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

[sassywelshcatgirl]

Yeah. I don't remember it. Fat lot of good all these things I don't know do for me, huh? [Nia doesn't know what her memories are supposed to be, of course. But she can't possibly be any angrier or grumpier than she is without them, right?]

[doodlebuginette]

[This was usually the point at which she'd hug one of her friends. But she and Nia weren't friends yet, and she felt like doing so would only make things worse.]

I know it doesn't make you feel any better now, but I'm sure you'll start to remember things about yourself after you've been here for a while.

[sassywelshcatgirl]

Eh. So long as it's not the sort of remembering that makes me go all evil. [Which she has been told is absolutely a thing.]

[doodlebuginette]

[Marinette snorted and shook her head.] No! I wouldn't wish that on anyone. I just meant that shinki start to remember things after they've been here for a while. The other kind only happens when someone tells you about your past before you've remembered it.

[sassywelshcatgirl]

Right, well, no fear of that I'm sure. [No one's evinced a hint of knowing her, after all.] Not sure what's worth remembering either. It'll probably just make me unhappier.

[doodlebuginette]

But what if it makes you happier?

[Because she's still going to hold out hope that there are good things for Nia to remember eventually!]

[sassywelshcatgirl]

[Nia regards Marinette evenly, if with a bit of pity and irritation all mixed together.]

I'm dead. None of it matters any more.

[doodlebuginette]

You're also here. And you matter.

[sassywelshcatgirl]

I know that. But the past is gone. There's no going back. If I had friend, they're mourning me. If I had enemies, they've escaped me. What's to remember?

[doodlebuginette]

[She had a point.]

Some people might want to remember where they came from. But I'm sure there are some who'd prefer not to. But you can make more friends here, and good memories.

[sassywelshcatgirl]

And more enemies. [Nia smirks. She isn't OUT to make enemies, but the way this whole place is set up, she doesn't doubt it's going to happen.] But yeah, see why I'm not bothered?

[doodlebuginette]

That's always an option, if it's something you're into. [Somehow she doubted that was something Nia wanted, but she's willing to humor her either way.] I suppose I can see why you wouldn't be as interested~

[sassywelshcatgirl]

[Yeesh. This girl is entirely too cheerful.]

Tell you what, why don't you tell me how you stand it? Trapped here, away from your family and everyone you care about? Is being a god really so great that it makes up for all that?

[doodlebuginette]

[That... was probably the last thing she would have expected Nia to ask, and her face falls.]

I hate it here. The only person I know from where I'm from doesn't remember me, so I have to lie to them every single day so I don't accidentally turn them into a monster.

[Marinette honestly had no idea what she would do if she had to watch him die again.]

I think maybe I'd prefer being a shinki to this. Honestly, I want to go home. But it's not like any of us have a choice, is it? So we're stuck here, and being miserable to everyone else isn't going to help anything.

[sassywelshcatgirl]

Yeah. That's a lot more realistic attitude. [She nods slightly. 'Satisfaction' isn't the word for it, but maybe... relief? If this girl really was so chipper and cheerful in the face of everything, Nia would have thought she was insane.]

I'm not going to be happy till I don't need to be someone's property. That's principle I won't waver on. So I've got my reasons, too.

[doodlebuginette]

Such is life. But I choose not to let things get me down more often than not. [Which was, probably, part of her problem. But whatever.]

Well... here's hoping that you get there some day.

[sassywelshcatgirl]

Yeah. Here's hoping. [She just... doesn't understand the cheeriness. Maybe she never will. It must be nice, though.] But this is all business anyway.

[doodlebuginette]

If you keep that goal in mind, I'm sure you'll make it happen eventually. [Because that's just the kind of person she is.] Business?

[sassywelshcatgirl]

Isn't it? Because we're looking for some sign to some attack, right? I'm sure not out here for a refreshing nature hike.

[doodlebuginette]

[She'd... never really thought about it that way, to be honest.]

Huh. Maybe you're right.

[sassywelshcatgirl]

Sure I'm right. What's the alternative? [Nia can't even snark too hard about this, because the question is too surprising.]

[doodlebuginette]

[That was a question she didn't even have the answer to, so she's just going to settle for shrugging.]

If you find out the answer to that, let me know.

[sassywelshcatgirl]

I think we should all know if any of us find anything out here. Because from what it sounds like, everything's all sorts of trouble.

[She's only heard rumors, the forest and the kidnappings and the ritual. But she's heard nothing good.]

[doodlebuginette]

[She couldn't even disagree with that, if she was being honest.]

Yea... if we all pool what we know, things will be a lot easier on all of us!

[sassywelshcatgirl]

Yeah, we might actually get through this somehow.

[Not being cheerful or optimistic today, thanks.]