Near-Final Progress:
1) Stable Fire (5) @ ⭐⭐⭐⭐
2) Kimchi's Ascent (2) @ ⭐⭐⭐⭐
3) An Icy Grasp (2) @ ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Awaiting:
2nd check from Lan for Stable Fire (I see only one round?)
The party nearly has a handle on the fire... can Lan save it from quickly spreading to the pastures!?
➤ ➤ ➤ ➤ ➤
Kimchi comes down, and "adopts" Kazuki, refusing to leave his side, even while he stalks away from town!
➤ ➤ ➤ ➤ ➤
Indeed, Goh is hiding something... most of the party picks up on shameful feelings which he is attempting to veil!
And so, they press, to which he responds: "I must go to the river, he calls to me... I left my little brother unsupervised while I snuck away to... his death was..." and he wanders off to the river!
Following him, he seems bent on jumping in, but could be talked down...
[ dice=Auntie Wu's Diplomacy (T)]1d20+7[/dice]
[ dice=Sigurd Kolphan's Diplomacy (T)]1d20+7[/dice]
[ dice=Vekka Tchakon's Diplomacy (T)]1d20+6[/dice]
[ dice=Auntie Wu's Deception (T)]1d20+7[/dice]
Flames:
Lan extinguishes the fire!
---
Goh:
"Your brother may call to you, but you needn't listen. Instead, why don't you tell me a story about your brother, to keep his memory alive? Instead of you following him into death, let him follow you in life."
Lan snuffs the last flame just in time, saving the pastures from major damage!
You discover a charred skull among the remains…
And a headless skeleton nearby!
Later, he manages to talk Goh through his grief, exorcising what spirits had wrested control of his emotions, curtailing the vessel they could have used to wreak havoc on the material plane!
And with the busy week wrapping up, the party makes their plans for Week Ten!
Lan extinguishes the flames. "Quick thinking, Lan. Excellent work- do you see that?"
"A skull? Charred by the flames." Sigurd feels a stiff wind turn his body abruptly. The wind cuts off just as quickly. Perhaps a sign?
"And the skeleton!" He points. "We may be able to track its prints and search the cause of the fire."
By finding the skeleton, Sigurd is ready to track the remains.
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Sigurd prepares to tackle Goh and pull him from the river, but Lan's words are stronger than anything he could muster. The man clearly loved his brother and regrets that fateful day, but there were better days he forgot about.
"Thank you once again, Lan. Shizuru emphasizes community and family most of all, and your strategy reinforced both." Sigurd smiles with a mix of awe and pride.
"I should get back to the Cerulean Teahouse. One more week of good progress and I should be able to finish it. Then we can use it as a meeting ground for all from Willowshore, North or South of the River doesn't matter. Granny Hu will have to keep her end of the bargain this time." He laughs at the silly politics and bickering.
"Good find, Sigurd."
"I really want to follow the tracks of that skeleton. Let's find the source of this fire."
"Remember the skeleton we met named Pick? I hope it wasn't him. No, it couldn't be. He was cursed to remain in that mine, if I remember correctly."
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Auntie Wu's eyebrows rise slowly (whatever she's on right now--hoo!) as Sigurd points out the skull and headless skeleton. "Whaat now? Lemme see..." She gingerly holds the skull, turning it over in her hands.
Reverently setting it down beside the rest of (presumably) its body, she begins helping Sigurd search for tracks and signs of what could have happened.
Maybe she needs to sober up first.
Which she does, eventually. The next day sees her back in the gardens, feverishly harvesting for the winter despite a roaring headache and waves of nausea.
"Let's see where these tracks lead to..."
[ dice=Auntie Wu to Prepare Food #2 (Nature T), Task level 3 (DC 18)]1d20 + 10[/dice] ... Will Hero Point a Crit Failure
[ dice=Sigurd to Repairing the Cerulean Teahouse (Craft, Trained) vs Level 3 (DC 18)]1d20+8[/dice] Sigurd will spend a Hero Point if he Fails or Critically Fails
Kazuki works on repairing the teahouse with Sigurd.
As their recent misadventures subside, Vekka turns his attention back to Willowshore's food stores.
If only I could always feed them tea... but it's not enough. Sustenance is called for.
[ dice=Lan to Raise Hope (Diplomacy) vs Task Level 4 (DC 19)]1d20+10[/dice]
Investigation of the Skull and Skeleton
All in all, the party makes the following discovery: The skull and skeleton belonged to the corpse of an arsonist who, in life, had a short reign of terror and was executed (by decapitation) for their crimes, named Nin Nok. Nin Nok's corpse had animated from the grave by it's own accord (not by necromancer-kitty Yami!), evidenced by the tracks the party discovered that lead from the graveyard to the barn...
Comfortable, even spoiled with his routine, Yami makes his rounds, ignoring...
Kazuki
...Kazuki altogether, who himself is taking care of Kimchi (whom he rescued) , and as a result, the two cats do not meet...
...the forests around Willowshore are quiet, not that anyone was watching...
... Will Hero Point a Crit Failure
Sigurd will spend a Hero Point if he Fails or Critically Fails
...and Yami confounds the work of both Auntie Wu and Vekka, stealing away tidbits of dried meats, and walking under their feet causing them both to drop and ruin a few boxes of stores!
Lan fails to raise spirits, but there is good news:
Yami approaches Vekka at a later time "Do you seek passage to Beyond the Wall of Ghosts? I have been doing some experimenting..." and he shows the tengu a ritual site which he has desecrated by re-animating the corpses of small mice, creating tiny zombies!
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2 Research Points
The curse borders to the north, south, and east are subtle and hard to interact with without stepping directly through them, whereas to the west, the Wall of Ghosts is a visible barrier with recognizable spiritual elements—as such, it’s likely an easier barrier to attempt to remove. Further, the ruins of the Tan Sugi monastery lie beyond this wall, and if this site can still be reached, the lore and libraries within will be invaluable in learning more about the curse itself. Construction on the Tan Sugi monastery began back in 7020, the same year Willowshore was founded, but the monastery was abandoned in 7062, and much of its lore was lost or forgotten.
4 Research Points
The noppera-bo who dwelt in the abandoned lumber camp seemed to believe a “paradise” awaited them beyond the Wall of Ghosts, but perhaps the truth is something else entirely? Others among them worshipped something named “Kugaptee”—a name that sounds familiar but that likely requires more research to learn more about.
6 Research Points
The name Kugaptee is associated in certain old texts with the Tan Sugi monastery and was the name of a powerful nindoru fiend defeated hundreds of years ago by a hero named Tan Sui-Jing. The old legend says Tan Sui-Jing also perished in the battle and that she reincarnated into the towering sugi tree that served as the focal point of the Tan Sugi monastery. Perhaps more information about Kugaptee—including the possibility that the curse might be associated with the fiend—still resides within the abandoned monastery walls?
8 Research Points
Before the Tan Sugi monastery was abandoned, the monks performed daily rituals to ensure the health of the sugi trees, but now that the place has been left to fall into ruin, the most likely source of the curse seems to be Kugaptee’s influence seeping out into the region— particularly given the fact that the monastery appears to be hidden inside a cursed shroud of its own. By spending a little more time researching and drawing upon methods the noppera-bo were attempting to utilize in the previous adventure, the PCs could develop a specialized ritual that might allow passage through the Wall of Ghosts.
10+ Research Points
(This is the final threshold... and allows the party to develop for immediate use the "Open the Wall of Ghosts" ritual!)
Yami's yowling was very distracting, Sigurd almost smashed through a foundational pillar. He redoubles his efforts, passes off Yami to Darius (who knows which stories will bore Yami to sleep or to independence), and finishes the repairs.
"There! It's done." Sigurd relaxes, a sense of pride on his face. "Now people can join together." After the terrible damage done to the house, it feels good to reclaim some of Willowshore.
Sigurd frowns when he hears about the ritual site and the undead mice. But it did provide information on the ritual. A bit more could open the Wall of Ghosts.
But winter is fast approaching. Sigurd has been so distracted on the teahouse he hasn't been able to help. He turns to his allies to figure out how best to proceed...
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Auntie Wu's just about had it with that darn "cat". Yami is a nuisance. She definitely needs a good smoke and a special cup of tea after dealing with it all day. It's so creepy, allowing such a being to continue flippantly raising the dead. Rrrggh! Let the dead rest! Her lips press into a thin line as she contemplates the consequences of zombie mice.
Vekka's efforts to shore up Willowshore's food stores are so disrupted by that damn cat, that he doesn't even want townsfolk to know he was spending effort on it.
Embarrassing.
When it's gone for the day he vents to Jubei, at length, about the negative effects of its thoughtless intrusions.
Here I am, trying to make sure the town gets fed, and... and! Do you think we could craft it a particularly engaging, magical ball of yarn?
He scratches the underside of his beak thoughtfully and turns around to see that Yami has just arrived.
Uh oh, I hope it didn't hear all of that...
Yami approaches Vekka at a later time "Do you seek passage to Beyond the Wall of Ghosts? I have been doing some experimenting..."
Along their walk, he gets the notion that the cat heard nothing and truly wants to show him something.
He nodes solemnly, responding Of course. We seek passage and most of all understanding. Undoing this thing once is one thing, preventing it from happening again is important! Show me what you've come up with...
and he shows the tengu a ritual site which he has desecrated by re-animating the corpses of small mice, creating tiny zombies!
By the time the undead mice comes up, Vekka has no problem or guilt about expressing anger and frustration.
WHAT do you get out of this desecration?! Now that we've learned from this site, can you STOP? His mind races, thinking about what an infestation of zombie mice might do, and how there's essentially no way to control it.
He lets it go and returns to town with Yami. Vekka pays a visit to the teahouse, where he sees that Sigurd is having some success that the group can celebrate. He decides to not bring up his own failures.
"There! It's done." Sigurd relaxes, a sense of pride on his face. "Now people can join together." After the terrible damage done to the house, it feels good to reclaim some of Willowshore.
Well done friend! he claps him on the back. Maybe I should bring out a special blend to mark the occasion!
His expression unfortunately turns more serious.
I... have learned a little more about the curse.
Vekka elaborates on what has been learned, and how Yami learned it.
Before the Tan Sugi monastery was abandoned, the monks performed daily rituals to ensure the health of the sugi trees, but now that the place has been left to fall into ruin, the most likely source of the curse seems to be Kugaptee’s influence seeping out into the region— particularly given the fact that the monastery appears to be hidden inside a cursed shroud of its own. By spending a little more time researching and drawing upon methods the noppera-bo were attempting to utilize in the previous adventure, the PCs could develop a specialized ritual that might allow passage through the Wall of Ghosts.
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Sigurd frowns when he hears about the ritual site and the undead mice. But it did provide information on the ritual. A bit more could open the Wall of Ghosts.
But winter is fast approaching. Sigurd has been so distracted on the teahouse he hasn't been able to help. He turns to his allies to figure out how best to proceed...
Food. The citizens need food most of all, and we are running out of time.
Yami grows suspicious that the party tires of her... she brushes by each party member's leg, and then curls into a spot onto the ground, and stares at them, as if assessing their reactions...
In a sudden move, as if to hedge her bet, she brings gifts to... which are someone's undergarments for Auntie Wu and a single potato for Sigurd...
...and just then, right when it gets weird...
...the mysterious merchant Shinzo reappears!
"Well then. I understand you have made a discovery..." he leaves the implied question hanging in the air, and produces wares sufficient to outfit 5th level characters for a full level up.
Vekka eyes the merchant warily.
How does he always know? Does he get beyond the wall?
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"Ah, Yami." Sigurd sees a potato in her mouth. "That's a bit much for you to carry-"
She drops it at his feet and rubs his leg.
"Is this a gift? Thank you..." he picks it up. The bite marks are clear. Still, it could be salvaged, and he is not one to turn down a genuine gift. "I will cook this during the week. You are of course welcome to try the results. Darius and I can put something together. And Sheela will find a wine pairing."
He can sense the stress of his teammates. "Vekka, I can focus entirely on taking care of Yami this week. Despite the... ritual grounds, it's clear Yami possesses great wisdom and can seek secrets we don't know of."
"Shinzo..." Sigurd gives a polite bow. Better to play with this person's game. Could be Kolphanir in disguise.
"Were you able to find the potency runes for weapons? Do you have one for armor?" He knows the answer to some of these questions, but he may as well keep this "merchant" warned for plausibility.
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In a sudden move, as if to hedge her bet, she brings gifts to... 2d10 which are 2d10 someone's undergarments for Auntie Wu and a single potato for Sigurd...
Auntie Wu's eyes go wide. She uses two sticks to pick up the underwear and holds them up for inspection. They're dirty, but it's hard to say if that's only because Yami was dragging them across the ground. "Oh my... Yami, if these are Granny Hu's undies, you have my undying respect and her undying wrath." Don't tell me otherwise. I want to believe. Even though I know it's too good to be true.
"Vekka, I can focus entirely on taking care of Yami this week."
When Auntie Wu hears this, she rushes over to give Sigurd a fierce hug. "Thank you!!"
...the mysterious merchant Shinzo reappears!
How the heck?! There has *got* to be more to him than meets the eye. Auntie Wu is unfailingly respectful and polite to Shinzo, watching carefully for any hint about his true identity and/or powers.
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Vekka exhales audibly at Sigurd's offer. It's like he's not even wearing his armor anymore.
Oh. Thank you Siguird! I won't let you down. I'll do my best with this time that you've bought. The village needs food... Right after the relief, this persistent topic returns to haunt him.
So much happening the past several days. Working on making the town better, taking care of the talking cat, and all the other things going on...
Everyone has been quite busy!
Learning about the Curse that's plaguing Willowshore is very intriguing. Kazuki hopes he and his friends can lift the curse. Performing a ritual to get through that cursed Wall, too!
Kazuki is excited to help however he can with the ritual and finally get through that Wall!
As the party settles into the preparing for the following week, Sigurd notices something about Yami...
...he finds his friends, and they investigate...
(class)
...with Kazuki's and Auntie Wu's help, they track the kitty to edge of town, and beyond, headed due West!...
...inspection of the age of the tracks gives her a day's lead on the party...
...do they let her go, or prepare to follow her?...
Some fresh fish (hopefully she doesn't try to animate them.)
A comfy bed of straw (does she want a fancier bed?)
Darius has plenty of stories to tell (some less boring than others.)
Sheela is busy working overtime at the Thrice-Blessed Inn (but always brings back some spring water)
Sigurd is ready to spend his week catsitting.
But there is no cat.
"I wish to find Yami's whereabouts. With what she learned about the ritual site..." He sighs. "I will try to track her. My apologies, but I had hoped to bear the burden. I think I will need your help."
Yami deserves a vacation.
He grimaces, and pauses before moving beyond his flippant response to the situation.
We could track her to the ghost wall, to learn what more she knows, and not be able to aid the village with it here. I wish to stay to aid in the desperate last attempts to fill the town's foodstores!
Vekka is resolute, but he will not protest if others want to aid Sigurd.
"I can try to go after her, if you don't need my help here. Sigurd, you should stay here in town and help out with the food stores." Kazuki suggests.
"If that darn cat is up to no good, or I come across anything dangerous, I won't intervene and will high tail it back to town right away."
A crooked smirk flashes across his face as he realizes he made a pun with the "high tail" remark.
Kazuki quickly realizes that he would greatly imperil himself to go alone given the amount of time lost that Yami has taken as a head start and the dangers of the haunted forest!
"Thank you, Kazuki. But I do want to find Yami. It would be best if we went together."
"Lan?"
"Okay, Sigurd. Maybe it's best I don't go alone. Who knows what could be prowling around in those woods."
"Lan?"
"Yeah. C'mon, Lan! The more the merrier, amiright?"
Forestalling whatever plans they had, the party decides to suit up and accompany Kazuki on his quest to track down Yami - capricious necromancer kitty! - into the Hinterlands. After a [redacted amount of time], it soon becomes clear what she had intended: to head straight for the Wall of Ghosts!
Arriving (most likely) without incident, they come to a clearing just before a "weak spot" - a tiny region where the ghastly fog seems a little less dense than the rest of the "wall" - and decide quickly how to confront their vagrant and willful charge!
[ dice=Auntie Wu's Survival (T)]1d20+10[/dice]
[ dice=Sigurd Kolphan's Survival (T)]1d20+10[/dice]
[ dice=Kazuki Sato's Survival (E)]1d20+9[/dice] (class)
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"Ugh! Fiiine!" To be honest, Auntie Wu is *so stressed* about...everything. Maybe some time walking in the woods will help her feel more grounded. Or something. Surely she's not the *only* person capable of harvesting crops in the meantime, right? Besides, that Yami doesn't respect the cycle of life and death. It's an affront to the natural order of things, and as much as she's glad to be rid of it, she can't help but worry (that's an understatement if there ever was one) about Yami's intentions. She lets Kazuki take the lead, since he's obviously more level-headed than she is right now, but she walks beside him to help spot paw prints and claw scratches between puffs of smoke and drinks from her gourd.
Let's get this over with. Vekka barks as the party sets out from Willowshore.
Kazuki, how can I be of aid in tracking her?
Vekka doesn't necessarily expect to get pressed into service early on, as the least experienced tracker.
As the morning dawns, Sigurd realizes his strength, and his capacity for more magic.
"Thank you all for accompanying Kazuki and I." He calls upon Shizuru. He feels a >Wanderer's Guide< upon him, directing him to the most likely breach of the Wall of Ghosts. "I have an idea."
He tries to Aid Kazuki's tracking and abilities to survive in the wild.
---
"I am no good at sneaking..." Sigurd hefts his armor and takes the front. His weapons are stowed away and his hands are raised. The symbol of Shizuru shines around his neck.
"Yami? Are you doing well? We were looking for you. I made a nice bed for you, and Darius promised more exciting stories about a giant spider that tried to eat him..."
"I’ll stay back as we move through the woods, but I’ll keep you all in sight," Kazuki says, his voice low and assured.
Slipping into the shadows of the trees, he moves with practiced stealth, keeping just far enough to remain unseen but never losing sight of his companions. His steps are silent, his presence nearly imperceptible as he watches and waits, ready to disappear at a moment’s notice. When they finally encounter the talking cat, he’s already in position—hidden, unseen, and ready for whatever comes next.
Overland Travel Points
☀) The party's destination - the "weak spot" - is 6 Hexes from Willowshore
☀) Each Hex is 2 miles
☀) Forest Hexes are Difficult Terrain
☀) Party speed is 20 feet (lowest among characters: Sigurd)
☀) Cross-referencing Travel Speed Table = 2 mph or 16 miles per day (8 hexes per day); or 1 hex per hour
☀) Tracking as an Exploration Activity halves party speed
☀) Hinterlands Travel DC is 20 (base 15, modified by curse factors)
Sigurd's spell removes Difficult Terrain, which means removing a "halving" of progress (or simply: doubling progress).
Skill Challenge
Critical Success > Arrive in half the time
Success > Arrive in the normal time
Failure > Arrive in twice the time
Critical Failure > Become lost for an indeterminate amount of time, then re-roll
Random Encounters
Hinterlands has a base 20% for a Random Encounter
Critical Success > Roll 0 times
Success > Roll 1 time
Failure > Roll 2 times
Critical Failure > Roll 4 times
Setting out very early, the party arrives still early yet - around noon - magic parting the trees to clear a way forward; perhaps Shizuru's katana carving a path?
Kazuki tucks into a bush while Sigurd and Auntie Wu and Vekka try to reason with Yami...
"Yami? Are you doing well? We were looking for you. I made a nice bed for you, and Darius promised more exciting stories about a giant spider that tried to eat him..."
Yami reflexively dashes into the bushes...
...then comes out a second later, realizing she is caught "You cannot stop me. Not with a nice bed. Not with stories. Not with anything. I must... I must see!"
Behind her, you observe little knick-knacks and trinkets - Yami's attempt at making ritual preparations of some kind...
You recognize it... And is it really a surprise?
...and further behind her, the dense mists of the Wall of Ghosts swirl ominously!
Kazuki crouches behind a bush, bow at the ready in case Yami does something stupid or creatures come out from the Wall.
"What are you trying to see?" Sigurd looks at the trinkets and talismans. He wonders if Yami is tired of the Wall of Ghosts...
…a knowing look between Vekka and his teammates verifies what’s on everyone’s mind that Vekka is able to put together…
It would make sense, Yami sharing her discoveries.
"We- we can work together. If you attempt it alone-" Sigurd feels the danger surging within. But Yami has heard his plea and is not listening.
He hopes someone can convince Yami to stop, or at least ask for assistance.
Auntie Wu cocks her head at Yami. "We don't blame you for wanting to see. We do, too. Why didn't you give us a chance to work with you?"
Yami arches her back and stretches her paws, gaining perhaps a few inches of height to appear more menacing "You have stifled my every magical experiment - why would I entrust you to such an important task?" she hisses, well, like a cat, before continuing "If I had taught you everything, what would you have done?" and answers her own question, frustration in her voice "Nothing!"