37 - A Call To Arms

[godsoffortune]

Who: Everyone!
What: Help the Heavens go after the cultists' compound
When: April 1
Where: A converted farm on the rural edge of the Tokyo metro area
Summary: Between Amaterasu's shinki observing the known cultists, and the work that the new gods and shinki have done, a rural property that might be the cultists' compound has been identified!






After months of investigation, Amaterasu's shinki still haven't found the rebel gods she's searching for -- but, with the help of the new gods and shinki, following the cult has revealed their rural meeting place! It was once a farm, but has recently been rebuilt into a compound with a big central building, heavy concrete walls and plenty of outdoor spaces for ritual magic. The new gods, and some of the old, have been asked to descend to the Near Shore and find out everything they can about this mystery compound.

High Walls

It's not just concrete that protects the compound. The walls are engraved with magical symbols, and any god or shinki who gets too close to them finds themselves feeling increasingly sick, weak and repelled from the structure. Even flying over won't work. There's only one exception: when the front gates are opened to allow cultists, or scheduled deliveries, a careful few gods or shinki can sneak through without being blocked by the spell. How will they get in? Shadow a cultist? Pretend to be a pizza delivery driver? Or will they risk alerting the cultists by trying to break down some other part of the wall?

Booby Traps

The problems don't end when they get inside the compound. Dozens of cultists seem to live here -- or maybe they're just visiting for the weekend? Either way, there's a lot of people inside, and while most of them overlook the presence of Far Shore beings, that doesn't mean there's no danger. Magical booby-traps and seals are dotted around the grounds and throughout the big, sprawling, two-story manor at the end of the driveway. Some of them blight any god or shinki who triggers them. Others glue their feet to the ground, or make them instantly noticeable to any passing cultist, or weaken them by draining their energy away.

The traps have clearly been made by several different people, and some of them have weird senses of humor! Almost any effect might be inflicted on the unwary characters who stumble across a booby-trap, although most of them won't cause serious injury or death, and the effects wear off within a few minutes to a few hours after either they get away from the trap, or someone else helps them by destroying it.

The First Fight

Not every human cultist in the compound is blind to the presence of gods and shinki -- and with all the traps being triggered, it's just a matter of time before they're caught. The first warning that the cultists know they're being invaded is the piercing sound of a bell. The second is the appearance of lashing ayakashi tentacles that rise up from the ground all throughout the manor house. As the humans flee, the tentacles will wrap around any gods or shinki they can catch, trying to drag them further into the house and down. Although they can be cut and destroyed, the main body of the creature is out of reach: it lurks far below, in the building's basement, gnashing a massive, serrated octopus beak that's ready to rip apart and devour any souls who can't struggle free of its grip in time. Follow the spectral tentacles down to the beast's lair, and slay it before it can kill all the invaders!

Please comment to the First Fight thread below if your characters are trying to rend the ayakashi. Each character can only be in ONE First Fight thread. RNG will be used to determine which fighters manage to strike the final blow, but RNG will only select a single thread; players are free to negotiate how the final blow happens within that thread.

The Second Fight

As the octopus ayakashi dissolves, finally free from the magical bondage that forced it to guard the cultists' compound, a mysterious door is revealed set into the far wall of the manor basement. A strange glow emanates from within. Enter... if you dare!

To participate in the second fight, please comment to the Second Fight thread below with the character(s) who will be participating in your thread. A top-level with further details will go up on February 7.

In Summary:

• Investigate a cult compound
• Watch out for traps
• Battle a giant octopus
• Uncover a mystery
• Have fun~

Questions? Leave us a question on the OOC Plotting Post and we'll do our best to answer ASAP.

Comments

[hypomeneo]

Not completely sure yet, but it seems like what was interfering with my scrying was like this. Some bad fortune always intervened to stop my attempts.

Combined with what I heard about charms draining good fortune... it isn't a stretch to think this may operate on similar principals...

[Because Berserker's spear should have struck home. That's not magic.]

Direct attacks might be not work from any of us until the field's down. So we have to try and figure out a way around.

[kuroi_taiyo]

So either indirect, or disrupt what they're doing.

[ He was focused enough on the nature of the crystal that he didn't look more at what was around it. Partially because, unless that's what the radiating energy was for, what was happening was either vague or wide enough to go without notice. Not that he had the sight for spotting all spells that exist, even if a 'no effect' status could come up.

The comment about draining good fortune.... Well, it's not like he has any to begin with, right? That's probably the case for a lot of people here. ]

... You just need it destabilized enough to break it, right?

[beyondtheblade]

[From what she can tell, Waver seems to have a point. Which also means...]

Unfortunately, most of what I'm good at is direct attacks. I can at least shield those who would be doing any disrupting, for a little while.

[Probably.

Maybe?

Honestly she's not sure, there is some base similarity to foes she's fought in the past, but... This isn't alchemy, so it's still pretty far off.]

[hypomeneo]

They're going to probably send those ayakashi at us, so having people capable of rending concentrating on them would be ideal. As well as any heavy hitters capable of supporting them and fending off any other attacks on the people taking down the defenses.

[Glancing at Iskandar, who is no doubt nearby...

Which means last thing he needs is to be in vessel form here. Also, the last thing they need is to be running around like headless chickens and start attacking in tandem with each other.

They need a plan.]

Yes. If it can be managed, that's what I'd first try to break it. I'm going to see if something less head on can be managed to hurt them.

[As for good fortune, the B+ luck stat is a lie. Waver might scoff a bit about their fortune in even being here for the most part. For the most part, his view on the Heavens is not the best.]

[towards_okeanos]

[Iskandar was looking at those ayakashi from the moment they appeared. Satya was right, as she always is when she opposed reverting her back from her vessel form. That the tentacle monster was just the guard at the entrance. There will be more.]

Do your magic, we'll handle those ayakashi. I can as well start before they send them on us.

I'm willing to bet that the field protects the women but it may not protect their creatures.

[beyondtheblade]

If their creatures wish to come at us, that means they shall have to touch us. That's a good enough assumption to make there, I think.

[She readies her blades.]

Aye, I will focus on the ayakashi for now as well, once I see a good opening... focus on seeing what you can do about the other elements then, in the meantime.

[hypomeneo]

We will.

[Waver summons his fan. First step in dealing with the field? Confirming a few basic rules by which he thinks it's operating.

Aka, by hitting it with shinki magic and something that's a byproduct of an attack and not an actual attack in itself. That after giving everyone a speed buff to help avoid being blighted, himself included.]

Be on guard for that inactive magic saturating the room waking up. There could be something bloody hellish cooked up and lying in wait I can't perceive yet.

[Casters are tricks and trap fighters, generally, and Waver's Caster instincts don't like its presence one bit.]

[fortunesmiles]

Excuse me, but I couldn't help overhearing - are you suggesting that the spear missing was targeted misfortune? Like what happened at the festival and the mall?

[That caught on Komaeda's ear where he was standing nearby - he's not much of a fighter, he doesn't have much else to do in any case - and it's lit something almost like hope in him.

Perhaps he can be useful here.]

I'm a god of luck...maybe, if that's all it is, I can try to counteract whatever bad luck they're casting. Or at least exert some influence of my own...

[hypomeneo]

In part, yes. This field nullifies all foreign magic and maybe Heavenly magic. I think it drains luck to make that work in part, so it's catching physical attacks too. It looks the same as what's been fucking up my scrying. I've been trying to work out a counter to what has been going on, and good luck may be a key.

[Okay, what did Sabimei say at Amaterasu's meeting. This was a drain... so good luck in the field may not work. But outside...

Waver thinks rapidly back to the festival (and to whatever he gained from interrogating the mod cultist)]

Your luck may not work in the field. You can try boosting Berserker's luck and see how that works for you, since he'll charge in.

But it will be really helpful if you can boost the luck of the gods fighting the ayakashi and their defenders. [Iskandar with EX rank luck? SCARY THOUGHT.] The quicker they can win, the less likely anyone can be overpowered if those two try anything fast, and the more likely we can overpower them.

Perhaps we can even take them for questioning if this shakes out just right.

[fortunesmiles]

Won't the field be around where they are? I'd say that Berserker is the one my powers will be the least likely to work on, if that's the case...

That said, during the festival, I was able to have some effect with my abilities. I couldn't stop the bad luck from taking effect, but I could counteract it with instances of good luck. People tearing their costumes being able to easily lay their hands on a spare, children forgetting their lines but recovering well, that sort of thing. So while I can't prevent the bad luck... [Komaeda looks over the room.] I should be able to give people good luck in responding to it. Hopefully our enemies will find it as difficult to get lucky in dealing with us as we will in dealing with them...

[kokuyoyo]

[From where he's just dodged a paper attack, Chikusa calls over.]

Mukurou can dampen magical energy. Or- [Excuse him, trying not to die. It means moving, so he hates it.] -most things at all. Weaken, slow, exhaust...

Move him to the crystal?

[His shitty bird needs something to do anyway, after all.]

[hypomeneo]

Please.

[Be bird hero, Mukurou.]

As soon as we start disrupting the field, get him to take out the crystal. Failing that, the women once they are out of protection.

[onedrinkwithme]

[Aymeric doesn't know shite when it comes to magic and barriers but he knows combat. And when folks start talking about the ayakashi, he speaks up.]

I can also assist with the ayakashi. If a distraction is what you need, I will be glad to lend a hand.

[That and the big blue steel sword in his hand helps.]

[hypomeneo]

[... well, Waver doesn't know combat. Kinda. Better word is not trained for combat (though this will change), though he's been in plenty of fights both on the side and in the mix at this point. He doesn't have close combat skills aside from dodging and very good quick thinking, so please keep the Caster away from the ayakashi so he can hammer it in support and buff you at range if needed.

However...

Zhuge Liang, who Waver also is (complicated story there), has a certain knack for battle strategy and at this point, might be forming the beginnings of one. If people are willing to listen to him...]

It is. That and people watching out for other people... there's no telling how the situation will evolve, so everyone has to be flexible while we figure this out.

[To Komaeda, because he has good points and he would have answered sooner, but gosh, a lot of people seem to be seeking his opinion beyond the magic talk, which feels strange and why him?? but also to the general theme of events of forcing him to step up and lead in all ways.]

The field is limited in scope... just where the glow falls, so you're right. But that's good to know. Part of figuring out how to take down the field - and prevent them from ever pulling this on us again - is to know the rules in which it and the rest of the magic they're using operates. That includes confirming how the drain happens. If you can tell me if you notice anything strange or out of place in how your luck is operating when applying it to the people or events here, or even if it's operating normally... that helps.