godsoffortune: (Default)
The Far Shore Mods ([personal profile] godsoffortune) wrote in [community profile] thenearshore2018-06-01 07:03 pm

29 - Autumn Leaves

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~
boneofsword: (crashing your living room)

[personal profile] boneofsword 2018-06-09 03:31 pm (UTC)(link)
[Seeing Hibiki's weapons Archer drops his borderline, but some of the water hits it and bounces back. Ayakashi wails and snaps its maw shut, then proceeds to barf the water out straight at Maxie.

Whoops.]
priforprince: (drip)

[personal profile] priforprince 2018-06-10 03:12 pm (UTC)(link)
What?!

[ Maxie, startled by this, rears up, and Hibiki does her best to try and steer him around behind the bear from hell instead. Attacking head-on doesn't work?!

What irritating resourcefulness! ]
boneofsword: (srsly not)

[personal profile] boneofsword 2018-06-18 03:35 pm (UTC)(link)
[Too bad that plush horror doesn't stay still, turning to face Maxie while it open its maw again, presenting row upon row of hellish teeth. Apparently it's preparing to lunge and snap its trap shut on delicious heavenly meal.

Archer sighs and sets a borderline between the horror and its prey.]


Don't you have a shinki?
priforprince: (grr)

[personal profile] priforprince 2018-06-19 01:07 am (UTC)(link)
We're acting separately.

[ MAXIE DOES NOT LIKE THOSE TEETH CAN WE GO NOW

Hibiki, unable to get in a clear shot, scowls. ]
Can't its movements be stopped?

[ Pin it in place and then she can do something Very Cool that will hopefully cripple it - no, that will work without a doubt! ]
Edited 2018-06-19 01:07 (UTC)
boneofsword: (facepalm.jpg)

[personal profile] boneofsword 2018-06-19 10:05 pm (UTC)(link)
[Archer just raises a brow at that ridiculous request.]

Girl, if you can't fight why are you here? To play a damsel in distress?

[Honestly, Ginia can disable the ayakashi in half of the time Hibiki wastes here. So can Zelda. Even Alex is able to do much better without a shinki. Sigh.]
priforprince: (SWORD)

[personal profile] priforprince 2018-06-19 10:23 pm (UTC)(link)
I can fight!

[ Hibiki swaps out her holy water pistols for a sword. ] Now, distract it!
boneofsword: (turns to red)

[personal profile] boneofsword 2018-06-19 10:44 pm (UTC)(link)
[Hibiki plz.

Archer drops the borderline and slashes two cutting ones at an angle. Otherwise he's merely watching from the sidelines, much more concerned for the steed than its rider.

Of course the plush from hell doesn't miss its chance and lunges at Maxie (and, subsequently, Hibiki). Archer's lines cut deep.]
priforprince: (wand)

[personal profile] priforprince 2018-06-19 11:02 pm (UTC)(link)
Haaaaahhhh!!!

[ Hibiki has also, at least, had the forethought to douse her blade in holy water. It shines as she moves to meet the foe, undaunted (Maxie, meanwhile, is going to have horsey nightmares for weeks). She's hoping to add her blade to this strike, knocking the creature away from her.

Behold, aberrant polluted creature! This - is her pure wild dance! ]
boneofsword: (crashing your living room)

[personal profile] boneofsword 2018-06-20 03:05 pm (UTC)(link)
[Were you hoping to avoid old grizzled man lecture from Archer? Because you're totally getting one, incoming in three... two... one...]

That's a lot of unnecessary movement. You're leaving yourself wide open. Moreover, if your horse is not trained for battle, are you using it as ayakashi bait?

[Meanwhile ayakashi happily snaps his maw shut on Hibiki's sword. Blech, holy water! It tries to spew it out with disgust, though it slows down considerably.]
priforprince: (kendo)

[personal profile] priforprince 2018-06-21 02:31 am (UTC)(link)
Cease your useless insolence!!

[ Given that Hibiki says this while trying to slice the bear - or at least knock it backwards - it's unclear whether she's speaking to it or Archer. ]
boneofsword: (whom do I follow)

[personal profile] boneofsword 2018-06-22 10:44 pm (UTC)(link)
[Meanwhile Archer is on the roll. What, he's merely giving pointers.]

Those flourishes leave you completely open for a counterattack. Even Caster isn't as bad as you are. Whoever did teach you did an abyssmal job. [a beat.] ...unless they wanted you dead.

[Plushy spawn from hell decides teeth won't do the job and engages in tug o'war with Hibiki's weapon.]
priforprince: (lelouch vi pritannia)

[personal profile] priforprince 2018-06-23 01:58 am (UTC)(link)
SILENCE!

[ Archer's making raucous noise and the ayakashi refuses to let itself be trounced. Does it not understand what an honor a trouncing from Shikyoin Hibiki is?! People have waited for hours in hopes of receiving such a blessing!

Hibiki tugs a mighty tug in hopes of winning this tug war; if she frees her sword, she'll reach for one of the pistols again with one hand.

If not, well, that's what being a genius ad-libber is for. Curse this yammering peanut gallery, dividing her attention!! That is absolutely why this is not going well. ]
boneofsword: (not impressed)

[personal profile] boneofsword 2018-06-23 07:36 pm (UTC)(link)
[The ayakashi lets the sword free the moment when Hibiki tugs, and then snaps its maw at Maxie. It's easier to get to delicious dinner while it's not sitting on that four-legged fiend.

Meanwhile Archer has had enough. He leaps to ayakashi and delivers a solid roundhouse kick.]


If you want to survive you have to focus on your enemy, not on how you look. [he delivers coldly while looking down, definitely not impressed.]
priforprince: (chill)

[personal profile] priforprince 2018-06-24 02:41 am (UTC)(link)
[ Maxie backs up upon being snapped at, which does have the fortunate side-effect of giving Archer a wide range of motion to actually be effective against this thing. Hibiki is also perfectly happy to swap positions and become the heckler. Nothing about this experience is desirable. ]

My methods are wasted on such rabble.

[ Here. She'll squirt the pistol at it again. She's Helping. ]
boneofsword: (grim is the past)

[personal profile] boneofsword 2018-06-25 09:12 pm (UTC)(link)
So you can't even admit that you can't do something? [Archer raises a brow and gives Hibiki a good once over, apparently unoncerned with ayakashi that's currently trying to get back to its feet.] That's cheap.

[He's somewhere between exasperated, amused and so done.]
priforprince: (useless)

[personal profile] priforprince 2018-06-26 02:10 am (UTC)(link)
Anything I can't do in accordance with my style isn't worth doing.

[ Shouldn't you be watching the bear from hell? She shall do you the favor of assisting. ]

...Behind you.