Kazuki punishes with more arrows - all sticking out of her, her blood cold like melting snow.
She releases Sigurd, and focuses her attention on the ranger - Hate in her eyes!
Which post?
Vekka grits against the pain, but he's rather focused on how the last thing he tried actually worked. And she's still right there. So, he refocuses and tries again. His eyes glow slightly as he does this...
As his blade takes on the outline of flame he slashes forward again.
Something loops in his brain and causes him to incorrectly predict where she's going to be as she dances about on the raft.
Lan renews his Glass Shield and hurls another set of Needle Darts at the witch.
Sigurd sees a stream of darts flash through the mist to hit the witch.
Peppered with arrows and needles, Iogaka finally falls, slumping to the ground, then melting like ice into water, pouring between the logs of the raft, and flowing into the river, and down over the waterfall, washed away.
Abruptly, the rain stops, and the sun shines through the clouds, parting them gently with warmth, shooting up rainbows that criss-cross the dreamish sky.
And so, exhausted, the party finally recieves the rest they seek. Bathing in the lake restores their spirits, as they find multiple bars of special soap (see below), as well as a soiled thurible (see below), both which radiate magical auras.
Awakening the following morning, they begin their 3ish mile walk...
Out of Nowhere.
"Early rise, yes? I have some things for trade" he pulls a blanket from his cart, revealing quite a stash of choice adventuring equipment "Standard price, of course. I see you found some excellent trinkets along the way"
And winks.
As the witch falls, the sun bathes Sigurd and his teammates in approval. "Thank you, Shizuru." Sigurd bows.
"This is a good sign. The nightmares may be at an end." He pulls the raft onto the shore so the waterfall won't wash it away. "Let us bathe underneath the falls, as Lan suggested. Then, we shall take a rest."
Sigurd is not surprised to see the "merchant" Shinzo arrive. He also knows to not ask questions.
"Would you be able to transfer the runes from this short sword to my katana? I would make the attempt but it would take an entire day. You are much more skilled than I am. I will of course compensate you."
"Also, do you have an armor rune? We could use all the help we can get."
Fully rested and refreshed, Sigurd finishes his deal with Shinzo and then carefully observes the soap.
Cantrips
- >Light<
- >Shield<
- >Vitality Lash<
- >Stabilize<
- >Message<
Rank 1
- (Signature spell) Harm [/url=https://2e.aonprd.com/Spells.aspx?ID=1552&NoRedirect=1]>Harm<[/url]
- >Runic Weapon<
- >Enfeeble<
- >Benediction<
Rank 2
- (Signature spell) Harm [/url=https://2e.aonprd.com/Spells.aspx?ID=1552&NoRedirect=1]>Harm<[/url]
- >Cleanse Affliction<
- >Clear Mind<
- >Sound Body<
Rank 3
- (Signature spell) Harm [/url=https://2e.aonprd.com/Spells.aspx?ID=1552&NoRedirect=1]>Harm<[/url]
- >Holy Light<
- >Whirling Scarves<
- >Soothing Blossoms<
No idea.
"This is a good sign. The nightmares may be at an end."
Sheathing his katana, Vekka grimaces. He's not so sure.
I admire your optimism, but nothing will surprise me at this point.
"Let us bathe underneath the falls, as Lan suggested. Then, we shall take a rest."
Now that sounds delightful. He smiles for the first time in... how long has it been? Time is a weird soup in this place.
He bathes as many a bird would in a stone birdbath. He tells is friends to give a wide radius for when he shakes the water out out of his feathers.
2) Each PC may attempt a single check to Identify soap and a single check to identify the thurible (see below)
2.5) If you are Trained in multiple skills to Identify each item, give yourself a +1 circumstance bonus per additional skill[/ooc]
Invigorating Soaps! And that's not a euphemism!
3) +☘️☘️ for everyone, then Declare your Hero Point Count (GM lost track)
4) Declare new Daily Preparations[/ooc]
Lan slumps to the ground, fatigued and exhausted. Who knew that being in a dream could be so draining?
On the banks of the lake, Lan wonders if this is really a dream. He grabs a handful of dirt in his hand. It feels so real.
He begins singing a song - it's just the lullaby that his mother used to sing when he was a kid, but it's traditional, and it helps anchor him to the reality that he's not in.
1) Advance to Level Six
3) +☘️☘️ for everyone, then Declare your Hero Point Count (GM lost track)
4) Declare new Daily Preparations
It is not safe here.
Something... lingers... causing the very air to feel unsettling. Almost an unnatural cold, but one whose chill permutes deeper than flesh, causing your very soul - housed, you presume, inside of your mortal vessel - the sensation of a consuming frigidity.
The party proceeds up the once-well-maintained path, now fallen to into disrepair, spiky weeds "reclaiming" the pathways that lead to single, southern gate.
Six wooden structures 40-feet in vertical height of varying sizes make up the complex, all connected by narrow enclosed wooden pathways (like hallways). Shooting out from behind the most central structure, more than twice the height of that building itself, a Sugi Tree of immense splendor looms, ancient in age, bathing the entire monastery in it's pained shadow. Clearly corrupted into unnatural features - serrated gnarls and soggy pustules and twisted knots - as if suffering long form from a terrible malady, glistening coils of rot and decay at it's base give way to branches housing an immense network of thick spiderwebs.
This sickness will kill this ancient tree within a matter of days, weeks, or months. Although you can't yet see the root system (you'd need to access the tree from inside the temple somehow), you might be able to refine your prognosis by examining them.
You proceed forth through the southern gate, the only entrance within, shuddering...
The Pilgrim’s Path leads to the front of a wooden gatehouse built into the monastery’s southern wall. Shredded fulus adorn the bamboo bars of the wooden gate, and a lone wind chime jingles in the wind as it dangles from a rickety post protruding over the top of the gate.
The party is able to recover a few of the fulus, intact...
To the west (left), the sound of screetchy voices having a conversation and laughing(!) further down the hallway past the closed door (E5) - the the east (right), the smell of onions, garlic, and putrescence fill the hallway that lead to another closed door (E7). North (up), this first structure opens up to a Courtyard.
A polluted-looking creek connects over a half-dozen small ponds in this weed-tangled courtyard. Sugi trees, their trunks and branches bearing dark growths of some sort of mold or moss, grow fitfully amid small stone shrines throughout the area, while the bridge that once connected the pathway between the gatehouse to the south and a larger building to the north lies in ruins....
❄️❄️❄️ ❄️❄️❄️ ❄️❄️❄️
The party cautiously decides how to proceed...
"Sheesh. This place sure does give me the creeps." he says as he walks towards some fulus dangling from a wall.
"These appear to be intact. I'll take a closer look."
He removes a fulu with red ink on white paper and gives it a closer look.
"I have no idea."
He hands it over to Auntie.
"Interesting. It sounds like there's somebody here in this haunted place. I hear laughing and conversation."
Sigurd, fully refreshed from a cleansing bath, a morning kata, and a blessed katana, raises his shield to Defend himself. "I'll take the lead."
The sight of the Sugi Tree disheartens Sigurd. "You have done well, great tree. When we purge the fiend you have held back for so long, you deserve rest."
">Ghostbane Fulu<. This will be very useful against-" he is about to curse, but he realizes he would be incorrect. "All sorts of incorporeal creatures. Give me a few minutes, I would like to apply one to my katana. Perhaps Vekka would like the other?"
"Hmm... I'm not certain what this is."
"Let us seek out the laughter. If they are allies, we have safety in numbers. If they are foes, let us engage them now before they can plan a sneak attack."
Getting the drop on whoever's on the opposite side of the door (conversations and laughing), the party sneaks up, and breaks in!
Inside, a wooden statue of a regal-looking woman sits in a meditative pose atop a low dais to the south of this otherwise empty room. Bones, dead leaves, and chunks of mummified flesh lie in heaps around the statue, whose missing head appears to have been hewn off by a single blow, laying upon a pile beside her body. Bloodstained, moldy ropes have been wrapped tightly around the statue, amid which many more old bones with bits of dried meat have been affixed.
The statue represents Pharasma, but is a little hard to tell because her head has been removed.
Critical Success?
The nature of the statue’s defiling is meant to represent a fundamental
rejection of her power over life and death, indicating that she’s blind to the truth of it and powerless to change her ways!
A success here does nothing by itself.
But if another PC also succeeds at the Religion check above, you may immediately open that "Critical Success" spoiler as well!
Caught off-guard, the creatures inside - three monks kneeling in prayer before the decapitated and roped statue - turn towards the party slowly - their heads bowed and faces concealed behind the darkness of their hoods. They wear broken shortswords at their sides (little more than 15% of the blade remaining), but do not reach for them yet...
You see their mouths.
Stitched shut! And twitching unnervingly as they greet you...
"You are not dead. Why are you here?"
"Yes, why? Why!?"
"Perhaps they come to learn!?!"
Ah, a statue of Phrasma- where is her head?
"What do you offer to teach?" Sigurd holds about 30 feet away, keeping his shield at the ready but his katana sheathed as he looks at the statue. "Pharasma's head is missing. Is she... powerless against life and death? She will never change her ways, of course."
|
Auntie Wu's heart sinks. "Ohhh, the poor tree! That sickness will kill it soon--within a matter of days, weeks, or months. If I could see the root system I might be able to tell more. Maybe there's a way to do that inside the temple."
Auntie Wu offers the ghostbane fulus to the guys who use weapons. "I think it's safe to assume we'll need these soon. Better affix them now."
This section of the temple has clearly been desecrated! Wrathful indignation wells in Auntie Wu's bosom. And those monks! Chatting and laughing?! She gives them a hard stare to put them in their place, but there's something about their hooded, concealed faces. She peers more carefully... "Guuuys! Their mouths are stitched shut! ... And awfully twitchy..."
1) Exploration
Vekka moves forward cautiously and quietly, avoiding notice...
2) Marching Order
alongside Sigurd. He draws his katana and grips it in two hands as they go along.
"Give me a few minutes, I would like to apply one to my katana. Perhaps Vekka would like the other?"
Auntie Wu offers the ghostbane fulus to the guys who use weapons. "I think it's safe to assume we'll need these soon. Better affix them now."
3) Fulus - first person to ID each set is presumed to carry them unless explicitly posting otherwise
Certainly, I think that's prudent. I think we might be hearing ghosts now...
4) Which way: East (E7), West (E5), or North (E2)?
Vekka follows the others West .
--------------------
He does not yet see what Aunti-Wu sees, but he certainly believes her.
"Twitchy" means they're likely to lose restraint soon.
Vekka suspects his blade will be put to work again soon.
Map Updated - please place your Tokens!
vs DC 18
vs DC 22
"They're both ghostbane fulus."
1) Exploration
Lan will Scout by default.
2) Marching Order
Lan prefers to be 30' behind the front line.
3) Fulus - first person to ID each set is presumed to carry them unless explicitly posting otherwise
Lan doesn't use weapons, so they're better with others, but he'll carry one just in case if nobody else wants them.
vs DC 15
vs DC 20
"Hey, uh, so ... how are y'all doing today? Are there days here? It seems like it but we can never get a good night's rest, amirite? Haha ... oh ... well ... maybe you don't need rest ... since ... you're ... dead ... I guess ... and ... I guess ... you haven't been, uh, keeping up with the daily rituals to keep the sugi tree ... healthy ... and ... um ... maybe you should do a little more of that ... I guess? Or else things might ... end up ... exactly ... like ... this ..."
It takes some time for Kazuki's eyes to adjust to the dark.
Kazuki stands ready with his bow, letting the others engage in conversation with the monks.
”You are mistaken”
”Yes, he is mistaken!”
”He doesn’t See that the tree is Unnatural”
Lan is unable to see beneath the monk's hoods at this time...
Seeing Kazuki stand ready with his bow, the third monk draws his broken shortsword, but the others remain at ease.
"Perhaps he could be made to See?"
"Perhaps, perhaps. He would have to Want to See!"
"Even if this one Wants to See, I do not think his friends Want to See! Observe!"
Seeing Vekka grip his blade in anticipation, the second monk now draws his broken shortsword...
"Come Learn!"
"Come See!"
"Come Transcend!"
Somehow from under his hood, Sigurd, Auntie Wu, and Lan feel the first monk's gaze upon them.
He has not yet drawn his broken shortsword...
"Let's not be hasty. We're always eager to learn more, but maybe you can describe what it is we're supposed to learn, see, or how we're supposed to transcend?"
Lan doesn't need to be visibly armed, so he'll hold out his hands to feign peace.
Seeing Vekka grip his blade in anticipation, the second monk now draws his broken shortsword...
|
|
Auntie Wu stares hard at the monks. She's definitely confused as to their *exact* meaning, but she gets the gist of it. Probably the same sort of delusions as Zoudou's. She itches to grab her staff and cast a healing spell on them, just to see if they're even alive. But Lan's instinct to get more information before destroying them could be wise...
Sigurd keeps his Shield Raised but his katana sheathed. "The sugi tree is sick. Pharasma's head is missing. The monastery has not been maintained. Tell me, friends. What is going on? Can we help you cleanse the temple?"
Their words cryptic. Most likely driven mad and unable to rest. Sigurd anticipates violence, but if he can avoid it, or at least learn more about the temple and how to clean it. Then he can give them a final rest...
”They seem to be Opening”
”Let’s not be hasty: They haven’t agreed to the Challenge!”
”If they agree to the Challenge, then perhaps, perhaps”
The first monk still has not yet drawn his broken shortsword...
"A... challenge? Of what kind?"
”Around the Monastery with You”
”Visiting every Room every Ghost every Death”
”And back Here: So shall you Learn, so shall you See, so shall you Transcend!”
Silence.
Three await acceptance or rejection of their proposal…
"Ha!” Kazuki blurts.
"We've seen unspeakable horrors since the festival started. Challenge accepted!"
He glances at his friends.
"Right? We can handle anything."
"I accept your challenge... provided my teammates accept it." He turns to his allies.
"We do plan to explore the monastery, yes? We may as well do it now, possibly learn something, and come back here."
Assuming Auntie Wu tells him about what lies beneath the hood, Sigurd nods solemnly. "And we will lay them to rest."
Vekka is wary, and gives Kazuki a worried look when he accepts. He turns back to the monks.
Does your "challenge" include hostile elements and existential threats?
He carefully, slowly re-shealths his katana, just to see if any of the armed monks will do likewise.
"To be clear - you want us to put the spirits to rest? We are here to cleanse the temple, not to further infect it."
He carefully, slowly re-shealths his katana, just to see if any of the armed monks will do likewise.
Monk two re-sheathes his broken shortsword.
Only monk three remains armed with his - keeping his gaze upon Kazuki's bow.
”Around the Monastery with You”
”Visiting every Room every Ghost every Death”
”And back Here: So shall you Learn, so shall you See, so shall you Transcend!”
The party's well-intentioned questions are met with cryptic answers.
The monks three point their fingers North.
The party decides whether to follow North (E4), or to head a different way.
A large hole has been torn into this room’s northern door. Shredded cots, ruined chairs and tables, and other debris adorn the floor, and deep, long gashes have been carved into the walls. A thick rancid smell permeates the chamber, while battered shelves lie in a heap against the western wall.
Did we Meet a Quorum of Two (2) PCs? (Open if yes)
Two skeletal beings with lurched backs wearing tattered monastic clothing speak in deathish rasps.
The party, unwilling to offer themselves as sacrifice, find the ensuing attack, most likely, inevitable.
Lan won't be the first to follow, but he'll be the second.
"I am loathe to reject the request of a host." Sigurd turns to his teammates. "I will keep my shield at the ready and move first. Let us follow them."