March 2022 Mini Event

[jigokumods]

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The Night Parade is fast-approaching and each faction will be busy with their own preparations.

1. SHUTEN CLAN

The Celestial Phoenix Casino, a fairly popular casino in the Shuten territory, is overdue on its protection money. This money is sorely needed for parade preparations. Unfortunately, the casino has decided it doesn't need to pay up because they've hired some new unaffiliated muscle. Neither the manager nor their new muscle are the type to listen to reason, so be prepared to exert some intimidation and force to convince these new bodyguards to take their business elsewhere.

The brute squad working for the Celestial Phoenix seems to be made up of several different youkai. Some of them are more human looking than others, but you'll notice no Oni. Even independent Oni wouldn't dare turn against the Shuten Clan. Even lacking in Oni, these thugs are armed to the teeth, swinging several deadly weapons and even a few firearms. This could get rough, so be prepared for the worst. Take the gangsters protecting the Celestial Phoenix out or convince them it’s not worth it.

Once inside, you'll discover that the owner, in a panic, has locked himself inside the casino's value with the protection money owed. This might take some doing to get open...

2. SUTOKU ALLIANCE

The Kappa want to be left alone and the Daitengu has asked Sutoku Alliance members to assure their wishes are respected. Members are tasked with convincing people to stay away from the Kappa's riverside facilities by whatever means necessary. Of course, you may want to take a look for yourself to see what they’re being so secretive about. That’s not recommended, if you don’t want to get into trouble.

It’s not just strangers who are nosy, though. Retinues from both the Shuten and Tamamo clans are making an appearance and asking why the inspections are taking so long. Why are the Kappa dragging their feet? The Alliance prefers to avoid direct violence, so it's up to you to talk to these clan captains in a way that convinces them to leave the Kappa alone.

If you're curious enough to dive deeper into the Kappa's business, however, even your Alliance membership isn't going to keep you safe. The Kappa themselves seem to disappear from sight the further into the sewers you go, as if invisible. Preventing yourself from being spotted by a security camera or a patrolling Kappa is almost impossible. Cover your faces, stick to the shadows, and you might just notice that... they’re building something down there.

Something for the Parade? Who knows? But it’s definitely not decorations or a float...

3. DEPARTMENT OF THE ENMA

The parade route for the Night Parade needs to be "cleaned up". The Department is tasked with getting the low level street gangs and squatters to clear out. The homeless population will resist and may not be so easily persuaded to give up their spots. Your best bet is to offer them food, booze, or shelter for the night. The street gangs will assuredly fight back. Use your strength or your wits to get the job done.

The gangs will not typically be that tough, most don’t want to step up to the Department's goon squad too heavily lest they wind up in a cell for the rest of their lives. Still, some might be hopped up on encouraging substances and try to escalate. Don’t worry, though. You have the authority of the Enma on your side! Don’t think they will get away with waving a weapon in your face.

The homeless, though, lack strength or weapons. They are more fueled by desperation to keep their spots. Winter hasn't been kind to them, after all, and they don’t have much respect for the Enma's authority. Their belligerent behavior is loud, and often violent despite their absence of means to properly defend themselves. At worst, they’ll probably try to use biological warfare. Don’t ask what's in those bottles...

4. TAMAMO CLAN

Parade costumes need to be designed, crafted, modeled, and then likely mended knowing the rough and tumble yokai. The textile shops and tailors of the area need Tamamo Clan members to help them out. Costumes vary from extremely ornate to extremely sexy. These costumes need to merge form and function, for the Tamamo clan parade marchers that means they need to be able to sell their specific wares while wearing them. (wink wonk)

None of the costumes are floor ready and the shop bosses urge you that these cannot be seen by the public until they are ready. This won’t stop some peeping toms and tammies from trying to scope out the goods. Most of the voyeurs are spying for perverted reasons, but some are from shops outside of Tamamo’s influence trying to copy the designs for themselves. Either way, Tamamo Clan members aren't expected to be just pretty faces. So rough’em up.

5. TASTE TEST (ALL FACTIONS)

For those less interested in their faction's work, the restaurants in the Tamamo territory also need help finalizing their menu offerings for the Night Parade. Taste testers and creative cooks wanted! These aren’t just any dishes though and may have some interesting effects. One may be so spicy that everything burns, your face turns red, and you need to cool yourself off. Or maybe your dish is so good that you need to take a nap – it doesn't matter where you are, you'll just fall asleep right on the spot. Another possibility is a dish that gives you unstoppable energy – literally. It will make you want to get up and go and never stop moving. If you stop moving, it may cause a bigger problem.

Welcome to the mini event!

• If you have any questions about event content, please ask them here!
• If you have questions about the game itself, please check out the premise, FAQ, and rules pages.

Comments

[playfoul]

[ Yuri tenses when he's grabbed. Experience has taught him that when it happens, it's usually nothing good. The next moment, though, he feels the paper slip into his palm and he understands. Easing back into a relaxed posture, he continues on their conversation without missing a beat. ]

I suppose we'll have to prove we're reliable first. That means standing guard and making sure no one gets past, even when the job is terribly dull, yeah?

[ Meanwhile, he'll cross his arms and discreetly unfurl the paper in the crook of his elbow to read it. ]

[laughitoff]

[whew! he's always glad when this covert stuff goes well; he fully understands if someone's jumpy about being touched without permission, but he also doesn't enjoy it if he fails to dodge being decked in the face for it.]

Yes, yes. At least it's simple enough, hmm? Though you'd think people would be less pushy about it by now, with how long we've been at it.

[the paper says Did you go in to see? I did. What do you think this is? below a sketchy but distinct little drawing of a section of constructed machinery in a sewer tunnel, hooked up to the waterlines by trailing hoses at several points.

it is honestly hard to tell the answer. Wei Wuxian didn't get a look at the whole thing before he got run off, just this portion.]

[playfoul]

[ No wonder his companion was theorizing about water-breathing contraptions. Yuri commits the drawing to memory before tucking the note away to dispose of later. Since they seem to be of the same mind, he nods his head silently to confess that yes, he'd gone in as well. ]

They don't tire easily, that's for sure. Speaking of how long we've been here, when does our watch end?

[ He'll take out his phone and to pretend to check the time, but instead open his notes and type a response back. Yuri turns the screen to the other man. The first remark is a joking one, the second serious: ]

you sure that's a dragon and not an octopus?

let's chat after this shift. we can talk somewhere we won't be overheard

[laughitoff]

Ah, hmm, I'd say--ah, you've got it. Time certainly does drag when nothing much is actually happening, doesn't it? Though perhaps I shouldn't complain about minimal ruckus...

[he lights up on seeing the notes app -- he hadn't noticed it on his own phone yet -- and types back:]

why not both???

also sounds great

[fortunately their relief is soon. imagine doing this info exchange and then having to idle quietly here for another three hours or something]

[playfoul]

Did you really see what they were building? However did you manage to tail them that far in?

[ It's after their shift, and with the tunnels far behind them, they can finally talk freely. Yuri sounds impressed when he speaks up. ]

It doesn't look like they're constructing a float down there. What was it made of? Can it even be moved?

[laughitoff]

Ah, well, I don't advertise it, but I grew up doing hunts on the water a lot. It's not something I'd recommend as a route in general -- I still almost got caught -- but I went by the water instead of trying for the tunnels, at first.

[he's idly tracing the lines of the diagram as they discuss it, humming in thought]

I didn't see wheels or anything, but I also only saw a portion of the thing, so it might be possible for it to have them...? Mostly it looked like it was made of metal, too. Sorry; my information's really incomplete, I had to get out of there in a hurry.

They were putting a lot of water in it, though. All those tubes...

[playfoul]

You got further than me. I went in through the tunnels and tailed them until they pulled their vanishing act.

[ Hence his theory about the invisible float. The man's description doesn't help Yuri narrow down what it's meant to be. All that plumbing and water pipes...it gives him inspiration for what the Abyss back home can benefit from, but no other ideas. ]

I can't make heads or tails of it, but that goes for most technology of this era. Do you think a library would have answers? In any case, we still have a week or two before the parade..

What's your name, friend? I'll contact you if I find anything.

[laughitoff]

[ha! it's a long time since someone's called him 'friend' on short acquaintance. he finds he missed it more than he thought. truly, the relative anonymity of being in Jigokucho instead of home is a gift.]

We can certainly try to do some research. About Kappa, about their history in this city, maybe, what they publicly come up with...well, we'll see.

I'm Wei Wuxian. Here; let's exchange numbers, hm? These phones are handy little things.

[playfoul]

Handy, indeed. Beats sending word by messenger or bird.

[ It's a mystery to him how they worked, but these little devices made exchanging information very easy. How lucky for everyone in Sutoku. He reaches for his phone. ]

Yuri Leclerc.

[ Regardless of how the search ends, it's good to connect with a fellow Alliance member. ]