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The evening prior, over a village far yonder, perhaps deep inside the Forest of Spirits, a young child, perhaps the age of , stirs with it's eyes pressed against the canopy of night, a sea of blackness over which tiny speckles of radiant cosmicstuff glistens with the silent volume of distributed lumination, all nearly uniform in intensity and held still in the firmament, until LO, a single, defiant spectral point looses itself from the array, and shoots across the sky with a sudden and violent speed, falling from the heavens, and gaining in intensity as it crosses the threshold of the atmosphere that surrounds the planet of Golarion, disappearing nary as soon as it was shot...
...and by the time the child has nudged the nearest elder, pointing it's eager and curious finger: It is gone!...
Venture-Captain Amara Li handpicked you to help build a new Pathfinder lodge within Minkai. From construction, to hiring employees, to sourcing supplies, she's kept you busy for a few months on small tasks. She's also gathering relics to outfit the lodge, calling upon you to purchase, escort and guard them against thieves.
One day you get an invite to meet her at the Kiniro Kyomai teahouse.
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A red-furred Kitsune hums merrily as she makes her way to the Kiniro Kyomai. Happy that her current assignment had her coming home the magus had just come from her clan's compound. It had been a long time since she had been home. As much as she enjoyed training at the Monastery of Unblinking Flame it didn't leave a lot of time to visit her family. It was nice to see everyone again.
Arriving at the teahouse the daughter of the Lin clan was directed to the Venture-Captain's spot. "Greetings Venture-Captain. Dancing Sunbeam reporting as summoned." the kitsune says with a bow.
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A dour, Kellid man, Geralt Vunderbain spends his mornings in Minkai examining various relics. While he does so, he mutters prayers quietly to himself and rubs a silver holy symbol of Pharasma that he wears around his neck. In the afternoon, he helps to carry deliveries and assemble furniture for the new lodge. His simple, well-worn shirt does little to hide the runes scarred into his muscular forearms.
Geralt arrives to tea wearing his black scale mail and bastard sword. Clearly uncomfortable in the teahouse, he moves quickly to join Dancing Sunbeam at the Venture-Captain's table. "Geralt Vunderbain" he says curtly by way of introduction.
Geisha welcome soothe your ears with samisen music while the food brightens your taste buds. Of course, the tea is divine.
“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.”
Amara Li never lost her sense for drama. Seems like now is a good time as any to introduce yourselves.
The Venture-Captain simply smiles. "No no, I do not need to clog the forests with more visitors. The kami are kind enough guests to allow us to travel through. Besides, you are the exact people I need."
"Of the many artifacts the Pathfinders were guarding, the Taldor scholars highlighted an amulet. An Omamori Amulet with some kind of magical nature. The scholars were unable to determine its nature, so I am certain I will understand it myself."
"As always, thank you for your assistance. May the winter winds bless your travels." Venture-Captain Li sips more of her jasmine tea.
You plot your journey from the border village Sakakabe to the Forest of Spirits and to the missing caravan. It will take weeks of travel through the Osogen Grasslands to a village just within the Forest. You finish your preparations and begin your journey.
Along the way you find nomadic herders as well as travelers going to Minkai. Most of them have not seen the caravan you were looking for.
As you reach the Forest's edge, the weather turns cool and damp. Everything seems alive. Snow blankets the the ground and clings to the pine and spruce trees. Small rodents, birds and foxes scamper about, singing to the sky and keeping their distance. Logging is unheard of in this region, the trees remain untouched by human hands.
It isn't long until you reach a potential clue: the last village the caravan was spotted. You see a wooden sign in the shape of a fox at the village outskirts, written in Tien and Common Taldane:
"Welcome to Tano"
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...it was the night before the other players arrived in Tano...
...Awakened Prime of Celestia, a strange sentience made of the very essence of starstuffs, but shaped like a tree laden with coral and starfish, and riding a comet into the atmosphere, had crash landed next to the village's sign, and nearly combusted from the impact at terminal velocity, spent the night and next morning recuperating in the sunrise, whose radiant energy revitalizes every waking fibre, instilling the burnt wood with a pearling of skin, like a soft finish crafted by a careful hand.
Approaching the party, it introduces itself The voice is low and grainy, but surprisingly lubricated given the creature's dense frame - the gnarls of it's face form an awkward smile, punctuating the offer to help with a reinforced expression - a single clung invertebrate wriggling to mirror the sentiment!
It doesn't take Geralt long to find a local villager willing to chat. She unties the cloth around her head to let her hair loose. "Wow, outsiders. Welcome to Tano! My name is Akira Ono. Come on, I have plenty of tea by my house." She eyes Apoc. "Are you a guardian spirit? I've never seen one up close- well maybe when I was harvesting rice a few months ago. Anyway, come, come!" See bounds towards her humble home and opens the door.
The kitchen is humid and full of steamed rice. You realize she's the eldest daughter of maybe 6 or so sisters, working on steaming rice or steaming greens. Fermented soybeans and a few sliced mushrooms adorn your plate. After her sisters serve you they get right back to cooking.
"Tano's a quiet town, but we get a lot of visitors here. Lots of caravans try to come through here. It's important visitors respect the animals around here. We should be thankful they let us live here." One sister pours water into your cups.
"Sorry, you mentioned Pathfinders?... Yeah. Yeah, I remember them. Lin Po and Ti Lan. They came here six weeks ago, and were hungry! Kept asking where the pork and chicken were." Akira frowns. "Grandpa said the kami would eat us if we started hunting. Anyway, no meat in this town. They left in a hurry." She chugs the water in a single gulp.
"My suggestion? Ask around the town. Maybe someone knows more about their journey. I just have the food."
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"Thank you very much, Akira." Geralt accepts the offered food from the woman.
"Meat is a luxury." he says considering the meal, "Pharasma smiles upon you that you go without."
When he is finished eating, he politely excuses himself and goes in search of elders in the village. Perhaps a grandfather or grandmother would have seen which direction those two left
Geralt strikes up a conversation and attempts to earn respect with his knowledge of curses and warding against evil spirits.
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"I am a Guardian of the Planet"
Speaking in the general, our cosmic hero perhaps misses the nuance of specificity of Akira Ono's question, most probably proceeding under the misconception of having unknowingly said "yes" to a question which more truthfully might have been answered "no". But irregardless, Apoc approaches the situation - as in all things! - with curiosity "Are you a Guardian of this Village?"
Looking around the kitchen, he observes all manner of edible food, never having thought up the idea of drawing sustenance from other living beings, but neither familiar with the specific concept of "no meat" as being an outlier in terms of diet. Quietly, ever learning the ways of humans - such a diverse species! - Apoc listens to the conversation, chiming in only if someone asks his a direct question, which, he finds, is uncommonly rare, as most folks are content just talking about themselves, the weather, or about some object in the near vicinity, thus, he finds himself "excused" from having to participate in rigorous conversation.
After dinner, he follows Geralt Vunderbain to seek the village elders, if there be any.
"I'm Guardian of this Kitchen, if that's what ya mean!" Akira giggles. "Mom and Dad started this restaurant, got us through school, and decided to retire. So I keep the food flowin' and my siblings keep the customers happy." She grins.
Geralt seeks out a pair of elderly folk in Tano. They speak for a long time about the many caravans through here: weapons, armor, alcohol, grains, meat, clothing, potions, trinkets, recruiters and finally Pathfinders. Lin Po and Ti Lan indeed came through here six weeks ago. They left the town's eastern exit to travel towards Minkai, using an older but more dangerous path.
Questions for the town
Apoc 0/3
Geralt 1/3, 1 success
Quickblade 0/3
Sunbeam 0/3
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Until now, Geralt has mostly tried to ignore the conrasu. The tree-shaped creature with its core of spiritual essence challenges Geralt's sense of the order of things and his response has alternated between avoidance and suspicion. But now, this alien creature could be useful.
Geralt nods his gratitude to the elders and leads Apoc away, "Apoc, would you demonstrate your capabilities as a guardian with me? This works better with a dance partner."
Geralt invites Apoc to spar, demonstrating their combat prowess with the hope of attracting the interest of some younger men and women of the village.
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Unfamiliar with the concept of fighting without a true reason, Apoc hesitates to defend himself physically, and instead tries to diffuse the efficacy of Geralt Vunderbain's feigned blows with a magical shield spell, encasing himself in a dome of saltwater!
"I am your ally and guardian, little human. I do not understand why you assail me!?"
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"Your grandfather is wise. This close to the forest one wouldn't know if those that were hunted are spirits. What if you killed a chicken only to find out it was your grandmother!" Dancing Sunbeam says nodding to herself.
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Dancing Sunbeam wanders around the village until she found a group of children playing and decided to entertain them with tales of her last adventure regarding lost ruins and the dangers of time travel.
"... and that is why it is always better to be careful when going somewhere unfamiliar. Some of my friends seemed to have passed through here unprepared and hungry. Did any of you see them or where they went?" she asked the children.
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The kitsune spent some time helping out people using her cantrips, blowing things away using Gale blast.
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Taking a break after helping around the magus tries to strike up a conversation with the villagers looking for rumors.
Dancing Sunbeam finds Tano to be very comfortable and in tune with their surroundings. The children sit patiently to listen to her stories, and her gusts of wind are well appreciated. She doesn't understand the finer workings of their laws but that's fine.
Apoc is always curious, but also oblivious to his actions. Half of the elders think he is an Oni here to destroy the village while the other half think he is a lost soul and should be laid to rest.
Geralt manages to recover the tone and recalls tales of lost wanderers coming to his hometown, unused to local customs, and embarrassing themselves. The elders have a good laugh and hope Apoc figures it out as quickly as Geralt did.
Questions for the town
Apoc 0 successes
Geralt 2 success
Quickblade 0/3
Sunbeam 2 success
Quickblade remembers a minor magic trick, managing to momentarily mesmerize the village masters. They confirm the Pathfinder's information: The caravan they seek went west out of town.
Geralt 2 success
Sunbeam 2 success
Quickblade 1 success
Apoc 0 successes
The elders invite Geralt and Sunbeam to a private meeting, and talk to them about the many sightings residents have observed. In particular the kami of the nearby forest.
As you leave the elder's home, you notice a fox bare its teeth at a villager right before more screams erupt. Foxes swarm through the village, chasing people into their homes. Doors slam shut and prove a potent barrier. A few foxes are quite large, however, and bare their teeth at you.
Geralt
Quickblade
Sunbeam
Vulpines
Apoc
Apoc isn't sure if these foxes are threatening or not. Everyone else is quite aware of their feral nature.
Quickblade and Geralt knows these are rather large foxes, roughly Medium in size. They can hide and can move and strike at the same time. Foxes can also hit harder if they are hidden or catch someone flank-footed. They are quick and reflexive, but their willpower is weak.
Dancing Sunbeam knows that foxes this large can grow extremely loyal to a single kitsune. With the skulk of foxes in the village it seems likely they are under command of a single creature. She knows a fox that is injured will likely flee rather than fight to the death.
They also like to swarm, and Geralt soon confirms this. Two of them run up the stairs, while the third one pounces, trying to bite him as it arrives.
'Tis but a scratch.
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Awakened Prime of Celestia reaches with his wooden arms and opens the center of his chest, revealing a black sphere with billions of billions of tiny swirling lights inside - - and with sudden violence, thousands of tiny comets come hurtling towards the nearest fox, whereupon leaving the strange gravity of their central galaxite, the atmospheric pressure causes them to erupt in veritable combustion!
◆) Draw Greatclub
◆◆) Produce Flame
That done, he collides one of his arms into the other with a chopping motion, severing it like a branch, which falls to the ground with a heavy crash, whereby green and red halcyon energy course through the damaged limb and regrow it immediately - and now leaning over to grasp it, he hefts the disembodied third limb over his head, threatening the area immediately around him with it's magical oaken brunt!
"Stay Back" the only warning out guardian hero seems liable to give!
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"Augh" Geralt grunts as he swings his sword in a fierce downward stroke.
Releasing a hand from his sword, he strikes again, this time trying to grab hold of some of its fur to throw it off balance.
Glowing runes grow blue in the scars on Geralt's forearms and a shield of force materializes between him and the creature.
Quickblade shoots one of the giant foxes while Apoc unleashes cosmic fury!... at the fountain, scorching it.
Geralt holds his ground and critically tears into the fox, holding it down long enough to finish it off. He conjures a shield of pure energy to further protect him.
Dancing Sunbeam strikes the Yellow-furred fox, chilling him.
The foxes converge on her. The White-furred fox pounces upon on her, trying to flank her and take advantage of places she can't guard easily. Turns out she's tougher than he thought.
The fox in Yellow bites and claws at her general direction, before deciding to retreat.
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More tiny stars expel themselves from Apoc's cosmic core, shooting across and up his Greatclub, which begins to sparkle with plasmic light, hot to the touch!
◆) Arcane Cascade w/ Inexorable Iron
◆◆) Spellstrike w/ Gouging Claw
As our guardian hero brings the implement to bear upon the adjacent fox, it's form shifts further, catalyzed by the starblaze set upon it moments ago, blunt edges crackle and shift into charred thorns, lending a sinister shape to the crude club, now barbed as well as on fire!
Smoldering like a crater in the ground, where once stood a fox, no more, consumed by the transposition of it's base elements, and redistributed to rebalance the universal forces within the material plane and beyond!
As the villagers stand watch from afar - perhaps reinforced now in their superstition about witnessing a true oni! - Apoc holds up his hand to reassure them "This is almost done" he voice, a low base, reverberating through his hollow and limber roots, echoing in all directions like a slow loving pulse.
Sadly for Apoc, the universe keeps the fox mostly intact, although wounded.
Vulpines (Yellow 22 damage, White 12 damage)
Apoc
Geralt (3 damage)
Quickblade
Sunbeam (4 damage)
Geralt hits the White-furred Fox twice, keeping the critter off guard. Quickblade and Sunbeam quickly combine their forces, finishing the fox off.
The remaining fox tries to pounce Geralt.
It then tries to retreat, but Geralt's reactions kick in.
Vulpines (Yellow 22 damage)
Apoc
Geralt (10 damage, Can take AoO vs the Yellow fox)
Quickblade
Sunbeam (4 damage)
Geralt hits the fox as it retreats and Quickblade finishes it off with a well-aimed shot.
You see other foxes fleeing from the village. Eventually Akira comes out, swinging a dirty frying pan after a panicked fox. "That's right, git!" She stops to catch her breath. "It's... it's over now, right?" The village bell comes to rest, and the villagers converge on the town square check the damage.
"Thank you, strangers." The village leader emerges. "You saved us all." She bows to you each of you, but holds her pose a bit longer for Geralt and Dancing Sunbeam.
Akira wipes the sweat from her brow. "Elder, maybe we should give them something to help deal with these foxes?" The leader looks at Akira and smiles. One of her assistants approaches holding three vials. "This will make you strong and athletic, but clumsy. Use them well."