being home is strange. then again, he doesnât know if he can even call it home anymore. finn ultimately has nothing here; his home was stolen by some gleerian duke that now lords over the state they call soule, and another over remilly, both previously lucinier territory. his territory.Â
he can say he is back in etlia until heâs blue in the face, but it ultimately changes nothing. realistically, they cannot chase gleerium from their borders. they cannot reclaim their home. they can not escape from under the harsh boot of their cruel overseers.Â
or maybe finn is just being too cynical. it wouldnât be the first time, especially in the past year. maybe there is some way to build etlia up from its ashes, in name and all, but finn canât bear to put any hope in that possibility. his heart has been broken more than enough; he doesnât know if he can handle more failure and disappointment.
everything around them is a reminder of it all, though. he doesnât know if itâs better or worse that he isnât alone for this, instead, accompanied by asher, fellow etlian, though one that rarely left his own home, if ever. finn feels the need to explain it all to him; thatâs the stable my first horse was from and thatâs the field where i tried to learn how to ride a pegasus without telling my father and that was the best tavern in lucinier before gleerium burned it to the ground. thereâs so much to cover, all of it incredibly painful. finn feels torn in two, between the desire to run and ignore it allââ to hide from all this heartache ââand yet he also doesnât want to forget. he does not want to forget the way the streets he walked looked before they were marred by gleeriumâs violence, or the days his people smiled, or the sacrifices they made, even if they were ultimately for nothing.Â
even so, it makes him feel sick, and he doesnât say much beyond pointing out landmarks and the ghosts of his country. he doesnât think he can bear to. he doesnât know how to. he feels both numb and on the verge of breaking.
maybe itâs out of habit, still ingrained in him after a year away, that his feet carry him to the former lucinier residence. he stops before they get anywhere truly close, though, and simply gazes across the small fields surrounding it, the gardens beyond them, and finally, the stone building that rises above it all. maybe itâs imposing to some, but to finn it was home, and looking at it now, he wishes he never came here. he doesnât run, though. instead, heâs frozen in place, and he stares in silence.Â
maybe he owes asher an explanation, or maybe he doesnât owe him anything; maybe asher already knows the root of finnâs silence and vacant expression. either way, eventually, he manages, âthatâs the lucinier estate. was.â
the final battlefield of the war is not too far from here. deep down, finn knows he must face that too. he just doesnât know how.
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
â Live Streamingâ Interactive Chatâ Private Showsâ HD Quality
Anya is LIVE right now
FREE
Free to watch ⢠No registration required ⢠HD streaming
APPROVED!
+ONE 8 STAT LEVEL UP
+ONE 7 STAT LEVEL UP
ASHERÂ is now LEVEL 6
the stats you can add have been randomized, and you must now distribute one point each across 8Â different stats for your first level up and 7 for your second. you must add two of those stat points to two of the strong skills listed on your application with each level up.
please record this post on the âstat trackerâ page of your status page, and link this post under the âlinkâ heading as proof of your level ups. be sure to record each level up individually in order to keep things organized. thank you for your participation in the event!
[ link to your uf:winter1 tag ]
[ link to your status page ]
APPROVED!
+ONEÂ 6 STAT LEVEL UP
+ONEÂ 7 STAT LEVEL UP
FINNIAN is now LEVEL 19
the stats you can add have been randomized, and you must now distribute one point each across 6Â different stats for your first level up and 7Â for your second. you must add two of those stat points to two of the strong skills listed on your application with each level up.
please record this post on the âstat trackerâ page of your status page, and link this post under the âlinkâ heading as proof of your level ups. be sure to record each level up individually in order to keep things organized. thank you for your participation in the event!
at first glance, emperor yumi would appear to be sleeping soundly in her bed. at first glance, she looks comfortable and at peace.
her personal priest takes a seat at her side and tearfully checks for a pulse once more, now accompanied by misu and minister dani. she looks up at them and shakes her head, then closes her eyes and weeps. âiâm sorry, thereâs nothing i can do,â she manages.
âitâs okay, gayeon,â misu assures her, though her words sound hollow. she approaches, and with a closer look...yumi is pale, becoming more and more like the image of death by the second.Â
misu takes her motherâs already-cold hand. âmother...â she breathes, and she observes; watches the way the esteemed emperorâs skin grows taught around her bones in mere minutes, her appearance far more skeletal now than when misu first took her hand.
âgoddess...â dani mutters in disbelief. misu simply frowns, and somehow, doesnât look surprised.
âprincess...ah, emperor?â gayeon says, her cheeks still wet from tears, but eyes full of questions.
âitâs gleerium,â misu repeats, voice unwavering, full of confidence.
âwith all due respect, emperor, how do you know that?â dani asks.
âitâs the same way in which they murdered drewitt. etlia didnât even hold a proper funeral for him because he was nothing but bones within a few days. alfan and the others didnât want to disturb anyone that saw his body.â
âhow did you know it was gleerium then?â dani questions once more.
âthey found the assassin and plenty of information to confirm his affiliation to gleerium,â misu practically snaps, patience clearly wearing thin, but she soon sighs and releases some of her tension.
âwhat is it...a form of dark magic?â gayeon asks next.
âyes...magic that both poisons and drains life force simultaneously. we donât know much about it. perhaps the archsage or one of his students may be able to help us.â
âif you would allow me, emperor, i would like to be the one to try to find our answers,â gayeon requests, and misu is quiet, considering. âi have experience with magic, as well as a personal stake in the matter. if i failed to prevent this magic from taking yumiâs life, i would like to redeem myself by learning about it as the source of her death.â
âvery well,â misu agrees with a nod, and gayeon bows in gratitude.
âit isnât your fault, gayeon,â dani attempts to reassure her, and gayeon bows to her as well.
âi appreciate it, minister dani.â
silence falls upon the women and the disintegrating former emperor, before dani finally speaks up:Â âemperor misu, what is our next move?â
âiâm not certain,â she admits, then thinks in silence for several moments more. âi believe we must follow alfanâs example and not hold a funeral; at least not a more public one. perhaps those closest to her...â more silence, and then: âdani, what is the state of our army?â
âcertainly been better. much of it is spread throughout ganggyn to deal with the monster threat.â
âwell, i would like an organized army. please find some way to accomplish it.â
âemperor...?â
misu does not acknowledge daniâs concern, and instead says, âmay i have a moment with my mother, please?â
both dani and gayeon linger for a moment, before dani nods and leads the way out of the emperorâs bedroom.Â
itâs only now that misu cries openly. âmother, what happened...?â she whispers, and then she drapes herself over her motherâs body and weeps.
THE ZORATORI ALLIANCE
hawk king daakâs castle is not nearly as impressive as any other castle in deyuis, but that much makes sense: he is not really a king at all. maybe it can compete with faerynâs relatively humble home, but it certainly cannot touch the rest of the zoratori councilâs magnificent forts. still, as is the case for most structures in kesthe.Â
daak doesnât exactly have a throne room either. instead, it is more of a very large and impressive office, ceilings remarkably high, plenty of room for any bird to stretch their wings.Â
now, however, he sits at a desk, perhaps surprisingly, scattered in parchment, making him look far busier than he actually is. maybe itâs intentional.
of course, the young and troubled hawk cannot visit the hawk kingâs âthrone roomâ without guards, so they lead him there. itâs only when daak takes one look at the young hawk that he nods to the guards to let him go and leave them be for a few minutes.
âi heard we have a problem,â daak addresses the other hawk, and already sighs.Â
âyes sir,â the young hawk replies, nodding several times. he recounts the same tale he told the guards outside the hawkâs makeshift palace, and daak listens closely. he sighs once again in the end.
âwe had an agreement,â and he sounds both disappointed and exasperated, as if he both expected this result, yet still hoped for better. he turns his attention to the other hawk, looking him right in his eyes. âthank you for telling me,â and then he looks back down at his desk. âit looks like iâll be paying our dear friend skrarrenniek a visit.â
âi didnât mean to cause any problems, sirâââ
lotus hall looks far better than it did the night of the festival, and the first attack of the monsters, but thereâs still much work to be done. glass and bodies were long since swept away, floors cleaned to nearly their former previous pristine condition. the windows, however, are still little more than gaping holes in the side of the hall.Â
two figures stand in the center of the hall, taking in the sight surrounding them.
âwe have plenty of artisans in gleerium that iâm certain would be willing to help with the windows,â king andreas informs the woman beside him.
âusually i would like to employ those in noyillai, butâŚâ laureliaâs voice trails off. the entire neutral zone suffered significant damages in the monster attack the night of the lotus festival, scorched by the magic orbs of the mogalls or clawed at by the revenants that sought out humans through any means possible. the neutral zone is as quiet as laurelia has ever seen it these days, many steering clear out of fear of monsters attacking once again, some locals choosing to relocate instead of rebuilding in noyillai.
there are still some monsters that pop up, but the stragglers are nothing compared to the night of the lotus festival that will undoubtedly remain seared into the minds of noyillaiâs locals, if not leaving a mark on the history of deyuis as a whole.Â
this poses a problem, because the renewal is right around the corner. the renewal: a celebration of the end of the year, but the beginning of deyuis. the first day of the deyuis calendar is also, allegedly, the first day of deyuisâs existence all those years ago. the renewal is not so unlike the lotus festival in the way that it is a celebration of unity, the people of deyuis supposed to mimic those early days of the continent where there were no country lines or differences, and they were all one people. as such, giving gifts is customary, especially to those from countries other than your own, to honor those early days when all people of the continent were one.Â
in the past, noyillai was a common meeting place for the renewal, civilians of other countries choosing the neutral zone to exchange gifts for extra safety. with the monsters still tormenting the entire continent, and half of noyillai in relative ruins, celebrating the renewal may prove difficult this year.
people are afraid. these are the words laurelia does not say out loud, but andreas understands, and offers a single nod and a further thoughtful look out of the wound in the hallâs side that was once one of the more spectacular windows of the establishment.
âmany people in noyillai are out of work, correct? i imagine business is down since the attack,â andreas begins, and laurelia nods, anticipating he has more to say. (andreas usually does.) âthe ballroom itself is a wreck, but there are other parts of the hall that are still functional and mostly undamaged. is it possible to offer shelter here in exchange for their aid in rebuilding the hall, and any other damages in noyillai youâd like to fix?â
âiâd like to fix it all, andreas,â laurelia chuckles under her breath. âweâre already doing this to some degree. there is plenty of room in the rest of the building, and many homes were damaged in the attack, so if anyone comes to me seeking aid, we set them up with a cot in one of the unaffected wings so they donât simply die in the cold. the inns are nearly at full capacity, and those whose businesses were damaged may not have the gold to afford a room regardless.â
andreas nods, and falls back into thought.Â
âwhat if i lend you some of the royal chefs? the kitchens are still operational?â
âmost of them; yes.â
âso what if we offer meals to those that assist in construction? i imagine hunger will be an issue this winter as well.â
âit will be,â laurelia replies, considering the idea herself. âiâm sure many people will take that offer. i donât wish to put your chefs under too much strain.â
âi have plenty, laurelia, rest assured, and i will pay them well. you have much to worry about already. let me take care of this one thing.â
âalright. i suppose i can allow it,â laurelia decides, the words almost lighthearted. almost.Â
andreas laughs, then adds, more seriously: âhave you tried contacting the zoratori alliance?â
âfaeryn and i have been in close contact.â
âof course you have. thegrorthius and kahuzoaâs strength would certainly be useful in the construction efforts?â
âsometimes they stop by to assist. faeryn comes most often. sheâll sing to those seeking shelter here to lift their spirits. they have their own troubles these days, howeverâŚâ
THE ZORATORI ALLIANCE
squabbles within the bird tribe are far from unusual. sometimes it seems as if their wings and beaks are the only things the hawks and ravens have in common.
in times of trouble, however, they are usually able to set their differences aside to fight together; after all, they are all part of the bird tribe at the end of the day, regardless of their exact species.
the monster attacks are certainly a time of trouble. the zoratori alliance is not exempt from them, the same creatures that rose from the earth in noyillai doing the same in their country, from the forests of the birds to the mountains of the dragon tribe. it is the dragons that seem to have the easiest time fighting the creatures, while the birds struggle the most.
perhaps teamwork between them is more important than ever, but it would appear itâs scarcer than ever too.
it begins with a typical argument over something or other between a small group of hawks and ravens. in this case, when monsters attack, the groups do not band together in the ways the birds preceding them did in times of war. instead, they treat each other like enemies as well; they do not fight one another, but the ravens redirect the monsters to attack their hawk counterparts instead.
this leaves the entire group of hawks dead but one, while the ravens live. after the monsters are dead, the young hawk survivor flees the scene, but the ravens give chase until they realize where the hawk is headed: to the hawk king daakâs palace.
âplease allow me to see his highness,â the young hawk says once in his human form, falling to his knees in front of the hawks guarding the door of the palace.
âwhy?â one of the guards asks brusquely.
âmonsters attacked my friends and a group of ravens. the ravens did not help us. all my friends are dead, and even once the monsters were too, the ravens said âno survivors.â i flew as fast as i could, but they chased me, andââ i donât know when they stopped. i didnât look back.âÂ
the guards exchange a look, and one finally says, âiâll go see if lord daak is busy.â
âthank you, thank you,â the young hawk says, soon in tears.
of course, word travels fast among the bird tribe, especially when two-thirds of them treat each other more as enemies than friends.
PODAKKO
despite podakkoâs nature to fight, it is oddlyâŚmore at peace than most of deyuis.
given it is a nation of warriors, the monster threat is already nearly eradicated in the country. some speculate that podakkoâs monster threat was never as large as the rest of deyuis; that they came in smaller numbers.
still, the people of podakko do not let their guards down, each town leader still ensuring their fighters are on the look out to protect the more helpless people of podakko, though there are far less of those in this nation than any other, also.
ysmene, however, is so confident that she begins lending out parts of her army to the rest of deyuis: gleerium and ganggyn in particular.
GLEERIUM
gleeriumâs winters are harsh, their brutality only beaten by the neverending winter of omaduun. as the months of autumn fade into those that are colder, the ice and snow begins to set in in the north, slowly making its way further and further south.
the people of gleerium dread it this year, and they pray that gleil will have mercy; that he will spare gleeriumâs southern states from the chill, because they must fight. they must stand guard ceaselessly, and they need to maintain their energy, because the closer the state is to the river, the greater the threat of the monsters.Â
no one knows why, but it is enough to spread fear throughout the entire country. the monsters are more active at night. andreas urges the civilians to seek shelter early to avoid being ambushed by creatures in the dark, and some of the barons of the towns and cities set curfews for their people. few parents allow their children to play outside without supervision anymore.
andreas has magic users of all kinds inspect the river, but no one finds a reason for the monsters populations to increase in density near the river, and no one knows why it is especially bad in the former etlian territories and those surrounding them. luckily, vessalius is a state made for war, so they are well defended. the other areas, still recovering from the war of the statesâŚarenât so lucky.
it will be the first real test of gleeriumâs ability to take care of their newly acquired territory.
OMADUUN
as if it were possible, omaduunâs winter is harsher this year than ever. other than that, little changes. omaduun was no stranger to the monsters that appeared at the lotus festival long before they shook the country as a whole, and for some reason, their population changes little in the country known for its dark magic.
deyuis, once judgmental of those in omaduun, begins to turn to them and their mages for help. after all, those familiar with the creatures now plaguing their lands will surely be useful. some of omaduunâs mages are bitter while some are eager to assist.
others, especially historians, canât help but notice similarities between this, and when gleerium called upon omaduun for aid in the 300 yearsâ war centuries ago. this time, they are not fighting against laguz, so perhaps itâs different. this is not a war; it is a continent united against a common enemy.
at least for now.
GANGGYN
pegasus knights circle above the city of seodal at all hours of the day and night. the streets of the city are more well lit than ever, and every archer in the city is extremely busy, called upon to teach their craft to as many as possible, especially the pegasus knights themselves. itâs a strange combination, but if they can strike down the monsters without even needing to touch the ground, itâs ideal.
so intense is their military operation that dani, minister of military affairs, has taken up a temporary residence in dalyang palace in order to discuss the necessary strategies to defend the capital from the onslaught of monsters.
and it is an onslaught. the creatures most frequently appear outside of the cityâs walls, but they seem to grow out of the dirt itself even within the city, the underworld opening up to unleash them. the people scramble to cover any dirt or grass to prevent the creaturesâ âgrowth,â and this does seem to help.
âi hate to say it, but i think we need to do something about the gardens,â dani says, in a meeting with princess misu.
itâs a bit strange for a princess to take part in strategic meetings at all, yet alone lead one, but yumi wasnât feeling well and returned to her room early, and crises wait for no one. if they want to beat the monsters, they must stay on their toes.
âthe gardens are a staple of seodalâŚâ misu argues.
âi know, but as long as thereâs grass those monsters are going to keep cropping up, and i donât know how long you want so many soldiers outside of the palace.â
âas long as it takes,â misu argues.
âwould your mother say the same?â dani returns.
thereâs a fire in misuâs eyes momentarily, but it fades quickly, soon replaced by the levelheaded manners expected of ganggyn royalty: âi believe so. if the creatures are still an issue in the new year, perhaps we can discuss itâŚbut until then, i believe it is too soon to destroy what our city is known for, especially while our armies remain perfectly capable of defending the palace and surrounding areas.â
dani is quiet, clearly thinking, and then nods. âunderstood. iâll check in with the emperor in the morning to see if she has any other thoughtsâââ
their conversation is interrupted by the meeting roomâs doors flying open and the panicked face of a palace priest. itâs not just any priest, however; she is yumiâs personal priest and companion of many years.
âforgive me,â she pants, voice cracking simultaneously. âthe emperorâââ she begins to cry, but manages to finish what she came to say: âshe is dead. emperor yumi is dead.â
âwhat?!â dani exclaims.
âi believe it to be poison. i didnât realize until it was too late. iâm so sorry,â the priest weeps, and dani puts a somewhat awkward hand on her back in an attempt to comfort her.
misu stands, frozen in shock, and both the priest and dani look to her for guidance. she chokes back the tears that glisten in her eyes, soon replaced with anger, and she says, âitâs gleerium.â
âdo we have any proof of that?â dani asks, turning to the priest, who shakes her head in response. âi donât believe so.â
âprincessââ er, emperor, i urge you not to make hasty assumptions.â
misu sighs, some of the emotion draining from her features. âvery well,â she agrees. âwe willâŚsearch for the evidence first. and in the meantimeâŚahâŚâ she looks up at dani, and they simply stare at each other for a moment, at a loss.
eventually, misu speaks once more: âi thinkâŚwe do not tell anyone. at least for tonight. we can sayâŚshe is ill, and only let the trusted individuals closest to us know the truth so they can aid us in investigating her cause of death. once we knowâŚthen i will announce the truth myself.â
OOC
welcome to your first state of deyuis post! this is an event, but one with lots of wiggle room on what to write about. all you have to do is write about anything mentioned in this post, and tag it with #uf:winter1 for it to count for the event. no matter where your character is located, you are still welcome to write about anything relevant to them happening in other countries, or have them travel there themselves! warp travel is quite easy, after all.
this is a lot of information, so donât hesitate to send any questions to the main if thereâs any confusion or youâd like clarification on anything.
this EVENT will run until saturday, march 3rd, 2022 at 11:59 pm est. this means the following FORM will be due on sunday, march 4th, at 11:59 pm est:
TITLE: MUSE NAME: WINTER 1
[ link to your uf:winter1 tag ]
[ link to your status page ]
this event does run for a long time, and a lot can change over the course of a few months, so keep an eye out for any changes in the state of deyuis along the way đ
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
â Live Streamingâ Interactive Chatâ Private Showsâ HD Quality
Anya is LIVE right now
FREE
Free to watch ⢠No registration required ⢠HD streaming