The Day of Thunder

Well, yes...that makes total sense and Zhe does not see what the problem is.

A ritual is is happening

All those steps are part of that ritual

Doji Hikaru wrote: ↑

Thu Nov 02, 2023 4:26 pm

So, I have this tagged partially because I made a Prequel reference in it, but I think it's the best place for this post. I think, D4, it's time to formally ask the villagers what's going on. There was already some weirdness going into D3, but a lot of it could have been coincidence, unconnected, etc. However, after D3 sleeping:

*With a very few exceptions, everyone who ate the food experienced sleep paralysis.
*Among those who did not, several saw an actual thing enter their room, a creature with needle hands.
*Among those who did... Hikaru at least saw something that was a direct tie-in to the fear that he put inside his wickerman.

Those are some very clear ties to the villagers and their festival.

This is not saying we should kill them, or torture them, or even assuming that they're responsible (although the food thing is hard to overcome). But something is happening, connected to them and the festival, and if anyone has any answers, it's them.

To add to this, the Crab (at least Tai) also were warded against Corruption for their sleep, and noticed something trying to approach them sleeping (but seems to not have been able to do so).

(Ward of Purity specifically stops Tainted and Lying Darkness. Neither good)

Wu Zhe wrote: ↑

Thu Nov 02, 2023 4:30 pm

Well, yes...that makes total sense and Zhe does not see what the problem is.

A ritual is is happening

All those steps are part of that ritual

So Zhe wants the ritual to happen, even though he doesn't know what it is?

Or does he know what it is?

Ah yes about that...

D4 Makime will pass along the word that anyone that can do wards needs to ward the camp. And we may have to start getting real friendly with each other if necessary.

Makime wrote: ↑

Thu Nov 02, 2023 4:43 pm

Ah yes about that...

D4 Makime will pass along the word that anyone that can do wards needs to ward the camp. And we may have to start getting real friendly with each other if necessary.

We might need to ask GMs about the size of the camp, but between Satsuki, Nao, and Tai, I think we should be able to cast Ward of Purity on the entire place.

Also worth noting that even if status is less of a thing in this era, for those folks who are 'practicing Rokugani' and thus care about clan life, it carries more weight, and these are 3 very high status individuals.

So OOC I'm all for debate and varying opinions, but IC if Makime decides 'this is how we're doing military because I was assigned to do it' I think that's very valid.

If the villagers are good, great. If not, great.

I think having characters with widely diverging viewpoints and approaches is interesting - it's worth noting this game is, at least in the marketing, intended to be dangerous, so being too careless could lead to people being disarmed at key moments (haha pun).

I guess my point overall is that if people want to fight IC about it, awesome, let's just not fight OOC about it. So if this thread is a quasi-IC space, fine, but as it is kinda OOC and blurring that line, we should probably just set our intentions here and then if there is disagreement, hash it out IC during D4.

Wu Zhe wrote: ↑

Thu Nov 02, 2023 4:30 pm

Well, yes...that makes total sense and Zhe does not see what the problem is.

A ritual is is happening

All those steps are part of that ritual

A ritual we do not know the outcome of. And a ritual that, based on D3, has made folks susceptible to influences that are blocked by Wards of Purity, as Satsuki notes above. IC, we'll be putting that last point together on D4. So going 'yeah, that's all part of the ritual' isn't remotely a reason to go "and thus it is good and fine."

D3 added to. D1 drug that was ID'd as a pick-me-up and a night of insomnia leaving folks fatigued the next day and D2 ritual that asked everyone to focus on their worst fears...and then featured nightmares that included those fears. Not many nightmares. But Tai did get the info from an actual roll that she knows focusing thoughts in that fashion can shape things when we're dealing with the dream realm.

ooc: is it possible that this all entirely benign? I guess. Though the wards stopping things on D3 is going to argue against that. But at this point I don't think characters have anything to hold up against the very significant distrust of something weakening them on the eve of what they've been told is a prophecied battle of major significance.

Kaiu Tai wrote: ↑

Thu Nov 02, 2023 5:02 pm

But Tai did get the info from an actual roll that she knows focusing thoughts in that fashion can shape things when we're dealing with the dream realm.

That ties in a bit with Nao's drug trip.

The villagers and the ritual may not be intentionally malicious, but we definitely need to learn more and confirm that. At the moment, it's all very suspect.

Indeed, it’s all super suspicious. Chouri has previously said she would let Shinsei see the shrine and help with the ritual stuff, but from what Shinsei said on D3 with his conversation with Norikage, it doesn’t look like that has happened.

IC there is certainly room to see the source of this suspicious stuff not be directly from the peasants themselves… Possibly bad actor(s) from the village… Or the impending doooooooom realm’s supernatural influence… Especially with all the needle-finger demons on D3 night.

Shinsei on D1 said that Yume-Jigoku’s intent was to get us all to doubt each other and turn people towards its aims. So it would stand to reason that YJ would be trying to get us all to doubt everything… both good actors and bad actors. And that giving into that paranoia could potentially be dangerous for everybody.

IC as far as my character goes… She’s super suspicious of all the stuff going on and thinks that there’s probably good mixed in with the bad here… on our side and on the villagers side. There’s not a lot that would get her to try and step forward and pull ‘rank’ as it were… But murdering all the peasants, or completely trusting everything they do and subjecting our safety to them would both be things that she would tell people not to do.

Wait till you learn about the huge dreamstone deposit that we're about to find.

Ryoshun Nao wrote: ↑

Thu Nov 02, 2023 5:16 pm

Kaiu Tai wrote: ↑

Thu Nov 02, 2023 5:02 pm

But Tai did get the info from an actual roll that she knows focusing thoughts in that fashion can shape things when we're dealing with the dream realm.

That ties in a bit with Nao's drug trip.

The villagers and the ritual may not be intentionally malicious, but we definitely need to learn more and confirm that. At the moment, it's all very suspect.

At the moment it does seem like they might unknowingly be tampering with something Really Bad yeah.

My dream was about a Nezumi lookalike and I will be wanting to follow up on that with Chuchu and you guys.

Regarding the rituals, I think there's no bad faith, only rituals being utilizing as a gateway by the enemy. Paranoia against the villagers is still paranoia.

Hiruma Naraku wrote: ↑

Thu Nov 02, 2023 6:03 pm

My dream was about a Nezumi lookalike and I will be wanting to follow up on that with Chuchu and you guys.

Regarding the rituals, I think there's no bad faith, only rituals being utilizing as a gateway by the enemy. Paranoia against the villagers is still paranoia.

OOC, I think the rituals might be in good faith.

IC, that isn't going to matter much since not going along with a ritual puts you in the villagers' bad graces. So folks end up in the situation of either distrusting the ritual and thus earning distrust from the villagers, or putting themselves purposely into what seems to be harm's way by partaking of the ritual. I'm not sure that rational distrust is the equivalent of paranoia. It's not paranoia if they actually are out to get you. XD

I mean not participating in the rituals getting you in the bad graces of the villagers IC has a very clear justification.

Imagine this. You're a village in the middle of unaligned Rokugan. One day a multitude of samurai arrive during the start of your annual party. Not only do they give you the stink eye but they also refuse to participate on any ritual.

Might be wrong but I'd justify it that way. I really do think the drugs are just something adjacent!

Oh it's justified. Just noting that the PC choices are distrust or willing self-harm from many of their perspectives. And again, that's all rational levels of distrust. *shrug*

Kaiu Tai wrote: ↑

Thu Nov 02, 2023 6:25 pm

Oh it's justified. Just noting that the PC choices are distrust or willing self-harm from many of their perspectives. And again, that's all rational levels of distrust. *shrug*

Oh of course, just putting it out one of the reasons Naraku is not that distrustful of them

Since we're doing OOC, IC...

IC, Sora knows things are hinky, but as he explained to Anjing, it's hardly the weirdest shit he has ever been through. He also thinks that if Shinsei brought them here in particular and warned them against paranoia, there's a reason. He's never been big on authority for its own sake, and while he did suggest Makime head up the defense... that's all he suggested, and he will get pretty stubborn on the issue of jurisdiction (which is to say, 'you run the defense how you like, but remember that anyone following your orders who isn't in your clan is doing you a solid, not their duty'). More to the point, he's sort of with Kumori on the "these people are mostly good, and deserve our consideration as such." He also thinks the villagers have a role to play, and that if it were hostile, they would have done more than dose everyone with a feel-good stimulant at the party. He's also nearly pulling his hair out in clumps in annoyance everyone who showed up to the feast and then pointedly didn't eat. (He thinks not showing up at all would have done more good than such an ostentatious display of distrust). He thinks that the village and the samurai will need each other if the shit hits the fan, and that the entire damn situation (Imperial Camp, Village, Crab camp, all separate) has left them open to defeat in detail.

OOC, Chouri is suspicious as hell to me, and all of the dreamstone goodies on offer for smacking scarecrows are... yeah. I also think her personal story and its vague overtones are reminiscent of Kinyoubi's "I'm totally an Isawa tribe member and not an incarnated deity" situation. But I also think our characters are meant to be shaping this particular semi-dream with their own actions and beliefs, and might well end up getting out what they put in.

OOC: Oh hell yes Chouri is suspicious.

IC: I think we need to toe the line of preparing for the event of an attack, and fortifying the camp, but not actually busting anything out until something apparent happens.

Also IC: say that this village indeed is harboring a cult. What do we do about it? Do we burn it to the ground? Do we take it over? Who takes it over? IIRC it's right between Lion, Bat and Dragon territory and all in theory could claim it.

So maybe let's take the temperature down for a half second and make sure that we are pointed in the right direction and knives aren't being bared before we actually face the real foe

Well, also IC, as of the feast, Kumori has offered the village Imperial protection and Chouri has accepted.

So as no Clan has control, the closest we have to agreed upon authority is Imperial.

(OOC: Who the hell WANTS this village? )

In the world there are two types of villages.

Those that are under imperial protection…

And those that are not under imperial protection… yet.