The Village Hidden in the Cardboard

[Feng]

In the past month or so the sound of hammers and nails have echoed through the quiet, windy corridors of the slums outside the Chibi district. Host to a sizable homeless population (many who are male NPCs or Chibi who have lost their residences and jobs from the many attacks and crazy shenanigans in the city) it would appear that some strange force has mobilized the drifters, carpetbaggers and hobos into action.... but towards what purpose?

Irregardless, the ominous fog that has blown through the part of town only further adds to the mystery of the place. People have been known to wander inside the maze-like passages only to never be seen again. Those that do, or at least those still possessing some semblance of sanity, speak in hushed tones of a hidden village built along the rooftops and hidden turns that is Muffinville's second largest slum! @.@

[Mendi-chan]

*Mendo wanders through the slum, investigating some strange rumors that centered around a growing organization within the shadows of the city. His eyes scan the corners and the side streets, searching for any validity to those claims*

[Feng]

As Mendo ventures towards the heart of the slums he might happen to pass by curious scribbles along the walls and floor. Unlike the gang tags that plague the rougher parts of the city, these markings are reminiscent of the code used by travelling hobos in the Depression to communicate with one another

....

Only slightly different in this case. Were the ninja to possess a familiarity with certain mythologies, he might realize that some of the marks bear an uncanny resemblance to ancient runes used by the Norse. And while there is no hint of magic or chi within the area, the ninja cannot help but feel a certain power invested within the writing.

Certainly a clue, if any!

[Mendi-chan]

*Glances at the symbols on the surfaces of the slum, narrowing his brow. His sensors certainly were getting something, and though he was ignorant to the Norse origins of the writing he knew it must be some type of communication. There was something to this... But who? There wasn't anything to indicate any individual or organization he was already familiar with. Pushing forward, he searches for more of this writing*

[Feng]

Further and further the corridors go, splitting off into forking paths that seem to twist and turn forever. As Mendo continues to trek further into this uncharted territory, he finds more of the curious Hobo Runes lining the walls, and in bigger clusters. Of further interests are tags in what appears to be.... Chibish, the language commonly spoken by the diminutive folk who dwell in the neighboring district.

How odd....

The script appears to be in the modern vernacular so if the ninja is somewhat conversational in the strange speech of the Chibi, he should be able to make out what they say.

Surroundings the script are symbols depicting winged toasters and skulls. Other symbols, obviously made by humans due to their distance from the ground, are of curious zigzags and lopsided threes. Whatever could they mean?

[Mendi-chan]

*Raises his eyebrow, following the increased volume of markings and signs. He didn't speak Chibish, but he was vaguely familiar with their folk. Seemed nice enough, if a little mischievous. Perhaps they had begun some charity work within the areas housing those less fortunate NPCs.*

[Feng]

Further in the corridors get narrower as the light of the afternoon soon begins to diminish from the shadow of abandoned buildings that reach to the heavens. Nobody knew what purpose these once proud edifices held when the economy was booming, aside from rumor they played host to numerous pyramid schemes perpetuated by a shadowy individual.

Eventually Mendo comes across a symbol in the distinctive shape of a.... Tomapple!

[Mendi-chan]

*The ninja blinks, staring at the symbol*
A violet girl?... Deep in this dark place? Seems a bit unlikely... so then who?...
*He glances around for more clues*

[Feng]

Further tomapple symbols bedeck the corridors further inwards.... But Mendo will have other concerns to take care of first.


Like that giant net dropping directly from above!

[Mendi-chan]

*Glances upward, raising his eyebrow further*
What the... Hey! Wait a second! Who's there!?

[Feng]

Mendo sees a bunch of giggling young women in ratty trench coats and rags smiling down at him from an overhead bridge as, from out of the shadows, a gang of Chibi drifters emerge.

"Oi now! Looks like we's gots another outsider, eh?" says their leader in a horrendously forced Brooklyn accent. "Guess we better put im with the rest"

[Mendi-chan]

*Mendo facepalms... and shakes his head.*
You're not serious, are you?...
*They seemed like they were... but perhaps it was worth not cutting himself out of the net to see what they were up too.*