The Pathfinders arrive at Three Gates Lodge within Kayajima, Minkai, not far from the beginning of the Spirit Road. There Venture-Captain Amara Li offers tea and dumplings as she welcomes them to come inside the lodge.
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A male kayal with chalk-white skin takes a seat. His eyes and shoulder-length hair are black, and he has several black piercings in his face and ears. A small silver skull hangs around his neck, the black chain looped through the eye sockets. He wears studded leather armor, but his forearms are bare. Stylized chains are branded around both wrists, with circular scars on the backs. An amulet on his chest depicts an open door to a torture chamber.
”The name’s Shalosar”, he rasps. ”I rip people apart, and sometimes put ‘em back together!”
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The smells of green tea and steamed dumplings wash over the next one to enter the room. As tall as the centaur at 7 and a half feet in height, the humanoid-looking man with red markings upon his Tien face breathes in deeply and lets out a long, deep sigh of contentment. He bows in a distinctly Tien style to the Venture-Captain as he greets her, "Konichiwa, Captain-sama." His Tien is accented strangely, clearly not local to Minkai but also not from a far-flung land like Valashmai or Goka.
"Payani, a Yaksha originally of the Forest of Spirits, at your service, Captain," he says switching back to Taldane for the benefit of the gathered gaijin. "It is good to be back." He sips the tea and smiles at its subtle local flavors. "In so many ways."
He and the Captain chitchat about the variety of tea being served and other general news from Minkai, though she artfully dodges any discussion of the mission. As they chat and he tells the Captain of his travels and his foundational edict, she points out that while she is well aware of yaksha, his allies might not be.
"Ah, yes, wise well beyond your human years, Captain," he thanks her with a bow before turning to the others.
"I am a Yaksha, a spirit-being brought to life by the needs of a community. I was formed, fully matured, within the Forest of Spirits just to the north of Minkai. It is my task - my foundational edict - to assist travelers."
He pauses to sip the tea again. "I lived in the Forest for decades - or perhaps centuries, time has little meaning to my kind or to the Forest - before helping some very lost travelers find their way across Tian Xia to Goka. From there, I continued and ended up in Absalom. I found that my own purpose often overlaps with the goals of the Pathfinders."
He expertly lifts a steaming dumpling with a set of ivory chopsticks, easily dips it in the soy sauce, and pops it into his mouth without dripping a single drop. He chews slowly and mindfully as he savors the flavors of pork, ginger, and garlic. "It will be my humble pleasure to work with you all."
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A short humanoid walks into the lodge. His chin is raised up in the air and his back is pulled as straight up as he can manage, as if he's trying his best to look taller than 4 feet. He could pass for a human male - if not for the bark-like brown skin and the blooming orange Chrysanthemum flower growing out of his head. A serious expression on his face is contrasted by the cutesy, hot-pink hand-knitted scarf wrapped snuggly around his neck. Stitched into the scarf in bright baby blue is a message in Fey, "From Knottyanne, with love."
He takes a seat at the table, his legs dangling from the chair as he speaks in a low, gruff tone that seems completely at odds with his youthful appearance.
"I'm Haduo Nue, The Radiant...and Horse-wrangler." He chokes out the last title with a bit of difficulty and a shudder, as if trying to suppress a bad memory.
"I also slice people apart." he says to Shalosar as he unsheathes two twin Temple Swords, both glowing red with spiritual energy.
"When I heard there was an opportunity to return to Minkai, I took it immediately. I have not returned to my homeland ever since the Godsrain revived and transformed me from a typical Leshy to...to what I am now." He gestures with a thumb towards his human-like body.
He continues to speak, a far-away look in his eyes as he thinks back to his past. "I do wonder how the Forest of Spirits has changed since I was last there...I hope we get the chance to visit."
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"I also slice people apart." he says to Shalosar as he unsheathes two twin Temple Swords, both glowing red with spiritual energy.Shalosar gives a sideways grin at the swords. ”Nice”, he replies. ”Looks like you’re neater about it than I am”
"Thank you." Haduo says with a small smile. "Since I was originally a healer, I find myself applying that same precision I welded with a scapel to my blades. This one's called Tripper -" He raises the blade in his right hand, which has the image of a foot emblazoned in it "- and this one's called Hitter." Haduo says, glancing at the blade in his left hand, emblazoned with the image of a fist.
"I see no weapon on you, Shalosar. How do you defend yourself without one?" The Leshy asks, genuinely curious.
After finishing up his discussion with the Kayal, Haduo moves to grab a dumpling with his bare hands before locking eyes with a tall humanoid-looking man with red markings upon his Tien face.
A look of wonder and fear flashes across Haduo's face as he recognises the type of being he tried to take food from.
Haduo gets up from his chair and bows deeply to the Yaksha, his eyes fixed to the floor. "I-I apologise for my impertinence, Guardian Spirit...both for trying to take your food and for not greeting you first with the proper respect a being such as yourself deserves." He stammers out, afraid of offending the Yaksha further.
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"I also slice people apart." he says to Shalosar as he unsheathes two twin Temple Swords, both glowing red with spiritual energy.Shalosar gives a sideways grin at the swords. ”Nice”, he replies. ”Looks like you’re neater about it than I am”"Thank you." Haduo says with a small smile. "Since I was originally a healer, I find myself applying that same precision I welded with a scapel to my blades. This one's called Tripper -" He raises the blade in his right hand, which has the image of a foot emblazoned in it "- and this one's called Hitter." Haduo says, glancing at the blade in his left hand, emblazoned with the image of a fist.
"I see no weapon on you, Shalosar. How do you defend yourself without one?" The Leshy asks, genuinely curious.
Shalosar looks around the cozy tea parlor in the lodge, then back at Haduo. ”Mmm, not really the time and place”, he says. ”I’m trying out this new thing called ‘discretion’, but I’m sure you’ll find out later”
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After finishing up his discussion with the Kayal, Haduo moves to grab a dumpling with his bare hands before locking eyes with a tall humanoid-looking man with red markings upon his Tien face.
A look of wonder and fear flashes across Haduo's face as he recognises the type of being he tried to take food from.
Haduo gets up from his chair and bows deeply to the Yaksha, his eyes fixed to the floor. "I-I apologise for my impertinence, Guardian Spirit...both for trying to take your food and for not greeting you first with the proper respect a being such as yourself deserves." He stammers out, afraid of offending the Yaksha further.
Payani gives Shalosar a slight smile at his mention of discretion before turning his attention to the bowing leshy. "Be at ease, Haduo Nue. We are colleagues and Pathfinders, and I am not worthy of such obeisance," he says with humility as he stands to return the bow. Sitting back down, the yaksha motions for the exemplar of blades to join him. "Please sit and eat. The dumplings are delicious, and the Venture-Captain has provided for us all. (And if you need lessons in using chopsticks, I will be happy to teach you,)" he adds with a smile.
"But I am curious about your name, Haduo Nue. Is Haduo a family name in the Tien style, or do you use Nue the Taldane way? Or neither?" he asks as he lifts another dumpling, dips it in soy sauce, places it on a small plate, and hands it to The Radiant.
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Haduo returns Shalosar's stare with a concerned expression. "I'm just saying - It's best we put everything on the table before we set out. On an expedition to Port Valen, a Pathfinder Agent more senior than I procured weapons she couldn't use. I had to lend her my blades!"
Haduo joins Payani at the big boys table, pulling himself up the taller chairs with some measure of difficulty. "Yes, I would need assistance with chopsticks. The last time I used them, it was when I had leaves for fingers...and when Master was still around."
Haduo tries his best to maneuver the dumpling into his mouth using the chopsticks before giving up and simply spearing it through the middle.
"Hmmm...these are good. No wonder humans go crazy for this stuff." Haduo says, slowly and appreciatively chewing. "Oh, right! Nue is my family name, taken from the druid - my Master - who raised me. As for why I adopted the Taldane style of naming, my Master moved to Taldor very early in my life. To avoid pretty much everyone else mixing up my first name and my family name, we quickly switched over to the Taldane way."
He reaches for a cup of tea and sips from it, recoiling from the heat and the bitter mixture after a taste.
"I have very few memories of life in Minkai...I pretty much grew up like a Taldane. Kind of wish I could put milk in this tea..."
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A broad shouldered dwarf wears a battered chain shirt beneath heavy furs inclines his head, shield resting at his arm, whip loose but ready.
“Name’s Vahrn. Deathwarden, priest of Sarenrae.” He gestures briefly to the massive boar snorting beside him. “That’s Abbadon. He bites harder than he looks.”
His eye sharpens, but his voice stays calm. “I keep folk standing, break enemies off their feet, and make sure death doesn’t take more than it’s owed.”
The Venture-Captain recognizes Dakon and offers him a warm smile. She also nods to others who has introduced themselves to her.
"Dakon, it is good to see you again for another mission. Everyone, please warm yourselves with some tea and enjoy a few cookies. If you prefer another beverage, I hope we have something to offer." She gestures to her assistants, who promptly continue pouring tea and passing around more plates of cookies.
“I need you to investigate something for me,” Amara Li says as she pours golden buckwheat tea into simple yet elegant cups. “Despite the vast and somewhat dangerous wilderness that surrounds it, the Spirit Road is the lifeblood of trade between Hongal and Minkai, and now it has been inexplicably blocked.” She pauses. “The Forest of Spirits is home to departed souls and kami, the spiritual guardians of the forest. Travelers through this region rarely dare to stray from the road for fear of offending either.”
She passes the cups along the table, and then continues. “Some merchants that I hired to transport goods to Hongal reported that a thick and disorienting fog laid across their route. One woman told me that she heard howling ghosts when she tried to enter, and another was bitten by relentless tiny teeth. The merchants soon found themselves leaving the fog where they had entered. Shaken by this experience, they turned around and reported back here.” Amara Li sighs. “There is another group of merchants who left from Hongal, and have not been seen since, and other merchants coming from Minkai have reported being unable to pass through.
“It is always hard to map a region as ever-changing as the Forest of Spirits,” Amara continues, “but consider this as close an approximation as we can get.” Amara unrolls a delicately painted map. “As you can see, the Spirit Road connects Minkai to Hongal along the peninsula’s southwestern coastline. The largest settlement on the Spirit Road is the village of Ohira, right at the delta of the Bunkatsu river. But crossing the Bunkatsu at this time of year is dangerous, so most merchant caravans take their heavy wagons to the crossing slightly north of the Spirit Road at the bridge that leads to the tiny village of Silvertree.” Amara taps her finger on the dot representing the village.
“There seems something sinister to this strange and persistent fog. We think the source of the fog must be somewhere near one of these two villages and the Bunkatsu river. With so many of my experienced agents dealing with literal fallout of Godsrain, I’m hoping that you can investigate the phenomenon and tell us what we need to do to end it.”
"Do you have questions?"
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A mission to assist travelers within the Forest of Spirits, on behalf of the Pathfinders. Truly a divine omen, Payani decides. He sets his tea cup down and examines the map. It is so strange to see a map of his homeland, something he'd never really considered needing before. But even as he looks at it, he realizes that he has lost some of his connection to the Forest. He no longer feels it as he used to, before he left for Goka and Absalom. Ah, well, he muses, it will still be good to be "home."
"Captain-sama, how long ago did this start? When did the Hongali merchants disappear?" he asks out of concern for the travelers.
Amara frowns. “Travel time from one end of the Spirit Road to the other takes a few weeks, so we believe this problem started slightly over three weeks ago.”
”Three weeks, huh?”, asks Shalosar. ”Anything else weird happen around that time?”
"“Nothing that I know of,” Amara answers carefully. "Once you arrive there, I want you to ask what happened."
Dakon nods "It's good to see you again, but I'm ill at ease that the Spirit Road is having trouble again. I don't have any maps handy from our previous journey, I know the Spirit Road is long but is this anywhere near the village we returned the Kami to in our previous mission?"
"No, this is far from there, but every village has its own guardian kami. As for the kami of Ohira and Silvertree, my sources do not record every guardian found along the Spirit Road, so I cannot tell you much about them. That is something you will need to investigate for yourselves. Speak with them and see whether they know anything about this phenomenon. Each kami is unique, with its own preferences and needs. I strongly advise that you approach them with the utmost politeness—and listen carefully to what they have to say.”
"Outside is your standard set of provisions for your long journey: a pair of horses, a wagon loaded with food, water, a repair kit, and a map of Minkai and the Forest of Spirits, including the only settlements along the Spirit Road." the venture-captain tells them.
Also, you heard that there have been recent rumors of rare plants and animals smuggled from the Forest of Spirits being sold at markets in Minkai and Hongol by agents of the Golden League.
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Haduo pays rapt attention to the briefing. Upon mention of the Forest of Spirits, he takes out a well-worn notebook that smells strongly of medicinal herbs. He flips to a particularly dog-eared page and reads it while the briefing continues.
After the Venture-Captain finishes, he closes the book and informs the party proudly; "Master's notes on the Forest of Spirits should be relevant here. It says that the most common threats found in the Forest of Spirits are bandits, oni, fey, and wild animals. If the balance of the forest has been upset, even kami and nature spirits can become aggressive and attack."
He pauses for a moment, thinking hard. "We should find out what's upsetting the balance and eliminate them, with force if needed." To punctuate his point, he smashes a wooden fist into a wooden palm.
"Can you give us some information on these spirits and how do they differ from normal fey or spirits? I can't remember well enough and I'd prefer not to run on things I may or maynot have read a long time ago"
"Kami are nature spirits that typically serve as guardians of the natural world, whereas fey originate from the First World. While they may coexist within the same natural spaces, kami are devoted to preservation. They may even inhabit inanimate objects to better fulfill their role as protectors."
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The Pathfinders begin to travel, and their journey from the Three Gates Lodge in Kayajima through the Osogen Grasslands is chilly but scenic, with brisk winds blowing through the swaying plants of the prairie and mountains soaring to either side of the plain. Along the way, friendly nomads and hearty herdsmen wave from a distance, and some locals approach on horseback to warn travelers with rumors that the Spirit Road has been blocked. Finally, the northern city of Hokkōshi comes into view. As the last stop for travelers venturing into the Forest of Spirits, Hokkōshi teems with Spirit Road guides and merchant caravans, all glumly stuck in town.
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Payani moves with a easy gait clearly accustomed to travel over long distances. His pack rests easily on his shoulders, and his book is held loosely in his hand. Occasionally he references it when he sees something he had forgotten about, or makes a note in it when he spots something interesting.
Most of the time, however, he spends just gazing at the passing road and landscape. He waves back to the villagers, and chats with them when they approach. Some are deferential to him when they recognize him as Haduo Nue was, and some few offer him food or tea which he accepts sparingly, graciously, and with much humility.
When they arrive at Hokkōshi, he immediately feels the frustration of the guides and travelers. He approaches with concern and asks for as much information as they will share about the conditions on the Road ahead.
At first, the merchants clamor over one another as they approach. Voices overlap, questions and complaints spilling out all at once. Yet as the chaos settles, and with the right words spoken to the right people, the Pathfinders begin to piece together something useful.
"There’s a thick, mysterious fog blocking all travel across the Bunkatsu River," one merchant explains.
"No, this is no ordinary fog, it's far too dense," another insists. "I’ve been traveling these routes for many years, and I know this isn’t natural."
An old caravan driver shakes his head, clearly unsettled. "In all my years on the road, this is the first fog I’ve ever seen that’s this impenetrable… and this permanent."
"We’ve been stuck here for the past month!" another merchant snaps in frustration.
A tired trader scoffs and waves a hand dismissively. "You’re really planning to cross through that? Good luck. We can’t help you with that."
After that, they press on into the woods. Once within the woods, almost all traffic on the Spirit Road dies away, though the sounds of birdsong and skittering wildlife fill the void. Old growth trees enclose the path on both sides, with the occasional a break in the trees revealing a view of the azure seawater of the Sapphire Sound. Down below, waves crash against a rocky shore and the air tastes not just of pine but also of finely misted salt spray.
One by one, snowy squirrel-like creatures with the twitching long ears of rabbits arrive on the path. The squirrel-rabbits watch the Pathfinders with intelligent eyes, always following at a watchful distance. As they travel onward, more and more squirrel-rabbits arrive, skittering overhead from branch to branch or hopping along the sides of the path.
A light mist gathers, swirling around the trees. One hops in front of Haduo, waits for half a minute, and then starts hopping slowly away, stopping every few seconds to look behind and check if the leshy follows.
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Haduo spends an embarrassingly long time on a tree stump. Trying to reach some herbs growing on a branch 6 feet tall and woefully out of his reach. He yells out to the others; "Give me a hand, will you?"
when he finally gets his herbs, he stoops down, takes out a well-worn pestle and bundle of herbs before bashing, boiling and bottling the herbs into 1 Antidote, 1 Minor Healing Elixir and 4 Elixirs of Life.
"Sorry for the hold-up. I'm ready to go." Haduo says sheepishly.
Once the Pathfinders decide to follow them, they continue hopping away until the squirrel-rabbit skitters to a halt as an antlered figure arises out of the mist to the mixed scents of cherry blossoms, sea spray and cloying blood. As the mists clear, her form becomes fully visible. With bright green fur and cherry blossoms sprouting out of her antlers, her face is that of a furious macaque monkey.
“Strangers,” says she “do you feel it? An unholy miasma resides in what was once a sacred wood. The village harbors it and it festers in my domain like a weeping sore.” she complains.
The antlered macaque introduces herself.
"I am Sakura, the guardian kami of Silvertree." she then turns to Dakon. “Once you did this forest a service, confronting a thief, freeing a spirit, and soothing these woods and making them whole.” she tells him with gratitude.
“But another evil bothers the forest that I have laid this fog in to separate Silvertree from the rest of the Forest of Spirits.” Sakura says.
"This is not just a punishment, but also to protect the rest of the forest from infection, and I will not remove the fog until the villagers rid themselves of this horrid thing."
"I ask you to find the source of unholy energy. Perhaps if you can find a way to navigate this fog, you can also find a way to free the village and remove the filthy source of miasma.”
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"Well, it seems our interests align then. We need the fog gone and you need this unholy miasma cleansed." says Varhn while scratching his beard. "Not that I would've said no to such a request even if there was nothing else going on."
He then looks at the rest of the group.
"It seems we've found our goal, now it's up to us to get things done."
Sakura twitches with discomfort. “I do not know exactly what the source of the foulness is, only that I sense it within the village and its presence is enraging, not just to me but to the other forest spirits. Some of them have been maddened by it, losing all sense and reason. I’m losing all sense and reason! Dig until you find it, and then destroy it!”
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Payani bows to Sakura. "It is an honor to meet you, Sister Protector," he says as one of the risuchō clambers down from his shoulder. "We will most certainly do our best to remove this taint from the Forest."
"Quarantining Silvertree was wise, but what do the villagers know? Did you tell them why you cut them off?"
"... do you have any tips to get through this fog?"
The white squirrel-rabbits chitter at Sakura, and then hop hopefully to the edge of the solid fog barrier. Sakura’s eyes narrow as she studies the Pathfinders before her. “Very well."
"I will allow you within the fog, and we will see how you manage the challenge. Perhaps you can find your way. As long as your intent is true, you will find your way through the fog." she says.
"Quarantining Silvertree was wise, but what do the villagers know? Did you tell them why you cut them off?"
“They know that I was so enraged by the foul presence in my woods that I could barely speak of it, thus the reason of cutting them off from the rest of the forest… Do you think they could be unaware of its presence? Surely you can feel it. You can feel it, can you not?”[/b] she says.
Then Sakura pauses. “Should you meet enraged kami, defend yourselves, but try not to kill them. They know not what they do.”
Sakura raises an arm, and the fog thins for a moment, allowing both the Pathfinders and the chittering squirrel-rabbits following them within. Then the fog closes around them, dense and forbidding, blocking nearly all vision but for adjacent creatures. The squirrel-rabbits accompany the party, patiently waiting to see what they might do.
Obstacle: FEELING ONE'S WAY - The fog is thick and disorienting, but everywhere you can find signs in the natural world that offer clues to orient yourself.
Navigation Points Acquired: 0 out of 2 needed
Overcome: DC 16 Survival checks to orient in the fog, DC 18 Nature to examine local flora for clues, DC 20 Perception to notice sounds, smells, or other sensations in the fog.
CHARACTER IN ➤ BOLD TYPEFACE CAN ACT!
➤ Haduo Nue | [2☘️]
➤ Dakon Mossriver | [2☘️]
➤ Maneki Pemanah | [2☘️]
➤ Payani | [2☘️]
➤ Shalosar | [2☘️]
➤ Vahrn/Abbadon | [2☘️]
Obstacle: PHANTOMS IN THE FOG - A broken down cart with several half-eaten dead bodies are all that remain of a merchant caravan that failed to penetrate the fog. Their ghosts wail their frustrations about their interrupted lives and needless deaths.
Navigation Points Acquired: 0 out of 2 needed
Overcome: DC 16 Religion to lay the spirits to rest, DC 20 Deception or Diplomacy to soothe the angry spirits, DC 16 Mercantile Lore to soothe the angry spirits, DC 18 appropriate Lore to promise to help the ghosts with unfinished business.