This spirit also seems attracted to Miso and the dragon disciple soon finds himself home to two spirits....
The trees soon part to reveal a twilit clearing, the thick leaves blocking most of the sunlight from teh sky above. A giant, wooden torii gate, unpainted and unvarnished, stands before the entrance to the clearing.
Jennix sashays toward the gate, then slows, peering around.
Terflynn crosses his arms and waits for the skilled Jennix to investigate. "This seems promising." he says dryly, rubbing the thumb of one mit against the hand idly, causing sparks to jump up now and then.
As Jennix approaches the gate an armored figure appears beneath, floating just a few inches above the ground. "Hail! Explain your presence in the Forest of Spirits!"
Miyaro explains in hurried whispers that Noburo is the guardian of this grove and that all must face him before they are allowed to enter. She whispers that he is not an enemy but you must be respectful in asking permission and explain clearly who you are and what your business is.
Jennix bows low. "Greetings most austere guardian. I am Jennix and these are friends and companions. We merely seek to pass through the forest on our journey to Minkai. We seek to take this road in order to protect ourselves from the machinations of the Five Storms. If allowed to pass, we pledge ourselves to showing humility and respect for the Forest."
Terflynn nods approvingly, holding up his hands in a non-threatening gesture.
But it ends up looking more like the elf thinks he is dancing to some unheard tune, and fails to convey anything meaningful or helpful. Rather, Terflynn simply looks a bit mad.
Miso bows before the spirit as well. We seek only safe passage and to preserve the majesty of this wondrous wood, and its inhabitants.
Oburo listens to you impassively. "This one," he motions to Miso, "is home to two evil spirits. I see Bokeghan the Breaker and Mieko the Arsonist in you, yes? I can not let you pass through the gate in this way. The rest of you may pass though."
Jennix's features screw themselves up in consternation. Thinking for a moment, he bows again. "Most wise and patient Spirit. Could you instruct us on how to eject the offending evil spirits?"
"Meiko's expulsion will require magical dismissal. Bokeghan," he thinks for a moment, as if remembering the spirit personally, "was driven mad by something in the forest and murdered his beloved family. Finding the cause of his madness could put his spirit to rest."
Jennix turns to his companions, a questioning look on his face. "Well, what do you think?"
"I have no objection to putting a spirit to rest. But as for the other, I will need to peruse my notes on the expulsion of possessing spirits." Terflynn says, noting Miso's apparently compromised condition.
Miso nods, somewhat relieved to know that the urge to cause fires is not actually his mind, but imparted from another. Can you guide us toward where Bokeghan fell prey to his sanity?
Noburo shakes his head. "Something in the forest drove him mad. I know no more."
Zack assists his allies to the best of his abilities, despite not fully understanding what all has occurred in the forest.
You spend the day searching the forest for any sort of clue. Later in the day, Miso and Zachary spot some berry bushes off the trail that Zachary identifies as poisonous. Although they look similar to some of the more nutritious berries in the area, these can cause mental illness and madness in those who eat them.
As soon as Miso is told this information, he feels the spirit of Bokeghan the Breaker departing his body. As the spirit departs, it leaves behind a portion of his love for his familiy.
Jennix follows after he his party, quite impressed by how quickly they solve the first spirit problem. My boys are all grownsed up!
"So, how do we take care of the second spirit?"
"I can attempt to simply discharge it with magic. But I've never done this before, so I'm not entirely certain what will happen. It's all theoretical."
Terflynn prepares the correct magic and eventually forces Mieko the Arsonist from Miso's body.
As Meiko's spirit departs, Miso clings to his own soul even as the arsonist attempts to cleave some of it away.
The spirit cannot take part of the Kellid with, however.
After the ordeal, Miso looks at Terflynn. You have my gratitude.
"I'm glad it worked. This level of magic is not trivial, and dealing in spirits and souls is far more dangerous work than mending or rending a body."
Terflynn looks to Zachary to find the way back, but lends his aid in the task.
Before leaving the area, however, the crafty elf takes care to harvest some berries, both nutritious and duplicitous.
Jennix breathes s sigh of relief. "I'm glad that turned out alright." Turing back to the forest spirit, he bows. "May we all pass, now, mighty spirit of the wood?"
Noburo stands aside and allows you to pass through the gate. The rest of the day passes quietly until you make camp for the nihgt in the still air of the forest. Slowly, more kami begin to arrive. You are aware of something gathering in the darkness around you and can make out vague, strange shapes in the shadows and a palpable sense of fear and curiosity permeates the forest twilight.
Gradually, a few kami hesitantly approach you. Miyaro urges you to remain still as you may terrify the spirits into fleeing. The kami begin whispering strange words, which Miyaro translates for you.
She tells you that the kami swore an oath long ago to guard the oni of the Five Storms, who were imprisoned in a pagoda called the House of Withered Blossoms. For centureies, the kami kept the Five Storms contained, but one night 160 years ago most of the oni somehow escaped their prison. The kami do not know how, but they do know that at least one oni still remains in the House of Withered Blossoms, for their oath forbids them from stepping over the threshold while even one oni remains inside, and the way is still barred to them.
The kami ask you to enter the pagoda to learn what happened to the Five Storms and, if necessary, to defeat the last oni within.
Jennix pats the blade at his side and nods, then says quietly. "I think we should do this thing."
Miso nods in concurrence. I agree. These spirits have welcomed us into their home; it is only fitting that we do some service for them in repayment.
"These fellows of mine are certainly very mercenary, and sometimes of overly good will. As for my lot, I would be very curious about how the oni escaped as well. I will assist in this endeavor." Terflynn says with his usual detached, unfeeling tones.
"I have no problems assisting these noble creatures." Zack says after hearing translations from his associates.
An audible sigh passes through the kami gathered in the clearing. At length, a single kami approaches you, a tiny ancient warrior with a tree branch growing from the top of his head. He introduces himself as Akumi and humbly asks you for one more favor. Akumi's ward, a small bonsai tree, was recently stolen by hobgoblins who took it inside hte House of Withered Blossoms. Bound by his oath, Akumi was unable to follow, but he can feel that his bonsai is still alive somewhere within or beneath the pagoda. He has tended his ward for centuries and, should it die, Akumi believes he will die as well.
The kami allow you to rest here and leave the next morning after you have recovered. The pagoda stands in a blighted section of the forest only a day's travel from the kami's clearing. Miyaro agrees to guide you to the House of Withered Blossoms, but she refuses to go inside with you. Instead, she promises to wait with your caravan in the kami's clearing. She wishes you luck and gives you her magic fan.
Aura moderate evocation; CL 11th
Slot none; Price 30,840 gp; Weight 1 lb.
This folding fan made from cypress wood and lacquered paper is said to have belonged to Kikuya, a legendary Minkai oiran, or courtesan. When held in the hand, Kikuya’s sensu grants a +2 competence bonus on the bearer’s Charisma-based checks. While held, the fan provides the somatic component for spells cast by the bearer.
Once per day on command, the bearer can use one face of the fan to cast calm emotions. Also once per day, the fan’s other face can create a forceful hand. In addition, the bearer can whisper behind Kikuya’s sensu and send the words up to 3 miles away, as the whispering wind spell, once per day.
The animal calls soften to a whisper as the forest parts to reveal a vast bowl, the ground sinking from the forest tangle into descending rows of frozen terraces. At the center of the depression stands a towering porcelain pagoda, its walls and eaves smothered in thick, clinging vines and draped with heavy webs, soaring to a golden rooftop. Stylized representations of forgotten creatures and beasts dance upon the pagoda's walls, and a band of huge thorny spines just from its midsection. A decaying garden surrounds the pagoda, a frozen echo of past magnificence. Broken statues litter the garden, and icy clouds of violet blossoms drift through the ruin. The overpowering scent of death and decay hangs in the air.
The huge bronze door is marked with stylized pictures of dueling dragons. Hundreds of open-mouthed dragon faces surround the doorframe, all leering out hungrily.
(+2)
Jennix crouches and peers down into the bowl, looking for anything. "Bold approach or stealthy?" He asks.
"Well, I would say that depends largely on whether or not you'd like to revisit the afterlife." Terflynn says with a smug grin.
Miso wrinkles his nose at the odor. This bodes ill.
At Terflynn's wry remark, Miso allows a slight smile to cross his face. I cannot speak for Jennix, but I am not eager to repeat such a journey. Thus, I would opt for stealth.
"Sounds quite alright to me, I would prefer not to meet any more of our ninja friends in close quarters again though." Zack comments while readying his bow and keeping low.
Luckily, Jennix notes a trap on the door before you get too close: this trap would have spung daggers from several hidden notches. Taking his time, however, Jennix is able to neutralize the trap.
The hallway inside, which runs along the outer wall, is choked with webs. Stairs in one corner lead up. Wary of more traps, Jennix notes that similar notches with hidden blades are embedded in the floor and he is again able to disable the traps.
Passing by the central room, you see that the core of the pagoda on this floor has been gutted. The few remaining walls are crumbling and only the presence of four huge stone pillars, carved with pictures of battling dragons, seems to keep the building up. The central section of the pagoda has suffered the most, with a great rip in the floor creating a steep-walled pit sloping down to a dark shaft choked with webs.
Thick webs fill the four corners of the room. Occupying those webs are four bloated spiders with hunchbacked bodies and gleams of intelligence in their multiple eyes.
Miso's eyes narrow as he moves in on Blue.
[oo]cDC 17 Fort or stunned[/ooc]
Terflynn recognizes these as araneas, shapechanging magical beasts with poisonous bites and talented spellcasting abilities.
Miso punches one of the spider beasts!
blue: 9 dmg
"Shapechangers! Venomous bites and magic!"
Terflynn calls out the enemies before focusing on one with calming threads of sinister arcane magic.
Zack steps forward and looses some arrows into the corner opposite Miso.
Terflynn puts one of the spiders to sleep! Zachary then drops another with an arrow its many-faceted eye!
The pink spider casts a spell and turns invisible! The blue one battles against Miso!
blue: 9 dmg
Miso easily dodges the spider's maw, then flurries in response!
Miso punches the spider between its many eyes!
blue: 25 dmg
Zack steps further into the room and lends Miso a hand with his opponent.
Jennix moves down next to Miso, and slashes at the creature.
Zachary easily finishes off the blue aranea with his first shot. Jennix then stumbles into the invisible one and stabs, Zachary firing at it. The only combatant left standing, it quickly falls, though.
Their room is devoid of anything but webs.
"Fine work fellows, as usual. Shall we investigate this pit, or look around a bit more?"