IZOU'S PALACE

[goei]

KYOTO BAKUMATSU PALACE
You find yourself in historical Kyoto at night. The city is shadowy and beautiful, elegant but hostile. It's a sophisticated city, but you don't belong there and it knows it. Everyone knows it. You are being watched.

Worst of all, a terrible demon haunts the streets of this powerful capital city.

Eli Walsh, Kirumi Tojo, Still Sunrise, Argenti, Yi Sang, Celeste, Mafuyu Asahina, and McGillis Fareed, do you dare journey into hell?

 

♪♪♪

Comments

RULES/GUIDELINES

[goei]

- Exploration phases will be free form with characters able to split off into groups as they wish, some information will be given freely, but when a roll is needed to determine the outcome of a search, you will be prompted to give you a chance to strategies for bonuses to your rolls
- Characters will decide as a group when they wish to move on! If you're unclear you can ask me for guidance
- Let me know if I missed something or you need your character autopiloted!
- Most rolls including combat will be 1-10 = fail and 11-20 = pass, with higher rolls being more effective passes. When this is not the case, it will be indicated. Most rolls you can also be award bonuses if you present an effective strategy (I will tell you how many bonus points I'm giving it!)
- Party wide spells will cover 4 people including the caster I'm stealing that from Dani.
- During investigation, if you want to prompt me to get information, bold what you're wanting info on.
-MORE TBA IF NEEDED

PHASE ONE

[goei]

Some of you while walking around town will find yourselves encountering something strange. Turning a corner, your view shifts completely. Day changes to the middle of the night with the moon high in the sky. Paper lanterns illuminate streets lined with traditional Japanese buildings. Gingko trees and bamboo sprout up between buildings. Only the one major road is paved.

While somewhat sparse, people are passing by on the street, mostly dressed in traditional clothing, though a few here and there sport bits of western clothing. Either way, they're clearly not the typical town residents and seem in good spirits. Most seem to be journeying home in what seems like a mostly residential area, but some businesses seem to be still open and have more of a crowd around them.

What do you do?

[beautifulknight]

[ Well, this sure is happening, isn't it? ]

Hmm...it is clear we have multiple avenues to search and explore. I was considering heading over to one of those businesses. Who wishes to accompany me?

[ Argenti is about five seconds from running straight in the direction of the businesses, so this is just probably a comment before he does that or for anyone to follow him before...he does that. He usually works alone, ok. ]

[fullmoonmutt]

I'm not going anywhere with you, ya murder happy psycho.

[ Sorry, Argenti. You've created a very specific idea of yourself with that meeting confession. ]

Anyone who doesn't want to go with a guy who might stab you in the back, you can tag along with me to some other place.

[ ANYWAY, YEAH, HE'S GOING TO ANOTHER OPEN BUSINESS OPPOSITE OF WHERE ARGENTI GOES. Tag along if thy wisheth. ]

[beathollow]

--Again...?

( oh no her head hurts so much already. but- he's right... )

... Oh, there he goes.

( while argenti does that she's going to take a better look around the area. does anything stand out? is there anything that would give her a sign as to where specifically they are? )

[goei]

[Nothing is immediately jumping out obvious like a godzilla standing around or anything. Mafuyu likely can tell at least that this is Japan from the architecture, dress, and signage written in Japanese, as someone... from Japan.

If she inspects or looks for something more specific she might find further information.]

[vogelfrei]

... I'd volunteer myself, but I stick out like a sore thumb here.

[ EXTREMELY CONSPICUOUSLY LARGE WHITE MAN NOISES???

... also he would absolutely stab everyone in the back but like. Neither here nor there, nobody who knows this is present right now. ]

[idealitas]

I shall...

[ ... And there Argenti goes. To the rest then, also to finish his thought: ]

Accompany him.

[ He'll run to catch up, coat fluttering behind him. It feels a little familiar, streets like these. Any businesses that would stand out? Yi Sang grew up in a district that was like South Korea (and then taken over by the equivalent of Syndicate-backed yakuza, it's a long story.) ]

[beathollow]

( she's going to keep with the group for right now, but! noted!








why does she have to be an honors student who probably knows all the things about japan's history!!!!!! )

[fullmoonmutt]

Eh? I mean, usually, I'd agree with ya, rich boy, but if this is like the other one, these folks probably won't notice.

[ Eli isn't as large, but the whole yellow eyes and wolf teeth thing might... be a little more alarming than being a giant white man, you know, normally. ]

[vogelfrei]

The other one...?

[ Sorry, someone here wasn't on Mission Aubrey, woops...

And no, you see, Japan is a land of Youkai. Eli will be fine. (Says man who has read too many books.) ]

[beathollow]

... The other day- there was something like this. One of ours was drawn into it and held captive within- It was as if part of the Nekiya warped to fit it's victim... b-but I don't know if it's our place to elaborate on certain specifics. It was... personal.

[kandata]

[Kirumi doesn't really inform the rest, she just goes after Yi Sang and Argenti. Three people going seems about right]

[fullmoonmutt]

Yeah, Aubrey... had one of these, too. Uh. Some chick said this stuff is made from hearts? Meta... phorically.

[ Look, Mafuyu, he remembered the right word.

Also, excuse you, he isn't a demon??? He's human! Human! ]

[vogelfrei]

[ Oh hey, he really hates this!! ]

Count on this place to keep getting more invasive by the minute... How do we get out? Is it a straight-forward rescue scenario?

[vogelfrei]

While it shouldn't come as a surprise now...

[ He trails off, but is clearly displeased. ]

[beathollow]

With her, we had to find a way to the heart of the area- there were shadows we had to fight, and once we got to the core of the issue we were taken to where... her shadow was. It was as if her Persona had become warped. We had to defeat it.

[beathollow]

( she's proud of you buddy good job )

[cleansewithfire]

[ Sunrise sort of just, looks at Eli, looks to Argenti and, oh, he's already got company, so she doesn't have to worry about him. ]

I will follow, then.

[fullmoonmutt]

Yeah... It's pretty weird, so keep an eye out for, uh. Even something stupid and little might be a clue?

[ Although as he looks around, he has to wonder aloud... ]

I wonder who this one belongs to. This place looks real old-fashioned.

[vogelfrei]

[ He still hates this?? Wow. But also it's pretty straight-forward as far as plan of action goes. ]

So we need to seek out whatever locations are most significant to the owner of this place and find their shadow, got it.

Then our first step should be gathering hints towards their identity.

[vogelfrei]

It does. Old fashioned and Asian... We have a lot of people from that region, but I couldn't say which time period they're all from.

[ Or like... tell apart one time period from another. He has read a bunch of Japanese folk tales but most actual Japanese history is lost to time. ]

[beathollow]

They're likely from Japan, given the area- it's reminiscent of older buildings and traditional fashion.

[fullmoonmutt]

Oh, hey. [ Uhhh. ] You... you never told me your name, actually. I'm Eli.

[ cry idk if she uses sunrise or tabira ]

[goei]

[Argenti, Yi Sang, and Kirumi approach a well lit business where inside people seem to still be drinking, eating, and conversing!

Outside the well lit establishment are multiple banners with Japanese text on them, which Kirumi should be able to read such as "UDON", "YAKITORI", "DANGO", and "GYOZA." A sign over the door proclaims it as "MORIYA IZAKAYA." The other two can probably still glean this is some sort of restaurant or bar from the view inside.

There's also an advertisement for a local sake brand in the window, which even Yi Sang can probably recognize just from the illustration of the bottle and sake cup! Many people are drinking, both sake and beer.

In fact, next door is what's clearly a liquor store from the window display, though it currently seemed closed as it is not lit up at all. On the other side is a small park, where some drunks are filtering out to get some fresh air.

Is there anything you want to investigate in particular?]