"I must apologize for abandoning my post," Ugly Cute says, chagrined. "I had visions of an abandoned Willowshore left to crumble into ruins reclaimed by the forest after some sort of monstrous invasion. That is what caused me to awaken and head off into the forest. And that is where I found most of you! A group of faceless monsters had dragged you away while you were sleeping, no doubt for some nefarious purpose! I drove them away."
The stone spider chuckles. "So I saved you first, I suppose, and now you have returned the favor! I kept going, chasing those faceless things. But I ended up lost in the woods and badly damaged. I had to return to this place to recover."
"Let me rest here tonight to finish healing, the tomorrow you can escort me back to resume my watch.
"I don't know exactly what is going on, but I can tell you this: the mists surrounding Willowshore are the beginning of the town’s doom, a curse brought upon the region by an unknown force—one that I sense is tied to the faceless monsters who abducted you. These faceless monsters have claimed an old lumber camp to the west of town, near Ceiba River’s source. Perhaps clues about the curse can be found there?"
Xiung-Lau nods, glancing at the others. "Should we head immediately to this lumber camp, or spend the evening here to protect Ugly Cute and escort them back to the village tomorrow?"
The Nagaji just stares at the talking Guardian statue....
Snapping out of his reverie, Li Jie turns to Xiung-Lau.
Bessst not to let the little sshit out of our sssight. Lumber camp tomorrow.
As thanks for your help and as a apology for abandoning you in the woods, Ugly Cute breaks off a small piece of their enchanted carapace and gifts it to you.
The next day, you journey back to Willowshore. The townsfolk cheer at their guardian's return, and Ugly Cute climbs back onto their post at Spider Gate on the eastern edge of town. There, the guardian spirit will settle in to watch and observe, leaving the active defense of the town to you. If Ugly Cute has any revelations during their time of introspective guardianship, they’ll waken again to alert you.
Before the statue becomes dormant again, though, they warn you about the large number of the faceless monsters at the lumber camp. "It is a strong fighting force. You should do well to ensures you are fully prepared before venturing there."
Xiung-Lau says to the others, "This is a useful gift, but not suitable for my needs. Let us hope we do not encounter spirits that would require such a weapon." He clutches his staff cautiously.
As he listens to Ugly Cute's advice, he says, "I see... Perhaps we should investigate the estate first?"
Kwan Tai nods, "A full reconnaissance before we commit to a strike."
Another examination of the empty plot where the governor's mansion once stood reveals no further clues. There are no lingering magical auras or anything else that might indicate how the manor disappeared. The town elders have come to the conclusion that some supernatural force with a grudge against the governor must have had some role in the mysterious vanishing.
"We don't know anyone in town who has the right combination of power and motivation to pull something like this off, but there was an incident that happened about three years ago," Old Matsuki tells you. "It was the winter of 7105. Governor Heh received a missive from Sze to be on the lookout for 'dangerous fugitives' said to have attempted to curse the imperial family. When one of these fugitives, a singer named Fan Hongrui, showed up in Willowshore claiming to be searching for aid in dealing with a friend’s snakebite, the governor attempted to arrest her.
"Fan Hongrui used magic to distract and injure his guards and then fled. As soon as the guards recovered, the governor led them in pursuit of the woman. They tracked her to Canary Inn, a roadside shelter to the northeast of Willowshore, but in the tense standoff that followed a fire erupted. Officially, the fire is believed to have been triggered by the fugitive, but there are more than a few who claim the governor and his guards started the blaze in an attempt to force the fugitive and her allies out into the open.
"What none contest is that the final words Hongrui sung out as the building burned seemed to unsettle Governor Heh, for she promised that 'All those who serve Lung Wa will soon known how it feels to lose it all!'
"At the time, it seemed little more than the dying oath of a criminal, but in hindsight, with Lung Wa collapsing within a year, I wonder if there was more magic to the oath than the governor suspected. In any case, the bodies of Fan Hongrui’s two accomplices were recovered and buried near the ruined building, but her remains were never found."
Old Matsuki leans back and takes a swig from his jug of rice wine. "I admit the connection to Governor Heh’s disappearance three years later seems tenuous, but it’s the closest thing we've come up with to explain what could have happened. When you're able, you should head to Canary Inn to investigate the site, if only to confirm this strange story is merely a coincidence to the governor’s disappearance."
Before leaving Ugly Cute, Xiung-Lau asks, "Ugly Cute, you have fought these faceless monsters ... did you determine anything about them? Any specific weaknesses or resistances, perhaps?"
Later, Xiung-Lau listens carefully to Old Matsuki. "Yes, let us check into this. It would be odd to have such a delay in a curse, but anything we can discover related to the incidents."
Once having left Old Matsuki, Xiung-Lau says to the others, "The only theory that occurs to me is that if something happened perhaps to disturb Fan Hongrui's spirit, then perhaps that would invoke the power behind her words ... but what could cause such a thing, I cannot even guess." His hand rests on his belt, where a holy water rests.
The Nagaji just refuses to even acknowledge the speaking stone spider statue.
The Alchemist does whistle a bit at the gauntlet presented to the group. He does nod in gratitude before turning to Tai.
Looks like it may fit you? Hooli?
Listening to the fable being spun by Old Matsuki,the Alchemist's tongue flicks out in disbelief.
A bit of a stretch at this particular junction, but probably will pan out as so.
The Nagaji prepares for a fight at the Lumber camp. He seems excited....
Kwan Tai pulls off his own gauntlet, carefully storing it for future use while he dons Ugly Cute's Gift. "Hooli's notion is a good one. If the inn is connected it will tell us about far more than the camp."
"Well, the creatures have no faces, so anything visual or olfactory would probably not work against them," Ugly Cute muses. "Other than that, I didn't notice any particular weaknesses or resistances."
***
You ride out from Willowshore again, this time following the road up north along the east bank of the Duyue River, then taking one of the old hunter’s trails further east towards the ruins of Canary Inn.
In the early afternoon, you come to a wide spot in the road that allows for a large clearing of tall grass to grow. Just over the sound of the blowing wind, you can hear strange giggling coming from the grass. There is even a single whispered cry of "help me," that sounds more like a threat than a call for aid...
Li Jie hisses atthe tall grass hiding a possibility wolf in sheep's clothing (which sucks because sheep taste better than wolf). The Nagaji begins rummaging loudly in his backpack.
Once his companions are ready, Kwan Tai hefts himself into the grass, flattening it out before it with his polearm.
Xiung-Lau legs Crawler down onto the ground. The spider moves along, hiding within the grass, while Xiung-Lau carefully peers around.
As Kwan Tai begins flattening the grass, three child-sized creatures scurry out towards him! They appear to be humanoid bundles of dry grass and twigs, held together by coils of what looks like glowing blue hair. They giggle as they close in...
"Are these the faceless monsters, do you think?" Xiung-Lau raises his hand, and a shimmering gray bolt of energy springs from his hand toward the nearest of the creatures, flickering in and out of sight.
He points his staff toward one of the other creatures, that hasn't been attacked yet, and dark shadows move out from him toward it.
The Alchemist smiles at the gathered grouping of twigs and berries! He Commands Blue to Quick Brew a Quicksilver Mutagen and pour it down his throat!
Li Jie then will Stride parallel to the advancing twigs and berries before....aiming for the most centered!
Quicksilver Mutagen (Lesser)
Item 1
Source Core Rulebook pg. 549 4.0
Price 4 gp
The bonus to rolls is +1, the bonus to Speed is +5 feet, and the duration is 1 minute.
Frost Vial (Lesser)]
Item 1
Source Core Rulebook pg. 545 4.0
Price 3 gp
Bulk L
The bomb deals 1d6 cold damage and 1 cold splash damage, and the target takes a –5-foot penalty.
Hooli hurls a ball of flame at one of the thatchlings, badly scorching the flammable foe! Lie Jie cools it off with an icy bomb that takes out the small creature and chills the others. Xiung Lau's phase bolt misses. He shrouds one of the thatchlings in darkness, but the creature has darkvision and is unaffected.
The two remaining creatures giggle as they move in to attack Kwan Tai, slashing at him with their fronds.
Li Jie decides not to toss another bomb, Tai being in melee now. Instead the Alchemist reaches for a Javelin and throws it at one!
The Nagaji smiles as he reaches for another..
He shrouds one of the thatchlings in darkness, but the creature has darkvision and is unaffected.
Shroud of night description for failure (emphasis added): ... unless it has greater darkvision, all creatures are concealed to it.
Crawler of Night moves through the grass, hiding in the grass near the thatchlings if possible.
Crawler of Night vanishes in the tall grass.
Xiung-Lau himself moves back a bit, keeping a sufficient distance from the strange creatures, since there's no need for him to be in melee with them.
Assuming that the bundles of twigs won't be easily shattered by a single mighty blow, Kwan Tai shifts his grip to slam the counter-balancing spike from his polearm into them instead.
"Gods above and below, I hate this wretched laughter!"
You make swift work of the remaining thatchlings, burning, impaling, and smashing them to pieces. The clearing falls quiet again, the creatures' eerie giggling silenced.
There doesn't seem to be any indication as to what the thatchlings were up to, other than lying in wait to ambush travelers such as yourselves. Hooli knows that the bodies must be burned to prevent the undead from rejuvenating again.
Xiung-Lau says to Hooli, "Normally, yes, but ... not that laughter."
Collecting his Javelin, the Nagaji laughs.
Kwan Tai scowls, and gathers the twigjacks for their fiery disposal.
After disposing of the thatchlings, you continue on, reaching the ruins of Canary Inn shortly after sunset. The forest road comes to a junction here, just north of which sit several partially burned single-bedroom structures. These half-dozen bungalows once comprised the Canary Inn, but today most of the buildings are burned to rubble, although the surrounding woodland has recovered from the fire. The northernmost structure seems mostly intact.
Three figures sit in the clearing just south of that structure. Two of the figures wear long gray hooded cloaks and sit facing away, their attention rapt on the third figure who stands before them—a young child wearing a red-hooded cloak whose song about butterflies and dreams floats along on a melody that feels much more maudlin and downbeat than its whimsical topic would suggest.
Noticing your approach, the girl stops her song and regards you silently. The other two figures scramble to their feet with the sound of rustling grass and move to stand at either side of the girl. When they turn towards you, you can see that they are thatchlings beneath their hooded cloaks.
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The fur on the back of Hooli's neck immediately rises. This doesn't seem good -- or funny! -- at all.
"Hello, little girl, why are you here, alone, with thatchlings?" she calls out.
She can't help looking closely to see if the girl has very big eyes, or teeth, or any other lupine features.
The girl's expression darkens. "You shouldn't be here," she says in a forlorn voice. "Leave this place at once."
Xiung-Lau clears his throat. "It is the thatchlings that shouldn't be here. This is not their natural place, and they recoil at being denied access to the River of Souls. You seem to be able to communicate with them ... perhaps they are souls that you knew in life? I am Xiung-Lau, and would much prefer to discuss with you what is happening here than fight."
The Nagaji hisses.
It'sss a Trap! We see through the illusssory disssguise. The child isss, in fact, a blood-sssoaked thatchling.
Li Jie winks.
Kwan Tai hesitates, clearly baffled by Li Jie. "...Why are you winking? Is this a jape? I will not strike down a child to no purpose."
"Yes, I knew them," the girl says. "They were my traveling companions. We were all of us slain before our time, burned alive by a lapdog of Lung Wa and an enemy to the individual."
When Lie Jie shouts about it being a trap, the girl's eyes narrow. She points at you, and the thatchlings begin to giggle as they move to attack!
Hanging back, the girl telekinetically hurls a piece of broken wood at Lie Jie, but the nagaji avoids the attack! The two thathclings move to lash Kwan Tai with their fronds, leaving deep wounds!
Xiung-Lau frowns, his eyes darkening as he hurls shadows at the "girl".
He then points the staff at hooded creature and fires another burst of darkness, this one intended to harm rather than merely hinder.
Li Jie smirks at the girl.
The Alchemist Commands Blue to grab a Bestial Mutagen and pour it down his throat!
The suddenly Bestial Nagaji then Strides to her and attempts to Grab her!
Your parents should be ashamed!
Tai's hammer whirls, flexing and looping as the dour hobgoblin expertly manipulates the ever shifting momentum to devastate the twiggy wretches with the balance spike of his polearm.
Lie Jie moves in to the cloaked girl and grabs a hold of her! Hooli moves to flank a foe with Kwan Tai, slashing with her blade. Then Kwan Tai stabs out with his polearm, scoring two critical hits that finish off one foe and badly injure the second! Xiung-Lau pulls shadows over the eyes of the hooded girl and wounds her with a phase bolt.
The girl sobs pitifully before suddenly unleashing a terrifying scream! The scream bolsters herself and her remaining ally, and she lashes out with her nails but misses due to concealment. The other thatchling steps up to attack Kwan Tai again. Luckily, neither one hits.
Xiung-Lau winces, as his ears literally begin to bleed from the pain of the howl.
Angered at the assault on himself and his companion, he holds the shadows in place and hurls another phase bolt at the "girl."
The Nagaji winces at the shrieking!
Hissing at the not a girl, the Alchemist attempts to keep a hold on her!
He squeezes the Charmin!
Li Jie then attempts to take a bite out of the flat-footed so not a girl!
The Alchemist then Raises his buckler.
Kwan Tai bellows right back at the screaming child-thing, blood trickling from his ears as he tries to finish off the thatchling in front of him