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

[kokuyoyo]

It's a cult... a fairly organized one. [But that was obvious.] I managed to get the name of one person, plus her twitter account... which is apparently how the cult sometimes contact her. Most of the people down in the forest... seemed to be only low level mooks.

So... I have someone that should be able to help me with computer matters. So... I'm looking into that.

[revolutionfalcon]

[The first thing strikes him as pretty obvious, considering the dress and the number of them, but the rest of it is new. He looks a little doubtful at the concept of someone using Twitter to contact people for something like this, though.]

Seems like a weird way to do it, but it's likely they contact the people who actually matter a different way. If there are any people who actually matter between the ones orchestrating and these low-level ones. [It might just be a small cluster of people puppeteering from on high.]

Who is it you're looking into it with?

[kokuyoyo]

They also use phone numbers.... It seems like they never stick to just one method, or one account.

[Which is why he said it was organized. Someone with less paranoia or long term plans wouldn't think to do something like that, at least with the online handles.]

And it's... a redhead with glasses. Girl. Futaba...

[revolutionfalcon]

That makes more sense. [Switching methods and making sure nobody knows exactly how to contact them would be a far better method of keeping themselves at a distance from the people they're directing.

While he had been hoping the person Chikusa was getting help from was someone he didn't already know, he just nods slightly once he confirms who it is.] I've met her before. There don't seem to be a lot of people with that kind of skill here.

[kokuyoyo]

No.... It's her or that idiot who keeps messing with time and space... [Fuck Add. Fuck him straight to hell. Chikusa reaches up to adjust his glasses.]

It'd be good to learn that kind of thing, but we don't have a lot of time for it...

[revolutionfalcon]

This seems like something he wouldn't bother with anyway. [Add has always come off as very "big picture", frequently to the detriment of the smaller one (and everyone else around him, for that matter).]

Not really. I suppose someone who already knew could help you with the basics, but it's not really something we need often enough to spend the kind of time it would take.

[kokuyoyo]

And he'd probably just make it worse in the end...

[A nuisance, really.]

And that's only for now... but if this sort of thing continues to be relevant...

[revolutionfalcon]

I'd say the biggest risk is that if one of the people reliable for it disappears, we'll lose that aspect of investigation. Add has been here longer than most, but the other girl has been here and vanished before.

[So there's a reasonable chance they might lose Futaba again and have to resort to Add, or ask around to figure out who else has the same skillset.]

[kokuyoyo]

And there's the problem... [Sigh.] It'd be ideal if some sort of AI or robot could be made to deal with this... We don't have to worry about those disappearing.

Anyway.... All I need is her address, and I'll take care of the rest without technology.

[revolutionfalcon]

Add's the only one I know of who actually deals in things like AI. [And as long as Chikusa openly wants to kill the guy, that's probably not going to go well as a general rule.]

Hopefully she's not the only lead we end up with out of all this, but it's more than we had beforehand.

[kokuyoyo]

And eventually, if we keep a close enough eye on her, we'll be lead to something else...

But for now... [He nudges a stick with the tip of his shoe.] Forest.

[revolutionfalcon]

Assuming we actually find anything significant out of all this mess. [It's mostly been ripped up spell papers and washed-out trails of footprints as far as the eye can see for Shun. This definitely got left too late for most of the useful evidence to be intact.]

[kokuyoyo]

I don't know why they're looking into the forest....

[He glances back, more in the direction where actual humanity lies instead of just boundless forest. He has a fairly good sense of direction, and he remembers where he's gone.]

Wouldn't it be more useful to look at the nearest human locations, like places with lockers, or gas stations...?

[revolutionfalcon]

I'd guess they think there might be traces of the spell that connected this place to the Heavens, but I haven't exactly had much luck with that myself.

[Shun sounds somewhat dismissive of the notion, because of all the things that would've suffered from the scene being left way too long to lose evidence, any traces of magic seem like they would've been at the top of that list.]

[kokuyoyo]

Magic seems rather fickle here... and, while I'd like to know how the spell worked more than anyone, I don't think we'll find anything substantial here.

[After a moment, he nods his head to Shun.]

But if that's the case... Would you rather go see if we can find any security tapes or something in buildings and places near here? I already know one person's face... so I think I could likely pick out others. Especially if it's an influx.

[revolutionfalcon]

[Shun shrugs slightly at the suggestion, in a manner as if he figures it can't be less productive than what they're doing here.]

Sounds like it might get us more traces than looking around here will. Especially if we can spot who's hanging around that one face you recognise, or ask the people around here if they remember anything about seeing them.

[kokuyoyo]

Mm. Do you know anywhere to immediately teleport to it, or should I get out a map...

[If his phone can work here, anyway...]

[revolutionfalcon]

Map would work better. I prefer to teleport to points where I'm not going to land on someone.

[Or in someone. Any memorable landmarks of the area stand a decent chance of having enough people for unfortunate telefrags to be a concern.]

[kokuyoyo]

Alright...

[Time to flick through his phone to see what's available... Shun can peer over if he wants.]


[ooc: goes to ask question...]

[revolutionfalcon]

[Shun's definitely going to peer over and see if there's anything that looks like it'll be of use.]

It might be better to try traffic cameras first, in case they used the roads but didn't stop at any businesses.

[kokuyoyo]

For a traffic camera, then... We'll probably want to stop by the police station around here. And that's... here.

[A quick search, and he's got it, along with where it is on the map. He tilts the phone a little to show it to Shun better.]

Good?

[revolutionfalcon]

[Shun scrutinises the map and image for a moment before nodding slightly.] Fine.

[Touching Chikusa's shoulder, he teleports them to the location...onto the roof, specifically. It's a good place to not run into anyone, at least.]

[kokuyoyo]

[Definitely a way to not crash into anyone... Still, that just has Chikusa looking over the edge of the roof, debating on if he can jump down well enough.]

If I'd know this was going to happen today, I would have brought my uniform...

[revolutionfalcon]

Any cop who believed you were one just because you were wearing a uniform deserves to be fired.

[Shun says that very bluntly as he leaps off the side of the roof himself. Chikusa might be tall, but he still looks like the gangly teenager that he is.]

[kokuyoyo]

The trick- [He leaps over himself with a grunt, landing well enough. His shinki body seems to be much more suited for jumping like this than he remembers himself being...] -is to not let the see your face.

Most won't see me anyway... so the uniform is just for the ones who would, so that they don't look closely. [Door, door, where is door... He starts to make his way towards it once it's spotted.] With my hair hiding enough of my face, and a hat, it works well enough...