Temple of Love

[Brian]

Mark, Phil, Parthipan, Nathan, Tim, and Tom wander into the temple, looking for the mostpart like gaijin tourists.  Mark grumbles for a bit but manages to hide his Chinese straightsword in his jacket, then says, "I've never been here specifically, but I've been to Japan before."

After crossing the coutyard, there's a staircase leading up into the temple proper.  It's got wide, open doors, and the cavernous interior is dimly lit.  There doesn't appear to be anyone around.

Phil's scanning with his earth-vision doesn't go through the temple floors, but there does appear to be a rather substantial basement or tunnel area beneath the temple.  How to get in is an entirely different question.

[Dracos]

"What a dull temple," Dracos commented, meandering in the public area and taking heed of anything suspicious about the design or structure that might hint at passage entryways, obvious or not.

Dracos

[Dracos]

[13:28] <Dracos> roll 3d6 "Hey, it's architecture!'
[13:28] * +Hatbot --> "Dracos rolls 3d6 "Hey, it's architecture!' and gets 12." [3d6=5, 4, 3]

[Brian]

Phil's absorbption in the architecture leads him to note a couple of interesting things.  There's an eight-sided mirror over every doorway, on both sides, the rafters are solid wood (and look ancient), the small shrine in the back housing a bronze statue of some bare-chested goddess is made exactly the same way as the temple (though, much, much smaller), and by not looking at the people around him, he can walk into a businessman.

The businessman shoots Phil a dark glare, then grumbles and stalks away, vanishing through a sliding doorway and shutting it behind him.

"Smooth," Mark opines quietly.  "Though, that does make us look more like tourists."  He's busily reading a placcard with handy English that sits before the shrine.

[Dracos]

"What are you talking about, isn't the mirrors fantastic?" Dracos played up the role, complete with weird grammar.

Dracos also checks the placard.

Dracos

[Dracos]

[13:57] <Dracos> roll 3d6
[13:57] * +Hatbot --> "Dracos rolls 3d6 and gets 14." [3d6=6, 6, 2]

Well, that didn't take long.  Caution to the wind, or are you still unnoticed? Dracos answers back mentally, reading the  placard.

Dracos

[Brian]

"They're supposed to ward off evil spirits," Mark says.  The placcard actually mentions that, too, but mostly explains the role of Kannon, kami of mercy.

While Phil is perusing this, he gets a contact from Bjorn. In the soapland. He then sends over a rough mental map of the conduits, which Phil tries to mesh with his own memory of the structure.  There's a way down from the temple, I think. Be ready. This place stinks of the Cabal. I don't like it.

Code Select Expand

Hatbot --> "Dracos rolls 3d6 and gets 14."
After consideration, Phil suspects that the shaft roughly lines up with something deeper in the temple.  Likely the same door/area the salaryman he bumped into went through.

[Bjorn]

No more noticed than I planned on being, Bjorn replies (in relation to this).

[Dracos]

I'm pretty sure we've got the way down.  Doesn't seem much obscured.

Dracos continues, considering the rest of the temple, from a standing place near the shrine.

Dracos

[Carthrat]

Tom, for his part, wanders up to the shrine.

"Always thought this kinda thing was more.. Roman than Japanese," he remarks, idly.

[Dracos]

"illustrious temple designs never go out of culture," Dracos remarked.

Dracos

[Brian]

Code Select Expand

Hatbot --> "Carthrat rolls 3d6 and gets 5."
While Tom is leaning over to examine the shrine, he coincidentally has a fine view out to the plaza before the temple.  Where he sees a trio of anxious looking men in solid black suits hustling towards the subway entrance Bjorn and Tetsuo vanished into.  They mostly stand out because, so far, every business suit in sight has been blue, or gray, but it doesn't help that these men are lacking briefcases, which also seems odd.

[Carthrat]

Hey, Bjorn, there's a squad of black suits hustling into the subway entrance, relays Tom.

I dunno, but they're in a hurry. Looking pretty shifty, too. I got a bad feeling, I'm gonna follow them.

Saying so, Tom starts away from the shrine towards that very entrance..

[Dracos]

Let's try and maintain casual tourists as long as possible while doing so.  Catching them by surprise might  be beneficial and there is a potential excuse ready for following them.

Dracos followed Ratty as well.

Dracos

[Rezantis]

I'm no good without my bow; I'll stay here and keep an eye out?