Game starts August 26, 2019
In case you haven’t heard, they delayed the start of game day Vii by 2 weeks. So unless there are further changes we start on sept 9th.
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A brash serpentine fellow comes rushing up, huffing and puffing. ”Whew, I ain’t missed it, has I? Why, I could never show my face to Ole Granpappy if I missed my next mission as a Batfinder, not after all the stories he’s told me. ‘Course, I dunno that I believe all his tales, sometimes I guess he might be pulling my scales, on account of I ain’t the smartest of the litter, I’ll give you that, but then when he goes on telling me that he’s met Paula Deens’ mounts what’re smarter ‘n me, well then I just up and decided, I’ll be a Batfinder too, and go find these mounts and see for myself if theys really as smart as all that. N' quite a time it's been too! Why, I bin to the plame of Yurt, 'n I earned me me own wayyfinder, for me very own, 'n I even met a dragon - I'm a dragon too, doncha know, at least part dragon that is, on account o' Granpappy always says that me Grandmaw was a real dragon”
At the request of Venture-Captain Amara Li, you travel to Hisuikarasu, capital of Kwanlai, to meet with the archon Zepha.
The is a letter in the form of a handout from the venture captain on slide 2, along with a picture of Zepha.
A light breeze wafts in through the windows of a private room in the Golden Lotus Teahouse, bringing with it the sound of chirping birds. Heat radiates from the small stove sunken into the floor in the center of the room. A bird-headed man with black feathers enters, carrying a large, heavy-looking kettle on the edge of a gnarled wooden staff. In a fluid, graceful motion, he sweeps the end of his staff in an arc and sets the kettle upon the stove. His eyes glow from within with golden light, and they twinkle as he softly speaks. “Welcome. Please, join me for tea.”
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Reading the letter Elris begins to laugh remember his last adventure in Heaven and Zepha as well. He loads up his gear and makes haste to the meeting location in far away Kwanlai.
Next enters another mountain of an Ulfen man. This one armored with crimson scales that contrast well with the dusky blonde hair that falls on his shoulders. On his back is a gleaming bastard sword and always on his arm is a large steel shield. The crest it bears is a crimson wing crossed with a bastard sword.
"Aye, I am here. ZEPHA! I figured I would be barred from heaven not called back to assist then again how could you say no to a Priest of Ragathiel!" he bellows at the archon before looking around.
He scans everyone and perks up at seeing another Ulfen.
"Someone else from the north! This should be fun. I am Elris Kayne and like I reminded our friend here, I represent Ragathiel...at least on the battlefields."
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Rutvalf inclines his head in a short bow towards his countryman.
"Hello, my fellow northerner. I am Rutvalf, a monk in the service of Erastil. Many days I do so miss our wide open homelands when faced with the hubbub of society, but knowing I'm doing good in his name certainly helps with the homesickness, as I'm sure assisting Ragathiel does you."
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Drukpa enters the teahouse uncertainly, as if such locales are well beyond the experience of a simple farmboy such as himself.
"Um, hello? I ain't the best wit' me letters, truth to tell, but to be honest I always liked t, seein' how it were not too hard to write n' all, not like k nor one o' those other crazy ones, but still I reckon it's a surprise to see ye got a whole house for 'em. But then, it's like Granpappy said, when yer a batfinder ye see all kind o' marvels. 'N now I done seen a whole house o' t. Where they at, anyway?"
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A small halfing in leather armor with a rapier at his belt enters the teahouse, looking around as if he hadn't seen anything like it before. He sits down and accepts the teacup, takes a sip, and says, "Well, now, that's pretty good. My name's Xavier." He turns to Elris and Rutvalf and says, "A, fellow servants of the gods! I, too, am bound to a deity, although..." he pauses, taking another sip, "I myself serve the Drunken Hero, so, a very different deity."
As he begins methodically performing an elaborate tea ceremony, Zepha one by one asks each of you about where you are from and what are your motivations for adventuring and becoming Pathfinders? As he addresses each of you he also requests your assistance with the tea cermony at various times.
Each of you can attempt a skill check to determine how well you perform in the tea ceremony.
Make a Knowledge (nobility) check, Knowledge (religion)check, or another skill that you can justify.
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Elris has no clue how to assist in the tea ceremony and lacks the delicate touch to even want to pick up the delicate glassware.
"Not much has changed. Spend as much time cutting down demons in Mendev as they allow but my service gets me pulled into missions involving Heaven as well...even if I protest. Something about being more well-rounded." he explains while polishing his shield.
As the tea ceremony progress, Zepha addresses all of you, he is obviously noticing that tea ceremonies are not a strength of the party, “I find beauty in your virtue, but know that the highest towers are the most unstable. A heart filled with beautiful virtue is separated from a heart
filled with ugly arrogance by the thinnest of veils.”
To Elris, Druka, and Rutvalf he says, “Your steadfastness is commendable, but heed your surroundings, for those who walk with eyes
shut are sure to stumble. At least you tried, and will enjoy the tea more for your efforts."
Looking at Tessara, Yahio, and Xavier, “Freedom of spirit brings life and creativity, but also recklessness. A flame that hurries to
consume its fuel burns brightly, but soon goes out. Yaiho it is ok, religious ceremonies are not for all. Tessara, good job, perhaps you can give Yaiho a few tips. Xavier you also performed well but something just seemed a little odd."
As he serves tea, Zepha finally gets to the point.
“I suppose we should discuss why I made a request of young Venture-Captain Li. There is a certain shrine near the southern border of Kwanlai that I would like you to visit. Its keepers are tasked with leading pure lives and standing vigil over a place where evil gathers, and I regret that it has been some time since they last sent their usual report to Heaven. I’d like you to ascertain the status of the shrine and investigate why we haven’t heard from them. You had best start by visiting the village of Yiangma. It’s a charming town in the mountains near the shrine that the
keepers rely upon for supplies and new disciples. Its people aren’t used to seeing visitors who aren’t tengu, so they may be a bit cautious with you at first. Let the town’s mayor know of your intentions and see if he has any information to share with you before venturing to the shrine itself. With luck, this is merely a bureaucratic issue and nothing more. May Andoletta grant you a pleasant journey and a safe return.”
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"Agreed, worse than stumbling could happen when you shut your eyes!" he replies while drinking the tea carefully.
After hearing the briefing he feels motivated to head out quickly.
"Keepers protecting a shrine from evil? Ragathiel would be pleased and I will give them my full assistance...and if anything happened to them my full vengeance." he says standing from the ceremony.
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Xavier you also performed well but something just seemed a little odd.
Xavier is sweating nervously during the ceremony, and after Zepha's statement, he breathes a heavy sigh of relief.
Xavier finishes his tea, and also stands up, although due to the height difference, it is much less impressive than when Elris does. "Yeah! We need to make sure they're ok!"
If you are prepared to depart, Zepha gives the party a paper talisman with the Tien character for “seal” written on it in elegant calligraphy, and tells them, “If properly used, this talisman can ward away any evil influence from a small area. Give it to the priests of the shrine as a gift, to remind them of their duties.” Zepha also provides each of you with a riding horse and provisions for their travel across Kwanlai.
[b]"I would advise you to make any purchases you might need in Hisuikarasu before leaving—after all, Yiangma is a small and isolated town.
Zepha praises Elris, Drika, Rutlaf, and Tessar for their choice to use
their membership in the Society to promote the cause of good. He suggests they look for ways to spread that light among unsteady hearts while they are in Yiangma.
Tessara recalls the following:
10+: Kwanlai is a nation on the eastern coast of Tian Xia
whose citizens are primarily tengu.
15+: For centuries, the tengus of Kwanlai suffered under the empire of Lung Wa, facing cripplingly high taxes,discrimination, and poverty. As a result of this legacy, Kwanlai’s people can be somewhat slow to trust outsiders. After the fall of Lung Wa just over a century ago, Kwanlai
became a nation in its own right. Today, Kwanlai is a loose alliance of tengu clans that grants significant autonomy to local leaders. The popular leader of the capital Hisuikarasu, Lady Sutarai-Gongen, is gradually becoming a ruler for the whole nation.
20+: Yiangma is a remote mountain town outside of the purview of any of the five major clans. Its people primarily venerate Hei Feng, the patron deity of the tengu race.
After a relatively uneventful journey across Kwanlai’s hilly countryside, you arrive at the base of the Kimu Mountains. Here, open terrain gives way to narrow and winding paths interspersed with flatter areas where forests flourish. When you reach the town of Yiangma, it becomes
immediately clear that this isn’t quite the quaint town that Zepha described. Doors and windows on every street are shut tight, and though people bustle about, there are no children in sight, nor farmers marketing goods in the square. From all directions, the faces of the tengu locals regard the you with cold suspicion. Whispers ripple through
the crowds.
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"A lack of trust for outsiders. Oh that has never gone over well for me." he sighs thinking back to some recent adventures.
Arriving at Yiangma Elris notices the bad condition.
"Whatever is going on this town needs our help. This isn't anything like I expected." he says quietly to the others while looking for someone that is more likely to talk to the group.
He attempts to find one with more welcoming eyes to approach.
"Hello, my name is Elris, my companions and I have come to check on the bring a gift to the local shrine. Would it be possible to meet the mayor before we head towards it?" he asks politely.
The people that you come across are very standoffish, and don't really interact with you. When asked about the mayor, one does give you directions.
The mayor’s home stands on the eastern edge of the village. Despite being the largest home in Yiangma, it would still be considered modest by the standards of Hisuikarasu. The house is surrounded by a wall inset with cutouts in the shape of cherry blossoms, and a small, well-kept garden and koi pond decorate the path leading from the open gate to the frontof the house.
A servant quickly comes out to greet anyone who passes through the gate. “My master has been expecting that the travelers the people are talking about would be visiting him. Please, follow me.”
The servant leads you into a spacious, empty room and directs you to be seated on floor mats before backing out of the room. A short time later, two other servants enter and announce Tenmya Kanbayo (male tengu aristocrat) mayor of Yiangma. A rotund tengu wearing white robes enters
the room, his feathers immaculately groomed and shining. The servants prepare a small seat for the mayor, placing his gaze above that of the PCs. They move to serve the party tea and a soft sweet made from rice flour. After a few moments of tense silence, the mayor speaks. “I’m sure you’ve noticed the mood in our village, and I apologize if you have been treated rudely, but after I’ve explained the situation, I’m sure you’ll see why we are distrustful of strangers. Please introduce yourselves and tell me where you are from."
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"Yes, um, like my friends said, Evan sent us. That's why we're here, though if y'need any bats found, well, we're just the finders to find 'em, doncha know? Beggin' yer pardon. Drukpa's the name, Drukpa Marpo, 'n I'm a dragon, or least part-dragon, I think, though I'm not too sure which part. Pleased t' meetcha!"
The mayor relates the story of what has happened in Yiangma—at least, as he understands it. He explains that a messenger of the gods recently visited their village. A divine figure they know only as the Storm Prophet came to the village several months ago, descending from the mountain. He worked great miracles, calling the fury of the storm and
guiding it by his will, and he gave them all a dire warning. One of the bandit clans raiding Tianjing to the south had made a pact with dark forces and gained great strength, and is now preparing to launch an assault on Kwanlai. The prophet brought his warning first to the keepers of the celestial shrine, but upon hearing his words, their bravery failed, and they fled. Without their old guardians, the Storm
Prophet bid the villagers strengthen themselves, promising that they would become Hei Feng’s chosen soldiers in the coming conflict. Mayor Tenmya then tells the PCs that the Storm Prophet left them to bring his word to other villages nearby. He assumes that the PCs are here because word of the Storm Prophet’s mission has reached Hisuikarasu, and
he hopes they return with a request for more government funding and soldiers to assist in the conflict.
Tenmya suggests the PCs speak to three individuals in town who can tell them more about the prophet’s wisdom and the coming threat: the preacher
Megari, the hunter Yakuri, and the true believer Laiping. He also explains where the PCs can find each of these people.
Tenmya waves to one of his attendants, who brings him a scroll adorned with a red tassel along with a stamp block and ink. He applies his stamp onto the scroll, then rolls it up and hands it to the attendant, who presents it to the PCs. “Show this to the townsfolk, and they should agree to speak with you. I hope you will come to the west side of town tonight to witness the next Choosing. It is the first ritual
since the Storm Prophet departed, and the first time that the Chosen are allowing the public to view the ceremony. I feel it would be a most enlightening report for the magistrates in Hisuikarasu.”
There are 6 hours before the choosing ritual begins.
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Dawa struggles to follow all of the Mayor's words. There are many of them. Finally, when the Mayor seems finished, or perhaps merely pausing for a breath, he interjects, "So what's this Juicing ritual all 'bout then? I used t' make some fine pesh juice back on the farm - even if Granpappy did say it tasted like the 'byss - but we sure ain't never made no ritual 'bout it."
The choosing marks the ascension of
our Chosen brothers and sisters.