Kiyomi fires more arrows while inspiring!
for plus acid!
for plus acid!
for plus acid!
More from the gladiator.
Kiyomi's three arrows puncture the shadow nue deeply, but it is a pair of Parity's slashes with Suishen that bring it down. The creature's form fades out, melding into nearby existing shadows.
Harlan lets out a breath he didn't know he was holding and slumps as the creature disappears.
"Who's still hurt? I've got a little left in me."
Malnival attempts to keep his blood from splattering on everyone's boots. " I am feeling a little woozy."
Kiyomi steps forward and bows. 'I have some small talent at soothing wounds, friend Harlan. May I help?"
If more need healing, Kiyomi begins to sing.
Parity spits out a piece of bloody tooth, "Doing alright, but will take a spell from Kiyomi once the others are healed up."
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"I am still amazed that you can restore me to near total health with one prayer, Harlan. I yet feel the shadowed touch of the creature, but I assume that is not so easy to remove. "
"I also think that though the creatures shadow self has been destroyed, it has escaped and awaits ahead.Let us move quickly to catch the necromancer before he can prepare any other vile traps."
The statue is constructed from hollow bronze, and though bulky, it would probably fetch close to two thousand gold, or even more to a Vudrani temple or art collector.
The old woman remains unmoving, frozen in place. Her eyes are half-closed and her skin is cold to the touch.
***
You open the eastern door (through which the nue shadow cloud fled) and find a small study beyond. This room contains a writing desk with a tall chair, a small cabinet, and two bookshelves loaded with scrolls. An unlit lantern sits on the desk. Near the chair, a long dark case lies on the mat-covered floor.
"Looks dead to me ... just not violently so."
"Let's see if there's something awry on this shelf." Parity will poke around with Suishen.
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Malnival stops bleeding all over everyone and looks around.
Knowledge arcana:
and
Kiyomi has nothing to add, unfortunately!
"That's a statue of a death goddess, but I'm not sure if it has anything to do with the frozen woman."
Harlan shakes his head.
"I work by faith, so there's a lot of things I don't know about the arcane. Sorry."
He will cast Detect Magic and attempt to locate any auras in the room.
"Maybe Heng. What's that case?"
Harlan will attempt to detect magical auras in this room as well.
In the study, you detect magic from a number of different scrolls scattered on the shelves, from the cabinet, and also from the case on the floor.
Parity pokes around the empty shelf and eventually hears a latch catch. The entire bookcase recedes into the wall and swings aside, revealing a stone-paved corridor ahead.
The passage has one obvious exit, a door on the north side half-way down. At the far end, the corridor fades into indistinct shadows.
"Necromancy and Abjuration. I could probably break the enchantment if we think it'd help."
Harlan dispels the preserving spell on the woman, but you notice no effect otherwise. She remains unresponsive.
*
On the shelves, you pick out a few arcane scrolls: bestow curse, ice storm and lightning bolt.
In the cabinet are bunches of aromatic herbs, spices and other trivial items, but also a few magical potions: bull's strength, cure serious wounds, protection from energy (cold) and water breathing.
The case on the floor is tied with silk ribbons. Inside is a samisen that Harlan sees radiates moderate divination magic. There is also an ivory plectrum.
"Scrolls ... <snort> ... you best take those, Mal. Harlan, leave the dead woman alone. You don't have the stomach to be a necromancer. Let's see if our quarry fled down this passage."
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Harlan pouts a little.
"I could too be a necromancer Parity! Can't be much different than cooking right?"
"These potions could come in handy. Kiyomi you can probably use the scrolls. Not sure about this instrument. Looks like it has divination magic. Maybe you can tell the future with it?"
"This instrument, it is O-Sayumi's. We should bring it and take care with it, for it is a precious thing."
Kiyomi frowns. "I'm uncertain, but I can try." Kiyomi begins to play a simple tune to see if she can make it work.
The samisen is an elegant, long-necked instrument, crafted with cat skin stretched over a rosewood frame, and the three strings are made of fine silk.
Kiyomi plucks a few notes on the samisen, and feels a profound awareness of time as each note rings out. After a few practice tunes, you get a sense of the instrument and the attuned melodies that can unlock its power.
The instrument is masterwork and provides a +2 to Perform checks.
Kiyomi's face takes on a serene expression. "This instrument is... It's amazing. Each of these strings is tied to time. This to the past, this to now and this to the future. Plucking them, I can cast a spell to see the past, a spell to see what's happening elsewhere now and a spell to ask the future a question. But each only once per day."
"Elsewhere now? Find the girl, then."
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Harlan watches, rapt as Kiyomi unlocks the mysteries of space and time.
"I agree with Parity, let's find out where she is now."
Malnival takes the offered scrolls and stores them away. " Right then. Let us continue."
Kiyomi plucks the strings, seeking the missing girl...
Kiyomi plays for a couple minutes, a beautiful tune that resonates perfectly from the instrument.
Kiyomi murmurs as she plays "This will take a while, perhaps an hour. But I sense the girl is east. And nearby."
"We don't have time for better info, let's move east."
Parity sets off down the corridor.
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Kiyomi lovingly places the instrument back down and steps toward Heng and, on her tiptoes, kisses him on the cheek. "I am honored as well, Heng-san, to be here with you."
Following Parity east, you are drawn into the shadows at the end of the corridor. A moment later, you emerge into a large room. The colors her have completely faded, and even the scent of green tea in the air seems to have lost some of its fragrance. Panels of gray wood line the walls, imitating the lattice of rice paper shoji walls, and the floor is paved in marble. An ornate archway stands in the middle of the north wall, opening into an alcove filled with inky darkness. Four braziers burn in the corners, dimly illuminating the room with a shadowy light.
Yugureda Shosaito stands by a small table against the east wall. He is sipping a cup of tea, his pale face illuminated by the candle glowing under the tea kettle on the table. Also on the table is a wide-mouthed jade vase, decorated in the form of twisting dragons.
The nue stands by his side, it's snake-head tail waving and hissing angrily. Also there is one of the manananggal's, her upper torso floating over dangling innards. Lastly, O-Sayumi kneels on the floor, between you and her captor.
Shosaito smiles, and bows his head slightly. "Would you like some tea?"
Kiyomi smiles politely. "With respect, Shosaito-san, we have come to retrieve O-Sayumi. She is missed by her guardian and friend. We would beg your pardon, but we must leave. If you allow us, we would leave without violence."
Parity stalks into the room sword in hand but lowered, pacing a bit and staying out of reach of the nue. He refrains from anything more aggressive to allow the conversation to progress but does activate his chain cloth cloak.
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Harlan stays in the back with Skygni, crossbow loaded and ready but not aimed anywhere yet. He scans his foes and thinks of a prayer that will help his friends defeat them quickly.
Malnival readies a spell as he watches his foes.
Ready: Haste
Yugureda Shosaito narrows his eyes suspiciously, and gives a hard smile. "You wish to save her from me, is that it? I am her father, and she is my property, whether you like it or not." He reaches over and puts his hand into the vase, raising up a handful of silvery pearls and letting them fall back into the vase. "Of all the pearls in this world, she is the most beautiful. But I'm afraid my wife is gone for good, and without her soul, O-Sayumi's body is just an empty shell."
Harlan frowns.
"What? She's your daughter and wife? What did you do with her soul?"
"Children are not property!" Parity seethes with barely restrained rage, gripping Suishen so tight the veins in his arm and neck begin to show.
He will enhance the heirloom weapon with shock this round, allowing lightning to play down the blade.
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Shosaito eyes Parity with a raised brow, but replies to Harlan. "Don't be foolish. Tarukimi is my beautiful wife, though she is aged and dying. O-Sayumi has a much more youthful and desirably body, and looks so much like her poor mother. I extracted their souls in a ritual aimed at transferring their souls from one body to the other... but something went wrong and Tarukimi's soul escaped." He frowns, more of a grimace covering a boiling rage of frustration. "Now, I must hold them both in stasis until I find her and complete the ritual."
Knowledge arcana: