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As the big tengu falls to Vahrn's mystical hammer and Dakon heals Haduo, Payani turns his attention first to the halfling. Peering around the centaur's flank, he spots a telltale sign that the troublemaker may suffer from allergies.
He rubs a bit of Vudrani nettle on his blade as he throws it at the halfling
"You fell from the sky when Gorum died? How did the legendary Blade of Fumeiyoshi come to be in the hands of Lord in Iron?" he asks Bloodmoon hoping to get the blade talking.
After perusing the ledgers and studying his notes, Payani thinks he might have heard or maybe read (it's been so long, who is to know which) something about a cursed weapon of the gods known as Bloodmoon. "If it is the same sentient god-blade, it could indeed be causing the miasma that Sakura senses," he concludes after briefing the team on what he has found
Payani waits with the patience of one hundreds of years old for the others to heal Abbadon. He literally has all the time in the world as yaksha do not die of old age. When everyone if ready, he proceeds at pace with the team and upon reaching the office inspects the journals and records behind the door. Upon spotting the name "Bloodmoon" he flips through his well-worn notebook for any reference to such a thing.
Payani surveys the scene of broken vats and spilled sake. "Perhaps we wake him to see what he knows of this place," he suggests. Either way, he proceeds to tie the tengu up. He doesn't want him recovering and causing trouble for them as they proceed. Questioning the denizen would also give the medic(s) time to heal up those wounded in the fight, especially poor Abbadon.
Payani has seen many strange things is his centuries of life. But never this. No, certainly not. That said, he has resources and maybe he will remember something about beings such as these. He moves carefully past his centaur friend into a corner of the room where he can see and target both of the sake barrels. Flipping thru his notebook, he seems to recall something.
With that knowledge in mind, he flings the starknife at Blue and easily catches it on the return after it bounces off the barrel's metal stave.
From across the dark water, the Yaksha catches the halfling's gaze. The look of death in the tall spirit guardian's eyes fills the little one with dread. He moves along the waters edge to take advantage of his ally's spell, never breaking eye contact with the one in the Red bandana, before flinging his starknife straight towards his face.
Payani admires the athleticism and combat skills of his allies with a subtle nod of approval. "You should know that my friends will not relent," he states (in Tien, 'natch) to the one in Blue.
He throws his starknife at the one in Red thinking that he has a better line of attack. But the throw goes wildly awry and the big man huffs in annoyance at his lack of skill. He opts to leave the area of Vahrn's blessing for a better angle next time, and stomps in frustration to the south.
Payani nods to the Mayor's answer. He's concerned at how disrupted the the Forest is by both the malevolent force at work and by Sakura's rage. He opts to talk a calming walk through the trees at the edge of the village to clear his mind. As he strolls beneath the boughs, he consults his tome and thinks about anything from his long past in the nearby areas that might help.
With his freshly recalled tidbits and cleared head, he returns to the village. He immediately encounters some of the local hunters grumbling about not being able to get fresh meat due to being blocked in by the fog. He chats with them and shares his insights into what is going on and that he and the Pathfinders are here to help.
Payani nods in approval as Haduo Nue affixes Sakura's sprig. The thaumaturge doesn't need it, and he is happy to see the leshy with a nice cherry blossom ornament. He joins the others after speaking to a few of the villagers, asking them what they thought had been happening. Rejoining the team at the mayor's office, he explains in more detail their meeting with the Guardian kami.
"So, as you see, there is something evil here that Sakura and the Forest itself can feel. It is our duty to find it and remove it. Do you have any thoughts on what it might be or who might be responsible?" the towering guardian spirit asks.
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?"
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.
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.
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.
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."
I need to update his Profile page, I'll try to get it done today. I'm currently in Asia, for those that don't know from my other games. Payani is a Scroll Thaum who fights from range, so he can handle the heal or dispel magic scroll provisions if folks want to give them to him. (Oh, we also have a cleric? Nice.) AoE and Splash are acceptable within reasonable limits. I have 2 glypns. I'll get the macro and sign ups done later today once I finish his profile. My backstory for Payani is that he's originally from the Forest of Spirits, though I have nothing mechanical to tie him to it directly. He has the Tome implement which grants 2 skills during daily preparations. I'll wait to see if there's a skill the party has no one Trained in before declaring them. I've played and run this before, several times.
Payani watches the black feline approach. It had waited - waited and watched the Pathfinders just as the Yaksha does to it now. This one was the unusual coordinating intelligence. He moves to get a better look at it, and consults his notes.
But this one is different enough, so he devises something on the fly with the ingredients he has on hand and applies it to his starknife before flinging it across the cave.
Payani doesn't much like the tactical layout of the cave, but he resolves to do his best regardless. As he moves in front of Valereon into the gap created by Steelmantle, he gives the guardian a nod of approval at the tactic. Even as he does so, he flips thru the notes in his book certain that he's got something in there about these cats - or maybe just about cats in general.
Using what he knows, he slices at the ferocious feline
His starknife traces a clean cut right across its exposed throat.
"One. Maybe two. You should check on your people," Payani advises the goblin leaders as he takes his own advise and checks on the Pathfinders. Seeing that only Steelmantle was harmed and has already been tended to, he addresses the team. "Their tracks are fresh. We might be able to track them now. Do we go, or rest until dawn?" he asks as he peers up to the sky trying to assess how much longer until daybreak.
When the first cat darts past him, it catches Payani by surprise. As he moves across the encampment he considers what he has seen. They're focused on food, not on us. Seems reasonable for an animal, but now maybe we can at least track them. In the meantime.... He studies the palest of the cats with the help of his book
But can't really come up with much. Not wanting to risk hitting his ally by throwing a starknife with the big centaur between him and the target, he opts to try scaring it instead. He chooses the language of spirits on the theory that they likely don't speak Taldane, but perhaps are manifested or tainted by the fey.
"Kesha Flameward, if you have spells that target the mind, those might affect these cats more easily," Payani advises the cleric as she emerges from the hospital tent.
The big man turns his attention to the dancing swashbuckler. "Who would applaud us here under the stars?" he asks. It's not exactly clear if he's asking rhetorically or is just confused by Valereon's comment. Either way, he nods in appreciation of the young aiuvarin's skill with a blade.
The sound of the growls rouses Payani from his semi-meditative stance. His head on a swivel, he scans the campgrounds and is admittedly a bit surprised to see the feline form balanced atop the fence. As it drops into the camp, he's already moving forward even as he considers what he knows of such beasts.
With hands faster than the eye, he applies a bit of dried tonte mushroom to his blade. He's never met a cat that didn't react at least a little to the sting of the Tien arboreal fungus. His starknife then tears open the feline's throat.
Payani returns from his search slightly frustrated at having found nothing amidst the small and chaotic goblin prints. But he's undeterred and takes a quick turn around the camp looking for the best spot to watch from. He stops for a moment to observe Valereon's preparations. He does not comment, only nodding once at the man's industry. He surveys the sight lines from where the red-draped decoy stands and decides to keep watch over the main and side gates. These cats are not dumb, but they are still animals at heart. Perhaps they will use the gates rather than expending the energy to leap the fences. The tall man then steps not far away from the dummy and uses his wayfinder to cast a light spell on the tippy-top of the rough-hewn pole supporting the crudely thatched supply hut roof. Taking his tome in one hand and his starknife in the other, he settles into a warrior's stance meant for keeping long vigils. And he waits.
Payani nods at Steelmantle's point. They will need a tracker, and it does not appear that any of his teammates have much training or experience in that area. So the ancient yaksha consults the notes in his strange old book to see what he might have learned over the decades of his life. He sets out on a quick lap around the camp to see if he can find any traces of the cats, using what knows but also focusing on spots where the goblins said attacks had occurred.
Payani takes a minute to do a quick lap around the wagons and check out the trail that the bandits came at them from. He doesn't want to risk getting ambushed again if there are any others. He then rejoins the rest of his team at the oasis, drains and refills his water skin, and takes up his position alongside the wagons, ready to move out once the others are settled.
Payani follows the flow of battle across the sandy terrain. He slips in between Duncan and Steelmantle to face off against the bandit in the Yellow trousers.
But just like how he defied Duncan's attempts, Payani is similarly unable to get a read on this one. Nevertheless, he swings his starknife hoping it will find its mark.
Impressed by the combat prowess of Duncan and Steelmantle (and even Valereon to some extent, too, he admits silently), Payani moves to join his collegues in protecting the caravan. He sizes up the one engaged with Duncan, looking for any tell-tale signs of malnutrition
He rubs a bit of tsugichi weed on the blade of his starknife and weaves his tome in an occult pattern before slicing into the man's torso.
Payani shakes his head at Valereon's rash rush into combat. But he knows that to protect the wagons from bomb-chuckers he'll have to move forward, too and does so with caution. As he gets within sight of the first bomber (Red), he considers what his book tells him about bandits from this part of the world and what they might be allergic to.
Standard DC for the creature's level:
Critical Success = You learn all of the creature's resistances, weaknesses, and immunities, including the amounts of the resistances and weaknesses and any unusual weaknesses or vulnerabilities, such as what spells will pass through a golem's antimagic. You can exploit either the creature's mortal weakness or personal antithesis (see below). Your unarmed and weapon Strikes against the creature also become magical if they weren't already. Success = You recall an important fact about the creature, learning its highest weakness (or one of its highest weaknesses, if it has multiple with the same value) but not its other weaknesses, resistances, or immunities. You can exploit either the creature's mortal weakness or personal antithesis. Your unarmed and weapon Strikes against the creature also become magical if they weren't already. Diverse Lore:
Additionally, when you succeed at your check to Exploit a Vulnerability, compare the result of your Esoteric Lore check to the DC to Recall Knowledge for that creature; if that number would be a success or a critical success, you gain information as if you had succeeded at the Recall Knowledge check. Weakest Save, please.
Since we kind of jumped straight from a skill challenge into a combat on the highway while escorting a caravan, I'd like to state for the record that Payani usually has his Tome implement in hand, even if he wouldn't have a weapon. But as professional Pathfinders escorting a caravan through hostile-ish territory, I'd assume we would have weapons also drawn, yes?
@Valereon, my comment about you in my intro wasn't a dig at your play style. My apologies if it came across that way. I love PBP for the same reason. No need to focus on the character sheet at the expense of focusing on the character themself. The ability to describe things that one doesn't have time to at a F2F or VTT table under a time crunch. The ability to take the time to look things up when you aren't sure or forget how something works. The ability to express thoughts for that behind-the-curtain view of the character's motivations. This is my first game with Payani, so please bear with me as I find his voice and develop his personality. He's not human, though he appears that way. Yaksha (Rare ACP boon ancestry hardly ever seen in PFS) are not even [Humanoid]. They are spontaneously formed of spiritual energy as guardians of forests, roads, villages, or whatever. They can theoretically live for hundreds of years or longer, but their lifestyle and role as guardians mean they rarely do. I see him as being originally from the Forest of Spirits in Tian Xia, but as a guardian of roads and travelers, he is soul-bound to travel (like his Player). That took him throughout Tian Xia, to Goka and then beyond to Absalom. The Society seems like a good fit as they always seem to be guarding some caravan or artifact or just traveling to another place. Mechanically he's a Tome thaumaturge with Diverse Lore. So between him and Pawero, we should be finding everything out about whatever we fight. Oh, and he has an ancestry feat that gives everyone +2 to Initiative when he's Scouting. It does not stack with other circumstance bonuses to initiative, but it means no one else needs to Scout.
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