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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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"No plans for explosions today. I just want to get a better look." Normally Rocket despises shoes, they don't feel right on his feet, but the boots for ocean wading are necessary. Too many spiny and poisonous things lurk in the ocean for him to risk and he doesn't have the same fondness for crustaceans his animas has.
"I doubt many people have explored the shipwrecks. I've heard stories about the bay waters. Pretty to look at but dangerous to go for a dip in." He says, conversationally as he wades out deeper, his heavy and uncomfortable waders splashing loudly in the low waters.
no subject
Boots are customary for her, back when she'd traveled so much with the Dothraki. What she's not used to is the way the mud sucks her soles into the ground, as if trying to swallow her feet whole. She's half a mind to scorch a path before them, see what might happen, but decides against it. Then who would be causing the explosions? Muddy, smelly explosions.
"Have you ever explored something like it, before?" Viserys told her lots of stories as a girl, but rarely were they about Didymos. "There wasn't very much water near me as a girl. Might've been different, if I'd grown up in Atrómitos. My husband's people preferred the open land."
no subject
"Not at sea. Never wanted to hop on a boat and risk my odds with all the monsters I can't see sneaking up on me. Plus it's harder to cut and run when you're surrounded on all sides by a big pond. Used to go fetch things for people from over-turned or lost caravans, though." Not often the people who had been part of those caravans. Usually, the ones who had caused them to be over-turned or lost. But it wasn't Rocket's job to care about whose stuff he was retrieving, only how much he was getting compensated for it.
"Ever meet any giants? Always wanted to see one but most of my business was more northly. Not much reason to go down south. People weren't big fans of risking pissing off the orcs." And neither was Rocket. He would sooner steal from a dragon than a horde of orcs.
At least death by dragon would be a quick one.
no subject
"Mn, I wonder if you trailed after me and mine, then." There were plenty of times where they'd intercepted caravans and freed slaves. She had little interest in the gold, lest it belonged to someone trafficking.
But his comment about the north only answers her question about their routes. Very rarely did she travel far enough north. On a task to intercept a larger caravan? Certainly. Her best sources directed her further south, though.
"Mn, not any giants, I'm afraid." She crouches down, reaching for something shining. "We faced plenty of orcs. Most of my contacts directed me to them, as they'd been trafficking. Horse shifters made traveling the open land easier at first, and I'd met a group of centaurs. One taught me how to shoot a bow."
It's some sort of trinket. Silver, but dulled by the water, shining only because something recently knocked open its cover. A watch.
"So you braved the cold to fetch things for your clients. You enjoyed it?"
no subject
Rocket takes another clamshell from his otter animas as she returns to him, pocketing it without even looking at it, one side of his deep pocket pants tented outward with the collection she has accrued. Lylla doesn't seem to mind his inattentiveness, proudly smoothing her short fur before taking off into the water, her element, once more.
He watches the watch shine in the light and thinks about centaurs. He met a few in his lifetime but never really got close to any of them. Rocket had horse issues, thanks to several incidents, but he had ridden them when necessary, bouncing along usually on someone else's mount. It was degrading.
"Orcs." He scowls and crouches down to look through the contents of a broken crate. "All attitude and very little brain, the ones I've had to deal with. And don't even get me started on their sense of humor. You'd think it was dark magic the way they look when you try to make a perfectly innocent joke."
Innocent is, of course, subjective.
no subject
She watches the otter when it appears, how it offers him a shell before diving back into the water. It's cute. Reminds her of Irriella, just a touch, with how carefree the creature is. No doubt her red panda is unhappy being left in the city with Ghost and Jon, who broods and pouts about returning home.
Not even the airship ride had helped with his sullenness, once they drew close enough.
"All anger, more like it. Can't say I blame them, seeing as we attacked first." No matter what the race, men in particular would always take offense to being bested by a woman by sneak attack. She pushes back up to her feet, pocketing the watch. "There were some, though. Different from the groups we'd attacked. They were traveling with my--"
Just how to describe Jon to a perfect stranger...
"Headache of a reticent ally. At that point in time, anyway." He was a headache back then. And she did threaten to kill him. "Perhaps you've met the wrong sort. There was one who would likely tell you all about how he laid with a bear."
no subject
"Yeah, sure, different for a while." Rocket had preconceived notions about all of the races. Who was easiest to work with, most likely to let his indiscretions slide, most likely to turn on him in battle. Or stab him in the back in the middle of a battlefield because he happened to best them one on one and their pride didn't take too kindly to it.
"It's what I knew. Gremlins ain't all that great at inspiring scholarly tendencies in their apprentices and it's one of a few professions I can get away with punching my boss if they refuse to pay up for services." punching. Among other things. Rocket almost always got his money, either by talking too fast and too smart for the people who hired him or taking what was rightfully his later on.
"Some people have no respect for the trade."
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"Some rarely do." Servants or slaves, it was all the same, wasn't it? "Some would take advantage in any way he or she could, if it meant achieving what they wished.
"I prefer to think good outweighs the greed in most."
Her boots slosh in the puddles, a wet slurping noise as she quickens her steps, drawing closer to a crate which catches her eye. Soon, she's crouching before it, gesturing for him to come help.
"There's more to wisdom. Scholars may know their books, but most can't survive in the world." The wood is wet, uncooperative against her fingers as she tries to pry the crate open. "You seem sharp enough."