june event.

[falsitates]

JUNE 15, 2021

The heatwave has passed and the weather has never been better. The city is full of life once again, and the streets are busy as people return outdoors to enjoy what summer has to offer. Everything appears to have returned back to normal.

For everyone, but you.

The newcomers are given an envelope that is either addressed to their current residence or placed in their belongings. There is no return address, and inside is a New York state government-issued ID. It appears to be authentic. The residents, on the other hand, receive a similar envelope, but with a SIM card. There are no other notes.

Are these your rewards?

  MISSION BOARD

Your phone vibrates.

It doesn't stop until you pick it up and when you do, it's cold. The buttons do nothing as it shuts down, unresponsive to whatever actions that you take. Then, much like last time, white lettering on a black backdrop appears.

WELCOME TO WEEK THREE.
A NEW MODULE HAS BEEN UNLOCKED.
YOU MAY CHOOSE TO IGNORE IT.
OR YOU MAY CHOOSE TO USE IT.
AUDENTES FORTUNA IUVAT

A new section has been added to the app. It reads as 'missions'. There are currently three tasks available right now.

  BEGINNINGS OF A FOREST

The barrier continues to grow in size. Vitae's outskirts are gradually, but surely, expanding, and in its new area is a sea of trees. There has never been a forest surrounding the city, yet one is unmistakably forming. It's small, extending outside for less than a quarter-mile, and asides from its sudden appearance, there's nothing unusual about it. Only trees, the barrier, and the nagging feeling that someone is watching you.

Nobody in the city seems to notice. When questioned, they claim that the forest has always been there. In fact, the city was created in the heart of a forest, and it has remained that way since its inception. None of them are aware of the fact that these trees were never there until now.

It's as though the forest has always been there.

  DECISION TIME

By the end of the day, your phone vibrates again. A new message appears.

ALLY?
BETRAY?

One of the two choices must be selected. Otherwise, you won't be able to use your phone.

Make your choice.

Comments

[stormsoff]

I GUESS ISAAC AND YUYA ARE DOING THIS THATS GONNA GO GREAT

how do we even discuss this

Is this a riddle??

It sounds like a riddle.

[hippocarnival]

Yuya's not bad at riddles but tbh I hope Isaac is smarter than Yuya

[falsitates]

If you two have any questions or need hints, please let me know! c:

[rightminded]

A hint might help! It seems like a riddle that needs to be solved and may involve going to a location (green water, make a wish).

Is this the right approach? It would work ICly for Isaac to come from that perspective, so if so it would give us a place to start! If I’m totally off base then a nudge might be helpful, laughs.

Additionally, given the more cryptic nature of this one, how should we thread it out? Is a thread discussing it (even if we don’t “solve” it in that thread) enough to satisfy the mission requirements or is a “solution” required?

[hippocarnival]

The location description sounds like the neglected shinto shrine that's down the path and at the edge of the town from the ryokan. It's a place Yuy's icly very familiar with so his instinct is going to be to actually go there and see what's up.

I guess similar to the toly threads we should ping back when we get to the point of interacting with it so ichi can update or tag in. :|a

[rightminded]

OKAY COOL sounds good. how do we want to start this? isaac is the type to theorize these thoughts aloud so i could make a closed top level when i post to the event for yuya to respond to and off they go, and once we ge far enough we tag ichi in!!

[hippocarnival]

HMM Isaac did ask Yuya not to contact him, so it's probably less likely Yuya would respond to him theorizing out loud. :|a I could have yuya make a network comment that he's sure it's the shrine and then they could run into each other there after they've agreed to look into it through AVA.

[stormsoff]

hm, even in person? :|a if that's the case, then yeah, you'd need to start us off. isaac will chase it even (or maybe especially) because it's yuya, so that could work.

[hippocarnival]

YEAH he won't let it interfere with checking out the shrine because it's impotent to him but he's abiding by Isaac's request.

I can have him mention the location on the network or they can run into each other at the shrine, whichever u prefer.

[stormsoff]

isaac wouldn't know to go to the shrine without prompting, since he hasn't even been there--he will figure out it means a location on his own, but won't know which one. so network might be better here just to get us started!

[hippocarnival]

THUMBS UP i was gonna mainly tag out so lemme just set up a quick n dirty closed top and I'll ping u in discord

[falsitates]

Ath is correct! The location is the shrine. There is a water basin that is filled with green algae and people often go there to pray (to make a wish).

And yes, similar to how the Toly mission will play out, you will thread until you reach a certain point that requires mod involvement. In the case of this mission, you can simply come back to this thread and ask questions like "Isaac checks behind the shrine" or "Yuya calls out for anyone", which then would be answered. Essentially, you will check in whenever you want/need an answer and when you discover where the subject of this mission is! I hope that makes sense!

[hippocarnival]

CHECKING IN since this is a place Yuya's been to before, he's doing a cursory walk around toward the honden looking for if anything has become out of place since the mission popped onto their phones. Any changes or is it just like he'll remember?

[ehero]

it is just like he remembers! nothing seems out of place

[hippocarnival]

Related question: how many years has the shrine been basically abandoned and fallen into disarray?

[ehero]

it's been abandoned for approximately ten years now. it used to be well-kept but one day, the priests just... stopped and were not seen again

[hippocarnival]

SPOOKY... but ok Yuya would know that then.

He and Isaac are now scooping away algae out of the basic, what secrets does that gross water hold,

[falsitates]

yes, he would! he would remember that there used to be small festivals held at the shrine and that it was frequently used, but it just stopped and no one seemed to care enough to take over for the priests

the secrets that the gross water holds.......... are none! it's just gross ew

[rightminded]

SO JUST BEING SUPER SURE LIKE IF A TEENAGER REACHED IN THERE WITH THEIR WHOLE ASS ARM,

[ehero]

he will only get gross water..............................

[rightminded]

PERFECT

WE'LL BE BACK

[hippocarnival]

Not an action but I do have a clarification question re: solving this mission before we spam with more minor actions.

Are they essentially poking around until they find someone/something that messing with will have an immediate response to, or is it more of, solving the riddle is figuring out what action they're supposed to take with it and then they'll get confirmation later if that was the correct answer or not?

[falsitates]

it is the former! you just need to poke around! tbh there's no riddle to the mission at all, laughs, you just need to find out the source of the message

[hippocarnival]

Right now they're pulling offerings out of the box and dusting them off... Yuya put his back so far but will that make anything react.

[flowerclips]

once all the dust is cleaned off, the offerings are extremely shiny but nothing will react! though if issac doesn't put his stones back in soon, there will be slight rustling coming from the bushes nearby ooooooooo