Smiling at both Doctor Dami and Lek, as they convey gratitude, the Alchemist's hands gladly take the elixirs.
Precissse presssents perfectly pilfered.
The Nagaji grins.
Li Jie follows them to the shrine. The Nagaji begins the blessing ceremony.
Abbott beget sons. Emmett and Eric. Eric beget sons. Larry. His brother Daryl. And his other brother Daryl.
"You are not in my debt, Doctor Dami, both because I did nothing to save you and because I am still in your debt. I'll never forget how you cared for Malee when she was terribly sick." He says, before adding. "And how you never gave up."
Kwan Tai goes still, eyes burning from beneath his helm, but he remains silent.
The ritual is a success, and the third copper coin glows softly. You now have everything you need to relight the Eternal Lantern!
|
"We still have to help the children, but maybe we should bring everyone here back to the trade office? Then we can light the flame and bring the doctor to help the children?"
The Nagaji flicks his tongue in agreement at Hooli.
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Doctor Dami insists on staying at the clinic, so as not to worsen the injuries of his patients. You make haste back to Dawnstep Bridge, where the Eternal Lantern stands. You opens the grill on the lantern's southern face, place the blessed copper coins in the cold iron cage within, and then close the grill again. The lantern immediately ignites once more, shedding bright light around it. The strange fog that had blanketed Willowshore clears away at once! The sun shines in the sky above, a bright summer day.
You can feel a stirring in your spirits as the gods' blessings on the copper coins suffuse you as well.
Smiling a bit at the appearance of sunlight, Li Jie nods at Hooli.
Yesss. Save the Children. Save the World.
"I was not sunbasking; it is just more colorful out now." Tai is caught quite off guard by the accusation. "Ye- Yes. We should go."
Lek inhales deeply, closing his eyes as the sun hits them. "Taking a moment to feel the sun warming our hearts could help us find purpose later, when surrounded by darkness."
"The dark will always be with us, Kasem Buakham. Only cowards fear it."
You find the wayward teenagers making their way to safety. They had been partying on their own last night when they became trapped by gremlins, but with the fog clearing, the monsters fled, allowing them to escape!
***
Over the next few hours, it becomes evident that the monsters and perils in most of Willowshore have abated. Citizens who have been hiding in their homes or gathering in safe zones emerge cautiously, yet the people of Willowshore remain frightened. Nothing like this has happened before, and the town’s leaders will have their hands full keeping the citizens comfortable, safe, and calm.
A delegation of citizens from Southbank arrives at the Ceiba-Duyue Exchange, lead by Old Matsuki himself. The leader of Southbank has earned his moniker--at nearly 99 years old, Shou Matsuki is the only human left in Willowshore who has experienced the village’s entire history in person.
"You are the heroes who reignited the Eternal Lantern, eh?" Old Matsuki says, beaming at you. "All of Willowshore is in your debt. But we are not out of the woods yet." He turns from you to Granny Hu, the warmth leaving his smile. "Hello, Ban-niang."
"Shou," Granny Hu says in acknowledgement, her voice icy. It is a well-known fact that the two elders don't exactly get along. Nevertheless, they put aside their differences for the time being to see to the town's safety and welfare.
***
Part 2: Reclaiming Willowshore
It is late afternoon by the time Old Matsuki and Granny Hu summon you to speak with them. They thank you once again for your heroic efforts so far, but they tell you that there is still one notable part of town still in danger: downtown Willowshore remains controlled by monsters, and any citizens who were trapped there remain prisoners or worse. More disturbing, now that the mists are gone, the light of day has revealed an unsettling truth. The governor’s manor, once situated at the northeastern corner of downtown Willowshore, has seemingly vanished!
"As I mentioned before, we believe the monsters' ringleader, Mo Douqiu, is lurking somewhere in the downtown area," Granny Hu says. "If he is defeated, the remaining monsters will likely flee. Thus, finding him should be a priority."
"But you should also endeavor to rescue any of the town's citizens you come across," Old Matsuki says. "There has been too much pain and loss already."
The elders have gathered up some supplies for the dangerous task. They present you with ten minor healing potions and eight potency crystal talismans.
Kasem shakes his head at Kwan's comment. "Cowardice and fear have little in common, Kwan Tai. Fear is a reaction. A man who is fearless cannot be courageous... he is just a fool. Courage is a complement to fear, a decision."
***
Once asked if they are the heroes, Kasem nods, pointing gesturing to the other three. "They are indeed. I'm merely accompanying them."
The Nagaji seems to be smiling at the mention of being heroes, although Li Jie does nod in acceptance.
Tai glares off to the side at being called a 'hero'. "Heroes just get other people killed."
***
"Remember, we are no longer at home, we are at war. Use what is familiar; see what has changed. Trust none of it until our mission is complete."
Little Blue glares at the hobgoblins comments about Use what is familiar .
Li Jie smiles.
There’s one way to find out what the creatures want! When you are ready, you return to the streets of downtown Willowshore. They remain eerily empty, with evidence of battle all around.
The opulent Governor’s Manor, just yesterday the crowning jewel of downtown, has vanished without a trace. The only indication that there was once a building in this empty lot are the two guardian stone lions that once guarded the entrance of the manor. Both have been defaced and damaged.
Tai marches straight for where the manor had stood. "Li Jie Qiang, Kasem Buakham," he sighs, "Hooli, do any of you know some story of what could have stolen an entire manor so cleanly?"
The Alchemist's tongue flicks out in response to /he rapid motivation to immediately proceed to the manor. Shrugging his serpentine shoulders, the Nagaji travels along with the group. His blue eyes Investigating anything interesting.
Staring at the totally not there manor, Li Jie double checks the address.
We are in the correct ssspot. Yesss.
Unfortunately, you are unable to determine anything about the manor's disappearance. No trace remains of it. It seems like it will remain a mystery for the time being.
As you move through the empty streets of downtown, evidence of violence lies everywhere—splashes of blood on the streets and walls, broken weapons in gutters, and smashed doors and windows.
Across from The Happy Kappa bath house is one of Willowshore's busiest stores, Treesparrow's Rest. None of the sacks or chests of rice, millet, or buckwheat on display in this storefront appears to have been damaged. The pots and vases of fermenting bean paste, rice wine, or pickled vegetables on the shelves also remain untouched. The doors are unlocked. This looks like it might be a safe place to take a breather.
Next to the store is the Sanmi household, the family that owns and operates Treesparrow's Rest. This family home has been thoroughly robbed of nearly everything of worth, from all their cookware to whatever clothing or valuables they had in their antique drawers.
Searching: Li Jie discovers a stack of letters hidden in a compartment beneath a dresser drawer. Reading the letters reveals a secret and blossoming relationship between the youngest generation of the Sanmi and Hu families, Yuli Sanmi and Hu Lelong. The highly traditional Sanmi family would not approve of this relationship!
Adjacent to the Sanmi household is a house with a double-layered mud wall that regulates heat, cold, and sound—though it isn’t up to the task of dampening the rabble of high-pitched voices within. Inside, a half-dozen jinkins are making a mess of the place! They laugh and cavort, stumbling about drunkenly. Two jinkins in particular are playing a game of catch with a collection of stolen jewelry (more accurately, a game of “toss, drop, and then scramble to pick back up”). Two young villagers cower in the corner of the room--Yuli Sanmi and Hu Lelong.
When the jinkins notice you, they grin and immediately begin vying for your attention. "Ooh! The oni are here!" one calls.
"Hey! Look at me!" shouts another as it smashes a plate over its head.
"Watch this!" a third cries as it swings from a chandelier and crashes into a cabinet!
Li Jie places the letters in his satchel. The Alchemist's eyes dart over to the sudden appearance of the gremlins.
So, are you guys from 'round here.
The Nagaji looks to his companions with a questioning look....
Kwan Tai gives Hooli a hard look but doesn't contradict her. By the Black Rider, what is she planning?
The arts of diversion were Kasem's bread and butter, being an illusionist and a performer. It was shocking obvious that the gremlins were trying to draw their attention, so instead, Kasem looked elsewhere. What are you trying to hide?
"Eek! Okay, okay! Let's get out of here!" the jinkins cry as Hooli terrifies them! They all scramble and stumble out of the house, scattering into the streets!
Kasem doesn't notice anything else here that the gremlins were trying to obfuscate. It seems that they were just, in fact, very, very drunk.
Yuli Sanmi and Hu Lelong sigh with relief and bow gratefully. "Thank you," Yuli says. "The gremlins forced the rest of my family into the shed in the backyard. They kept me and Lelong here as their servants. We had been giving them rice wine in the hope that they would pass out and allow us to escape, but the drinks only made them rowdier and more destructive!"
Lelong points to the jewelry they were playing with. "I think most of those are stolen. Would you allow me to take one of those necklaces, though?" he asks hopefully. "I, uh, want to take it to my uncle Zheng Peng sort out who the rightful owner might be." He and Yuli share a look.
"Who are we to allow you to do one thing or another?" Kasem asks, arching his eyebrows.
"If your uncle can identify the owners of them, should we not take all of them to him instead?" He asks, looking at the particular necklace Hu is talking about. "What would make this one particular of your interest?"
"Well, uh, it doesn't have to be a specific necklace," Lelong hems and haws. Kasem gets the sense that the young man is concealing something.
Li Jie smiles at Hooli's Shananagins.
Perhaps, I may provide you with a proper Alchemical Elixir for that.
The Nagaji then turns serious serpentine eyes to meet those of Lelong.
There is zero time for your Shananagins. The town has been Wayland and tormented this night. Tell us what we need to know as to further conclude this particular portion.
"I am no Oni, but I do not need to be to get the truth from you, boy."
Lelong swallows nervously as Kwan Tai threatens him. Yuli puts her hand on Lelong's arm. "It's okay, Lee. The truth is, the two of us are together, but we have had to keep our relationship quiet. My family are staunchly traditional Southbankers. For me to be involved with the grandson of Northridge's leader... If they knew, they would disown me in an instant."
Lelong squeezes Yuli's hand and turns to you. "We've already decided that we're going to elope. Hopefully our families will think we simply died in the monster attacks. That's the only way we can be together and not bring shame on ourselves or our families. But we need funds to make it out there on our own. So... we wanted to take the necklace to sell."
Kwan Tai has no eye for jewelry, but he picks out the necklace that looks the most expensive and holds it before them.
"You are committed to this? You would leave your families, your lives behind?" He looks Yuli hard in the eyes, "This boy means so much to you?"
The Nagaji hisses.
If you must hide love, than that love will fail.
Tai rounds on the nagaji. "Still your tongue."
Li Jie nods to Tai.
Let's be about cleansssing this town of the evil that hasss invaded usss.
Yuli nods solemnly to Kwan Tai. "He does."
Once Hooli holds out the necklace, Lelong takes it with a grateful smile. "Thank you. We will not forget your kindness here today! Take care!" The two young lovers run off.
***
Behind the Sanmi house is a large shed. Built almost like a bank vault with its cast-iron doors, this backyard storage has only a single round window that allows in air from the outside. The small vegetable garden in the backyard has an abundance of cucumbers.
Matriarch Nadoya Sanmi and the rest of the family are huddled within the shed. They are grateful to see you. "The gremlins who took over our house ordered us to stay here in the shed. Are those monsters still there? Are Yuli and the other young man safe?"
Kasem remains lost and silent at the exchange, only coming to his senses after the couple has fled, frowning to them.
---
As they rescue the others, Kasem greets them and beckons them to leave. "The monsters were driven away, so you have nothing to worry about."
He then takes a deep breath before adding. "Yuli and the young man, Lelong, are also fine, at least for now. They've fled together, as a couple, hoping to restart their lives somewhere else." He frowns at the matriarch. "That is, if they survive the roaming monsters."
Kwan Tai glowers at Hooli. "You mistook me."
***
Tai is quite surprised that Lek has immediately informed on the young couple, but doesn't add any words of his own, yet.
"They what?!? And you just let them go?" Nadoya shouts, her face turning red with anger. She launches into a lengthy diatribe about exactly just what she thinks about those no-good Northridgers, and how dare you encourage her daughter to do something so foolish!
She calms down eventually, but her anger still simmers as you escort the family to safety at the edge of the downtown area.
|
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Hooli bites back harsh words of her own, but mentally notes that perhaps some good pranks for Nadoya might put her in a better mood. Or at least put Hooli in a better mood.
Once they're well rid of the old woman, Hooli turns to her companions. "Where to next? Maybe we should see what happened to all the guards? They're the ones who should be doing this, right?"
Li Jie only hisses in laughter at the predictable response by Nadoya. The Nagaji then nods to Hooli.
Yesss. We need to evaluate the remaining defensive Repertoire.
You head to the imperial guard house across from the empty lot. The office looks like a hurricane has been through it, with documents strewn about the room. Very few furnishings remain in the room at all. A small, sunken courtyard covered from above by a canopy of wisteria in bloom leads to the dingy prison. The seven cells have iron bars and brick walls.
Ten of Willowshore's guards languish in the cells, along with the captain of the guard, Zheng Peng! The guards are relieved to see you, and Zheng Peng calls you over. "At last, rescue has come! The monsters that attacked the town captured us and locked us in here. But fortunately, there is a spare set of keys hidden under a loose brick over there! Unlock the cells so we can get out of here!"
Li Jie slithers silently around the strewn documents, broken and bashed splintered furniture and even a half eaten sandwich. The Nagaji peers into the dingy prison. Seeing and hearing the town's guards inside, the Alchemist retrieves the keys to allow them egress.
Left you alive. Seemsss there may be a purposssse, yesss.