Kwan nods to Old Matsuki. "I will go to ask for aid. Are there specific requests that need to be asked?"
Before leaving Willowshore for Karahai, Kwan heads to Northridge to make sure that Granny Hu knows the group is headed for Karahai and to see if she has specific requests for aid.
Shaking his head with a frown, "We need to our supplement our guard incase another attack happens, we lost many of our guardsmen and the ones we do have are still recovering, additionally any aid they can provide so we can help rebuild some of the broken structures would be nice," He bids you all come look at the map, to go over the route, "Be back here tomorrow at Dawn, I'll have the horses bridled and ready to ride, I'd rather not send you now and risk you on the road at night,"
"If we are to hunt more supernatural creatures in the days to come, I will need magical weaponry for certain. But a hunter must take care of all his tools, not just his favorite. If you happen to have a hankyu in that cart of yours, I would exchange this for it and pay the difference."
After ensuring his kin at the Lodges are carefully scouting the wilds to track any fleeing monsters from the town and check for anything still lurking on the outskirts, Yuranosuke joins Kwan in visiting Granny Hu, mostly keeping silent while Kwan does the talking, except for the occasional nod and politely report as to the Silvermist families' activities to keep her informed the same way he does to Old Man Matsuki. The lands his family roved surrounded both sides of the river, after all.
When they return to Old Man Matsuki's, he listens to the task he offers and nods.
"I will go. We need to know if this calamity struck other towns besides Willowshore, and with the slow retreat of Imperial authority, it falls to us to band together and protect ourselves."
GM wrote this on 12/15 :)
It isn't long after Shinzo leaves and the town has set to putting things back together, or as much as can be put together when a small town suffers so much death and destruction.
After a few days, you each are summoned to Old Matsuki's manor. You are received in the same ceremonial hall you met him before. He looks older than he did days ago, the weight of command settling more heavily on his shoulders, yet his eyes sharpen as you enter.
“You have earned Willowshore’s trust,” he says plainly, rising just enough to incline his head in respect. “That is not a thing given lightly, nor is it easily taken back.” He gestures toward a low table where a map has been laid out, a finger tracing the river eastward. “What happened here cannot remain a local wound. Karahai must be told. The Mayor is missing, his entire estate vanished. You will follow the Duyue River southeast. It is a familiar road, and under normal circumstances, a safe one. Horses will be provided. If you leave at dawn, you should reach Karahai before sunset."
Old Matsuki’s gaze lifts from the map to each of you in turn. “You are not being sent because there is no one else. You are being sent because you have already faced what came for us, and endured.” A pause. “Go. Speak plainly. Ask for aid if it can be spared. Willowshore will hold while you are gone.”
Jiang spends the remaining time in silent prayer, thankful that none of his friends have been called to Pharasma's judgment and contemplating the state of his own soul should it be him who is next called before the Boneyard.
When the horses and his allies are ready, Jiang mounts up, both proud and apprehensive of what might lie ahead.
Shandari seems to whistle a tune of her own making as they ready and mount up
As you group you rest for the night and then meet back at Old Matsuki at Dawn, ready to ride for Karahai at first light. He has the horses already saddled and waiting for your group.
"Be quick, avoid trouble, return with whatever aid Karahai can spare,"
With that and a quick review of the map, your group heads off, horses galloping, following the Duyue River trail to the East you guys are riding for a few hours when you arrive at Gourd Lake.
Some of you may remember that Gourd Lake is where those pesky Kappa's said they were from. Its a shallow, marshy lake but makes for excellent fishing by boat, though the shores can be dangerous. Another hour or so after you've left the lake and about halfway to Karahai you are about to emerge into a wide valley that will give your first glimpse of the Sea of Ghosts in the distance.
Without warning, a fog rolls in, first shrouding your horses hooves, the creatures start to slow, huffing a bit, within minutes the fog as risen steadily to completely block your vision, you can't see more than 10 feet in front you and even that is hazy. This fog is almost supernaturally thick and the horses grow more nervous and skittish, then a few moments later you break through the fog.
Strangely though you turned around, now going the opposite direction the pathway, heading back to Willowshore. You must have gotten turned around in the fog. Turning the horses around you dive once more into the fog and again it grows supernaturally thick before you ride out again heading back toward Willowshore.
As the strange fog rolls in Ayane gets oddly quiet."this fog is odd, and not normal.." She shivers but seems determined to go and request aid.
As they ride along she pipes up again. "Wait, I know that tree, we...we are almost back to Willshore! Something is not right, I, I, I think we need to be on alert, something strange is going on here."
She draws her dagger to be ready for what may come as they walk about of the fog.
After the party gets turned around in the fog for the second time, Kwan dismounts his horse and attempts to walk through it. "Perhaps these horses get scared by the fog and turn around on their own. I will close my eyes and walk straight for 20 paces."
Kwan closes his eyes and walk straight ahead to see if the horses are the issue.
Try as Kwan might, even on foot the fog grows impenetrably thick and even as he focuses on not circling and maintaining a straight path, it isn't long before he finds himself walking back out of the fog to the waiting group. Though he would swear he never turned around or accidentally circled.
Yuranosuke dismounts as well and follows Kwan, only to suffer the same fate.
"I focused on not changing direction too and still returned. This fog isn't getting us lost, it is keeping us here."
He thinks.
"We must test this further. Find out if this remains true of leaving Willowshore from any direction or just on the roads."
"Yes, perhaps the fog is centered on the road to Karahai. Let's travel north a little ways and try again."
Assuming no objections, Kwan starts heading north off the road for roughly 15 minutes before heading east again to see if the fog re-emerges.
Ayane follows Kwan as he heads north off the road. She begins to whistle what she hopes is a cheery tune but her song soon gets lost in the fog making the whole experience all the more spooky.
Kwan steps off the path and heads north, skirting the edge of the area right before the fog, as soon as takes a few steps to the East again the fog quickly returns, thickening and eventually turning him back around.
"Normally I get along with the fog, it's fun, and it often speaks to me. This, this is not the fog I know. It's bad" she shakes her head
Yuranosuke tries advancing in another direction, only to return to the group again.
"We need to return to Willowshore. I can ask my kin to scout in other directions...see if it's just keeping us from Karahai or...if my suspicion is correct and there's a perimeter around Willowshore beyond which this fog won't let townsfolk go, we can establish where that perimeter is and where we actually CAN travel."
"Some curse lies upon the town," says Xu Jiang, stating the obvious. "The rokorubi's death has not ended it, and so we must seek for signs of the source of our trouble. There are wiser heads than ours in Willowshore. We should seek counsel."
"Indeed," Yuranosuke replies with a nod. "I suspect the rokurokubi and his ilk merely took advantage of the chaos this curse created to indulge their violent and cruel whims. At least the kappas had some restraint and decorum."
"Yes, the winds feel bad, not just bad people. I don't like it at all. Will scare away the fish" she adds with a pout
"I agree. Going back to town is our best option. The town elders need to know that Karahai's aid won't be coming."
As they ride back to Willowshore, Kwan tries to remember any folktales or farfetched stories that speak of similar issues in Willowshore's past.
Your group, foiled by the fog, begins the journey back to town. Riding by the lake, you do remember the stories of the Kappa's who live on the Southern Shore, though this would require crossing the lake to get there and the nearest bridge is back in Willowshore. As you guys ride back, there is a well known shortcut through the Southern river bend though there is a number of large signs posted at the entrance now that read as well as signs with badly painted mean looking plants eating humanoids, skull and crossbones and more.
"Bad wind. Bad fog. Bad plants. What's next bad water?" she shakes her head
"While I think we should get back to Willowshore as quickly as possible, I'm not sure if wandering into that area is the correct choice. I've been used that route before."
"If it threatens the access to Gourd Lake, perhaps we should deal with it now," says Jiang. "Or we'll just have to come back out here tomorrow or the next day."
"Dangerous plants...uh I know of poisonous plants, and thorny plants which can be dangerous if you get pricked, but these, uh this sign looks like plants that eat PEOPLE! yikes, thats not good."
Kwan nods as Jiang suggests an alternate plan. "A shortcut and we can deal with an issue that perhaps we need to deal with anyways. You have swayed my opinion."
After listening to Jiang's thoughts, Kwan changes his mind.
"Ayane, do you have any idea what might be out there?"
She stares intently at the crude sign, also trying to puzzle out of she knew about these bad plants
Ayane shares judging by the pictures and the stories you've heard, there may be at least one or two snapping flytraps hidden along this shortcut. One you estimate would be a pretty easy fight, two a little harder. 3 or more though it could be pretty deadly pretty quickly. Like most plants, they are weak to fire. Snapping Flytraps are capable of swallowing creature's whole and melting them with acid.
Yuranosuke nods.
"I agree, sometimes a garden must be weeded."
Tentatively your group heads down the shortcut, the path used to be well worn trail but is no severely overgrown. Plant life is rampant and the trail is almost non-existent. It seems to go on for a while, the foliage growing denser as you get near the half way point.
Wary for these snapping Flytraps that could be lurking, jumping at every rustling of bush or falling leaf. As you come upon a broken down wagon, 10 foot tall flytraps burst out of the dense foliage.
Round 1 - Feed me now!
Ayane ☘️ -
Kwan ☘️ -
Yuranosuke ☘️ -
Xu Jiang ☘️ -
Shandari ☘️ -
Snapping Fly Trap 1 -
Snapping Fly Trap 2 -
" Bad plant! she berates it while zapping it with electricity, but her aim is off due to the jump scare
Unsure if the plants will have enough of a brain to be afraid, Kwan glowers at the one near Ayane anyways Then, Kwan raises his shield, moves to shield Ayane from attacks, and then stabs at the closest plant creature.
◆ Demoralize
◆◆ Defensive Advance
"Ooof! thanks Kwan! These plants are nasty!"
She starts to drum out a tune on her trusty soup pot giving everyone a boot of courage.
She then telekinetically hurls a rock towards the plant in front of her.
Shandari tries firing off a bolt of electricity but it goes wide, striking a tree.
Kwan attempts to demoralize the plant, but finds its mindless nature seems to shrug off any attempts to scare it.
Ayane finds success, throwing a rock and with her own courageous anthem going manages to critically hurt the plant.
Round 1 - Feed me now!
Ayane ☘️ -
Kwan ☘️ -
Yuranosuke ☘️ -
Xu Jiang ☘️ -
Shandari ☘️ -
Snapping Fly Trap 1 -
Snapping Fly Trap 2 - 16 damage
Yuranosuke darts to the side and glowers at the plant, before hacking at it with his shuan ji.
Yuranosuke steps closer, swinging his blade but struggles to land more than a glancing blow, trying to separate what is foliage and what is plant monster.
Xu Jiang fires off a massive divine lance, blast a hole in the same hurt Flytrap that Ayane damaged earlier.
Snappy Flytrap 2 attacks its two nearest targets, Kwan and Ayane
It batters Kwan with one of its leafs and tries to grab him in attempt to swallow him but he evades being eaten, for now.
A similar scenario plays out on the other side with the creature shambling forward to attack Xu Jiang and Shandari.
Shandari and Xu Jiang are battered by the acidic leaves, it fails to grab Shandari though, its mouthy stalk dripping with acid, hungry.
Round 2 - Feed me now!
Ayane ☘️ -
Kwan ☘️ - 12 damage
Yuranosuke ☘️ -
Xu Jiang ☘️ - 10 damage
Shandari ☘️ - +1 Status bonus to one attack/perception/saving throw/skill check in the next round(Guidance) - 13 damage
Snapping Fly Trap 1 -
Snapping Fly Trap 2 - 30 damage
↺ Retributive Strike
Kwan lashes out at fly trap as it attacks Shandari.
After defending Shandari from some of the fly trap's attack, Kwan pivots back to the nearest fly trap, raises his shield, and slashes across its torso.
◆ Raise Shield
◆ Step
◆ Strike @ Trap 2
Yuranosuke swings at the plant again, hoping to land a solid slice this time.
The sylph yelps in pain as bother her pale skin and her clothing is burnt from the acidic attack from the plant, as again she instinctively lashes out with what seems to be a hedge machete made of lightning, before she attempts to get out of its reach
Kwan steps and slices the Snapping Flytrap as it batters Shandari, green ichorous plant sap oozes from the creature.
His follow up cut misses its mark badly, bogged down by green sappy blood.
Yuranosuke more warmed up, is able to cut the plant twice, his quick slices wounding the creature greatly. His third attack goes wide but the creature looks nearly cut in twain.
Shandari tries to blast the plant but just barely has her lightning go wide of the creature, striking a nearby tree instead leaving a black scorch mark on the trunk
Round 2 - Feed me now!
Ayane ☘️ -
Kwan ☘️ - 12 damage
Yuranosuke ☘️ -
Xu Jiang ☘️ - 10 damage
Shandari ☘️ - 13 damage
Snapping Fly Trap 1 - 9 damage
Snapping Fly Trap 2 - 44 damage
Ayane attempts to add a flourish to her soup pot song, to lengthen her courageous anthem, but these large plants are throwing her for a loop.
She keeps the beat of her drum offering her companions the boost of courage.
She then casts a magical shield on herself.
Jiang prays that Shandari's wounds are not too bad and slaps a bandage on Kwan's injury.
Ayane tries to perform, aiding her singing magic but the battering she took from the plant threw her style off.
Jiang magically heals Shandari while simultaneously applying some emergency first aid to Kwan, restoring both of them to fighting shape.
The Snapping Flytrap 1 has a number of tasty targets to choose from but will. and . Opting to lay into the squishier looking enemies Shandari and Jiang again.
Jiang is able to dodge the leaf blow but Shandari is completely laid out and drops like a log.
The creature attempts to grab Shandari freely thanks to its sticky leaves.
Shandari is grabbed and with its last action it swallows her, its giant flytrap mouth snapping closed as acid drools out the sides.
And Shandari is now Dying 1
The other fly trap, much more wounded, attacks its only two targets, Ayane and Yuranosuke again.
Ayane barely able to interpose her shield to deflect the worst of the leafy blow, Yuranosuke was less prepared and takes a minor blow. The plant attempts to grab and eat Yuranosuke.
Yuranosuke is grabbed and the creature swallows him.
Round 3 - Feed me now!
Ayane ☘️ -
Kwan ☘️ -
Yuranosuke ☘️ - 12 damage, Swallowed, Slowed 1, Grabbed
Xu Jiang ☘️ - 10 damage
Shandari ☘️ - 32 damage, Dying 1, Swallowed
Snapping Fly Trap 1 - 9 damage
Snapping Fly Trap 2 - 44 damage
Yuranosuke yelps before he's swallowed and once he stops moving he frantically tries to carve a way out with his shuan ji.
↺ Retributive Strike
Almost as if he expected it, Kwan lashes out again at fly trap as it attacks Shandari.
Kwan hesitates briefly as two of his friends are swallowed in quick succession. Seeing Yuranosuke attempting to free himself and Shandari not taking action herself, Kwan decides to focus on helping free Shandari.
◆ Strike @ Trap 1
◆ Strike @ Trap 1
◆ Raise Shield