Kchhhk... Kchkk. Calling all Investigators. Come in Investigators... This place is full of ninjas.

[willyousee]

Well. This is certainly different. This is Alcuin, and I appear to be in a place called Suzuki Village in the near center of the peninsula. Will all those who can hear this please speak up with their name and location? I have a map with me and may be able to assist in guiding you if you need assistance.

Those of us who have arrived here appear to be traders or pirates of sorts. Which does not seem to alarm the inhabitants of the town in the slightest. This appears to be a regular occurrence.

Has anyone learned anything concerning a summit of sorts happening in Suzuki? What it might be about and how one might gain entrance?

Comments

[fridgeninja]

Souji, checking in.

I'm at... a big stone temple.

We're on a peninsula?

[willyousee]

Pleased to hear from you, Seta-san. A stone temple? That is likely the Western Sun Temple in the far north and west of the area. You would still be on the mainland portion, but if you traveled south and east you would come to the mouth of the peninsula in perhaps somewhat over twenty-four kilometers. Though by that route you would not pass through any villages, if this is correct, so you may wish to alter your course.

[heartofmetal]

Edward Elric checking in. I'm in some place called the Mibu village. They're doing recruiting or something over here.

[The tone of his mental voice is clearly annoyed, but at least he's not yelling.]

[willyousee]

[Thank you for not yelling at him Ed. Otherwise there's a 25% chance he would have assumed you were a wielder of 3DMG. ...what? Half of them are loud and/or angry!]

Good to meet you, Lord Elric. If I am reading this properly, you appear to be just past the southern mouth of the peninsula. Mountains to your north and sea to your south? Have you determined what they might be recruiting for?

[leftbehindagain]

This is Naoki. Any chance you could share the map on here?

I'm at the... Sun Temple, I think it's called. They seem used to refugees ending up here, so I'm going with 'stood up to the wrong person and she threw a fit.' [It's even true, more or less!] Souji-san's here and himself, Riddick-san has... quite the beard, there's a few others here but I think they're all infiltrating.

I haven't been able to get a hold of Naoto, Helena-san or Minako-san, so I think they're either infiltrating or not here. Again. The question is which group's smaller, but this should help narrow it down.

--New people, please speak up here. Last time I investigated, we didn't even know we had someone with us until after he was kidnapped by a dragon.

[willyousee]

Konishi-san, I am glad to hear from you. [He sounds it, even!] Yes, of course... A moment...

[Have a visual livestream of a neatly made, if a little worn, map.]

This may be somewhat aged, so I cannot be certain of the accuracy, but some of these seem unlikely to have moved.

[solvethepuzzle]

This is Near, also in Suzuki. No details yet on the summit. [But he's working on it.]

[willyousee]

It appears to contain some persons of great importance, but I have yet to discover a method of legal entry. Please do share whatever you find.

[failgoyle]

This is Jules. I...have no idea where I am or what I'm even supposed to be doing, and the rooftops aren't safe.

[willyousee]

....The rooftops aren't safe? How so? [Hi, yes, have some very intense mental attention.]

OTA exposition!

[wholeheaded]

Ambrose here, also in Suzuki Village, and I'm not sure about the summit but I've got big picture notion of where we are.

You may have heard of - and a few of you were involved in - a Jaunt with pirates and mermaids, but there was also a few folks from a place called En Zhenming... which can be translated to True-Named Empire. I was one of them, and I can tell you the whole Bando Peninsula is a part of that empire, so I think this is probably the same world.

I don't remember everything about it, but I can try and answer a few questions at least. And... just so you know, the Trump called the Fool was a factor in that last Jaunt. I have no idea if he'll appear again, but keep an eye out for a guy wrapped in bandages. And his little dog, too.

Re: OTA exposition!

[willyousee]

Ambrose! [Blessed Elua and Glittery Glinda is he glad to hear from you!]

I have heard no tales of the mermaids as of yet, but that is very interesting indeed... Are you all right?

[fridgeninja]

I've always been curious about meeting him.

Anything you know about this place might be helpful. At the moment, I'm curious about the fact that even though it's a small place, there seem to be a lot of very different people living here, close to each other.

[venetianprince]

Ah! This is amazing- how do I- oh! Can you hear me? How useful! I hadn't realized we could still hear each other even during a Jaunt.

Ah, right! Ciao, Alcuin! I'm Feliciano- I'm in Mibu Village in the Nakamiyo province. It's feeling all weird and tense here... I found what looks to be a recruiting tent for soldiers out by one of the old shrines.

It seems like war is brewing... ah, I'm not happy about that. I've had enough wars!

I'm still gathering coin and information, but I'll let everyone know if I find anything interesting!

[willyousee]

[Pardon his brief, startled silence... he half recognizes that voice from an old memory he recently saw. And of course he knows that greeting.]

Ciao, Lord Feliciano. Welcome to Traveling in its full meaning. Ah, yes, I see the village here... If you wish to get away from the recruiting station, there is quite an area to wander, but your most peaceful area seems to possibly be the Nakumatou province. The villages are more spread out and there is a monastery there. Otherwise much of the peninsula is mountainous, but villages are few and far between.

Your assistance with anything you might learn would be greatly appreciated. We have been sent here for a reason, if only we can determine what that reason is.

[rustyhonesty]

Another one from Suzuki Village checking in. I'm Jean Kirstein.

Unfortunately, I haven't learned much about the summit yet. It looks like it's very important, with the amount of armed people here.

[willyousee]

Glad to hear from you, Jean.

[No, he really is. You may be part of the Eren Crew of Terror, but you're actually a reasonablish member. Dungeon crawler and everything.]

Did you retain a blade? Do you think you might be able to impersonate one of their members?

[dino_zarf]

Wash here. Down in Nakamiyo, trying to avoid getting drafted into anything.

Has anyone seen Zoe?

[It's really important okay?]

I can't get her psychically so I'm hoping she's infiltrated somewhere and not on a walkabout...

[truerevelation]

...Oh, no. She's ... it's about time, isn't it?

[willyousee]

[A little while later....]

Ah... I can safely report that she is most certainly here and definitely infiltrating, sirrah. She appears to be a pirate queen of sorts.

[tailforbrains]

I'm still me. And in some little temple-fortress thing where these jerks with sticks tried to tell me to join some group thing. Mibby-gimmy or something. There's no summit here. Also, nobody seems to have swords or anything. I kinda stuck mine in hammerspace as soon as I figured out why I was getting funny looks, at mine.

... Monkey's a monkey again. By the way. Varric, if you're still around, if you'd bet something, I'd have lost!

[pseudologist]

You're not getting rid of me that easily, Trouble.

I'll have to mourn the missed opportunity.

[willyousee]

Neeshka! Excellent.

[You he trusts to get some information, even if it'll be weird information. And he's still so glad to hear from you.]

They are attempting to recruit you to a group, but with no swords? Did they tell you what the group needed recruits for?

[pseudologist]

Varric Tethras, also in Suzuki village.

I haven't heard much about this summit, but if history's any guide, we should definitely get a few eyes as close as we can. And keep an eye out for anyone who might want to take advantage of a collection of the rich and influential all stuffed into one small space.

[truerevelation]

Kanji here, in Mibu with the military. Damn, it's good to hear from everyone.

[willyousee]

Kanji! It is good to hear your voice. Have you heard from the others? Naoto-kun? Phillip?

[...Anyone?]