jigokulogs | May 2022 Mini Event

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May 2022 Mini Event

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As the Haniwa continue to pop up in the city and the turf war rages on, life goes on in the city.

1. SHUTEN CLAN

Remember the Isonade? Yeah, those guys. The surly shark-dudes who were no doubt involved in some black market smuggling along the banks of the Sanzu. They were too tough to fight off in order to figure out what they were up to, last time.

Well, Toraguma has caught wind of them now. Despite the ongoing turf war, he’s not about to lose out on an opportunity here! He wants his Shuten Clan operatives to scour the river looking for these guys. They will be a lot harder to find without the rabbits’ help, though. If you find them, you are to “inform them” that the Shuten Clan will be taking over their operation. If they have problems with that, well… you know what to do.

Don’t forget that they’re quite strong and that they aren’t too keen on giving up the information on their supply line without a fight. You’ll need to use teamwork to get what you need out of them.

Should you manage your way to their warehouse, you’ll find a fresh shipment of their products: specialized herbs, mineral-rich clay, and rarefied ore. None of these products can be found in the city naturally. The Isonade won’t dare name their primary buyer but they will let slip that all of this is being smuggled into the city from the outer Wastelands.

The Shuten Clan will demand their cut out of this operation, but you may get the impression that this is only one small piece of a much larger shadow creeping over the city…

Art by Alejandro Gonzalez Agudelo

2. SUTOKU ALLIANCE

The death and subsequent “rebirth” of the Daitengu has caused a considerable amount of chaos. Many of the subsidiary tribes have struggled under the weight of uncertainty during this debacle. The Daitengu has decided that an apology tour is owed. It’s good for the sake of the Alliance, after all.

Oh, but they’re not going to be doing it themselves. You, the Sutoku Lost Souls, will be fully responsible for it. ૮ ˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶ ა

Sutoku Souls are tasked with going to various businesses and tribe centers with an offering of gifts and deference to any and every group within the Alliance who will agree to meet with you. The gifts have been provided by the Daitengu, and are mainly snacks and coupons. Which will not be enough to please everyone. Some clans will demand more and some, in their rage, will try to take their anger out on you. You are an (lowly) ambassador right now, better to turn the other cheek.

This all boils down to be less of an apology tour and more of a bribe tour. What the Daitengu has provided won’t cover everything and you’re going to have to go out of pocket to truly placate the other clans. If you don’t have enough cash on hand, you may be asked to do various unpaid tasks and labors: washing dishes, scrubbing floors, cleaning windows, taking out the trash, serving kids’ birthday parties; any amount of the lowest work you can imagine.

It’s rough! But somebody’s gotta do it

3. DEPARTMENT OF THE ENMA

The chaos of the Night Parade has caused a resurgence of unaffiliated gangs popping up around Jigokucho. They can usually be found identifying themselves through the use of basic colors and mascots. They are made up almost entirely of violent youths with uncertain futures, who are lashing out at an uncaring world. The antics of the Daitengu, the accusations against the Enma, and the squabbling between Shuten and Tamamo is not inspiring their confidence nor loyalty.

In addition to this problem, the retrieval of the Haniwa is going poorly. Most residents are too uncomfortable to even touch the statues and their appearances don’t seem to be slowing down. There are too many for the Department to collect.

With an abundance of cursed objects in town, the petty gangs have decided this is an ample resource for them. They are using the Haniwa to harass the general public and against one another. They have weaponized the excess Haniwa and are using them as “curse bombs”, hurling them at both each other and the residents they want to intimidate. It’s getting nasty.

It’s the Department’s job to keep the Haniwa figures from falling into the wrong hands and to keep some semblance of order. The official orders from the Office of the Enma are directing all hands to converge against the youth gangs. Use any force necessary and retrieve those figurines.

4. TAMAMO CLAN

How inconvenient! In addition to the complications of the turf war, an extremely important time of the year has arrived for the Tamamo Clan.

It is time for the yearly visit of one of the clan’s greatest benefactors: the Tennin. These Celestial Immortals descend from the Heavenly Realms to spend time (and incredible amounts of money) in Hell’s Playground, Jigokucho. Hell simply offers the sort of delights you just can’t get in Heaven. Due to Tenkohime’s connections with them, the Celestials have had her host them for several years in a row now. She emphasizes how incredibly important it is to keep them happy.

The Celestials want entertainment and delights of every variety. It’s up to the Tamamo Clan’s Lost Souls to entertain them. Your entertainments can take many forms: keeping the Celestials company, putting on a performance, showing off your cooking and skills, tea ceremonies, and other exhibitions. Should you choose the carnal and kinky route for entertainments, know that you won’t be laying down with any Celestials themselves. Oh, no no no, they’re Heavenly, after all! This is still performance, so you may need a partner to help you out.

Keep in mind that the legends are true! The Celestials are deeply deeply fond of peaches. Both literal and metaphorical. 🍑

The Celestials love to chat and gossip, so keeping them entertained is also an excellent way to hear some interesting information. Tamamo artisans will likely learn that many Celestials openly trade with Tenkohime. In fact, the aphrodisiac goods that the Tamamos so famously deal in come, in large part, from the Celestials. Tamamo isn’t the only clan they do business with either. They also have connections within the Sutoku Alliance and are the land owners of several Alliance properties. They are considered one of the primary sources of capital in the real estate market.

Why would the Celestials want properties in a world they literally can’t live in? Doesn’t that just reek of capitalism.

5. TURF WAR (ALL FACTIONS)

The turf war between the Shuten and Tamamo clans is at a simmer right now. Which doesn’t mean that it’s over – not even close. Minor magical traps, similar to those found in the sewer, have been found in Shuten territory. Frustrated Shuten enforcers have been taking out their anger on anyone that so much as looks at them funny. Bars in both districts are regularly getting smashed up. Knife fights are breaking out in the streets. Cars known to belong to members of both clans turn up with slashed tires. There’s even rumors of hits being taken out on higher ranking members.

Watch your step if you’re out and about in either territory. Faction affiliation doesn’t matter when tensions are running high. What’s more, rumors are flying all over about which of the two warring clans is going to be the one to escalate the violence further.

Will tensions boil over at any moment? At what point does the Department of the Enma have to step in? Why haven’t they already?

It’s all getting too much to handle…

6. CURSED OBJECTS (ALL FACTIONS)

The presence of the Haniwa is having increasingly frightening effects. There are whispers about blood coming out of the walls and the floors in apartments, about black ooze pouring from faucets and coming up from storm drains. There are even whispers of terrible household hauntings.

These aren’t just rumors though. Bars are having to close early due to the presence of wailing ghosts inhabiting the toilet or blood pouring from the taps. People run screaming out of alleyways pursued by ghostly hands.

These curses and hauntings seem to be fairly localized; kept to one building or one block at a time. Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be much rhyme or reason as to when these accursed sightings will take effect.

Be careful out there! Who knows what could happen with so much terrible energy running rampant.

Welcome to the mini event!

If you have any questions about event content, please ask them here!
FOR THE PURPOSES OF REWARDS, since all of these prompts tie into the main plot in some way, we will count all qualified threads in this post as 2 point threads!
If you have questions about the game itself, please check out the premise, FAQ, and rules pages.

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[ He just kinda takes the 100 yen because today is already as surreal enough as it is and he's tired. Sure, payment for services rendered. ]

...Whoever is sending our little friends to populate this city has increased their power. [ He hunches over, adjusting his position on the bench. ] I have been able to get some respite down here, but nowhere else.

[ Look at that, it's almost helpful advice?? He's hardly willing to go and investigate if there's other places. If there's a convenient room he can use in the apartment block, he'll use it. ] I would prefer a bed. But until these statues leave or are dealt with, I will find little use of it, it seems.

Kawako and her class are too rambunctious... [ Sorry Kimm, he gets like this when exhausted. He seems to understand that at least, because he slumps in the plastic chair, almost sliding right out of it. His kimono's a little rucked from sprawling, but it's just a shin being visible, and Tama's not worried about Kimm being a weirdo about it. This guy's put up with a lot from him without...well, too much complaint, or at least if he had a complaint he would voice it. So, it's probably safe to relax around him. ]

I wish I could do exorcist things. [ Tama sticks his arms out straight, staring at the backs of his hands and making a vague pushing motion. ] Or magic. Whatever it is. Then I'd just go around and seal all of them myself, since the Enma is useless. [ He turns his head to Kimm. ] Do you have a Western bed, or a futon? If it's the latter, I won't tell anyone if you haul it down here.

[ He groans, near-silently, and pulls a knee up to his chest just so he can rest his head on it. ] Of course you named it. [ He'd dressed up the intensely cursed object and given it a name. He'd like to feel surprised, but somehow, he really can't be at all.

He's not even looking at Tamamori, so he can be reassured there. ]

A futon. [ He doesn't uncurl; he seems comfortable to stay that way, for the moment. ] I have rested in worse conditions, so I will survive well enough. [ Also, it's just...too much effort right now. ]

Packing them all away to the Enma's tower has not decreased them in the slightest, has it. Someone must have a truly monumental grudge. [ It's...impressive, he supposes? ]

Naming guests is only polite, even if you thought they couldn't communicate and are now regretting that assumption. [ Tama doesn't take a breath once through saying all that, sounding a bit like a deflated balloon towards the end, but being fair he also feels like one. ] I don't think it could even be called a grudge anymore. A grudge would have to be a personal, targeted attack...this is a malaise without target or discrimination. I don't even know what word is better for that.

[ Tama slumps over sideways, across the other chairs like a child despondently realizing they hadn't brought their gameboy with them for a long errand. ] Maybe going somewhere really high or really deep down would be better.

They cannot communicate by themselves, so far as I am aware. [ He sort of wearily corrects it. He'd have heard their thoughts by now if they had thoughts, but it's just absolutely shitty vibes, forever. ]

A fog? [ It's half-mumbled because he's never been super eloquent. That wasn't his job, he's not the charismatic half of Bregan D'aerthe's co-leadership. ]

I have no doubt that even if you dug to the depths of hell, they'd appear regardless. Or only be chased off by something even worse. [ His tone is increasingly sour. ]

Not individually anyway, but they're able to communicate their- [ He gives the word a moment of thought, then seems to accept it. ] -their fog. Maybe 'haze'... [ Now isn't the time to get distracted by characters and such, but he'd be tempted to do so when his head felt less full of Stuff. ]

...you're probably right. Maybe this is just- hell finally behaving in a hell-like manner. [ It had been too collected thus far- Tama glances Kimm's way again, not even startling at the flicker of the haniwa's face that lingers like a jumpscare. ] At least we're not being ordered to solve it. I was worried that might happen.

One wonders what we could do to stop them, at this rate, low ranking as we are. It seems even our leaders' hands are tied without a proper source to blame them for, so at least they are not pointlessly throwing us at the problem. [ Which is a slight uptick in his grudging respect for them, at least. ]

Such communication is common with magical objects, I find. Even if they have no true will of their own - if the power imbued within them is strong enough, it overflows. [ Leaving aside the truly troublesome ones that do have a will... ] A troublesome thing.

[ Kimmuriel everything is troublesome to you ]

We could get some hammers. If everyone's unconscious then we can't be hurt by the haze. [ ...this is almost absurd enough to be something that someone tries, and that thought makes Tama's face cringe inward. ] ...can you have nightmares when unconscious? I don't know enough about the brain sciences...maybe you'd just be stuck having horrible dreams instead.

[ Tama's face resets back to factory default, lolling his head back towards Kimm. ] I got a job, and some of my fellow employees are 'magical objects'. Which is fascinating but very stressful when you go to try and make tea and upset a coworker. [ It seems like a non-sequitur at first, but- ] Even they're stressed by the haniwa, though. So magical objects can be troublesome even to magical objects...

The brain still works when you are unconscious, yes. [ Extremely dry tone. He can actually speak with authority about this, shockingly. ] The only time it truly ceases its functioning is if you are dead, and if that happens, you have an entirely different problem.

That...surprises me very little. [ Employees that are actually enchanted artifacts? Sure! Why the fuck not. (He does not know what a tsukumogami is). ] The ones with personalities tend to be more territorial.

[ He says, but he only judges by that metric because if any of the cursed shit Jarlaxle hands him has a brain of its own, it's usually messed up and/or perpetually pissed off. ]

...I'm almost afraid to ask how you know that, but I believe it. Brains are weird. [ Brilliant deduction, Detective Mizumori. Gold stars all around.

Less weird than brains are tsukumogami, which Tama does feel at least somewhat qualified to talk about. ] Tsukumogami usually attain sentience by being well loved and cared for, over several generations...so at least they're kind to humans who treat them with that same respect. I would have expected the haniwa would be the same, being burial effigies from centuries and centuries ago, but I'm starting to assume the ones here aren't actually that ancient. [ He'd rather theorize on if the haniwa were a clever ploy to trick the Japanese lost souls in to seeing them a certain way than dwell on how much his brain feels like it's fossilized inside his skull. ]

[ DO YOU WANT TO HEAR ABOUT ILLITHIDS AND LITERAL BRAIN-READING, TAMAno that's a topic with far too many potential questions and he's too tired to bring it up. Too much effort. ] When the seat of your power comes from the mind, it would be more difficult not to have some understanding of it, I feel.

[ They are weird though he's not gonna argue with that. He just nods along to Tamamori's explanation of tsukumogami, filing away that they seem to be some kind of spirit rather than a magical artifact. He really should do some research soon... ] I have little expertise in this sort of...pottery, [ Menzoberranzan does NOT have death culture like this ] but unless there was a mass death recently, it seems odd to have so many show up all at once, and all with the same feeling...

[ He doesn't know where he's going with this, really. He gets tired like everyone else, and it's greatly hampering his ability to speak coherently when he doesn't even like to speak out loud much in the first place. ]

Seat of your power...? [ Tama lolls his head towards Kimm again, bringing a finger up to wag lazily in his direction. ] That's the sort of thing a yokai would say. I know you don't want to cause confusion, so just say you're an esper, and it'll be easier on you.

[ More important than his attempted ridiculous helping with yokai-like phrases- ] The haniwa are an ancient burial effigy in Japan, even for my time period being further back in history than the average. We don't know that much about them, if they represented one person or multiple, or children or even whole families, if they were used in place of an absent body or were vessels to hold the soul after the body had fallen apart...they're all possibilities. [ Tama lets his head relax back against the chair. ] I didn't know a lot about folklore despite growing up in a village full of it, but it keeps coming in handy, so Minakami and I have been reading a lot of books in our downtime.

I see. Knowing local folklore seems to give a significant advantage here... [ He's basically starting from 0 himself; his own knowledge is enough to give him a baseline competency, but not a lot more than that. ] Would you be able to recommend any literature in that sense? The only other people I could conceivably ask are... [ He sort of frowns. Matoba, he already understands can only be allowed to know things about him to a limited extent. Natori...he doesn't know him well enough to extend even that much. Tamamori and Minakami are, for better or worse, his best options that he knows of right now. ] ...Well, I would rather not.

[ Squints at him for a moment like he's going to regret asking this question, and then decides it's worth the trouble. ] Also, what is an esper.

Toriyama Sekien. [ Tama doesn't even hesitate before uttering the man's name, picking himself up to sit up straight- this is one of the greats of folklore writing, a genius for his humor and categorizing of thousands of myths and depictions. ] His books are the premiere essence of understanding yokai- almost all of our modern perspective on the demons of Japan stem from his collated works. Without him to collect up the myths and stories from all across Japan, I'm sure that we would have forgotten so much of our history...though, I suppose it would have also weakened the yokai somewhat...

[ It hadn't helped him exactly, given he'd not realized he was possessed by a hashihime for a long time, but it wasn't as if the Gazu Hyakki Yagyou could predict such specific changes of local customs. But as a glossary for someone unused to Japan? ] It would also be the most neutral perspective- I'm sure the worlds we all inhabit, while naturally slanted towards Japans as this is a Japanese hell, are all slightly different. Those changes might cause even further confusion. [ Dryly, as if he somehow had been the one to read Kimm's mind, but really he was just complaining about his 'senpai'- ] They're 'yokai' for me, for example. Ayakashi are usually spirits pertaining to water, in my understanding, not such a broad term. But any yokai that walks the earth is 'above water' like an ayakashi would be, so...who knows what the future has done to language, is what I'm saying.

[ He exhales in a huff. For a moment he really does think the human has read his mind - it's not even remotely out of the realm of possibility, especially with him so vulnerable now - but the moment passes, and he realizes it's simply just a coincidence.

Or it probably is, anyway. ]

By some people's standards, anything that is not a human is an ayakashi. How simple it must be to split the world in such a way... [ He can't imagine a world where it is mostly or only humans, and yet it seems that for many of these people, it is just so. It makes everything seem so terribly small.... ]

...You are quite knowledgeable on this. You are a reader as well as a writer, then? [ He'd actually never asked what Tama's former job was, if he had one - he knows more about his personality than his history.

Well, except the whole review on the network thing. He assumes, if anything, that that is the part related to whatever job he might have had before. ]

I can't say I understand the 'ayakashi' thing myself. But I understand how it might have happened. [ Tama fiddled with the clamp-mouth of his wallet, trying to muffle the clacking so it's not grating, but clearly needing the fidget source given what he's about to get in to. ] The future Japan I've heard Matoba-san describe has consigned those that can interact with yokai and other worlds to the fringes of society. Backed in to such a defensive position by your fellow man, the whole world seems an enemy, doesn't it? [ He sighs, shaking his head. It's...better to not discuss the world wars. That would only make it more apparent how pathetic humans really were. ] Even this Hell reinforces that possibility. The Three Great Evils aren't present exactly, but beings near to them are- the faction leaders. If the world shrunk down so tightly in to a spiral of despair that it even pierced through to the hells...well, it's a worrying possibility.

[ The statement about being knowledgeable is surprising- he doesn't exactly feel like it's earned, but Tama does puff his bangs out of his face again and lean back. ] Minakami is the knowledgeable one who reads books. I'm just good at remembering the things he tells me, and I like to try and solve mysteries. Really, the only reason I know all of this is because it's Japanese mythology, and I'm Japanese. Though I have been wondering... [ He hurms, turning to look at Kimm. ] Would you rather research Toriyama Sekien, someone who wrote his accounts centuries ago, but are most likely to be accurate? Or would you rather reading about this sort of thing from a Lost Soul, who could be even more wrong, but at least you could discuss the matter with?

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May 2022 Mini Event

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