Unfortunately for the group, Kwan's words of warning about danger come true. Being taken aback by the creatures' strange appearance, Kwan stares at them intently, hoping to realize something about them. Then, he raises his shield and draws his katana from its sheath.
◆ RK w/ Religion
◆ Raise Shield
◆ Interact to draw katana
Ayane encourages her allies to not be afraid of the small thicket-like creatures while Kwan raises his shield and draws his Katana, he thinks about what these are but isn't sure.
A blue stick creature runs forward giggling right up to Yuranosuke and Kwan.
It thin mutters and whispers and wiggles its fingers at Kwan, attempting to curse him.
Critical Success The target is unaffected and is temporarily immune to the creature's Curse for 24 hours.
Success The target is momentarily disoriented and has difficulty moving in the right direction. The target takes a –5-foot status penalty to its Speeds for 1 round.
<Failure As success, but the penalty to its Speeds lasts for 1 minute.
Critical Failure As failure, but the penalty to its Speeds lasts until the curse is removed or until the creature who created the effect is permanently destroyed, whichever comes first. In addition, when the cursed creature attempts a Survival check to Sense Direction or Track, it uses the outcome for one degree of success worse than the result of its roll, and it can't take the Scout exploration activity.
The typical thatchling appears as a humanoid bundle of dry grass and twigs, held together by coils of what looks like glowing blue hair. These minor undead can't form bodies larger than those of a small human child. As they are made of dry grass and twigs, they are weak to fire.
Ayane
Kwan
Blue Stick Creature
Yuranosuke
Ren
Yellow Stick Creature
Red Stick Creature
Ninghu
Shandari
Gray Stick Creature
Ren mostly passes the trek in silence. The forest is not a particularly familiar place for her so she is dependent on the others for guidance and warnings. Thus she listens rather than talks.
The little stick people are a case in point. She has no idea what they might be herself. Between Kwan's and Ayane's reactions to them she gets mixed signals. Her own impulse goes toward defense. But she is more worried about angering or insulting an otherwise benign spirit of fey creature who would mean no harm unless threatened than she is about given things some extra moments to clarify the situation.
Ren decides on what she hopes is a decent half-measure. Sine the closest of the stick figures seems busy engaging with Kwan, she takes the opportunity afforded by no attention being on her to slip around behind Kwan and take cover behind some boulders just off the right side of the path. If confict is coming, at least she might be able to come back at a more advantageous angle.
Yuranosuke lowers into a defensive stance immediately and glowers at the walking bundle of reeds before him.
Then he swings at it with a pair of arcing cuts, hoping to reap it like autumn grain!
Kwen feels affected by whatever finger wiggling curse muttering magic the small stick humanoid just inflicted on him, his movements have become sluggish.
Ren dives into the woods and moves through the brush, remaining unseen for now.
Yuranosuke hunts the blue stick humanoid and swings his long reaching shang ji.
He cuts it twice, the second cut separating its body in two, the creature falls to the ground seemingly dead.
The red and yellow both run forward, giggling still and claw yuranosuke and kwan with sharp fronds.
But none of their tiny slices are able to do much at all against either of them.
Ayane ☘️ -
Kwan ☘️ - Cursed 1 minute, -10 to speed.
Yuranosuke ☘️-
Ren ☘️ - Unseen
Yellow Stick Creature
Red Stick
Ninghu ☘️ -
Shandari ☘️ -
Gray Stick Creature
Nínghu’s ears flatten slightly at the sound of the giggling, his gaze sharpening as the small figures burst from the grass.
“Stay close,” he says quietly.
He plants the base of his lotus-carved staff against the earth, breath steadying as soft light gathers around him.
“I will share your burdens.”
A faint, warm glow stretches outward from Nínghu, threads of life essence reaching Yuranosuke, settling over him like a second pulse.
Their pain will not fall on them alone. I will carry what I can.
The light fades into a subtle tether, barely visible as it lingers between them.
A moment later, a quiet warmth radiates outward from Ning, subtle but steady, settling over his companions like the first light of morning.
“Steady yourselves.”
◆ Life Link (Yuranosuke)
◆◆ Bless
Active Life Links: Yuranosuke
HP: 28/28
Focus Points: 1/2
Curse Level: 0
Hero Points: 1
Cat’s Luck: 1
DC 18, Spell Attack +8
Level 1: 3/4 (Bless, Command, Fear, Heal, Soothe)
Range 30 feet; Targets 1 creature other than you
Duration 1 minute
You forge a connection of life energy between you and your target, distributing harm between both of you. When you first Cast the Spell, the target recovers 1d4 Hit Points. The first time each round that the target takes damage, reduce the damage it takes by 3 (to a minimum of 0 damage). You lose 3 Hit Points each time, or the total damage dealt, if less than 3; this damage ignores any immunities or resistances you have and can't otherwise be mitigated in any way.
The spell ends immediately if you fall unconscious. You can Dismiss the spell.
Traditions divine, occult
Area 15-foot emanation
Duration 1 minute
Blessings from beyond help your companions strike true. You and your allies gain a +1 status bonus to attack rolls while within the emanation. Once per round on subsequent turns, you can Sustain the spell to increase the emanation's radius by 10 feet. Bless can counteract bane.
Shandari rubs her hands together as sparks start to fly, a buzz in the air then blasts the one infront of Kwan with her electrical blast
Ningu steadies the group's lifeforce, though possibly prematurely as Shandari, aided by Ayane's inspiring words, annihilates another of the stick figures. It too falls to the ground in a lifeless heap.
The last one to act, the Gray stick figure runs forward to attack Kwan.
and its tiny stick arms beat helplessly against Kwan's armored shins.
Ayane ☘️ -
Kwan ☘️ - Cursed 1 minute, -10 to speed.
Yuranosuke ☘️-
Ren ☘️ - Unseen
Red Stick
Ninghu ☘️ -
Shandari☘️ -
Gray Stick Creature
Ayane continues to sing her inspiring song as well as throwing a heavy rock towards the grey creature.
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Kwan grunts at the enemy directly in front of him. "You should have left us alone." Then, he attempts to cut down the enemy before raising his shield.
◆ Intimidate
◆ Strike
◆ Raise Shield
Ayane and Kwan both struggle to attack the tiny stick bundle creatures.
Ayane ☘️ -
Kwan ☘️ - Cursed 1 minute, -10 to speed.
Yuranosuke ☘️-
Ren ☘️ - Unseen
Red Stick
Ninghu ☘️ -
Shandari☘️ -
Gray Stick Creature
Ren quietly slips her jian out of its sheath and circles around behind the little stick man confronting Kwan. She aims for the middle of its back and thrusts her blade into it.
Ren tumbles out of hiding and swiftly slices one of the creatures completely in half, it barely registering its been cut until it falls into two pieces.
Ayane ☘️ -
Kwan ☘️ - Cursed 1 minute, -10 to speed.
Yuranosuke ☘️-
Ren ☘️ -
Red Stick
Ninghu ☘️ -
Shandari☘️ -
Yuranosuke swings at the remaining creature!
Yuranosuke, aided by Ayane's encouragement is just barely able to graze the lone remaining sticking figure monster.
It tries to return the favor, slicing him with its fronds.
It barely gets a slice off, finding an opening and cutting Yuranosuke across the thigh.
Ayane ☘️ - Courageous Anthem 1 rnd, +1 Att/Dam
Kwan ☘️ - Cursed 1 minute, -10 to speed.
Yuranosuke ☘️ - 4 damage
Ren ☘️ -
Red Stick - 5 damage
Round 2
Ninghu ☘️ -
Shandari☘️ -
The first one she struck went down easily enough so Ren tries to repeat her success. She slides over behind the last of the stick figures while thinking they are not very smart. Once she's in place she again strikes at its back twice.
The Sylph throws another beam of electricity at the remaining stickman thing
Ning sees the wounds on Yuranosuke and compassion wells up inside of him. He reaches out a hand, and a thin ethereal connection forms between the two, as the Auivan’s wounds knit.
Then he focuses, and the area affected by his spell grows
Finally, a small shimmering leaf appears on front of him.
* Life link
* Sustain Bless
* Shield
↺ Retributive Strike
Kwan manages to deflect the damage coming towards Yuranosuke but is off-balance for the follow-through attack. "Time to cut the last of the chaff." Then, he slashes at the straw creature, careful to avoid Yuranosuke and then raises his shield.
◆ Intimidate
◆ Strike
◆ Raise Shield
Yuranosuke gives a small chuckle at Kwan's pun as he attacks the monster!
Together your group obliterates the remaining bundle of sticks doll like creature.
So far you've traveled about 15 miles, with another 8 miles to go if you stick to the path, if you venture off the path you may be able to shortcut that down to about 3 to 4 miles, though depending on how rough the terrain ends up being, could cost you the same amount of time as following the trail to the road.
That said, 16 miles is nearing the limit for some of your slower party members, pushing past that will put the folks at a speed of 20 feet into fatigue territory.
Update location, about halfway through the forest trail
Time/Date:
10 Sarenith 4608, Wealday.
5:17 pm (1717).
weather: Sunny, warm 72 degrees
Making sure the area they have stopped in is safe, Ayane sets her travel bag down and speaks up, " Lets stop here for the night. I can prepare us a meal from foraged items and some food I brought with us.'
Ayane starts to pull out her pots and pans and builds a fire to cook up some dinner for the group. As she cooks she sings softly to herself an old familiar tune her grandmother often sang while cooking over an open flame.
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Kwan agrees with Ayane's suggestion to make camp nearby. "Pushing forward only increases the risk. Plus, there isn't really a need to hurry."
In the morning, Kwan thinks about the path they should take today. "I'd feel more comfortable if we continue following the trail. We might be able to arrive sooner by cutting through the forest, but it's more dangerous and we're just as likely to get turned around."
"That can't be fun. Walking and then end up arriving at our starting point" she shakes her head
The group decides its better to wait rather than continue venturing into the night, this clearing where your fight took place makes a good enough spot to camp as well.
You guys set out to hack down some of the taller grass, stamping down and making the area more habitable. One of you gathers firewood from the woods nearby, not straying too far from the trail.
Ayane scavenges some berries, tubers and mushrooms from the woods to augment the trail rations most of you are already carrying.
Nothing seems to happen to the stick creature bodies, sitting here, you guys eventually recollect that these must have been Thatchlings, which are usually souls in turmoil bound to stick effigies. They are one of the weakest of ghost type monsters. There are plenty of stories and sayings in the village that surround thatchlings and their curses.
Many of the elders in the village warn of what can happen if a soul bound for reincarnation is prevented from entering the River of Souls and rejoining the cycle. These souls become frustrated, confused, and then furious at what they feel is a denial of the body they deserve, and in turn, they force vegetation to serve as their new body. Others theorize that when a body is buried in a shallow grave, the roots of grass growing down into the remains can tangle the soul and capture it.
Some say that unless the reason preventing them from moving on, Thatchlings are cursed to rejuvenate after a certain amount time, bound to their cursed bodies, but often unable to resolve their problems either.
Kwan considers the best course of action with the thatchlings' remains. "I wasn't expecting to come across thatchlings out here, or anywhere. I wonder if the ones we defeated will come back to life after awhile. Perhaps we could help the souls attached to these creatures pass onto the afterlife."
Ren considers the notion the "thatchlings" will come back.
"Well... does the stick body repair until they are whole again, or do they inhabit a newly created, separate body? If the body mends, we could try burning them. They are mostly wood after all."
"I once saw lightning hit a tree. It went boom! Splinters everywhere!" she throws her hands wide as she says boom
"Being so close to their remains may then a pose a threat, if what your Elder's say is true. We should provide souls relief, and allow them to enter the river if it is in our power to do so... though I know no the way to accomplish this. Perhaps, Ayane has heard of such stories?"
"At the very least, we should pray for them," Yuranosuke says with a nod.
Kwan and Ningu both know that short of being able to resolve the problems, defeating their corporal bodies while the spirit is still inhabiting it using Fire is another way to cleanse the souls and send them to the Boneyard.
Its hard to determine if the souls will reinhabit the same bodies or seek out new ones.
Ayane shakes her head, "I dont recall any other ways to provide relief for the lost souls. That is not something im as equipped with."
Ren helps with burning the remains of the stick people .
Níng crouches near the remains, studying them a moment before he rises. His staff rests across both hands.
"Fire will do it," he says quietly. "The soul needs the body destroyed to be released- not just defeated. The river cannot receive what is still anchored."
He glances toward Yuranosuke. "I agree with Yuranosuke. We should not simply burn them and move on." A pause. "Whatever bound them here- grief, confusion, something unresolved... we cannot fix it now. But we can at least offer them the door."
He sets his staff upright against the ground, pressing both palms together briefly, head lowered.
"I do not know the rites for this tradition. But intent carries weight."He steps back and looks to the others, ready to help tend the fire.
"All I can do with help is fan the flames. Help it get hot enough and burn long enough" Shandari offers
Your group holds a small ceremony for the fallen thatchlings, turning their bodies into tiny funeral pyres. Its hard to tell if it worked, nothing particularly special happens that would indicate one or another, though only time will tell and trust that intent does carry weight.
The night passes without much happening, your campfire keeps the worst of the night away and while there is plenty of branches snapping in the darkness and the occasional glowing eyes you maybe see in the darkness watching your camp, nothing intrudes across the threshold of your camp.
Rising with the Sun, your group packs up the camp sets off for the remaining 6-8 mile journey, opting to follow the trail out of the woods and then up the road.
The forest road eventually comes to a junction, just north of which sit several partially burned single-bedroom structures. These half-dozen bungalows once comprised the Canary Inn, but today most of the buildings are burned to rubble, although the surrounding woodland has recovered from the fire. The northernmost structure seems mostly intact. Three figures sit in the clearing just south of that structure. Two of the figures wear long gray hooded cloaks and sit facing away, their attention rapt on the third figure who stands before them—a young child wearing a red-hooded cloak whose song about butterflies and dreams floats along on a melody that feels much more maudlin and downbeat than its whimsical topic would suggest.
As you approach, the child is cloaked by a magical disguise, revealing a blood-soaked effigy made of dried grass held together by red wisps of ghostly ectoplasm. The other two figures are regular thatchlings, similar to what you fought in the clearing already
"Odd that a child would sing such a sad dismal melody when taking about butterflies, that should be happy and upbeat!" Sensing nothing out of the ordinary about the scene in front of the group Ayane pulls out a pot to try and help the child with a more cheery melody.
The young child's singing stops as all three children stand up to regard your group, they stand eerily still, its hard to make out the features of the two children in gray cloaks, the hoods covering their features.
As Ayane starts banging obnoxiously on her pot, the red cloaked child, now visible as a young girl, seems taken aback by the poor performance, angered even. "If you are going to mock my song with your banging around then leave,"
Ren has to ask around at this point.
"Is it normal to see so many strange things in the forest? We are only going from one place to another, one short journey. But, nothing I have ever heard about this place describes it as I am finding it to be."
Níng's step slows as the children come into view. His hands settle on his staff with both of them at the top.
Red hood. Gray cloaks. The stillness is wrong. Children alone in these ruins...
He does not reach for anything. He does not move closer.
"Ayane," he says, voice low and even. "Put the pot down."
He looks to Ren without turning his head fully. "No. It is not normal."
He holds still, watching the red-cloaked girl... the way you watch a patient whose breathing has changed.
"I assure you, his drumming was not mocking. The song itself is worth hearing." He pauses briefly "What brings you out this far from the village?"
Looking to Ningu, still standing motionless, with a look bordering on hostile, "Village? We awoke here a few days ago,"
"You don't know? Where are you from little ones?" she asks with a friendly smile, going down to look at them eye to eye. Not wanting them to feel like she is looking down on them, but more on equal grounds
Shandari notices as she gets closer, something is definitely off about these children, they have an earthy, musty smell to them, like fresh dug up soil.
Frowning and stomping her foot, "If you aren't here to entertain us, then leave, it's been so long since anyone tried to make us happy,"
"Have you been alone for a long time? Did the mist get you lost?" she continues with a soft voice, almost like a early spring breeze