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| 🜙 Mini-Event #2: The North Winds, January 11th |
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The Long Night has ended and the sun once more rises and sets with the short winter cycle. Although the cold remains, it has lessened considerably following the harsh freeze of the darkness. Krimnos, no longer having to put all their resources into defending the city from the terrors to come, has been able to clear the heavy snowpack on the cliffs above the city enough to safely begin running two of their three remaining airships.
The Skywhale has been making its regular routes since its repairs the previous month, but the two airships from Krimnos to Didymos and the City of the Free Peoples have been grounded in the cliff city for safety since the start of winter. Now two of Krimnos' airships join their sister ship in the skies over Idan.
The following routes are traveled once a day by each airship:
The Skywhale travels from the City of the Free Peoples to Didymos and then back once a day, docking nightly in the City of the Free Peoples.
The Horizon travels from Didymos to Krimnos and then back once a day, docking nightly in Didymos.
The Valiant travels from Krimnos to the City of the Free Peoples and then back once a day, docking nightly in Krimnos.
The Zenith normally travels from Krimnos to the mountain outpost of Preciposte and then on to Einjar. Unfortunately, it is still grounded due to inclement weather and winter threats in the northern mountains beyond Krimnos. The Zenith will not be able to travel until the thaw has begun.
A one-way trip takes 4-6 hours depending on weather and wind to go from/to Didymos to either city and 6-9 hours to travel between Krimnos and the City of the Free Peoples. Anyone can take a trip on an airship for a purse of silver coins, or try their luck and stow away. Mounts can get a lift as well, but they require an additional fare.
Not bad for a chance to see Idan from a bird's eye view for the first time for most people. |
| 🜙 Thlipa's Tribute, January 11th |
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As January progresses, pods of fin whales spend their nights in the safety of Fisher's Bay during their migration. At this time Thlipa is believed to be watching over Idan and many of Idan's people show their respect for the deity. Unlike the Day of Lefkokó, Thlipa's Tribute is a far more somber affair. Though she is the goddess of the seas, storms, and power, she is also the goddess of mourning and it is this realm she is believed to preside over most during the cold winter months.
People from all across Idan who are able to travel will make a journey to Didymos to be closer to the ocean, while others observe the fin whale goddess' day in their own homes and cities. Ancestors, lost relatives, and friends are remembered with offerings of handmade gifts and small collections of nuts and sweet-dried fish. Small, enchanted candles are set out on boats down the river and shore to be carried out to the ocean.
It is believed by some of the more power-hungry supporters of Thlipa that by calling on and revering the spirits of the departed Thlipa might gift her followers with the magic of the fallen. Gatherings of Thlipa's most devout followers can be seen on the shores or on small skimmer boats in the bay, and vandalism of fishing boats and nets that might endanger the fin whales runs rampant during this time. |
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| 🜙 A Tale of Three Cities - Krimnos: An Army Adrift, January 12-20th |
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It appears that a large company of former Atrómitos knights has awoken in an isolated and forgotten battlefield below Krimnos' twin mountains. The army has journeyed together through the blinding blizzard to complete their original objective: a full-scale attack on Krimnos. There's something off about the tattered army decked in the green and gold of Atrómitos that shows up at Krimnos' gates. They don't seem to feel the cold, and their eyes, if anyone is unfortunate enough to get that close, are a colorless and glossy grey. They continue fighting through weather and injury, undeterred as they focus their attacks on Krimnos' main gate, setting magical fire to the gate, the wall, and their perceived enemies.
The army can be seen using weapons, battering rams, and elemental magic to attack the city's gates. Though their eyes are a blank and glossy grey and they do not seem to be speaking or reacting with pain to counter-attack elements, it is clear there is a hierarchy and the commanding officers seem to still be silently directing their forces. They do not speak, and if captured it quickly becomes clear why. Though they appear whole externally, the soldiers of this army lack functional internal organs. No blood runs through their frozen veins and no oxygen is being pulled into their lungs. There also appear to be no thoughts in their minds, only the howling sound of the wind through the mountains around Krimnos.
At this time of year, Krimnos can not afford to loose their main line of defense, nor can they risk the very real dangers of battle sounds and blood drawing out the hungry mountain hunters or causing an avalanche that could bury the city in snow. No one knows why this army is here, but with the familiar colors adorning the fighters, there are whispers in the air of an attempt to start a war. Already tense relations between Krimnos and the City of the Free Peoples could stand to suffer from this and the citizens of Krimnos seem horrified by the prospect.
King Sitka's first concern is the safety of his people, and as such he is driving his army hard into the attacking forces and even beyond its gates if necessary, anything to push the battle farther from his people and the dangerous cliffs stacked with snow that tower over Krimnos. |
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| 🜙 A Tale of Three Cities - City of the Free Peoples: The Disappearance of Captain Lykos, January 14-22nd |
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No one has seen Captain Lykos since the Long Night but rumors and knowledge of his disappearance have been kept quiet by the city's Defenders, fearful the city would spiral into a panic at the loss of its de facto leader. As word comes from traveling Krimnos merchants that the city is under siege from an army dressed in green and gold, the city turns to its Defenders for answers and finds more than they bargained for.
The Defenders attempt to calm the rising panic in the city by deflecting, stating that the Captain is out on a peace mission on his way to Krimnos but this backfires as the city erupts into conspiracy theories that he is actually leading the attack and trying to start a war, with reasons such as anger over a lack of support from Krimnos during the city's time of need being used to feed the growing fear.
As outrage and panic spread across the city, the Defenders declare martial law and put the city back on lockdown until answers can be found. The stability of the city quickly begins to fray. Chaos, disorder, and dissent spread and talk of overthrowing the Defenders and putting someone else in charge begins to spread.
The city needs answers for themselves and for Krimnos and the Defenders begin an even more desperate search for their missing leader. Meanwhile, the citizens of the city begin preparing for a revolt, with whispers of an organized attack on the warcamp of the Defenders quickly gaining traction. The more time passes the less reasonably either side appears to be thinking, and the longer anyone lingers in the city the more infectious this frantic and paranoid energy becomes.
Amidst it all, a Siamese with a familiar glowing adornment can be seen surveying the chaos from the safety of rooftops or tree branches, its eyes occasionally glowing blue while its tail flicks in what seems to be either irritation or frustration. |
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| 🜙 A Tale of Three Cities - Didymos: Tidal Troubles, January 14-25th |
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Starting the morning of the 14th, trouble comes to Didymos on the tides or the lack thereof. The tide goes out during the night and, to the dismay and concern of Didymos' citizens, it never comes back. In fact, it seems as if the ocean waters are only continuing to recede, leaving Didymos' fleet and her fishing ships awash in the shallows or fully grounded. Each day the waters recede further, leaving sealife beached or trapped in tide pools and larger dips in the seafloor. A pod of fin whales finds themselves stranded in the deepest section of the bay just within the Sunset Gate.
As the waters continue to recede, shipwrecks, sunken cargo, and unusual skeletons dot the rock and shell covered shores, turning the edges of the bay into an unending expanse of tide pools and dotting the horizon with pieces of warped and barnacle-covered ships usually only visible beneath the clear waters.
Within days it's possible for a fully grown human to wade out to the Sunset Gate without ever getting their neck wet. The confusion and complications caused by this unexplainable dearth of water starts a panic in Didymos that the dual rulers have to fight to control. The widespread fear is joined by whispers of a war brought along from people traveling to Didymos from the other cities, and Didymos finds itself caught in a tense place with the prospect of having to outline allegiances if war breaks out.
Everyone knows Queen Adira would put her forces behind Krimnos in an instant, but King Ardis seems reluctant, questioning the legitimacy of Krimnos' claims to a possible war and seeking information. |
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missing in action
Unless they’re not actually trying to find him, which is an interesting possibility, but with no successors immediately stepping up to the plate, there’s nobody who seems to immediately benefit from the captain’s disappearance except the city’s enemies. Daud’s idly playing with something in his hands— his courier, fully assembled — though he puts it away in a pocket and straightens easily enough.
“Have you spoken to them yet?”
no subject
"I ain't ever been that good with magic. Maybe you want to give that a go?" He snorts slightly at the question and crosses his arms, furred elbows stuck out at an angle, his crossbow hanging at his hip instead of on his back where there is an empty sack, usually used to quickly cart his more aquatic-friendly animas when the need for speed kicks off.
"No. They're jumpy and from what I hear not too forthcoming with details. But they're offering a reward, least that's what people are saying. That's more my kind of conversation than trying to read between the lines from a bunch of high strung, well-armed people staring city panic in the face. Folks like that get twitchy with their blades."
no subject
"I know a few spells that might come in handy," Daud allows, with a shrug. "But there's a lot of ground to cover. Narrowing down the possibilities now saves more energy."
no subject
"So who do you think we should ask? Think someone in the city knows something? I'd say we grab a guard but they seem like a pretty close group. Could be risky." Rocket's mind immediately jumps to his mercenary and troublemaker for hire days, always quick to assume others have opportunistic minds like his own. Because in his mind everyone is an opportunist, some people just repress it more than others.
no subject
"The guards are still a good place to start," he says, finally, with a shrug. He keeps his voice low for the sake of avoiding prying ears. "They're still the likeliest to have seen him last, have some idea of who his enemies could be. Looking for who has the most to gain from his disappearance is another option." He pauses, thinking. "Though if you have a way of getting into places unseen, you'll likely learn more just from listening."
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"If things get messy I can get myself- us- out unseen. It's a big city. Easy to disappear when you need to." It almost feels odd to say, considering they're going to be searching for someone who might've done the same.
"Maybe he just cracked under pressure. If the guards know something they ain't sayin it's probably because they don't want the city to know. I figure if they know he's dead one of em would just take his place. That's how most of the orcs on the roster usually operate. Which means there's something else going on or he died for bein Captain and no one else fancies sticking their neck out."
He rubs at the ruff of fur against his neck, thinking it over a moment before tucking away the smoke bomb and leaning in closer.
"They've got a main base of operations on the outskirts, that big old warcamp. It's enough out of the city they might actually be talking, but we'll need to acquire some new clothes. We both stick out, even in this mess of a city, but dressed the right way we might just be a little less obvious."
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"Lykos abandoning his post of his own volition seems unlikely. He's fought too hard for what he has." At the suggestion of a disguise, he'll also shake his head. A beastfolk like him and a tiefling like Daud? Not easily disguised, that. And besides...
"I volunteered to defend the city during the Long Night." And a harrowing time that was, too. Part of Daud still finds himself unsteady, his animas' return bringing all the welling emotion he hadn't realized he'd been carrying back with it. "They'll know my face. But we can use that to our advantage."
There's something in this situation -- a city slowly spiraling down to chaos in the absence of a strong leader -- that hits too close to home. It doesn't sit well with him, to watch another place fall apart.
no subject
"If I get caught, you can just arrest me. Play honorary knight." It won't come to that, Rocket is sure. There are plenty of tents and crates and weapon racks for him to hide behind or in and he's quicker on his feet than most.
"It just might work, though I guess we won't see much money if it turns out they've known all along. Might not be a good idea giving them back any information we find out." Great. He's not getting paid for this, is he? Oh well. So much for easy money.
no subject
He hesitates for a moment, then inclined his head. If they’re working together, they may as well exchange names — by now, he doesn’t expect his to mean much to anyone. “The name’s Daud.”
And with that, their improvised plan is set into motion. Having the less sneaking around to do, Daud’s already at their agreed-on meeting point with his osprey on his arm by the time Rocket extracts himself from the camp, quietly feeding her scraps of meat.
no subject
A few very close calls and some confusing intelligence gathering later Rocket locates Daud, still glancing over his shoulder to be sure no one noticed him and decided to tail him after. After what he saw and heard, he already has plans to get out of the city for a while as soon as he tries to make sense of what he's learned.
He smooths a hand over his fur, still sticking up more than usual.
"Don't know how lucky you got but I think we've stumbled into something big." Bigger than Rocket was expecting. He uncorks a canteen, quenching his dry throat, and peers over his shoulder again before settling, his fur slowly laying back down.
no subject
"I assumed you already knew it was big," Daud responds, quietly. Leader disappearances often are. "It's about what I expected. Most didn't have much to say, but one guard told me that Lykos was heading for the Southern bonfire. No signs of blood or a struggle."
He hefts his arm up, sending Mercy aloft with a flutter of feathers, watching her wing into the sky before he looks at Rocket again.
"She was nervous. But she said she doesn't believe Lykos would stay away of his own choice. That someone or something is keeping him away."
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Had the orcs seen him? He doesn't think so. He didn't feel like he was followed but it never hurt to be sure. He keeps one hand near his dagger, just in case.
"Yeah? She ain't the only one who thinks somethin's off. The big guys who look to be in charge were hanging around a fancy looking tent. Overheard some fire chatter about them on the way. They ain't too popular with everyone." He exhales and takes another drink, trying to make sense of the intel he gathered and piece it together in a way that makes sense.
"It's too big brutes in charge. Both orcs, self-appointed by the sound of it. I managed to catch part of a conversation between em, talking about taking back control of the city by force. Didn't sound too great. They weren't alone, either. Got a big old wolf trussed up pretty unpleasantly in a cage in that tent."
A slow drag of his fingers through his fur and Rocket grimaces. They've bitten off more than they can chew here.
"And the captain's cloak, by the looks of it. Maybe he had more than one of em laying around but I don't think that's it. I think they had somethin' to do with this."