"Sakura, sometimes you are too brave," Kamo says in a rare moment of sincerity as he rushes up with bandages and burn salve.
"Pagma, could you try to patch those leaks? I can help in a moment."
Pagma wrings her hands as Jing and Kamo takes take of her friend's charred flesh. Unable to do anything. So when Kamo turns, sees her distress, and gives her something she CAN fix, she says "Yes..." she looks around, seeing the supplies, seeing the holes, and instantly mapping out everything that is needed to be done. "I can do that" her voice sure.
In no time the place is as good as it can be. Most important it is warm and dry. "Should we light incense in the lanterns?" she asks, since buildings she understands, but religion and ritual she does not.
With the fires extinguished and the danger passed, Sakura allows herself a moment of vulnerability, sitting quietly as Kamo tends to her wounds. "Kamo," Sakura begins, her voice softer than he's able to recall. "I...I was scared back there." She pauses, swallowing hard against the lump forming in her throat. "Not just for myself, but for all of us. I thought...I thought I might not be strong enough to protect everyone."
Twin tears form in the corner of her eyes and she turns away, ashamed.
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Jing offers Sakura a soft smile. The grotesque nightmares had gotten to him on the first day of Willowshore's collective nightmare, but now it seems they have finally managed to get to Sakura too. Like her, Jing too struggled with the implications of being scared. The fear, after all, gives power to that which is feared. Unlike Sakura, Jing has had plenty of time to ponder it and has since come to terms with it. "Fear indicates meaning and the realization of it. Focus not on the negative emotion, but on what it points at. The things that matter, the people who are threatened by its existence. That is what gives me the strength to stand up against it, again and again."
Sakura quickly brushes away the tears that threaten to spill and rises to her feet. Without a word, she steps forward and envelops Jing-De in a prolonged soft embrace, not the crushing bear hug she is usually known for.
Kamo's not quite sure how to react to this side of Sakura, "Ah, you're always there for us. And we all watch each others' backs. Including yours!"
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Despite Kamo helping more than hindering, Pagma is able to repair the cottage enough to keep the elements at bay. You use half the incense to light the lanterns outside the shrine, then settle down to rest.
However, soon after night has fallen, Yeri suddenly groans and doubles over. "Nngh! I can't... can't stop it..." she gasps. Her neck jerks to one side, her flesh starting to rip at the scar there. It jerks to the other, the tear opening wider, then back and forth twice more. Then, with a horrid squelching noise, Yeri's head floats upward, pulling out her lungs, stomach, and intestines behind it! Bile drips from her quivering organs as she hisses, her tongue extending and becoming translucent!
"I... must... feed!"
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Jing is stunned and it takes him a second before he returns the hug and mutters a motherly now now into Sakura's ear. He gives Sakura the time she needs to let the emotion run its course. In this hellscape realm, the group has found a safe haven in one another.
And when they do move on, it becomes crystal clear that the comfort they find in one another is something that offends the very nature of this wicked realm. Jing can't help but feel that Yeri's proximity to the group is what caused this violent transformation, and he knows, he simply knows when she shreds her vessel of morality and mortality, that they could have never prevented this. They only got to choose when and where.
"Stay with me! Tsukiyo's love for Shizuru will protect us!" He slams his staff into the ground and calls upon the virtue of the heavens to envelop and protect them. A pale white light forms a circle around the group.
Then, Jing's glowing jade eyes stare at Yuri, daring her to feast on them.
Yeri seems to accept Jing-De's dare as she flies right through the radiant wall! It burns her impure body, but she ignores the pain as she lashes out at the sorcerer with her dangling entrails. She misses with the first attempt, but lands a critical hit with the second!
"Oh Yeri..." Pagma moans in horror as the young woman becomes this abomination "What happened to you? What about Yuni?" her questions are out of her mouth as Yeri hovers on the other side of the wall, but waiting for answers has to wait as she smashes into Jing.
Thrown bombs into such an enclosed space is difficult and stressful, but after so many encounters with the monsters of this new world, she has at least become an expert at not bathing her friends in fire or lightning.
Sakura doesn't hold Jing-De for long, but it's enough to gather her wits and re-center herself. She lets go and bows to him, offering him thanks for his guidance.
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When Yeri begins to transform, Sakura is ready. Renewed and focused, she takes a breath and draws her blade. By the time she's moved towards them, Sakura charges to meet her head-on. She isn't in the mood to speak, so she let's Pagma ask the right questions.
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What damage Yeri does to Jing, Jing's magic mostly undoes. He wields his staff and channels his power through it to weave his magic, openly defying Yeri's desire to undo them, to feast on them.
"By Heaven!" Kamo gasps at the grotesque transformation. "Another trick of this foul realm!"
He looks for the best way to attack the creature.
"I don't even recognize the creature!"
Attack Roll: 27 for
Kamo moves in and bashes Yeri with his staff! Sakura then slices the monster twice, her blade doing significant damage and exploiting the creature's weakness to slashing attacks! Unfortunately, this also triggers a spray of bile from the dangling organs, splashing everybody around Yeri!
Yeri responds to Pagma's questions with only a shriek! Pagma scores one direct hit with her bombs, setting the monster alight. Jing De heals himself and demoralizes Yeri.
Yeri stabs out at Sakura with her sharp tongue, but Sakura easily avoids the attacks! The burning oil coating Yeri sputters out.
"Look how your blade wounds her, Sakura!" Kamo exclaims as he pulls his dagger and slashes at the transformed creature.
for
for
Not wanting to get hurt more, and to avoid the Yeri's organ fluid, Jing steps away. He channels more power and launches a volley of frost at the abomination.
[occ]+2 persistent[/ooc]
[occ]+2 persistent[/ooc]
One bomb after another is pulled and thrown at the creature, the former sweet girl who had shared their camp. "This has to end." she tells it, the world, and everyone.
Jing-De blasts Yeri with an icy beam, Kamo slices with his dagger, and Pagma burns her with more alchemist's fire! The floating head and organs shrieks one last time before she falls to the floor, thrashing and smoldering before at last falling still. The headless body crumbles to dust, leaving behind a ghostly image of Yeri as a human. She sighs in relief.
"For too long did I suffer the torment of being trapped in that monstrous form! Thank you for releasing me. Please, find my big sister Yuni and save her too."
Yeri's ghostly form fades away entirely, leaving behind her set of holy prayer beads.
Jing kneels to signal his acceptance of her request. He then picks up the set of prayer beads in a ceremonial fashion, taking great care in how lifts them off the ground and then folds them up so they can be cupped in his hands. "May you find peace, Yeri."
The silence that follows is a heavy one. Jing sighs, blowing hot air through pursed lips. "Is it alright if I keep the beads?"
Pagma slumps down against the wall, her thudding heart finally calming down, she even manages a smile. "Yes, beads, good, you." she says as she catches her breath. Then adds once she does "At least we helped someone." That fact alone is enough to keep Pagma from wanting to curl up under a blanket for just a moment without monsters.
Sakura moves to the slumped Pagma, placing a reassuring hand on her friend's shoulder and squeezing gently. She acknowledges Pagma's statement with a nod, her expression somber yet determined. "You're right, Pagma. We did help someone. And that's what we're here to do."
Turning to the group, she says , "It's time to camp. We need to rest and heal up." she announces, her tone leaving no room for debate. Without waiting for a response, Sakura gets to work, gathering what they need to start a fire.
Soon, a small fire crackles to life. As the fire grows, Sakura sits back, watching the flames. She reflects on the days' events and takes comfort that she's still here to protect her friends and her town.
Fortunately, the rest of the night passes without incident. You rest comfortably in the repaired cottage, the rain finally letting up with the dawn, replaced by a thick fog. When you emerge from the cottage, you find that a a fresh layer of green grass has sprung up from the ashes. A half dozen bright blue orchids have likewise bloomed among the roots of the burned oak tree. You are overcome with the urge to pick all of the flowers.
The next morning, she puts out the remainder of the fire and looks down at the flowers. Sakura reaches out and plucks one, bringing it closer to her face for inspection.
"This is quite interesting, don't you think?"
Pagma has taken to bringing various basic dry ingredients with her whenever she is tracking more than a few feet outside the border of town. She hates camping, but camping without food would be a hundred times worse.
What she whips together is something nice enough for dinner and breakfast, as usual high on the spicy side, and a collection of plum rice balls to carry and eat for lunch.
She is just finishing up when Sakura brings up the flowers. Leaning in she takes deep breath. "They smell different" she notes, plucking one as well, a slightly dazed tone in her voice, like she has no choice but to pluck.
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Jing feels a sense of wonder when Sakura brings them the flowers. Even here, in the lair of the beast, life manages to resist and defy Kugaptee. "We should see if we can plant some of them in my moon garden, and bring Yeri back to Willowshore, see to it that she finds peace."
Once you are ready, you head off into the morning fog. Travel increasingly becomes vertical as the day’s trip begins, with the path having several switchbacks and steep slopes to navigate. The forest remains on either side of the path, although cliffsides and ledges often encroach, and the fog makes it difficult to see very far ahead.
Abou an hour after you have left the Garden Shrine, the fog grows thicker. The western edge of the path here is a 30-foot-cliff that drops into the forest below. Jing-De catches a glimpse of what appears to be a dimly lit lantern, but a moment later, the light is extinguished and the fog swallows the vision up.
A few moments later, you hear a scream that sounds like a frightened woman! The light then returns, the flickering lantern visible through the forest's branches, down at the base of cliff. A trembling voice cries out, “Help me! I fell! I think I broke my leg!”
However, the whole situation seems a little suspicious...
"this whole situation seems a little suspicious" Pagma points out. Cupping her hands around her mouth she shouts down "We can throw down a rope and pull you up!" thinking that would be the open option to avoid the potential trap... and still help just in case it wasn't.
Only then does a question occur to her "does anyone have a rope?"
Sakura had rope in her pack.
She nods to Pagma, "Stand ready, friends."
She slides her pack off her shoulders and uncoils the rope. She ties it off to a nearby try and calls down "I'm throwing a rope down to you now!" and tosses it over the side.
"A rope? I think that might hurt my leg more if I bang into the cliffs on the way up!" the voice calls. "Please, climb down and help me!"
Once it becomes clear that you have no intention of climbing down, the light suddenly vanishes...
You remain wary, ready for an ambush. And as expected, just a short time later, the light reappears in your midst! Up close, you can see the light comes from a small mass of glowing, blood-red butterflies that crackle with arcs of red lightning!
”How dare you try to take advantage of someone trying to help an injured creature!”. Sakura fumes, irritated by the attempt of this evil creature. She charges and attacks!
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The butterflies are extremely interesting. "Like the ones the creatures exploded into." she says out loud. The interest does not stop her from throwing three bombs (two fire, one acid) on the mass of butterflies, but she still finds it interesting.
"Kamo, drink this!" she tossed him a stoppered clay pot. A bitter brown liquid is inside.
Sakura slices the ball of butterflies and Pagma hits it with a bomb, setting it ablaze! The creature shocks Sakura severely before extinguishing its glow, disappearing from sight. The burning oil sputters out.
Kamo chugs the coffee and feels a warm surge through his veins. "Um, this tastes like the harvest festival!"
He looks around for the butterfly swarm, trying to devise a means of attacking it.
Kamo recognizes the creature as a type of will-o'-wisp. Malevolent balls of colored light, will-o’-wisps haunt lonely marshes and forests where they lure unsuspecting travelers into danger. Will-o’-wisps can vary the color and illumination they shed, and delight in mimicking bobbing lanterns or distant fires to draw lost or disoriented travelers off of safe trails. A will-o’-wisp is immune to all spells except faerie fire, glitterdust, magic missile, and maze.
The investigator tries to find the creature but is unable to notice signs of its presence.
"It's the nutmeg! It tasted like pipesmoke before that." She made a face, all scrunched to show how icky it was. A face that explodes in relief when the monster disappears.
For a moment, she thinks it is dead... but then Kamo frantically starts looking around.
"Oh, this isn't good."
She remembers where is was, and maybe it hasn't moved, her mind rationalized. One bomb is chucked at where it had been. Hope is rewarded with shattering and burning, but the second and third bombs are not even close.
Torn between defending those who matter and defeating that which threatens, Jing opts to protect. He weaves a spell over Sakura that will protect her against lightning.
Sakura's entire body goes numb from the shock, she's never felt anything quite like that. Everything starts to tingle and its pins and needle everywhere! She can't help buy cry out in pain as her body begins to tremble.
She pivots looking to find these wisps, swiping twice.
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Fortunately, both Pagma and Sakura land solid hits on the invisible enemy. It gives out a strange sound like a ballon deflating as it briefly becomes visible, the red butterflies glowing intensely for a moment before popping out of existence!
"It's a good thing we are on our guard," Kamo reflects. "We might have been lured there to rescue someone and fallen right off the cliff!"
Jing looks at the scene of mayhem and shakes his head in answer to Kamo's words. "Wicknedness manifests itself in this place with such ease. The sooner we get to leave, the better."
After healing Sakura's burns, you press on along the path. Past noon, the wind picks up and disperses the fog. Once the fog has been dispersed, the view to the east allows glimpses of Willowshore. Beyond that, the haze surrounding the hinterlands gives the region the unnerving appearance of being trapped under a bowl made of dark clouds.
The steep inclines and slopes of the
mountains, path taper off here for a while, winding through flat but densely forested terrain, but this stretch of pathway becomes particularly grim as dozens of human heads in varying states of decay hang by their hair from tree branches on either side of the road. As you draw near, the heads begin to whisper and hiss, decaying lips twitching as soft, menacing voices swirl in the air.
“You will join us soon.”
“We welcome you to our family.”
“Join our voices and become one with Kugaptee.”
One head in particular is different than the others; this one is little more than a skull, and it sits in the middle of the path, facing you. As soon as anyone
approaches within 30 feet of the skull, it rises up into the air and commands you to stop and turn back. “You are not welcome here; you lack the true insight needed to be one with Great Kugaptee!”
"You have no power here, spirit. We'll go were we please," Kamo speaks sternly to the skull.
As decaying severed heads start talking, Pagam whispers to her friends "at lease there is no doubt that kugaptee is evil..."
"If you persist in this course, then you will find nothing but death!" the skull declares!
"Be that as it may, we must reach the shrine!" Kamo leaps into action, causing the road to jump up around the skull and pelt it with rocks.
The skull narrowly avoids the worst of the scree. Kamo identifies it as a taunting skull, an undead known for provoking victims into foolish action. It is weak to positive damage.
"Is that the best you've got? Come on then and show me your so-called prowess. Or are you too cowardly?" the skull taunts as it flies into your midst, goading Kamo and Jing-De.
Meanwhile, two of the other rotting heads wriggle and tear themselves free of the trees they are hanging from! They fly at Kamo to bite at him, but he avoids their attacks!
Critical Success: The target is unaffected and is temporarily immune for 1 minute.
Success: The target is unaffected.
Failure: The target is flat-footed for 1 round. On its next turn, if the taunting skull is within the target's reach, the target wildly attacks the taunting skull as many times as possible.
Critical Failure: As failure, but the target also immediately performs a Strike against itself; this Strike doesn't take any actions.
The skulls taunts incense Kamo.
Something about the skull makes Jing want to smash it to bits. Not once, not twice, but until the very end of time!
"Do not be lured by their words!" Sakura warns, not wanting her allies to discard caution. She charges ahead and lashes out twice.
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