jigokulogs | March 2022 Mini Event

March 2022 Mini Event

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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.

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Upstairs? Fuck!

[Judging from the curse, this whole fiasco just got even worse. He was hoping that the boss man would stay here out in the open but it seems he ran upstairs to the VIP lounge instead. While Dante took the time to familiarize himself with the layout of the main floor, he doesn’t know the entire casino inside and out. He didn’t have enough time to properly case the joint before someone took a potshot at his head.]

Huh?! Wait a minute—

[Dante barely has time to get a word out before the kid leaps out of his hiding spot into the fray. An annoyed groan escapes him as he really kicks it into overdrive now. While he doesn’t mind putting himself in danger to get the job done, he hates getting others involved. He switches to Ivory and starts rapid firing at the goons hiding within the foyer to keep them pinned down.

The longer he can keep them pinned, the better. Eventually, Dante pulls up Ebony once he notices reinforcements running out onto the overhead above them. That is when he hears the kid mention them going up.]

We’re going up!

[Before Dante could get pinned down with gunfire, the devil hunter jumps from table to table before kicking off of a nearby wall to climb onto the overlay. A few more shots ring out as Dante starts mowing down the opposition there but eventually he says “fuck it” and summons this enormous black sword made out of smoldering ash.]

Let’s go, kid! Don’t fall behind!

[All aboard the murder train! Dante plans on hacking and slashing his way towards the VIP lounge and he doesn’t give a damn who gets in the way. If you thought things couldn’t get any crazier, then think again. Cause not only are these goons in for a fight, but they’re also getting their asses beat to a damn soundtrack now. The radio system switches from whatever elevator music playing to this groovy 80s-esque vaporwave beat. Dante doesn’t recognize the artist but he knows a bop when he hears it.]

[ He paused for a second at being called 'kid'. Back home, no one has called him that for a long long time, but given how he actually looks compared to his actual age - red coat wasn't entirely wrong.

The reinforcements don't get any kind of reaction out of him, but the shotgun becoming lighter made him click his tongue. Nothing more than pea shooters.

He gripped the katana at his hip and dashed, tapping into whatever remained of his psudo-demon physiology, and moving faster than any normal human then using some slot machines and a couple of low hanging ring chandeliers to parkour up to the second level balcony right up towhere their opponents lay. ]

Gentlemen.

[ An implication to surrender in his tone but this goes over their heads as the first one lunges at him in a sad attempt of a draw, one Bishop matches with his own draw that cuts through the yokai's sword and across his body. ]

Someone woke up and chose violence, today.

[ The second attacked but was parried and quickly dispatched with strikes that were practiced, precise, and perfected. Signs that show he wasn't just a master with the sword; he also knew how to slay each one of these yokai. Just in case the two dead yokai at his feet weren't an obvious mark of that.

The yokai were proper scared now as Bishop raised the katana and took a stance, the same time - the reinforcements circled around and were coming up behind him to pincer him. Not that any of it really bothered him. ]

[The second that the "kid" manages to parkour his way up towards the balcony, Dante knew he was a demon. This isn’t the first time he met another demon but he can’t gauge just how powerful they are. His senses have been all screwed up ever since arriving here in Jigokucho. While Dante can’t tap into his Devil Trigger right now, he can feel his inner demon growling within the deepest recesses of his mind.]

Glad to see you’re a good dance partner, buddy!

[Dante cheers before having to defend himself from another onslaught of bullets. He maneuvers his sword in front of him like a makeshift shield before suddenly lunging towards the hoodlums to ram them off the balcony. He manages to knock three of them off before rearing that massive sword backward for a powerful cleave. Wielding the Devil Sword takes a lot out of Dante these days, especially since he’s only at half-strength but thankfully he’s still as lithe and nimble as ever.

He manages to kill two kappa-like yokai who were trying to subdue him before swinging his blade towards the right to bash a Tengu across the temple when it swooped down at him. To say the least, this was turning into an all-out war against the mercs.]

Watch out!

[Dante warns before leaping into the fray with his massive black blade in hand. He manages to cut his way through the crowd before eventually landing smoothly right behind his new friend.]

You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours.

[ The large imposing sword tipped him off that this guy wasn't human to say the least, and the energy the sword gave off...it's nothing like he felt before, but he can tell that its demonic in nature.

He cut down yokai, one after the other with single clean strikes, turning only to parry a back strike before red coat landed behind him. ]

Sounds like a plan.

[ Bringing then pommel to his palm, Bishop loosened and rolled his grip on the blade - holding it only with his thumb and index finger - pausing for a moment before lunging forward, grip smoothly rolling back into place with his momentum, and delivering lighting fast slashes to the foes before him. One...two....four....then six more yokai fell in seconds as Bishop pressed forward.

Though it seemed for every one yokai he cut down, another seemed to show up. ]

Oh for the love of- how many of these mooks are there?!

[A mischievous grin slowly spreads across Dante’s lips once he’s given the okay. Without the slightest hesitation, he practically throws himself at the bodyguards just hacking and slashing away at abandon. The scent of blood gets stronger as Dante continues his bloody frenzy. He doesn’t stop slashing away until there’s just one man standing but before he could dispatch him, reinforcements appear from the VIP lounge carrying sawed off shotguns.]

Okay, this party is getting a little crowded!

[He yells before turning back towards his partner to make sure they’re still standing. Bishop seems to be alive and well but the man is obviously dismayed by the sheer number of these guards flooding the balcony.]

Yo, kid!

[Here comes that kid comment again. He doesn’t mean anything by it but he has no idea this guy is pushing thirty. Not with that baby face, at least.]

Our main goal is the big man who fled into the VIP lounge. The small fries aren’t worth the trouble—

[Just when he says that, the casino manager makes his brief debut wearing a mustard colored suit carrying what seems to be bags filled with cash. The son of bitch makes a beeline out of the VIP lounge with a couple of hired guns tailing him.]

That’s our man! Right there!

[ Systematically taking out flunky after flunky with precise slashes and thrusts made him quickly realize that the blade he took was no good. He could feel it dulling with each swing and it didn't feel like it would last much longer. Sure there were a lot of them around him now that it seemed like there were an endless number of these hired idiots, but the thought of having to use such low quality blades was upsetting.

He turns his attention to the awful colored man in the suit across the room, immediately disengaging from the current riff raff then free running across the railing, then large lights, and machines before leaping up back onto the level to give chase. He heads into the lounge while taking out anyone in his way but once he disappears through the entrance way - ]

FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCCCC-!! ....ow.

[ - Bishop is suddenly propelled back with great force before crashing onto the railing and denting it. The perpetraitor, a large namahage with a blue mask and a blade to match. He raised his blade and brought it down, Bishop narrowly dodging but the katana he's using was snapped in half at some point, leaving him to only dodge and weave while keeping the attention of the large yokai. ]

[ ooc: sorry I'm late, flew back to my country and I'm tired as hell. recovering now so I can continue this if you're still up for it ]

Edited 2022-03-30 08:19 (UTC)

[Just when Dante was about to get the jump on some headless Nukekubi chick with a katana, he hears the crash. He lets out a curse once he sees Bishop down there about to get manhandled by some oversized bastard wearing a mask. Dante can just tell by looking at the guy that he's some sort of yokai. The bastard in question is almost as big as an Oni but hardly as stacked as one.]

Hang in there, kid! I'm comin'!

[Dante shouts before suddenly kicking the headless woman right off the side of the balcony. He doesn't have time for her shit right now! The same goes for the rest of these fucking mooks.]

Float like a butterfly and sting like a bee!

[That quote might be over Bishop's head but no worries. Dante starts tearing through the crowd upon the balcony, slicing and dicing like there's no tomorrow. A flurry of screams could be heard above the frenzy followed by a few more gunshots but eventually, Dante emerges victorious as he hops down towards the lobby below.]

Hey, ugly! Wanna tango with me instead?

[He states with a cheerful grin as he rests the blunt side of his sword upon his shoulder.]

I'll make it worth your while!

Edited ((I'm all down for continuing!)) 2022-03-30 23:02 (UTC)

[ The brute turned to Dante and let out a breath that came out as hot steam before letting out a beast like roar meant to intimidate. ]

Namahage! A yokai from the north!

[ Bishop yelled from the otherside of the yokai, though his attention was quickly divided when more goons arrived from on his other side. ]

Not much different from onis, but this one is just as strong and more agile!

[ And with that little nugget given, he intercepted the incoming group and immediately disarmed the first goon of his katana and scabbard and started taking them out as quickly as he can to join the red coat. ]

[A namahage, huh? While this oversized bruiser looks like a threat but Dante isn't scared. He taunts the youkai with his signature smirk before lunging forward with his sword at hand. The deafening sound of steel clashing against steel rings throughout the casino as the pair clash blades. While the masked youkai isn’t as strong as him, the creature is fast enough to give Dante a run for his money.

They keep trading blow after blow, their swords screeching with every impact. It goes on for a while until the namahage actually lands the first blow and slices Dante across the chest. Blood splatters across the floor as Dante quickly dodges another incoming strike. He nimbly places some distance between himself the youkai, his right hand gripping his chest.]

Shit. [This isn’t looking too good. While Dante can heal up faster than your average person, he’s still at a disadvantage here due to the youkai’s speed. Dante has good agility but he’s only at half-strength here, so he’s definitely not at the top of his game.]

I was wondering if any of you guys were any good!

[He taunts before quickly leaping into the fray once more with his sword drawn.]

This is the first decent workout I’ve had since arriving here!

[All bluffing aside, Dante could use some serious help here. He’s doing his best to keep the masked freak busy while Bishop handles the small fries.]

[ He thinned the newest herd as much as he can leaving them either dead or scrambling to get far far away from either of them before turning right around and running straight towards the towering yokai.

He leapt and climbed over the namahage, spinning and slashing at the shoulder of its sword arm as he cleared the brute and rolled to dodge as he straightened up next to Dante. ]

Sorry I'm late.

[ Brief banter before he dashes forward, dodging a sweep of the namahage's blade by keeping low and sliding past and slashing first at the shin then quickly righting himself to slash at the back of the knee. Still keeping the yokai's attention he rolled to the side to dodge the blade as it came down, dashing past it once more and slashing at its exposed sword arm.

The namahage roared in pain and rage, swinging once more - this time with it's free arm to strike at Bishop with a backhand, which he blocked with the guard of the katana but just barely as he's sent a few feet back - sword arm shaking from the impact which he shrugs off. ]

[Dante really thought he was going to be down and out until homeboy leaps over with a rolling slice. Red-black blood sprayed everywhere once Bishop made his grand return. A sigh of relief escapes him as he gives his new buddy a nod in approval.]

What took you so long?

[He questions with a toothy grin before leaping into the fray again. Now that Bishop is keeping old blue eyes busy, Dante can finally get the jump on the youkai. He’s aware that he’s losing the momentum in this fight but he’s not done yet. When Bishop manages to wound the namahage again, Dante comes in from the far right sweeping his sword towards the monster’s legs. He manages to cut through the thick flesh of the youkai’s calf, causing more blood to spray upon the gold tiled floors. Dante cleaves right through the namahage’s leg seconds after it tosses Bishop backward causing the big bitch to fall.

The moment the namahage hits the floor, Dante scrambles on top of it. He grabs the hilt of the Devil Sword with both hands and stabs through the youkai’s chest with all his might piercing through both flesh and bone. He keeps stabbing as the youkai writhes in agony under him. It’s a harrowing sight but eventually, the overgrown beast stops moving.]

You better be dead, asshole.

[He swears as he wipes the sweat off his brow]

[ He hangs back as red coat brought the finishing blow and the yokai lets out its death cry before becoming still.

Bishop sauntered over, rubbing his arm before lifting and driving the katana through the mask and into its head. ]

No pulse.

[ He pulls out the blade and swung the blood and brain matter off the blade, clicking his tongue as he once more sees the blade is of poor poor quality. ]

Nice hustle, red coat. I'm called Bishop. You?

[ A commotion behind them gets his attention where the goons who were watching are now too scared to run or fight, instead choosing to cower in place and egging others to fight. ]

Really? Fellas, c'mon.

[A sigh of relief escapes Dante once he realizes the youkai is dead. He doesn't know what the hell a namahage is supposed to be but after fighting one, he doesn't want meet another one. It absolutely sucks being at half-strength like this without the aid of his devil trigger. He never realized how difficult it is to battle the paranormal, especially since he wasn't entirely human himself.

A cambion like him isn't supposed to have this kind of trouble. It's quite frustrating and a little embarrassing but at least he had decent back up.]

It's Dante and I hate this place. [He states with a dry chuckle. Jigoku-cho is putting him through the friggin ringer.] Okay, we better rendezvous with the others.

I'm willing to bet the boss man has something--[He trails off one he hears all the commotion nearby. It seems like the mercs in question are surrendering but others are debating whether to flee or not.]

So now you folks wanna behave, huh?

[Judging from the sarcasm in his tone, Dante isn't the least bit impressed. He yanks his sword out of the youkai's corpse before flicking the blood off much how Bishop did earlier. That is except purposely flicked the blood right towards those sniveling cowards.]

You've could've saved his life if you'd surrendered~

[He admonishes before giving Bishop a quick glance.]

Let's blow this popsicle stand and head to the lounge. I'm sure Toraguma and the others are headed there.

[ The yokai recoiled and some ran when the droplets of blood flew in their direction and they soon parted like the red sea. ]

Yyyyeeaaahhhh...

[ He sheathed the katana with flourish and a twirl of the hand after picking up a stray scabbard. ]

About that.

[ He lead the way to the lounge, stopping at the closest group of yokai and then shuffling to scare them back before stepping past into the lavish lounge. Its just what one might expect from the VIP lounge of a tacky casino, modern decor, more gilded machines, and vintage gambling tables for that timeless feel. The only thing out of place is what Bishop is currently pointing at, the giant stainless steel door - heavy to look at, heavier to try to pry open, and an electric console to the side with the light shining above redder than Dante's coat. ]

I saw fatass run towards that before that namahage threw me across the world. Of course, it was open at the time.

[ And now its not. Can he figure out where he might have went? ]

[As much as Dante likes fighting, he can't help but take pity on these miserable creatures. They really didn't have a chance in hell against him, especially not with Bishop pulling up the rear. While he doesn't know Bishop from Adam, he can't help but admire his swordsmanship. It's just a shame he had to scramble for a weapon. This guy could use a well-made sword.]

A friggin' safe room?! [He exclaims once he follows where Bishop is pointing. Judging from the size and girth of that stainless steel door, it's probably a safe more than anything else. However, it could also serve as a panic room easily for their less than charitable client.]

For the love---Ugh!

[Dante hauls off and punches the nearest wall in a fit of absolute rage. While he might lack some of his demonic strength, the nice size crack in the wall speaks otherwise.]

You know in hindsight, should have expected that.

[ The impression Bishop got was this guys was tough, but then seeing the number of goons he hired changed that to spineless rat. ]

C'mon, lets see if we can't crack it open. You can destroy the rest of this dump later.

[ He doesn't want to have to deal with an upset oni or hear any garbage about how a door stopped them.

He quickly starts going around the seam of the door, obviously finding it sealed tight with no gaps or distortions in the metal. ]

Dante.

[ He calls and points up to the security camera now pointed at them. ]

Smile for the camera.

[Toraguma is bound to give them crap if they don't finish the job. It's with this in mind, that eggs Dante to keep going. While he could honestly use a good nap after exerting so much energy, Dante doesn't have the luxury of a nap right now.]

Hindsight 20/20, I should've just shot the ugly bastard and dragged his corpse back to HQ. [He mutters bitterly. The big man upstairs behind the pearly white gates knows he would've done just that if he had the opportunity. It would've saved them the trouble.]

Camera? Huh, what--

[He trails off instantly once he sees the camera above. His first instinct is to shoot it but he stops himself from doing just that. Instead, he flexes before the camera and shows off his slightly fanged smile.]

Yo, Mister Casino Manager! Do you have a moment to speak with us about our lord and saviors Ebony & Ivory?

[This idiot cheekily wave his guns in front of the camera.]

They just wanna talk to you real quick!

[ Bishop put his ear to the door to see if he can catch anything, but other than faint grumbling - at least what he thinks is grumbling, it could be shouting - nothing gives away any possible structural breaches in the safe. ]

Well, he's in there. By himself as far I can tell.

[ He moved from checking the door to the panel next to it, giving it the once over before checking the control pad. ]

This is pretty old school but effective, I suppose. Hmmmm...You don't suppose there's a tool box around here, do you?

[ He says looking around. Someone has a plan. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

March 2022 Mini Event

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Dat music

I friggin love this track!

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