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Sakura decides her friend needs her "aid" in preparing her creations and takes a seat, at the kitchen counter.
"Why are we even bending over backward for this eight-legged fraud?" she mutters as she pokes at one of the carefully arranged platters with a chopstick. We should just toss a stick of butter at her and tell her to make her own dinner."
Sakura takes a sip of a tea and grunts "This one’s too bland."
She scowls and leans on the counter. I hate spiders. Hate their skittery little legs, their gross beady eyes, and the way they stare at you like you’re lunch. And now we’re supposed to bow and scrape for one? It’s insulting. I won't do it."
She takes a bite of something and makes a sour face "This one tastes like you waved a vegetable at some water and called it a day."
"This one’s not bad. But, is supposed to taste like garlic? I mean, I’d take it, but you’re cooking for a spider-princess, not me."
Sakura glances at Pagma and narrows her eyes "If this princess tries to eat anyone, I’m going for her legs first. Just saying."
"This is... fine. No, wait, wait. Yes, it’s boring. Add something more."
***
Pagma leans toward Sakura with a and whispers that if she wants to impress the princess, she should sing a song. Sakura shakes her head no quickly but unfortunately catches the attention of the princess.
She swallows hard and steps forward, clearing her throat. "Lady Ren Mei Li, as a gesture of our gratitude and respect for your visit, I would like to offer a performance of our people."
Sakura clears her throat and begins her song, her voice trembling slightly as she tries to find the first note. It comes out a little too high and shaky, like a bird caught in a storm.
"Ooooh... Lady Ren... uh... Me-ei Liiii..."
Her voice cracks painfully on the "Li". Determined, she powers through, but the melody quickly devolves into an uneven mess as she forgets half the lyrics she had made up on the spot.
"You’ve come to—uh—bless our town... And, um, you’re the prettiest a-around..."
"Your hair is as... long as the river, uh... flows... And your... uh... beauty, it... it..."
She freezes, unable to think of a rhyme. Desperate to continue the song, she blurts out:
"And your beauty it... shows!"
Realizing the performance is spiraling out of control, she speeds up the tempo, her voice beginning to wobble.
"So, uh, thank you for your visit today- Please-don’t-kill-us while you staaaaAAAAayyyyy!"
Kamo examines the woman closely as the others greet her.
"Welcome, Lady. Please, we have prepared a reception for your in our humble tea house."
Jing tries to hide his dismay at Sakura's performance and when the suffering ends, he starts clapping. The applause is equal parts a wake-up call to him and his companions as it is a distraction. Hopefully the Princess, in awe by Sakura's obvious trepidation of Her Resplendant Jorogumoness, will take the bait and shift her attention to him.
"Ah, a performance worthy of a small rural town, don't you agree? Willowshore welcomes you, Eight-Blessed Silversilk Princess, and to that end, we have prepared a tea ceremony in your honor. May I invite and accompany you to Willowshore's pride, our tea house? Other guests of great power and significance have graced this place before, but none of thine stature, grace, and influence. Your visit would truly be a beacon of class and grace, and set a new standard for all of us to chase after. Chase, because of course we could never catch up to your resplendance."
Why did he just use the word thine?! It must be all those 'olde' books he's been reading in his free time. Jing flinches away the shame and doubt when no one's looking and then puts back on his mask of impeccable decorum.
Lady Ren grimaces at Sakura's screechy serenade. It looks like she is about so say something, but fortunately Jing-De steps in to smooth things over. She inclines her head to him slightly. "Thank you for the polite welcome. You have a gift for me, yes?"
She examines the gift you give her and nods in satisfaction.
"Before we go to this teahouse of yours, I'd like you show me around your little town so that I can take in the sights." She settles back onto her palanquin, and her collared servants hoist her up.
"We would be happy to show you around town," Kamo tries to be polite to the noblewoman. "There are many unusual features for such a small village. For instance, there have been a series of unusual hauntings and visitations that you might find interesting..."
Not exactly a master of small talk, he ends up carrying on about the strange happenings in town.
Pagma's eyes widened at the epic... something... that Sakura provided for their pleasure. And oh, yes, there would plenty of mirth filled pleasure as the attempt to recount Sakura's stunning song, "Did we get that line correct, Sakura?" she'd ask later, if there was a later, as she tries to sing it.
Today though, she stuck to haikus. Over the life of the village, there have been plenty of budding artists that have created little poems about this place or that within the village. Pagma loved them, and memorized each new one she heard.
She tells the princess as many as she can.
Jing's warning about the princess disliking charming pretty women was discounted by the alchemist since she didn't consider herself charming or pretty.
The song will forever scar Sakura and all future discussions about it will be met with some variation of her either declining it ever happened or some form of doubt.
Sakura is glad Kamo blabbers on and puts her performance behind them. Even better, Pagma's haiku's land far favorably than her own performance.
She gladly shows the monstrosity princess around town.
Jing attempts to fill what potholes they come across during their journey through Willowshore with words and distractions. Kamo's focus on the occult side of Willowshore, and its many magical and mysterious features, is a fantastic idea, and Jing aids Kamo with his stories where and when he can.
As you make your way through the town, Lady Ren takes stock of the other townsfolk. She expects all of the villagers to stoop before her in order to indicate their lower status, even (or especially) if they can’t easily bend due to age or other physical limitations. She’s quite happy to reach out a spider leg and force someone to bow. She also comments on the state of the town, her snarky remarks coming across as thinly veiled insults.
Still, you do a good job at buttering her up, proving yourselves to be influential beyond the jorogumo's expectations.
Annoyed that you are ruining what she had hoped to be a game of wearing you down, Lady Ren casually taps Sakura with one of her spider legs, attempting to inflict a curse upon her.
"I have seen enough for now," the princess declares shortly thereafter. "You mentioned a teahouse? An odd place for a royal reception. I would think the governor's manor to be a more fitting location."
"Unfortunately, the governor was meddling with forces beyond mortal ken, and as a result his home is unavailable for evens at the moment," Kamo briefly explains the situation to the rude intruder visiting "diplomat."
Try as he might, Jing lost his cool when the princess ever so casually cursed Sakura, and he fails again and again to recollect himself. Still, he gives it all he has and attempts to keep the princess as happy as possible. Knowing the monster's ever-changing mood and foul temperament, Jing knows it's only a matter of time before she lashes out again.
"It was shunted into another plane of alternating realism, like a warped window covered in smudges... and filled with fake people." Pagma further explains.
When the spider touches her, she suddenly feels off. She's not sure if it's just the fact that she touched her or if it's something more. Regardless, her patience was beginning to wane and she wasn't sure how much longer she could keep it together. Regardless, she tries her best.
"You know what I'd like to see shunted into another plane of reality?" Sakura grumbles under her breath.
Turning her attention to the spider, she asks "Would you like to see our teahouse? Beautiful creations are made their just for you."
Lady Ren frowns slightly as she sits, folding her spider legs behind her. "Hmm. You allow me to seat myself without being given a cup of tea or hot wine first? Is this how you treat honored guests in the provinces?" She clucks her tongue in disappointment.
Kamo looks at her, curiously. What is she so upset about?
Pagma's eyes widen "Princess Ren, you follow the ancient ways of tea etiquette. I was taught offering someone tea at the door fell out of favor long ago. We could get you a cup now if you like?"
"[b]Us mortals are so short-lived, it is easy for us to get stuck in the present,"[b] Jing offers to the Princess, by way of excuse.
"So, you are saying my etiquette is outdated? I see..." Lady Ren says, narrowing her eyes. "I will take my hot tea now."
As she waits for her tea, you make more efforts to impress the jorogumo princess. Indeed, despite your concealed revulsion for the woman, you make great strides towards influencing her further.
"Now that the Lady Lang Loi is in charge of Shenmen, there will be some changes in store for your town," she says. "Firstly, you will pay tithes every year during the season of ghosts ritual at the end of each spring. Secondly, all tengu who live in or enter the village are to be executed immediately. Thirdly, all townsfolk are no longer permitted to read or write, and all books must be turned over to the jorogumo for safekeeping. Finally, all coins and cold iron in the village are to be melted down, so as to avoid the temptation of money corrupting the hearts of mortals.
"I am nothing if not magnanimous. I will graciously allow your town until the first tithe is due on the last day of spring to meet these requirements."
When Pagma brings the tea out, Lady Ren asks about the history of the tea pot and cup while the tea is prepared, clearly expecting a significant answer. As Pagma pours the tea, the jorogumo once again frowns at her. "You did not kneel to serve me. Really, I had expected better from you."
At the suggestion of kneeling, Pagma dislike of the woman is overcome for a moment, "Kneeling? OH! Are you getting married, Lady Ren? Is this practice for the ceremony?" Pagma quickly humbles herself to her knees, pressing her forehead to the ground, "May your martial days be bliss and serentity."
She lets her tea and food speak for themselves, all have been taste tested by all her friends, with tweaks and some ignoring of personal tastes. She swears Sakura thinks every item should burn ones insides out with spice.
While the spider princess indulges, Pagma kneels to play a two stringed instrument with a bow. She is not practiced enough to make complicated music, just soft background music meant to punctuate the flavors of the tea.
As Pagma prepares the tea, Kamo subtly arranges the place settings and directs traffic through the room to encourage a positive flow of energy during the ceremony. He's at the limit of patience for talking to the visitor.
Sakura takes a long, steadying breath as she slowly turns to face Kamo with an expression that clearly says I am ready to "serve her" with her katana.
She knows she is not a princess, but her friends are more than humble villagers. They are heroes who should be celebrated, not made to kneel and serve tea to a monster.
Worse yet, she was taking away their freedoms and their coin?
She grabs her knuckles, grinding her teeth and does her best not to lose her patience.
"Must we turn over all writen material? May we not retain some books? And writing as well? It seems like these are critical skills that would allow your people to flourish?"
Once the group starts catering to the princess's needs inside the tea house, the familiarity of it all eases Jing's nerves. They have done this before, hosting important and imposing figures, and they succeeded then and they will succeed now. "I am sure that your magnanimous nature will be remembered by the townsfolk of Willowshore even after a hundred years have passed, Lady Ren. They might remember you forever though if they were allowed to read and write."
Lady Ren seems offended by Pagma's snarky remarks, but that's quickly smoothed over by the quality of the tea and food she serves to the princess. When Sakura questions Lady Ren's demands, the jorogumo makes a show of tapping her chin with her spider legs before sighing at length. "Well, I suppose it would be alright to preserve some of those skills. I shall remove that stipulation, as per your request."
As the service progresses, against all odds, Lady Ren finds herself warming up to you (especially Jing-De, who she steals longing glances at every so often). Her posturing diminishes, and she begins to ask more questions about Willowshore, the Tan Sugi tree, and the supernatural troubles you have been facing of late.
Against all odds, by the time the tea service is done, you have managed to convince Lady Ren of not only the importance of preserving the Tan Sugi tree, but that her own existence is in as much as danger as your own. "It is clear there is more going on here than I had assumed upon my arrival. It is usually not in my nature to be so accommodating, but I believe it will be in all of our best interests for you to continue your work in protecting this place. I shall allow you to proceed without any interference—you may keep your books, your coins, your tengu, though I will still return on the first day of spring to collect the tithe. And perhaps on that day, some of you shall come with me to my palace. I assure you, you will see wonders and pleasures there the likes you can only imagine. Until then, please take these items. They may be of use to you."
Lady Ren gives you a messenger's ring along with four doses of dust of corpse animation. Without another word, she departs the teahouse and returns to her palanquin. Her servants carry her to the edge of town, where all of them fade away into nothingness. However, a hardwood chest remains behind. The chest contains six moonstones worth 25 gp each, a greater persona mask, and a greater perfect droplet. Additionally, the four silver collars worn by her servants remain behind.
Tomorrow is the first day of the lunar new year. You'll be able to use the transmigrate ritual to finally bring all of Willowshore out of the mindscape and into the real, modern world...
This version of the ritual must be cast near Willowshore’s Eternal Lantern, which is located on the southern side of Dawnstep Bridge. As with the 4th-level version of transmigrate, this ritual requires the creation of a kiln within 30 feet of the Eternal Lantern, within which a scale model of the town of Willowshore must be crafted from clay. On the first day of casting, the kiln itself is prepared and anointed with aromatic oils. On the second day, a platform of sakaki wood slats is built in the kiln and then anointed with additional oils. On the third day, the town of Willowshore is sculpted on the platform from clay. On the fourth day, heron feathers and sticks of incense are placed in the sculpture’s still drying clay; the sticks of incense are lit and continually replaced through the day as they burn. Finally, on the fifth day, the kiln is lit and the sculpture is fired. The next day, as the people of Willowshore awaken from the ritual, its effects will become apparent.
Critical Success: The Willowshore mindscape transmigrates wholly into the living world. The full extent of what transmigrates depends on how many Preparation Points remain unspent at the end of this adventure, but the Critical Success at this ritual grants the party an additional 12 Preparation Points to determine this success, as detailed at the start of the next adventure.
Success: As critical success, without bonus Preparation Points.
Failure The ritual fails, but a new attempt can be made after 24 hours have passed.
Critical Failure: As failure, but the failed ritual also spreads waves of despair through town, causing food stores to rot away and buildings to take damage as if affected by years of neglect. The party loses 12 of their remaining Preparation Points, deducted as they see fit from Hope Points, Food Points, and Security Points. If the party can’t deduct the full 12 points from their remaining Preparation Points, reduce all points to 0. Their next attempt to cast the ritual at 5th-level takes a –2 status penalty to its checks.
"Thank goodness that horrible woman is gone," Kamo comments as he attaches her give to his sword. "It's a good thing that you were here, Jing-De. I might have slipped something into her tea if I was forced to talk to her for one more minute."
In more pleasant tasks, Kamo dives right in to clearing space for the ceremony around the lantern. He juggles his notes on the ritual with buckets of clay, armloads of incense, and sacks of feathers.
"Back to life, and hopefully some new fillings for our dumplings. We need a fresh load of spices!"
Over the next five days, the townsfolk perform the ritual of transmigration under Kamo's watchful eye. Once everything has been done, you go to bed for the night, uncertain of what will come next. After more than a century forced to relive the same awful year over and over again, the time has finally come to break free.
Act 4: To Bloom Beneath the Web
Chapter 1: Willowshore's Return
You awaken. You find yourselves not in your beds, but on the south end of Dawnstep Bridge, near the comforting light of the Eternal Lantern. The world feels subtly but unmistakably different now, as though it had become more finely grained. Motes of dust shimmer in the sunlight, the breeze carries vibrant scent on its wings, and even the ground seems somehow more solid. This is no longer a mindscape. This is true, living reality.
The cold winter is gone, replaced with the warm breeze and sunshine of the first day of spring. As you look around, you can see Willowshore is in the same condition as it was within the mindscape. The buildings are in good repair, and many of its citizens are beginning to emerge from their homes, blinking in the sunlight. There is laughter, gasps, and sobs of joy from all around.
You did it! You're alive!
Kamo stretches out and gives a big sigh: "Does anyone else feel more hungry than usual? I think now that I'm alive I'm going to need to eat some bigger meals!" His stomach rumbles.
"Of course, we should probably check on everyone and save the world, too. But...breakfast first."
Sakura smirks at Kamo. "Fine. Breakfast first. But after that, we’re making sure everything,and everyone,is really here."
Her gaze hardens slightly, hand clamping tight around the hilt of her blade."We’ve got loose ends to tie up before we can really call this victory."
Pamga shoots up awake. The sensation of being smothered overwhelming her as her blankets, no her nightshirt, traps her. "What? This shirts... is... looser than I remember" Pagma muffled under her cavernous bedclothes, only to stop and listen "That isn't my voice."
"Help!" the singsong voice carries through the Yuzuki's door a split second before a small winged creature flies through the window. "I changed! " the pixie cried "It's me, Pagma, but it is not me!"
"Daikitsu's tails!" Kamo shouts when he sees Pagma. "What happened to you? Experimental shrinking potion, again??"
The small Pagma's eyes go WIDE in contemplation "That would be interesting. Maybe a bit of mushroot vin- No!" her hands spray out to cut off her wondering "I just woke like this."
Sakura stares at the fluttering Pagma in disbelief. "Well, that’s certainly new. Did you anger some kami in the process of saving the town, or is this just... you?"
She can't help but smirk as she says "You know, it kind of suits you, Pagma. All that explosive energy crammed into a smaller, winged package. Maybe it’s a blessing in disguise?"
She kneels slightly to be closer to Pagma’s height. "Alright, let’s not panic. First question. Can you still make bombs, or are we in for pixie-sized explosions now?"
"I... I haven't tried!" panic flares, but then the pixie got that look like she always does when she goes away to think about explosions. "Yes! Everything it still in my head, just need to adjust my visual measuring." she held up two fingers to show a pinch, which will be much less in her small fingers.
At this point anyone who has never watched her make her explosions realizes she does not measure precisely with anything. Which probably explains how her bombs are so erratic.
Even though Willowshore came back fully intact, its citizens won’t instantly acclimate to the world. Over a century has passed, after all. Townsfolk who might have had friends or family beyond Willowshore’s borders must come to terms with the fact that they’ve outlived them, and the task of reestablishing trade with Karahai or other towns and villages will be complicated by the fact that most of those who learn the news of Willowshore’s return will initially fear that the townsfolk are vengeful ghosts.
The town elders approach you soon enough to congratulate you and thank you for restoring the town to life. They are initially confused by Pagma's new form, but they chalk it up to the whims of the spirit magic. Despite the positive mood in the town, there is one sore spot that sticks out—the mansion of Governor Heh Shan-Bao. The governor’s manor has returned in a state of ruin, its walls overgrown with fungi and vines and its roof sagging. No one in town dares approach the manor, but Granny Hu and Old Matsuki humbly request that you explore the place to deal with any hidden dangers that may be lurking within.
"Yes, of course we'll look at it," Kamo assures them. "No doubt the Governor's foolish meddling interfered with the magic."
Originally built from exquisite materials, the governor's manor now appears to be badly damaged by time and neglect. It is a foreboding place, an unnatural chill seeming to seem from within into the surrounding ground. As you get within 30 feet of its walls, an unsettling wave of malice and sinister energy ripples invisibly out from the manor, causing those who view the building to see a leering, evil face glaring at them from the structure’s architecture.
Success: The creature experiences a brief vision of the manor’s facade twisting into an immense, horrific face and becomes frightened 1. The creature can attempt the same Occultism or Religion check as above, but the DC increases to 33.
Failure: As failure, but the creature becomes frightened 2 and is fleeing for as long as it remains frightened. The creature can attempt the Occultism or Religion check to Recall Knowledge normally (DC 33).
Critical Failure: As failure, but the creature can’t reduce its frightened condition below 1 for 1 minute. In addition, the overwhelming fear causes the creature to become stupefied 1; this condition persists until it’s cured magically or the hazard is disabled.
Kamo runs away from the house!
Pagam grabs hold of the fleeing Kamo and is carried along, lost in her own fear.
Jing tries to resist the gruesome visage, but when Pagma and Kamo turn around and bolt, Jing's resistance falters and he runs after them. Perhaps he runs even a little harder than his two friends.
Sakura flees right alongside the rest of the party! After a short time, you regain your wits, but the lingering terror still has Jing-De shaken.
"No! I refuse to go back! Whatever haunts that place, it will be the end of us!"
Fear, it seems, has taken control of Jing's faculties.
"No, we must try. We'll never secure the village if we can't walk into that part of it!" Kamo condends. "And you are the bravest, Jing-De, come on!"
He tries to approach the building again.
"See, not so scary. Just a horrifying face rising from the ruins!" Kamo shivers. "Now, let's see what is causing this aura..." He examines the outside of the manor, muttering words in several strange langauges.
Pagma managed to get close to the door again, her small wings trembling. The place seemed to remind her of all the horrible abominations they have been witness to over the many months since awakening.
Working together, Kamo and Pagma are able to quiet the haunt. Once your fear subsides, you cautiously enter the governor's manor.
The temperature drops enough to frost breath within this ruined entrance. Moldering mats lie on the stained wood floor. The walls are overgrown with patches of fungi and coiling moist vines. A thick curtain of vines hangs over the roof to the north, forming a wall of dripping vegetation that blocks the view into the courtyard. Doors exit into halls to the west and east.
"Daikitsu watch over us as we make our way through this...yuck," Kamo breathes. "Let's make sure there are no residents here, or remnants of evil spirit that traveled over with us."
He peeks through the door to the west.
Kamo leads the way through the western hall and into the rooms in the southwest part of the manor. Moldering fulus once hung from several of the walls in these servants’ quarters, but now, only fluttering tatters remain amid deep claw marks in the walls. Bunk beds, dressers, chairs, and other furnishings lie in crumbling heaps on the floor, tangled amid the scattered bones of several human skeletons.
Moments after you enter the room, four shimmering red ghostly skeletons rise up from their bones, shrieking and extending their talons towards you!
Jing invokes spiritual wrath on the undead and then, knowing his place in combat, quickly backs off to Kamo and Sakura deal with them up close.
Little Pagma grabs vial after vial and chucks them at the shimmering ghosts, then flies behind her warrior friend.
Jing-De's spell blasts the ghosts, particularly damaging one of the quartet. Pagma's ghost bombs make contact and explode, destroying two of the most damaged enemies. Sakura moves in to slice the remaining ghosts.
The ghosts shriek and attack the fighter!
Kamo circles the ghost and looks for a weak spot in it's ectoplasmic structure. Knowing his sword won't do too much, he pulls out his staff and swings in the same motion.
for & &
Jing opens his heart and floods the world with the warmth of the Celestian Lovers, Tsukiyo and Shizuru.