[EVENT|4TH WALL] THE NEWCOMERS’ ARRIVAL | APRIL 15-22

[ironwood]

Characters: ALL and plus ones.
Date: April 15-22 2015 (2016 in-game)
Location: Farmlands outside the city walls, but this log can also be used for locations within the city.
Situation: Spring planting - fourth wall event, week one!
Warnings/Rating: Add warnings as needed.

The days for the festival dawn sunny if a bit chilly, but the air is clear and the soggy ground has dried enough that there isn’t too much mud in the lanes between fields and homesteads. The broad dirt path to the Woodsmen’s land leads past the tram-line construction, lined with waving ribbons on sticks along the sides. The Woodsmen’s territory circles the city, separated from the city’s walls by five hundred yards of neutral land.

The festival’s central area is Liangken’s Clearing, and this is where the festival will begin and end each day. Liangken is an ancient tree, among the oldest on the turtle’s back. Though it doesn’t flower or bear much in the way of leaves anymore, the kedan have cultivated it carefully and now it’s an excellent representation for the revitalisation of old wisdom.



The lanes between the fields and homesteads will house the stalls, contests and walking areas. The Woodsmen will be keeping an eye on these to prevent anyone from walking off the marked paths. The homesteads provide ‘hotspots’ in among the lanes and fields, with Woodsmen families lending their yards to the comfort and entertainment of their guests.

In general, the Woodsmen are a taciturn, soft-spoken lot who nevertheless take great pride in their work. Their lands are all but sacred -- they accept no attitude, no trespassing, no attempts to thwart their authority. This causes some noticeable tension with the Snakes, who are accustomed to being the sole enforcers within the city; but though there may be some ill tempers and raised voices, at no point will anyone come to blows. It’s hard to argue with someone built like a brick wall and carrying sharp farm implements.

The Woodsmen are a touch anxious about having strangers on their land and this shows in them being overly officious or bossy, but at the same time their pride shows clearly and they are eager to show off the state of their lands, their greenhouses, and their farming processes -- practically without being asked. The residents of Keeliai tend to think of the Woodsmen as ‘cowards’, and the Woodsmen are taking this opportunity to prove themselves otherwise with feats of strength and tall tales.

Due to the farmers’ hours of “early to bed and early to rise”, the festival ends in the early evening at sundown, but begins again before dawn -- usually by greeting the sun with a song.

---

LINKS
Heojin, Ran and Lin | Liangken’s Clearing | Stalls and Lanes | OOC Information post | 4th Wall Character Check In

OOC
While Heojin and his bodyguards are open to everyone (including fourth-wall characters!), they are not available for small talk and general directionless CR. For the integrity of the mod’s inbox, please only request a thread with him if you already have an idea of what you’d like your character to ask/do. Other NPCs can be requested by sending a PM to the appropriate journals directly, with the same guidelines.

The top-level comments are for the festival, but fourth-wall characters should feel free to use the rest of the post for anything within the city of Keeliai itself! Just remember to label the top-level comment for location and date.

Comments

[denyamenti]

He'd almost, almost, planned to ignore the man, when he'd glimpsed him through the crowd and done a double-take. Given it several long seconds of consideration, in fact. But ultimately decided that he'd had enough of people disappearing, to ignore the ones that came back.

"Looks like the Dreaming has discovered recycling," he said, a slow hint of his usual smirk finally appearing.

[lostundercover]

Costigan knew that voice. It brought with it a guilt he could never fully understand or explain. Bakura was his only real regret about this place, or about leaving it. Even though the didn't exactly have a choice, being here and now again reminded him of how much he let the kid down and how much growing the kid had to do. The guy.

"I figured you'd be in jail oah somethin'," he quipped lightly as he turned to face his old friend of sorts, posture straightening out of habit.

[denyamenti]

"They got rid of the jail," Bakura answered easily. There was no hostility in his expression or body language and, while there wasn't open friendliness either, nothing portrayed ill-will at the undercover.

"So you're only wrong on a technicality."

[lostundercover]

Costigan chuckled at that, giving the guy a respectful nod for the acknowledgement. The undercover slid his hands into his pockets, wishing he had some meds to kick back or a drink or two in his system. This place had become remarkably unfamiliar to him and he was as surprised that anyone remaining here still knew him as he was at all the changes.

"What do they do with the criminals now?" He gestured vaguely in the direction he thought the jail used to be, not even sure of that. "You all upstanding members of the community now?"

[denyamenti]

"There are three main families which are claiming power in the city," Bakura replied. "One of them, called the Snakes, like to consider themselves the new law in Keeliai. They tend to take matters into their own hands. In fact, their leader even tore down the old police station and built his mansion on the spot."

There's amusement in the thief's tone at that, partly at Yunxu's audacity and partly at the nerve of that choice. Say what you would about the man, he did know how to make a statement.

"But for the most part, the Foreigners don't seem to be interested in rocking the boat, or turtle," he added.

[lostundercover]

Costigan frowned at the news, feeling like it was revelation of a personal attack somehow. He'd barely been in charge of the police and only for a limited time. The idea of the station being torn down still felt like a blow to the gut, a gross dishonoring of Evandau's memory. The undercover scowled at the thought of this new asshole living there before evening his expression, not interested in having Bakura misconstrue.

"What about you? How you been keepin' busy?" Which was a nicer and more subtle way of asking how the thief was making money and whether he'd been using his magic to take care of things still. As much as the world around him might have changed, the Bostonian hadn't. He didn't like to talk about magic.

[denyamenti]

And Bakura, judging by the smirk, knew exactly what Costigan was asking. Thankfully, his answer was not likely going to rile the man.

"Reopened the dojo in the Wood Sector," he replied. "The one Korra owned. She left it to Ryou, when she disappeared. With everything going on with Malicant, there hadn't been much time for him to do anything with it, and then he returned to our world as well. It seemed pointless to let it sit empty, so I had things repaired there. Plus, it's somewhere to live, in the back half of the building. Cheaper than paying rent."

Not that he'd been paying for his rent with legally gotten funds anyway, but that was besides the point.

[lostundercover]

"You're a teacher." His tone was dry and flat, formed of equal parts disbelief and suspicion. Bakura wasn't a bad guy, but he wasn't good either and when Costigan had left, the guy was known for being an asshole and troublemaker. A teacher, while not inherently good by any means, seemed like a stretch for the guy so hellbent on revenge.

[denyamenti]

"I let them do their own practice, for the most part," Bakura shrugged, and it was true. Most of the patrons were there for the usage of the space, not for lessons, or they instructors themselves were patrons. For the most part, the thief just oversaw that no one got carried away, tried to start trouble, or tried to steal his cashbox.

There had only been the one, and they'd find him. Eventually.

"A lot has changed. I went back, when the magician offered it," he said.