↺ Retributive Strike - 3 resistance for Elizeth & Strike at Raven Swarm
Kwan narrowly avoids the pecks that aim for his eyes and yells out a warning to the others. "They go for your eyes. Fight at range!"
Kwan doesn't listen to his own advance though. He continues to slash at the swarm before raising his shield.
◆ Strike
◆ Strike
◆ Raise Shield
"Nasty birds! with your nasty words!"
Her words inspire your group as she hurls another rock towards the swarm of birds attacks Elzbeth.
Yuranosuke and Kwan are able to slice into the Raven Swarm, doing damage, cutting out individual birds, as they do red mist starts to mix into the Bird-nado.
Xu Jiang, Shandari and Ayane all try with magic to aid but struggle to hit the ever moving incohesive mass of birds.
still it seems like only a third the birds remain, red mist taking much of the space.
The Raven Swarm continues to peck at Lady Elizeth and Kwan.
It rapidly shifts, swirling down on Xu Jiang as well.
"Too late too late too LATE—"
"A baby priest? A whelp? A worm?!"
"BURN HIM! BREAK HER! BLEED THEM B O T H!"
"XuXuxuxuxuXUJIANGJIANGJIANG—"
"He’s fresh! He’s soft! He doesn’t know the dark like we do!"
"CAWCAWCAWCAW—TAKE THEM! BREAK THEM! SWARM THEM! DROWN THEM IN BLACK AND RED!"
Shandari ☘️ -
Yuranosuke ☘️ -
Kwan ☘️ - 14 damage
Raven Swarm - 20 damage
Lady Elizeth - 13 damage, Blind 6 rounds
Xu Jiang ☘️ - 8 damage
Ayane ☘️ -
"I have a feeling these arent regualr birds! they know your names!
Hurry lets get them out of here!"
Again her words are a sing-song rhythm, boosting your morale. She hurls yet another rock towards the birds.
Kwan continues to fend off the swarm as it attacks Elizeth, trying to quickly swat away the birds as they peck at his eyes.
↺ Retributive Strike - 3 resistance for Elizeth & Strike at Raven Swarm
Kwan blindly reaches his hands out to feel his way in retreat, hoping his shield offers some protection. "I can't see. Take it down."
◆ Stride
◆ Stride
◆ Raise Shield
"Right!" Yuranosuke says as his shuan ji flies into the roiling mass of birds.
Ayane throws another rock at the swarm but she just barely misses, the rock passing through a mass of red mist rather than birds.
Phang struggles as the birds engulf him, pecking his eyes, causing blood to obscure his vision temporarily.
Yuranosuke struggles, swining his long Shuan ji around but can't find birds to slice as he waves his blade in the air above Phang.
Shandari ☘️ -
Yuranosuke ☘️ -
Kwan ☘️ - 14 damage
Raven Swarm - 20 damage
Lady Elizeth - 13 damage, Blind 6 rounds
Xu Jiang ☘️ - 8 damage
Ayane ☘️ -
"Ahhh! My eyes!" shouts Xu Jiang. "I can't see!"
The young priest hesitates (today is his first day, after all) between healing himself with one of his few remaining spells and hitting out at the swarm around him. He decides on the hitting.
spirit damage
"To the Seat of Judgment with you!" he cries, hoping that sounds appropriately Pharasmin with the Lady Elizeth standing right there.
Shandari takes another bolt of electricity to the mass of birds, this time frying one really well
Between Xu Jiang's divine magic igniting the swarm and Shandari's lightning arcing through the birds, it is enough to overcome the malevolent energy holding them together. The remaining discordant bird voices howl with a voice of pure spite and anger.
"LIGHT! LIGHT! IT BURNS! IT HATES US!"
"But he dreams still... beneath the rot..."
"Kuuu... gaaaa... p... tee..."
"You will remember what they tried to forget..."
"He remembers you now..."
"He remembers all of you..."
Then silence—just a few burnt feathers drifting through the mist, and the smell of rot where there should be none.
Lady Elizeth, holding her hands to her bleeding eyes, "Are they gone? The ravens are they finally gone?"
"Angry birds have flown the coop, you are safe" she gently places her hand on the wounded lady
As his sight returns, Kwan reassures Elizeth. "You are safe now. The ravens are gone. It's me, Kwan. Xu, Shandari, Yuranosuke, and Ayane. We just got back into town after the last night's festival."
Once Elizeth has calmed down a bit and trusts them, Kwan starts to help Xu with tending to wounds, saying a prayer of thanks to Shizuru first.
"Tell us what happened, if you are able, Lady Elizeth," says Jiang.
Talking aloud to herself or to anyone who will listen, Ayane makes he way down to Lady Elizeth.those birds...they almost sounded like they were trying to say a name, and who is He? nuh uhh I dont like not one bit! nope! nope nope! something is very wrong. Lady Elizeth are you okay?"
Lady Elizeth, grateful for the healing, wipes the drying blood from her hands onto her robes, "This will be a nightmare to get out. I appreciate your timely aid, those birds and other creatures harassed the Temple all night long, I was never able to get the time to meditate. I thought Maybe I could handle them myself with just my Cantrips but they overwhelmed me," Looking at your group, "Seems you've all run into trouble as well, how fairs the town? These Ravens, possessed as they were, were hellbent on preventing me from leaving the Temple,"
Yuranosuke relaxes as the battle ends and Kwan and Jiang tend to everyone's wounds.
"At least a few monsters have run wild in the streets. Jinkins and some one-eyed man-eater, a buso Kwan called it, cavorting on the Lantern's bridge. That's part of why we're here. The Lantern has gone out, and the coins within it need the blessings of the gods to renew its protection. Jiang figured you'd be able to help us secure the Mother of Souls' blessing first."
Kwan adds to Yuranosuke's answer. "They arrived back in town a couple of hours ago. I was woke up near the guard tower with a nasty bump on my head. Jinkin must have surprised me." Before continuing, Kwan breathes deeply and tries to hold back his emotions. "We haven't seen many townspeople yet, Hai-er Ha is at the eastern guard post. You are the only other person we've seen - alive."
During the group's recovery time, Kwan ponders the final words of the raven swarm. He repeats back what he heard the raven say, to burn it into his memory. "'He dreams beneath the rot. Ku - ga - p - te. We will remember. And he remembers us.'"
After coming up with no real connections, he asks if Xu or Elizeth know something. "As priests of Pharasma, do either of you have a clue what those words meant?"
Separately, Kwan also examines his shield and notices a couple of gouges that should be repaired. Despite his time helping in the smithy, Kwan doesn't have any skill in repairs. He asks the group for help. "Do any of you have anything that could fill in these gouges in my shield?"
Kugapte. Nice ring to it. Rhythm. Maybe that's why the angry birds said it." she muses out loud
Lady Elizeth holds her head, thinking, "The name doesn't ring a bell. I'm just too tired, I can barely think straight, maybe if I can get some sleep, but if the town is bad as you say, I'm not sure I'll be sleeping much," She groans then steps off toward the chapel
"Come inside the chapel where its safest, Lady Pharasma still protects her sanctums against the undead, and her alter is there, we can see if she'll bless one of your coins,"
She leads you to the alter inside, Xu Jiang places one of the coins atop it and begins fervent prayers to the Lady of Graves.
Xi Jiang spends 10 minutes in fervent prayer to Pharasma, the Lady of Graves as he does you all feel the Chapel grow cold, the smell of dirt pervades the air, and pale blue light shines through the Cathedrals windows as the simple copper coin is light by a softly glowing blue-ish white heatless fire.
Lady Elizeth sighs wearily, "Small step in a larger path, we need to get those other two coins blessed, if only Pharasma could bless all three but that is not how the magic of the Eternal Lantern works. Let me see what I can offer you in aid for rescuing me, then if you don't mind, I'll accompany you, if you can get me to Old Matsuki's, see if the old codger is mounting any sort of resistance, I'm sure he'll need Pharasma's wisdom,"
She digs around in the chapels supplies and finds an extra healer's kit, 2 potions of lesser healing and a scroll of Heal.
Yuranosuke watches Jiang pray and bows his head somberly.
"That's on the way to the one of the Silvermist Lodges," when Elizeth mentions Old Matsuki's estate. "There's a shrine to Ketephys there where we could seek the hunter god's blessing."
Kwan quietly observes the proceedings while Xu prays to Pharasma for her blessing. When the cold sets in, he pulls the neck of his undergarment up to provide a bit more warmth. When it's evident that Pharasma's favor was gained, Kwan smiles and claps Xu on the back "Well done."
When Elizeth suggests heading to Old Matsuki's and Yuranosuke suggests one of the lodges, Kwan nods in agreement. "There is strength in numbers. Yes, we should stick together, at least for now. Matsuki's residence is large enough to hold many people. The Southbank residents might have fled there for safety. Let's head to Matsuki's quickly, but safely."
After the party divides up the supplies from Elizeth and everyone indicates they are ready, Kwan leads the group out of the Pharasman chapel and heads north toward the main road in Southbank.
Heading out of the Chapel, group in tow, healed and repaired up. Its maybe noon at this point, and where the sun would be high in the sky, its blocked by the overwhelming, oppressive fog that extends in every direction.
Continuing down the same road you came by, it isn't long till you're approaching the city again when you notice something sitting in the middle of the road that wasn't there before.
Sitting in the road is a single, stuffed wolf. Clearly a lost child's toy.
No one viewing it notices anything out of the ordinary. You guys approaching it, trying to skirt it, pick it up?
Yuranosuke, having taken point, extends his arm to stop the group.
"Jiang...Ayane...do you sense anything in the air? I am unsure if we've a lost child to track now...or if something else has left some bait out for those whose curiosity outweighs their caution..."
hmm, not sure, maybe it was left in teh rush to get home? Heres a fun idea, I can transform into a ball and roll over next to it, in case something more nefarious" she looks side to side, "is going on here."
Ayane throws her hands in the air and quickly brings them back down and in a blink of an eye she is no longer standing there but a small toy ball is. "okay I'm gonna roll over there and knock it over. be right back" Ayane, the ball, beings to roll over to it taking a few moments to make her way there.
Xi Jiang spends 10 minutes in fervent prayer to Pharasma, the Lady of Graves as he does you all feel the Chapel grow cold, the smell of dirt pervades the air, and pale blue light shines through the Cathedrals windows as the simple copper coin is light by a softly glowing blue-ish white heatless fire.
Xu Jiang is almost speechless, but eventually he does mumble repeatedly "She saw me. She saw me." It occurs to him to wonder what, exactly, the great goddess saw when she looked at him.
When it's evident that Pharasma's favor was gained, Kwan smiles and claps Xu on the back "Well done."
Jiang smiles at the holy warrior, accepting the compliment. "I was just the... well, I... I'm glad it worked."
Lady Elizeth sighs wearily, "Small step in a larger path, we need to get those other two coins blessed, if only Pharasma could bless all three but that is not how the magic of the Eternal Lantern works. Let me see what I can offer you in aid for rescuing me, then if you don't mind, I'll accompany you, if you can get me to Old Matsuki's, see if the old codger is mounting any sort of resistance, I'm sure he'll need Pharasma's wisdom,"
"Resistance to what, exactly, my lady?" asks Jiang. "Do you know what is happening here?"
___________________________________
Sitting in the road is a single, stuffed wolf. Clearly a lost child's toy.
Jiang has weightier issues on his mind and he takes no notice of the child's dropped toy.
Watching the spectacle, Lady Elizeth responds to Xu Jiang's question, "Something is making a concerted effort, I'm not sure what went wrong with the Summer Festival but the ghosts we work to placate are very angry, the fog, the missing people, that spirit possessing the birds intending to keep me contained, it points to something bigger going on than just a monster raid,"
Meanwhile, Ayane slowly rolls over to the stuffed toy wolf, as she does, she hears very faintly coming from the toy what sounds like a child's imitation of a wolf growl as she gets closer.
Ayane rolls back the 15 or so feet to the rest of the party and disables her shape change. once again the racoon humanoid is standing in front of you.
"So I heard soft child like growling, I thinks its possessed. Let me try and disable it." She carefully walks back over to the toy and try to disable it.
Ayane toodles back over to the stuffed wolf, rather than leaving it better off alone.
Attempting to quell the unhappy spirit inside, she upsets it, causing it to lash out and a spectral wolf mouth lunges from the stuffed animal in attempt to chomp Ayane.
After chomping her though, it seems whatever spirit haunting the toy is exhausted from manifesting itself and has gone dormant. Though Ayane now lies in a puddle of blood, dying.
Kwan gasps as Ayane's attempt to deal with the haunted toy results in Ayane on the ground, clinging to life. "Ayane, no!" Heedless of further danger, Kwan rushes over to Ayane and channels divine healing into the injured Tanuki. "Jiang, come quick!"
◆ Cast Lay on Hands
Once Jiang arrives to assist, Kwan wheels about with his shield raised to protect the healer and the downed bard. Kwan stays alert for more ghostly creatures.
Yuranosuke's jaw drops as he sees the angry spirit attacks Ayane.
As Kwan rushes to try and keep her alive, his mind races for what rituals or superstitions might help.
"Lady's Grace!" shouts Jiang in alarm as he hastens to Ayane's aid.
Rushing forward, Phang, Yuranosuke and Xu Jiang render critical first aid to Ayane, healing her wounds and bringing her back from near death.
Yuranosuke examines the stuffed wolf and is able to determine that the haunt has expended its energy, for now. Though until its properly dispelled it could recharge its energy and attack again, how long that recovery period is hard to determine.
Lady Elizeth, prepares her magic, looking around, wary of an ambush. "Seems unlikely this placed itself here by itself, something may be watching you're group,"
"Not good not good not good not good" she fires off those words in rather wuick succession.
She then uses her limited power of the air to give everyone a burst of speed to help get Ayane away from the beast
Ayane slowly sits up and looks around at her companions around her. ”oof what happened?” she gasps bringing both hand to her mouth, ”the spectral toy bite me! That was terrible. Thank you for coming to my aide.”
"It's dormant now...maybe this time we can make the attempt without the harm."
Yuranosuke approaches the toy and kneels.
"Ketephys, Tsukiyo, lords of the Moon, guide the steps of this lost cub's soul with your gentle light, bring them out of the dark and into peace," he prays somberly.
Unfortunately Yuranosuke's attempts to quell the haunt have failed, though due to the haunt's dormancy it doesn't lash out at him, at least.
Yuranosuke sighs and stands back up.
"The gods are silent here, it seems. We cannot let this spirit lie for whatever comes across it next. It may be more cruel than we. Perhaps we can take it to the Cathedral to be properly exorcised later?"
"If we leave it at the temple, someone else may come upon it and have a poorer outcome than us. I think we should try to calm the spirits in this toy again - at least give it one more chance."
"Well, I don't know if we can excise the spirits or not. Elizeth, do you have a recommendation? If we can't do it now, I think we should keep this toy with us to avoid a child picking it up. I can carry it."
Ayane steering clear of the toy weary of it even though Kwan and Yuranoske say it’s dormant. [/b] I don’t wish that torment upon anyone lest of all an unsuspecting child. If it’s alright with you all I’d like to take a few moments here to catch my breath and calm my nerves. Seeing the brink of death does a lot to a person.”[/b]
Lady Elizeth will take the haunted object, "I will take this, I can hold onto it and when the time is right I'll cleanse the spirit from it, better than leaving it, but I know we may part and I don't want to risk you all carrying this around with you and it recharging itself at an inopportune time,"
Continuing on, you guys pass by the milling houses, past the bridge you fought at earlier and round the corner, the Thrice-Blessed Inn, began as the Thrice‑Blessed Brothel, for it was founded by three clerics of Kofusachi, Calistria, and Shelyn. Political complications forced the brothel’s owner, Mother Otis to shut down the establishment. With the aid of Willowshore’s local lawyer, Luo Xi Yang, Mother Otis was able to rely upon an obscure law that prevented their eviction and allowed them to continue to operate the building as an inn.
As you pass by, you see someone open the door a crack and then Mother Otis, the half-elf proprietor waves you guys over, "Hurry, get inside, it isn't safe out there!"
"Oh hello!" she waves as she approaches the open door "Strange weather isn't it? Even the birds are being bad" she shakes her head
Kwan follows Shandari towards the inn. "Mother Otis, are you hurt? Anyone else with you? We just rescued Elizeth."
Kwan turns back to the rest of the group. "Hurry, we can regroup inside." Kwan keeps an eye on the street as the others come nearer.
Keeping a wary eye out, Xu Jiang follows the group into Mother Otis's inn.