The Calm Before the Storm
Having protected the smugglers and survived the poacher-filled Loanuan borderlands, Potha was able to greet Akata and Eora back to the camp with a few new scars and bruises but no significantly bad news. Waiting time and scouting time was over - now it was time for a real plan.
Akata was rattled by her time back in the Kingdom of Huaka, but she came bearing excellent news: Huaka was willing to join whatever push the Blue tribes were willing to make, and the other sedentary Loanuan kingdom (Akaloa) was willing to consider joining any war that had a promising start. Eora, meanwhile, had a better mental state but less political success. The Keamara League had agreed to come to a war summit to consider a war against Analona, but they were extremely skeptical of attacking a powerful country without the entire island's support. The other Eastern leagues had ignored Eora's calls and would only hold their war summits if Keamara struck first.
Virtue and Keen, the Zeshem assassins, were cagey about their own accomplishments. They had acquired some expensive and powerful poison which they were unwilling to discuss the details of, and seemed to want to keep all plans contained to themselves and Potha.
The girls hammered out their plan: to start a war (possible against Analona, but perhaps against the Kingdom of Karzado ) at the Keamara war summit, then to sneak into Analona through the mountains to infiltrate Tailotha as entertainers. They would then enter one of the new Selkie Overseer's parties, assassinate her, and be on their way.
After the planning was finished, the feelings jams began. Potha confessed her love to both Akata and Eora; the girls agreed to stay on Loanua protecting the island while Potha saved the world abroad. Akata took it all rather poorly and needed time to recover, while Eora focused on the future of her own relationship with Akata instead of the oncoming future of hardship. Multijam drifting went down; Akata's family life got the spotlight; jokes were had and tears were shed.
After a day of talking and coming to terms with what they had to do, Eora and Potha rode to the Keamara summit to agitate their people to war. They found Analonan merchants selling booze and weapons while gathering espionage, but let them spy. Eora voiced her worries with starting a larger war with Analona when they knew so little, and the two agreed to pivot to attacking Karzado instead. They first convinced the leadership of the Sarana Tribe, who provided them a platform to speak to the entire League. Potha's speech was a rousing success, and the summit was launched with a unifying and militaristic spirit that unsurprisingly ended with a declaration of war on Karzado. Potha also spent some time with her fathers and came out as a God to them, and they encouraged her to only accept the role and duties of Halcyon if she truly wanted to.
With morale soaring, the group left the Keamara Summit to infiltrate Analona. They followed the smugglers to the mountains in the Southeast, which were supposedly impenetrable, to a hidden cave near the town of Pejek. The cave intersected with a nearby mine, providing an easy way into the town - but they had to go through the miners who secured the passage first. Specifically, Potha had to haggle with a local smuggler named Enorin, who introduced himself with a music number and some awkward slam poetry. Potha fed his ego and befriended him, and he offered their party safe passage on the condition that they "deliver the unfiltered truth" with their entertainer bit in Tailotha and that they attend Enorin's poetry battle on their way back.
Their journey after Pejek was largely uneventful, and they headed up along the coast as quickly as possible without drawing (the wrong kind of) attention. Tailotha is on the horizon... danger, adventure, the brewing storm. Everyone's at their gayest - time to fight imperialism in the lion's den itself! To the city of poachers!
Components
Goals
QUEST GOALS
- Leave Loanua to join up with the others
- Fight the Apocalypse
- Be Gay (Complete)
- Fight Imperialism
- Protect the Southside Sirens/Ladies in Black/Girls Be Smuggling
- Infiltrate Analona (Complete)
- Start a war (Complete)
- Talk with and/or assassinate Overseer Kova of Analona
Relations
Allies
Eora: Daughter of the Priestess of the Sarana tribe, Eora is a charismatic beacon of joy (if a little unused to being outranked by someone). Very attached to Potha and aware of her nature as Halcyon incarnate. Grappling with the terror of knowing the world is ending. Increasingly attached to Akata. Slowly coming to terms with the situation in Loanua. Former member of Rabbit House
Akata: A daughter of a Meako officer in the Western military state of Huaka, Akata was the model girl of the Huakan military elite. Still deconstructing the trauma of growing up in a militarized society, Akata is learning to give others their space and communicate in a healthy way. Akata is still be disciplined, courteous, and ambitious, and sees Eora and Potha as inspirations to always improve herself. Former member of House Eagle.
Coco and Cobi: Potha's moa and falcon respectively. Coco is a moa with a sweet tooth that is unusually friendly for a moa; Cobi is a falcon with a sense of determination.
Erelia: Guardian Meako of the Sarana Tribe . Stern, scary, only really respects fellow Meako, but has her priorities right.
"Sergeant" Kevara: The leader of the smugglers, Kevara is a Half-Dryad smuggler with a sense of style and bravado that often leads her into dangerous situations. A self styled "badass pacifist" that seems to love throwing weapons around but squirms at the idea of killing people, Kevara is the party face and self-appointed leader. Perhaps she was an effective leader back when they were smugglers instead of bandits, but her inexperience in robbery and distaste for lethal violence means that she basically just follows the directions of Virtue.
The Smugglers: The smugglers are a group of coincidentally all-lady smugglers who go by many names. This includes The Southside Sirens, the Ladies in Black, and many more. They have excellent branding and a reputation for professionality and effectiveness, but their need for panache has been a major problem evading the notice of law enforcement. All but one of these eleven women are non-human, and they just barely escaped being black-bagged by the new regime. They are now desperate, vengeful, and lost.
Tenara Sarana: Head priest of the Sarana tribe and Eora's mother. Knows Potha's identity.
Fin and Koro Sarana: Potha's two dads, both Choricals born to mercenaries who fled Analona. Skeptical of prophecies but supportive of Potha.
Neutrals/Bystanders
Virtue: A Hunter of Norinar of the religion of Zesheko , Virtue is an expert assassin whose job is to take down corrupt or imperialist Selkie s. Virtue has scouted out Loanua as a prime candidate for their operations, and hopes to eventually attract other Zeshem to their cause once they are able to do something big. Virtue is restrained and friendly for a Zeshem - they treat foreigners as ignorant children rather than unclean outsiders, and seem curious as to whether Loanua could be brought into the Zesheko fold. Despite Virtue's unusual curiosity and affinity for foreigners, they still do not value foreign lives and seem absolutely willing to kill any Loanuan who gets in their way. Virtue has only been seen using a specially crafted scoped crossbow and seems adept at mechanical traps.
Keen: Virtue's apprentice, who prefers a more hands-on and personal approach to assassination than their master. Keen is less well-controlled and actively seems disgusted by non-Zeshem, but is fiercely loyal and obedient to Virtue. When not aggressive, Keen is quiet and seems afraid of Virtue.
Enorin, King of Thieves: Head of a smuggling ring in Pejek, Enorin is a dramatic and spirited individual. Runs a speakeasy hidden in the mines as well as a secret smuggling path through the mountains. Wears an enormous hat, considers himself an artist, and has an ego the size of a mountain. Is married to the owner of the legitimate tavern in town (Breza). Very close to the miner's guild, and helps organize and arm the miners in case of disputes. Loves Choricals and thinks Vetevism is a religion of musical numbers. Uses his legitimate skills as a smuggler, hussler, and speakeasy-owner to fund his true passion for community art (specifically art that centrally features giving him attention).
Adversaries
Overseer Kova: A new overseer that has recently seized control of the Kingdom of Analona . Paranoid and has been targeting non-humans.
Backdrops
Locations
Pejek: The small mining town of Pejek sits in the middle of the Maldara mountains in Western Analona. Pejek is half a Prism mining town and half a military town, as it supplies the nearby Analonan fort (Fort Lokrin). Fort Lokrin is perfectly positioned to control all major traffic through the Maldaras and is essentially unassailable, making Pejek incredibly secure and comfortable for a border town.
Plot type
QUEST
Parent Plot
Subplots
Related Organizations
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