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

[pure_radiantics]

Oh!

[ Well that she can get more excited about! She rocks a little to the left and right. ]

Sooo...

[ Then Nimbus rightens again, heading straight forward. ]

The kind of following that's done fast to get to the end of the trail, or look slowly as we go along?

[letteropener]

A fair question. I think we should head to the trail's end, and if we determine nothing from it, travel back along it with more care.

I'll ask for a follow-up clue request

[pure_radiantics]

You got it!

[ Kairi holds on tighter to Nimbus as they zoom along to the trail's end. ]

Hooray!

[letteropener]

[Celestia is a surprisingly quick flyer when she puts her mind (and wings) to it; powerful strokes propel her forwards so that the forest blurs beneath them. She's impressed at the speed of Nimbus, too, she must admit!]

Re: Hooray!

[pure_radiantics]

[ The lower they get, the smoother the road looks until at last Kairi sees part of the problem. ]

Aww... this road's not dirt. It must be meant for cars. So there won't be any tracks, right?

[letteropener]

None we can readily follow, but this tells us valuable information anyway. Most likely, whoever it is we want to find understands Near Shore technology and vehicles. That at least helps eliminate a large number of potential sources, since I do not believe most gods do.

[pure_radiantics]

Well... the older gods, anyway. Obviously there's gods like you - who arrived recently by comparison to the old gods - who do know this kind of stuff.

[ Not that she particularly wants to entertain that idea, but then again there was the whole matter of Add. ]

[letteropener]

Yes. Which means we should try to determine if the records of Heaven record the existence of any new gods who we have not seen in the Far Shore.

[One arriving, slipping off, and declaring war seems very plausible.]

[pure_radiantics]

Can you look at those records?

[ Kairi was pretty sure she couldn't, as a shinki. But maybe a god could? ]

[letteropener]

That is a good question. To start with, I would need to find out who tracks such things, and how they find out their information...

It is definitely a place to start. [She might not be an important-enough god, as these things are measured.]

[pure_radiantics]

Okay, good...

[ She frowns, thinking. ]

I just wish there was something else I could do, even as a shinki...

[letteropener]

Things are very limited for you, aren't they. [It's a terrible shame, this divide, when clearly gods and shinki are not different at all.] But I think you are not helpless here.

[pure_radiantics]

[ Kairi nods sadly in response at first, but then perks up a little at Celestia's comment. ]

Did... Did you have something specific in mind?

[letteropener]

I have noticed a certain lenience in what shinki can do when they are on an assigned task from their god. Since being 'assigned' a task is as simple as asking, for you...

[The close relationship between new shinki and new gods is an advantage in dealing with a world that does not expect that.]

Wrap for me, or close to it

[pure_radiantics]

So maybe... if you were assigned some kind of investigation, I could be assigned to help? I'd be willing to do that, if you found out more later on.

[ It does seem to be the best Kairi can offer, in this situation. ]