Vekka, delighted by the results of tea party, decides to hold one more the following week to give more of the town opportunity to attend. He highlights tea recipes contributes by both the Northridge and Southbank citizens to promote a little cross-polenation.
"You will find the body, I'm certain of it." Sigurd carefully drinks his tea despite his fatigue. "I would help, but the Teahouse must be repaired. It will make a fantastic meeting room, especially for tea ceremonies." He nods to Vekka.
"Unfortunately some of the logs were rotten on the inside and I couldn't use them. I'm glad they were spotted before we used them, but I lost time. I'll keep working on it for now. Best of luck to all of you."
The party moves forward with their various plans. But there is another task that comes to their attention this week.
A very handsome and tall man, Ho Jeong-hui , known as one of Willowshore’s most eligible bachelors, arrives still-shaken , and explains, after some of his panic subsides "You are those that drove away those wolves, the long-necked one , the other gh... phantoms... I believe that I am being hunted by one. Just this evening, I was cooking a late dinner and saw a figure outside my window, so I grabbed my sword and headed outside, expecting a prowler or miscreant..." he collects himself a moment more before continuing "A Faceless Gh... I can't say it... a Faceless Phantom in a long dark robe with a vaguely humanoid shape made of mist and smoke... I think it is still there!"
This is none-other than the manifestations of a dalgyal gwishin - a lonely ghost who died a lonely death who, full of anger, remains envious of well-loved or famous individuals who are surrounded by close friends and admirers — the type of people who would never share the dalgyal gwishin's fate!
They possess a Frightful Presence, and are capable of flying into a Jealous Frenzy!
Jealous Frenzy
[reaction]
(divine, enchantment, mental)
Trigger: The dalgyal gwishin Strikes a creature that has a higher Charisma modifier than itself
Frequency: once per day
Effect: The dalgyal gwishin enters an envious frenzy as it senses strong ties of friendship and personality within the creature it struck. The dalgyal gwishin becomes quickened 1 but can only use its quickened action to Strike the triggering creature. If the dalgyal gwishin fails to Strike the triggering creature at least once during its turn, Jealous Frenzy ends. It also ends after 1 minute. After Jealous Frenzy ends, the dalgyal gwishin is slowed 1 for 1 minute.
Finally, The dalgyal gwishin's most significant physical trait—the lack of a face—is shared with the living aberrations known as noppera-bos. Despite this shared feature and the ability to steal faces, the two creatures don't cooperate and are more often bitter enemies. Anyone slain by a dalgyal gwishin leaves behind an unnerving faceless corpse...
Jeong-hui, a guard dedicated to his job. Sister Sheela has pined over him for quite some time. Strange as she finds authority figures annoying.
But watching him so shaken, terrified... Sigurd decides to take a break.
"You speak of a dalgyal gwishin." Sigurd notes. "They are quite frightening to those who get too close. They like to steal faces, similar to the no nose gh- noppera-bos we fought during the summer." Sigurd puts a hand to his chest. "Anyone slain by the creatures lose their face."
"Lan, be very careful, this creature will most likely target you. You have the potential to be a great leader, I must admit. That kind of charisma will drive them insane with jealousy, and they'll keep hacking away at you."
And so, the party makes haste to Ho Jeong-hui‘s house!
"I am fine with ambushing the creature quickly." Sigurd removes his toolbelt and begins to don his armor. "The last time we hesitated..." he shakes his head. "Let us be quick about it."
"Yes, let's hurry there and destroy it. We'll take care of that creature, Jeong-hui. "
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A note for spell preparers: You woke up this morning expecting to prioritize whatever Downtime you are engaged in.
1st: Charm, Heal, Tether
2nd: Marvelous Mount (2), Speak with Animals
"Yes, let's hurry! Don't worry, Mr. Ho. We'll take care of it!" Auntie Wu takes a swig from her gourd as she dashes after the others.
The party approaches quickly - and some of Mr. Ho's neighbors come outside to see that all the commotion is about!
Dusk approaches rapidly.
The Dalgyal Gwishin lurks in the bushes by the home... a screeching pot of tea can be heard inside his house! - did Mr. Ho forget to turn it off!?
It sees the party through the stone slab covering it's face somehow, and leaps from the bushes to attack!
Open one spoiler per Success (or two w/ Critical)
Defenses?
Negative Healing
Fortitude is weakest
Reflex is best
Resistances / Weaknesses?
Immunities death effects, disease, paralyzed, poison, precision, unconscious
Resistances all 5 (except force, ghost touch, or positive; double resistance vs. non-magical)
Special Abilities?
It has Lifesense as a precise sense w/in 120 feet
Peel Face
[reaction] (divine, necromancy)
Trigger: The dalgyal gwishin critically hits a creature or reduces a creature to 0 Hit Points while in a Jealous Frenzy
Effect: The dalgyal gwishin presses its stony face to the creature's face, causing a ghostly imprint of that face to peel away and duplicate onto its head. The triggering creature must succeed at a DC 24 Will save or become stupefied 1 (stupefied 2 on a critical failure). The dalgyal gwishin's Jealous Frenzy ends, and it doesn't become slowed.
It screams at Lan!
(How can it "see" Lan!? Does it think they are related!?!? Are they!?!?!)
Hustling to Jeong-hui‘s house with the others, he hears the whistling of a teapot from within as they get closer.
"That could be dangerous if he has a wood burning stove..."
Kazuki is suddenly startled as the frightening, faceless phantom leaps from the bushes and screams at Lan.
Vekka warily eyes the neighbors milling about outside of their homes. The last time this happened it didn't go so well.
They need to be back in their homes!
On the plus side, Lan can distract them so no innocents are injured.
Sigurd frowns as a crowd forms. "Indoors! Now!"
Lan is a little unnerved that a faceless ghost might target him, but it's quite understandable. Lan is far more unnerved at the implication that Jeong-hui might not be the second most eligible bachelor in Willowshore.
---
vs DC 22
"Me?!"
With envious rage, the thing descends upon Lan, who also, it seems, has become somewhat of an eligible bachelor himself!
it flies foolishly into the middle of the pack, and savages the handsome, if cowardly, sorcerer. The sight is terrifying to behold - but Lan steels with uncharacteristic bravery!
◆◆) Fly x2
◆) Strike
↺) Jealous Rage
The good news is that no bystanders were caught.
The bad news is Lan is getting mauled.
Another potency crystal burns as Sigurd draws his katana in both hands. This thing will focus mostly on Lan, so Sigurd will keeping him standing for as long as possible.
Pathetic!
◆ Sigurd draws his Katana (2 handed grip)
◆◆ >Restorative Strike<.
- ◆ Sigurd casts >Heal< on himself
- ◆ Sigurd Strikes Dalgyal Gwishin. +1 Status bonus if he uses his katana.
- ◇ If the Strike hit, Sigurd casts Heal on Lan for the same amount.
Vekka is filled with doubt and fear as the thing begins yelling at Lan. Will it steal his face? Will they lose their friend? They've bested many challenges and creatures over the months by now, but it has successfully sent a shock through the tengu's nerves.
The grasping at his katana feels slow and fumbly, reinforcing his degraded confidence.
Beating his fiery spelldrum, he draws his katana to let the energy settle on it, before slashing at the creature.
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Too close! The thing is entirely too close to herself and to Lan, who really doesn't deserve to bear the brunt of all this. She quickly casts Lay on Hands on Lan, then takes a big risk: she stands her ground and casts Vitality Lash, knowing the thing could tear her to ribbons as she does so.
The ghost barely notices Sigurd, whose fear shakes his blade.
Vekka's blazing slash carves it right across it back, badly damaging it.
Auntie Wu's positive burst further incinerates. Ectoplasm discorporates. She fully heals Lan and inures him from further harm.
It screams the bloody murder of self-pity!
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"Well, that's not very nice," Lan says, not frightened in the least.
He shields himself and holds his position to keep the ghost where it is. He'll cast an elemental spell, seeing it resist Vekka's blade.
Whole parts of the Dalgyal’s incorporeal body discorporate completely, shrinking its manifestation, but enlargening its anger!
"We've got him! Kazuki, can you finish him off?"
Just before it discorporates entirely, the Dalgyal Gwishin reaches out one last time desperately for Lan's neck, it's long fingers reaching all the way around, tightening and...
...poof. With a wisp of ethereal mist, it's gone. Only a momentary coolness can be felt around the handsome sorcerer's skin.
And for a moment, everything seems to be still. The villagers not far off not even having a chance to run due to the party's quick work.
Except.
The smell of smoke can be sensed nearby, and now, the telltale crackling of a small flame, and finally: Looking over inside of Ho Jeong-hui's house: it's on fire!
The flames gout and spur - a section of the house lifts into a roaring blaze!
What started as a little untended tea kettle soon splatters wrong and catches blaze. Kindled by material inside of Ho Jeong-hui's house, while the party was outside dealing with the ghost, the fire had a couple precious moments to spark further! Each round, it doubles, until it consumes the entire structure!
➤ Level: Four plus Hazard (+2); base DC 21
➤ Complexity: Until the entire house catches (about 16 squares) or all fire squares are snuffed
➤ Timeframe: Rounds (◆◆◆)
➤ Synergies: Water spells that deal area damage
➤ List of Entry Skills (◆): In order to use an Extinguishing skill that requires being adjacent to the fire square (see Extinguishing Skills), the character must first get into the house with a successful check to Athletics (very easy) or Acrobatics (very easy). If using an Extinguishing skill that has some range (ranged water magic, etc), no need to roll, you can do so from the unblocked front door which is open.
➤ List of Extinguishing Skills (◆◆): Crafting (moderate), Nature (easy), or Survival (easy) while adjacent, or any Tradition using water magic (moderate); Diplomacy or Intimidation to yell to coordinate a bucket brigade (hard, delayed effect).
➤ Aid (◆↺): If you can't bypass the obstacle (see Entry Skills), you can use the same skill to Aid another ally to instruct them (Crafting, Nature, or Survival).
Sigurd is glad the spirit is quelled...
But his victory is short lived as the flames burst to life.
"Fire! Get buckets- dammit, we don't have a lot of time."
Sigurd drops his katana and leaps into the building.
No problem. Now, find a mat, and use it to smother the flames.
Hmpf. Persistent.
The mat burns Sigurd’s hands!
He manages to keep them from receiving too much heat.
I moved Sigurd's token into the house, since that seems consistent with his actions. His position is tactically important because Lan's going to follow him and cast Resist Energy (fire).
The house!
He rushes to the entrance with Sigurd and Lan.
Vekka's katana whirls in both hands, drawing a series of runes before being thrust forward to send a gush of water at the flame.
Vekka snuffs the fire with a well-placed gout.
The village goes quiet.
And stays that way.
Ho Jeong-hui is gracious "I would have hate to have asked to stay with one of you" he remarks, contemplating how he could have lost his entire house.
The party, meanwhile, prepares to head into Week Seven!
Lan @ Week 7 (Favor for Granny Hu)
Bent over, thinking "she" is hidden in an unnatural posture (that would be uncomfortable for a live human to hold for even a moment). That Sigurd had not noticed her was perhaps due to his frustrations with the constant stalling of his renovation project - setback after setback making what should have been an "easy" job anything but!
But even without a Teahouse, Vekka's social gatherings seem to be gaining solid traction among the people of Willowshore - somewhere both northerners and southerners can go with equal regard.
Lan seems to be disappeared off - hanging around The Ceiba-Duyue Exchange - but someone goes to get him while the party decides how to confront the corpse...
Judging from several new scratches and lacerations, this corpse seems to have been hanging around this spikey bush for nearly the time since it went off one-and-a-half weeks ago!
It seems to be obeying commands. Whoever re-animated this corpse wants it to be doing exactly what it is doing...
More rotting logs? Sigurd spent the week rebuilding the scaffolding as the old support had almost collapsed beneath him. The first two weeks were so promising, he's not even halfway done.
He takes some time outside to take a look at the Teahouse. The sun hits the walls just right and he is bathed in the sunlight. Shizuru is telling him to persevere. He will succeed someday.
Or maybe she's highlighting the corpse. Isn't that Old Lady Ge-Be?
"Ah, there you are..." He frowns. It spent the last week and a half here. The good news is the body is merely animated. Lady Ge-Be's soul has already been taken away. Good.
He could simply destroy it, but who ever is commanding it will just do it again. Is there some way to track the controller now that they found the body?
"Tell us who created you!" Lan requests.
The corpse of Old Lady Ge-Be looks at Lan, distantly, understanding that it (Lan) made a sound, but showing no acknowledgement of the attempt to communicate.
Perhaps it would lunge at him, were it not forbade by some directorial impulse to instead remain low in the bush, waiting.
Moments pass. Then minutes. Perhaps 10 minutes passes. Still nothing.
The party, therefore, decides just how long they are willing to wait!
Sigurd realizes trying to outwait a corpse is a lesson in folly.
"I will approach... the body. And I will try to ascertain any clues. Perhaps a physical rune, or some kind of fetish that we can recognize."
Shield raised, Sigurd approaches the corpse. Assuming it doesn't lash out, he begins to inspect it for Religious significance.
"If we find nothing, then we will have to simply banish it."
As Sigurd approaches the corpse, Kazuki remains as still as a tree trunk, his bow drawn. He keeps his aim steady, staring down the shaft of his nocked arrow, ready for any movement.
It's not waiting for us. But who is it waiting for?
Vekka eyes the corpse at length. For now he lets Sigurd inspect it up close.
Later, I will consult with Jubei and see if anyone has been poking around, researching such animation magics.
His hand is on the handle of his blade (still sheathed for now).
10 minutes pass.
The party decides whether or not to destroy the creature as it low crouches in the bush, obeying, waiting…
And how long they are willing to find out?
Another round? Minute? 10 minutes? Hour? Day? Week?
Sigurd notices Auntie Wu approaching.
"I will Aid you, Auntie Wu. Let's see if there is anything of religious significance. If it takes more than 10 minutes, then we should destroy it. At least the fiend who did this will have wasted their resources."
Sigurd notices Auntie Wu approaching.
"I will Aid you, Auntie Wu. Let's see if there is anything of religious significance. If it takes more than 10 minutes, then we should destroy it. At least the fiend who did this will have wasted their resources."
"If it lunges or attacks, I'm ready to riddle it with arrows." Kazuki states, still staring down the shaft of his drawn arrow.
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"Enough!" Auntie Wu has had it. Sometimes you can't pull up the whole weed by the roots, but you still need to yank out what you can so the crops can grow. She stands at the very edge of her range and casts Vitality Lash on the animated corpse.
Old Lady Ge-Be's corpse crumples under the strain of vital energy - the flesh melts exposing bone which instantly disintegrates into dust...
...and something nearby tries to slink away!
You see a black cat - it is very sneaky!
You can attempt to follow it by rolling another Perception check now - DC 20 - otherwise it'll be able to sneak away!
"Lady Ge-Be. May you know peace. Please move on to- Auntie Wu?"
He shealths his katana and quickly moves to follow her, though at first he doesn't quite know what he's looking for.
Cornered as Auntie Wu corrals the party around it, it turns to you and speaks.
”I’m sorry, I was just curious…” it circles around and bunts her leg ”She used to feed me when she was alive, so I thought, well, I have this magic, so…”
[ dice=Auntie Wu's Diplomacy (T)]1d20+7[/dice]
[ dice=Ho Lan's Diplomacy (T)]1d20+10[/dice]
[ dice=Sigurd Kolphan's Diplomacy (T)]1d20+7[/dice]
[ dice=Vekka Tchakon's Diplomacy (T)]1d20+6[/dice]
"Hmm? The cat?" Auntie Wu is chasing a cat... Sigurd follows politely, not understanding, until the feline talks.
He looks to his teammates and is willing to Aid in Diplomacy. Sister Sheela would be very amenable to this, he's certain.