40 - May Event: Mystic Messengers' Mark

[godsoffortune]

Who: Everyone!
When: May 15th
Where: Votelli's Forest
What: The boar and deer population of Japan has boomed in recent years as hunters age and people move away from rural areas. The people have called upon the gods to help with this "pest" issue.







All over Heaven, gods receive invitations stamped with the chrysanthemum of Amaterasu. Each and every god has been invited to join the old gods on an old-fashioned hunt to do something about the boar and deer populations on the Near Shore. Votelli's forest has been chosen as the location of this sacred hunt, as it offers an expansive landscape for the sport as well as opens up the opportunity for many of the gods - both old and new - to speak to Votelli herself face to face. Other activities are planned for those who do not wish to hunt, such as an archery contest and a demonstration of Takagari - the Japanese art of falconry.

Face to Face

Votelli and Sotero wait in the forest with whoever will join them before slowly, cautiously exiting. They don't fight anyone who wants to stand in front of them as they appear before the Heavens for the first time, but they feel compelled to step in front eventually. There, all in attendance can see them for who they really are: very young gods.

Votelli appears between 12 and 14, a lithe teenage girl. Historically very timid and easily spooked, she has found a certain measure of confidence... while still holding tight to Sotero's hand. She wears newer, finer clothing compared to her first outing, provided to her by her friends. Her hair is just as long and black, though. Those who saw the goddess fighting in the Cultist Compound might mistake Votelli for her young sister. And Sotero their younger brother.

For Sotero looks 10 - but a lanky, tall boy who in reality acts much closer to 6 years old. Normally very brash, petulant, and loud... he stays close to Votelli and doesn't resist holding her hand. His expression is not playful or sly this time, but very focused - putting on a brave face like he might very well have to protect Votelli instead of the other way around.

Suijin is the one speaking for the Heavens. "We have been told that the two of you wish formal acceptance into Takamagahara. Is this true?"

Votelli speaks first: "It is." Then she tugs gently on Sotero's hand. "... Yeah. It is," he eventually echoes.

Suijin lifts her broad hat. "Do you renounce all allegiances to the cultists who created you? If so - name them."

Votelli nods. "I do. ... His name is Imai Takeru." Sotero looks worried, turning to Votelli. "But they're my mom and dad!" He turns back to Suijin. "You'll hurt them if I tell you!"

Suijin shakes her head. "Only gods of calamity kill humans. We will sever their ties to you. They may continue to live in peace if they never again use the kind of magic that created you." Sotero looks unconvinced, at which point Suijin looks a little frustrated. "I expect a name before you are granted formal entrance to Takamagahara, but perhaps another name will suffice as a peace offering between us - an act of faith until all of these human spellcasters are discovered."

Sotero gulps, while Votelli holds him a little closer.

Suijin speaks again, with a more commanding tone: "Rogue God Sotero - name the one in the Heavens who allowed you entrance into our domain. Name the traitor and we will know your true intentions."

(Prompt continues as one thread below, allowing for characters to interject before Sotero speaks again.)

Event Bonus:
3+ comments in this thread gains 100 followers / 10 exp per thread.

Face to Face (Before/After)

Before: Prior to the above prompt, if any characters would like to provide words of encouragement or solidarity, that can be threaded out individually! We will provide a top level each for Votelli and Sotero with a "Before" subject line.

After: Since the above thread will resolve somewhat peacefully, Sotero and Votelli will be around to speak with characters individually during the bento lunch. We will provide a top level each for Votelli and Sotero with an "After" subject line.

Event Bonus:
3+ comments in a thread with either Votelli or Sotero gains 100 followers / 10 exp per thread.

Gathering for the Hunt

The hunt starts early in the day, but not so early that the gathered gods can't enjoy a handmade bento lunch before getting started. Each god and shinki who arrive will find themselves in a clearing at the edge of the forest, rolling green surrounded by the lush backdrop of thick vegetation holding the prey of today's hunt. Blankets are spread over the grass in inviting splashes of color and tables are set up with stacks of bentos, a variety of foods and snacks and drinks available for any craving or preference, no matter how varied or strange.

Those who were here and involved in the Hungry Forest event might also find the setting very familiar. And perhaps a little unsettling, if they'd been among those kidnapped and held captive within its depths. Although today the expanse of thick trees and shadowy underbrush seems like just a normal forest, lacking the draining effects and other dangers it had once harbored.

Before anyone ventures beyond the clearing, the hosting gods and shinki are careful to explain the nature of today's hunt and also warn the newer gods and shinki about which of the beasts are fair game and which are not - namely the more tame sika deer, considered sacred to several of the gods and often seen as their messengers. The other creatures in the forest, however - the herds of roaming deer and the wild breeds of boar - are all fair game to the hunters, and in fact, there's already contests and wagers popping up on who will bring in the biggest trophy.

There are even rumors of one especially large and clever boar thought to dwell within the deepest reaches of the forest, rarely seen but of particular bane to hunters and trackers who have sought it many times over the years. It has avoided all pursuit, however, and its renown only grows with each passing year. Will this hunt finally uncover the elusive creature of legend?

Event Bonus:
A thread of 10+ comments gains 100 followers / 10 exp per thread.
Saving a sika deer from being killed gains an additional 250 followers / 25 exp per thread.

Ready Aim Fire

The clearing at the edge of the forest had been well prepared for hosting the Heavenly Host, both as a base camp for those entering into the forest in pursuit of their prey but also to entertain those left behind or not participating in the hunt itself. Those who remain outside the confines of the forest will find an assembled archery range for the non-hunters to still get some practice in or perhaps learn from one of the more experienced archers.

Contests take place throughout the day - some are distance based, each one with a varying range of difficulty depending on your level of expertise. Others have the range set up for challenges of field archery, adding in the difficulty of foliage or wooded areas and making aiming and targeting considerably more difficult. Some of the targets are even enchanted to move, hide, or dodge, creating some of the most challenging conquests for only the most dedicated of marksmen.

On the far side of the clearing - a very safe distance away from where any stray arrows might drift - several of the older gods remain behind to show off the art of takagari, or Japanese falconry. Once a sport restricted to nobles, warriors and samurai, many of the traditions and methods once practiced in the ancient days of Japan have been lost to history, but the finer details have clearly been preserved here among its gods. While the old gods hosting this practice remain in the background to watch over the proceedings (and keeping their favorite birds with them and out of stranger's hands), anyone is welcomed to approach the rest of the hawks and birds of prey, give hunting with them a try, or perhaps watch one of the experts in action.

Event Bonus:
A thread of 10+ comments gains 100 followers / 10 exp per thread.
Participants in a head-to-head Archery or Falconry challenge gains an additional 250 followers / 25 exp per thread.

The Great Hunt

The forest is quiet, other than the call of birds and the scurrying of smaller wildlife as the hunters enter. The ground is thick with tracks to be investigated by anyone with a discerning eye. Those who know what they're looking for will find thickly-layered paths made by deer, boar and other beasts of the forest who have wandered familiar trails into the undergrowth. Following these paths will find many hunters some easy targets, as the forest is lush with wildlife and the herds have swelled in recent years to the point of overpopulation. It will be rarer for hunters not to spot their prey the deeper in they go, but as the day wears on, it does seem to be getting more and more difficult to find those herds of deer and boar...

The deeper into the forest one ventures, the thinner and more scattered these tracks become. The deer paths seem to veer off before the forest grows to its thickest and should hunters keep pressing deeper, they'll eventually find that even the boar tracks start turning scarce. The call of birds becomes quieter and more elusive. The thick shadow of trees overhead makes the forest seem darker and closing in around you. Even the very air around you seems hushed and tense as if the very forest itself is watching your progress.

Not all the creatures avoid the depths of this forest, however. Approaching the heart of the forest, there does seem to still be at least one creature who frequents it, although the tracks are much more massive and sunk deep in the dirt as if pressed there by a great weight. Some of them are scraped and smeared as if that weight was dragged a time or two. Was the great beast that lurked here injured?

If good luck is with you (or perhaps that is bad luck?), you might be alerted by the sound of underbrush rustling nearby. But what bursts out... could it be the massive boar of legend or is it something more sinister? For there are several dark ayakashi that have also been lurking in the depths of this forest of late, hunting for prey of their own, their forms distorted and rotting and their eyes red and crazed - all the eyes that have now spread out across their blighted forms, that is. Should they spot you, they will give an enraged roar and charge, frenzied and driven mad from Blight. Hope you came prepared to be the hunter or the hunted.

Event Bonus:
A thread of 10+ comments gains 100 followers / 10 exp per thread.
Defeating a blighted ayakashi animal gains an additional 250 followers / 25 exp per thread.

A Different Sort of Hunt

For those not interested in partaking in 'the Great Outdoors', there is a different sort of hunt available to those with more experience hunting targets on two legs instead of four. The Counselors, their shinki, and Amaterasu's white-robed shinki emblazoned with their chrysanthemums... they all make it clear earlier in the day that they're still hunting down the last remnants of cultists free out in Japan and the world beyond, tracking down the locations of where the remnants are hiding out. For those willing to join this second hunt - whether they needed "warming up" hunting the deer and boar or not - the Counselors will make their research available - clues, whispers, addresses, IDs... whatever they could gather up until today.

Several of Takamagahara's own gods and shinki are out doing the footwork needed to round up the numbers of those that remain at large and any of the new gods and shinki who would rather lend their aid to this cause will be welcomed. Track down any remaining leads you have or get a location of a potential compound or blighted areas from the Hunt's hosts to go look into for yourselves - The Heavens want all remaining cultist members found and accounted for and are putting forth every effort to see this accomplished.

OOCly: Players are encouraged to select locations for compounds or heavy concentrations of cultists within Japan and outside it as well. Many locations in Australia, Europe, etc. have been named in previous Missions as places where blight circles have been located. Any of these - and other places - are places the Cult could have spread to. Next month, these will all become locations where Finale actions can take place. "Check in" with where your character(s) are going, but you don't need mod permission!

Event Bonus:
A thread of 10+ comments will gain 100 followers / 10 exp per thread.
Cultist hub of activity discovered and reported back gains an additional 250 followers / 25 exp per thread.

In Summary:

• Join the old gods on a hunt
• Enjoy the meal and activities
• Speak to Votelli or Sotero
• Participate in the hunt - whether your prey be two-legged or four
• Fight the giant boar ayakashi
• Have fun~

Comments

[unlucky7]

No, he definitely loves you more than anyone else.

[There's a turn of a smile, supportive and sure. Ginia doesn't doubt Joscelin cares about other people now. She doesn't doubt he's capable of caring for even more people going forward. The vampire shinki has his share of friends and they'll only strengthen in time. But Ayumu is his mother, his god, a source of guidance he's been so lost and lonely without. Ginia wonders if he's mentioned the dolls of Ayumu, the visions he had when he touched them, the way he spoke of her in such longing love when they sat on the riverbank to dry off.]

He's made friends while you were gone. He's done well for himself. But he missed you a great amount. You meant a lot to him and I don't think anyone was ever going to replace that.

[Ayumu is his god, but also his mother. Ginia is pretty sure if it really came down to it, Joscelin would choose Ayumu about everyone else. She can't fault him for that. Push comes to shove, everyone has the people they'd prioritize over others.]

I didn't think I made that much of an impression.

[It comes as a genuine surprise he even mentioned her at all in any kind of retelling. Their friendship certainly improved from that point on, but they weren't friends either.]

Must have been the dogs, I'm sure.

[There's a tiny intake of breath. Ginia is pretty sure she was the saddest person to talk to that day. Pal is definitely far more memorable.]

Sorry, I don't like thinking about that day much.

[kagenonadeshiko]

It's all right.

[It's a strange, new concept - the idea that she's irreplaceable for someone. During her own ablution, Ayumu had struggled to understand why Chikusa and the others just wouldn't let her go. Why they simply didn't just abandon her and leave her to her fate and move on without her. She'd been so convinced that was simply how things were, the natural order of things. The idea that her life had no meaning outside a necessary casualty in pursuit of a greater goals had been a truth so deeply ingrained in her heart and mind that she'd been unable to comprehend anything else.]

I'm not used to anyone loving me like that. It's different from how my life used to be before I came here. I was raised to believe that my death wouldn't matter as long as others benefited from it. I passed on to this place believing that. I carried what I believed to be true within me as a shinki, never understanding how wrong I was.

[She sounds a little sad, glancing briefly at Ginia's shoulder then away again.]

I was such a fool. But I'm glad that I've learned. I never want to hurt him or anyone else like that ever again. And I'm glad that Joss has made friends and found his own place here. I want the best for him.

[Is this what being a mother is like?]

CW for suicidal idealization just in case

[unlucky7]

[What would have changed if Ayumu realized how much she meant to everyone else at the ablution? If she believed she was someone worth saving and let them do so? Would saving her then have only delayed things? In her own clarity as a god, being a shinki was hell and death gave her the release she needed. It turned out for her so isn't it better this way?

A lesson learned late is still a lesson learned.

In the end, Ginia was simply caught in the crossfire. Her fault for getting involved, for getting hurt. It comes with the territory.

Ginia's hands ball up as she mulls on Ayumu's words. They resonate with her as much as they confuse her. She knows people care about here, knows she's strangely valuable as herself. She knows the wish of the shinki at Ebisu's temple, of the wish of Ebisu's predecessor. Live. They all want him to live. So no matter the cost, she would see him and the rest of the temple live. If it came down to it, why shouldn't she lay down her life for her loved ones? What's wrong with that? Why is that foolish and wrong? She's a shinki, it's her job defending her god and her temple. 

Besides, new gods and shinki come back when they die. (Most of the time.)  And aren't hafuri formed by laying their life on the line for their god?

But Ayumu thinks that way of thinking is wrong. She's a god with all the context of her life, able to look back at everything, all her experiences, and understand it with all its context. But not all circumstances are the same. Maybe it's different for her. She doesn't know, can't know, can't assume, can't think, can't pry too much, can't risk falling. 

She can only count on her guts and instincts, the things she knows and what she learns from the people around her. For her sake, for the sake of her gods, she has to keep it together.

Her hands uncurl. She smiles a poised, perfected smile, a worn shield, glad for the excuse to avert her eyes to type.]

Live a good life, Ayumu. You and Joscelin. Be happy.

Sorry, I shouldn't take up too much of your time. I should check on my temples.

[Running is easy. Always is.]

[kagenonadeshiko]

[Had Ayumu chased her off somehow? Had she talked too much about herself and Joscelin? She's still new to this whole honest conversation with friends thing. For the first time, she really notices the state of Ginia's hands. Have they been balled up like that all this time? How long has Ginia been forcing her smile like that?

Usually, Ayumu pays much closer attention to physical cues like that but during lunch she's been mostly at ease, just going with the flow of conversation, and saying what's actually on her mind for a change. But now, Ayumu can't help but feel that she'd said something wrong.

When Ayumu speaks again, it's noticeably more subdued and slightly contrite. Somehow, her tone sounds strangely younger than it usually does.]

Oh. All right. Thank you. I'll talk to you later, 'kay?

[unlucky7]

[It's not her fault. Not really. As much as Ayumu's words are sending her on a bad path, it's not as if the goddess had any idea. There are feelings and thoughts Ginia needs to sort out and today is a bad time to do so. (But is there ever a good time?)

There's the feeling she should reassure Ayumu, be the polite one, the diplomatic one, an urge rooted more in survival than politeness. Instead, Ginia nods, gives Toyo a small wave goodbye, and stands to quickly walk away.]