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

[smilingbullet]

No, well, sorry, it's just that it's surprising is all. I thought horses would be a thing that existed everywhere or at least were known of, no matter where ones goes.

[onehandsomeslickninja]

[Edge shrugs.] No answers for you, because no memories. Makes it hard, doesn't it?

[smilingbullet]

Yeah, no memories can be troublesome like that.

[onehandsomeslickninja]

You ever remember anything? I hear sometimes people do, but... [Well, he hasn't, obviously enough. What criteria or conditions trigger it?]

[smilingbullet]

[ Ah, the dilemma. He has remembered ten years of interaction with a guy, but it isn't something he talks about to random people but on the other hand... ]

A little bit, once. I don't know why, but sometimes that does happen. It's not totally helpful since you can't explore around it.

[onehandsomeslickninja]

Still, every now and then something pops up.

[Like this horse thing, which is apparently weird. Edge isn't going to pry into the memories, though, more curious about the truth of the premise than the details.]

It's too late to matter, I know.

[smilingbullet]

Yeah I'm surprised sometimes too. Apparently not as much as some though apparently.

[ He's only about a decade off. That's plenty of time for the world to change, but not that much. ]

I guess. Well, you'll pick things up bit by bit.

[onehandsomeslickninja]

Or discover what I do know. Sooner or later something will pop up that I know and you don't, right? [He's hoping? Doesn't seem to have happened yet...?]

[smilingbullet]

Yeah, possibly. It's not impossible for that to happen!

[But he wants to learn about things he's unfamiliar with, so that would be pretty cool. ]

Please teach me if it comes to it.

[onehandsomeslickninja]

Throwing weapons, maybe. I'm good at those. Probably one of the best here.

[Is that immodest? He'll still make the claim.]

[smilingbullet]

[ obi would object to this statement

but this is not obi and d2 is not a master at throwing weapons. ]

Really? That good? That's really impressive.

[onehandsomeslickninja]

[Hey he didn't say he's unconditionally the best!]

[After all he doesn't remember throwing a spoon at the end boss and hitting the damage cap.]

Well, I'm a ninja. It comes with the territory.

[smilingbullet]

[ That would be an impressive feat to tell. ]

Ooh, ninja? That's really cool. I guess it does come with that territory yeah.

[onehandsomeslickninja]

Well, look at me, what else would I be? [This is his argument that he's a ninja, and let's face it, it's a good one.] Not that I can't teach others, of course. It's a useful skill.

[smilingbullet]

Like, a stuntman in a ninja movie.

[ Just saying. ]

Well, you could teach others some things, even if you can't teach everything.

[onehandsomeslickninja]

I have no idea what you just said, so I know I'm definitely not that. [Stuntmen? Movies? Not a thing when you're the real fantasy-era deal.] But I definitely have the skill that I could pass on!

[smilingbullet]

No? That's a shame- But doesn't really matter that much. [ You need to catch up on the modern times, Mr. Ninja. ] And there are surely people who'd be interested in learning.

[onehandsomeslickninja]

I swing by every time they do a training session over in that temple I can't remember who it belongs to. Maybe I should make a more formal announcement sometime though... as much as that can happen, anyway.

[The BBS doesn't much impress him.]

[smilingbullet]

Bishamon's? It's usually held either there or the meeting hall. It can be a bit difficult to be formal sometimes, but most won't mind if it's lacking in formality, it's the intent that's important.

[ Meanwhile, what D2 isn't impressed by is the command here. They're pathetic. ]

[onehandsomeslickninja]

Right, that's the one. But I mean more saying I can train people, instead of just having them wander in and spot me. [Which half the time ends up with people being critical or judgmental for some reason.]

[smilingbullet]

Is it difficult to say something like, "Hi, I'm-- whatever your name is-- and I'm a ninja with awesome skills. I want to help people learn about ninja-ing and stuff, so if anyone want to learn you can come to me!" Or something like that?

[onehandsomeslickninja]

Not at all! Just hadn't thought of it, really. [He tends to forget the BBS is a thing, after all, though at least he's learned his phone's tricks reasonably well.]

[smilingbullet]

Ah, not having thought about it might make things tricky.

[onehandsomeslickninja]

Just a little bit, yeah. I'm still not sure a general announcement is the way to go... people might just show up thinking it'd be fun. And people who wanted to learn might not think I was serious.

[smilingbullet]

Sooo, fliers maybe? With a note about serious applicants only, or something. [ Wait. ] Applicants might be the wrong word.