Midday, 1st day of Desnus (Sunday)
You find yourself seated a circular dining table covered with a lace tablecloth in Durangmai, "The Dragon's Nest" Monastery of Master Leng, located 25 miles east of Sandpoint. You remember receiving the summons from Master Leng requesting your appearance on this day. How could you say no? You owed him so much. You remember arriving, knocking on the stone doors of the monastery and being ushered into this room by robe clad monks, who departed almost as immediately and quietly as they appeared, as you await Master Leng's appearance. There is a smell of incense in the air as the room is lit by many candles, making it uncomfortably warm. The room is perhaps 30' long but very sparse of furnishings and decor, as you would expect in a monastery. You think you heard multiple voices chanting when you arrived so it seems most of the occupants of the monastery are at religious services now.
You look across from the table and see two other guests, who seem to be in the same predicament as yourselves.
A lightly armed and armoured half-orc walks in.
He walks in and sits down casually, as if he had just entered a pub.
While slim, for a half-orc, he has oddly coloured slate-grey skin.
"Hello. My name is Gôlgast, from Magnimar."
"I couldn't turn down this invite from Master Leng."
"He was one of the few to to pay proper respects for my Mum's passing."
"Does anyone know what he needs of us?"
"Myself, I like both fencing and magic."
The male human glides into the bar. He was wearing a white robe with black trim, under which a peek of chain mail could be seen. The Shield strapped to his back had a styled painting of a butterfly on it, and he had a starknife at his side.
He moves to the part of the room that might have a bit of breeze, pulling at the neck of his shirt. "Is it awful warm in here, or is it just me? Hopefully, we don't have to wait in here too long, or I'll sweat through my robe. I'm Riggs. Pleasure to meet you. Yes, I'm here to see what Master Leng needs as well. For some reason, the Goddess put us on similar paths years ago, and we've been friends ever since. Any idea what this is all about?"
Wandering into the room, practically bouncing on her heels, is a very tall elven woman dressed in violet studded leathers and fiddling with a well-made satchel slung at her side.
"Excuse me, yes--I was looking for Master Leng--this way? Okay, okay. Hey, do you know when I can meet him--oh, you're already leaving. Never mind then." She tries to catch the monks' attentions, but they're gone before she can finish. She shrugs and approaches the table the others are clustered around.
"Are you guys here to see Master Leng too?"
"Yes. Not yet sure what it's about, though."
"That seems to be the consensus. It certainly doesn't surprise me, but it seems as if the lot of us have all encountered Leng....and it seems as if we all answered his call. He had a way like that," Riggs smiled, remembering his own memories with his friend.
Alara slides into a chair and starts rifling through her satchel. "Mine's been a bit of a roundabout way--I don't really know him."
"Mom does, though--she sent me here because of a favour she owed his family."
The inner doors to the chamber open up, as a number of robed monks carrying pitchers of water enter the room and serve the pour the party members drinks. After the monks leave, Master Leng appears followed by a young male human, maybe no older than 18 years of age, with his head held devoutly inclined while he follows his Master.
Master Leng smiles as he sees each of you, "Thank you for all heeding my summons. We have much to discuss." He is clad in his traditional red robe and is a man of 75 years of age. Master Leng
He reaches his seat and sits down, motioning for the young monk behind him to sit as well next to him. When the young muscular monk reaches the table and looks up, his eyes widen in shock and amazement as he looks on the three adventurers present before sitting down.
Master Leng sips from his water, as he speaks in his familiar tone of comfort and wisdom. "Alara, Golgast, Riggs...this is Kamashiro and he is the reason why I summoned you. Go ahead Kamashiro, tell them about your dream."
The young monk clears his throat before speaking, "Master Leng, honored guests. A week ago, I dreamed I was in dark foreboding place, a swamp of some kind, not too far from here...I felt drawn to it, like it was something greater than me. The swamp, which was not that large, was filled with danger and after traveling an unknown distance, I found a cave, from which there emanated the smell of death. I knew the answers I sought as to my identity were in that cave. Just as I was about to enter the cave, I woke up. The strangest part of my dream was that I was not alone. I was accompanied by three others: a human warrior with the butterfly-adorned shield, a half-orc fencer, and an elven dagger-wielding lass with green eyes. When I recounted my dream to Master Leng, he smiled and told me the forces of destiny were afoot. I did not understand...until now. You three, whom I have never met before this day, you were all in the dream with me!" The young monk's face is filled with awe as he gazes upon the three of you.
Master Leng smiles, "Yes, when Kamashiro described his dream to me, I knew it immediately it was the three of you. It seems the four of you are tied together, perhaps cosmically, for some purposes greater than I can divine. From my research and Kamashiro's description, the swamp he speaks of can only be the Brinestump Marsh south of here. So my friends, I ask for your help. Please accompany Kamashiro to the swamp and help him find this cave. Not only because it appears that all of your destinies appear tied together, but the poor boy knows nothing of the outside world, which can be quite dangerous. Kamashiro has never been outside of these walls since he was handed over to the monastery as a baby, so he needs your help and I ask for it on his behalf."
"I am afraid Master is right. I would be completely lost in a swamp, if I could even find it. I need your help."
"So good to see you again, Master! I'd be happy to assist you and your protege answer the questions he seeks. How far is this swamp? Do you know anything about it? Rumors of what creatures might dwell there, anything we can prepare for at all?"
Alara looks down at the nunchaku in her satchel. I prefer to use nunchaku to knives, but...
"Sure, I'd be happy to help." She scratches her head and behind her ear.
"I guess I'm as ready as I can be."
"I've been wanting to put my fencing and magic skills to the test."
"How far is this swamp?"
Master Leng smiles. "I knew you would not let me down. The swamp is about a day and a half journey from here. I do not know much of its topography, but it has dangers I am sure. I have prepared these for you. It is the least an old man like me can do for you." Master Leng reaches into his robes and produces 8 Cure Light Wounds potions and 4 potions of Lesser Restoration and pushes them toward you. He then turns toward Kamashiro, "You may trust these people. They have good hearts. Listen to them, they will not lead you astray. Protect them with the skills and discipline I have taught you. Do me proud and I hope you find what you are looking for."
Riggs reaches forward and grabs his share of two CLW potions and one of the Lesser Restoration draughts. "Shall we leave in the morning? I'm sure Kamashiro needs to collect his traveling pack. The rest of us can catch up and maybe share some old memories," Riggs suggests.
"Just mind that we don't run into too many goblins on the way there, eh?" Alara says as she pockets her share of healing and restoration potions.
Kamashiro takes the 3 potions. He bows before his Master, "Your wisdom is infinite Master and I will obey. Your friends are my guides and my charges. I will not let harm befall them and I will not let you down...ever!" He then stands and looks peculiarly at Riggs. "We are monks, my friend. We do not need a day to gather our belongings. We travel very light. It is but noon. We can start our travels today, if it is not much of an inconvenience. I wish to know the secrets the swamp holds." While quite muscular, the young monk is also a bit unsure of himself so he has the look that he hopes he did not overstep.
"Annoying those Goblins; they always come in numbers."
"I've got all my gear with me, so I'm ready any time."
"I made sure to bring all my gear with me too!" Alara hops/bounces out of her chair and starts bouncing from foot to foot.
"It is settled then. We head off now. I will gather my meager belongings and meet you at the gate. I am very excited!" The young monk's naïveté is quite clear as he bows before his Master and bounds off joyfully.
"You'd think we're all going for a pint in a pub!"
"Then again, we have a chance to kill goblins."
… Gôlgast thinks to himself with a bit of a grin.
"Well, its settled then. We leave immediately.". Riggs stands up from the table, gathering his gear. "I'll be back to catch up on old times after we help this young one, Master..."
Kamashiro appears with a smile on his face at the gate with a small knapsack and an unusual sword that has a straight 2-foot-long blade with six shorter L-shaped blades protruding, three on each side in a staggered pattern. When he catches someone looking at the sword, he says "This is my prized possession and present from Master Leng: Ryu-noha. It means Dragon-Blade in Tian." He then follows the party to the swamp.
Looking at Kamashiro's blade, Gôlgast comments:
"Interesting blade, that. Me, I prefer my rapier and kukri."
The trip south to the swamp is uneventful, as you travel south of Sandpoint through the Ashen Moor, which consists mostly of stony ground with poor soil. Luckily for you, you do not encounter any wolves or other dangers on the road.
3rd day of Desnus
You reach the Brinestump Marsh by the morning of your second day of travel. The marsh is a relatively small region, but it’s fantastically overgrown with vegetation. Given the frequent stretches of muddy bogs and snaking waterways, moving through the marsh is a tiring and frustrating procedure. As you being to move through the region, you realize the swamp is a frightening, oppressive place. The marsh is fecund and spooky. Fog often shrouds the place and animal calls that might be soothing elsewhere take on a strange, almost menacing tone in the dripping wetland. You decide to take advantage of the small rays of light that penetrate the canopy and move as quick as possible. However, sudden movement in the underbrush or in the tree canopy above, the splashing of something large wading through the swamp just out of sight, and eerie low growls and bellows from deeper in the swamp keep you on edge throughout your travels.
As you start traveling through the swamp, you notice up ahead that there is bridge that has been constructed to cross the river/creek along the various trails, to perhaps, ease travel through the marsh. The bridge is a soggy wooden affair with mossy surface and a few missing planks. Although it looks treacherous, it appears safe to cross.
Riggs points out the bridge to his friends. "Not in good shape at all. I bet it's slick as a whistle, too. We've got to be really careful making our way across that thing."
Gôlgast will draw his kukri and prepare to move across the bridge.
"We should probably go across it one at a time."
Kamashiro looks around for dangers and moves along the bridge, hoping he does not plunge into the swamp.
As Kamashiro crosses the bridge, a parasite ballooned to monstrous proportions rises from the muck, its circular maw a spiral of teeth! The young monk is in tune with his surroundings and is not surprised.
Leech bite attack, if still alive: ...miss.
Riggs moves forward, swinging his wicked starknife at the parasite.
Attack
Damage
The monk flurries with his 2-handed blade, making it clear that his muscled arms are the result of wielding this blade all day.
The monk cuts the leech deeply but it is still alive.
Having been more or less daydreaming the whole time the party was in the swamp, Alara is slow to react to the leech that attacked the party. Still, she springs into action all the same, twirling her nunchaku and bringing it down on the thing...
Not wanting to either collapse the bridge nor get stuck in mire, Gôlgast casts a spell at the giant leech:
« Haponkestävyys » . .
Alara's nunchaku combined with the damage caused by the monk's blade end the leech's existence.
You continue traveling south through the marsh. At times, you get the feeling you are being watched by something outside of Golgast's darkvision range. Your senses are on edge. A muddy trail leads up to a swampy lagoon. The open ocean is visible just beyond these shallow waters, while an old two-story building, its walls soggy with moss and its roof sagging with age, sits on the lagoon’s eastern shore.
"We should probably pop by that house."
"Someone might be there who knows these lands."
"It'd certainly be a good idea."
"Sounds like a plan to me,". Riggs agrees as he scans the area for anything strange.
Perception
Alara does the same.
"Agreed."
Kamashiro moves to the front door and knocks.
A few seconds after the monk knocks on the door, you hear cursing and footsteps approach the door. The door opens to reveal a 3' brown-haired halfling clearly bothered, who does not look to be in a good mood. "State yer business already...what do you want??"
Alara's keen senses reveal that the halfling is a bit ill and perhaps in pain.
"Well, this'll sound strange, I admit, but we are heading into the swamp over there, looking for a particular cave that one of us had a dream about. I told you it would sound strange. We saw your place, and figured we'd be neighborly and introduce ourself if nothing else. I have to admit, you don't seem to be particularly well. I'm a bit of a healer and would be happy to take a look at you, unless that'd be s bit too forward of me..."
Gôlgast is a bit surprised that they're met by a tetchy halfling.
The monk smiles at the halfling, hoping he will like to chat after Riggs' offer of healing. "A pleasure, my short friend, I am Kamashiro."
The halfling perks up at the prospect of healing. "Really?! Could you? I was in the garden and I was bitten by some snakes so I do not feel too well. Feel so tired. Hope you can help me. Please come in. I am Walthus. Please don't mind the mess, I have not cleaned in awhile." Golgast feels the halfling is being open with the party.
"Cleaned in a while?" Alara blinks as she tentatively steps into the house. "You don't get guests very often, then?"
Riggs will refrain from comment on the abode. He takes a look at the bite marks to see if he can tell anything about them.
"I don't much care for snakes myself. I try to steer clear of them whenever possible. Let me see what they've done to you..."