May 2022 Mini Event

[jigokumods]

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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.

Comments

[worldbent]

[It's a little more altruistic, perhaps, than Matoba had expected- but it wasn't without its personal motives. It's as he says: benefit for the clan benefits them all. It was good to meet those who understood that purely selfish motives would get them nowhere in an organization such as this.]

[But that was the basis of a group like the Alliance, in the first place. "Mutual self-interest".]

[Matoba's eyes weren't the most normal, either, to the point he sees nothing wrong with Cloud's. For someone who claimed to be entirely human, Matoba sure could pass for an ayakashi, if he wanted to.]

"Augmented"... I see. Well, by my definitions, you are still very much human. [(You know, given that he doesn't know you're basically part alien, but aliens aren't ayakashi in his book either, sssooooo....)]

[identitycrisiscore]

[ (It's fine, it's not like Cloud knows that either. Give him a few psychological breakdowns and he'll get there.) ]

[ Cloud folds his arms, getting a good look now at Matoba's eyes - there's a small bristling, but it's mostly from... well, unassociated connotations. Matoba would understand if he knew. ]

[ But yes, Cloud understands the game of mutual self-interest - the slums ran on it, in lieu of help from anyone else - as long as he had room, board, and a way to pay his contract off - the rest of this was secondary. Or so he'd tell himself. Realistically, he was finding himself inexorably drawn to meddling in the politics of the place he found himself. ]

Why do you ask? If you're looking for a bodyguard, I'm afraid I'm short a sword and some other equipment - until I get that back, there's not a lot I can do. [ He knows when someone is sizing him up. ] ...But I'm open to negotiation.

[ Matoba clearly had more influence than him, and he's caught his eye. Cloud knows an opportunity to get in on the chain of information, when he sees it.]

[worldbent]

Haha, don't take this the wrong way, but... As a bodyguard, you wouldn't have much use to me if you can't even See.

[The capital S is silent, but he hopes the implication comes across regardless. Any threats he seriously found himself in could not be countered by physical means alone.] ...Besides. We have servants for that.

[Behind Cloud, two shadows flicker to life, towering and elongated in their unbleached white kimono, with their unbleached white mask-faces. They held no presence, no expressions- servants, in the most literal sense, it seemed.]

So don't worry about me. If you are human... we have no quarrel.

[identitycrisiscore]

[ Cloud gets it - he's been avoiding using SOLDIER in conversations - hard to explain that means something different than what other people think it might mean.

The shadows being summoned -does- give him a start, though - the servants, kimono aside, give just enough to them to look like - well, Matoba wouldn't know what Whispers look like, but they're close enough it makes Cloud reach over her shoulder - for a sword that isn't there. ]

[ He does lower his hand after catching his reflex, before nodding... very slowly. ]

Right... I guess you must have issues with monsters where you come from, too. Ones you need to... 'see' to fight.

[ Matoba's show of strength is enough to unsettle Cloud - but he knows being able to hold his own and not get scared by the display is its own strength. ]

[worldbent]

[Matoba notes the gesture. Reaching for a weapon...? He did say he was short a sword.]

[Perhaps that would be something that could be helped, with time.] "Monsters"... Youkai. You're surrounded by them now. [That's what he would call the vast majority of this city's denizens; although most of them were not powerful enough for him to feel threatened, even now.]

...By the way, weapons aren't too difficult to come by, in Shuten territory. If you aren't overly picky about having a weapon, you ought to take a look at their weapon-smiths. Many of them will sell outside of that clan's membership.

Be discreet, of course. [The shadows melt back away into the ground, dispelling into nothing. The show was enough, on its own, to give Cloud the idea.] It wouldn't do you any good to be caught in a real fight without a way to defend yourself.

[identitycrisiscore]

Youkai, huh...? [ He hrms to himself. So invisible youkai. That did sound... well, no, he knew what the Whispers were, in abstract. But seeing them probably did not match up to what Matoba meant by 'seeing'. Still, it was enough to give him pause and consideration. ] ...These Youkai you face ever have anything to do with fate?

[ That said, Cloud is picky about his swords. ] They might, but the one I have is just fine, if I can get it back. [ The rejection of the idea that he could get another sword isn't exactly entirely impersonal - but Matoba might just be able to chock it up to sentimental value. ]

...I can defend myself just fine until then. Even without it, I'm no slouch in a fight.

[worldbent]

..."Fate"...?

[The nonplussed face Matoba makes as he repeats it might answer the question enough for Cloud, but he ponders it anyway. Fate, like the threads of them? Like the invisible one that tied individuals together, to a curse, to a bloodline?]

[But he has a feeling that is not the sort of fate that Cloud is referring to.]

No, [He finally settles on. Perhaps there may be gods who may meddle in human affairs in order to ...change some path towards one favorable for them, but he wouldn't name it such.] They are troublesome beings who interfere with human lives, and invite themselves into spaces where they are not welcome. We are in their city now, but my advice to you, Strife-san, is to never forget that you are dealing with beings that cannot understand human nature.

[Advice for someone who does not seem to be familiar, and who is getting himself involved in the thick of their politics. The man seems dead-set on his own weapon, to which Matoba cannot really relate, but swordsmen seemed to be that way. He, an archer, could work with whatever bow of quality he could acquire.]

Then, shall I wish you luck with the rest of your assignments? ...I am sure we will cross paths again around the neighborhood. Do not hesitate if you find yourself in need of some assistance.

[Just know it comes with a price.]