who am i? am i nobody?

You find yourself standing on the shore of a great lake, or possibly a sea. It's difficult to tell, since the night is dark and there are no stars in the sky: only the cold light of the full moon shines down on you. It's enough to illuminate the smooth white pebbles of the beach and to reflect upon the few ripples upon the surface of the inky black water.

A large red torii gate stands in front of you. It marks the start of a large wooden bridge, the rails of which have also been painted red. Tall wrought-iron stands with large candles stand in front of the two pillars of the gate, casting flickering light on the bridge. It's impossible to tell how far the bridge stretches out across the lake -- it simply seems to fade into the darkness.

Some distance behind you is a tall bamboo forest, so dense as to be impassible. A faint fog covers the ground, which seems to be carpeted with red spider lilies -- the heads of the blossoms peek over the fog. They creep all the way to the edge of the beach, the blood red of the flowers a stark contrast to the white stones.

You suddenly become aware of a woman in a crimson kimono and a broad hat with a veil standing behind you, among the lilies. It is impossible to make out of her face. She holds in her hands a silk-wrapped box with a pretty cord tied around it.

"Oh, you're crossing the bridge? Please, may I ask a favor of you? Would you take this box to the other side for me? You'll find a woman at the other end of the bridge there. Please give it to her."

She hands the box to one of you before you can react one way or another.

"I have to tell you, though, that you absolutely must not open the box, or modify it in any way. But that's simple enough, isn't it? It shouldn't be much trouble at all."

And with that, she vanishes, as though she was never there at all.

[You find yourself in a large, tatami-floored room. Three of the walls are made of paper, the fourth side of the room has bamboo screens tied up to the ceiling to reveal a wide wooden corridor that serves as a porch. Beyond it is a lovely garden, though it's difficult to see clearly -- it's night, after all, and there are only so many lanterns. The room itself is well-illuminated by candles on tall stands. Its main feature is an elaborate sleeping area in the very center: what is presumably a futon and "bedroom" concealed from view by a canopied tent that hangs from the ceiling. It is tied closed. A row of lacquered screens and kimono stands draped in rich fabric stretch from either side of the canopy to the walls. You can't quite see past them, but you have the impression that there are people on the other side. The faint smell of incense wafts from a nearby burner.

Despite the opulent furnishings, the entire room gives the impression of faint decay, as though it has not been used in quite some time.]

[When you go behind the silk screen in your team's color, you find a small, neat stack of opened letters along with a chest that has thin slots— 108 of them, to be precise. When touched, each slot murmurs the name of a hero or knight, and they're also labeled. There are also pens and sheets of paper… and a few letters lying unfolded next to them.

There are also snacks, here— just veggie tempura, shrimp-flavored chips, nori crackers, and, bizarrely, cheese curls, along with the tea and sake.]

If you would please sort the letters and send them to the person you believe they're for, I would appreciate it. They're very short, and I cannot understand.

[ You find yourself in an empty banquet hall. At one end of the room is a long table, on the surface of which you'll find a blank sheet of paper, a pen, and a pot of ink. ]

[ You're in the middle of an empty field, save for your team and a table large enough to seat everyone. On the table are pen and paper, as well as a small black box. The box itself has an area covered with wire mesh and a large red button on it labeled "Record". As you settle in, a voice seems to come out of nowhere: ]

Today, we're here to test your wilderness survival skills. Are you ready?

(OOC: Each situation is both read aloud and can be found written on a piece of paper on the table. Answers can be written or spoken into the recorder.)

[As the game starts, the ring seems to expand and the borders seem to dissolve; the blankets are further apart, now, and there are cherry blossom trees in full bloom swaying above you. Next to the baskets, four jug have appeared, labeled with a 0, a 1, a 2, and a 3. Looking at them, you somehow know what those labels mean.
0 = completely nonalcoholic fruit juice.
1 = fairly mild sake. It will take most people a while to get drunk.
2 = medium-strength sake. It won't take most people too long to get drunk.
3 = incredibly strong sake. Most people will be out before they know it.
For dragons and other nonhumans, there are appropriately sized shallow cups/bowls of the player's choice.
Though there are only those four jugs, they cannot be broken, and, if spilled or emptied, they will fill themselves again. Kiriko's voice filters through the area.]

Please, know yourselves and judge your limits. It's only a game, after all. You may start drinking at any point.

[Please note that you may judge your character's tolerance and limits however you'd prefer! Just keep in mind that you should know how much it would take to make your character falling-down-drunk or passed out, etc, and play accordingly if they end up drinking that much. If your character has any superhuman alcohol tolerance, it has been blocked for this game, but any innate or non-superhuman alcohol tolerance skills can be treated however you'd prefer to play it. If you want your character to get drunker faster than they usually would, that's fine; if you want them to keep their tolerance and be less affected, that is also fine.]

[ You find yourselves inside of an empty great hall. Torches and candles light the hall, showing the remains of a feast scattered on the tables that run the length of the room. ]

((OOC: This is entirely at your own pace! Ping me in IRC when your team is ready to move on to the next round.))

[ You're in a room with a tall glass box in the center. Around the glass box are seven desks. On each desk is a paper and three buttons. The only illumination in the room is a single light inside the glass box. ]

Answer truthfully and individually. We'll see how balanced you teams really are.

[ YOU ARE IN A ROOM. There is a divider that cuts the room in half leaving only a series of small holes (each hole is six inches in diameter) that connects the two sides. In the middle of each side of the room is a closed box. ]

[You find yourself in a medium sized room, large enough for a round table and seven chairs. There are a few things of note on the table:

-12 glass bowls in the colors of the teams. They cannot be moved from the table or broken.
-12 large black marbles
-A platter of cheese squares on tooth picks, Cheddar, Pepperjack, Swiss]


Each marble represents five attack points. Each marble must be placed in a bowl, but you may distribute them however you wish.

Know that no team can hope to survive more than thirty arrows.