Four Flavors of Heaven (Inactive)

Game Master Timespiraled

Last physical day of school for us here. If anyone's on the busier end of things, let me know. We're at the end of this segment of the adventure so it'd be a good time to see how much time we have in the coming weeks.

Still busy, Shiro? Want us to wait for you? Or will you just pop in occasionally while us more talkative sorts blab away? I just don't want to overwhelm you with posts.

Unfortunately I doubt i'm going to get much more free time anytime soon. I'm still keeping up, but finding time to put something good together is difficult.

As long as you know what is happening.

Would it be better to reconsider this adventure going forward? I know we slowly bled out from our original five, but now that we're down 2 1/2 ish I don't know what the best thing to do is.

Obviously we can keep going with just our group and I'll modify encounters to be feasible with just this party.

We can also try and recruit a few new party members.

A third option is to put this adventure on pause as needed. If we do though, I'd be starting another one up. Even if I haven't able to keep to my daily posting, having a routine like this has helped me through these Covid times.

What do you all think?

I will go with the flow, but I think having three steady posters would help. Games that are paused tend to stay paused. :\

That is very true.

I just feel we're all struggling a bit, myself included so wanted to propose alternate plans.

I suppose one compromise is to do a pause for a defined period of time and then resume.

I've run out of time for games (and straight up left a few), so please don't take this as any sort of criticism of Shiro, just brainstorming. :)

Well, if you've run out of time for games, Lung, we could just end this campaign. It's not like we didn't accomplish a ton! Then you can start a new one, Timespiraled, and make references to this most elite group and their feats as other groups of Soejis (this new group) do some hard work too!

Not sure I'd run Four Flavors of Heaven back to back, though.

I tend to enjoy making new micro-worlds and exploring different themes each time I DM.

I would like to say that I don't want to end it. I enjoy our interactions. I like the story, but I also know that RL takes priority. Oh, what to do!?

Sorry. I think the best option is to simply recruit new members. Say Soeji finds some more talent to help us on our quest, or perhaps a "temporary" gathering of our forces to solve some difficult problem?

I'm going to try to keep up, as i've enjoyed the game, but my IRL situation leaves my hands full.

As much as I love the game, I'd hate for it to be a burden to anyone. These are pretty unique times, so if you'd rather take your leave, I'd never take it the wrong way. That goes for anyone here.

Oh, my bad! I should say in the past I have run out time for games upon occasion. I currently have lots of time for games! :D

Hurray! Well, then let's recruit some good ol'Soejis.

Bit of a busy end of the week. I'll update with the next post soon, likely tomorrow, and hit up recruitment.

Alright, the recruitment thread is up!

Meanwhile, let's talk shop. I haven't had the opportunity to provide much treasure at the moment, and we're going to be approaching 3rd level so I'd like to remedy that. Now, I'm usually not a fan of treasure ex machina, but as challenges ramp up, we're going to need to kit you out.

It's been really tough finding authentic places to drop treasure in this adventure, truthfully.

When we hit 3rd level following this last sea cave venture, I'll be having a downtime moment with you and Soeji that will let you pick up some much needed gear.

By 3rd level, you should have about 3000gp worth of gear and I'm pretty sure we're far below that mark, so just start thinking about the gear you'd like to have and make a mini-shopping list as we head into that scene. It's also where we'll be, hopefully, meeting our new allies!

I think any kind of consumables would be nice. Wands, potions, scrolls on her list. I think this campaign could do well with some hats of disguise too. Possibly some stat-boosting item such as +2 to charisma.

Anyways, specifically within that range, I'd say:
A couple of wands such as Wand of Cure Light Wounds
or
A Lesser extend metamagic rod might be nice

Ultimately, Piella is of the type to not pick and choose for herself because she wouldn't feel qualified to do so, so it might better be a gift (Whatever it is). Once she feels more confident in her skills and knows her path, she may be better at picking out things herself.

I think any kind of consumables would be nice. Wands, potions, scrolls on her list. I think this campaign could do well with some hats of disguise too. Possibly some stat-boosting item such as +2 to charisma.

Anyways, specifically within that range, I'd say:
A couple of wands such as Wand of Cure Light Wounds
or
A Lesser extend metamagic rod might be nice

Ultimately, Piella is of the type to not pick and choose for herself because she wouldn't feel qualified to do so, so it might better be a gift (Whatever it is). Once she feels more confident in her skills and knows her path, she may be better at picking out things herself.

It will definitely be in gift form, but knowing what your PCs are missing (or the group as a whole) helps me fill in the slots.

We also have a potential player lined up!

Make that three potential players lined up. I'm only planning on taking 2 maximum, unless you all feel fine in jazzing up the group. I just don't want to lose the chemistry we have going between the characters, so let me know what you think.

Hi all. I'm one of the potential new players. Planning on a Venara Shaman with the Heavens Spirit. I'll get my character sheet up tomorrow and post for review in the recruitment thread.

Been reading the game thread and it looks like you all have had some fun. I am looking forward to joining your game!

Any suggestions that you have for me will be appreciated. Just post a reply or PM me.

I think a lot of our time is spent pondering and then rushing after a plan we hope will work. It has some of the time, but other times we just can't figure out what's going on. Maybe a suggestion is to come with fresh ideas on how best to make this meal and not die in the process! :P

That does sound like an interesting concept for a competition. Create the winning meal? But it fits right in with the setting guide.

I've got a good deal more reading to do before I can offer any reasonable suggestion, let alone a good one. But so far I need to work on getting my character sheet together. I had a heck of a time even finding a picture that sort of works for a Varana! This was the best I could find!

Waives at Piella :)

Thanks for the invite Timespiraled, When you first posted this game I was intrigued with it, but didn't have the space to work in a new game. It looks like four of my games are dying, so I posted in the recruitment thread.

I've been wanting to play an eastern Tengu for a while, Taicho is a bird I've played in a couple of games but this is the first chance with that 'eastern flavor.' I'm still working on the personality and backstory. In the Recruitment thread I put "Taicho is a part of the Blackfeather clan who live in the deep woods of the Gangdao Forest. They see themselves as guardians of the shrines and hunters of any evil Yokai. The tribe owes a debt to Old Soeji and the Yuanzi clan."

I'm thinking as a 'hunter of evil spirits' he (and possibly his clan) may have spent as much time or more in the spirit world than in the 'real world.' I'm not sure how that would effect his personality or 'style' dealing with 'regular folks' Any Ideas? It looks like we have a little time before you all return from the second trip with Captain Qiaolian to develop character a little.

GM any lore on Tengu's, the Gangdao Forest, the small shrines, the 'spirit realm' (and how or what one might hunt there) or which god is closer related to the tengu (I assumed it is Yinyu) and how any of that would be relevant to Taicho's or his clans backstory?

Waives at Piella :)

I'm not sure how that would effect his personality or 'style' dealing with 'regular folks' Any Ideas? It looks like we have a little time before you all return from the second trip with Captain Qiaolian to develop character a little.

Hi hi! The way I see it, you could go one of a couple different ways. One, you could be the typical brooding mysterious hunter, antisocial. Then, on the other hand, your love of live could be a fuel as to why you are fighting spirits. It could drive you to be more social and invested in the lives of people. Either way, you could still play the cool hero role, but instead of a role similar to Batman, you'd be in one similar to say, Superman or someone more approachable.

Thanks for the feedback Piella, It's hard to go wrong with the brooding ranger. I was thinking about the characters in "the seven Samurai" and different anime characters I like, trying to imagine if any of them would parallel with that iconic trope.

So I dumped Charisma (a little) and initially thought I would get taicho a tengu jug and play the happy drunk. Then I saw that Menqin Yun had gone that route and realized I couldn't afford to get the jug and both weapons and armor.

The times I've played Tengu before they were outgoing/talkative characters, though not necessarily charismatic. I like playing tengu different than humans, almost alien. I don't know exactly what that will mean for an eastern flavored game. The wikipedia page has some interesting points that I may try and incorporate.

Of course I would be interested in Timespiraled's take on the race in general, Cause it's his world... And any other feedback would be great.

Taicho will be a switch hitting ranger focusing on fighting 'spirits' in or out of the 'spirit realm' light armor and high initiative means he is built for speed, the trapper archetype will let him deal with traps while Shiro is away.

General overview
Lung, seems to be the 'problem solver.' Resourceful while remaining humble, encouraging and humorous. Willing to do melee, but would rather find creative solutions instead of a head on fight.

Peilla seems like a natural leader/communicator. Affectionate, appreciative and kind while maintaining a sense of humor. Using her skills to support her team.

Taicho, that sounds like the studious type to me. Plenty of reading about the spirits, knowing the proper rituals and things like that. Also the fastidious type, Always checks their equipment and has the proper offering when crossing a river spirit's domain.

For Katala, i think maybe one of the Celestials has chosen to favor us. Even the gods are rarely neutral after all, especially in these competitions they enjoy so much. Maybe choosing one to devote yourself to would be cool?

Of course these are only suggestions! Creating characters is always fun just seeing what comes out of the pot!

Of course I would be interested in Timespiraled's take on the race in general, Cause it's his world... And any other feedback would be great.

The great thing about Yuanzi is that it's relatively free to design as we see fit. I haven't accounted for how each race behaves. Tengu traditionally have a rather low reputation in traditional PF, but I'm more than happy to shake things up.

GM any lore on Tengu's, the Gangdao Forest, the small shrines, the 'spirit realm' (and how or what one might hunt there) or which god is closer related to the tengu (I assumed it is Yinyu) and how any of that would be relevant to Taicho's or his clans backstory?

Gangdao definitely feels like the right place for them, besides perhaps the peaks of the Shijing Mountains.

Spirit realm hunting functions much like regular hunting, but is a lot more dangerous. From the Setting Guide, we have the following quote: "Beasts and spirits from that plane can cross over to Yuanzi but are often quelled or simply left in peace."

It would stand to reason that just like wild animals must be fought off, so too must spirit beasts be hunted down when they cross over and cause damage. Not all spirits that do so are necessarily evil, some are simply predatorial or territorial.

Spirits slain on the mortal plane reform in time in the spirit realm, so dedicated spirit hunters could spend time in the spirit realm hunting down potential or recurring problem spirits.

Small shrines can be little more than a few decorated stones to an actual structure. The players visited one early in the adventure as they made their way up Blue Crane Mountain. Most are tended by traveling priests, who clean and repair the shrines as they travel Yuanzi. Only the bigger shrines and the Celestial Temples would have resident priests.

As for deities, Yinyu definitely fits best.

That does sound like an interesting concept for a competition. Create the winning meal? But it fits right in with the setting guide.

To get you both caught up, the Celestial Court's challenge this time around is to prepare a banquet fit for the gods; food, entertainment, the works.

Though originally we had it on a sixteen day timer, we've retconned that part of the scenario and instead have an unspecified amount of time to complete. The Gods will simply select the winner once all contestants have presented their banquets.

At the suggestion of their patron, Old Soeji, our team sought out and recovered the Four Flavors of Heaven itself, the recounting of the first meal the gods ate on Yuanzi. Their goal is to recreate this dish using the finest ingredients possible.

While the Soeji clan handles the more easily obtained ingredients and preparations, our group's handled the Four Flavors. So far they've recovered two primary ingredients: Great Thunder Bird eggs and monstrous cerulean crab. According to the Four Flavors, they still require a golden carp, a white-haired ox, fire from the spirit realm, and rain and snow from the Yuanzi skies to make tea. They've already begun the hunt for the carp.

Did I miss anything?

So is this second trip out to the cave where they found the crab relevant to finding any ingredients or a side trip finishing up an area?

So is this second trip out to the cave where they found the crab relevant to finding any ingredients or a side trip finishing up an area?

Side trip, yeah. When they return we're back on the Four Flavors hunt.

It was actually my thought that this "side trip" is the after a heavenly light. While it may be some kind of object, Piella is thinking it is either the ring used to catch the golden carp or the fire from the spirit realm. They couldn't really see it clearly though, so it's hard to tell.

Yinyu? But coming from Shuishang I thought Lanxu made more sense.

Sorry I don't have the details of my character uploaded yet. Something I ate yesterday didn't agree with me and I've had a purely miserable day. I am about 90% done with the crunch in my notepad, and I will finish and post it in the morning.

I'm about halfway through reading the game thread. You all are good writers. I'll try my best to keep up with you once we join the game.

Apparently Paizo had some hardware problems yesterday thanks to a storm. If your having difficulties logging in, clear your cookies, and you should be able to log-in again.

Very glad I checked your post. I was stuck at the log in page.

Yinyu? But coming from Shuishang I thought Lanxu made more sense.

This was directed at Taicho.

Very glad I checked your post. I was stuck at the log in page.

Katala Doratian wrote:

Yinyu? But coming from Shuishang I thought Lanxu made more sense.

This was directed at Taicho.

Thank you. Makes sense now.

And thank you Taicho. Was still having trouble getting in.

My CS is now posted/linked.

Katala, I found a decent avatar for you under the "Monsterous humanoids" subsection, though it is technically female

Whew, I'm back after busy day + Paizostorm. Welcome new players/contestants!

Lung is kind of a combatant, but all 3/4 BAB combatants fall a little short. I just wanted a knowledge monkey* divine type for a change and found the inquisitor archetype and that was that. I'd been playing too many wizards/arcanists. :D

*--no insult meant to Vanaras

Thanks Shiro. I'll look through those tomorrow. Not sure but I think this avatar was listed as female....

How can you possibly play too many arcane types? Magi are fun!

Found it! Maybe I should change the character to female? Definitely need to change the description. Nothing"mechanical" needs to change though!

Thanks!

Ultimately, as long as you're happy with the profile, all's good. We should be hopefully back to Shuishang sooner, rather than later. Worse case, we can do a bit of meeting up between Katala and Taicho with Soeji before the other three join back up with you.

In the meantime, do feel free to ask me any questions you might have.

I'll keep him as a him then. I guess the only real change is hair color. Ivory instead of chestnut.

The race information says if I have a high enough Int to select from Aklo, Celestial, Elven, Gnome, Goblin, and Sylvan. Would Celestial make sense for this game?

A meeting with Soeji before they return would be fine. I couldn't remember if Soeji had stayed ashore, or if he and Bao had been aboard ship this time.

A meeting with Soeji before they return would be fine. I couldn't remember if Soeji had stayed ashore, or if he and Bao had been aboard ship this time.

Soeji and Bao are ashore.

I'll keep him as a him then. I guess the only real change is hair color. Ivory instead of chestnut.

The race information says if I have a high enough Int to select from Aklo, Celestial, Elven, Gnome, Goblin, and Sylvan. Would Celestial make sense for this game?

There haven't been too many language barriers yet. Celestial would be the language of the gods I assume.

Could Taicho have sailed from Qiao to wherever they are at. I couldn't remember if there still in Shuishang or Yuanzi.

edit: I dotted and deleted in game, no rush on this end, just whenever you are ready.

Could Taicho have sailed from Qiao to wherever they are at. I couldn't remember if there still in Shuishang or Yuanzi.

edit: I dotted and deleted in game, no rush on this end, just whenever you are ready.

Yuanzi's the entire plane. Shuishang is the southern coastal settlement. They're just off the coast exploring some nearby sea caves.

And yes, you can sail from Qiao to Shuishang, but it's a 4 day trip. So you'd technically still be on route for another two or so days at the earliest. You can check the Travel Times section of the setting guide for the different ways of traveling Yuanzi.

Cool, thanks, still trying to familiarize myself with the setting.

So assuming Taicho was in the forest when they got word from Soeji that someone had used magic to ruin the food; he would have found his way to Qiao and then sailed to Shuishang, making it even more than that...

Hmmmm. what if the Tengu heard about the battle with the Meizha-Lang, (wolf spirit) at Qigang Family shrine and learning that it was the Soeji Clan who killed the beast and was searching for information to win the Celestial Challenge. The Blackfeathers, owing a debt to the Soeji clan, sends Taicho to aid them. He passes through the mountains, just missing the team there, and follows them to Shuishang, Finding Soeji and Bao at some time.

Hmmmm. what if the Tengu heard about the battle with the Meizha-Lang, (wolf spirit) at Qigang Family shrine and learning that it was the Soeji Clan who killed the beast and was searching for information to win the Celestial Challenge. The Blackfeathers, owing a debt to the Soeji clan, sends Taicho to aid them. He passes through the mountains, just missing the team there, and follows them to Shuishang, Finding Soeji and Bao at some time.

I can definitely work with that and I like the tie in to your character's lore.

I'm finishing up reading through the Gameplay posts. Rotten fish? I was thinking Putrefy Food and Drink (Witch Cantrip) as a possibility? But checked and it's transmutation....

We were thinking something along the same lines, Katala