29 - Autumn Leaves

[godsoffortune]

Who: Everyone!
What: Uncover the remaining secrets of the mysterious forest.
When: Nov 29 - 30
Where: Chichibu National Park & the Central District
Summary: A heavily forested wilderness area in Chichibu National Park is attracting dangerous numbers of ayakashi, and Heaven's forces suspect that this might be the mortal forest that was connected to the Heavens in order to kidnap gods and shinki a few weeks ago.






Walk in the Woods

On the morning of the 29th, Heaven's messenger doves drop off small folded cards at the doors of every temple. The cards read,


We believe that we have identified the location on the Near Shore where the human accomplices were working. As it is a large area, we offer you this information, in case you are able to assist us in searching for clues to the identity of the culprit. Please investigate with caution: there are reports of ayakashi in the area.


Attached is a map to a large national park in the Kanto region, with a section of the park cross-hatched in red pen. Anyone who goes to investigate the marked area will discover that it is heavily forested and contains about a mountain and a half; the ground is steep, muddy with autumn rain, and slick with dead leaves, though some red and orange colors are still grimly clinging to the branches overhead. Watch your step! The supernatural menace seems to have faded, but the purely natural hazards can do almost as much damage.

Heaven's forces, wearing white short jackets with gold chrysanthemum emblems over much more sensible jeans and hiking boots, can be seen here and there throughout the forest, searching for clues themselves. If somebody gets in a real jam, they might be willing to lend a hand.

Mysterious Trees

Towards the center of the cross-hatched area, investigators may begin to see some familiar signs. Are those bits of torn-down spell papers still fluttering from nails driven into the trees? Vines and tree branches cut and broken by the hostage rescuers breaking through? Footprints, torn bits of black hooded cloaks... there are clues aplenty here.

There's something else, too: a mysterious presence still seems to haunt the forest. The trees might not move when anyone's watching, but it seems like they're in slightly different positions every time you look away and back. And what was that flicker of movement in the underbrush? Is there still someone here?!

Comment on the NPC REQUEST/CLUE SEARCH thread below to request specific details, or to go hunting for that mysterious presence.

Ayakashi Attacks

There's more than one mysterious presence in these trees... and some of them are definitely not friendly. The forest's aura is unsettling and creepy enough to partially mask their approach, but ayakashi of all types and sizes seem to have been drawn here. Some wind along tree branches or soar through the air on fleshy, wide-spread wings. Others crawl or even burrow in the ground.

And all of them are excited at the possibility of a divine meal. Look out!

Autumn Leaf Viewing

An area of the Central District planted with maple along a stone-walled canal has been decorated with hanging lanterns, comfortable spread mats and cushions, and an abundance of delicious food and drink on the afternoon of the 30th. Everyone is invited: new gods and old, those who helped investigate the Near Shore forest and those who didn't. For those who did investigate, though, one or two of the white-robed shinki who are helping with the party preparations and enjoying the food and drink themselves will take the opportunity to pull them aside and ask about their findings.

The party includes games as well as food and drink. Kites, poetry games, tag, hide-and-seek, card games and dice games are going on all over. There's even some determined board game and mahjong players who have brought their favorite game to the outdoor venue and are setting up on mats with immense care.

At one edge of the landscaped area where the party is being held, the ground slopes up, and is planted with a riot of bright gold, white and rust-red chrysanthemums. Like the ones that bloomed everywhere a few months ago, these flowers exude a sense of peace, confidence and security to anyone nearby, and especially those who pick the blooms to wear in their hair or their buttonhole.

In Summary:

• Investigate a wild forest
• Watch out for nasty trees
• Exorcise an ayakashi infestation
• Enjoy some hard-earned relaxation
• Have fun~

Comments

[revolutionfalcon]

[This kind of tracking is one of Shun's stronger points considering his history, and he doesn't hesitate to speed up as soon as Caster confirms he really did see something. He's heading right for where he saw the movement go, scanning the forest for any further traces of the movement as he does, though he also adjusts his trajectory slightly when he sees what Caster's doing. Might as well keep their net broad enough to be effective.]

That would be too easy. [He's gotten the impression the forest isn't quite back to normal, too, which means it would probably be siding against any traps set up. As it is, though, he's not being too talkative currently, not wanting to let their potential quarry in too much on where they're coming from.]

[fleetforestsprite]

[The flicker of movement recurs in the leafless bushes ahead of Shun, a swirl of long dark hair almost obscured by the branches as whoever he's pursuing darts to the left. The bushes hump upwards under his feet as the movement vanishes, roots breaking free of the earth to catch at his shoes in an attempt to trip him.

The girl darts straight out of the bush on the other side, plowing directly into Caster with a high-pitched squeak of surprise. She looks perhaps twelve, with mud and grass stains ground into her skin and the faded, ripped summer dress she's wearing. Despite the chill of the season, she's barefoot.]

[futhark]

[ So instead of an enemy they find- a child? No reason why she couldn't be the enemy though, but better not to assume the worst??? Caster's got good reflexes so he manages slow down, and instead of having them crash at each other at this speed, he sidesteps and catches her into his cape-

or hey, at least he tries to? ]

What kind of squirrel we got here?

[revolutionfalcon]

[Shun has fast enough reflexes to spring from the lumping earth before the roots manage to trip him up, but it doesn't put him in the most useful position to catch the girl. Thankfully, Caster seems to have that covered, and he gets as good a look at her as he can while she's amongst Caster's cape.]

Who are you? [He's a lot more straightforward about it than Caster, but while he's definitely wary, he's not yet hostile. This doesn't look like a human or a soulless...or a god, for that matter.]

[fleetforestsprite]

[She looks a little confused and a little rebellious, or at least the part of her face visible above the folds of Caster's cape does as she tries to wriggle free.]

I'm not a squirrel.

[She reappears briefly, sticks her tongue out at Caster, and then drops down, trying to roll away once she's below the reach of the cape.]

[futhark]

Apologies- [ Not a small mammal nibbling on nuts, is an answer- albeit not an answer they really sick. When she drops down it almost looks as if she disappeared. But the movement of foliage gives her away. And so Caster scrambles again trying to not let her run away- ]

-how do we make up for this offense, lady not-squirrel? [ He jokes even when serious matters are on the table but this might also have a purpose of keeping them look less threatening. Although, back home where he comes from, even innocent-looking children met in woods could be incredibly dangerous.

Especially if insulted. So yeah, his apology is actually pretty genuine ]

[revolutionfalcon]

[If Caster doesn't manage to catch her again, Shun is waiting ready to grab her out of that roll - the problem with movements like that is, as he knows, leaving yourself vulnerable and on a very predictable trajectory while they're happening.]

That's obvious. You know what happened to this forest, don't you?

[One way or another. She's being too furtive about this to be completely unrelated. Also, it's rare Shun decides he knows the definition of "looking less threatening".]

[fleetforestsprite]

[She's not too adept; her escape attempt wasn't much more than a child's duck-and-run, and with Caster grabbing from one side and Shun from the other, she pulls to a stop, scowls, and says in a sing-song tone:]

What happened?

[You tell her.]

[futhark]

[ Is she trying to trick them? There's always a possibility. Could she be just a child that has just a strange affinity to the people of Far Shore? Maybe. Too many "maybies", but sure he can play that game. Caster decides to keep his tone light, he drops to a squat just before her, so they can at least be on similar eye-level ]

Didn't you notice? A lot of trees got hurt. [ He points at the tree still being the signs of earlier event, nails, torn spell. ] And not only them.

[ Also gods, shinki and plenty of human cultists, from what he heard. Not everyone made it out alive ]

[revolutionfalcon]

[While Shun does also consider the possibility the girl might be trying to trick them, the way she tried to trip him up has him suspecting that she might have something to do with the forest here. They don't have to give her too much detail, anyway, and while he doesn't crouch down like Caster, he nods slightly at his words.]

Someone cast a spell that changed the forest and forced it to connect to another place. Were you here to see it happen?

[If she's still hanging around here, then it's a distinct possibility.]

[fleetforestsprite]

[She takes a step back from Caster, careful to stay out of arm's reach, and crosses her arms as she glances from him to Shun and back again.]

Trees are stronger than that. Some of them got hurt, but they'll all live.

[In other words, she was here.

Also, in other words, it's mostly the lives of the trees that matter. She tilts her head, just a little, puzzlement leaking into her expression.]

Why are you talking to me? Most of you don't.

[futhark]

[ Ding, ding, trees were a right trail it seems. Who- or what is she, exactly? ]

Well, we're not like most of them. [ Look at them, such unique snowflakes they are. It's a question does she speak about humans, cultists, or gods though... He makes no move forward towards her, as she's no longer running but talking with them, and while he does keeps his posture relaxed a serious note rings in his voice ] Have you seen those who hurt your trees? We want to stop them from this happening ever again.

[ Trees are sacred, he knows that even if he's just a fake of a druid ]

[revolutionfalcon]

The people who hurt your trees also hurt companions of ours. So we're trying to find out who did it. [It's honest, but it's put in a way he figures might appeal to her more, since she's obviously much more concerned with her own interests than the idea that anyone she doesn't know got hurt.]

Since you were so wary, I figured you might've been caught up in it. [Or involved in it, but even Shun knows when being accusatory is probably just going to backfire spectacularly. He's not going to speak for Caster on this particular front, though.]

[fleetforestsprite]

[She takes another cautious step back, and presses both her palms against the trunk of the big, old oak behind her.]

What do you want to do to them?

[futhark]

[ If she was a fairy back in Erin she could just disappear into the tree and that's all they would see of her. ]

You know, if you want to leave you can, I'm not going to stop you. [ Two scary dudes interrogating a little girl - #feelsbad. Who might be a hermit, a fairy or some unknown goddess. ] Sorry for scaring you.

[ He looks up at the crown of trees above them, as he makes his mind to answer truthfully. You should be always courteous to forest dwellers. ]

An answer to that question is probably different for everyone. Me, I just want to get better to know what happened. Part of this forest used to run behind my house. [ Now it's gone. Before you could cross from his temple to the mysterious forest, and probably visit another temple without ever going outside the woodland. ] My dogs ran into it occasionally. Large white hounds, maybe you saw them.

[ Could she cross into Heavens through this forest, a question ]

[revolutionfalcon]

[Shun doesn't have the same compunction about treatment of forest dwellers, so he elects to be only partially truthful. He doubts saying he plans to force the information out of whoever they find however he needs to is going to go down particularly well.]

I want to ask how they did it so we can guard against it happening again. It's impossible to do that without knowing exactly how the spell was done.

[He's certainly not lying about that part - he does want to know how the hell it happened in the first place so they can avoid any chance of a repeat - and he doesn't hesitate to say it either.]

[fleetforestsprite]

White dogs? [She shakes her head, a little tension going out of her body at the offer to let her leave.]

I didn't see them. Did they really come into my forest?

[Still... her expression remains uncertain.]

I don't think it'll happen again. He was mad about it.

[futhark]

Maybe they just ran on the outskirts and never wandered into yours, then. [ Caster shrugs, it was a guess. He did not keep the hounds on the leash but it was possible they kept only in the range of forest belonging to his temple.

Besides, there is a more important topic at hand- ]

Who is that "he" -if you don't mind us asking?

[revolutionfalcon]

[Shun's attention piques at the mention of a "he", but Caster already asked the obvious question there.]

Is it someone who lives in this forest as well? [It could be...but then, the fact that she's saying him being mad should mean it won't happen again implies it's someone with more power than that. The only reason Shun isn't pursuing the lead more harshly is the fact that this girl is clearly already on edge and, he figures, likely to flee if they become overtly hostile.] We don't know whoever this is, so it's hard to trust that him being mad about it is definitely going to stop it happening again.

[fleetforestsprite]

Sensei. He doesn't live here, though. And I really can't talk to you about him. ,[She glances over her shoulder, guiltily, as if afraid they'll be overheard.]

[futhark]

[ Ah yes, the tendencies to play hero when beautiful women in trouble are involved... she's just a kid, so scratch the "beautiful woman" part, but that glance, that wariness - that looks like trouble.

Without really thinking it through, Caster quickly writes "silence" with runes into the air, making the spell circle them. Silence falls upon them, the sound of trees, birds and rustling of wind? All gone. ]

I'll keep this only for a moment but no one can hear us outside of this circle. [ Just like they can't hear anything. It's very easy to step out of it though, as it is does not have an effect of a physical wall ]

If you're just scared that your teacher will scold you, sure, keep quiet. [ Teacher, father figure, doctor, whatever else the "sensei" here can mean ] But if you're afraid he'll hurt you and want to ask for help, this is your chance.

[revolutionfalcon]

[Shun's only getting more and more suspicious as this girl talks about this person, and while he glances in Caster's direction as if to gauge his reaction while he's talking, he doesn't quite expect that to be his solution.

Still, he may as well go along with it.] Is there a reason he doesn't want you to talk about him?

[He figures it goes along well enough with Caster's offer - if this so-called "sensei" has another reason for it, then she can explain herself.]

[fleetforestsprite]

[She stares around at Caster's wall, lifting a hand as if to touch it, and then reversing to press her fingertips against the edge of her ear instead. She swallows.]

I'm not supposed to talk to anybody else at all. He gets mad, and if he's mad at me, sometimes he won't talk to me for a long time.

[She crosses her arms, hugging them close, and ducks her head.]

But it's not like he hurts me. I just don't want him to go away.

[futhark]

Aha, so you like him? [ Like "like" him, tho not necessarily dokis are involved. It's still a good thing to joke a bit about. Gut if the dude is her friend, that sounds like pretty uneven deal. He turns back to more serious with another question ] Or do you just like having someone to talk to?

[ Another possibility. "Why are you talking to me? Most of you don't." It's easy to assume she must be somehow unrelated to this, maybe even a victim of some plot. But he's aware he should stay on guard and keep at least some suspicions of what she says. ]

[revolutionfalcon]

[By this point, Shun is definitely looking more openly suspicious, though considering what she just said, he feels it's a valid enough reaction even if Caster is still trying to sweet-talk.]

Does he say why he's mad when you talk to others, or why you're not supposed to? [That angle might get them a bit more information on this person, because that's definitely not the behaviour of someone who doesn't have plenty to hide.]