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

[trademark_skull]

...Those rules are more for protecting ourselves though.

[That mental link with a shinki can get pretty dangerous. Knowing that it can cause that much severe pain or even kill a god is not all that far fetched when they share everything else. Choosing the right one and not too many was pretty damn important.]

The rest of it is all pretty straightforward. Yeah most the older gods don't really want to talk to us, but I'm sure they have their own reasons to.

[Things could be much worse, is all he's saying.]

[onedrinkwithme]

[Control.

He sees it now. And while he is leery, the girl has less of it and Heaven gained more. Now he wonders how much is Amaterasu being manipulated as well.]

It is because we question. We ask why. Just like my comrade, there are rules I also do not follow. And most of the elder gods do not care for us because of it.

[Except Ebisu and maybe Suijin. But mostly Ebisu because he and his shinki are cool.]

[fleetforestsprite]

See? You know what I mean.

[She folds her arms, fingers worrying nervously at the sleeve of her dress.]

Maybe they let you get away with more because you're not really like them.

[toremainbehind]

It still won't protect us from being executed should they decide we pry too much.

[Izumo can now understand why Votelli has to hide out here. If Amaterasu is being manipulated as well...]

....Votelli, are there others like you who are forced to hide because you don't conform to Heaven's rules?

[trademark_skull]

[A very curious question... The Heavens does keep going on about gods not residing...there. But as far as he knew they never gave an answer to how many.]

[Perhaps an outsider might know more about that kind of thing. Enough so that he kept quiet to hear the answer.]

[onedrinkwithme]

Even governing bodies have a few shameful secrets lurking in the dark. No one is above this, not even deities.

[They may act like they are but no, gods are not above the system. Not here. He wouldn't be surprised if there are other gods in hiding.]

[fleetforestsprite]

I don't want you to get hurt because of me.

[She looks down, shuffling a toe through the dead leaves underfoot.]

And I don't want to get hurt because of you. So be careful.

-- I know a couple more like me.

[toremainbehind]

You be careful as well.

[Izumo really doesn't want anything else happening to this girl...]

...Any chance we can get an idea of who they are? You don't need to tell us their names, but if you'd like, we can keep an eye out for them too.

[For her sake as well as theirs.]

[trademark_skull]

[...E-eheh, keeping secrets. Yeah Emizel knows a fair bit about that too. Despite that, he was still cautiously optimistic about ruling bodies. They all were all trying to get the same answers and work towards the same things.]

If they're in this forest, the Heavens might wanna question them too.

[onedrinkwithme]

[Yeah no. Aymeric knows what 'questioning' means and it's not pretty. There's being optimistic and then there is stupidly idealistic that can get someone killed-wait, it did.]

As far as I am concerned if they ask, I have seen no one. But it would be helpful to know just in case our paths cross.

[fleetforestsprite]

There aren't any more in my forest, no.

[She gives them a level stare.]

It's just me. And all of you guys, I guess.

[toremainbehind]

[Izumo gives her a nod.]

We're sorry for intruding in your home.

[This just gives more of a suspicion to Heaven, anyway.]

I'll just comment something I can consider a wrap comment if you guys needed this to keep going /o\

[handsome_genius]

Well, we didn't mean to. No one told us anyone was living out here... but if you don't like visitors, then we don't have to come back, I suppose.

[ But all told, Yoon will defer to the more mature (?) gods on if that's for the best - just maybe not in her company, if she gives him a reason to be concerned. ]