Dice In The Darkness: Cthulhu Calls

Chapter 43: The Origin of the Harvest Festival

Liu Xing had already surmised how this player had gotten injured. After all, KP Cao had just mentioned that in this promotion game, certain items were prohibited. Clearly, this included the blood-stained scalpel lying on the ground. If one insisted on carrying the knife, they would have to pass a corresponding check.

The mantra remains: Cthulhu RPG Game is a game that prides itself on realism. The premise for this promotion game was set; all players were internet acquaintances who had decided to meet up and attend this Harvest Festival. Therefore, there was no legitimate reason to bring a scalpel along.

Moreover, there are various types of scalpels, and this particular one was of the longer variety. Given that KP Cao had decreed the game to take place in summer, this player, like Liu Xing, had been forced to "change attire" into shorts and short sleeves. Hence, to conceal the scalpel, the player had no choice but to clip it at their waist.

Just moments ago, this player, sharing the same thought as Liu Xing, had intended to enter the temple to gather intelligence. Presumably, KP Cao had allowed the player a chance at a lucky check, but the check failed. The player likely slipped and fell, and the scalpel, being unsheathed and razor-sharp, naturally carved off that indescribable, unspeakable entity under KP Cao's twisted sense of humor...

In Cthulhu RPG Game, a keeper's authority is immense, which allows multiple scenarios for KP Cao to choose from. For example, the scalpel could have merely wounded the leg, or it could have fallen out entirely. However, KP Cao opted for the most horrifying turn of events, suggesting that this player's character card might very well be altered in the future to reflect a change in gender to that of a eunuch...

As Liu Xing pondered whether to administer first aid to the player, several individuals dressed as doctors and nurses rushed out from behind the temple of the Crane Pavilion with a stretcher, quickly taking the injured player away. Of course, they didn't forget to collect the unnamable, indescribable object from the ground, likely to stitch it back together.

"Well, player Kite, due to carrying forbidden equipment and after failing two Luck Checks due to severe injuries, has indeed bad luck. How audacious to tempt fate in the Cthulhu RPG Game, young man, you are quite daring. Therefore, Kite has been taken by the medics, who were already prepared for the Harvest Festival, to the hospital for emergency treatment. As a result, player Kite can no longer continue in this promotion game. I hereby announce player Kite's elimination from the game, and hope the rest of you will redouble your efforts and put on a good performance," KP Cao declared, not missing the chance to mock the player named Kite as he was carried away, pronouncing his drop-out as a failure.

Liu Xing stroked his chin, concluding that one certainly can't afford to act recklessly in the Cthulhu RPG Game; a reckless act could indeed lead to real death. And this player named Kite was truly unfortunate, having failed two Luck Checks, he was worse off than Bai Hecheng in terms of luck.

As Liu Xing finished his commentary, ready to return to the temple to continue studying the stone tablet, KP Cao's snide voice suddenly rang in his ear, "Liu Xing, seeing the terrible state of Kite and as you are both men, please make an inspiration check. If successful, reduce one SAN point; if not, there's no reduction."

Liu Xing raised an eyebrow in disbelief, wondering if the game master was indeed serious about this. To think that such a trivial matter could cause a loss of SAN points seemed a bit too harsh. Yet, as Liu Xing pondered, he realized there might be some truth to the game master's words. After all, he did feel a chill run down his spine when he witnessed the gruesome fate of Kite just moments before.

However, Liu Xing wasn't prepared to lose SAN points over something so absurd, especially not in such a bizarre way. He quickly retorted to the game master, "Look, I'm an Emergency Room Doctor, and in the last Cthulhu RPG game, I've seen corpses mangled by Ghouls. I'm quite seasoned by now, so surely this shouldn't cost me SAN points, right?"

In a Cthulhu RPG game, the background on a character card isn't just for show. Liu Xing's character card noted his experience in the emergency department, where he routinely encountered all sorts of horrific injuries, including mangled flesh and severed limbs. Furthermore, in his last Cthulhu RPG game, Liu Xing's character had witnessed the remains of Gary and Old Wayne after a Ghoul attack. Armed with this logic, Liu Xing made a compelling case that such a trivial scare shouldn't result in a SAN loss.

After a moment of contemplation, the game master conceded to Liu Xing's argument, "Alright then, since you put it that way, I'll let you off this time. Continue with your action."

Relieved, Liu Xing acknowledged that the game master, while somewhat mischievous, was reasonable. It seemed that in this promotion game, he too could wield the art of persuasion against the game master.

Liu Xing returned to the temple and approached the stone tablet, studying its inscriptions that detailed the origins of the Harvest Festival.

"Long ago, this small county, limited by its insufficient and infertile lands, could not sustain a large population. Natural disasters such as droughts and locust plagues would often result in a drastic reduction in food production, sometimes decimating the population by more than half within a year. Thus, the area was known as a barren land."

"Over a thousand years ago, an official was assigned to govern this county, accompanied by a Taoist friend, right when a severe drought had caused all the rivers to dry up."

"After learning of the dire circumstances, the Taoist claimed he had the means to alter their fate. He could not only bring rain to end the drought but also enrich the land, ensuring it would yield abundant harvests year after year."

"Consequently, the official ordered the construction of the Crane Temple for the Taoist. Based on the Taoist's design, the local carpenters carved a peculiar deity statue, a god long forgotten by the world. The Taoist had received the legacy of this deity in a dream, gaining the knowledge of a ritual for praying for favorable weather—the Harvest Festival."

"Upon the completion of the Crane Temple, the Taoist conducted the Harvest Festival. Suddenly, the clear skies turned overcast, and a deluge followed, just as the Taoist had promised. The drought ended, and miraculously, fertile land appeared after the heavy rain. Since then, the county has held the Harvest Festival annually, and each year brought a bountiful harvest."