41 - Cultist Arc Finale

[godsoffortune]

Who: Everyone!
When: June 2nd 2017
Where: Mostly the Near Shore
What: Tracking down cultists to remove them as threats to Heaven, erase as much of their presence from the Near Shore as possible, and consequences of such







With it being made clear that the cult's influence was scattered throughout not just Japan but spread far and wide, the gods of the Far Shore have been asked to assemble in the same place where Conclaves normally happen. Bishamonten is assigned the task of rallying the old gods, while Orihime is given the same duty for the new gods. Essentially, the old gods will be working in Japan and the new gods elsewhere. Both Bishamonten and Orihime have a long list of individuals and their last known locations with vague descriptions, collected by those who went out hunting them on Heavens' behalf when everyone was last gathered. ("A Different Sort of Hunt")

Orihime gathers the new gods at her home along the river. Outside her small abode, there are several soulless shinki pulled from their temple. Ostensibly, they are to help any new gods who don't have a shinki available to create the Cutting ties or Rend effects, but no one is there to stop a shinki from commanding them as well.

Orihime will direct the gods to many places in the Scandinavian countries of Europe, south as far as Italy, west to the United Kingdom, and east as far as Belarus and Ukraine. Meanwhile, another contingent is sent to Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, the Philippines, and the South Pacific / Oceania islands around there. There's even some scattered across the Americas - north in Alaska and the Yukon as far south as Chile and Argentia. Getting to any region requires the permission of a Near Shore god with a local shrine there to teleport, or a much more mundane plane trip.

Since this is all taking place over an extended period of time - roughly 48 hours - new gods are welcome to jump around the regions at their own choosing, not restricted to just one place.

Cutting Ties

Tracking down the cultists won't be easy. Some of their last known locations just confirmed their home addresses, work addresses, school addresses, etc. It's not like there's a GPS on them! However, with the address being specific to a city and country, along with a description of the person involved, it's possible to track down the rank-and-file cultists in these places beyond Japan. Many of them you won't even need to speak to, just find them and use a shinki to cut the string of fate that binds them to their cult activities, spell knowledge, and awareness of Heaven.

It's possible to run into other gods and shinki, though! Especially in major hubs of regular human activity, the cult was able to thus recruit more people to their causes. Maybe you can team up, swap information based on who you're looking for, that sort of thing.

Blight Circles

Where the human cultist recruits favored larger cities, their blight circles are much farther into countrysides - where they were less likely to be disturbed while the cultists crafted them. These circles are fairly simple in their lasting impressions: spellwork in a large circle on the ground, dead or dying flora for double the diameter of such a circle, and powerful ayakashi drawn to their vicinity. Strike down the ayakashi gathering there, purify the area if you can with magic or holy water, and physically break the circle's symbols. Particularly large blight circles might have been crafted near a Vent, increasing the likelihood of powerful ayakashi being there.

The larger and more powerful an ayakashi, the more Rend attacks it will take to bring them down. Maybe you can survive a long battle with one, or maybe you work together as a team with another god / soulless-wield shinki? The choice is up to you!

Cult Hubs

In the true cultural capitals of the world, there is a single Cult Hub - a physical building that was under the governance of a higher cultist official, where spellwork training and other informational sessions took place. Note that these hubs are not always the capitals of their countries, as with New York City or Los Angeles, Toronto or Munich, Sydney or Quezon City. The physical structures where cultists met have a wealth of inventory to look through and either dispose of or use in future efforts for the Heavens. It might not be glamorous work, but it could offer surprising rewards.

Event Bonus:
A thread of 10+ comments earns a character a random item that would have been stored at the cult hub. As with other missions involving "random item" rewards, players can give the mods 3 choices for review and we'll reply with a comment about any choice which might be too powerful / not suitable, or players can ask for the mods to give them 2-3 random items and pick only one as their reward.

Between Scenes / Afterward

As everyone returns to the Far Shore between their major efforts on the Near Shore, recovering from the battles, enlisting backup, or simply looking for another assignment from Orihime, you might still bump into one another, particularly around Orihime's home or down the river in either direction. Feel free to use this as a kind of catchall space or a place to look for healing, food, and sleep with your fellows from the Far Shore.

Alternatively, this could all happen when the last assignments have been handed out and people start to disperse back to their own temples.

Event Bonus: Gift Baskets!

For Gods and Shinki alike, Orihime will provide a gift basket to each and every character, customized as much as possible. This will include, among other things, an article of clothing with a wondrous power unlike any she's made before. Players can request what these items are OOCly, kind of like book requests in the library, but we hope it can to be something you as a player truly feel like is a reward to your character for having come this far.

To claim this reward, simply reply to the Orihime OOC comment below with your desired item and its ability to begin the discussion. Remember: Orihime would avoid granting items that help in battle; rather they're meant to enhance the character's everyday life, make their hobbies easier or more fun, that sort of thing. Example abilities might include: hover-style flight, lite elemental resistance, green-thumb plant growth boost, etc. - they're just tied to the item.

An IC week after the event, gift baskets will be delivered, along with an Epilogue announcement on the BBS.

Event Bonus (all prompts):
A thread of 10+ comments will gain 150 followers / 15 exp per thread.



In Summary:

• Travel the world
• Hunt down the last vestiges of the cult's influences
• Get goodies
• Await the epilogue announcement
• Have fun~

Comments

[letteropener]

I think I can be of aid.

[Celestia makes her arrival in woosh of wind through wings, dropping down from above to stand next to Aymeric. Though serious, she nonetheless has a smile for him.]

Between the two of us, I think we can handle it.

[onedrinkwithme]

[Hey, long time no see Celestia! Aymeric will nod with a smile as he holds a few vials of holy water in his hand.]

Holy water will be an asset but it will be for naught if the lines remain. Might you have any ideas on how to be rid of these carvings?

[letteropener]

It is a little bit destructive, but yes, I think I can manage that.

[She has to offer that caution before she does, in case he wishes to protest the damage to these rocks -- or simply brace himself, which would also be reasonably sensible.]

[onedrinkwithme]

Better than to let the place rot away. Just how much do you mean in destruction? Will I need to hold onto something just in case?

[Things will grow back in time. But they won't if these lines cannot be broken.]

[letteropener]

[Celestia covers a little giggle with a hoof.] I promise it will be a little more controlled than that! But the stones are going to take a little energy to crack.

[onedrinkwithme]

If it will help be rid of the sigil, then so be it.

[Make the good boomings.]

[letteropener]

[Celestia closes her eyes to concentrate.]

[Light flares up around her horn -- not the gentle glow of her usual magic, but hot and white and thick. Lines of that same light lash across the rock, sending pebbles and dust flying as they cut through its surface, and then with a flick of her head, Celestia lifts the entire circle free. It leaves behind a large gash in the rock, into which more debris trickles as the circle splits into five equal pieces like a giant pie being carved.]

[onedrinkwithme]

[He has to move back just to be sure to not be within the area of impact. But it's when Aymeric watches Celestia break the rock with the circle on it, that he cannot help but be in awe. Although, the ayakashi that are on said rocks run around confused and screeching, some of the smaller ones falling down and splating on the now crater.]

Incredible...! But we may need to exercise caution. I just saw some ayakashi fall from above.

[letteropener]

Ah. And me without my shinki to help with that. [Which is pretty much every day for Celestia, let's be fair, but ignoring that...] Do you perchance happen to have some holy water on you?

[onedrinkwithme]

[Pulling out a few vials of said water out of his satchel.]

I always come prepared. Sukomi is also with me so we can perform the Rending. Come, Senki.

[The woman beside him putting on a helm which does look out of place due to her kimono but she vanishes into her bracelet form, fitting snuggly on Aymeric's wrist. Meanwhile he unsheaths Naegling and watches a large boar like ayakashi begin to charge them, followed by smaller more...are those koala ayakashi?]

[letteropener]

Then I shall support you.

[This may be slightly understating things. Celestia rears back on her hind legs, front legs pawing at the air, then slams her forehooves down and makes a motion not unlike a slash with her horn. As it descends, so too does a column of light from the sky, striking more like a fist rammed into the earth -- and the ayakashi.]

[onedrinkwithme]

[Their enemies screech and howl, the noises tearing through the air like razor sharp wind as the light hits them like...well, an angry fist of a god. Some of the koala ayakashi jump out, looking injured but still rushing towards Aymeric, who just pushes his sword down to create much more light that would piss them off.

We just call it Circle of Scorn and people around probably will be confused at the sudden light show. We know the ayakashi are as the attack does its job of bringing the focus onto Aymeric and being angry furballs from Hell by lunging towards the man with claws out. Using Naegling as a barrier between himself and the creatures, he brings his wrist with Sukomi's vessel form on down on one of their heads.]

Rend!

[It yowls in pain as it vanishes from sight, making the others go berserk and aim to attack.]

[letteropener]

[Eschewing force, Celestia changes strategy: with a series of precise bursts, she punches bolts of light into the ayakashi to drive them back. No, you shan't be allowed to reach Aymeric on her watch!]

An excellent Rend! I hope you've another few in you!

[onedrinkwithme]

[Nodding as he holds out his arm with Sukomi on it.]

I was born into a time where most would need to prepare for battle. This is nothing compared to what I have faced.

[The koala ayakashi begin to form more like a swarm and Aymeric runs in, using the Rend spell quickly until they all vanish. But then the bigger ones come closer. A few more than expected.]

It seems they have a few more comrades waiting for us. Might you have an idea to handle them?

[letteropener]

[Celestia chuckles softly, a slight shake of her head accompanying it.]

I feel like I should apologize for how singularly mundane and uninteresting my idea is.

[For it is indeed as simple and utilitarian as anypony could ask for. Telekinesis is the most basic and simple of unicorn magic, barely even counting as a spell for how innate and natural it is. Admittedly, this plan would not serve somepony with less power than she, but nonetheless.]

[Celestia simply lifts the ayakashi into the air, where they can get no traction and advance no further.]