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August-- 5143
A. 13th-16th: War with Ulster
Realizing the extreme morale loss of his beaten and battered military, Gardini located a nation which he saw as defenseless. Ulster, which had no known war trials to date, became his target. Gardini aimed for an easy war, but the force he sent into Ulster was also attacked by mysterious shadow creatures which were assaulting the nation en masse. Not a single ship returned from Ulster in one piece.
A. 14th, 4:14 PM-5:10 PM: Future Generations
Maguro--a fishing guru and public speaker/activist against the Shogun Gardini foreign and internal policies--makes final preparations for what could be his final speech, to occur three days following. Abari Rizuka and Risou Fushigi, who are close enough to Maguro to be adopted sons, also make their preparations. They pack and arrange what they can to be placed at a safe house, away from where soldiers could possibly find them, while Abari convinced Risou to obtain funding for his need to help Maguro in the coming events.
A. 17th, 12:58 PM-2:15 PM: Penelope's Proposition
Penelope, a telepathic emissary from a previously unknown city-state named Zitrone in the Unchartered Territory, met with Gardini to organize some sort of trade or job deal between their individual governments. Negotiations went awry, until a second telepath mysteriously appeared. Penelope and her partner Tabris were then charged to deal with a public speaker who spoke against Gardini.
A. 17th, 1:34-4:41 PM: Sensou
A fishing guru named Maguro made his official appearance in politics as he organized a free meeting of civilians. A large group amassed in an Akinai fish market to hear him speak about problems in the government. The two telepaths from Zitrone arrived to break up the gathering, but were offended by the fact that Gardini had sent Imperial soldiers to do what they were already asked to. Rather than helping Gardini, the offended telepaths inspired the soldiers to attack the crowd, and chaos ensued. During this "battle," a single mage managed to take down a patrolling airship. Civilian deaths were minimal, and many had managed to escape--Maguro included.
A. 17th, 6:12-6:59 PM: Wanted!
Hours following the "battle" in Akinai's fish market, Gardini ordered wanted posters with what he knew of Maguro's face to be placed up in all of Akinai. As satire, two peaceful protesters--Masa Sakamoto and Ishi Kato--drew up satirical wanted posters of Gardini. Masa placed these around Akinai, but was stopped by Imperial soldiers and killed in cold blood. Daisuke Tetsuken, the young mage rumored to have downed an airship single-handedly in Sensou, went berserk while seeking revenge for his slain companion. An old Academy friend of Tetsuken by the name of Kanaye--who now works for the Shogun Gardini himself--rushed to stop Daisuke, but was swiftly defeated. He did manage to stall Daisuke long enough for two other of Tetsuken's companions, Hisoka and Chujutsu, to put an end to the man's rampage. Hisoka and Chujutsu carried Daisuke and Masa away.
A. 17th, 7:54-8:06 PM: Quiet Death
Whilst Masahiro trains himself within the forests outside of Akinai, he is visited by a strange doctor by the name of Christian Lister, whom seems to be troubled by the current state of Cizok.
A. 17th, 8:15-8:21 PM: Boiling Anomaly
Zaila Nakamura, the Kisai Seigi of Cizok (head of the imperial battle mages), is interrupted in her meditation by the Kisai vice-commander, Akira Sasaki, who hastily informs her of his companion--Masa Sakamoto's--death. Zaila's wisdom is comforting to her subordinate, whom she also informs of Akira's other companion, Daisuke Tetsuken, and his willingness to attack government property. This news troubled Akira, who--as the vice-commander of the Kisai--took orders from Gardini and Zaila themselves.
A. 17th, 9:10-9:30 PM: Innocent Shadow
At Maguro's mobile camp, Risou Fushigi regretfully admits to his adopted older brother Abari Rizuka that he has made deals to obtain a cache of valuable jewels and silver with which to purchase the loyalty of particular noble families. Although disappointed in the dishonorable nature of this, Abari does not yell at Risou for this--but he does ask him to never stain his honor like that again, requesting that he stay pure, "like Maguro." Although the precious jewels and silver were acquired through questionable means, Abari and Risou maintained a wish to put it to good use.
A. 17th, 8:33-10:03 PM: The Professor's Story
Several notable individuals from Sensou were invited to meet in secret with Maguro, who planned an organized revolt against the government body. Those who arrived were Keane Sigmund and his students, a woman named Shinogiji Machi, and an artist known as Chujutsu Raikou (arriving in the place of Daisuke Tetsuken). They were to meet a second informant, who would test them, and send them in the direction where they were to meet Maguro. Shinogiji Machi, however, disagreed with the testing process, and argued (both physically and verbally) with the second informant, Professor Keane, and Chujutsu. Chujutsu managed to avert a possible disaster by getting all parties to come to terms with one another. While Machi left on her own, Chujutsu, Keane, and Keane's students proceeded to where they were directed: a lakeside view, where they should meet Maguro himself.
The group met with Maguro, with Abari Rizuka at his side, and learned of his intentions: recruitment; spreading the word of the possible need to come together for a defense against the government forces themselves. Keane and Chujutsu both agreed to do this and left, while Risou called Abari out for an impromptu meeting.
A. 18th, 12:02-12:19 AM: Averting Disaster
Gardini himself assessed the damage from Sensou at the fish market of Akinai. He ordered the deaths of the two telepaths (if they were found, of course) and commanded that military assets be protected just in case of another civilian riot. Assets included airship protection facilities and government owned blacksmiths.
A. 18th, 12:41-2:13 PM: No Cure for Greed
Enraged with the current status of Greoul merchants and the government's falling isolationist values (which the majority of civilians still held onto), citizens in Akinai began to harass Greoul merchants and their shops. This quickly escalated into blatant vandalism. Cornered by an angry mob of Cizokian citizens, a Greoul merchant was forced to kill citizens in self defense. This murder grew into multiple murders, and that particular merchant--along with several others--were killed by the mob. The mob was later told about Maguro and what he stood for, and were almost immediately convinced.
A. 19th, 1:07-9:42 PM: Day 3
Citizens of Akinai, enraged with the government's refusal to respond to them, begin to destroy Greoul shops senselessly. This leads to many citizens committing acts of blatant anarchy, destroying buildings and killing their fellow countrymen for no reason whatsoever. Within a half an hour after the mass rioting, nearly a quarter of the port city of Akinai had been engulfed in flames, and at least half of it had been at least partially demolished. By the time half of Akinai was engulfed in riots, soldiers began to cut off the riots and sent Samurai and Mage units to put down the rioters. These men, lead by a samurai by the name of Abi Hisshino, hit several parts of the "red zone," as the rioting half of the city was named. The left side of the red zone was swiftly defeated and the docks were occupied without a single battle. The right side, backed up by three students of Keane Sigmund, as well as long range support from Ishi Kato--who remained hidden with the home of a thief named Kaze--was defeated after a long battle. In the center of the red zone, Sigmund himself--along with two of his students--fought alongside Hisoka against Hisshino himself and his elite soldiers. The soldiers at the docks were compromised as a man named Kanemeate arrived to fight them. Just as reinforcements arrived for the right side of the red zone--marching in from the left side--they were ambushed by Masahiro.
Minutes before nightfall, airships mobilized to further end the rebellion by dropping carbon dioxide into the red zone, attempting to suck out the oxygen for the rioters to breath. Kensai and mages were also teleported into the city to provide back-up support to the waning government forces (equipped to deal with the carbon dioxide) within the red zone--including Kanaye, who inevitably began fighting Kanemeate at the docks. At the same time, Abari Rizuka, who recently returned from a secret meeting in northern Cizok, began to mobilize his men for counterattacking the government forces. Both Ishi Kato and Kaze fell unconscious from the lack of air, as well as many other citizens and soldiers alike. Masahiro, pursued by the former left-side soldiers, hid himself within a building while trying to find his breath again. Daisuke Tetsuken, who also recently returned to Akinai (he, of course, had just arrived again after escorting a girl he had saved back to his family's estate), attempted to down the airships like he had done to one before, but failed. Feeling that the carbon dioxide had settled enough, the airships mobilized into a tower-formation above the red zone's center, and used their propellers in unison to funnel it out of the city. Hisoka attempted to attack all of them at once, via a lightning shot from below them all.
While Masahiro continued to struggle against soldiers on the left side of the red zone, Hisoka managed to shoot down two airships in a single shot, leaving ten left above the city. A remaining airship continued to fire upon him, and he was rescued--in the nick of time--by his companion, Chujutsu Raikou. Chujutsu moved Hisoka out of the to safety outside of the city, and proceeded to combat the two airships by himself. In the meantime, Rizuka managed to successfully raid the armory with very little resistance, and although an airship fired upon the armory, a majority of his men managed to get away unharmed. Tetsuken, atop a building just blocks from the armory, was attacked by an elite Kensai, as Kanemeate continued to make short, sadistic work of Kanaye at the docks. Citizens began to escape from the city en masse, and thousands managed to get out into the forests outside of Akinai
Chujutsu, after combating several airships, escaped the city unharmed, under the cover of the escaping civilians. Daisuke Tetsuken defeated the elite Kensai, the Chameleon, in a single blow, but was left stranded in the city--by the time this victory was achieved, nearly every living civilian in the red zone had escaped.
A. 19th, 1:30-2:14 PM: Escort (Day 3)
Tio Magama and his gang, Makai no Daimyo, were intercepted during their anarchist aggressions in Akinai. Daisuke Tetsuken rescued from them a girl named Taniko Chiba, and after seeing her helplessness, offered to escort her to a safer location than Akinai. After more fighting with the Makai no Daimyo, Daisuke managed to escape Akinai with Taniko, but planned to return after escorting her to a safer location.
A. 19th, 2:20-10:56 PM: The Tetsuken Estate
After several hours of travel, Daisuke managed to escort Taniko back to his mother--Chizu Tetsuken's--home, located a dozen miles or so within the bamboo forest outside of Akinai. Daisuke managed to succeed, meeting his sister, Yuuka, at the door. Shortly after convincing Chizu to let Taniko stay, Daisuke returned to Akinai. After Taniko bathed and re-humanized, she ate dinner with Yuuka and Chizu, who subtly tried to get information regarding Taniko's relationship with Daisuke. Although Taniko feels exceptionally close to Daisuke, she--embarrassed--claims to be just friends with him. After revealing that Daisuke returned to Akinai, dinner amongst the girls came to an end, and Yuuka escorted Taniko up to Daisuke's old room, where she was permitted to sleep for the time being.
A. 19th, 3:20-4:17 PM: Secret Loyalty
Abari, the personal bodyguard of Maguro, finally reached the Algeroth-Xexoria border after escaping from the fish market. He had left Maguro to hire mercenaries to aid in what he and Maguro both assumed to be an escalating situation, although the mercenaries in question remained as enigmatic as possible, even after official employment. Abari returned to Akinai immediately thereafter.
A. 19th, 10:00 PM-A. 20th, 12:34 AM: Deadly Midnight
Numerous warriors continued to fight in Akinai while the majority of those that could escape did just that. This however left most of these warriors trapped in the city--a city full of enemy soldiers. Most could not make it out. Daisuke Tetsuken, trapped just as well, did all he could to see out an ally with which to escape with. This ally came in the form of Abari Rizuka, also trapped within the city. Together, they fought against Kensai Katsushiro Kyuzu and militiaman Hyoto Ryu; they defeated their enemies, and with the help of two strangers, managed to evade an onset of reinforcements for the two Shogunate soldiers.
They encountered difficulty, however: namely in the form of conscript soldiers guarding a route out of the city. After defeating them, the two warriors were free to escape Akinai.
Elsewhere, Kanemeate, after his defeat and potentially permanent hospitalization of Imperial Battlemage Kanaye, encounters a fellow masked man, and with very little prompt, attacks him. Their battle escalates quickly, but ends abruptly--along with a fair one third of the city, all up in explosive flames that leave a majority of the Red Zone in flame scarred ruins. The official result of the battle--who won, who lost, who died, and who walked away--remains unknown.
A. 19th, 10:32-11:01 PM: Real and Ethereal
As Zaila Nakamura investigates a portion of the aftermath of the battle, also seeking to further quell other battles throughout Akinai, she is interrupted by a servant of Gardini's. He claims that Gardini seeks her audience, and she returns to him accordingly. Shogun Gardini (who is enraged enough to abuse and kick one of his servants, Hikari Sasaki, out of the throne room, in the most literal of ways), with minister Hiraku at his side, discusses the matters of the attacks with Nakamura, asking for her advice. She advises that the figurehead, Maguro, is killed, and Gardini orders of her the tracking and eradication of Maguro Hito.
A. 19th, 10:50 PM-A. 20th, 12:02 AM: Denial
After being abused by an angered Gardini, palace servant Hikari Sasaki returned to the servant quarters to recover from the physical abuse. She bumped into her older brother along the way, however--Akira Sasaki, the Kisai's vice-commander--and immediately rejoiced from her otherwise depressed mentality. Akira and Hikari shared a nostalgic conversation which, in turn, lifted the servant girl's hopes. They were interrupted by a senior servant, however, who asked Hikari to return to Gardini's quarters with warm sake.
A. 20th, 12:56-1:22 AM: The Lamentations of a Princess
Seiria Almaster I, daughter of Shogun Gardini Almaster IV, thinks back on the decisions of her father and the recent atrocities committed in the name of revolution and freedom. Caught between her agreement with the citizenry and her devotion to her father, Seiria remains temporarily stagnate in deciding between--she remains with the default of her devotion to Gardini.
A. 20th, 1:01-2:13 AM: Bloody Calling
Abi Hisshino returned from the massive revolt in Akinai, injured and wounded all over. He arrived at the palace with spite, however, and cursed Gardini's name for sending his men to their deaths, and consistently ruining what could have been effective measures of putting down the riot. He was met by the daughter of Gardini, Seiria Almaster I, who bandaged and cared for the wounded Hisshino before his meeting with Gardini. The Princess showed a willingness to care for Abi, who did not openly feel worthy of such affections.
When Abi met with Gardini, they immediately spat at one another with sarcasm and spite--both blaming the other for the failure to subdue the rebellion. Gardini demanded that Abi kill a certain rebellious target, but Abi refused, stating that he'd rather kill Gardini instead. They were interrupted when the servant girl, Hikari Sasaki, arrived after being summoned to bring warm sake. Gardini forced Hikari at knife-point to provide him oral pleasure, which she did with the utmost reluctance, disgust, sorrow, and hopelessness. Frightened and violated, Hikari was kicked away following this, and clung to Abi--a stranger at the time--on instinct. Gardini threatened to do worse to Abi's sister (potentially another servant of Gardini's, as far as Gardini had told Abi), and even worse to Hikari if he failed to kill the target: Daisuke Tetsuken.
Reluctantly, Abi accepted the mission at that point, but decided first to comfort Hikari and escort her to her room. As the two left, Zaila Nakamura, Kisai Seigi of Cizok, arrived with Kensai guards who carried two women in with them, Ishi Kato and a thief woman named Kaze. Both women were reportedly found unconscious nearby one another in Akinai--Ishi being both a companion of Tetsuken's and the former Masa Sakamoto. At that point, Gardini ordered both women to be taken into different cells and contained for interrogation.
A. 20th, 2:45 AM: the Tetsuken Estate II
Following their escape from Akinai, Daisuke Tetsuken and Abari Rizuka encountered a Kensai that they could not defeat. Daisuke, drained, was unable to use a Qi attack of any sort, and with their opponent blind, Abari was unable to copy any particularly important talent. They managed to escape, but not unscathed.
The multi-hour walk to the Tetsuken Estate, where Daisuke knew they'd be safest for the time being, took a lot out of them--especially Daisuke, who was bleeding out quite a bit. They managed to return extremely early in the morning, waking a majority of the household, namely Daisuke's mother Chizu and Taniko, the young girl Daisuke had rescued earlier. Chizu helped with Abari's wounds, while Daisuke--in the bathroom for both cleaning and care--was assisted by Taniko.
More to come as this continues . . .
A. 20th, 7:04-7:40 AM: Interrogation
Ishi Kato, who had fallen unconscious during the carbon dioxide raid in Akinai, awakes in a holding cell, guarded by two armed soldiers and interrogated by Hiraku, Cizok's minister of foreign affairs, who intended to obtain information about the apparent revolution growing amongst Cizok's citizenry. During this, she is beaten and nearly tortured for information, before she revealed herself as a successor to the Kato Clan, a well known, independent "police"-like mafia that keeps the majority of Cizok's underground criminal activity organized and distant from the actual citizenry of Cizok. Realizing he may have been making a potential enemy, Hiraku reluctantly gave Ishi her own room and sent word for Yumika Kato, Ishi's older sister and current head of the Kato Clan, to negotiate with him over Ishi's release.
A. 20th, 1:12-3:29 PM: Counter-Questioning
Yumika Kato arrives at the palace in Akinai to negotiate the release of her younger sister, Ishi Kato. Rather than negotiate, however, Yumika threatens to kill Hiraku and raze government headquarters around the nation if he refuses to turn Ishi over to her. Hiraku agrees to let Ishi go, but acts spitefully slow to further irritate Yumika.
After numerous threats and a feigned attempt on Hiraku's life, Yumika managed to "negotiate" the release of her sister, with whom she returned to the Kato Estate--after, of course, Ishi demanded the release of another woman she suspected to be kept under captivity, the thief Kaze.
A. 21, 6:14-7:03 PM: Sorrow and Death
The head of the Aishou Estate, Karei Aishou, learns of Taisetsu Aishou's--his younger brother--death at the hands of Kensai during the event known as "Day 3." His closest friend, Natsu Murakami, informs Karei of the grave news, and the arrival of Taisetsu's body. Karei and his sister, Masumi, arrive to see the corpse of their younger brother, and lament over the great man he could have become. The Aishou clan is quickly swayed from support of the Shogun without even hearing word from the "revolution."
A. 22nd, 9:45-11:13 PM: Generations
At their mobile camp, Maguro takes a stroll out to the hillside--against the wishes of his bodyguards. He is intercepted by Kisai leader Zaila Nakamura, who had been tracking and waiting for Maguro to isolate himself. Her attempt at Maguro's life is stopped by one of the revolutionary figurehead's bodyguards, Eirez Jusinai.
A long battle between the two, Nakamura's powers over the spirits against Jusinai's powers to kill--to eradicate and smother life under a thick obsidian flame. Nakamura, wishing not to initiate a full offensive so soon, retreats after taking damage. Maguro returns to the, and after Eirez returns, the camp is moved to a different, more obscure location.
A. 23rd, 12:24-12:50 AM: Orderly Burns
Kisai Seigi Zaila Nakamura returns to her hidden Kisai camp, badly burnt from her battle with Eirez Jusinai during her previously failed attempt at Maguro's life. She laments over Jusinai's ability to destroy life, and is confronted by a number of her subordinates, one of which--Ryuu--becomes extremely upset and must be calmed significantly. Nakamura retires to her quarters to consider the next move.
A 23rd, 1:08-5:34 PM: On the Road
In order to gain allies from some of the more prestigious noble houses in Cizok: Abari, Maguro’s bodyguard, Risou, Maguro’s adopted son, Zange, Risou’s lover, and Izanami, a childhood companion of Risou; travel the countryside and discuss what is needed to bolster the strength of their revolution. After a short respite from their journey they would discuss and consequently, come to the conclusion that they could afford to turn away any sympathetic ear.
Later, with the idea that the secretive veil of a forest suited their needs best, the revolutionaries would spend a brief moment reflecting on their resolve; reaffirming their beliefs and devotions to the cause before heading into the nearby woods.
A 24th, 6:36-6:48 AM: Call to Arms
A contemplative Hisoka receives a mysterious letter while setting up and organizing camps for the escaped citizens of Akinai. After intense studying of the letter, Hisoka acknowledges that combat is likely and orders a continuation on the search for Daisuke; he also implies that training camps should be constructed.
A. 24th, 5:42-6:15 PM: Exporting Revolution
"Revolutionaries" from Meridian, a city from New Xexoria across the sea, arrived to request a personal meeting with Gardini. The meeting was accepted and slated to occur the following day.
A. 25th, 7:27-8:14 PM: Meeting
The meeting between Meridian's representatives and Gardini failed to produce mutually beneficial results, and the two began to threaten one another with war. Soon, both parties became violently aggressive, and the representatives from Meridian began to attack Gardini and his men by way of suicide bombs. Gardini was severely injured during these attacks, and the Imperial Palace was placed on a full lock-down.
A. 25th, 8:02-8:134 PM: Requesting an Audience
Shortly after the Imperial Palace was placed on lock-down, a messenger at behest of Loran, a representative from Algeroth, arrived at Gardini's palace to request an audience with the Shogun himself.
The child is ultimately denied, for the Shogun had taken severe wounds in a terrorist attack, and no advisers were available to meet with anyone at the time.
A. 25th, 8:20-10:13 PM: Burnt and Broken
After receiving severe injuries during the discussion with the Meridian representatives, Gardini was taken to a more protected region of the palace, where healers--such as Nozomi Yoshida--were called in to operate on the Shogun and save his life. The current status of Gardini is unknown.
A. 26th, 5:34-5:45 PM: Work [Akinai]
The Witch Hunter, an agent of Meridian, arrives in the burnt and broken city of Akinai. He wanders in search of revolution members, but finds only cut leads everywhere he seeks--not to mention a veritable lack of caffeine, which particularly irritates him. He manages to stumble across potential revolutionaries in a broken down bar, and piques the interest of one of them when he offers to support the revolution, and subsequently leaves the bar.
A. 26th, 6:00-6:15 PM: Idle Wandering [Akinai]
The Witch Hunter continues to wander the ruins of Akinai, finding no other traces of revolutionaries or caffeine. It appears as if, by this time, all traces of revolutionaries are scarce in Akinai.
A. 26th, 5:34 PM: Hard Times--Twists and Turns in Fate
Ayameko Misaki, a woman who had lost her father by a Kensai's blade during Day 3, acts as a guide for civilians stranded in the massive Cizokian mid-country forestry, guiding those she can find to the safety of a camp she temporarily resides within. Professor Keane Sigmund, separated from his students, arrives, but has been setting out signal flares for his students to find him. Misaki (and the rest of the camp) fear that this could lead soldiers to them, and flee the scene--but not before Misaki talks sense into a senseless and fatigued Sigmund, who joins her.
More to come as the plot develops . . .
A. 27th, 12:34 PM: The Importance of Trust
Outside of their isolated camp, Hisoka Antoshima and Chujutsu Raikou have scouted the area to find spots of Shogunate scouts and search parties. Their camp has been effectively isolated, as have others throughout the vast Cizokian forestry. In a recent search, traces of another camp on the move have come to their attention, and thus the importance of establishing contact with another group of refugees and warriors. Chujutsu hopes to combine camps to an extent or share supplies.
For the task, Chujutsu offers to attend in order to sway the fears of other warriors in refugees in the camp that he would somehow become a traitor--fear of him as only a half-Cizokian with preferences for foreign styles and foods, but Cizokian customs. Simultaneously, he bids former Kensai Jin Kazamika to join him in the search north for the second camp; a means of also curbing the doubts of the rest of the camp that--as a former Kensai--Jin is a spy. Kazamika, feeling strongly for the revolution's cause (as has become their only hope for survival), accepts without second thought.
More to come . . .
A 28th, 6:31 AM: To serve the Shogun! [Akinai]
Satou Akio issues a vague Call to Arms, signifying a local Water Shrine as the meeting place. In reply: Several warriors, ranging from mercenary to nobleman, show up to pledge their loyalties and personal interests, in either the name of the Shogun, or his Gold.
Despite the tensions among the group, the hired blades, loyalists, and sadists are ordered to gain the support and sympathy of the people; at great personal risk.
More to come as the plot develops . . .
A. 28th, 2:17 PM: Seigi Nakamura and Commander Shichiroji
Zalia Nakamura, Kisai Seigi of Cizok‘s Battlemages (head of the imperial battlemages), meets with the Commander of the Kensai, Shichiroji Kambei, in order to discuss business and the ongoing revolution.
More to come as the plot develops . . .
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