The Phoenix Wedding (IC/FanT/Signups)

by **Notalien** » Sat Jul 25, 2020 3:01 pm

The Diplomat stays silent for a moment, they thinks of triangles.
"Negative Statement: We do not have any first-contant protocol. Informational Statement: W-"
The Diplomat's voice is cut off.

Around a minute or two later a beam of light comes from The UTV. Two figures now stand on the ground. Both have green-grey skin. Though the left one them is more grey than green. Both of their eyes are black, and it's impossible to tell where they are looking at. The left one has a one of it's eyes replaced with some sort of red light. The right one's clothing seems to be in imitation of a the clothing of Phoenix's high-class but it looks like it was just made a minute ago. The left one's clothing is smooth and red. Around it's neck is what appears to be a thin metal collar. They are dark black boots that shine any light that hits them. Around their fingers are non-metalic rings with similar rings being present around the elbows and knees.

by **SF n F** » Sat Jul 25, 2020 11:51 pm

As the undemon began to make his way toward the palace, the hair on the back of his neck stood up to let him know that some kind of energy transfer was about to take place. They palace guard next to him glared angrily as Damnage pulled him out of the way, then thought better of it as the beams became visible and Damnage, smiling, straightened his uniform for him.

The materialization took 7.2 seconds--ridiculously long for a MATTRANS. Either these people(?)'s matter transmission technology was still in its infancy or they were careful about the transmission. In the old days, Damnage would have thought up about half a dozen ways to foil the tech by the time they fully appeared, but these days this was just force of habit, so he only had three in his mind--but the silver powder was a doosey.

When the beams finally dissipated--none the worse for wear thanks to a little self-discipline--what was left had Damnage slightly confused. These beings had gray to gray-green skin and huge, dark eyes. They were obviously night creatures, but they wore nothing to protect them from the midday sun--no sunglasses, no tech, not even pieces of paper.

They weren't there for the same reason. One was clad in what could only be described as his best guess about what the locals wore. This one was the diplomat. The other wore what Damnage could only guess was closer to his work uniform--it had metal rings at its joints which would serve as force-enhancers. He wasn't armed per see, but this one had a distinctly military feel about him.

One of the things the Angels had tasked Damnage with was enhancing the locals' security. While he assessed no inherent risk in the new group, he noted that they themselves were unarmed and, though he could think of six different ways in which the military one could weaponized his clothing, they themselves were at a slight risk. Damnage decided to stay put for a while and do what he could to keep things under control.

by **Notalien** » Sun Jul 26, 2020 12:40 am

The General was eyeing the people in front of them, sizing them up if you will. This was the first time he saw them with his own eye, and not through a camera. They knew the man on the balcony was their leader. It was clear to The General that they got into power by force and have seen many battles. He could respect them for that, even if dictatorships were ineffective in the long run, expecially for such a short-lived race. He saw the thing that decided to jump on The UTV, A mammaloid with wings? Rare. But he got that feeling again, now obviously he could see them watching him, but still... the feeling.

The Diplomat walks forwards.
"Statement: As stated earlier we are here to witness the verifica- 'marriage' ceremony! We come unarmed and we come in peace! Statement: My name is Simon Land and my co-emmisary is Thomas Man."
Of course, they weren't exactly unarmed. But the UTV's weapons were locked for now. And they themselves weren't carrying any weapons.

The General is silently sliding through the light scale. He slowly moved his head around and began to scan the area.

by **Alegeharia** » Sun Jul 26, 2020 12:54 am

Notalien wrote:
SF n F wrote:As the undemon began to make his way toward the palace, the hair on the back of his neck stood up to let him know that some kind of energy transfer was about to take place. They palace guard next to him glared angrily as Damnage pulled him out of the way, then thought better of it as the beams became visible and Damnage, smiling, straightened his uniform for him.

The materialization took 7.2 seconds--ridiculously long for a MATTRANS. Either these people(?)'s matter transmission technology was still in its infancy or they were careful about the transmission. In the old days, Damnage would have thought up about half a dozen ways to foil the tech by the time they fully appeared, but these days this was just force of habit, so he only had three in his mind--but the silver powder was a doosey.

When the beams finally dissipated--none the worse for wear thanks to a little self-discipline--what was left had Damnage slightly confused. These beings had gray to gray-green skin and huge, dark eyes. They were obviously night creatures, but they wore nothing to protect them from the midday sun--no sunglasses, no tech, not even pieces of paper.

They weren't there for the same reason. One was clad in what could only be described as his best guess about what the locals wore. This one was the diplomat. The other wore what Damnage could only guess was closer to his work uniform--it had metal rings at its joints which would serve as force-enhancers. He wasn't armed per see, but this one had a distinctly military feel about him.

One of the things the Angels had tasked Damnage with was enhancing the locals' security. While he assessed no inherent risk in the new group, he noted that they themselves were unarmed and, though he could think of six different ways in which the military one could weaponized his clothing, they themselves were at a slight risk. Damnage decided to stay put for a while and do what he could to keep things under control.

The General was eyeing the people in front of them, sizing them up if you will. This was the first time he saw them with his own eye, and not through a camera. They knew the man on the balcony was their leader. It was clear to The General that they got into power by force and have seen many battles. He could respect them for that, even if dictatorships were ineffective in the long run, expecially for such a short-lived race. He saw the thing that decided to jump on The UTV, A mammaloid with wings? Rare. But he got that feeling again, now obviously he could see them watching him, but still... the feeling.

The Diplomat walks forwards.
"Statement: As stated earlier we are here to witness the verifica- 'marriage' ceremony! We come unarmed and we come in peace! Statement: My name is Simon Land and my co-emmisary is Thomas Man."
Of course, they weren't exactly unarmed. But the UTV's weapons were locked for now. And they themselves weren't carrying any weapons.

The General is silently sliding through the light scale. He slowly moved his head around and began to scan the area.

Malik:

Malik lands and makes his wings disappear still holding onto the shield he eyeballs both the new beings. “Primative…” Malik utters under his breath. “Why only make yourself known now? It’s clear you’ve been here a while…” He was not going to say how he knew but Aither had been tracking a peculiar signature since it arrived. “Your buddy there loose something?” He nods over towards the one looking around. Right gauntlet was blinking and quietly chirping, the light noticeable under closed hatch.

Aither:

Aither hit a button on an object in his pocket, to the normal eye, this would do nothing, but protocol in Alegeharian dictated they carry scramblers for scanners on a personal level, it would cause significant distortion and blighting, probably disorienting if one had it their eye. “I don’t see the problem here, it is interesting that beings from another planet come here, but why here of all places? If you came to inspect tech levels, would there have been a better place?

by **Notalien** » Sun Jul 26, 2020 3:43 am

Alegeharia wrote:
Notalien wrote:[spoiler]
The General was eyeing the people in front of them, sizing them up if you will. This was the first time he saw them with his own eye, and not through a camera. They knew the man on the balcony was their leader. It was clear to The General that they got into power by force and have seen many battles. He could respect them for that, even if dictatorships were ineffective in the long run, expecially for such a short-lived race. He saw the thing that decided to jump on The UTV, A mammaloid with wings? Rare. But he got that feeling again, now obviously he could see them watching him, but still... the feeling.

The Diplomat walks forwards.
"Statement: As stated earlier we are here to witness the verifica- 'marriage' ceremony! We come unarmed and we come in peace! Statement: My name is Simon Land and my co-emmisary is Thomas Man."
Of course, they weren't exactly unarmed. But the UTV's weapons were locked for now. And they themselves weren't carrying any weapons.

The General is silently sliding through the light scale. He slowly moved his head around and began to scan the area.

Malik:

Malik lands and makes his wings disappear still holding onto the shield he eyeballs both the new beings. “Primative…” Malik utters under his breath. “Why only make yourself known now? It’s clear you’ve been here a while…” He was not going to say how he knew but Aither had been tracking a peculiar signature since it arrived. “Your buddy there loose something?” He nods over towards the one looking around. Right gauntlet was blinking and quietly chirping, the light noticeable under closed hatch.

Aither:

Aither hit a button on an object in his pocket, to the normal eye, this would do nothing, but protocol in Alegeharian dictated they carry scramblers for scanners on a personal level, it would cause significant distortion and blighting, probably disorienting if one had it their eye. “I don’t see the problem here, it is interesting that beings from another planet come here, but why here of all places? If you came to inspect tech levels, would there have been a better place?

The Diplomat looks to the furred one. They says quietly.
"Response: I think it is best if we discuss this at a future time. No, to my knowledge Thomas-Land has not lost anything."

The General kept scanning the area. While doing this they are keeping mentally alert on the drone. It's cloaked at the moment and he was bringing it close to The Palace for easy collection later. It was pretty clo-

""HIYA!"

That... was not what they were expecting. Now The General was not sure what to expect, they were fully aware that the string could have just been a string. A string cast from an advanced simulacram and nothing more, but their was something unexplainable about it that made them think other wise. Maybe, just maybe however unlikely this was not a complete waste of time. What they definitely did not expect for the string to form a large message in front of everyone thus exposing the existence of the drone to both The Primitives and The Diplomat. Well, perhaps The Primitives won't see the fact that it was carried here... but they are getting the feeling they are not only ones with advanced technology. The General looks to The Furred One's blinking light.

by **Kalmarnavia** » Sun Jul 26, 2020 7:48 am

Argalaic, recovering his senses from the awe of the new arrivals ship, bristled with anger. He was a direct descendant of the Conqueror, of the Blood of Eralia and the Blood of the Dragon. His nation had merged technology and magic to unprecedented heights, they prided themselves of their advances, and yet these things had the nerve, the absolute audacity, to refer to a Prince of Kalmarnavia, the successor state of the Eralian Empire, as a primitive. His eyes, deep and blue as they were, burned with fury.

Dontas sensed his friend's rage, and looked to him sympathetically to try and calm him. But Argalaic could not be calmed. He swallowed as much rage as he could, and stepped forward.

"Ser Jace?"

The knight, his armoured hand grasping the pommel of his great two-handed sword, stepped forward.

"You are now in the presence of Argalaic, of the House Wend, Defender of the Dragon's Keep, Prince of Kalmarnavia, son of Jaeharys, of the House Wend, the First of his name, King of Kalmarnavia, Lord of the Six Realms, Ruler of the Skies and Defender of the Faith, descendant of Argalaic the Conqueror, of the blood of Eralia and the Blood of the Dragon."

Argalaic smiled thinly.

"Well met, sers. I am glad that some more of our fellow guests have now arrived. I am sure the Emperor is on his way down from higher in the tower to greet you properly. I would advise referring to him as Your Majesty. The same courtesy should be afforded to my good friend King Malik. His brother should of course be addressed as Your Highness. I, meanwhile, am addressed as Your Grace, a style befitting a son of the greatest dynasty the known world has seen, ruling one of the finest, most advanced kingdoms in the world. You see, these titles should always be applied to your social betters, no matter how primitive you may judge to deem them."

He walked passed the two new arrivals, further inspecting their ship. Ser Jace and Ser Gerold followed, while Dontas hung back, watching the new arrivals and stepping closer to Malik and Aither.

"A fine vessel. I will admit, we possess nothing like it. We have no need, of course, for flying machines generally. Our finest scholars and wizards are working and researching heavier than air flight, but it is not a priority. We have the largest, fiercest, finest dragons in all of the world to rule our skies."

Argalaic turned to the new arrivals.

"It is made of metal, I believe? Must be a strong and fine variety, if its purpose is for flight. Still, I would imagine that it would struggle to resist the ferocity of dragonflame."

Argaliac walked closer to the diplomats.

"If that is something you do not wish to test," he said quietly, smiling thinly, "I would very much advise against ever referring to me as a lower form of life ever again."

He turned his back, and walked off.

"Ser Gerold? Ser Jace? Escort Ser Dontas and I back to our apartments. We shall need to get changed into some finer things, no doubt the Emperor will wish to begin the festivities properly now that more guests have graced us with their presence. King Malik, Prince Aither, I shall see you later no doubt."

And with that, Argalaic walked off.

by **Phaenix** » Sun Jul 26, 2020 9:22 am

Notalien wrote:
Alegeharia wrote:
Malik:
(Image)

Malik lands and makes his wings disappear still holding onto the shield he eyeballs both the new beings. “Primative…” Malik utters under his breath. “Why only make yourself known now? It’s clear you’ve been here a while…” He was not going to say how he knew but Aither had been tracking a peculiar signature since it arrived. “Your buddy there loose something?” He nods over towards the one looking around. Right gauntlet was blinking and quietly chirping, the light noticeable under closed hatch.

Aither:
(Image)

Aither hit a button on an object in his pocket, to the normal eye, this would do nothing, but protocol in Alegeharian dictated they carry scramblers for scanners on a personal level, it would cause significant distortion and blighting, probably disorienting if one had it their eye. “I don’t see the problem here, it is interesting that beings from another planet come here, but why here of all places? If you came to inspect tech levels, would there have been a better place?

The Diplomat looks to the furred one. They says quietly.
"Response: I think it is best if we discuss this at a future time. No, to my knowledge Thomas-Land has not lost anything."

The General kept scanning the area. While doing this they are keeping mentally alert on the drone. It's cloaked at the moment and he was bringing it close to The Palace for easy collection later. It was pretty clo-

""HIYA!"

That... was not what they were expecting. Now The General was not sure what to expect, they were fully aware that the string could have just been a string. A string cast from an advanced simulacram and nothing more, but their was something unexplainable about it that made them think other wise. Maybe, just maybe however unlikely this was not a complete waste of time. What they definitely did not expect for the string to form a large message in front of everyone thus exposing the existence of the drone to both The Primitives and The Diplomat. Well, perhaps The Primitives won't see the fact that it was carried here... but they are getting the feeling they are not only ones with advanced technology. The General looks to The Furred One's blinking light.

Imperial Palace, Tower of the Sun

Emperor Titus, deciding he did not want to take the long walk down to the General and Diplomat, cast a simple levitation spell and gracefully floated to the ground, much to his Phoenix Guards' dismay. The Emperor was anything but defenseless. Though he knew a few combat spells, he was the premier swordsman of the realm, and the blade at his hip was not for show. The Emperor, however, smiled warmly at the two...things infront of him, and began to speak.
"You stand in the presence Lord of Fire, Uniter of the Empire, Marshal of the North, General Excelsis of the Sixteen Legions, Holder of the Mandate, and Emperor of Phaenix. I welcome you into my realm on this auspicious occasion."
After a few moments, the Phoenix Guards managed to catch up with the Emperor, standing behind him without making a sound.

by **SF n F** » Sun Jul 26, 2020 11:31 am

One more self-important oaf like this and we can start a war party. Strike that. TWO war parties. You always have to have at least two.

Thus it was with some interest that the turned demon watched the conversation that took place, as the variegated egomaniacs called each other ignorant names and started getting into threats and counterthreats. Unfortunately, they had found ways to prevent themselves from coming to blows, which would only make the evening that much more boring. Imagine having the big-britches getting too big for their britches all over the street and him having complete credible deniability! Talk about golden situations!

The Angels had told him to do this assignment on the down-low, so that's what he did. He took names, even if he wasn't kicking any behinds, and kept out of the way.

The one called Malik caught his attention toward the end of the conversation. From the outside, he looked just like an Angel, but on the inside, he was everything that they weren't. From the looks of him, Damnage saw self-righteousness and a firm belief in the Might-is-Right school of political dealings.

Damnage decided that the best course of action would be to get some rest at the palace before someone like Malik saw him in his actual demonic form. He could postpone the introductions. Besides, he hadn't come up with any hoop-dee-do titles for himself, and the way things were going, he was probably going to need a few. Somehow, "Damnage, son of SmashMouth" didn't sound like the kind of thing they wanted to hear.

by **Alegeharia** » Sun Jul 26, 2020 12:06 pm

Notalien wrote:
Alegeharia wrote:
Malik:
(Image)

Malik lands and makes his wings disappear still holding onto the shield he eyeballs both the new beings. “Primative…” Malik utters under his breath. “Why only make yourself known now? It’s clear you’ve been here a while…” He was not going to say how he knew but Aither had been tracking a peculiar signature since it arrived. “Your buddy there loose something?” He nods over towards the one looking around. Right gauntlet was blinking and quietly chirping, the light noticeable under closed hatch.

Aither:
(Image)

Aither hit a button on an object in his pocket, to the normal eye, this would do nothing, but protocol in Alegeharian dictated they carry scramblers for scanners on a personal level, it would cause significant distortion and blighting, probably disorienting if one had it their eye. “I don’t see the problem here, it is interesting that beings from another planet come here, but why here of all places? If you came to inspect tech levels, would there have been a better place?

The Diplomat looks to the furred one. They says quietly.
"Response: I think it is best if we discuss this at a future time. No, to my knowledge Thomas-Land has not lost anything."

The General kept scanning the area. While doing this they are keeping mentally alert on the drone. It's cloaked at the moment and he was bringing it close to The Palace for easy collection later. It was pretty clo-

""HIYA!"

That... was not what they were expecting. Now The General was not sure what to expect, they were fully aware that the string could have just been a string. A string cast from an advanced simulacram and nothing more, but their was something unexplainable about it that made them think other wise. Maybe, just maybe however unlikely this was not a complete waste of time. What they definitely did not expect for the string to form a large message in front of everyone thus exposing the existence of the drone to both The Primitives and The Diplomat. Well, perhaps The Primitives won't see the fact that it was carried here... but they are getting the feeling they are not only ones with advanced technology. The General looks to The Furred One's blinking light.

Malik:

Malik sighs, and finally undoes the shield, he realizes his “lid” on the gauntlet came loose and casually hit the top of it as if adjusting the placement and playfully tugging a strap to “tighten it” then walked forward to the gray being. “At any rate, as this is a first contact mission now, I am Malik Velkari, I come from Alegeharia, we have dealt with your… type before, but nothing so decoratively thinking, ‘minimal’, your ship and shape’s are interesting, what sector did you say you hailed form?”

Aither:

Aither resumed chewing of his bamboo shoot and walked next to Malik, now that argalaic had left it seemed to be just them, other than this random ‘HIYA’ that has appeared he peers over the balcony and scans the area for a possible source, his one eye burns bright red causing some alert to him, there was another demon abound. No, perhaps 2? Something chaotic was burning closely but it didn’t seem threatening, he sensed a corruption in one, it wasn’t perfect it seemed changed in some manner, he couldn’t tell fully. Aither hated half intel…

by **Zhenshiwa** » Sun Jul 26, 2020 12:51 pm

((OOC: Hope this is okay as a first post... Sorry if its a bit long. If there's anything that needs changing to fit better with the lore, please let me know.))

The departure from Josai's shores had marked the first diplomatic mission to the greater world since the Great Plague, it had been cautiously celebrated by the populace, and quietly tolerated by the nobility. Three ships had left from Josai, iron hulled gunboats of the 'Makinami-Class' that flew the banner of the Alabaster Dragon with pride. The Makinami-Class was the newest to enter service, rather controversial given its forsaking of sails in favor of a dedicated steam engine. The biggest sticking point, however, was its rather immense price tag. However, it had been deemed necessary that ships more advanced than the average 'Coastal Defense Ships' would be necessary if the Empire was to step back onto the global stage. This journey was just as much about determining the efficacy of the new warships as it was an experiment in foreign interaction. The engineering had been two fold, the ships were just as much reliant on mundane technology as they were on magic...

Each ship had been painted a shade of blue purposefully similar to the water that surrounded Josai, with dark smoke gently wafting away from their dual in-line funnels. The ship that carried Fuyutsuki and her daughter, fittingly named 'Divine Spirit', currently sailed at the head of the column of ships. For Empress Fuyutsuki, the departure from Josai had not been nearly as intriguing as the journey across the sea. Now, as she stood upon the port bridge wing of IZN Divine Spirit, she became the first Empress to lay eyes on a foreign shore since the implementation of 'Global Separatism'... Beside her, bearing a far less optimistic scowl, Crown Princess Shikinami sighed through her nose.

"Their architecture is hideous... How can they stand such bland exteriors?" Shikinami muttered quietly as the trio of ships began to slow, the Empress simply shook her head, her eyes roving the other ships in the harbor. The two escorting vessels veered off, as it had been decided they would anchor in the harbor rather than dock ashore... Less chance for an outsider to sneak aboard and sabotage them. "I have read little on their culture, but it is evident that they have a distaste for Elves... These people seem a poor test case for 'Interaction', Mother."

"If Zhenshiwa is to emerge on the global stage, it must be ready to interact with all types of societies." Fuyutsuki responded gently as the ship drew closer to the docks. "The peaceable and the aggressive, we cannot cherry pick which ones we will and will not encounter during the course of Global Re-Integration. They may seem strange to you, brutish even, but I urge you to remain... Open minded."

"That is not necessarily easy, considering our very reason for being here..." Shikinami grumbled, pushing back from the railing and adjusting the hem of her silken ceremonial gown, visibly uncomfortable in the elaborately decorated garment. "The impudence of this Empire's council... To dictate to their Emperor whom he is and is not to wed. He is the Sovereign. Would you stand for such an outrage in your 'National Council', if they decreed I should marry a complete stranger? The notion is ludicrous!"

The ship's steam whistle suddenly burst to life, giving two short bursts of a deep droning wail, followed by a single long one, as was customary of Imperial Warships when making their way into a Zhenshiwanese port. Shikinami looked to her right, into the bridge, eyeing the ship's captain as he skillfully maneuvered Divine Spirit for docking. Meanwhile, on the lower deck, she could see a group of sailors in their white service uniforms rushing into position, readying themselves to heave the mooring lines ashore.

"Unusual? Perhaps. Ludicrous? Certainly not." Fuyutsuki stated bluntly, straightening and adjusting her own gown, then ensuring that her hair was in its proper place. "The Empire must have an heir, the line of succession must remain absolute... It may not be pleasant, but for the good of our subjects, it is a burden we must endure." Shikinami looked at her mother incredulously, shaking her head and groaning as the ship went about docking. "You are young, with ample time to find someone you genuinely like before you ascend the throne... It shall not come to a Council Decree." The woman looked to the dock, watching the strangely clothed persons ashore move about. "Come... We must not tarry."

The ship lurched slightly as it came to a stop, meanwhile both the Empress and Crown Princess made their way down from the port bridge wing, crossing through the deck house to the starboard side of the ship. The ship's crew, many of whom wearing the plain white service uniforms and caps, lined the starboard side of the ship at attention. Some wore tan tunics, trousers, and brown leather armor pieces... These men were armed with a mixture of crossbows and flintlocks. Members of the Imperial Special Landing Force, sent along at the insistence of the Ministry of Defense. There was little confidence among the Zhenshiwanese that outsiders could properly defend the Empress, but Fuyutsuki's orders had been clear. The majority of the ISLF was to remain aboard the ship, only leaving in the event of an emergency, while two would accompany the Imperial family as an 'Honor Guard'. No trust would be earned by having armed soldiers attend a peaceful ceremony.

While Empress Fuyutsuki was confident that they would be safe in these strange and foreign lands, Princess Shikinami was thoroughly unimpressed by what she had seen thus far... As such, she straightened the belt of a sword sheathed at her left side. Sleek and elegantly designed, it had been proven numerous times against the forces of piracy that regularly attempted to brave Josai's shores. Together, the two of them stopped beside the forward gangplank, which was gradually being lowered to the dock below by a pair of sailors... The Zhenshiwanese flag whipped in the wind overhead, straining against its mountings... Shikinami glanced upwards, watching the cloth dragon dance against the sky... She couldn't help but think it an ill omen.

The gangplank made contact with the dock, at which time two ISLF troops descended the wooden walkway and stopped at the end, carefully eyeing the crowd and awaiting the arrival of their Empress. Unlike the other ISLF members, these men wore heavy layered metal armor and carried intricately decorated swords at their sides. The breastplate of each bore the Imperial Crest, whilst a decorative dragon was displayed atop the crown of their oddly shaped helmets. These were the Honor Guard, two of the most qualified soldiers in the Imperial Military... In this capacity they were sworn to silence, only to speak when bade by the Imperial Family themselves.

Empress Fuyutsuki and Shikinami followed the two guardsmen a few moments after they arrived at the base of the gangplank, the latter of the two scanning the dock for any sign of an official response while her mother busied herself with making history. Stopping just short of the end of the gangplank, Fuyutsuki took a calming breath, then took the final step onto the foreign dock... In the eyes of Imperial Law, in stepping off the gangplank she had officially left Zhenshiwanese soil... The first Empress to do so in recorded history... Even before the age of Separatism, no sitting Sovereign had left Imperial soil. Shikinami followed behind her with little of the same fanfare, hand resting comfortably near the hilt of her sword as she eyed the crowd...

Now they waited, patiently standing with stoic resolve whilst looking for any sign of official response on the part of the locals.

by **Notalien** » Sun Jul 26, 2020 1:12 pm

Alegeharia wrote:
Notalien wrote:[spoi][poiler]

The Diplomat looks to the furred one. They says quietly.
"Response: I think it is best if we discuss this at a future time. No, to my knowledge Thomas-Land has not lost anything."

The General kept scanning the area. While doing this they are keeping mentally alert on the drone. It's cloaked at the moment and he was bringing it close to The Palace for easy collection later. It was pretty clo-

""HIYA!"

That... was not what they were expecting. Now The General was not sure what to expect, they were fully aware that the string could have just been a string. A string cast from an advanced simulacram and nothing more, but their was something unexplainable about it that made them think other wise. Maybe, just maybe however unlikely this was not a complete waste of time. What they definitely did not expect for the string to form a large message in front of everyone thus exposing the existence of the drone to both The Primitives and The Diplomat. Well, perhaps The Primitives won't see the fact that it was carried here... but they are getting the feeling they are not only ones with advanced technology. The General looks to The Furred One's blinking light.

Malik:

Malik sighs, and finally undoes the shield, he realizes his “lid” on the gauntlet came loose and casually hit the top of it as if adjusting the placement and playfully tugging a strap to “tighten it” then walked forward to the gray being. “At any rate, as this is a first contact mission now, I am Malik Velkari, I come from Alegeharia, we have dealt with your… type before, but nothing so decoratively thinking, ‘minimal’, your ship and shape’s are interesting, what sector did you say you hailed form?”

Aither:

Aither resumed chewing of his bamboo shoot and walked next to Malik, now that argalaic had left it seemed to be just them, other than this random ‘HIYA’ that has appeared he peers over the balcony and scans the area for a possible source, his one eye burns bright red causing some alert to him, there was another demon abound. No, perhaps 2? Something chaotic was burning closely but it didn’t seem threatening, he sensed a corruption in one, it wasn’t perfect it seemed changed in some manner, he couldn’t tell fully. Aither hated half intel…

The General looks at Malik when they realize they are addressed. They looked at this "Malik Velkari". They were from an advanced civilization, which throws out any plans of hiding their extra-terrestrial origins.
"Informational Statement: We can not state which region of Space we hail from at this time."
They needed some time to think about the implications of this information. Something was wrong here.

Phaenix wrote:
Notalien wrote:
The Diplomat looks to the furred one. They says quietly.
"Response: I think it is best if we discuss this at a future time. No, to my knowledge Thomas-Land has not lost anything."

The General kept scanning the area. While doing this they are keeping mentally alert on the drone. It's cloaked at the moment and he was bringing it close to The Palace for easy collection later. It was pretty clo-

""HIYA!"

That... was not what they were expecting. Now The General was not sure what to expect, they were fully aware that the string could have just been a string. A string cast from an advanced simulacram and nothing more, but their was something unexplainable about it that made them think other wise. Maybe, just maybe however unlikely this was not a complete waste of time. What they definitely did not expect for the string to form a large message in front of everyone thus exposing the existence of the drone to both The Primitives and The Diplomat. Well, perhaps The Primitives won't see the fact that it was carried here... but they are getting the feeling they are not only ones with advanced technology. The General looks to The Furred One's blinking light.

Imperial Palace, Tower of the Sun

Emperor Titus, deciding he did not want to take the long walk down to the General and Diplomat, cast a simple levitation spell and gracefully floated to the ground, much to his Phoenix Guards' dismay. The Emperor was anything but defenseless. Though he knew a few combat spells, he was the premier swordsman of the realm, and the blade at his hip was not for show. The Emperor, however, smiled warmly at the two...things infront of him, and began to speak.
"You stand in the presence Lord of Fire, Uniter of the Empire, Marshal of the North, General Excelsis of the Sixteen Legions, Holder of the Mandate, and Emperor of Phaenix. I welcome you into my realm on this auspicious occasion."
After a few moments, the Phoenix Guards managed to catch up with the Emperor, standing behind him without making a sound.

The Diplomat looked at the leader in front of them. What a long job title, did the name "Leader Titus" not suffice?
"Grateful Statement: It pleases me to be welcomed to such an important event. We are happy that we were not shot when we left The Universal Transport Vehicle. Our chances of survival would have decreased to near zero if they were to fire. Informational Statement: I am a representative of The Council of Notalienia."
The Diplomat was proud of the name they chose to represent The Council in the Primitive's language. It contained a subtle reassurance that we are as not as foreign as we appear hopefully allowing diplomacy to go more smoothly.

by **Phaenix** » Sun Jul 26, 2020 1:25 pm

Zhenshiwa wrote:
((OOC: Hope this is okay as a first post... Sorry if its a bit long. If there's anything that needs changing to fit better with the lore, please let me know.))

The departure from Josai's shores had marked the first diplomatic mission to the greater world since the Great Plague, it had been cautiously celebrated by the populace, and quietly tolerated by the nobility. Three ships had left from Josai, iron hulled gunboats of the 'Makinami-Class' that flew the banner of the Alabaster Dragon with pride. The Makinami-Class was the newest to enter service, rather controversial given its forsaking of sails in favor of a dedicated steam engine. The biggest sticking point, however, was its rather immense price tag. However, it had been deemed necessary that ships more advanced than the average 'Coastal Defense Ships' would be necessary if the Empire was to step back onto the global stage. This journey was just as much about determining the efficacy of the new warships as it was an experiment in foreign interaction. The engineering had been two fold, the ships were just as much reliant on mundane technology as they were on magic...

Each ship had been painted a shade of blue purposefully similar to the water that surrounded Josai, with dark smoke gently wafting away from their dual in-line funnels. The ship that carried Fuyutsuki and her daughter, fittingly named 'Divine Spirit', currently sailed at the head of the column of ships. For Empress Fuyutsuki, the departure from Josai had not been nearly as intriguing as the journey across the sea. Now, as she stood upon the port bridge wing of IZN Divine Spirit, she became the first Empress to lay eyes on a foreign shore since the implementation of 'Global Separatism'... Beside her, bearing a far less optimistic scowl, Crown Princess Shikinami sighed through her nose.

"Their architecture is hideous... How can they stand such bland exteriors?" Shikinami muttered quietly as the trio of ships began to slow, the Empress simply shook her head, her eyes roving the other ships in the harbor. The two escorting vessels veered off, as it had been decided they would anchor in the harbor rather than dock ashore... Less chance for an outsider to sneak aboard and sabotage them. "I have read little on their culture, but it is evident that they have a distaste for Elves... These people seem a poor test case for 'Interaction', Mother."

"If Zhenshiwa is to emerge on the global stage, it must be ready to interact with all types of societies." Fuyutsuki responded gently as the ship drew closer to the docks. "The peaceable and the aggressive, we cannot cherry pick which ones we will and will not encounter during the course of Global Re-Integration. They may seem strange to you, brutish even, but I urge you to remain... Open minded."

"That is not necessarily easy, considering our very reason for being here..." Shikinami grumbled, pushing back from the railing and adjusting the hem of her silken ceremonial gown, visibly uncomfortable in the elaborately decorated garment. "The impudence of this Empire's council... To dictate to their Emperor whom he is and is not to wed. He is the Sovereign. Would you stand for such an outrage in your 'National Council', if they decreed I should marry a complete stranger? The notion is ludicrous!"

The ship's steam whistle suddenly burst to life, giving two short bursts of a deep droning wail, followed by a single long one, as was customary of Imperial Warships when making their way into a Zhenshiwanese port. Shikinami looked to her right, into the bridge, eyeing the ship's captain as he skillfully maneuvered Divine Spirit for docking. Meanwhile, on the lower deck, she could see a group of sailors in their white service uniforms rushing into position, readying themselves to heave the mooring lines ashore.

"Unusual? Perhaps. Ludicrous? Certainly not." Fuyutsuki stated bluntly, straightening and adjusting her own gown, then ensuring that her hair was in its proper place. "The Empire must have an heir, the line of succession must remain absolute... It may not be pleasant, but for the good of our subjects, it is a burden we must endure." Shikinami looked at her mother incredulously, shaking her head and groaning as the ship went about docking. "You are young, with ample time to find someone you genuinely like before you ascend the throne... It shall not come to a Council Decree." The woman looked to the dock, watching the strangely clothed persons ashore move about. "Come... We must not tarry."

The ship lurched slightly as it came to a stop, meanwhile both the Empress and Crown Princess made their way down from the port bridge wing, crossing through the deck house to the starboard side of the ship. The ship's crew, many of whom wearing the plain white service uniforms and caps, lined the starboard side of the ship at attention. Some wore tan tunics, trousers, and brown leather armor pieces... These men were armed with a mixture of crossbows and flintlocks. Members of the Imperial Special Landing Force, sent along at the insistence of the Ministry of Defense. There was little confidence among the Zhenshiwanese that outsiders could properly defend the Empress, but Fuyutsuki's orders had been clear. The majority of the ISLF was to remain aboard the ship, only leaving in the event of an emergency, while two would accompany the Imperial family as an 'Honor Guard'. No trust would be earned by having armed soldiers attend a peaceful ceremony.

While Empress Fuyutsuki was confident that they would be safe in these strange and foreign lands, Princess Shikinami was thoroughly unimpressed by what she had seen thus far... As such, she straightened the belt of a sword sheathed at her left side. Sleek and elegantly designed, it had been proven numerous times against the forces of piracy that regularly attempted to brave Josai's shores. Together, the two of them stopped beside the forward gangplank, which was gradually being lowered to the dock below by a pair of sailors... The Zhenshiwanese flag whipped in the wind overhead, straining against its mountings... Shikinami glanced upwards, watching the cloth dragon dance against the sky... She couldn't help but think it an ill omen.

The gangplank made contact with the dock, at which time two ISLF troops descended the wooden walkway and stopped at the end, carefully eyeing the crowd and awaiting the arrival of their Empress. Unlike the other ISLF members, these men wore heavy layered metal armor and carried intricately decorated swords at their sides. The breastplate of each bore the Imperial Crest, whilst a decorative dragon was displayed atop the crown of their oddly shaped helmets. These were the Honor Guard, two of the most qualified soldiers in the Imperial Military... In this capacity they were sworn to silence, only to speak when bade by the Imperial Family themselves.

Empress Fuyutsuki and Shikinami followed the two guardsmen a few moments after they arrived at the base of the gangplank, the latter of the two scanning the dock for any sign of an official response while her mother busied herself with making history. Stopping just short of the end of the gangplank, Fuyutsuki took a calming breath, then took the final step onto the foreign dock... In the eyes of Imperial Law, in stepping off the gangplank she had officially left Zhenshiwanese soil... The first Empress to do so in recorded history... Even before the age of Separatism, no sitting Sovereign had left Imperial soil. Shikinami followed behind her with little of the same fanfare, hand resting comfortably near the hilt of her sword as she eyed the crowd...

Now they waited, patiently standing with stoic resolve whilst looking for any sign of official response on the part of the locals.

Phaerix, Talon Harbor

If the Empress had been a citizen of Phaerix, she would have noticed that the crowds were significantly...quieter than usual. That was because of two processions of men, one sent by the Emperor to escort the Empress to the palace, and the other a loud, obnoxious column of Keirch knights, led by Duke Friedger Wintersend, grandfather of the spurned Wilfriede. The two columns arrived at the Empress' ship at the same time, and an Imperial officer, clad in elegant plate depicting a phoenix in flight, stepped forward.
"Greetings, Your Imperial Majesty. I am Sextus Accoleius Herculius, Colonellus of the First Legion. On behalf of His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Titus Helvius Venatius, I welcome you to-"
Colonellus Sextus was cut off by one of the Keirch knights, who rode forward, almost trampling the man.
"Watch your tongue, cur! You will wait until His Grace speaks! He is of noble blood, dating to the first Keirch kings, and yet you presume to speak before him."
The knight draws his longsword.
"I should cut you down where you stand!"
The Imperial legionaries who had accompanied Sextus aimed their rifles at the knight, while Sextus stood his ground and glared at the knight.
"I was sent by the Emperor himself! You dare obstruct His Imperial Majesty's wishes? Do so, and I will fill you full of holes!"
The knight reluctantly backed down, while Duke Friedger glared at Sextus, but said nothing. Sextus brushed himself off and turned back to the Empress.
"Apologies, Your Imperial Majesty. His Imperial Majesty sent me to escort you to the Imperial Palace, where he will greet you and welcome you to the realm. If you so wish, we may leave when you are ready."
With a final glare at the Keirch column, Sextus calmly waited for the Empress to respond.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Imperial Palace, Tower of the Sun

Emperor Titus nodded his head. He still had no idea what he was talking with, but he decided that they were simply a creature the Empire had yet to discover.
"Yes, my Phoenix Guard are incredibly well disciplined. We drill into their heads the ideas of loyalty, obedience, and discipline from birth, so they only would have fired if I had ordered them to. But enough about that. Welcome to the Empire of Phaenix. If you would like, please allow these slaves to show you to your quarters."
With that, Emperor Titus left to attend to last minute celebration plans and to rest for a short while. Two slaves stepped forward once the Emperor had left to take the General and Ambassador to their rooms.

by **Alegeharia** » Sun Jul 26, 2020 1:34 pm

Notalien wrote:
Alegeharia wrote:
Malik:
(Image)

Malik sighs, and finally undoes the shield, he realizes his “lid” on the gauntlet came loose and casually hit the top of it as if adjusting the placement and playfully tugging a strap to “tighten it” then walked forward to the gray being. “At any rate, as this is a first contact mission now, I am Malik Velkari, I come from Alegeharia, we have dealt with your… type before, but nothing so decoratively thinking, ‘minimal’, your ship and shape’s are interesting, what sector did you say you hailed form?”

Aither:
(Image)

Aither resumed chewing of his bamboo shoot and walked next to Malik, now that argalaic had left it seemed to be just them, other than this random ‘HIYA’ that has appeared he peers over the balcony and scans the area for a possible source, his one eye burns bright red causing some alert to him, there was another demon abound. No, perhaps 2? Something chaotic was burning closely but it didn’t seem threatening, he sensed a corruption in one, it wasn’t perfect it seemed changed in some manner, he couldn’t tell fully. Aither hated half intel…

The General looks at Malik when they realize they are addressed. They looked at this "Malik Velkari". They were from an advanced civilization, which throws out any plans of hiding their extra-terrestrial origins.
"Informational Statement: We can not state which region of Space we hail from at this time."
They needed some time to think about the implications of this information. Something was wrong here.

Phaenix wrote:
Imperial Palace, Tower of the Sun

Emperor Titus, deciding he did not want to take the long walk down to the General and Diplomat, cast a simple levitation spell and gracefully floated to the ground, much to his Phoenix Guards' dismay. The Emperor was anything but defenseless. Though he knew a few combat spells, he was the premier swordsman of the realm, and the blade at his hip was not for show. The Emperor, however, smiled warmly at the two...things infront of him, and began to speak.
"You stand in the presence Lord of Fire, Uniter of the Empire, Marshal of the North, General Excelsis of the Sixteen Legions, Holder of the Mandate, and Emperor of Phaenix. I welcome you into my realm on this auspicious occasion."
After a few moments, the Phoenix Guards managed to catch up with the Emperor, standing behind him without making a sound.

The Diplomat looked at the leader in front of them. What a long job title, did the name "Leader Titus" not suffice?
"Grateful Statement: It pleases me to be welcomed to such an important event. We are happy that we were not shot when we left The Universal Transport Vehicle. Our chances of survival would have decreased to near zero if they were to fire. Informational Statement: I am a representative of The Council of Notalienia."
The Diplomat was proud of the name they chose to represent The Council in the Primitive's language. It contained a subtle reassurance that we are as not as foreign as we appear hopefully allowing diplomacy to go more smoothly.

Malik:

Malik tilted his head to the side, akin a curious dog and wanted to say more but stopped seeing the emperor walk in. He giggled as they stated their council, it was obvious a cover, but should fool the others. Malik looked over to Aither and nodded, he was still interested in that other soul he felt nearby and gave the go ahead to his brother. Up here malik was relatively safe, the way he saw it nothing in this section of the area could harm him, but there were interesting characters coming to play down below.

Proper intel was needed, as such it was seen that some grandeur was needed for those below. Malik returned his focus to the new species eyeballing the tech on them, he studied every intricate detail mapping out where each exposed wire, or light went, he studied their head their chest, the belts around them, anything that was considered “different” in his mind. Malik pulled a chip out of his right gauntlet.

To other people, less advanced, it looked as if some dirt had gotten stuck under the leather and he had simply pulled it out. But for Malik it was a small communicative device linked to the gauntlet, he clipped the earpiece to his bottom of his ear. His hair covered most of his ears, so from a normal view it merely appeared as if he had itch. Malik waited for the voice to activate. Zeta could give him answers perhaps, but any would have to be done in secrecy.

Aither:

For once in his life, well there were a few times… But in this time for once he was going to trust malik and jumped off the balcony to find this red flame popping in his eye, he decided a grand stand was in order to call out this other demon, so used some magic of his own to divert it away from the tower. He summoned the spirit of a phoenix, his main magic affinity, using wings of flame to glide down into the square and the vicinity of the other spirit (OOC: Somwhere near damnage) his right eye on fire, yet not, it appeared to be aflame but it was causing no pain to Aither. He scanned the area and chewed on a bamboo shoot. “Now where are you…” he thought in his head.

by **Notalien** » Sun Jul 26, 2020 2:02 pm

The Diplomat was wondering why the translator had difficulty translating the word "slave" but decided to ask to get the translation software checked later. He looked at the two "slaves".
"Greeting: Hello, my name is Diplomat Simon Land. Inquiry: You are here to escort me to my holdings correct?"
Then the air grew warmer

The General saw Malik grab the device from his cloth. It felt like a mockery, nobody knew what Malik was doing, the power of the device they held. As Malik studied The General, The General studied Malik. Barely hidden technology all over their body, and they had likely convinced everyone that they too, was as primitive and savage as them. But not them, they knew. And Malik likely knew that they knew. Despite how insulted they felt, they kept it hidden in their mind. Then the air grew warmer.

Both The General and The Diplomat looked to the skies. The Diplomat backed away slightly despite its distance and The General inched for a firearm that wasn't there. For the first time on the mission both The Diplomat and The General had the same thought. One that can only be translated as "what?"

by **Alegeharia** » Sun Jul 26, 2020 2:29 pm

Notalien wrote:
Emperor Titus nodded his head. He still had no idea what he was talking with, but he decided that they were simply a creature the Empire had yet to discover.
"Yes, my Phoenix Guard are incredibly well disciplined. We drill into their heads the ideas of loyalty, obedience, and discipline from birth, so they only would have fired if I had ordered them to. But enough about that. Welcome to the Empire of Phaenix. If you would like, please allow these slaves to show you to your quarters."
With that, Emperor Titus left to attend to last minute celebration plans and to rest for a short while. Two slaves stepped forward once the Emperor had left to take the General and Ambassador to their rooms.

The Diplomat was wondering why the translator had difficulty translating the word "slave" but decided to ask to get the translation software checked later. He looked at the two "slaves".
"Greeting: Hello, my name is Diplomat Simon Land. Inquiry: You are here to escort me to my holdings correct?"
Then the air grew warmer

Malik:
Malik tilted his head to the side, akin a curious dog and wanted to say more but stopped seeing the emperor walk in. He giggled as they stated their council, it was obvious a cover, but should fool the others. Malik looked over to Aither and nodded, he was still interested in that other soul he felt nearby and gave the go ahead to his brother. Up here malik was relatively safe, the way he saw it nothing in this section of the area could harm him, but there were interesting characters coming to play down below.

Proper intel was needed, as such it was seen that some grandeur was needed for those below. Malik returned his focus to the new species eyeballing the tech on them, he studied every intricate detail mapping out where each exposed wire, or light went, he studied their head their chest, the belts around them, anything that was considered “different” in his mind. Malik pulled a chip out of his right gauntlet.

To other people, less advanced, it looked as if some dirt had gotten stuck under the leather and he had simply pulled it out. But for Malik it was a small communicative device linked to the gauntlet, he clipped the earpiece to his bottom of his ear. His hair covered most of his ears, so from a normal view it merely appeared as if he had itch. Malik waited for the voice to activate. Zeta could give him answers perhaps, but any would have to be done in secrecy.

The General saw Malik grab the device from his cloth. It felt like a mockery, nobody knew what Malik was doing, the power of the device they held. As Malik studied The General, The General studied Malik. Barely hidden technology all over their body, and they had likely convinced everyone that they too, was as primitive and savage as them. But not them, they knew. And Malik likely knew that they knew. Despite how insulted they felt, they kept it hidden in their mind. Then the air grew warmer.

Aither:
For once in his life, well there were a few times… But in this time for once he was going to trust malik and jumped off the balcony to find this red flame popping in his eye, he decided a grand stand was in order to call out this other demon, so used some magic of his own to divert it away from the tower. He summoned the spirit of a phoenix, his main magic affinity, using wings of flame to glide down into the square and the vicinity of the other spirit (OOC: Somwhere near damnage) his right eye on fire, yet not, it appeared to be aflame but it was causing no pain to Aither. He scanned the area and chewed on a bamboo shoot. “Now where are you…” he thought in his head.

Both The General and The Diplomat looked to the skies. The Diplomat backed away slightly despite its distance and The General inched for a firearm that wasn't there. For the first time on the mission both The Diplomat and The General had the same thought. One that can only be translated as "what?"

Malik:

Malik’s comm faintly chirped. Zeta greeted him causing his right ear to twitch slightly. He kept eyeing the general, he knew he was being studied, of course his own tech was much more hidden, other than a gauntlet in need of apparent repair, tech was woven between fabrics and hidden under pieces of armor, true enough his outfit looked rather medieval, it was scanned the innards of each piece proved much different, but malik didn’t wear much tech, the only thing advance he had on person was the body armor that had a high impact weave and netting and the gauntlet that had yet to be revealed fully.

He listened to his AI give off random information form each scan as he surveyed the exchange between Emperor and diplomat. How interesting that his speech stumbles as it goes by. He got in whisper distance of the diplomat. “Slave; also known as an indentured servant, better yet, someone whose life is not their own.” He said quietly to the alien. “I suppose if you’re here for research one should become acclimated to the antiquities in civil rights hmm?”

by **Notalien** » Sun Jul 26, 2020 3:11 pm

The Diplomat
The Diplomat snapped out of their Phoenix induced trance. They were confused by the Primitive's words, even more so than by the flaming Avian in the sky.
"Statement: Nobody's life is truly their own. Inquiry: What separates the status of a slave from someone who is not a slave?"
The Diplomat wasn't feeling well. It was like their mind was trying to come to a conclusion that they weren't aloud to come to. Something truly terrible and unthinkable in a post-scarcity society. Something outside the Ideology they had lived in since birth. Something truly alien, something ancient. Something... no.
The Diplomat fell to the ground.

The General
The General watched as The Diplomat fell to the ground. They had to learn sooner or later. They had seen the truth. Before the mission even began Sxdevik-Lhsdam was always getting on to them about the difference between a "primitive" and a "savage". The General had thrown out such thoughts a long time ago. Sure primitives/savages would give their atrocities a different name but it was always the same. They would act like their own people was their property. They would destroy their planet in an attempt to control it. They would strap you down to a table and cut out your insides. They have known for a long time, and now... The Diplomat knows it too.

by **Zhenshiwa** » Sun Jul 26, 2020 3:12 pm

The soldiers and sailors lining the deck of the ship behind the Empress had all stepped closer to the railing in response to the near-conflict, with many of the ISLF troops appearing to have readied their weapons. The Honor Guard likewise had taken steps to place themselves between the Empress and the two opposing 'welcoming' parties, their hands resting upon the hilts of their swords. Even Princess Shikinami had gripped the blade at her waist... Before things could escalate, however, Empress Fuyutsuki cleared her throat.

"Stay your swords..." She ordered firmly in Zhenshiwanese, prompting both Honor Guards to silently remove their hands from their weapons and return to a position flanking both the Empress and the Princess. Shikinami hesitated a few moments, eyes flitting between Wintersend and Herculius. Her expression is calm, unflinching, she hadn't so much as blinked throughout the entire altercation. "Shikinami... Enough." Exhaling a breath of frustration, Shikinami withdrew her hand from her blade. "Thank you, Colonellus Herculius, for your... Spirited welcome." Fuyutsuki spoke now in the local language, maintaining a steady pace of speech, even as she struggled to pronounce the foreign sounding words. She gave a slight bow of her head. "Peace and Long Life to you all... We are ready to depart." Her eyes passed over the Keirch, glinting curiously. "Though, before we do so, I am curious... What brings two separate forces to greet us? Forgive my ignorance if this is a cultural custom of yours..."

As Fuyutsuki was speaking, Shikinami was quietly surveying the rest of the crowd. They all wore such strange clothing, with equally strange styles of hair. There was a lot one could tell about the state of a location by the apparent well being of its citizens, or lack thereof. Starvation, poor hygiene, all were invitations for a sickness to take hold... Something that could not be tolerated within the Empire, especially in the wake of the Great Plague nearly a hundred years ago. Whether it was inspecting the provinces of Josai or this strange new land, Shikinami had an eye for detail that rivaled most... Shrewd and unflinching, her narrowed gaze went from person to person, before finally settling back on to the two 'welcoming' parties.

by **Phaenix** » Sun Jul 26, 2020 3:33 pm

Zhenshiwa wrote:
Phaenix wrote:
Phaerix, Talon Harbor

If the Empress had been a citizen of Phaerix, she would have noticed that the crowds were significantly...quieter than usual. That was because of two processions of men, one sent by the Emperor to escort the Empress to the palace, and the other a loud, obnoxious column of Keirch knights, led by Duke Friedger Wintersend, grandfather of the spurned Wilfriede. The two columns arrived at the Empress' ship at the same time, and an Imperial officer, clad in elegant plate depicting a phoenix in flight, stepped forward.
"Greetings, Your Imperial Majesty. I am Sextus Accoleius Herculius, Colonellus of the First Legion. On behalf of His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Titus Helvius Venatius, I welcome you to-"
Colonellus Sextus was cut off by one of the Keirch knights, who rode forward, almost trampling the man.
"Watch your tongue, cur! You will wait until His Grace speaks! He is of noble blood, dating to the first Keirch kings, and yet you presume to speak before him."
The knight draws his longsword.
"I should cut you down where you stand!"
The Imperial legionaries who had accompanied Sextus aimed their rifles at the knight, while Sextus stood his ground and glared at the knight.
"I was sent by the Emperor himself! You dare obstruct His Imperial Majesty's wishes? Do so, and I will fill you full of holes!"
The knight reluctantly backed down, while Duke Friedger glared at Sextus, but said nothing. Sextus brushed himself off and turned back to the Empress.
"Apologies, Your Imperial Majesty. His Imperial Majesty sent me to escort you to the Imperial Palace, where he will greet you and welcome you to the realm. If you so wish, we may leave when you are ready."
With a final glare at the Keirch column, Sextus calmly waited for the Empress to respond.

The soldiers and sailors lining the deck of the ship behind the Empress had all stepped closer to the railing in response to the near-conflict, with many of the ISLF troops appearing to have readied their weapons. The Honor Guard likewise had taken steps to place themselves between the Empress and the two opposing 'welcoming' parties, their hands resting upon the hilts of their swords. Even Princess Shikinami had gripped the blade at her waist... Before things could escalate, however, Empress Fuyutsuki cleared her throat.

"Stay your swords..." She ordered firmly in Zhenshiwanese, prompting both Honor Guards to silently remove their hands from their weapons and return to a position flanking both the Empress and the Princess. Shikinami hesitated a few moments, eyes flitting between Wintersend and Herculius. Her expression is calm, unflinching, she hadn't so much as blinked throughout the entire altercation. "Shikinami... Enough." Exhaling a breath of frustration, Shikinami withdrew her hand from her blade. "Thank you, Colonellus Herculius, for your... Spirited welcome." Fuyutsuki spoke now in the local language, maintaining a steady pace of speech, even as she struggled to pronounce the foreign sounding words. She gave a slight bow of her head. "Peace and Long Life to you all... We are ready to depart." Her eyes passed over the Keirch, glinting curiously. "Though, before we do so, I am curious... What brings two separate forces to greet us? Forgive my ignorance if this is a cultural custom of yours..."

As Fuyutsuki was speaking, Shikinami was quietly surveying the rest of the crowd. They all wore such strange clothing, with equally strange styles of hair. There was a lot one could tell about the state of a location by the apparent well being of its citizens, or lack thereof. Starvation, poor hygiene, all were invitations for a sickness to take hold... Something that could not be tolerated within the Empire, especially in the wake of the Great Plague nearly a hundred years ago. Whether it was inspecting the provinces of Josai or this strange new land, Shikinami had an eye for detail that rivaled most... Shrewd and unflinching, her narrowed gaze went from person to person, before finally settling back on to the two 'welcoming' parties.

Phaerix, Talon Harbor

Colonellus Sextus grimaced, but before he could respond, Duke Friedger addressed the Empress.
"You must be Empress Fuyutsuki. Forgive my retainer's outburst. Herr Reinhard merely wishes to ensure that the Emperor's servants remember proper protocol. I am by the grace of the Forefathers, Duke of Winterfestung and loyal servant to the Empire."
Duke Friedger bowed his head once he was finished and allowed Sextus to speak.
"Well, Your Imperial Majesty, this was simply a coincidence. His Grace was heading to the palace and we merely arrived here at the same time."
Sextus rolled his shoulder, jostling the rifle strapped to his back.
"Now that we have resolved this issue, will Your Imperial Majesty accompany me back to the Imperial Palace? If you would prefer to ride, I'm sure one of Friedger's knights would be more than happy to allow you to ride theirs."
One of the Keirch knights swore, as the Keirch called their horses vesˈpek, or beloved horse due to their close attachment to them.

by **Alegeharia** » Sun Jul 26, 2020 3:49 pm

Notalien wrote:
Malik:
Malik’s comm faintly chirped. Zeta greeted him causing his right ear to twitch slightly. He kept eyeing the general, he knew he was being studied, of course his own tech was much more hidden, other than a gauntlet in need of apparent repair, tech was woven between fabrics and hidden under pieces of armor, true enough his outfit looked rather medieval, it was scanned the innards of each piece proved much different, but malik didn’t wear much tech, the only thing advance he had on person was the body armor that had a high impact weave and netting and the gauntlet that had yet to be revealed fully.

He listened to his AI give off random information form each scan as he surveyed the exchange between Emperor and diplomat. How interesting that his speech stumbles as it goes by. He got in whisper distance of the diplomat. “Slave; also known as an indentured servant, better yet, someone whose life is not their own.” He said quietly to the alien. “I suppose if you’re here for research one should become acclimated to the antiquities in civil rights hmm?”

The Diplomat
The Diplomat snapped out of their Phoenix induced trance. They were confused by the Primitive's words, even more so than by the flaming Avian in the sky.
"Statement: Nobody's life is truly their own. Inquiry: What separates the status of a slave from someone who is not a slave?"
The Diplomat wasn't feeling well. It was like their mind was trying to come to a conclusion that they weren't aloud to come to. Something truly terrible and unthinkable in a post-scarcity society. Something outside the Ideology they had lived in since birth. Something truly alien, something ancient. Something... no.
The Diplomat fell to the ground.

The General
The General watched as The Diplomat fell to the ground. They had to learn sooner or later. They had seen the truth. Before the mission even began Sxdevik-Lhsdam was always getting on to them about the difference between a "primitive" and a "savage". The General had thrown out such thoughts a long time ago. Sure primitives/savages would give their atrocities a different name but it was always the same. They would act like their own people was their property. They would destroy their planet in an attempt to control it. They would strap you down to a table and cut out your insides. They have known for a long time, and now... The Diplomat knows it too.

Malik:

Malik sighed, perhaps he gave him too much information to bear. “Someone help this... man! He seems to have fallen over in shock!” He looked over the general, he sensed the face was hardened by this, almost looking at his ally admonishingly. He looked over to the fallen diplomat, was he a fresh boot from their world? Oh, the sad horrors he will have to learn, Maliks ears lowered some in sympathy then looked back over to the general. “And what are you going to do general?”

Aither:

Aither covered his right eye, letting things calm down looking at the increasingly growing group of angry people. He looked over to see if the other people were still around the area, things were getting hectic in the lower area, someone was yelling about blood, another was throwing thread, someone else was running from a window… goblin? Did he hear that right, something was amiss and he could sympathize with the irritation in the crowd.

by **Kalmarnavia** » Sun Jul 26, 2020 3:55 pm

Argalaic sat brooding in his chambers, his finest tunic and pressed breeches laid out. He fiddled with his prince's coronet, a dark circle of dragon-forged steel studded with rubies.

Dontas paced the room, gazing out of the window occassionally.

"You're certain?"
"Quite certain, Don."
"Arge they seem like perfectly reasonable...well I to say people but..."
"Don, there is something distinctly off with them and I can feel it. Something has felt odd this entire time. Like there is...a force within these walls. The deaths and riots pinned on poor Malik, auras around people I cannot quite see. There is dark, dark magic afoot here Don. I don't know if its these creatures, or what it is. But something here wished harm on either all of us or some of us."

Argalaic placed the coronet on a side table, and moved to the window.

"And if that harm is directed at me, Twelve help whomever is responsible.

_________

Several hundred leagues away

Dawn was breaking over Roskilde, and the air was alive with the roaring of dragons. Four of them swooped in from the north, the east, the west and the south, circling over the Kungshallen. Valerian and Chiron landed first, the great purple followed by the flash of turquoise. The snapped and snarled at each other briefly inside the Great Stable, pacing around, before stopping and kneeling. They bent their wings to the ground, and the twin princesses garbed in their finest riding armour stood from their lie-flat saddles behind their necks and clambered down.

"Anything?" Helena asked, unclasping her helm and shaking out her braid.
"Nothing to the north, sister. We flew for leagues and leagues, almost to Nunaatland, and nothing." replied Ollena, unpinning her long red hair.

Out in the great yard, great golden Sunsmoke pulled back his head and bellowed as Prince Aemond touched to the ground. He waved his hand upwards, and with a beat of his massive wings Sunsmoke took briefly to flight again to return to his lair within the stable. This allowed Mermadin, the great white flash circling the towers of the castle, to set himself down.

"Anything, Father?" called Prince Makar and he patted Mermadin on the neck.
"Not a damn thing," cried Prince Aemond, craning his neck to speak to his son 40 feet above him. Makar deftly unclipped from his saddle, and with a rattle of Eralian phrases Mermadin lowered himself to allow his rider to slide down to the ground and his cousins exited the stable.

"Uncle Aemond we saw not one sign of her either, it is almost as if she has vanished."

A tramp of armoured feet heralded the arrival into the yard of King Jaeharys, flanked by his household guards and 2 of the Knights of the Nine, Ser Victor and Ser Adam. His great flowing golden robe flapped behind him in the early morning breeze which teased his long, slightly faded red hair. The four dragon riders took to their knees as he approached.

"Rise, sweet daughters, my dear brother and nephew. What news of your search?"

"Nothing, Father. We all took to the skies through the night. Styrax has gone, and to where we cannot say."
"Helena speaks true, brother. Your son's mount has spirited herself to places not known. Makar circled out to near Faalmaan and saw nothing."

The King rubbed his chin uneasily.

"There have been boats from Faalmaan this morning at the port, and none report any sign of Styrax returning to the Keep. This is not a good sign."

"What can it possibly mean, Uncle?"

Jaeharys turned to Makar, his face dark.

"It can mean something may have befallen your cousin, my boy. And if anyone has harmed Argalaic, or means to do him harm, there is nothing save the mercy of the Twelve that can save them from Styrax's wroth."

by **Notalien** » Sun Jul 26, 2020 4:18 pm

Sxdevik-Lhsdam/The Diplomat/Simon-Land

The Diplomat's head was swirling. They understood now. Why oh why did The Council want to open up diplomacy with these... monsters. They were barely conscious when felt themselves get lifted from the ground.

Thgasif-Mntud The General/Thomas-Man

The General walked up to the slaves, years ago in naïvety they would feel bad for the savages. But they knew now that if given the chance they would own a person too.
"Order: Pick up The Diplomat and bring them to their room. They'll be okay, they'll get over it."
The Diplomat turned to Malik.
"Response: What else is there to do? But to do what we came here to do in the first place."
They followed the slaves doing their best to keep The Diplomat off the ground.

by **Shwe Tu Colony** » Sun Jul 26, 2020 6:59 pm

Notalien wrote:The Diplomat looks to the furred one. They says quietly...

Caleb's eye lit up as he turned skyward. "Mr. 'lijah sir, the string got activated," he said, stretching a thin coil a few inches upward as an antenna to his little spy of fabric, which raveled itself back into a singular cylinder, as though wrapped around an invisible spool. Then, it disintegrated into a little portal just large enough for one's hand or paw, and inside it was an entire purple nebula floating peacefully amidst stars, pulsating with that bizarre sort of energy, of that same distant familiarity, like a fast-decaying memory, and inside of it was a little orange star gleaming amidst a dark void — a peculiar display of magic, or science, and it was unclear what it was except that it seemed to be liminal. Imaginative. The star nestled within burned, but it did not feel hot, did not exude any matter of anything, as though it were merely a picture; even going in would result in nothing special, as though one merely stuck their hand inside an a silk pocket instead of space.
There was more to it: that star within was linked to Caleb's senses, though whether that could be detected was another matter.
"Mr. 'lijah sir, there's a lotta weird people up on that roof," he said as they entered the palace. "I think I see... some greys, a flying dog, a panda— oh, now he's on fire. This is really funny, Mr. 'lijah sir. Oh, nevermind. I think one of them just fainted. That doesn't seem very fun, Mr. 'lijah sir. Wonder why. It seems fine up there. Oh, and their clothing... the dog has fancy clothes."

"Well, he's a gray, you said, yes?" Elijah asked. "I suppose it must've been culture shock. Deities know how weird we must be for an extraterrestrial fellow like him."
"Do you think he has a new fabric?" Caleb's eye gleamed with excitement. "If he has new fabric, I wanna—"
"Yes, yes, I'm sure he would, Caleb." The Dollmaker looked up at the distant balcony. "Well, would you look at that. I think the emperor himself is up there." Assuming that was indeed the case — and assuming that the Psytrines' entourage recognized that and got up there — the two of them would soon be on the balcony, at which point Caleb would spin around and off of his chaperone's neck, landing on the floor and reentering his more humanoid state, though how the others might react to his just-out-of-reach familiarity was another matter.

by **Alegeharia** » Sun Jul 26, 2020 7:23 pm

Shwe Tu Colony wrote:
Notalien wrote:The Diplomat looks to the furred one. They says quietly...

Caleb's eye lit up as he turned skyward. "Mr. 'lijah sir, the string got activated," he said, stretching a thin coil a few inches upward as an antenna to his little spy of fabric, which raveled itself back into a singular cylinder, as though wrapped around an invisible spool. Then, it disintegrated into a little portal just large enough for one's hand or paw, and inside it was an entire purple nebula floating peacefully amidst stars, pulsating with that bizarre sort of energy, of that same distant familiarity, like a fast-decaying memory, and inside of it was a little orange star gleaming amidst a dark void — a peculiar display of magic, or science, and it was unclear what it was except that it seemed to be liminal. Imaginative. The star nestled within burned, but it did not feel hot, did not exude any matter of anything, as though it were merely a picture; even going in would result in nothing special, as though one merely stuck their hand inside an a silk pocket instead of space.
There was more to it: that star within was linked to Caleb's senses, though whether that could be detected was another matter.
"Mr. 'lijah sir, there's a lotta weird people up on that roof," he said as they entered the palace. "I think I see... some greys, a flying dog, a panda— oh, now he's on fire. This is really funny, Mr. 'lijah sir. Oh, nevermind. I think one of them just fainted. That doesn't seem very fun, Mr. 'lijah sir. Wonder why. It seems fine up there. Oh, and their clothing... the dog has fancy clothes."

"Well, he's a gray, you said, yes?" Elijah asked. "I suppose it must've been culture shock. Deities know how weird we must be for an extraterrestrial fellow like him."
"Do you think he has a new fabric?" Caleb's eye gleamed with excitement. "If he has new fabric, I wanna—"
"Yes, yes, I'm sure he would, Caleb." The Dollmaker looked up at the distant balcony. "Well, would you look at that. I think the emperor himself is up there." Assuming that was indeed the case — and assuming that the Psytrines' entourage recognized that and got up there — the two of them would soon be on the balcony, at which point Caleb would spin around and off of his chaperone's neck, landing on the floor and reentering his more humanoid state, though how the others might react to his just-out-of-reach familiarity was another matter.

Malik:

Malik leaned his back on the balcony’s edge, looking up at the stars curiously, he huffed and started walking toward the door, stopping as earpiece chirped again. “Now what Zeta?” he said quietly, pacing idly, as h opened the gauntlet up to the view the tac screen; the scans were complete on the ship and the aliens and he was eager to view it his tail wagging fast. He closed the gauntlet again and turned one more time to stare at the ship.

Surely, it would register the scan, he had no doubt. Ships were fitted with such devices to tell when it was scanned or not, he did wonder if the shields had to be dropped in order to warp people in or out, though the mere fact that he could touch the metal without… he turned his head sensing something was coming.

by **Notalien** » Sun Jul 26, 2020 8:15 pm

Thgasif-Mntud/The General/Thomas-Man
Sxdevik-Lhsdam had been passed out for a few minutes now. It was bad enough that they passed out in front of everyone at the balcony, it will be even worse if they see how they are when they wake up. It is often not this extreme of a reaction, usually we are eased into the realization of just how terrible these savages really are. The world of that these savages live in is truly Alien to anyone on the outside. And the idea that someone would be as wasteful as to use a person as any other equipment is unthinkable to most. That was when I came to the realization, these are not people. Even the slaves would own a slave if they had the chance and even victims of genocide would enact the same atrocities on the other side if they had the chance. There is no moral justification for what they do, they just do it because it is their nature. A predator doesn't morn for the prey it only for it's pack members because less pack members means a weaker pack and that inconveniences them, it's in their nature. Sxdevik-Lhsdam is going to have to learn this, and quickly. Suddenly they gets a message in the back of their mind. So, someone decided to scan the ship.
"Recommendation: You should stay here."
The door is sealed behind them. They can't have The Diplomat cause an incident if they wake up and they're not there.

by **Alegeharia** » Sun Jul 26, 2020 8:24 pm

Malik:

Malik hopped off the side of the balcony and flew down to where Aither was flying his angel wings out again floating above the crowd, it seems the crowd was getting tense, and the sense of the demons around here seemed stronger. “People, people, please calm it down, there is no harm here to be done.” Malik landed gently on the ground putting his wings “away” again by making disappear, less they get grabbed by someone or something.

Aither:

Aither’s eye finally normalized and he uncovered it, replacing the bamboo chute he was chewing on with a new one. “It’s all right Malik, they are just waiting for someone to tap the keg.” H es scanned the area again, kicking the hilt of his sword up with his left thumb again, though this time the blade seemed to steam. “I say this once, if you value your life please do not bring violence here, I wish to keep things civil while on foreign soil.

The Phoenix Wedding (IC/FanT/Signups)

The Notalienian Bedroom

Who is online