Avernus offers Zamu a respectful nod more than once as he leads the group after the oni's trail, impressed by the tengu's skill despite the rain.
Zamu follows the tracks deeper into the mountains, and higher, climbing up through ravines and valleys.
The first day the group finds themselves on a ridgeline, looking down into a deep valley. Below, they see a flying just over the tree tops in a deep valley to colossal creatures fighting!
A long, emerald green serpent blows a massive cone of sharp stone spikes in a cone that rips feathers from it's six winged roc like foe. The creature screams in anger and pain, and opens it's mouth and a massive electrical bolt screams out and slams into the serpent, arcing from it to the ground, blasting green scales off and leaving it's mane burning in places.
The two slam into each other and crash into the foggy trees below.
For several more minutes the sounds of massive crashes sound and the tops of trees shake and vanish into the fog. Finally, the sounds go silent...
Moving on quickly, the group makes a very cold camp, to not give away their position, in case one of the creatures survived and is hungry.
The next day, they find several feathers, coated in dried black blood, have crashed into the trail they are barely following, each feather as long as the tallest among them.
Another night and cold camp, and then the third day Zamu can't find the trail. Too much time has passed. However, he thinks he may have been close.
Zamu has come to realize that the Oni trail had something missing (the 29 did it). They hadn't made camp, not once. They just marched non stop for several days.
Avernus whistles lowly as the pair of titanic creatures clash in the sky then crash to the forest below. "Well, that is something you do not see every day. What do you think the chances are that they've fallen atop these treacherous oni we're tracking and saved us the trouble of putting a stop to their threat?"
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"These feathers are enormous! I did not appreciate the size of those beasts until now, I think." An involuntary shudder ripples down the horned man's back as he considers what the consequences of making such a creature angry might be.
"That seems to be in line with how they melted into nothingness earlier."
Avernus massages one of his boney chin spurs in contemplation. "Hmmm. If they are not oni, then I wonder what these foes of yours truly are."
Perhaps elemental servants of some kind? Not strictly illusions but some other etheral being? To my knowledge it would require great power to makes something so complete and durable as to travel to and fro and look as these things do it they are not oni. I am hoping it is something on the more mundane side, I confess.
"I just hope we aren't being led away by phantoms to allow another attack on the village in our absence."
"Way to kill the mood, Kimiko..." Ling gripes aloud, still flying high on the fact that they just witnessed a GIANT MONSTER BATTLE until just now. Still... "But you have a really good point. You and Zamu both, I mean. I don't like the idea of it, but it's definitely something to consider. Uh, Zamu, do you think you could pick up the trail again...? If not, what should we do?"
She wonders about the dragon she saw battling the winged monster. If they found it again, would it consider her kin...? Oh, well- a question for another day. The oni problem- assuming that they were indeed oni after all- had to take priority.
Zamu manges to strap two of the feathers to his back, ignoring the gooey drying blood.
After looking around though, the path seems to have petered out, thanks to the light rain that's been drizzling slowly.
Zamu spends half the morning trying to find some clues. He climbs up rocks, up trees, into caves, and finally near noon, he notices on the mountainside opposite of the valley you're currently looking down into what looks like irregular impressions in the mountainside.
It is only for a 15 minute window where the sun is directly overhead that show out the unnatural reliefs. It looks like a large village or small town built into the mountainside, and carefully hidden from view...
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"There! Do you see it? it looks like a hidden village of some sort - look you can see the way the sun slants on it, though it will not be like that for most of the day. It is about a days journey, if we go through the valley. If we avoid any of the large creatures that may lurk there and stick to the heights, it would take us 2 days. I think we should risk it."
"As do I, we have already been away from some time and I grow worried."
Avernus nods his horned head, the gesture one of agreement though he doesn't share whether he thinks the riskier path to be the better course or not. "We have followed the trail of these mysterious, melting oni straight from the village and we have yet to encounter any reason as to why a second raid might come from a different direction. Hopefully that means the village has not seen any other raids in your absence."
He glances down at the valley then back to Lingfeng, "Perhaps we'll see another dragon in this valley like what we saw before."
Yanyeeku nods at the assessment, Yes we should stay away from the larger creatures, we will not be able to contend with them I think...
"Why not take the safer path then and avoid the chance of encounter with the larger creatures? I'm for skirting the valley myself."
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"Hmm. I am of the view that if there is a village there, they will most likely patrol the surrounding area to keep down large creatures and there is less chance of there being anything in the valley. Also there is the possibility that another raid may leave through the valley while we are skirting round it. Remote, but it is not our lives that would be lost if that is the case. We would be dishonoured if we allowed that to happen."
He glances down at the valley then back to Lingfeng, "Perhaps we'll see another dragon in this valley like what we saw before."
Ling flushes at the thought. "Aw, don't get my hopes up!"
"Let's take the more direct route. I don't want to waste any more time. Shall we?"
"I maintain my earlier preferance. The direct route is well worth the risk."
The group starts heading down the mountain, cutting across the valley to the other side.
Avernus nods at the decision, "No sense in wasting time you're not sure you have. Makes sense to me." Obligingly, he stows his shield across his back and follows the others down into the valley below.
The first night, as the group huddles under some downed trees that have fallen into a natural fort structure, the watch person , Zamu, is surprised by the tree structure creaking around him. Looking up through a crack in the fallen trees, he sees the sky has been blotted out by something. Then before he can crawl out of the natural little cavern everyone is in, a large foot lands quietly, blotting out the exit.
As the creature moves on, Zamu has a view of a four limbed, two winged creature with a large tail. It seems to be a golum of some kind, for it's made entirely of crystals, purple and white.
Two glowing purple eyes turn to stare directly into Zamu's eyes, but the creature does nothing more than stare for a few moments. Once it looks the group over through the 'door' in the sleeping area, the creature huffs in a mildly amused way and then turns and leaves as silently as it came.
Kimiko steps in to assist Zamu with making sure their direction remains true to the hidden village seen and that nothing assaults the party unseen.
Kimiko wakes and tries to make some sense of what Zamu is saying, and looks out in teh direction he's indicating, but I'm guessing sees nothing... shrugs. "Whatever you saw is gone now."
Kimiko see's several large clawed footprints just outside the opening, the plants are crushed down, and there are deep impressions in the ground outside.
"But something big with clawed feet was obviously here... see the footprints. She points them out to the others.
Right? RIGHT?!? This is a horrid place to be. Really. We should move fast and get this over with. Maybe double watches and camped ready to run.
"...You didn't even tell it 'hello?'" Ling says, dejectedly, as soon as she hears Zamu's story. "Zamu, here's some advice for next time: say, 'Oh, hello! How are you, my crystalline, winged friend? Would you like to share our campfire for the night? Perhaps have some tea?' ...All right, I can see from your expression that it was probably scarier than I'm making it out to be and that might not have worked out so well. Still, uh, just keep it under advisement, will you?"
It is clear that she is still a little upset over missing the opportunity to communicate with that dragon a few days before.
"We are not too far into the valley that we cannot turn to the safer trail if you all would prefer. Even if we had doubled the watch, my large hatted friend, those impressions look like whatever made them could have crushed us all if it so desired." Avernus' gaze turns toward the far end of the valley and the direction of the faux-oni village. "I hate to confess, but we'll be no help to your beleaguered village or any other if we are crushed by giant crystal beasts."
"Perhaps it is the more timid choice, but I agree with master Avernus, but I will stay with you all whatever course is chosen."
"We're already halfway there, turning around and going back is just as much risk as pushing forward."
"You're right, I'm sure... let's just press on and mind Zamu's already tired, so we need to take our time as we travel."
Avernus shrugs. "Hmm. We made it further than I thought then. Well, that's encouraging at least. Let's hope our luck holds."
The group continues on, somewhat freaked out. Zamu pushes on the next day, but by the end of the day, he's exhausted (8 hours of fatigued travel). Fortunately, the group doesn't encounter anything other than signs of large creatures.
They find a good hidey hole to set up a cold camp, partway up the mountain. Things pass peacefully the next night, fortunately for the exhausted Zamu.
The next morning, the group gets up again and heads up the side of the mountain toward the village they saw from the other mountain.
The group struggles up the mountain, and near noon, all but stumble into the village. It was very well hidden.
As they step into the village, the find it only about a hundred feet or so long, and half that wide. Artfully grown trees cover most of it, and the stone huts are all carved out of, or built up from, the native stone.
However, the village seems deserted...
...until the winged creature in armor steps out of concealment.
As it does, a sense of calm floods the area.
"Kama wewe ni hapa kwa jade hirizi , utakuwa na kupambana na mimi kwa ajili yake. Mimi kuwahakikishia , itakuwa kupoteza pendekezo kwa ajili yenu." As the creature speaks, it places a hand on it's Katana and Wakizashi handles, settling into a sword fighter's stance.
"If you are here for the jade amulet, you will have to fight me for it. I assure you, it will be a losing proposition for you."
"I'm sorry, I don't understand you, do you perhaps speak common... or draconic? or perhaps sylvan?"
"Yes, Da Govorim zmaja, ati Fey."
"...I speak dragon..."
"...and Fey."
"If you are here for the jade amulet, you will have to fight me for it. I assure you, it will be a losing proposition for you." The creature repeats.
The creature is an outsider known as a Yamabushi, they are rumored to be the original ancestors of the Tengu, thus the close appearance, but are much more powerful than the average Tengu. You may ask 3 questions about it.
"This noble creature says if we are here for the jade amulet, we will have to fight him for it, and we will lose." she translates for her companions who don't speak its revealed known languages. "What shall I say to it, or would someone else who can speak to it in Fey or draconic like to take over?"
To the creature she says, "Perhaps a fight is not necessary... My name is Kimiko, honored one. We are here first and foremost about some oni... did you send them?"
DR 10/silver and chaotic
Resist acid 5, cold 10, electricity 5
Immune petrification, polymorph
SR : 18
Avernus arches one boney, spur-studded eyebrow at the winged creature before shifting a curious glance to his allies. When the winged figure at last speaks in a tongue he recognizes, the oni-kin shakes his head. "I have heard nothing of any amulet, only of mysterious oni who have been raiding the surrounding region. It is for them that we came here: we meant to stop them."
He watches the figure closely, his hand resting on the pommel of his sword.