. Though, he can multitask: he starts to talk while he listens.

"My name is Jonathan Strange, by the way. I don't think we've ever met."

"It's not so different from the sea," says a voice downwind from Victor and Makka, "but I've certainly never seen anything like the view. Nor had the chance to touch the sky."

She is pink-cheeked and nowhere near as bundled against the cold as Victor is as she steps back from her precarious position leaning over the ship's railing, half hanging from the side as she's watched the bow slice through the clouds and let wind and moisture whip her face. Human, dark-haired, fair-skinned and freckled—and younger than Victor by a few years, by the looks of the two of them—the strangest things about the girl are her short-cropped hair, the bundle of fur wrapped around her neck and shoulders, and the piercing, mismatched blue and green eyes she's turned in his direction.

"It smells different, too, I suppose." She studies Victor first, then the wolf between his arms. "And I can't jump off to bathe in the sea. But this is the first ship I've ever seen in the air. Maybe it's different on other ones."

Waffles seems pleased when Victor acknowledges him, resuming his pawing at the air hop dance for a few more minutes before the activity exhausts him and he goes back to flop on his side out of the way of feet. He regards the wolf sideways from his spot on the floor, tail thumping enthusiastically to the beat. He opens his mouth to make ridiculous growl-whine noises a few times, his paw waving over his face in her direction, and then just rolls onto his back pawing at the air.

David just shakes his head at the wayward canine and continues to dance, saying nothing to interfere. In his mind Waffles isn't something he can control any more than the rest of his magic, so he just lets the dog be a dog when he wants to be. After a while, when David starts to feel it in his legs and chest, he drops down into a seat with a smile on his face. He leans across the table to fetch his abandoned mug and takes a drink before looking for Victor.

"Seems like this holiday is one for high spirits." He never had the chance to celebrate it before his death, between the isolation of his childhood and the restraint of his teen to adult years, locked away in a temple. It's one he would have greatly enjoyed, he decides. Rather than regret, though, he's just pleased to have the chance to celebrate it now.

"Even the birds seem caught up in the spirit of it." Their aerial dances had caught his eye and held his attention until he couldn't find them to watch any longer.

That's generous of you. [And a good thing too, because David has no coin to his name currently and isn't entirely sure what to do about it. It isn't as if he can just create money out of thin air and his control over his magic is too sporadic to rely on just yet.

He takes one of the flagons when she returns, his gaze drifting around the room, taking in the general atmosphere of people getting into the spirit of the day.]

Is it always like this, on the raven's day?

[ On one of Kylo's turns of the deck, there's a shout of alarm near the bow as a sudden gale shakes the ship in its grip. The reason for the shouts become clear with the sight of a dark-haired girl on the other side of the ships' railing, balancing on the bowsprit with her hands tangled in rope as she swings wildly from side to side with the wind. The movement pitches her forward, and she catches herself on the barrier of the bow: both hands braced against the wood to steady herself before she untangles from the safety of the rope and clambers calmly (if somewhat clumsily) back onto more solid deck.

Sparrow yowls loudly into her ear. Katsa, who cannot glare directly at the animal that has climbed her back to perch on her shoulders any more than she can ignore its protests, scowls up at the sails and props her hands on her hips instead. ]

It's not as though I made you go out there with me. I didn't fall, and now I've seen the view from the very front. I'm not the only one leaning over to look—I don't know why everyone's making such a big fuss.

[ She glances over at Kylo as though to say, See? He's looking over the side, too. ]

[David recognizes that ruff of orange fur and a grin crosses his lips as he grabs a small plate and piles on some fruit before making his way over to the more familiar stranger.]

Fancy meeting you here. [He has seen a few familiar faces in Didymos. It isn't surprising but it is a relief. He's tailed by a golden monster of fluffy fur prancing along with high steps like he's the king of the party, and to Waffles' credit David thinks the dog is quite the charming party-goer.

He picks a berry off the plate, offering it to the primate on the man's shoulder without even checking for permission, too enamored by the little lion monkey to care.]

Take a ride on the airship? [He can't imagine anyone walking the distance between the cities voluntarily in the weather they have been having, especially with warring orcs out in the open lands somewhere.]

“Nyaha, probably not~!” No, not considering the circumstances. Shura could have gone the whole evening without learning his name, but Strange had to go be all polite and stuff. “My name’s Shura~”

While her clan had never been widely known and knowledge of them had likely been lost over the years, she’ll refrain from giving her full name, just in case. Hopefully, he wouldn’t ask more about her. Shura shifts her hand, a not-so-subtle hint for him to take the lead for the next dance.

Looks like a painting but I bet they do. Ain't no one ever seems to care about craftsmanship. [He scowls a little at that. If you're going to do something at least take some pride in it. He lets it go, peering through and over the railing down at the land far below. A fall from this height would definitely kill anyone but Rocket isn't even a little concerned. Whether bravery or arrogance or both is hard to say, he just doesn't see a reason to be afraid of dying if it means not enjoying the shit that makes living worth it.]

First those devices, now this, what other fancy gadgets are waiting for us out there? [He had heard whisperings about Krimnos that made him want to go there and see for himself but for now the airship was enough of a thrill. Lylla's webbed-paws grip at his leg and he glances down, lifting an arm to look at the creature not that much smaller than him before lightly patting her on the head.]

Whad'ya think would happen if you dropped a rock from up here?

[Ellie nods; she doesn't love the idea of wandering around the continent again. The least the world could do is offer a less shitty map.]

I heard talk of canons you can carry around, no magic, but that might be a rumor. [Wishful thinking? A new design? Ellie doesn't know, but she is curious. That would certainly help her, what with sucking at magic. Whatever the case, it's obviously not widely dispersed.]

...someone really upset at the new hole in their house? Or in their head. [Squish. Ew. Ellie snorts at the idea anyway, because it's sort of hilarious.

Theseus raises her head to look at the two of them. Small as she is, she's bigger than either of them in terms of mass, and her eyebrows furrow as she considers Rocket and Lylla.]

Edited 2018-12-27 23:49 (UTC)

[Ellie's on the drunker side of tipsy, and she has a mug of honey mead in her hand as she looks for a place to sit. She's not fucked up, but she is flushed, warm in the pit of her belly, and sort of wishing she was brave enough to ask someone to dance. Unfortunately, even if she were, the crutch would keep that from happening. Fuck stupid ankle injuries.

Ellie manages to find a quiet corner, with only an elf sitting on the floor. Twiddling--no, carving. That's kind of cool. She sets her crutch down on the floor, and slowly maneuvers herself so she's sitting within talking distance of the woman. Ellie's not so drunk that she'll invade the elf's space. She's not creepy.]

Hey. Sorry, I just--need a sec. [The good news is that Ellie didn't spill her mead on the way down. As much as she likes the taste, she probably shouldn't have more. The bad news is, Theseus the coywolf pads through, sniffing at the glass and taking a curious lap. She jerks her head back after only a taste, nose wrinkling in disgust.]

...You're a mutt, why'd you think you'd like that? [Ellie reaches out to pat the wolf. Theseus turns her head to peer at the elf, raven, and wood, and sniffs in their direction.]

[ Victor notes the movement away, and takes care to shift his weight back; not moving, per say, but still granting her a further sense of distance. He was not so firmly guarded about his personal space, but he'd known more than a few who were.

Makka extends her neck to sniff interestedly at the zoo, the wet, black end of her nose nudging against one of the animals. ]

Thank you, though I'd like to look at them more than have them.

[ Makka nosed another, this time the wolf. She knocks it over, pulling her head back and flicking her ears and forward, trying to decide if she'd be in trouble for doing that. Victor said nothing, reaching out to rest a hand on her back, and her blue eyes flicked toward Lauralae. ]

How long have you been carving?

More fish for Victor and Makka. Makka, who looks toward Ellis on her approach, then licks her lips. She doesn't move toward Ellis, but oh. Oh, that looks delicious. Makka is too clearly focused on the sausage in Ellis's mouth, watching her every movement.

"Were we not before?" He knows not everyone was, had heard it in what was said or wasn't said. People woke to find themselves in colours that supported a dragon who hadn't held their service at the time of their death.

Even more strange, in ways, as them all resurrecting from a multitudes of times, battles that had happened over all those nearby fields over the years the war had stretched on. The pointless, bloody battles stripping colour and light out of the world, and leaving it diving toward madness.

He shook his head, as if dismissing some thought or another from his mind, and absently bit into his fish. After swallowing, he added, "I can appreciate some high minded dramatics. May as well change our perspective on everything literally as well as metaphorically."

Makka sits down and cocks her head to the side to watch as Victor flashes Billie a grin and guiding her out into the mess of mostly coordinated bodies. The music played on mostly familiar instruments is lively, and the accompanying dancing follows course, people linking arms and swinging around before switching partners and repeating the same motion with the opposite arms. There's clapping involved on a beat the crowd seems to keep time for, and as the line of people they're closest to shifts to make room for them, Victor quirks up an eyebrow and offers his arm to Billie.

"Time to spin a few circles!"

Joining in is a simple enough affair; the beat for people to lock arms and turn a circle around each other before letting go and repeating the process with their neighbours is about to hit, following the lull where all those dancing (and those watching) are clapping their hands and stomping their feet.

"I guess." He hums, a noncommittal sound, and says nothing more for several beats of his heart. His and Makka's hearts, really; that's one more phenomena he's witnessed, considering how he and Makka share a bed most nights. Which wasn't so different than his life with Makkachin, a century before, but infinitely more strange.

"I wonder what the dragons would have made of all this. Can't imagine they would have been willing to share the skies, at least no easily. Not with such freedom for the three cities."

It's been so long since he's done anything to accompaniment. For a moment, Victor is as still as the broken fountain, head canted to the side, listening with all of his focused intent. Beyond the caws and jostling of feathers and the clack of beaks and swallowing of bread, there's the music, and the applause. Or perhaps just the clapping accompaniment.

He moves again, a hand resting on his hip and a relaxed grin curving one corner of his mouth upward. "It is a celebration for the ravens. Think it's worth accompanying them to the music? It looks like they've already accepted your tribute to their cause."

Victor gestures toward the empty landscape of where Daud's bread once lay scattered. Several very content ravens were preening the feathers of their wings, watching both of them with keen, intelligent interest. Time to play?

She has lovely eyes, he thinks, because heterochromia stands out as something so notable when the blue of one is made piercing by the overabundance of blue all around. Certain of herself, too, at least with regards to balance, given her position not long before. He smiles, stroking one hand over Makka's head and down the ruff of her neck. "If they can be anchored, which they are when docked, I could imagine that with a rope ladder and enough creativity and time, one could pull off jumping over the sides to bathe in rivers or lakes as well as the sea. Which is still more fancy than reality. From what I understand, there's only a few airships, and they're not prone toward private ventures."

Which was a shame, in several ways. He can imagine with particular clarity what it would be like to jump from such a ship for the sheer joy of a not-so-intimidating fall, and the strenuous way of climbing back inside again without the ease of a dock for boarding. Perhaps a good whimsy to show in illusion, if he felt himself inclined toward anything elaborate sometime in the future.

It didn't feel likely, not at the moment, but it was a warmer thought than he'd expected. Not quite as hollow as it had been for years before he died.

"At least some of the smell of salt should hit us soon, once we're nearer to the coast."

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Mini-Event: Skywhale + Day of Lefkokó

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ride the skies

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skywhale.

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