August 2022 Event

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Toraguma and Tenkohime were not exaggerating when they said that Sai no Kawara was bound to attract extraordinarily deep pockets. The Celestials are already familiar to the Lost Souls, but among the crowds of customers are humans and yokai of wealth that can only be calculated in the billions, and even trillions. Powerful executives have come out to play, the sort of power brokers that almost exist beyond faction politics, the tier who makes the most money out of the city's dealings.

The event has an air of class that is far beyond what the average Lost Soul will have ever imagined…

1. GAMBLING PROBLEM (1 POINT)

The main event comes in the form of the games. This is where the Shuten Clan shines, as they offer up a plethora of gambling opportunities for the rich and powerful to partake in. There might be a Lost Soul or two at the tables, if they're feeling particularly lucky. Buy-in to a game isn't cheap, but if you're low on cash, you can substitute a handful of stellar Stardust to the pot.

Western games like Poker, Blackjack, and Roulette share space with Eastern standards like Cee-lo and Cho-han. Shuten Clan dealers have been training hard for this moment. They have learned to cheat on behalf of the House to scrape as much from these high rollers as they can. Those Shuten attendants who win big for the House will be duly compensated for their fine efforts.

If you're very clever, or very lucky, you might just be able to secure quite a payout for yourself as a player too. Just don't get caught pulling any funny business. The Shuten Clan bouncers have also been training quite thoroughly for this event. If you're not one of the fabulously wealthy tycoons, the bouncers have little incentive to play nice with you.

Should fighting break out, there is an arena onsite. Bets are flying there, too. Are you willing to wager your own pretty face?

2. PLEASURE PALACE (1 POINT)

Tenkohime wasn't exaggerating when she called her turf in the newly renovated underground a palace. The attendants at the Palace of Sai greet their wealthy clientele warmly, and they have a host of wondrous and rare delights to offer. As a rare treat, the Lost Souls are encouraged to indulge in this decadence. If the prices make you choke, remember that a little bit of Stardust will go a long way this season.

Food and drinks are of the highest quality. Delicacies from across Japan and the world abroad have been prepared, including many dishes not even of the Earth as you might know it. Particular favorites from the drinks menu are:

• Side Cars that have been made with cognac from a 300,000 yen bottle.
  
• Platinum Passions that have been made with L’esprit de Courvoisier; 800,000 yen per bottle.
  
• Eightfold Blessing is a captivating and aromatic mix considered to be Tenkohime's very own specialty. It grants the vigor to fulfill any desire; 1,000,000 yen a glass.

The pricey and fabulous drinks are just an encouragement. The Tamamo's best trained consorts are ready to offer their private services, usually in pairs. They have some Tanabata wishes of their own, and want to make them come true through their talents and skills. Not every encounter is sexual, some consorts simply wish to spend time with their clients and make them feel like the most important person in the world today. With the big price tags on their hours, the customer might very well be.

In addition to expensive meals, sex, and company, the Tamamo Clan also offers theater and performances. They have contracted with the highest caliber performers in the city, even those on loan from other factions. Dancers, musicians, and entertainers of all varieties are waiting in the wings to put on a show.

3. GOSSIP (1 POINT)

One of the performances gracing the stage in the Palace of Sai may seem familiar! The band Moonday played at the food truck festival last month. As it turns out, the lead singer -- a wolf girl named Ringo-chan -- is the daughter of one of the wealthiest executives within the Alliance's network of finance kings; Kaberou. She's run away from her restrictive life to rough it with her band. Big money is riding on convincing her to come home. There's another rumor floating around that the pirates attacking the supply lines have been putting pressure on Kaberou. Is he securing buyers for these pirated goods?

Rumors are flying: the kind of rumors that can bring riches or ruin. The Daitengu has commanded their people to keep their ears open. Do they happen upon a juicy lead? Do they find a way to reconnect Kaberou with his estranged daughter? Do they discover more about the pirates? Do tell, do tell!

Even the staff of the Enma Department will find lips much looser than usual around them. When you're this rich, you think you're above the standards of the law. There's plenty of conversation that might be of interest to the Department. In particular, one name does keep coming up...

It comes up when discussing Kaberou's dealings with these pirates, and how much of a wrench his daughter's negligence to the life has been for his business. It's spoken of in hushed tones, even by the Celestials. It is an ominous name: "Iron Bear"

4. TANABATA (2 POINTS)

The grand opening of the underground is the centerpiece of an otherwise familiar Tanabata celebration. Using the accumulated Stardust, the Tamamo Clan's onmyouji have collaborated with Kappa engineers and the Shuten Clan's resident blacksmith to create a truly wonderful spectacle for the festival.

Despite Sai no Kawara existing underground, the overhead sky is full of brilliant stars on display. It is a one-to-one recreation of the cosmic tapestry of the Milky Way streaking through the sky like the astral river from the Tanabata legend.

The stars Vega and Altair, also known as Orihime and Hikoboshi, are highlighted in the tapestry. They take form and dance together above everyone, they encourage the feelings of love to fill the air. Romantic love, platonic love, familial love: it doesn't matter. This is the product of peace, hard work, and cooperation. This is the dream of the Daitengu and their lieutenants. Dance to the music. Drink your fill. This is a celebration of love, and there's so much love here, for everyone.

Attendees are encouraged to write their wishes on the colorful talismans distributed. Bamboo trees decorate the central square, waiting to be draped with wishes. Even if you are not familiar with Tanabata, it will be easy to pick up on the ritual. The magic in the air tonight is incredibly strong, these wishes might even come true.

5. "WE KNOW WHO YOU ARE" (2 POINTS)

Late into the evening, the Daitengu takes to the stage. They welcome everyone and hope that they have had a good night. Toraguma and Tenkohime flank them, and each says a few words to the crowd. Then, Sutoku lieutenant Sakamoto is called up to the stage for the moment of truth.

Toraguma, regretfully, announces that Sakamoto has made good on his promises. The holes in their supply lines have been uncovered found, the black market is becoming less of a bleed on their finances, and the road to finding out who -- or what -- is causing the disruption is becoming clearer. The great oni will always honor a promise kept, and reaches out his hand to shake Sakamoto's in a gesture of gratitude.

The timing, as usual, is a little dramatic.

A group of shadowy figures wearing rough-spun gear storm the stage. Several of them snatch Ringo-chan from where she is waiting to perform and drag her away. Another lunges at Sakamoto with a make-shift sword of crude metal. Just before the blade can cut Sakamoto, the would-be assassin is stopped by Toraguma. With their wrist snatched and broken, the assassin screams out:

"We come on behalf of the Iron Bear, and we know who you are!"

In his rage and fury, Toraguma breaks the assassin's neck, slamming him down to the stage. He dies within moments, while the rest of the attackers flee. They've kidnapped Ringo-chan.

Sai no Kawara is quickly flooded with armed and armored officers of the Enma Department. They instruct everyone to remain calm. No one panic. The Enma himself has arrived, and he is going to start questioning everyone about what just happened. Who is the Iron Bear? What in hell do they want? It's time for some answers.

Well… As far as parties in Jigoku-cho go… this one could have been worse, yeah?

Welcome to the August event!

• Art in the final prompt by Yang Tuo
  
• If you have any questions about event content, please ask them here!
  
• Each prompt is labeled for it's value in terms of qualifying threads for Rewards.
  
• If your character is in the Shuten Clan and cheating on behalf of the house, find out how well they pulled it off by posting here! Those that do well will get a special bonus from Toraguma.
  
• If your character is trying any of the games of chance, find out how they paid out here!
  
• If your character put on a performance at the Palace of Sai's stage, find out how the crowd reacted here! Regardless of clan affiliation, those that do well will be rewarded by Tenkohime!
  
• For results on the gossip floating around the festival, post here!
  
• For Department members, if your character is going to interrogate NPC festival goers, let us know here and we can post some more specific results!
  
• TANABATA WISHES! POST THEM HERE!
  
• If you have questions about the game itself, please check out the premise, FAQ, and rules pages.

Comments

[worldbent]

[Matoba's smile grows, just a little, in earnest. It was good to know where their ideals met; to Matoba, power was everything, but the Celestials were a particularly imbalanced power. If the Sutoku's code was to treat everything like a business transaction, then his assertion was that one couldn't trust doing business with a partner whose advantage was so lopsided.]

[Cloud's brainstorming was always useful; Matoba settles in to listen.] Orders to the field? I agree. Kaneguma is not leaving the comfort of whatever this "green place" is that he may be. Whether they are using magic or more simple means such as messengers, orders are being sent out.

Now that we are in control of the supply lines, any shipments we intercept should be searched thoroughly for messages and liaisons, as well. The further up the supply lines we can expand our influence, the more likely we are to run into clues, or more of their men outright.

[And so, that brings them back to the original concern: they need boats. Good thing they have the father of the navy aboard.] Alright. I'm going to see what Sakamoto-san has to say about how far we can hope to get on short notice with ready passage up the Sanzu. And if we are going to try something like that, I will need to ensure that any Sutoku members who might be heading into Wasteland territory will have necessary gear and supplies. [To say nothing of armor and weapons- food, water; after all, most Lost Souls were not dead.]

I haven't heard from the Boss yet, in light of all this. [Matoba sits back, frowning to himself.] I suppose calming the concerns of all the big-time investors who were attending that opening might be in their immediate concerns... If they are leaving the rest of this to us, we might as well not hesitate.

[identitycrisiscore]

Makes sense to me. Let the boss do what only the boss can do. [ Namely, keep the various factions that keep the Sutoku together all aligned and on the same page. The Lost Souls were rocking the boat, to pardon the metaphor, but for good reasons, ultimately. ]

[ He leans back again, contemplating. ] I should have a place set up for people to coordinate training by the end of the month. It'll be a business during the day and a training spot overnight. I'll be reaching out on the network for people who want to train — and for people who want to teach. Ideally, everyone who wants a chance to train should be able to get some basic training in, before you and Sakamoto have things ready for our little 'expedition.'

...I should be clear to hit the field, too, by then. Doctors said eight weeks and I could resume normal physical regimens again. Although there's still complications, it's nothing that can't be worked around.

[worldbent]

[That's right... At the end of the day, with perhaps maybe the lone exception of the River Kappa clan who the Lost Souls had formed some connection with in the aftermath of their exile, most of the Alliance's clans barely gave Lost Souls the time of day. At best, they were indifferent; at worst, they might be seen as dangerous elements or rivals for political power within the clan.]

[It was probably for the best to let the Daitengu wrangle whatever resentment or misgivings there may be after this attack. The truce had been an uneasy one to begin with.]

Understood. If you need support for training weapons, I can request the armory to lend you equipment. [Matoba raises a thoughtful hand to his chin.] ...I had brought this up, but it may be a good idea for me to come around for a short while and offer some knowledge in spiritual defenses. We don't know what these Wasteland youkai are capable of, but if we are getting tangled up with cursed gods, it would be for the best that everyone is more aware.

...I won't tell you to take it easy, but. [It was pointless to tell any Sutoku that; by now, he's confident they all understood that about one another.] Instead, be tactical. If you push yourself, just be sure that whatever you're destroying yourself for is worth the damage.

[identitycrisiscore]

I'll let you know if I need any additional supplies. We'll probably go through a few training dummies while people get acquainted with what they can and can't do. [ ...There's a story to that, probably. ] So pencil that in ahead of time.

I think spiritual defenses would come in handy. I can say for sure I don't have any knowledge in the subject, so— [ He's expecting many of the other Sutoku veterans will want to pool their collective knowledge into training. ] if you find the time, it'll be appreciated.

...And I'll be careful. I don't intend to put myself in a position where I have to spend weeks listening to people fuss over me again.

[ Which is probably one of the most Sutoku ways of saying that he'll be careful that Cloud could say. ]

[worldbent]

[Matoba's eyebrow ...lifts, but that sounds about right. While he didn't have a lot of experience with variety in powers (to the extent that was present in Hell), even he could remember his misadventures as a teenager, experimenting with exorcism techniques....] Ahaha, noted. I have acquired quite a few ring targets from the armory for my own use, so I'm sure the armory will no doubt have plenty of practice dummies as well.

[He thinks to himself that there's a bit of irony in youkai procuring such things; such human-like figures were likely to become spirits themselves...]

That's right. There are only mindless monsters where you come from, hm? ...The next time we meet, let's work on that, shall we?

The training I have in mind might be a little rough. But I don't intend to let our recruits fall to dangers which could otherwise have been remedied. Defense is as important as offense, don't you agree?

Which is why I'm glad to hear that. [Matoba finally scoots back from the table and stands, adjusting his loosened tie.] Now that you are more aware of the dangers that now surround you, surely you are well positioned to understand your limits. Let's work on shoring those up.

[identitycrisiscore]

That's right. Mindless monsters, humans, and machines. That's what I'm used to.

[ He'll stand up as Matoba stands up. ]

So I agree. If we're going to be getting into the thick of it. Better to be able to survive and fight another day then go out in a blaze of glory. [ There's... a soft edge to that, that Cloud wouldn't have intended, but it's definitely something Matoba can pick up on. ] I'm grateful for the assistance.

My only request is you try and go easy on them a little bit. More than likely some of those coming to train will be training for the first time. If it has to be intense, make sure you warn people. No sense giving our crew scars before sending them out.

[ He folds his arms. ] We have to protect that side of them, too.

[worldbent]

[Oh? Matoba wonders what sort of sacrifices Cloud may have witnessed to take such a tone. If he was a soldier, surely many. But that was a sentiment that he could agree with.] ...Yes. Survival above all ought to be a priority.

[Sacrifices were necessary, but if you cut too much, there would be nothing left to bleed out. Weighing the necessity VS that goal was always something to keep in mind, as a leader.]

[The corner of the exorcist's mouth curls a little- maybe Cloud was getting to know him well enough by now to know how rough to expect from him, hm?] I understand your concerns, but I believe a real taste to show how seriously they ought to take matters is best, given the number of true disasters we have all been thrown into in short order. Of course, I will not let any actual harm come to them- we will take some precautions.

[Just what sort of upbringing did Matoba have, with such tough-love? Hm.]

[identitycrisiscore]

[ Whatever upbringing Matoba did have, it was giving Cloud a feel for the man. He was more aligned with the idea of needed sacrifices. He had... a very tumultous relationship with the local populace, given his own fights back home. But he was loyal to the Alliance. In some ways, Cloud wonders that if the two of them weren't working towards the same goal, they would have much worse opinions of each other. ]

Just so long as we don't have to have send any of them to Emily afterward, you know? Don't think either of us need that when we're prepping for a battle like this.

[ Because if they have to get Emily involved, that was going to be a much longer talk - with both of them hanging by an ear. And he's pretty sure neither him or Matoba want to have to explain overzealous training leaning to panic attacks or injuries to one of the few people keeping the workaholic officer crew afloat. ]