May Announcements

[godsoffortune]

May Announcements

Returning per request, the Monthly Announcements!



Happenings

Something New!

With the new overhaul to how Prayers and Missions will be set up going forward, we're adding in a bonus option for all future Monthly Announcements. Incorporate the prompts or problems from the Happenings sections of the Announcement post for that month into any Prayer or Mission and receive an additional 10% bonus on your follower and experience rewards when you turn it in! Don't worry if you don't get it finished in the same month - as long as it is started within the month holding the Announcement Happenings you're using, you'll still get the bonus credit.

The Near Shore

It's starting to feel more like Summer than Spring.

• Golden Week has come and gone, with the first term not ending until July 20th, so this is the start of a long stretch for Japan's students. It's so early in the term, in fact, that when some students are struggling with new concepts, there are plenty of ayakashi around to feed on that anxious energy! Clearing the air could help many students get off on the right foot for the school year.


• Seasonal foods are widely available now! From asari clams to the tai fish of taiyaki fame, there's plenty of fresh seafood and sweets to savor this season.


• The Blue Pond of Biei, Hokkaido is best enjoyed in the month of May. Last year, it was temporarily closed in August due to damage and raised water levels from Typhoon Mindulle. With snows completed receded, this is the first time for many tourists to fully enjoy the deep cobalt color of the Blue Pond since the Typhoon damage was repaired. With so many tourists coming by and so many photos being taken, plenty of ayakashi are milling about, making would-be photographers more frustrated by the heavy crowds.

The Far Shore

May is sweeping through the Far Shore and bringing with it warmer weather and vibrant splashes of color to many of the Temples.

• The fields and hills of the Far Shore are covered with tiny blue flowers as far as the eye can see, looking almost like a pale blanket has been cast over the landscape. They carry with them only a light floral scent but anyone who wanders through them will find themselves in a strangely contemplative state as if the flowers themselves are encouraging a little self-reflection, or providing the perfect atmosphere to get lost in a rarely-indulged daydream. Be careful not to wander too far or too long, though, lest you forget what purpose brought you out to traverse through these flowers to begin with...


• There is a lingering sense of both anticipation and anxiety lurking throughout the Far Shore, as the traitor still remains at large. Whispers overheard from the white-robed shinki or confided to trusted sources reaffirm that the Heavens are being searched for this person, as it's believed someone from the Far Shore is involved. A few hushed concerns can be heard wondering if that will be used, but the subject is always quickly changed afterward.


• The announcement in the change of Training Temples each month has certainly offered one distraction among the shinki and gods of the Far Shore and speculation seems to be running rampant everywhere. Who will be chosen to host, who has a Temple better suited for it, and even if (from the more skeptical of the older gods and shinki) the new gods can pull off such a task successfully? There's been such a range of gossip and debate that several betting pools have started up, with wagers passing hands and challenges placed. While some try to be subtle about it, it's not hard for others to pick up on what's happening. Will you put a stop to it or start making a few wagers of your own?


• Almost unnoticed in the background of all this hustle and bustle, there have been a few reports of things going missing in various Temples. Nothing big and nothing important, just small everyday items that have might also been misplaced, but it does seem to be happening with more frequency and a few people are taking notice. Is this just a case of people being forgetful or is there something else afoot? People are starting to mention it, and it seems most of the missing items are all things like books, papers, pamphlets, and other bound volumes... Coincidence?

Noteworthy Ayakashi

• Creeping Moss ayakashi are appearing at the Shibazakura festivals all over the country, hiding low to the ground underneath the much more colorful Pink Moss flowers. Getting a bit of holy water on them might take out a branching vine of the ayakashi, but how do you get the whole thing without ruining the flowers?


• Leaping Mantis ayakashi are lying in wait along the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route. Since it's May, the giant Snow-Ice Wall is still intact, and they hide behind it until they can leap out at unsuspecting mortals. These Mantis can come in all shapes and sizes, from regular insect to just barely small enough to hide behind the Yuki-no-Otani at its deepest of 20 meters (65.6 ft).

Weather

Here you can see the weather starting on May 1.

Event

Mystic Messengers' Mark

Inspired by two suggestions from our players!

• All over Japan, the gods have been receiving prayers to control the deer and boar populations. However, some of the deer are sacred, particularly around Kasuga Shrine in Nara. New gods and shinki can partake in the hunting, or socialize in other ways, such as Archery and Falconry.


• As the Heavenly Host is spreading out across Japan, they will be looking for the last vestiges of cultist activity. This will not be NPC combat; it's background spywork for the June finale, which the new shinki and gods can help with if they choose.


• The start of the hunt - which includes a bento lunch - is scheduled to take place in Votelli's Forest, where the old gods expect to meet her face to face. (Sotero will also be present.) This is an opportunity for meeting them, in particular for those who haven't had the chance so far. By the end of the event, the Heavens will have made a decision about how to handle Votelli and Sotero, ascertaining their motives based on what they were told via the meeting with Suijin.


• IC Date: May 15
• If you have any questions, feel free to reply to the comment marked 'Event' on this post.
• To participate in the event, you will just need to comment to the event log after it goes up on May 1 at 7PM EST.

Past Happenings in the Heavens

Major Events

July Announcements	August Announcements	September Announcements
October Announcements	November Announcements	December Announcements
January Announcements	February Announcements	March Annoucements
April Announcements	May Announcements	June Annoucements
July Announcements	August Annoucements	September Announcements
October Announcements	November Announcements	December Announcements
January Announcements	March SOTG / Additional Details	SOTG Response

• Last month on May 2, Suijin held an exchange of information about various metaplot aspects related to the Cultists. Notably, characters insisted that Votelli and Sotero were not acting of their own volition when they attacked the Heavens.
• On May 8, new arrivals were brought to the Meeting Hall for orientation and training. We introduced the prospect of other Temples hosting the training next month and received enough interest to move forward with this direction.

Player Plots

If your characters have been up to anything this month that other characters may have noticed -- parties, ayakashi attacks, violent rampages through the Far Shore -- leave a comment on this post to let your fellow players know what's going on!

SOTG Follow-up

Gamewide Changes

• Over the next several days, we will be updating pages as outlined in our SOTG Response. We have already been working on the content, but we can't fix all of the links in all of the pages until those new pages are actually posted. Our goal is to have this fully completed by the time of the event.


• To keep up to date on what we're changing, follow the Game Updates thread below. New comments will be posted as we go along. Once everything's done, we'll post a final update going over those same details, but only if the final form is different compared to what we announced previously in the SOTG Response.

May AC and Beyond

• Due to the number of sweeping changes that the mods are implementing, as outlined in the SOTG Response, we will only require a check-in for May AC.


• We hope this helps players adjust to the new systems


• We also hope this gives everyone a chance to prepare however they'd like, IC and OOC, for the Finale of the Cultist Arc on June 1.


• Next up will be a fun filler arc in July and August, to give players and mods both a break. Going forward, we hope to achieve the balance that was reflected in the results of our poll.

Monthly Point Totals

• This month's update is now available. This update covers March's tag counts, March's Bonuses, and April's bonuses.


• From now on, at the start of the month when the previous month's tag counts are tallied, the sheet will only have Tag Counts; it will be empty of Event Bonuses, Prayer Bonuses, and Regain Costs. This is because now, those will be granted live throughout the month on the most recently created sheet. Now, when the list mods respond to Prayer comments, Regain purchases, and Event Bonus comments, you can see that reflected right away, and even spend newly gained points on Regains.


• As a one-time catch-up, we've already tallied April's tag counts up to April 26th, so you'll get access to those points immediately on May 1 regardless of mod availability to finish the April tally.