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Each of you had arrived in Minkai within the past few months. Since then, you have been working with Venture-Captain Amara Li to help lay the groundwork for a lodge in Minkai, performing a variety of tasks that are well-suited to their individual skills. They know that Amara Li has been collecting relics from across the world to house in a new museum with a focus on relics from Minkaian history that have been kept in other nations. To this end, she has been traveling all over the nation to pursue leads. These relics have come from a combination of purchases and donations, and she has occasionally called on local Pathfinders to guard the relics.
You are currently working in Sakakabe, a prosperous city famous for its trade in silver and pearls. Venture-Captain Li summons you to meet with her in one of the gardens of the Kiniro Kyomai teahouse, a famous teahouse run by geisha. The quality of the Kiniro Kyomai’s tea, food, and samisen music make it a popular destination for locals and travelers alike. She waits for you to enjoy their tea before turning your attention to more serious matters.
I fear that misfortune may have struck some of your fellow agents. I hope that you can help them return here to safety, but I fear the task I have to request of you may instead center around recovering what you can from your fallen allies and, if it is safe to do so, completing the mission in their stead.
She pauses for a bit then continues.
Last year, I received a donation of relics from Taldor. The route is lengthy and complicated, so I will spare you unnecessary details. A caravan carrying the relics safely arrived in Hongal to the north, where it met up with a pair of Pathfinder agents, Lin Po and Ti Lan. These agents inspected the cargo, sent me a missive indicating that all was in order, and joined a second caravan to take the Spirit Road through the Forest of Spirits. The journey is understandably long, taking over two months to complete. Still, the caravan is late, and I fear that they may have run into trouble along the way. They were supposed to reach Sakakabe two weeks ago.
While it’s possible that they were waylaid in the northernmost parts of Minkai, I believe it’s far more likely that they ran into trouble in the Forest of Spirits, a mystical place that shelters departed souls and most of the world’s kami. Kami are spiritual guardians with a deep connection to certain living locations or living things. The locals pay great respect to the kami, never intruding further into the forest than their one coastal road, the Spirit Road, and a number of small settlements built around shrines. This should make tracking the caravan simple, since there’s only a single road along which they should have had to rest or resupply at some point. I need you to check each of the roadside settlements until you find the last one to have seen the caravan, then track it from there and figure out what happened.
Be sure to respect the kami and the local traditions honoring them; I don’t want you to come to harm in your journey. The kami are mostly benevolent, so long as they receive the proper respect, but there are some dangers that might have harried the caravan. Bandits, hobgoblins, and giants, among other creatures, dwell within the forest. The forest also hosts some aggressive plants and animals, not to mention malign spirits such as the oni, the sworn enemies of the kami. The locals will know more than I of what perils to expect.
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Sipping his tea, sits a man robed in equal parts black and white, listening to the venture captain as she speaks, eyes focused on her. After Amara finishes speaking, Valdris raises a hand before speaking himself.
"It seems that if the group has been gone for such a period and you have called upon another group, perhaps there might be more at work than just a simple ambush? The tales of my older brother were that the Society was known for its specialty in..... hostile negations. Perhaps these, Kami, might have a part in the delay? If we are to deal with them, might I inquires as how to do so, as I don't believe I am versed with this culture."
The wizard then sips is tea once again, waiting for the others to speak up.
First time in Tian Xia, and I have the mission to work with a culture I've never dealt with, in a land I've hardly read about in books, let alone explore. This, will be interesting.
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Just treat the kami with respect and you should be fine
Please roll Forest Lore or Nature (Recall Knowledge)
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Tapping his chin, Valdris looks at everyone, seeming to study them all.
"Well, I guess aside from that, we should be careful about possession. Stay cautious, and if anyone acts different, be sure to bind them for an exorcism when we return."
Shuddering slightly, it seems that the wizard is a but shaken about traveling into this forest.
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The shorter of the two - Briney - proceeds to undress himself of a gigantic magnifying glass, an even larger heavy crossbow, a simple dogslicer, and one or more bombs - leaving his effects at the door with the other patron's shoes - and says to his good friend:
"Do you smell that, Nic Nic?" Squinting his eyes and looking around the entire establishment, perking up his unnecessarily and disproportionately large (even for a goblin) ears, and flaring his nostrils as if to perceive sensory information over and above the smells usually associated with such an establishment...
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Panarug sips the tea, holding the cup with both hands, fearful of damaging the delicate piece.
The half-orc is small in stature and slight in build. Dressed in the traditional Kellid tribal wear, yet a necklace carved in Sarenrae's symbol hangs around his neck. Strange smells of herbs hang around him, while a stoat of the blackest fur rest peacefully on his lap.
"I have not encountered a kami before, but I've heard that they are mostly benign spirits. While they can possess living creatures to share memories, they exert little control over their hosts." Turning to Amara, Panarug asks in his low rumbling voice, "Would that be true?"
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Aurelius looks at the others, a look of admiration and respect apparent in his eyes before regarding his pathfinder agent. "Aurelius Lux at your humble service! I am eager to prove myself to you and the lodge at large, and am excited to work with you!" Aurelius would greet.
He would then consider Amara Li's words. "The Kami will have due respect for sure, and if anything perhaps we can ask them for help! Perhaps with how things are going, we would be doing them a service by helping them with the troubled caravan, no?" the Taldan would say aloud, eager to get the mission started and prove his worth.
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Amari-Li nods to Panarug That is indeed correct she replies. And if treated correctly, they can indeed be helpful. I do not know if the caravan is causing them trouble, but if it is, you would indeed be doing them a service by aiding.
She takes another delicate sip of tea.
Are there any further questions?
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Briney had never heard of a "kami" before - but it sounds fearsome indeed! Listening to Panarug he says "Briney has too many memories - not enough room in head - happy to give half to kami - maybe do that twice!" He then reflects on what Amari-Li says and responds "Briney too - treat Briney nice, Briney very helpful!" Thinking now that he must somehow be part Kami!
He takes one sip of tea then immediately spits it out, all over Valdris "Yuck!" then quickly "Sorry Mr Wizard..." and he looks around for something to wipe off the sprayed tea, hopping up and finally deciding to use part of the table cloth (or other closest piece of cloth) and wiping down Valdris thinks on what he said "...Ambush huh? Hostile Negotiations? Briney can do both of those at the same time, yes!" seeming to have missed the point entirely.
The young goblin makes a mental note to keep an eye out for Caravan Tracks!
You may have to be careful little goblin - the Kami may actually give you some of their memories, so you end up with more
Briney's eyes widen dumbstruck with terror as he contemplates the ramifications of what the Venture Captain warns here! Falling silent now, he drinks more tea dutifully, and this time maganing to keep it down!...
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Sputtering from the goblin tea shower he just received, Valdris flails his arms about, trying to push Briney away. In the commotion, he spills his tea on himself, contributing to the mess of his fellow pathfinder agent's. After a moment, he begins to chuckle.
"Gah! This isn't the first time I was sprayed in the face by a goblin, but I think this has been the most harmless! I do have to say, your people might vary from my experience, but are never dull! Valdris, wizard and aspiring field medic at your service. As for the memories, isnt it a good thing to have more to think upon? I would say so, but I like knowledge."
Eyeing his goblin companion, Valdris chuckles again as he listens to the others.
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One of the goblins, wearing a burnt and battered chefs hat follows Briney into the tea house. Despite the knifes (weapons) strapped to her back, she cannot help herself, "Oooooohhhh! yous right Briney, this smell loooovvvverrrllyyy. Oh can I try the green tea, then ooo what's that?" she orders several different types of tea for herself, forgetting any etiquette she drinks several teas straight from the pot, the tea dribbling down her face, which twitches slightly as the hot liquid drops from her chin.
After a few minutes, and she sits, rather than hops from leg to leg, she starts to listen to Amari-Li. "Beggin yous pardon Captain, but I have come across spirits before, theys was nasty spirits, theys was mosquito spirits, I's didn't like them, thems witches." she says seriously. "These kami not like them?" she asks for reassurance, even though the Amari-Li has given her assurance. "O Captain, you can call me Nic Nic if yous like, or Nic Nic Cook Cook, cos I doos cooking you know." she says proudly, rubbing her grubby hands down her dirty apron.
Her hand scratches her head, "This tea, can I learn to make it whilst on the mission, it would go great with me cook cook cookies." she beams a smile at Amari-Li. Her eyes open in delight.
"And this lost caravan, does it carry any special teas on it, or exotique foods or spices?"
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As his pal Nic Nic Cook Cook sit sits down down and drinks straight from the pot, Briney thinks "That's probably the best way to do that!" while considering what Valdris says carefully before responding.
"How to explain. You Wizard, yes? Has only to remember Spells. Is easy, no? But Briney? Briney has to remember Everything! When Briney must do anything, Briney imagines one thousand ways to do it. Hurts Briney's head, one thousand things inside, telling Briney to maybe do one thousand things. But Briney only choose one! Briney choose best one!"
Briney interrupts himself to address his goblin friend "Nice lady says Kami gives you More Memories - maybe More Cookies?" then back to the wizard "Look!" And he hops up on the table to demonstrate "Briney head big, Briney body small" Indeed, without exaggeration, the goblin is perhaps exactly 50% of each. He hops back down "So no, not good thing!" as he concludes his point, his eyes shoot over to watch Amari-Li, and he continues to respectfully sip his tea - even as his face distorts into an expression of pure disgust!
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Seeing Valdris get tea sprayed over him, the cook takes out one of his best cloths, it is white, no brownish and with red spots. The spots are obviously part of the pattern, the brown stains, not so! "Ooo Magic Man, here let me clean yous up!" Nic Nic dives at the wizards chest, dabbing his dirty cloth across the wizard's clothes smudging into a brown mess. "See there! Much better. Yous robe is best clean now." he hands Valdris a half full pot of tea, from which the goblin has already directly drunk half the contents, "Try this, best tasty tea!"
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It is not sure what the Venture Captain is thinking right now, after all, the Tien culture dictates tea has to be done properly, as a ceremony and it's not sure if she is about to laugh or cry.
She does, however, regain her inscrutability and attempts to educate Nik Nik in the proper Tien way of making and providing tea. She also reassures him (her?) that the mosquito witch spirits are nothing like kami.
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Aurelius regards the rest of his team with a mild sense of curiosity. The goblins alone were not typical fair and had a comical element to them. Listening in Aurelius would do his best to soak in the traditions on how to make proper tea, but for the time being he would leave his own introduction open and eagerly await for the others to more formally introduce themselves.
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Panarug raises his eyebrows in alarm at the antics of the goblin. Much as the Kellid tribes are often deemed as uncivilised, even an social outcast has Panarug been raised to understand the deep importance of decorum. But Amara Li is the host and it is not his place. He merely frowns as he takes another sip of his tea, trying his best not to roll his eyes. And failing.
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Nic Nic sits, listens and watches Amari-Li as she teaches the traditions of the tea ceremony and how to make the tea. Nic Nic realises that if she gets a chance, she should learn this whole new way of making tea. Perhaps she can use it in future, even when making watery meaty broth. A whole new world of food techniques.
Looking at the stern looks of Panarug and Aurelius, Nic Nic backs away and sits quietly for what seems like hours, but is probably less than minute, before Guz enters and Nic Nic smiles and points, "Hi Guz, good to have you here, help find the caravan?" wiping her hands on her apron, she puts her hand out to greet the newcomer, then nods her head, catching her hat as it almost falls off. She takes one of the many pots in front of her, and delicately pours the rich golden tea into a small porcelain cup, before handing it to Guz. A big smile crosses the goblin's face, showing her brown stained teeth.
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Given that there are no more questions, and after Nic Nic has a sufficient understanding of the Tian tea ceremony, you set out on your mission.
Although Sakakabe is the closest city to the forest of Spirits, it still takes several weeks of travel on a road that winds through the Osogen Grasslands to reach the Forest of Spirits. Along the way, you
cross paths with travelers heading south into Minkai, as well as the nomadic herders who call the rolling plains home. No one you meet in the grasslands has seen the caravan you are looking for.
When you enter the Forest of Spirits, the atmosphere changes. The forest is cool and damp, and profoundly alive. Snow blankets the ground and clings to branches of towering pine and spruce trees. Birds, rodents, foxes, deer, bears, and numerous other creatures roam through the woods, keeping their distance from the road. The density of the trees suggests that logging is almost unheard of in this forest. Animals are not the only creatures moving out in the woods; you occasionally see unexplained movement in the trees and rocks or feel like someone is watching them.
As you progress through the forest, you visit several small villages, none of which have seen the caravan you are looking for. You can find signs of passage from several caravans and groups that travelled on foot, and the remains of campsites right next to the trail. However, there are no indications that any of these groups came to harm.
Finally you reach the village of Suboyashi. You notices there seems to be little gusts of wind popping up every so often, but those gusts appear to be avoiding you. The villages are rather superstitious and when you ask them about the caravan they tell you that several caravans from Avistan have passed along the Spirit Road in recent months. The villagers then ask you for more details about when you caravan was expected to pass through the village. Consulting with your maps and remembering what you were told gives you the answer of six weeks.
To impress the villagers you need to roll Acrobatics, Occultism or Religion skill checks. Each PC may attempt each skill check once, including any efforts to Aid.
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Ah yes, a performance they say! Aurelius thrives on pleasing crowds and when the opportunity arises, he steps forward.
Aruelius performs a number of weapon and flexing displays for the crowd hoping to impress, though given the weather and the long journey the Taldan quickly realized he wasn't exactly in the best shape to be at his peak performance...
When he realizes this, he instead resorts to trying to appease his knowledge of the occult spirits in the area, feeling that such efforts would be better welcomed in these lands!
Aurelius then turns to the others, "I apologize, I'm usually better equipped to impress the crowds. It would seem my knowledge is better suited here!"
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Valdris, watching Aruelius attempt to perform and talk about the occult, smiles and eaits for his fellow pathfinder to finish. Once done, the wizard begins taking to people about the strangeness of otherworldly entities and how they can be both good and bad, some being quite malicious. He also goes into a few simple rituals, and teaches a few of the easier rituals that help keep evil away.
Once finished with attempting to impress the villagers, he goes up to Aruelius putting his hand on the man's shoulder. "You did a valiant attempt friend. Perhaps we let the others try to do the same? I liked how you explained how to appease the local spirits."
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Nic Nic Cook Cook show the villagers how to make a fine supper, which she calls Spicy Spicy Lion tart, but without the lion. Part of the display is to chop the herb and grind the spices, to do this her routine is to juggle the knives as she chops. "See Briney, the blades are all ... sharp and shiny shiny!" as she catches one of the long knives and slices a garangum leaf in half as the leaf is lifted into the air by the speed of the goblins hands.
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Panarug listens respectfully to Valdris, as he unconsciously strokes the fur of the stoat now resting on his shoulder. "Indeed, I sense your discomfort with the spirits, and many of them can indeed be harmful." Here, he pauses briefly, reflecting on something, but quickly shakes himself out it and continues, "Allow me to share some of the practices of my tribe." He then shows them how to construct a simple talisman from animal fur and bird feathers, passed down for generations by the tribe shaman.
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In the coach through the grasslands, Briney is passive, kicking his feet up, relaxed. But when they enter the Forest of Spirits, Briney shoots to attention, attenuating himself to the snow blankets, the sounds of birds, rodents, foxes, deer, bears, the thickness of the foliage, and especially the unexplained movement of the trees and rocks!
Having internalized having to be "polite" from the (laughing / crying) Venture Captain, Briney is respectful to these first villages. Too, he remains vigilant, looking for signs of the caravan they seek, but finding none. When they get to this current village, watching his peers interact, he leaps from the cart once more!
He watches Aurelius juggle, and listens to Valdris's stories (eek!), his tummy grumbles at the mention of Nic Nic's Spicy Spicy Lion Tart and he trembles at her deft hands slicing a leaf, and stands transfixed as Panarug produces a talisman. And gets a naughty idea! Dashing back to the cart, Briney grabs a blanket, and with his trusty dogslicer, cuts two "eyes" into it, and tuffing it over his overly large (even for a goblin) head, tries to jump into the air like a , acting out being Panarug's "Talisman" in Valdris's "Story"!
"Blarg! I come to Blarg!"
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You learn that this village was the last place the caravan stopped to rest before continuing on the eastward branch of the Spirit Road, a branch that leads toward Minkai but forks in a few locations. The road’s exact path varies over time, with detours and new paths forming to more easily avoid disturbing the wildlife. Strangely, despite warnings from the villagers, the caravan chose to take an older path toward Minkai, which veers into thicker woodland for several days’ journey before rejoining the main road. The caravan’s members were determined to take this alternate path, but they did not share their reasoning with the villagers.
Just then the alarm sounds. The village is under attack.
Initiatives:
Order:
Yellow, Nic, Guzmord, Aurelius, Green, Panarug, Red, Briney, Valdris, Blue
The bigger armoured skeleton uses all it's actions to move towards you. Nic, Guzmord, and Aurelius are up. Please note all of you have an extra 5ft bonus to movement. Also, on the first round, everyone must make a DC 5 flat check or be frightened 1 for the first round.
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Aurelius raises his glaive to the skies, "TO ARMS! We have the cursed among us attempting to invade this town!" the Taldan proclaimed, ◆inspiring courage to all those around him.
He then ◆moves directly north 10ft and ◆attacks the Undead directly to the Northeast of him, hoping to take advantage of his glaive's reach!
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Panarug feels a sense of dread, as if the spirits in this area are unfriendly, but he mutters a soft supplication under his breath and they seem appeased, for now.
He then turns his attention to the attacking undeads. He first fixes his gaze upon the one Aurelius is going after, sending his spirits to harass the creature.
He then turns to the other approaching one and sends a loose rock on the ground flying towards it.
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Briney first decides if he is afraid, then imagines every possible attack vector against the distant skeleton:
Deciding that he is fearless, he also follows through with his perfect strike, drawing his oversized crossbow - nearly twice his size! - and firing it within a single massive range increment (120 feet)!
◆) Devise a Stratagem
◆) Draw Heavy Crossbow (Piercing Damage)
◆) Inspired Strategic X-Bow Strike @ (12)+7+1 = 20 @
A glancing blow? Right through the heartless heart cavity? He yells to Panarug "How you shoot so good without propulsion device!?!" Jumping up in the air curious. The goblin slaps his crossbow upside down, and jumps on top of it, readying himself to use expert leverage to load his implement clearly too large for his frame!
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The wizard looks about and shrugs at Briney's question before speaking up. "Perhaps it's his learned experience. I think I felt some arcane energies about that...Gah! Stop distracting me in time of danger!" the wizard shouts as he forms a web of electricity in his hands before releasing it on the close skeleton.
◆) Reach Metamagic
◆◆) Electric Arc
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Briney's shot was indeed good enough to to hit the skeleton where it's heart was. It shatters onto the ground.
Valdris unleashes on Red
The electricity hits the skeleton, and travells all around every bone causing it to do the Danse Macabre before dissipating. The skeleton looks slighly carbonised but is still up.
Aurelius discovers that the skeletal champion (yellow) also has a reach weapon and a shield as he gets hit with the former and the latter gets raised.
The following are now up: Nic, Guzmord, Aurelius, Panarug
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Nic Nic feels ashamed that the big bag of bones scared her so much, so much so that her ears turn bright yellow, her nose and cheeks turn yellow and she spits out, "Big bags of bones attack my friends, deserve to be in the pot." She runs over, raging at the skeleton, before trying to land a blow with her curved kitchen blade in her hand, "Grandma is gonna send you to meet brethren spirits with a cut cutty cut!!"
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Panarug growls in frustration that one of the skeletons have brushed off the attacks of his spirits, but he quickly turns his attention to the fallen Aurelius.
He quickly moves tp his side, reaching for his herbs and medicine stashed in his bandolier and staunches his wounds.
Rising back to his feet, he sends his spirits to harass the other skeleton.
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Briney watches as mighty Panarug shoots down a skeleton without even using a crossbow(!), browbeats another skeleton without speaking a word(!!), and heals a fallen comrade without using an elixir(!!!) - totally amazed - and yells out support "No he bleeding out of There!" pointing his finger below the bard's rib.
Meanwhile, he cranks and cranks and cranks the winch on his oversized implement, jumping up and down and up and down and up with each cycle, loading another bolt into it, then hops down, surveys the battlefield, and, dragging the heavy crossbow as it scrapes a line across the rocky path, gets into position for a clean shot - out of the soft cover his teammates would otherwise supplement his intended targets! - and hefting it onto his shoulder, balancing it like a perfectly precarious fulcrum, begins drawing a bead, sticking his tongue out sideways in pure concentration!
◆◆) Reload
◆) Stride
"Hold still longskulls!"
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Watching his fellow comrade fall, the wizard glares at the skeleton with the scimitar. Holding a hand out, pointing at the creature, three motes of light in the pattern of a triangle appear just beyond his finger.
"Perhaps, I should focus on one at a time then? Fine, I'll see that you fall!"
Pushing his arm forward with all fingers extending, the motes then rush towards the enemy, all three taking different traveling paths before slamming into the enemy.