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kaisou2023-11-03 12:56 pm
November Event Log
November Event Log (Part I)
Dominant Element: Shadow
Waning Element: Light
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The heavy fog continues through the start of November, making visibility next to zero. Meanwhile, the temperature begins to get colder and colder, and the nights grow longer. Besides the fog, it's fairly typical weather for November. And yet, there is an unshakable sense of unease within the city. If you stare into the fog for long enough, you swear you can see the shadows of inhuman beings moving about. If you try to go after them, you won't find anything at all. Is it the Shadow element playing tricks again? Just what is going on?
A Normal City (Opt-Out Option)On the day the fog lifts, you're treated to a perfectly normal city. The weather is normal for November, people are going about their day. This is the city as the Normal AUs would recall it before they ever joined the app. There's no Spirit Vein in the sky, no floating island full of moogles. It's just an ordinary American city.
In fact, you yourself seem also completely normal. Any abilities you once had no longer work, and anything unusual about your appearance has returned to something more fitting for a normal world. You've also lost access to the Libra app, instead needing to use regular social media apps to keep in contact with folks. You can still recall the existence of magic, but as the days wear on, those memories feel more and more like a dream than your reality. The people that were a part of that magical community are no different - anyone tied to the paranormal, whether they were on the app or not, don't seem to be in the city. This will be alarming for many, but for others the memories of them may start to fade over time. Were those people really in your life, or were they just a dream?
After all, the life you're living now is a normal one.
The Other SideWhen the fog clears at sunrise on November 4th, the sun in the sky is no longer the one you're familiar with. During the night, the Spirit Vein (now glowing in hues of purple and black) cover the entire sky rather than just a band of it. The streets are not filled with children on their way to school or people out doing errands; instead, they're filled with raucous celebration and conversations from all sorts of yokai (Japanese spirits), and oni (Japanese demon). The only humans still remaining in the city are ones who are tied to the paranormal, all of whom are just as alarmed as you are.
There is no gate this month. The city itself is in the Spirit Realm.
Thanks to a certain post on the Libra app, app users have a good idea of who's responsible for all this. They'll also be easy to find: The University District. There they will find a rather human-looking daitengu, or great winged yokai, who calls himself Lord Ao. He has turned the University District into his new headquarters, though his long term dream is to get a proper mountain built for himself. He's protected by countless younger tengu - a type of bird yokai - as well as a few oni, so no one is getting near the area if they want to try and fight him. He's otherwise rather amicable, for a yokai, and is willing to talk to people! He's so damn full of himself, though, that if you want to get any information out of him you're going to need a lot of patience as you apply your very best ego-stroking.
If you manage it, however, you'll learn that he and the rest of his yokai genuinely do not think they've done anything wrong. This city was already poised to fall into the Spirit Realm at any time, and all they did was give it the final nudge. Lord Ao mentions that this is hardly the first time a city on Earth has been taken into the Spirit Realm, namedropping Atlantis, Roanoke, and Kêr-Is as some examples. At least the yokai aren't going to make anyone make any deals like the fae might. They're just here for a good time, and to make a claim before other beings from the Spirit Realm try to move in.
Any conversations with him will be cut off at this point, when a younger tengu comes in to inform his lord of that Yamata-no-Orochi approaches. Speak of the devil, huh? It seems the great demon serpent has also noticed Kaisou's shift into the Spirit Realm, and has decided to stake his claim here for himself and his demonic ilk. At the news, Lord Ao sends you away. He needs to figure out how to handle the snake.
After the meeting, one thing is very clear: neither the Yokai nor the Oni are interested in the fact that this city belongs to you guys. If you want to return the city back to normal, you're going to have to work amongst yourselves to send these interlopers packing.
Cathedral Hill and UndertownRegardless of whether or not you sought out Lord Ao, there's plenty of chaos in the city itself to try to tackle. Cathedral Hill and Undertown, thankfully, are safe. On Cathedral Hill, the various churches and temples, along with the statue of Barbatos, seem to be keeping the area protected from the yokai and other threats entirely. A great number of the non-app using civilians have chosen to take shelter here. The inside of the Cathedral and other temples are being set up with bedrolls and other emergency provisions such as food distribution, though it's unclear how long supplies will last. App users who are seeking sanctuary may also find respite here. Should you need some healing, touching the statue of Barbatos will magically heal you of any wounds once per day.
Meanwhile, in Undertown, the area has been adorned with protective wards courtesy of Zodiac, Cygnus Academy, and the area's other residents. While these wards aren't as powerful as Cathedral Hill's protections, they will still fend off any of the violent threats out there. Within these protections, Undertown is abuzz with activity from the people seeking shelter there and the merchants who are still hawking their wares. With the shops open, at least there's supplies to work with! Of course, this is Undertown, so the quality of those supplies can be questionable at best. Even worse, many of them have taken the opportunity to jack up their prices, because even being dragged into hell does not free one from capitalism.
Should you head over to the Zodiac headquarters, they are in full emergency mode. They've been trying to get in contact with folks outside the city, but they've had no luck. They are doing what they can to support the people in Undertown with supplies, but without those outside contacts... their resources are limited. Meanwhile, The Professor (fuzzy) definitely doesn't seem to be doing too well. The puppet is trying his best not to have a panic attack, because the last time he got dragged into a place by demons, he ended up being eaten by a dinosaur. He may even ask, in as low-key of a panic as he can manage, if anyone has spotted any dinosaurs outside.
A couple of yokai have managed to get into Undertown from outside, but thankfully, none of them seem interested in fighting. Notable among these are three tanuki: an elderly male who introduces himself as Tanukichi, and his nephews, Mamekichi and Tsubikichi. As soon as introductions are over, Tanukichi proclaims that he's less interested in hostile takeovers and more interested in by-the-book real estate. Kaisou's been on his radar for for some time, you see, and he's very interested in keeping it more or less intact. A place that both humans and yokai can live, you see! In fact, he and his nephews have managed to set up some smaller safe areas around the city by using the power of real estate - so keep an eye out for those if you need a breather!
Finally, there is one last safe area in the city: Persephone's garden. It's been home to Vash and company for the past several months, and seems to be completely unaffected by the chaos of the city. None of the yokai or demons seem willing to pass through it's borders, leaving it a small safe harbor for anyone who is staying here. A bright spot of fortune, for at least the people living there.
Midtown, Brick Alley, and Shopping StreetMidtown and Brick Alley, unfortunately, are nowhere near as safe as Cathedral Hill or Undertown. In these areas, you will find roving bands of boisterous oni - large yokai, topping out at seven feet tall, with horns on their heads. They will be carrying massive clubs, looking for a fight. They aren't picky about who they fight, even getting into fights with other oni. Oftentimes this turns into a gang-war situation whenever a band that follows Lord Ao runs into a band that follows Yamata-no-Orochi. It wouldn't be too difficult to egg them on and let them take each other out, as they are not the brightest and think more with their clubs than than their brains.
If you want to make this part of town completely safe, however, you will have to fight them. They are no pushovers, their clubs are massive and can destroy walls with ease. Be careful if you choose to take them on- it might be wise to do this as a group unless you can really take a hit. They are not an easy solo fight at all.
Over on Shopping Street, there's a different threat to be concerned with: tsukumogami, yokai which originate from cursed or abandoned objects. All manner of inanimate objects have come to life, and are now on the attack. Be on the lookout for items such as umbrellas, inkstones, sandals, and living paper that will come flying out of stores to swoop down on unlucky passers-by. They won't prove all that difficult to fight - they're still only objects after all! They aren't particularly intelligent, and don't seem to attack with any real strategy. They can be burned with fire, or sliced to pieces with a blade. Some can even be smashed if you hit them hard enough. The real challenge comes with their great numbers and alarming speed. How you choose to clear them out is up to you, but having dodging prowess will certainly benefit over sheer brawn in this fight.
If, during all this brawling and dodging, you find yourself needing respite, it'd be good to remember what that old tanuki in Undertown said. Sure enough, scattered about the various neighborhoods you'll find houses that appear safe and downright well-kept, despite everything going on around them. They even have nice flowers planted outside! Outside of each house, you'll also find a strange gyroid creature, waving its arms in welcome. They will explain that these are Tanukichi's properties, but that he welcomes you to stay here for free! Now, if you're hoping for things like electricity, running water, food, or any other amenities while you stay in these safe houses? That will require payment. The gyroid will gladly take either cash or credit for any of these services. Seems like even the Spirit Realm can't stop capitalism...
Kami State Park and the BeachThough it's hardly safe, there is one place in the city that seems almost normal... in a sense. Kami State Park has hardly changed from how it was back in October, with the Osorezan Festival still being run as it had been last month. The only difference is that the yokai that'd been running the festival aren't really bothering to hide their true nature. No one here will attack you, unless you attack them first, though they don't seem to particularly care that they assisted in taking over your city. The leader of the festival, Jenna Tayu, can be found in this area. She's now skeletal, pale, and sporting two delicate horns on her forehead. From her, you can find out that her group sports no particular loyalty to either yokai leader, preferring their own independence. As far as Lord Ao goes, helping him take over Kaisou was nothing more than an agreement of mutual benefit. She's no fan of Yamata-no-Orochi, either - she can be found grousing over his arrival, muttering something about how when she was still human, he was one of her pursuers, ugh. It's clear she is not his biggest fan either, by a long shot.
Should you be able to get past the yokai, you'll find that the island of Moghome is still floating and intact, with irate moogles who are pains in the ass like always. The gate to Hyrule is also still accessible, with the realm itself unaffected by the chaos in the city. The band of yokai in Kami State Park need to be dealt with somehow, however. Perhaps asking the Hyrulians for help wouldn't be a bad idea. The nature of this help though, is up to you.
Meanwhile, the beach has its own problems to deal with - or, more accurately, one big problem with eight smaller, tentacle-shaped problems attached. Akkorokamui, a massive octopus, has decided move into the harbor. His sheer size takes up most of Kaisou's natural harbor, making it impossible for any boats to set sail. How you handle this is up to you. No matter how you attack it, you can't kill it - it's far too massive and powerful for that. Perhaps you can try annoying it enough for it to leave? Or, perhaps, you can use the power of friendship to convince it to leave of its own accord, somehow? Whatever you do, just mind the tentacles. They hurt.
Blue Fish Lake ParkThanks to the residual magic from the faerie's takeover in March, the park has resisted the vast majority of the yokai invasion. However, it's not completely without yokai. There are a couple of kitsune, with varying numbers of tails, who have set up shop here and are turning the park into a marketplace. Their stock is limited, and not unlike what you'd see in Undertown - cursed trinkets, sketchy potions, and the like. Perusing the market are plenty of other yokai, either looking to make a deal or rob whoever comes their way blind.
If you're clever enough, you might be able to get something out of them. A lot of yokai here are familiar with Yamata-no-Orochi. They'll boast that they know the snake god's weakness, and they'll sell it to you for a price. This price could be anything. They might ask you to play a game of public humiliation with them - they do love to see their foes humiliated, and they'd love to do that to you. Alternatively, they might ask you to give up something precious to you, some valuable that you truly cherish. Whatever they demand, it might just be worth it for that information - after all, if you want to take back the city, you need whatever help you can get. It's up to you to decide what this information is worth, and just what you're willing to go through in order to get it.
If you so choose to gain this knowledge from the kitsune, you will learn that Yamata-no-Orochi's eight heads have a weakness for alcohol. The stronger the alcohol, the better. It doesn't seem like much, in fact, it seems like idle gossip more than anything else, but it is more than you may have had before, and one small advantage is better than none at all.
The Terrible Geese, as always, seem unbothered by any of this. A few of the yokai try to egg each other on to fight them, but it ends much the way any attempt to fight the geese does: badly for anyone who isn't a goose. The gate to Kanto is still accessible, and much like Hyrule, the realm remains unaffected by invasion within Kaisou itself. Bringing items through from Kanto might even spark the kitsune to want to trade with you, as they have never seen such things They have no more valuable information to pass on, but perhaps one of the items they sell might help you in other battles around the city.
Entertainment DistrictThis is one of the most dangerous parts of the city, and a lot of the residents will find it best to flee to the safer zones rather than get caught up in the madness going on there. The yokai have chosen the district as the starting point for the annual Hyakki Yagyou, or Night Parade of a Hundred Demons. It promises to be an exceptionally loud and dangerous celebration- a real mark that they have claimed this city for their own. You will find them working themselves up in the lead-up - putting on smaller parades, dancing wildly, and altogether not caring who or what gets caught up in their merry-making.
Simply looking out of a window and observing the party can be enough to spell your doom. The yokai do not appreciate mortals gazing upon their celebrations, and catching a glimpse of it might be enough to kill you outright. If they don't immediately try to kill you, they will spirit you away into the middle of the celebration, forcing you to become their entertainment.
Unfortunately, being their entertainment means nothing good - this is a celebration meant for beings of much stronger mettle than most in the city. You might end up drowned in alcohol, or forced to dance yourself to exhaustion only for the dancing feet of the partying demons to crush you. Some of the yokai might try to fight you - jabbing you with spears or swords, hitting you with clubs, or challenging others to see who can hit you the hardest. If you bore them by refusing to fall, they may just swarm you all at once - a furious mob, ready to rip you apart. Unless someone is able to pull you out of it, it will be very easy to perish here, falling to their vast numbers and zero inhibitions. Those skilled in close-range mob combat will fare best in these battles, and will very much be needed to protect those who otherwise might not survive.
The yokai are extremely loud and have no concern for petty things like property damage. This is basically the world's wildest frat party - there will be no rest for anyone in this district. Practically nowhere in this district is free from the nonstop partying. You need to control this chaos somehow, before they destroy the entire sector.
You could do this through fighting - in which case, you'd better be ready to take on a whole lot of demons at once. But if you don't have the means to fight, eventually, one of the smaller yokai will unwittingly provide another possible solution.
A little drunk off his own ego and bolstered by the walkman he plucked out of some poor soul's pocket, he demands a dance-off. Beat the participants in their own game, and they will leave. Granted, this dancing also involves weapons and dodging projectiles, and more than likely a lot of fire... but if you have the stamina and the dance skills to pull it off, the yokai will abscond from the area.
One at a time. One down, hundreds more to go.
...On second thought, maybe fighting them would be easier.
The only area that seems to be safe is the few feet between where the Entertainment District ends and the way into Undertown begins. The revelers seem unwilling to go there, giving it a wide berth. If you find yourself caught in the madness of the party- a mad dash towards that part of the District will provide a legitimate sanctuary.
Central SquareOn the day that Kaisou was dragged into the Spirit Vein, a barrier went up around Central Square. Anyone who was in the area at the time was teleported to other parts of the city, and since then no one has been able to get close to the place without either being swarmed by Orochi's oni or being blocked by the barrier. And as the days wear on, it remains that way. Many may choose to ignore it for a while, because there's more than enough fires to put out in the rest of the city.
However, after a week of this, the situation starts to get worse. Corruptive energy begins seeping out and spreading from Central Square. Touching this dark miasma will cause you to start to lose your vitality, even petrifying those who remain in it too long. Only Orochi's forces seem unaffected by it. It seems they plan to use this energy to purge the city of any contenders.
Lord Ao, whose forces are starting to weaken after trying to take on both Orochi's forces and the app users at once, decides to reach out to the app users. No longer dismissive like he was before, he's now willing to strike a bargain - he can recognize a losing battle.
Defeat Yamata-no-Orochi, and Lord Ao and his forces will use their power to prolong Kaisou's fall into the Spirit Realm for one year. It's not a permanent solution - they don't have that kind of power - but at the very least, it'll buy you a bit more time.
Getting through the barrier is no easy feat, as you'll need strong magic to counteract it. It'd be good to pool your resources and see what you can come up with. With it being a shadow barrier, light magic would be particularly effective if applied right.
Once you have the barrier down, the real challenge begins. Central Square has already been altered, warped to suit what Yamata-no-Orochi's preferences. The square has become a massive serpent's den, and Yamata-no-Orochi can be found in his throne room inside it, at the top of a long flight of stone stairs. When you get there, you'll be confronted with a massive eight-headed serpent. Each head is at least 40 feet in length. There is a bell sitting with the central body, glowing with powerful magic.
Yamata-no-Orochi is completely unperturbed by your arrival. He informs you that he's already well aware of Lord Ao's offer, scoffing at it. He also counters it with his own deal: he will continuously use his dark power to let Kaisou remain outside the Spirit Realm, as long as you sacrifice one person of his choosing to him each year.
Clearly, that kind of offer won't go over well with many of you app-users, so it's time to fight. Yamata-no-Orochi is by no means an easy opponent. Each of his heads have the power to manipulate a particular element (fire, water, earth, lightning, poison, plants, wind, and light), and they will fight in coordination to one another. But worst of all, so long as that bell remains intact on his body, he will be completely invulnerable to any attacks. Characters will need to work together and figure out how to get past the heads long enough to destroy that bell, should they have any hope of winning this fight and saving Kaisou.
The Aftermath will be coming in a separate log that will be posted on the 15th of the month! Until then, do your best to survive.
The dominant element this month is Shadow! Anyone with an affinity to the shadow element will find themselves boosted throughout the month. This could mean a boost to their power, having more energy, feeling more inspired with creativity, having better luck on different attempts -- the boost can manifest in all sorts of different ways. By contrast, anyone with an affinity for Light will be experiencing the opposite. Perhaps their powers will be weaker, they have less energy, they're having a creative block or general worse luck - again it can manifest in all sorts of way and players are free to play with this mechanic as they'd like.
The original OOC plotting post for this event can be found here. Another Zodiac Post will be going up November 15th to serve as an intro post for new characters and allow characters to react to developments over the network. In addition, a follow up log will be going up the 15th as well, which will contain the conclusion of this plot.
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"So you usually fight up close, I'm guessing?" Ritsuka can work with all kinds, but having a little extra info never hurts. "Do you think you can go more all-out, if you can trust that someone else is watching your back?"
Because really, that's often the role she's tended to fill. Too weak and lacking in skills to fight herself... but able to observe the whole thing and direct those who are fighting in a way that lets them focus more on the enemy in front of them.
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If you can't be a fighter, be a force multiplier, or something. Which just leaves...
"So, do you know how you want to attack, or..."
If they have a chance to get the drop on the youkai, they might as well find the best way to take advantage of that.
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Like right when you're being targeted for a powerful attack.
"Just don't wear yourself out too quickly."
My family left last night sorry for the delay!
It's fine!
Or so on. And who knows? If they work well enough together, he might be able to really go all-out and leave things like thinking about defense to her.