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

[swordofzero]

Yes. [The trees weren't actively moving so much. Not like when they had been trying to rescue people a few weeks ago. But a few times he had caught a tree not being in the place it should have been.

He holds out his hand and shakes Caster's.] Pleased to meet you. I'm Kururugi Suzaku.

[futhark]

[ And so formalities are done, they're now allies, etc etc. ]

Two people can cover a larger area than just one, how about we join forces?

[swordofzero]

That's a good idea. [He nods, there might not be much left intact but even the things that were destroyed could tell them information if they had enough of it to piece together.]

There seems to be a lot of scraps here.

[futhark]

[ Caster notes a nail and a scrap hanging from it ]

The paper-spells? I wonder if we can find one intact.

[ It's not his kind of magic, but maybe, maaaybe he could be of use somehow? ]

Better not touch them though.

(( ooc: heey we got a clue! ))

[swordofzero]

I won't. [No touching ofuda that may or may not be cursed. He goes over to another tree where there is a scrap of paper nailed there.] It's not intact but there's a bit of writing on it. It's not anything I can read though.

[According to Kurosaki the language was probably made up. So he's not surprised at that.]

[futhark]

Yeah, that's unfamiliar to me too. [ What a shameful thing to admit as a Caster- good thing he never likes being one anyway. He's paying a lot less attention to the scrap though and more to the nearby trees. ]

There's another one. [ This one doesn't even have a spell left, just nail and few scraps of what once was paper- but that doesn't stop Caster from looking victorious.

He quickly writes few glowing runes in the air, and a thin, ephemeral line draws in air from first tree to the one he's just found. ]

Heey, found some more nearby? [ If they can't read the spells, maybe pattern the enchanted trees form will tell them something ]

[swordofzero]

[He sees the line appear connecting the trees. What was Caster trying to work out?

He goes over to where Caster is stood and looks around again.] There are more over there. [Again there's not much to be seen, but the writing is similar to the first ones, even if he cannot read what it says.]

[futhark]

[ It takes Caster few seconds more to notice where Suzaku noticed them. ] Ah, I see. You got good eyes, don't ya?

[ He continues making the lines between the trees, from one leading to another until they finally-- make a full circle roughly around the clearing. ]

Huh. I was expecting a more sophisticated pattern... [ But simple works. Simple works almost too well. ]

[swordofzero]

A circle though, I wonder what was in the centre of it. [He looks around at the trees within the circle, to see if there was anything odd about them. Anything that might have happened within this circle.]

[futhark]

Maybe something important happened here. They wanted to keep it in.

[ Caster follows looking around, to see if they missed something ]

Or others out.

[ He shrugs, his earlier excitement fading. Too simple, means too many options ]

Could have been a gate too- ah, a shame.

[swordofzero]

A gate? [He looks around again, trying to figure out what it all meant. It might have been as simple as some of the commanders of the cultists had been in this circle, protected, during the kidnappings. Or more complicated than that.

Their best chance might be with the strange ofuda, trying to figure out exactly what they say.]

[futhark]

Just a guess. Lot of shit you could get going with a magical circle.

[ That's what he sees this place to be. With a flick of his wrist, he makes the shining lines disappear ]

So many possibilities I can't just pinpoint one of them. Not without knowing more about the spell.

[ Maybe he could if he was a better mage or better druid! Time to smoke, he produces a cigarette pack from one of the sashes, and takes one- then decides that sharing is caring so he also offers one to Suzaku ] Want one?

[swordofzero]

[Suzaku shook his head with a polite smile.] No thank you. [He looked around the circle again and then at the nearest tree, or rather at the scrap of paper on the tree. Staring at it like he was willing it to make sense. It didn't of course, it was written in a language he didn't understand.

He frowned moving over to the next and looking at that again. Then back over to the first. He took out his phone and took a picture, moving to the second one again before returning to where Caster was smoking.]

I think some of these characters are the same. I can't read them but... [He didn't have to be able to read them to see similar patterns.]

[futhark]

[ Caster hums at the comment ] I wonder--

[ Here is just a top of the paper and torn badly, there is another one which has part visible around the middle, and another- varied scraps, mostly unreadable thanks to the elements, but maybe, just maybe could- ]

If we had enough scraps we could maybe reconstruct one.

[ Are they safe to touch tho ]

[swordofzero]

That's a good idea. [If they were the same then putting them together would create a whole one. In theory. It would be more than they currently had though.

He's not sure if they are safe to touch though, still better he than Caster. He tucks his hand in his jacket and reaches out to pluck one from the tree.

Nothing immediately terrible happens. He reaches out for another and looks around for any kind of space that is flat and dry to place them on.]

[futhark]

Ah, you should have let me try first!

[ He could have given you a protective spell or something- but if they're safe to touch he is going to not do that - gotta conserve the mana. After a while they get a bunch, of scraps, time to play the puzzle ]

Looks like some are still missing.

[ They weren't able to reconstruct a whole ofuda ]

[swordofzero]

I wasn't sure if they'd be safe to touch. [So better him than Caster.

He focusses on putting together the pieces and frowned at the gaps in the ofuda.] Perhaps there are some other pieces... I can have a look further afield if you wish.]

[futhark]

[ Is this some self-sacrificing thing he hears? This is way too familiar, all his shinki are like this. Is it infectious? ]

We could spread, sure. But it might be just a case of being here too late.

[ Elements and all that, it is unlikely to find missing bottom half ]

Contact me if you find it, and- try not to touch it. Your concern is appreciated, make no mistake here. But I'm the resident magic specialist.

[ Ha ha ha. Why ]

[swordofzero]

That's unfortunately likely. [It's been a few weeks after all and this rain is not helping things.

He nods, blushing a little. Perhaps he had been a little hasty. He hadn't known Caster was a magic specialist.] I will contact you if I find anything, sir. Are you in the phones as Caster?

[futhark]

Ah, not sure. Do they put there real names or god names-? [ Okay that is a wrong way to word that question, it would be the same in his case. But when he searched for some of the gods he usually found them by godname. Not so much with a shinki. ] I guess it's Cú Chulainn.

Hey, thanks for all the help. [ Just in case they don't find anything useful and don't run into each other again ]

[swordofzero]

It is no problem. [It was what he was here to do after all.] Thank you also.

[He nodded politely again and turned to leave the clearing, to see what else he could discover.]