May 2022 Mini Event

[jigokumods]

MAIN NAVIGATION


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.

Comments

[bratherine]

( It's fine. It's not the first time idiots have yelled nasty words at her, and she doubts it'll be the last. It'd be better if she could just punch them, but not while this Enma officer is around and— )

Whoa— ( The sudden contact makes Kate flinch and she yanks her arm back before realising any of the rest of it — like the fact that it isn't one of those Shuten jerks, and that this lady's coming with her, not dragging her off anywhere else. ) Don't do that.

( She was going. When will people learn? )

[disagree]

[ she's not even bothered with the way the kid rebukes her, only sighing and shaking her head. ]

Then let's go.

[ she may be going, but it's not fast enough. the shuten around these parts tend to loiter around like hawks when it comes to foxes who had no choice but to go through here.

in any case, she'll let kate lead the way while staying close behind, much like a bodyguard. what an honor. ]

[bratherine]

( They sure as hell don't give up, though the presence of an Enma officer seems to deter them from doing much more than (very loudly) following the two at a distance in a way that has the hairs on the back of Kate's neck standing up. )

... Sure I can't punch them?

( It's muttered back to the woman half-wryly, offering just enough cushion of deniability for the suggestion. If, or more likely when, this woman tells her no, it's "just a joke".

Though she really would like to deck them both before she gets to the restaurant, which is just a couple of streets away. )

[disagree]

And risk getting even more late? You're better off saving your energy with the overtime shift your bosses will inevitably give you.

[ so... no. not on eula's watch. she is paying close attention to those couple of figures stalking right behind them, but she knows that she'd be able to take them down on her own. most important thing is to escort this kid to wherever she needs to go. ]

[bratherine]

( UGH rude. And she's right about the overtime, but that doesn't mean Kate wants to think about it. )

This way.

( She hisses the instruction to Eula, using the cover of a couple of passing trash pickers to slip into a side road. It's not exactly a shortcut but she's pretty sure it comes out on the right street and hopefully those Shuten were too dumb to look behind the guys picking things up and see them slipping away. )

[disagree]

[ eula nods, then ducks into said sideroad. the shutens following them may not be the wiser, but they're not the only ones patrolling this part of town.

"hey! what're these girls doing here?" eula looks up to find a couple more shuten cronies on the fire escapes. dammit. "come on, they're easy pickings for us!"

why they're even bugging a bitty tamamo member is beyond her. regardless: ]

Run!

[bratherine]

( Maybe because they're cowards who think a small teenager is easy prey? Kate barely registers this disruption with more than a roll of the eyes, though her heart rate picks up even before she kicks her heels in and starts moving.

Trust these assholes to take her territory. Not just the Tamamo district, but the vertical height she could so easily make use of if they weren't up there. Her legs know what to do, though, even on the flat: she's fast and skips over bins and shorter walls with ease, bouncing off the side of a building and using it to keep momentum as she turns.

Their feet have hit the ground by now, and she's coming up on another fire escape, so the decision is easy, provided Eula can keep up: )

That way.

( She springs, grabbing the dangling ladder and keeping herself moving, hauling herself up to see if Eula's coming with her or not. The metal is loose, easily pulled up and down, and rusty enough that it's probably equally easy to force off altogether if someone wanted to, say, really slow down a couple of dumb oni. )

[disagree]

[ no, it's fine, eula can easily keep up with kate's rapid movements. the oni, though? not so much, as they are easily winded before they can even turn a corner to catch these two girls. for those who are relentless however will be impeded once eula tugs herself up the dangling ladder and forcing off the rusty lower rung, making them stay in their place as the two of them leap farther away from their pursuers.

still though, eula muses as they jump from one rooftop to another, she'll have to give kate credit for being very quick on her feet for someone who's just, in appearances alone, an ordinary human. they're coming up a taller building this time, but the jutting cobblestone that stick out of the outside walls should be perfect for climbing up should they choose to do so. and once they get up there, eula pauses as she scouts their surroundings again, checking if there's anyone else following them. ]

All clear. [ give her a moment to catch her breath before turning to the kid. ] I can tell that you're used to doing this. Good job.

[bratherine]

( Very used to it. Though it's still a workout doing so, and her breath comes heavy as they slow down. This is more than far enough, and only a few buildings from her work, though now she's going to have to explain why she's sweaty and late to her boss. )

Ah... ( Eula's praise is a small thing, but despite herself, Kate finds a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. She ducks her head and clears her throat. ) 'S a hobby.

( She shrugs. No big deal, really! )

[disagree]

[ a hobby... as in, she's been doing this for some time now? eula can't exactly imagine having that as a hobby, though now that she thinks about it, it'd be fun to jump from one rooftop to another back in mondstadt, where buildings tend to clump together... ]

You should put that into good use. The Tamamo don't have a lot of firepower in their ranks compared to the other factions, and they might need someone like you there.

[ just a suggestion. might as well start out early. ]

Come on, let's get you down from here. I'll personally explain to your employer about your tardiness.

[bratherine]

( It's a good workout! Do it! The differences between Jigokucho and her hometown are plenty, but the ability to traverse buildings and the urban landscape still exists. In that way, any city's the same. They all have walls and ladders, things that can be traversed and used to her advantage.

But that's about all she's got. A scrap or two at school isn't going to turn the tables for Tamamo compared to some of the fighters other factions have. She needs to fix that weakness.

... She's not telling the Enma that, though. )

Maybe we're just better at hiding it.

( It's a non-committal enough response that will have to do for now. In the meantime, let's do what she suggested and get down from here. )

What's your name, anyway?

( Or shall she just be forever written as Sword Officer Lady in Kate's mental files? )

[disagree]

[ are they, now? well, that's none of her business for the time being. she's still kind of irked about this whole debacle between the two factions on top of her own faction having to fix their mess if either of them go too far... ugh, retribution can't come any faster for these idiotic factions.

but before they make their way down, she may as well introduce herself. ]

You may call me Eula.

[ still no last name. it's fine, it doesn't matter in the long run. ]

[bratherine]

( Eula. Hm. That's not a name she's heard before, but it sounds like a name. Unlike some people here with their random nouns (lookin @ u, Cloud). )

Okay.

( No surname, but that's fine by her. There probably isn't another Eula wandering around here, anyway.

But around the corner and to the restaurant they go. There's no saving this uniform from the sweat she's worked up, or the grime and dust climbing has put on it, but her manager will probably have some spare bits floating around.

Hopefully. If she gets sent home after all of this, she will personally find a way to end the Shuten clan.

(Okay, so maybe that's an exaggeration. But those guys, at least, will suffer for it.)

The restaurant itself is a beautiful, elegant place, with low, warm lighting and the tinkling sound of a piano being played by a real, live piano player in the lounge. Everything about it screams "a starter here costs more than our employee's rent", mostly because they do.

And Kate's manager looks harried when their eyes fall upon their employee )

Where in the WORLD have you been?

[disagree]

[ ah, of course they'd get mad. couldn't really blame them with how late they're running. but eula will obligingly step in to vouch for the younger fox. ]

She was hounded by Shuten members on her way here. We... had to take some shortcuts and long-cuts just to evade them.

[ can't tell them about the parkour sesh -- might prove to be too reckless. not that kate isn't reckless on her own as it is... ]

[bratherine]

A...ah.

( Enma vouching, huh? That carries some weight to the manager, who seems to deflate and jerk their head towards the back. )

This damn war better stop soon. I have a business to run! You know those thugs have been bothering my patrons, too?

( Venting, it seems, is something the manager much needs, and Kate uses that chance to duck through towards the back of the restaurant and wave her thanks to Eula. Thanks for the backup, and thanks for taking the brunt of the manager's venting, though you might wanna do your best to untangle yourself, or Kate might just find you still standing there once she's ready to start her shift. )

[disagree]

Yes, I'm all too aware. But we of the Department can assure you that we will make the playing ground more even for both factions, so to speak.

[ it's just carefully-crafted PR talk at this point, but eula's used to such mindless chatter, really. so long as kate is safe and sound, she'll continue carrying the brunt of her bosses's ventings.

at the very least, she'll make eye contact with kate for a split second, giving her a nod before the girl disappears inside. eula too will have to go after this, and all is well for now. ]