At some point in the future, a chronicler living in the city of Kasai will put together this account. The identity of this person (as well as how he or she learned about these events) is yet to be determined.
(I’m the GM, and I’m writing this journal as a reference for the players. There will be plenty of spoilers for the Jade Regent Adventure Path, but I’m also planning a number of changes.)
The following information (apart from the classes) is general knowledge in Sandpoint at the beginning of the campaign:
Lahja: A female human of Ulfen descent. After being dug out of an avalanche (which killed her parents), she was brought to Sandpoint and tended by Koya. (Paladin of Sarenrae)
Soto Sunshuke: A male human of Minkaian descent, and the grandson of Soto Tsutamu (who worked as a merchant with Ameiko’s grandfather). Local rumour suggests that Sunshuke has fallen under the influence of the Sczarni after the untimely death of his parents. (Myrmidarch magus)
Isawa Tomoko: A female human of Minkaian descent. Her family ran a tea house and inn in another town in Varisia. About two years ago, the rest of her family died in a plague, and Tomoko arrived in Sandpoint with a letter of introduction to the Soto family, who welcomed her and looked after her. Tomoko is now working in the Rusty Dragon tavern. (Rogue)
Masatoshi (“Toshi”) Wright: A male human of Minkaian descent. Toshi is also a member of the Soto family – he is Sunshuke’s cousin and a grandson of Tsutamu. Toshi’s father used to work as a chef at the Rusty Dragon tavern, but died about a year ago as the result of a bar fight. Toshi now works part-time as a cook at the Rusty Dragon and is gaining a reputation for mixing ingredients together in novel ways. (Alchemist)
Safa Zice: A female Varisian human. She is a widowed mother and grandmother, and owner of a general store. She often looks after local children, and is also well known as a storyteller at the Rusty Dragon tavern. (Bard)
Olaf Adalger: A male human of Ulfen descent. Olaf is a tall, blond, friendly lad who has recently returned from a school in Northern Varisia. He is currently spending a lot of time around both his family home and Koya Mvashti’s home. (Conjurer wizard)
Osserc: A male elf who has grown up under Shalelu’s guidance. He has assisted Shalelu in her work and has taken every opportunity to meet travellers and aid caravans in the area around Sandpoint. (Magus)
According to Minkaian folklore, a swarm of jade-wing butterflies is a sign from Desna of good luck or the beginning of a long journey. So did the sight that appeared in Sandpoint one spring morning have any mystical significance?
Almost certainly not. The forces of coincidence and greed are powerful enough to explain that incident, without the need for any divine assistance.
In which butterflies and explosions prove to be a distraction from nothing
Soon after Toshi Wright woke up, he discovered that a message had been sent to his home overnight by his employer, asking him if he could help out with the breakfast shift at the Rusty Dragon tavern. When Toshi arrived in the common room, Ameiko Kaijitsu was walking down the stairs and yawning. “Sorry for the late notice, Toshi,” she said. “Two guests arrived late last night. They introduced themselves to a couple of others who were already here. Bought each other lots of drinks. Decided to go adventuring together. They were talking about setting off today to explore Foxglove Manor. When they finally wake up, they’ll probably want breakfast. And could you mix something up and call it a hangover cure?”
Isawa Tomoko, one of the serving-maids, mentioned some traditional and not particularly appetising Minkaian remedies. Toshi ignored these suggestions and developed his own recipe from various herbs in the tavern’s pantry. When he added a single drop of a particular substance, the final concoction turned opaque.
But several hours passed and no adventurers came downstairs to sample Toshi’s creation.
Meanwhile, Toshi’s cousin Soto Sunshuke was travelling back to Sandpoint in the company of Sandru Vhiski, who had made a brief trip to buy supplies in Magnimar.
“Are you sure you’re prepared for a long caravan journey?” Sunshuke asked.
Sandru didn’t reply, but glanced over his shoulder at the contents of his cart: rope, poles of various lengths, chains, pitons, horseshoes, waterproof lanterns, kettles, a portable bridge, string, a collapsible bathtub and several unmarked sacks, among many other items.
“I believe you should wait until next spring,” Sunshuke said. “At least. Have you even decided where you’re going?”
“Not yet,” Sandru replied brightly.
“Then you are not ready. As my father taught me, the first step of any journey is knowing the destination.”
Before Sandru needed to think of a response, they both noticed a pair of figures on the road ahead, wearing gloves and hooded cloaks. The two figures quickly pulled the hoods forward to hide their faces completely and stepped off the road to leave space for Sandru’s cart to pass.
Sunshuke glanced at Sandru. “That’s odd,” Sandru said.
“My father told me,” said Sunshuke, “that he who hides his face from the light lives in darkness deeper than shadow.”
“Why don’t you follow them stealthily?” Sandru asked. “See if you can get a glimpse of their faces.”
“No,” Sunshuke replied solemnly. “That would leave you undefended.”
“It was worth a try,” Sandru muttered under his breath. They continued towards Sandpoint.
It was well past midmorning when Tomoko and Toshi heard a commotion outside the tavern. Tomoko went to the window. A group of people had gathered to look at a swarm of green butterflies, which fluttered in a swirling column above a fixed point in the town square.
Among the onlookers was Olaf Adalger, who had recently returned to Sandpoint after several years of study. He quickly determined that the butterfly swarm was an illusion, and he sent his hawk Kala to look around. Kala noticed one of the windows on the second storey of the Rusty Dragon tavern – there was a triangular gap where someone small was holding the curtain aside.
Inside the tavern, one of the guests finally came downstairs. He was a red-haired half-elf, dressed in a long, black leather coat and wearing a symbol of Calistria. “What is all that appalling noise?” he asked. “Whatever it is, can you make it stop?”
Toshi handed his hangover cure across for the half-elf to drink. Noting the half-elf’s expression afterwards, Tomoko took the opportunity to sell him a glass of wine to wash down the taste.
The excited voices from the square had attracted the attention of Lahja, who emerged from the cathedral. Safa Zice was also in the square, keeping watch over some of the local children. Osserc had business in the town that day, and he observed the scene from the edge of the square. They were all present when Sandru and Sunshuke arrived on the cart.
While Sandru was busy unhitching the horses, Sunshuke noticed some distant, muffled noises from outside the town. They sounded like a couple of wheeled vehicles being pulled at speed by animals, but not horses or any other creature with hoofs.
Lahja hurried across the square to help Sandru with the horses, and Tomoko walked out of the tavern to welcome Sandru and Sunshuke back.
The approaching sounds become louder, and then there was a drawn-out whistling noise followed by a loud bang.
Moments later, two carts pulled by riding dogs came into view on the road leading to Sandpoint. The carts were crowded with goblins, who were carrying torches and several long cylinders in addition to their usual weapons.
One of the goblins lit the fuse attached to a cylinder, and was shortly afterwards dragged out of the cart as the cylinder shot forwards. It flew out of the goblin’s hands and exploded in a shower of coloured light. The goblins paused only briefly to laugh at their comrade, but then they began to draw weapons or prepared to light more of the cylinders, and some of them leapt down to run further into the town.
Sunshuke responded by sending a magical twisting spray of colours from his fingertips towards to one of the carts. Half of the goblins on that cart collapsed unconscious.
When Ameiko heard warning shouts about goblins, she vaulted over the bar to fetch her rapier from behind it, then vaulted back over and ran outside to join the defence.
Safa shepherded all the nearby children into the tavern, then went back outside to defend the general store from goblins who seemed determined to loot it.
Olaf also went into the tavern to find the person he suspected of creating the butterflies as a distraction. He went upstairs to the room where someone had been watching the square. The guest there was a gnome who enthusiastically introduced himself as Korrevetesque Rindletrax and enthusiastically denied having anything to do with illusory butterflies. Olaf was not convinced. Toshi instructed Korrevetesque to stay in the tavern, and Olaf went back outside to help defend the town’s bakery from goblins who may have been hoping to set it on fire.
“I hate goblins,” Shalelu said quietly from behind Osserc. “But there’s something suspicious about this. Goblins hate dogs. They’d never train dogs to pull carts.”
Osserc asked someone to run to the cathedral and ring the general alarm signal. Then he joined the defence, along with Lahja, Tomoko and Toshi. Soon afterwards, the sheriff and several members of the town’s militia arrived to help.
Toshi had a chance to pick up an unlit cylinder. It was printed with the Minkaian symbols for ‘Desnan candle’ and a manufacturer’s name. He then helped Lahja, Tomoko and Sandru as they stopped a pair of goblins carrying a larger cylinder, which they seemed to be trying to aim towards the tavern stables.
Tomoko finally managed to pick up the larger cylinder and drop it into the horse-trough. At about that moment, the confusing battle come to an end and the remaining goblins fled, leaving behind the carts and dogs. Sandru was able to calm the terrified dogs down.
When Toshi went back into the Rusty Dragon to check that everyone inside was all right, he noticed that the half-elf and the gnome were both missing. The other two self-styled adventurers had not been seen at all that morning.
After hearing Olaf’s suspicions, the sheriff asked for volunteers to track the adventurers down and bring them back for questioning. Lahja, Olaf, Safa, Tomoko, Toshi and Sunshuke all volunteered. Osserc also volunteered after being assured that the town would pay a suitable bounty for the adventurers, and Shalelu agreed to help with tracking.
The tracks led through the fields to the south-east of Sandpoint. Safa spoke briefly to a farmer, who said – amid remarks about the weather – that he had seen two people running in the direction of the tracks not long before.
The volunteers continued to follow the tracks. Soon afterwards, Shalelu pointed out that the two sets of tracks had separated and were heading in different directions. The group decided to follow the smaller set of tracks first.
Those tracks came to a halt in the middle of a wheat field. Olaf looked closely and decided that the gnome was standing right in front of them, invisible. He waved his quarterstaff into the space and felt it collide with something. He told the invisible something to show itself, and then he heard what sounded like someone beginning to cast a spell. After several people shot arrows into the space that Olaf indicated, Tomoko gently asked the gnome to surrender.
The voice of Korrevetesque responded immediately, agreeing to surrender. The volunteers tied him up. The gnome enthusiastically explained that he and his companions had been hired to create a distraction. One of their colleagues had sneaked out of town early that morning – the plan was for him to disguise himself to look more goblinoid, find a goblin patrol, charm the leader, give them the fireworks, carts and dogs, and convince them to set out for an entertaining raid on Sandpoint at once. But when the goblins failed to show up at Sandpoint at the expected time, Korrevetesque had created the butterfly illusion as a stopgap. The gnome was unable to give a coherent explanation of why the distraction was needed, however.
The volunteers took the gnome with them as they went back to follow the half-elf’s tracks. “I don’t like where this is going,” Shalelu said after a while. In a few minutes’ time, they were once again at the place where they had spoken to the farmer.
“He was good,” Safa said. “Exactly the right number of monosyllabic replies and comments about the weather. I would never have guessed.”
Flying high above, Kala saw a disturbance in the wheat, and the pursuit continued. The volunteers caught a glimpse of a long black coat and shouted “Stop!” Olaf worked out that the half-elf was casting a spell to make himself run more quickly. But when he was hit by Sunshuke’s arrow and Toshi’s crossbow bolt, the half-elf collapsed.
Lahja stabilised the unconscious half-elf and carried him. Both prisoners were taken back to Sandpoint for questioning. Sunshuke and Tomoko stealthily located the other two adventurers, but decided to leave them undisturbed.
Back in Sandpoint, the half-elf was initially reluctant to talk. Safa tried using magic to charm him. He raised an eyebrow. “I’ve seen that particular spell too many times to be taken in by it, ma’am.” But after a few pleasant, persuasive words from Tomoko, he introduced himself as Esvailar and confirmed the gnome’s story. He explained that their employer was Kelsiran Valdemar, the younger brother of one of the town’s wealthier and more influential inhabitants. Kelsiran had secretly hired a pair of undines from Magnimar to search two shipwrecks, and they had retrieved a sealed, waterproof chest containing jewellery, fireworks and an illustrated book about Minkaian folklore. “It inspired me!” the gnome interrupted – one of the woodcuts depicted a swarm of jade-wing butterflies. But it was a map that interested Kelsiran the most. Kelsiran believed that it could lead to more items of value.
Kelsiran had wanted to search the place indicated on the map, but he was keen to keep his treasure-hunting quiet. “He told us there’s lots of gossip in Sandpoint,” Esvailar said.
“That’s not true,” Safa replied. “We don’t gossip any more than any other town. For instance, let me tell you ...” She went on to relate several incidents when a lack of communication had played an important part in local events.
When he was able to, Esvailar went on to explain that Kelsiren had hired him and his companions to create a distraction in the town square at a specific time so that Kelsiran would be able to sneak back in at the other side of Sandpoint without being noticed by anyone. Esvailar had asked if he could take some of the fireworks, since they seemed to have potential for distraction.
The sheriff asked two of his militia to go to Kelsiran’s house. They returned soon afterwards to report that the building was locked and no one was answering the door.
Sunshuke, Toshi, Tomoko and Safa received a warrant from the sheriff to search the house. There was no one inside. The house was in a somewhat disordered state, but there was nothing to suggest that its owner was planning to leave and not return.
Tomoko found a strongbox and eventually managed to pick the lock. Inside was more Minkaian jewellery, two nameplates that had presumably been taken from ships called the Kaijitsu Star and the Kaijitsu’s Blossom, and a note in Minkaian, apparently written in haste. Toshi was able to translate:
As soon as you make landfall, take your crew and your cargo to the place on the map. There will be food stores there already. Please keep watch over my son. Good luck.
“The handwriting is poignant, like spring rain,” Sunshuke said.
“Why do you keep going on like that?” Toshi asked.
“It’s important to maintain Minkaian traditions.”
“We’re Varisian, man.”
“Anyway,” said Safa, “spring rain isn’t poignant, it’s just annoying.”
Toshi and Sunshuke’s grandfather Tsutamu had worked as a merchant with Ameiko’s grandfather Rokuro. Tsutamu and Rokuro were believed to have died when ships of theirs had been wrecked in severe storms twenty-four years ago. And it seemed likely that the undine divers had been exploring those two ships.
With the sheriff’s permission, Toshi took the jewellery to show his mother. “They look similar to some pieces I inherited from my mother,” she said. “But I don’t remember ever seeing those particular ones before.”
Toshi thought there should be family records of any ships that his grandfather had owned. But there did not seem to be any. This was perhaps in keeping with his grandfather’s secretive nature – during his lifetime, Tsutamu had always referred to himself by his given name only and had strongly discouraged his family from mentioning the name ‘Soto’, but he had never explained why.
Sunshuke took the note and the nameplates to the Rusty Dragon and showed them to Ameiko. He stammered out a rapid explanation, and his remark about the similar poignancy of handwriting and spring rain was rather garbled. Ameiko looked thoughtful, but just agreed that these discoveries were interesting.
The mood at the tavern that night was celebratory – the townsfolk had repelled a goblin attack and received only a few injuries. Ameiko offered free drinks to anyone who had helped fight the goblins, and Safa told somewhat embellished stories of the pursuit and capture of Esvailar and Korrevetesque.
By the next morning, there was still no sign of Kelsiran Valdemar. His brother was clearly worried and the sheriff asked for volunteers to try to find the missing man.
- Sandru is making preparations for a long caravan journey, but he hasn’t decided the destination yet.
- The PCs have discovered that Kelsiran Valdemar secretly hired a pair of undine divers to search two shipwrecks off the coast to the east of Sandpoint. The divers retrieved two nameplates, various items of Minkaian origin and a map that Kelsiran thought could lead to further cargo. The goblin raid was set up as a distraction so that Kelsiran could return unobserved to Sandpoint with whatever he found. But he does not seem to have returned at all.
- The Soto family has no records of any ships that may have been owned or part-owned by Soto Tsutamu.
In which coffee and tea are both served, but under rather different circumstances
Safa and Osserc had other business to attend to that morning, but Lahja, Toshi, Sunshuke, Olaf and Tomoko volunteered to try to find Kelsiran Valdemar. Koya Mvashti and Shalelu also joined the search party, to help with healing and tracking if necessary.
The search party headed to the opposite end of Sandpoint from the town square. Shalelu looked around for a while and identified a group of recent tracks belonging to about six humanoids. These led away to the east, between the road and the cliffs overlooking the ocean. “Kelsiran Valdemar seems to have many friends,” Sunshuke said. “He who has too many friends has no friends at all.”
After more than an hour of walking, the search party noticed some drops of dried blood on the ground. The tracks indicated that one of the humanoids had been dragged away into a more rocky area while his five companions had fled onwards.
The search party decided to look for the person who had been dragged off. Shortly after entering the rocky area, they spotted a poorly hidden giant spider waiting on top of an outcrop, preparing to leap down and ambush them. Lahja went forwards to attract its attention while several others shot at it. When the giant black widow spider jumped down to attack, Toshi threw an object which exploded over it. Unfortunately his aim was slightly short, and Lahja was caught in the burst of flames. The spider dodged nimbly but immediately collapsed into a smouldering heap. Lahja was not so nimble, and she expressed some objections to Toshi’s tactics. However, she was quickly healed by Koya.
Some of the group climbed up to search the rocky outcrop and found a small crevasse filled with webs. Wrapped up in a cocoon-like bundle was an unconscious, paralysed man.
Koya said she had magic that might help the man, but she wanted to save it in case they encountered more of those spiders. This meant that a method of transporting the unconscious man was needed. The search party collected branches and constructed a makeshift stretcher that Lahja would be able to drag behind her. But when her companions started to strap the man’s arms to the stretcher, Lahja told them to stop. “He’s already been tied up,” she said. “I don’t want him to wake up and still be tied up.” Her companions explained that they were just trying to protect the man from further injury. But Lahja was determined.
Finally, a solution was found. Lahja dragged the stretcher, and Toshi and Olaf walked on either side of the man, each holding one of his hands. Toshi was heard muttering under his breath in Minkaian. Shalelu looked as though she wanted to make some comment about this scene, but she kept silent and continued tracking.
About an hour later, the search party arrived at an area close to the coastline. A handcart was concealed among some bushes. There was a narrow inlet nearby, and climbing ropes had been secured in place, leading to a ledge halfway down the cliff.
Olaf climbed down first and discovered the entrance to a cave – it would have naturally been hard to spot, either from the level of the cliff-tops or the sea. He was joined by the rest of the search party except for Shalelu, who remained up on the cliff-tops to keep a lookout and watch over the unconscious man.
Tomoko explored the cave entrance. There were boot-prints leading into the tunnel but not out of it. She went further inside, and the others followed her. A short distance into the caverns, Tomoko was attacked by another giant spider – this one was not as large as the spider they had faced outside, but it was still large enough to cause some trouble. It bit Tomoko, and then bit Koya as she went to Tomoko’s aid.
After the spider had been dealt with, some of the group heard a muffled noise from deeper in the cavern. It sounded something like: thunk-krrrrr ... thunk-krrrrr ... thunk-krrrrr, repeating with such regularity that it seemed almost mechanical.
They continued onwards and discovered a man, lying face-down with a skeleton on top of him. The man and the skeleton were both motionless. Lahja carefully pushed the skeleton aside so she could examine the man. He was dead, with claw-wounds on his face and throat. The skeleton had dried blood on the bones of its hands. In anger – since the skeleton seemed to have attacked a man who was trying to flee – Lahja smashed the skull and hipbones of the skeleton with her warhammer.
Around the next bend in the tunnel, the search party found three more human bodies and several more skeletons, which did move – they raised their skulls slowly as if looking at the newcomers. Lahja could not detect the presence of any evil. Koya noted that this was unusual, because undead skeletons were almost always animated by the power of evil necromancy.
Somewhere not far ahead, the thunk-krrrrr ... thunk-krrrrr sound was continuing, and the search party could also hear rapid, shallow breathing. Lahja walked forwards slowly, trying to keep as far away as possible from any of the skeletons.
The skeletons turned their skulls and twisted their spines as if continuing to watch Lahja, but did not stand up or make any move to attack her.
In a weak voice, someone called for help.
Lahja arrived at the entrance to a larger cavern. There were several wooden chests on the ground. At the far end, a skeleton was standing on one of the chests. It wore armour of a style unfamiliar to Lahja, and had a sword with a slightly curved blade in a scabbard at its belt. The skeleton was facing away from Lahja. It reached up into an opening in the roof of the cavern. As the bony hand struck rock and drew back over the surface, it made a sound like: thunk-krrrrr.
Sunshuke followed Lahja into the cavern. “Greetings, grandfather,” he said. “I offer my respects to the ancestral guardians.”
The skeleton did not turn around. It continued its attempts to grab something through the gap in the roof.
“Is someone there?” said the weak voice. It came from the gap. “Please help me ...”
“You have offended the guardians and desecrated their resting place with your attempted theft,” Sunshuke said. “You must descend and face your just punishment.”
Lahja began to push the chest that the skeleton was standing on, so that the skeleton would not be able to reach the gap.
“Don’t worry,” Tomoko said. “If you come down, we’ll make sure you’re safe.”
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Tomoko’s attempt at persuasion was more successful than Sunshuke’s. A pair of boots came into view as a human man shuffled forwards. As he let himself drop into the main cavern, the search party recognised him as Kelsiran Valdemar.
Kelsiran was having difficulty standing up. Sunshuke grabbed hold of his shoulders.
As the skeleton turned towards Kelsiran and began to draw its sword, Lahja grappled it, doing her best to hold onto the armour as much as she could, rather than the bones.
“We will take him away from here,” Toshi told the skeleton, “and make sure he never comes back. Nothing will be taken from this place.”
With its free hand, the skeleton gestured for Toshi to approach. Hesitantly, Toshi stepped forwards. The skeleton placed its hand on Toshi’s shoulder and seemed to look into Toshi’s eyes. Then the skeleton gestured to Sunshuke, who also stepped forwards. The skeleton repeated its actions, placing its hand on Sunshuke’s shoulder and looking into his eyes.
Then the skeleton fell out of Lahja’s grasp, collapsing into a pile of unconnected white bones.
Tomoko went back to check the skeletons in the previous cavern. They had also fallen apart and were completely motionless.
“They are ancestral guardians, placed here to watch over a legacy,” Sunshuke said.
“Where did you get all these things you say?” Toshi asked.
“Did your father never teach you the wisdom of the east?”
“He taught me to cook,” Toshi replied.
“Food is good,” said Lahja.
Olaf and Tomoko examined the skeleton’s sword – it was a traditional samurai weapon known as a wakizashi. Although it was finely made and possessed a magical aura, there was something not quite right about it. Tomoko worked out that the hilt was slightly loose and could be detached. Inside, she found two short letters. One was in Tien and seemed to have been written in a hurry. The second was in Minkaian, in a different and steadier hand.
Sunshuke translated the first letter:
My dear son,
Please forgive me for the secrecy. I persuaded myself that it was for the best – now I understand how wrong I was. But everything I did came from my desire to protect you. The captain of your ship has a map – go with him and wait. Tsutamu will meet you there and I will follow soon if I can. We will hide there together until we can be sure we are safe.
If I fail to arrive, Tsutamu will tell you the secrets I have kept from you for too long. He knows the true reason why we left Minkai. Do not return to Brinewall Castle to search for me. If our fears prove justified, there will be nothing for you to find.
Tsutamu’s ship is ready to sail, so I must end this letter now. Again, please forgive me.
Your loving father,
Rokuro
Toshi translated the second letter:
I have failed in all my duties. I advised too much caution, and my master was struck down on the castle walls. His son is drowned, and I could not even defend the few survivors who escaped from the wreck with me. There is no one left to witness my dishonour and penance apart from my own sword. So I will leave this note in its care, along with the letter I can never deliver.
My only remaining hope is that our bones will serve to defend our master’s property by frightening off any would-be thieves.
Soto Ansai,
known as Tsutamu
Olaf knew something of Brinewall Castle. It was about two and half centuries old and had been built to protect a nearby colony. But it had been captured a couple of decades ago - by dangerous winged creatures, according to rumour.
The search party questioned Kelsiran, who was desperately grateful for his rescue. He claimed to have no motive apart from an interest in treasure – he had decided to investigate the wrecked ships purely out of hope of finding valuable cargo. He admitted hiring people to create a distraction, but denied any knowledge of the details of their plans (particularly the part that involved goblins).
While the rest of the search party stayed in the caverns to guard the wooden chests, Olaf returned to Sandpoint with Shalelu and the two surviving treasure-hunters. Olaf was carrying a message from Sunshuke to Ameiko.
When Olaf arrived at the Rusty Dragon, Sandru was leaning over the bar, watching Ameiko. She was taking cautious sips from a ceramic mug. “What do you think?” Sandru asked.
“It’s rather bitter. But ... there’s something about it ...”
Sandru offered a mug to Olaf. “It’s called coffee – try some.”
Olaf had heard of coffee – it was popular in several countries to the south of Varisia – but he had never tried it. He needed to stir in five spoonfuls of honey before he could appreciate the taste, but then he asked for a second cup.
Talking rather more quickly than usual, Olaf explained their discoveries to Ameiko.
Back in the caverns, Sunshuke and Tomoko made an inventory of the goods that had been stored in the chests. There were more pieces of Minkaian jewellery, fireworks, rolls of dyed silk and sets of exquisitely decorated ceramic bowls and cups. Concealed beneath the ceramics was a matched pair of traditional samurai weapons: a katana and a wakizashi. The night passed sombrely but peacefully, interrupted only by the soft murmurs of Sunshuke and Tomoko arguing about which dynasty the ceramics dated from.
The next morning, Ameiko and some members of the Soto family arrived with Olaf. “Did you get my message?” Sunshuke asked excitedly. “Oh. Yes. Of course you did.”
He gave the two letters to Ameiko, who read through them slowly. When she had finished, she looked up. “As far as I know, my grandfather only had one child. But my father never said anything about being on board either of those ships. Sometimes people asked about his father’s disappearance. He wouldn't answer. But the question seemed to leave him in an angry, bitter mood.”
“Your grandfather’s letter warns against going to Brinewall Castle,” Sunshuke said. “That made me wonder if we should go there and try to find out more.”
“I was thinking exactly the same thing,” Ameiko said.
“We do seem to think in the same ...” Sunshuke began. His voice trailed off.
The skeletons were arranged respectfully. (Lahja tried not to draw too much attention to the one with the recently smashed skull.) Tomoko conducted a tea ceremony as a memorial for the dead.
An important question remained: could the Minkaian treasures be removed from the caverns? Toshi was worried that the skeletons might reawaken if anything was taken. The letters suggested that the treasure belonged to Rokuro, and so perhaps Ameiko was now the rightful owner – if Rokuro really was the ‘master’ mentioned in Tsutamu’s note. Koya offered to help. After sunset that evening, when the first stars were beginning to appear, she went to the cliff-tops and dealt out cards from her harrow deck. She gazed at the cards for some time before shuffling them back into the deck.
The next morning, Koya spoke to the group. “If I’ve interpreted my dreams correctly, the skeleton was handing over guardianship to Toshi and Sunshuke. As long as a rightful owner takes possession, the treasure can be removed safely.”
Sunshuke persuaded Ameiko to try taking the katana from the caverns.
Ameiko held the sheathed blade in front of her. “I, Ameiko Kaijitsu-”
“You should say it the other way round,” Tomoko said. “These things are important.”
“Um. All right. I, Kaijitsu Ameiko, am the granddaughter of Ro ... Kaijitsu Rokuro, and I am his oldest living heir. In his name ...” She hesitated and muttered something about feeling silly. “In his name, I claim my family’s inheritance.”
She carried the katana out of the caves and into the sunlight. The skeletons did not stir.
“So what are you going to do with all this stuff, Ameiko?” Sunshuke asked.
- Some mysteries remain about Rokuro Kaijitsu and Soto Tsutamu. What is the true reason why they left Minkai? What danger was Rokuro trying to protect his son from? And if Rokuro and Tsutamu were merchants, why did Tsutamu have samurai armour and weapons?
- In his letter, Rokuro warned his son against going to Brinewall Castle. This has provoked an immediate interest in going to Brinewall Castle (from Ameiko and Sunshuke, at least).
- Sandru is persuading people to try a drink known as ‘coffee’.
- 4652 (59 years ago): Rokuro Kaijitsu and Soto Tsutamu left Minkai (both men were 25 years old at the time).
- 4655 (56 years ago): Lonjiku Kaijitsu (Ameiko’s father) was born.
- 4687 (24 years ago): Ships belonging to Rokuro and Tsutamu were wrecked in severe storms. The two men were presumed to have drowned.
- 4689 (22 years ago): Ameiko Kaijitsu was born.
- 4708 (3 years ago): Lonjiku Kaijitsu died during goblin raids on Sandpoint.
- 4711: the current year
In which some nearly incomprehensible plays are performed
After the search party returned to Sandpoint, their wealth increased rapidly. The sheriff paid bounties to those who had helped defend the town and arrest troublemakers. Ethram Valdemar handed out rewards for the rescue of his brother, and Ameiko gave some gifts in return for the new information about her family history.
Some shopping followed. With a little assistance, Lahja was able to purchase a set of long-yearned-for full plate armour.
“I’ll give you fifty gold now,” Tomoko said. “And you’ll need to give me fifty-two at the end of the month.”
“You may have to remind me,” Lahja said.
“Don’t worry. I will.”
Meanwhile, Sunshuke and Olaf spent some time together studying spellbooks. They were interrupted by the delivery of a note for Sunshuke. “I just need to visit a shop for something,” Sunshuke said and hurried off. About half an hour later, he returned empty-handed. “Is it time for us to go shopping?” he asked.
That evening, some of the town’s new-found wealth went up in smoke - Ameiko arranged a fireworks display for the people of Sandpoint. While this was happening, she quietly asked some of her friends to join her at the Rusty Dragon for breakfast the next morning.
When Sandru arrived for breakfast, he was carrying a couple of large maps under his arm. He offered everyone coffee. “Ooh,” Lahja said after her first sip. “It’s ... hmm.” She did not state whether she actually liked it.
Safa also tried the coffee. “What awful stuff,” she said, and muttered something about young people and their fads.
“Tea is a much nobler drink,” said Sunshuke.
Sandru seemed unperturbed. He mentioned that someone in town had already expressed an interest in placing a large order.
Then Ameiko asked if anyone would be willing to travel to Brinewall Castle with her. Everyone in the room agreed - the group of travellers would consist of Ameiko, Safa, Tomoko, Lahja, Osserc, Sunshuke, Olaf, Toshi, Sandru, Shalelu and Koya. There was a brief discussion about whether it would be better to travel by sea or by land.
“A ship would be faster,” Ameiko said.
“Pirates,” said Shalelu. “Storms. Seasickness. Underwater battles with ancient monsters from the depths. Ship’s biscuit.”
The consensus was to travel by land.
Sandru left the tavern to organise carts, horses and travelling gear. Lahja and Tomoko followed him and persuaded him to give them riding lessons.
“I think Sandru should stay in Sandpoint,” Sunshuke said to those who remained in the tavern’s common room, “and manage his burgeoning coffee empire.”
“Why are you so determined that Sandru should stay behind?” Olaf asked.
“One of his brothers has already died while adventuring with Ameiko. We wouldn’t want that to happen to Sandru too.”
“I ...” Ameiko said quietly. “I’d better go and check something in the kitchen.” She left the room.
“Do you think I might have said the wrong thing?” Sunshuke asked.
The next morning, the group of eleven travellers set out in three carts belonging to Sandru.
The journey took weeks and was largely uneventful. At villages along the way, the travellers tried to learn more about Brinewall Castle, but there was little to add to the stories Olaf already knew. Two groups of adventurers had gone there previously to investigate the rumours of the castle’s capture, but neither group had returned.
One morning, Sandru checked the maps. “That overgrown road ... it should lead to Brinewall. Are we ready to see what’s there?”
Someone was missing from the discussion, however – Ameiko was still asleep in one of the tents. “I’ll go and and wake her up,” Sunshuke said. He stood next to the tent. “Ameiko, we’ve arrived!”
“Um, that’s not my name,” Ameiko said. “Are you sure you’re talking to the right person?”
“Ameiko? It’s me, Sunshuke.”
There was a pause. “I don’t remember swearing any oaths,” Ameiko said.
“Are you dreaming? Wake up.”
“And why would anyone agree to that?”
“Ameiko?”
“Sunshuke?”
After a while, Ameiko emerged from the tent, yawning. “Sorry,” she said. “Overslept.”
“What were you dreaming about?” Sunshuke asked.
“It’s fading ... There was a dragon.”
“A dragon?” Olaf asked, hurrying across to them.
“With jade-coloured scales. It wanted me to ask all of you whether you’d do something. Something rather irrational, I think. I don’t remember any more. It’s probably not important.”
The travellers followed the overgrown road leading towards Brinewall. They stopped about halfway along it. While the others dragged the carts to a place out of sight of the road and tethered the horses there, Tomoko and Ameiko scouted ahead.
The village of Brinewall was built around a bay. All its buildings seemed long-abandoned. Tomoko and Ameiko passed a cemetery and sneaked towards the castle. From a hiding-place behind an empty church, they could see four humanoids with black feathers and crow-like heads making a haphazard patrol along the castle walls.
Tomoko and Ameiko returned to report what they had seen. Shalelu stayed behind to guard the carts and horses, but the other travellers walked together to Brinewall. They decided to investigate the cemetery first, in case it contained clues to the Minkaian connection with the castle.
When they entered the cemetery, they found that it was well-tended. None of the names on the gravestones looked Minkaian, and the most recent death had happened twenty-seven years earlier. The travellers looked inside a crypt, which turned out to be older still, having been built for the founder of the colony of Brinewall.
While they were in the crypt, they noticed a floating ball of bluish light darting past the entrance. As they went back outside, Olaf detected the aura of a tiny creature made invisible by illusion. It flew away and hid behind a gravestone.
“Hello?” Olaf said.
“I am Azu-Bemphi,” said a deep voice. “Hello?” the creature added, in a much higher tone. The tips of a tiny pair of horns came into view just beyond the gravestone.
“Hello!” said Tomoko. “Safa has biscuits.”
“Biscuits?”
The creature fluttered towards them. It looked like a tiny dragon with colourful wings similar to a butterfly’s. Sunshuke and Olaf recognised it as a faerie dragon.
“I am Azu-Bemphi, jewel of dragonkind,” the faerie dragon said. “Does that sound a bit pretentious? It seemed better before I said it aloud. Hello! What’s the date?”
Olaf told him the date.
“Oh,” said Azu-Bemphi. “Yes. I thought I might have lost track of time a bit. I was going to ask you if you’d help me find my friends. But I need to be realistic. After two years, they’re almost certainly dead.”
Azu-Bemphi explained that he had come here with a group of adventurers who were trying to find out what had happened at Brinewall. He had been left outside to keep watch for any forces returning to the castle while his companions searched for a stealthy way past the walls. He had been waiting ever since.
“Do you know who lives in the castle?” Olaf asked.
“People with heads like those of crows. Dire corbies. They’re not very bright. I’ve tricked them into believing this cemetery is haunted. All it took was a few dancing lights and weird noises. Their leader is a human man named ... named ... I’ve overheard the dire corbies mention it, but I’m not very good with names. I think he’s called Keyrik. He’s more organised than the dire corbies. But he seems very vain.”
“We should try to meet him,” Tomoko said. “Flattery may be an easy way to get into the castle. We could pretend we’re mercenaries. We’re impressed by his reputation, and we want to work for him.”
“Some of us don’t make very convincing mercenaries,” Safa said.
“Mercenaries and entertainers, then.”
“Do you want to come with us?” Olaf asked the faerie dragon.
“Yes! I can help. Because I am Azu-Bemphi, jewel of dragonkind. No, that definitely sounds pretentious. I may need to stay hidden, though. I’m a bit distinctive.”
Olaf handed his crossbow over for someone else to carry, and Azu-Bemphi happily crawled into the free space in Olaf’s backpack.
The travellers approached Brinewall Castle openly. Four dire corbies watched from the walls.
“Hello!” Safa called out. “We want to speak to Keyrik.”
The dire corbies started shouting at each other in a language none of the travellers could understand.
Toshi swallowed an extract he had quickly mixed together. This allowed him to understand the dire corbies. He could work out that although they did not speak Common, they had heard the name of Keyrik, and were now arguing about who would fetch their commander. Eventually, three of them ganged up and pushed the fourth towards the staircase down to the courtyard.
“We’re going to have to pretend,” Tomoko said to Lahja. “There may be some things you don’t like – just stay quiet.”
After some time, the portcullis was raised and the travellers were escorted by the dire corbies across the courtyard and into the keep.
The first room was a great hall. On a platform at one end of it, four more dire corbies seemed to be attempting to perform a play. A man watched from a chair just in front of them.
This man had glossy black hair tied back behind his shoulders, and he wore leather armour shaped to emphasise his muscular chest.
“That handsome man must be Keyrik, the castle’s commander,” Safa said to her companions, her voice pitched just loud enough for the man to overhear.
“Sit down and listen to the play,” the man said.
Safa paid close attention in case the man was planning to ask questions afterwards. The play was performed by creatures with very limited talent for acting. They recited lines in a language they did not understand and used battered kitchen utensils for props. The man interrupted frequently, shouting prompts and instructions. There was no scenery.
Following the plot was therefore somewhat challenging. As far as Safa could tell, the play was about noble warriors who were caught in a dilemma of conflicting loyalties and had to find a way to achieve the least dishonourable death.
When it was finally over, the man clapped a few times. The travellers applauded much more enthusiastically.
“What did you think of my play?” the man asked.
“It was very good,” Safa said, then lowered her voice. “But ... I’m afraid your performers aren’t doing it justice. They’re not quite managing to bring out the intensity of the themes.”
“Or the poetry of the language,” Tomoko added.
“We do what we can,” the man said. “Now, what did you want?”
“Are you Keyrik?” Safa asked. “The famed commander of Brinewall?”
The man nodded.
Safa, Tomoko and Toshi told their story of wanting to work for him. Keyrik seemed to be quickly convinced. “I could certainly use some help around here,” he said. “The corbies are hopelessly disorganised.”
“I will train them to give you the respect and disciplined obedience that a man of your honour and renown deserves, your lordship,” Sunshuke said.
“Excellent. I’m appointing you my second-in-command. There’s something else you could help with, too. I need you to retrieve an item from a thing.” From a pouch at his belt, he took out a small disc - it was made of darkwood and silver, etched with a design of Brinewall Castle under the noonday sun. “In the cellars beneath the castle, there’s a tentacled creature ... the corbies seem to venerate it. It’s knocked open some kind of secret compartment down there. There was another disc like this one inside. The disc is still down there, but I can’t get to it. I need you to deal with the tentacled thing and bring the other disc to me.”
“Should we go now?” Sunshuke asked.
“Maybe tomorrow. Would you like a tour of my castle? I’ll summon my consort. She’ll show you around. Zaiobe!” He went out of the hall through a side doorway. “Zaiobe, where are you?”
After a while, Keyrik returned. He was followed by a woman who had tawny hair, hawk-like eyes, brown-feathered wings and clawed feet. Olaf identified her as a harpy, although she was rather more magnificently beautiful than most of her kind.
“This is my consort Zaiobe,” Keyrik said. “Zaiobe, these people are my guests. Take them on a tour of the aboveground levels of the castle.”
The harpy glared at Keyrik, but led the travellers through some of the rooms and corridors of Brinewall Castle.
One room contained a pair of troglodytes in chains. Another, larger room contained several unchained troglodytes. “Does his lordship have an affinity with troglodytes?” Sunshuke asked Zaiobe.
Zaiobe opened her mouth, closed it, crossed her hands in front of her throat and then held one of her hands out towards Sunshuke.
Sunshuke took Zaiobe’s hand. They gazed into each other’s eyes for nearly a minute.
Then the tour continued. There was an ogre and ogre-like creatures in other rooms. Zaiobe opened one door to reveal a chamber decorated with stuffed animals and various other preserved creatures. A small elf-like person with antennae stood in the room – she held up an oversized pair of scissors and smiled at the travellers. Zaiobe frowned, shook her head sternly and closed the door again.
During the tour, Lahja’s expression became increasingly unhappy.
Zaiobe led the travellers back to the main hall. A long table had been carried in, and dire corbies served a meal of badly cooked venison and undercooked root vegetables to Keyrik and his guests. During dinner, some of the dire corbies performed on the stage. This seemed to be a different play from the one the travellers had watched earlier, but the plot – as far as Safa could tell – was nearly identical.
After dinner, the travellers were shown upstairs to a pair of rooms where they could spend the night.
“Sunshuke, what was that with you and the harpy?” Olaf asked, now that the travellers were finally alone.
“She can’t talk,” Sunshuke said. “But we could communicate mentally. She doesn’t like Keyrik and wants to help us if we’ll help her.”
“And you trusted her?” Olaf asked.
“She seemed genuine.”
“You do know that harpies are well known as being seductive and manipulative, don’t you?”
- Ameiko has had a dream about a conversation with a jade-coloured dragon.
- The PCs have managed to become guests in a castle full of evil creatures.
- Keyrik, the self-styled commander of the castle, has a problem with a tentacled monstrosity in his basement. He would like the PCs to deal with the thing and retrieve a decorative disc currently in its possession.
- The harpy Zaiobe has offered to help the PCs against Keyrik.
- A faerie dragon is hiding inside Olaf’s backpack.
In which Tomoko learns some new Minkaian vocabulary, and there is a dispute about a disc
The travellers moved into just one of the guest rooms and searched it carefully for concealed gaps in the walls or any other ways they could be overheard. While they were busy with this task, there was a quiet knock on the door.
Zaiobe entered the room and held her hand out towards Sunshuke. Again, they communicated mentally. Zaiobe warned them against trusting Keyrik – she thought he might be hoping that the tentacled monster would kill them all, but be weakened enough by the fight that Keyrik would be able to finish it off by himself. She also suggested that magic weapons and bright light would be of use against the monster. When asked to describe it, she told Sunshuke that it was not large yet, but the dire corbies were expecting it to grow into a much greater power eventually.
After Zaiobe had left, the travellers set up watches and slept. They all had dreams filled with impressions of slaughter happening somewhere just out of sight in the darkness, along with a sense of slowly expanding evil somewhere below them.
The next morning, the travellers discussed their plans. In case someone was listening, they spoke in Minkaian – many of the group knew that language. They talked about whether they should carry out Keyrik’s request or fight Keyrik first and deal with the tentacled monster later. “We can decide what to do depending on how Keyrik acts when we next meet him,” Sunshuke said. “We’ll set up code-phrases. ‘The sun rises in the west at midnight’ means we attack him. ‘The sun rises in the east at noon’ means we-”
“Something simpler would be better,” Toshi said. “How about ‘Get him’?”
They went downstairs to find Keyrik. A breakfast – consisting entirely of stale bread – had been set up in the great hall, and Zaiobe was there.
Lahja took Zaiobe’s hand and asked the harpy why she wanted to help them against Keyrik. Zaiobe replied that she had discovered Keyrik was greedy and cruel. She believed she had been called to Brinewall Castle to serve the purposes of a demon lord, but after watching the greedy, cruel and stupid behaviour of the dire corbies, she had started to wonder if gaining great power under the patronage of a demon lord would just lead to being greedy, cruel and stupid on a larger scale. “Surely there must be other possibilities?” She told Lahja that she would have left Brinewall already if she had any idea where to go or what to do.
Meanwhile, Sunshuke went out to the courtyard and assigned training exercises to the dire corbies – using gestures and shouting, he managed to tell them to divide into two groups and head out from the castle in different directions on a long run.
Because the travellers did not know where to find Keyrik, they decided to go downstairs with Zaiobe. The first room in the underground level contained more troglodytes. Zaiobe held up a hand and gestured to them to let the travellers pass. The travellers walked through a disused food storage room and a crypt, and arrived at a large irregular cavern. A tentacle reached around the corner from an adjoining chamber. It had the strongest aura of evil that Lahja had ever encountered.
A creature with bat-like wings and ten tentacles moved slowly into the light. Olaf used magic to enlarge Lahja, who then charged forwards.
In the ensuing fight, the creature attacked everyone within its reach, particularly Ameiko, who was grappled repeatedly by the tentacles. Zaiobe helped by shooting at the creature. Eventually, an arrow from Sunshuke felled it. While Koya and Zaiobe healed Lahja and Ameiko, Olaf identified the creature as a decapus that possessed some demonic heritage, which had given it greater strength and strange wings.
When the travellers searched the next chamber, they found a disc made of darkwood and silver, etched with a design of Brinewall Castle beneath a crescent moon. The disc had an aura of faint transmutation magic. It was lying on a small ledge beneath an opening that may have been a secret compartment before being damaged - perhaps by randomly flailing tentacles.
Zaiobe suggested taking the disc to Keyrik and following him stealthily to see where he took it. However, the travellers decided that giving Keyrik the real disc would not be wise. So Tomoko constructed a mould from rice paper and created a duplicate disc from wax, using cosmetics and other ingredients she happened to have with her to imitate the disc’s appearance.
They went back upstairs and searched for Keyrik. They eventually found him on the castle walls, trying to teach an ettercap and his pet giant spider how to patrol. Just before they approached Keyrik, Sunshuke cast mage hand and sent it to attach itself to Tomoko’s disc, to add a faint aura of transmutation magic to it. Lahja kept the real disc concealed in her possession.
Keyrik seemed surprised to see them return, but eagerly accepted the counterfeit disc without examining it closely. “Good work,” he said. “Now go and patrol. Or rehearse plays or something.” He hurried downstairs to the courtyard and across to the keep.
Tomoko tried to follow him openly through the great hall. He told her to go away, slammed a door shut between them and locked it.
The travellers quickly gathered in the great hall. Ameiko picked the lock and Tomoko moved stealthily forwards into a circular tower room. She could hear Keyrik’s voice from down a set of stairs. He was talking loudly in a language that sounded like Minkaian, but she did not recognise any of the words. From the angry tone, she guessed she was listening to an eloquent stream of swearwords.
The travellers joined Tomoko in the tower room, planning to confront Keyrik when he returned. But the person who hurried up the staircase looked very different from Keyrik – he had a crow-like head and large wings with glossy black feathers. He held the counterfeit disc, broken in half to reveal the wax inside.
“What is this?” he asked, snarling in fury. “Where is the real one?”
Olaf identified him as a yamabushi tengu, a type of oni most commonly found in Tian Xia, especially Minkai.
“If you tell us what we need to know, your lordship,” Sunshuke said, “we’ll give the disc to you.”
“Why should I trust you?” Keyrik asked. “You’re all disobedient thieving tricksters. Give it to me, and then we’ll talk.”
“We kept our word, sire,” Sunshuke said. “We fought the decapus and brought you the disc.”
This did not seem to improve Keyrik’s temper. “A disc. Give me the real one now.”
“Didn’t we have a code-phrase?” Toshi asked. “That’s right, it was: Get him.”
Zaiobe nocked an arrow but did not loose it. She glanced sideways at Sunshuke and Lahja.
Tomoko made a last desperate attempt at diplomacy, calling out to everyone to wait and talk.
Keyrik vanished.
Sunshuke worked out that Keyrik had probably used a spell-like ability to cast dimension door and leave the room.
The travellers slammed the door and locked it. There were staircases going up and down, and a side corridor. Tomoko went down the stairs and found a small chamber with what would perhaps have been a secret door if it had not been left open – presumably Keyrik, in his rage, had forgotten to close it.
There was a short corridor beyond the no-longer-so-secret door, ending in a gate of thick steel bars. In the wall on each side of the gate was a circular indentation, the same size as the discs.
Through the bars, Tomoko could see a small chamber – it appeared to be empty.
Unfortunately, it seemed that Keyrik had carried the sun-disc away with him.
Back up at ground level, Lahja heard a commotion from people approaching in the great hall. The travellers barricaded the door with bookcases. After a brief discussion, they decided to flee rather than stay and fight. They left the tower room through the side corridor, which took them into a disordered office. Sunshuke gathered together an armful of ledgers and papers. Behind them, there was a booming thud – perhaps made by someone or something trying to break down the door.
The travellers climbed to the top of the tower and found a way out onto the walls. Tomoko lowered the rope attached to her grappling hook, and the travellers climbed down, with some assistance from Zaiobe.
They rook refuge in the cemetery and spent a tense night listening to groups of dire corbies searching the area. Some of the dire corbies did look into the cemetery, but avoided stepping within the grounds.
Those who were on watch at dawn heard Ameiko talking in her sleep again. She said exactly the same things as she had two days earlier. Sunshuke woke her up. “Were you speaking with the jade dragon again?” he asked. “What was the oath about?”
“To protect someone. Or something. Maybe.” Ameiko couldn’t remember anything more about the dream.
Sunshuke looked through the papers he had taken from the office. Among them was a log kept by a previous commander of the castle. Skimming through many entries, Sunshuke found occasional references to Rokuro Kaijitsu and Soto Tsutamu. The two men had visited Brinewall Castle every so often over many years. They had contributed significant sums of money to the castle’s upkeep in return for being allowed to keep certain items of value in the castle’s secure vault. One of the last few entries mentioned that Rokuro and Tsutamu had arrived with three ships and were preparing to take the last of these items away to Magnimar. That entry had been written twenty-four years ago.
Zaiobe told Sunshuke that Keyrik – whose real name was perhaps Kikonu – seemed to be at Brinewall Castle to look for something. He frequently made detailed searches of various rooms in the castle, and would occasionally send out the dire corbies on general reconnaissance missions.
The travellers then stealthily left the cemetery to explore the ruins of the village, but found little of interest apart from scattered, decades-old marks of possible violence. They spotted dark shapes in the water of the harbour. Since Azu-Bemphi turned out to be the best swimmer of the group, the faerie dragon emerged from Olaf’s backpack and went out to explore. As the travellers had expected, the dark shapes belonged to a ship wrecked in the shallow waters. Azu-Bemphi could not find much in the wreckage – the ship seemed to have been unladen and unprovisioned when it went down.
The travellers gathered in the cemetery again and tried to decide what to do next.
- Keyrik is a yamabushi tengu, a type of oni. According to Zaiobe, his real name is Kikonu.
- The evidence of the log and the wrecked ship suggest that valuable items belonging to Rokuro and Tsutamu may still be hidden in the castle vault.
- The PCs know where the vault is and have one of the discs that presumably function as keys to the vault.
- Unfortunately, the other disc is still in Kikonu’s possession, inside a castle full of (not quite so many) evil creatures.
In which the other side of a conversation is finally heard
The travellers returned to the place where they had left the carts and horses. “What happened?” Shalelu asked.
“We were minions of evil for a day!” Tomoko said.
As the travellers told the story in a bit more detail, they moved the carts and horses to another hiding-place, closer to Brinewall Castle. Azu-Bemphi explored a ruined lighthouse, and Olaf sent his hawk Kala to search the broader area. Kala noticed that some white things – about the size of a sparrow but not food – had appeared on the road. Tomoko went stealthily forwards to investigate.
The white things were small squares of cloth tied to foot-long sticks driven into the ground. The travellers speculated about the purpose of these things. Range-finders? The castle was out of sight. Some kind of marker for Kikonu’s dimension door ability? They did not appear to be magical. Signs left by the dire corbies to indicate which areas they had searched? (Could the dire corbies really be that stupid? Yes, probably.)
This discussion was interrupted by a sweet voice from nowhere. “I thought a white flag was a widely recognised symbol for parley.”
“We don’t parley with invisible people,” Safa said.
A small blurred figure appeared, running around them at high speed.
“We don’t parley with people who won’t keep still, either,” said Safa.
The small person stopped running and skipped from foot to foot in front of the travellers. This messenger was Buttersnips, a quickling the travellers had glimpsed during their tour of the castle two days earlier.
“That’s better,” said Safa. “Now, what do you want?”
“The commander’s temper has cooled and you’ve had time to reflect on your behaviour,” Buttersnips said. “He wishes to negotiate. You have one disc. He has the other. There must be some agreement you’d be willing to make.” She looked at Olaf. “Your little dragon-thing is pretty. He won’t be needing his wings, will he?”
“He will,” Olaf said firmly. Azu-Bemphi was not in sight, so it seemed that the quickling had been spying on the travellers.
“What will your commander be offering us?” Safa asked.
“He’ll tell you himself, if you meet him on the road just south of the village.” Buttersnips looked at Lahja and then at Tomoko. “The two of you make ... an interesting contrast.”
“We’ll see your commander there,” Safa said. “If we decide to negotiate.”
Once the quickling had left (or was no longer visible, at least), the travellers discussed what they should do next. They talked about three options: they could stay outside and try to take out the castle’s patrols one by one, they could give up and go home, or they could negotiate with Kikonu and somehow find a way to survive whatever trickery or betrayal he planned.
Koya offered to seek an answer in her cards, but that would mean waiting for another night - she would need to meditate, dream and interpret. Instead, the travellers decided to ask Ameiko what she thought they should do.
“I know this hasn’t turned out quite how I was expecting. I thought ... maybe ruins and a few roosting monsters to shoo away. But ... Curious. I want to find out what’s in the vault. If we don’t try, I’ll spend the rest of my life wondering.”
“Either way, that’s probably what you’ll end up doing,” Sunshuke said.
Nevertheless, they decided to meet with Kikonu.
Kikonu had returned to his human form, and he was waiting on the road, accompanied by two ogre-like creatures.
Lahja stepped forward. “Before we talk, I want to know. What happened to the people who lived here before?”
“They fought bravely,” Kikonu said. “But not effectively.”
“You killed all those people?”
“We have claimed this castle by right of conquest. Isn’t that the Varisian way?”
Lahja seemed unhappy about making any deal with Kikonu, but her companions began to negotiate. Kikonu offered the travellers half of whatever was in the vault – if there was anything at all. The travellers asked Kikonu to send most of his troops out of the castle, so that neither side would be outnumbered. After considering this for a few moments, Kikonu agreed. “It will take a while to organise.”
“How do we know we can trust you?” Olaf asked.
“I will give you my word of honour,” Kikonu replied. “The more relevant question is: how do I know I can trust you?”
The travellers told him that they would keep their side of the bargain, as long as Kikonu did not attempt any treachery. “Do you promise not to attack us after we’ve divided the treasure?” Toshi asked.
“That will depend on your behaviour,” Kikonu said.
“Of course,” Toshi said. “If either side attacks the other, then all deals are off.”
They agreed on a time to meet at the castle gates.
“By the way,” Kikonu said, “your plan to try to take down my forces in small groups won’t work. We’re forewarned and well-equipped to withstand a siege.” He returned to the castle and the travellers went back to their hidden carts.
“Does the commander always keep his promises?” Lahja asked Zaiobe.
“He doesn’t make many,” Zaiobe said. “But I think he tries to keep the ones he does make.”
“Is he greedy?”
“He likes shiny things. But then, who doesn’t?”
No one offered Zaiobe any counterexamples.
At the agreed time, most of the travellers arrived at the castle gates – Shalelu and Sandru remained behind to watch the horses, and Zaiobe stayed nearby.
A group of about two dozen of Kikonu’s troops – dire corbies, troglodytes and ogre-like creatures – were gathered some distance away from the castle walls. Kikonu waited at the gates with a small escort of dire corbies. He appeared to be tense and anxious.
Kikonu, the travellers and their escort of dire corbies walked into the keep, then went through the great hall, past a damaged dining table and the splintered remains of the door to the tower room, and down to the vault. Kikonu placed the sun-disc in one of the indentations and Lahja placed the moon-disc in the other.
The steel bars moved downwards. At the same time, the side walls of the small room beyond the bars slid back, revealing shelves containing a number of weapons and other magical items. Kikonu’s attention seemed to be most drawn to the one item that did not detect as magical: a small box decorated with a pattern of red cherry blossom against a black background.
“I believe my masters have a claim to the contents of that box,” he said.
“Who are your masters?” Safa asked.
“I am bound by honour not to say. But I am part of a chain of command. If that box contains a jade statuette of a dragon, I will claim it on behalf of my masters as part of my share. Unless ... unless any of you also wish to make a claim.” Kikonu looked around at the travellers. “Why are you so interested in Brinewall, anyway?”
“I believe our family may also have a claim,” Sunshuke said.
“Oh? And what is your name?”
“Soto.”
Kikonu seemed to be paying Sunshuke more attention now than he had to any of the travellers before (even when he had appointed Sunshuke as his second-in-command).
“Why don’t we open the box and see?” Tomoko asked.
“It would be easier if we take everything up to the great hall,” Kikonu said, still looking at Sunshuke. “We can examine the box and divide the treasure there.”
Tomoko picked up the box, and everyone else carried some of the treasure. Olaf had time to search the vault quickly – he discovered that the sliding walls were lead-lined, and there were some scratch-marks around their edges. It seemed that Kikonu had been able to use his dimension door ability to get past the bars, but he had not found a way to open the sliding walls. There were partitions placed among the shelving so that there had been no room for any medium-sized creature to fit in the empty spaces.
Once the treasure was laid out in the great hall, Kikonu reached for the box. Lahja placed a hand on his shoulder. “Auntie Safa can open it,” Lahja said.
Safa took the box from Tomoko and lifted the lid. Inside was a small jade statuette of a dragon.
Pale green symbols appeared on Ameiko’s forehead, on the backs of her hands and in the air just in front of the left side of her chest. All the travellers apart from Lahja were convinced, by knowledge from nowhere, that Ameiko was a member of of the Amatatsu family, one of the five ruling houses of Minkai.
“It’s you?” Kikonu said. As he turned towards Ameiko, he seemed to be about to reach for a weapon.
Olaf enlarged Lahja, Lahja moved towards Kikonu, and Osserc struck him with a magic missile. Kikonu attacked Ameiko, and his escort of dire corbies joined the fight.
“You are forsworn!” Sunshuke said. It was not clear who the intended target of this accusation was.
Olaf and Sunshuke quickly took down the dire corbies with a combination of grease and colour spray, and the other travellers attacked Kikonu or defended Ameiko. After taking rather a lot of damage, Kikonu vanished.
Sunshuke snatched up a hat of disguise from the treasure and transformed himself into a duplicate of Kikonu’s human form. The travellers quickly gathered the rest of the treasure into a convenient haversack and ran for the gates. Sunshuke’s disguise helped them get outside without being challenged by any of the other dire corbies.
They were a short distance from the castle when Kikonu reappeared, flying above them. He shot arrows at Ameiko, and the travellers were also attacked by Buttersnips, who sprinted out of hiding, wielding a poisoned blade. She kept dancing into view then standing still and vanishing.
Zaiobe arrived, flying at full speed. She slammed into Kikonu and attempted to grapple him.
Finally, one of Tomoko’s arrows took Kikonu down, and he fell to the ground. Buttersnips had been wounded by Lahja’s warhammer and one of Toshi’s fiery bombs, and she fled – or seemed to, at least.
By this time, the nearby group of troglodytes, dire corbies and ogre-like creatures had noticed what was going on and were moving towards the travellers, who decided it was definitely time to get back to their horses.
They agreed to abandon Sandru’s carts and travel on horseback – there were not enough horses to go around and some would have to carry two riders. Ameiko was just about to climb onto one of the horses when Safa gave her the jade statuette. “I think this belongs to you,” Safa said.
As soon as Ameiko touched the statuette, a voice spoke in the minds of all the travellers.
“Greetings, Amatatsu Ameiko,” it said.
“Um,” said Ameiko. “That’s not my name. Are you sure you’re talking to the right person?”
“Yes. You are the last living heir of House Amatatsu. Your family has been bound by oaths to protect the people of Minkai.”
“I don’t remember swearing any oaths.”
“For generations, the people of Minkai placed their trust in your family, and now it is time for you to repay that trust. But your house is fragile. You must find others you trust, adopt them into your family and ask them to swear the oath with you.”
Before Ameiko could reply, Sunshuke spoke. “I will accept, of course.”
“I never expected to journey to the East,” Osserc said quietly.
Apparently, Ameiko was hearing only the voice of the statuette. “And why would anyone agree to do that?” she asked.
“Let me show you. Watch. And then decide if you can leave your family’s duty unfulfilled.”
It seemed to all the travellers that they were standing on an endless white plain, facing a huge imperial dragon with jade-coloured scales. They began to see visions.
- According to a statuette from a box on a shelf, Ameiko is the last heir of one of the ruling families of Minkai. The statuette has asked her to find others to join her family and swear the hereditary oath to protect the people of Minkai.
- Those dire corbies, troglodytes and ogre-like creatures are still not that far away.
- Safa has also found a piece of paper inside the box - it’s a receipt (effectively a pawn ticket) for a musical instrument, apparently worth 3000gp, sold by Ameiko’s grandfather to one Fienna Seevald of the city of Kalsgard.
In which oaths are sworn, songs are sung, and Safa learns some new Minkaian vocabulary
The travellers saw a vision of a room lit by a single lantern. A young Minkaian man with prematurely greying hair was dragged into the room by a pair of soldiers wearing green and white uniforms. The prisoner was dressed in robes and had a holy symbol of Desna around his neck. His hands were tied behind his back. He was forced onto his knees in front of a slim, graceful, masked woman in a white tunic and trousers. Behind the woman, another soldier sat at a desk and took notes. The vision was silent, but the woman seemed to be questioning the prisoner. As he gave his responses, his expression was fearful but defiant. The woman pulled the symbol of Desna from the prisoner's neck and held it up in front of him as she continued to ask questions. Finally, the soldier at the desk signed and sealed the paper he was writing on. The woman took off her mask to reveal a face that looked identical to the mask. Then her features changed – her skin turned gold, horns grew out of her forehead, her eyes enlarged and became rimmed with red, and some of her teeth lengthened into tusks. She smiled and slowly drew her sword.
The scene changed to an elegantly furnished house, where several well-dressed Minkaian people were standing around a table. They seemed to be arguing. Most of them, whether old or young, had grey-streaked hair. One of the men resembled a younger version of a portrait of Ameiko’s grandfather that some of the travellers had seen. Another young man – with completely black hair – stood watching from a doorway. He wore samurai armour that looked familiar to those of the travellers who had encountered Soto Tsutamu in the cave near Sandpoint.
In a sake house, a young woman with grey-streaked hair was singing and playing a samisen. Her performance seemed to be stirring the customers into a state of heightened emotion, until soldiers dressed in green and white uniforms charged into the common room and pursued the woman outside. As she was climbing a fence to try to escape, she was struck in the back by several arrows and fell. Her samisen had been left behind in the sake house.
Back in the elegantly furnished house, many of the same people were standing around the table. They were not arguing now. Many of them were dressed for battle, and all wore white armbands. Two of the young men – Rokuro and Tsutamu – were missing from the scene. A man ran into the room. His clothes had jagged scorch-marks across them, and he seemed to be shouting a warning. A few moments later, soldiers in green and white uniforms entered the room. Some held drawn swords and others were preparing to cast spells. A few of them had horns, tusks and golden skin.
The scene changed to an outpost in a high and desolate landscape. Rokuro and Tsutamu were buying cold-weather clothing. Two well-dressed young Minkaian women stood nearby, along with a number of other Minkaians in plainer clothing.
In a room with wooden walls and a high ceiling, Rokuro was handing a samisen to a tall young woman with blonde hair. The instrument looked like the one the travellers had seen in the sake house earlier.
The next vision took place in the great hall of Brinewall Castle. There were sea-chests on the table and floor. Two of the chests were open, and the contents were visible: jewellery and fireworks. A young man with greying hair stood alone in the room - some of the travellers recognised him as Lonjiku, Ameiko’s father. He leaned against a wall. His arms were folded, and his expression seemed irritated and resentful. After a while, he shrugged, walked towards the table and lifted the lid of a small box decorated with a pattern of cherry blossom. Pale green symbols appeared on his forehead, hands and chest. Soon afterwards, his father - now about sixty years old - hurried into the great hall. He was also marked with the glowing symbols, and he began shouting at his son.
From the northern wall of Brinewall Castle, there was a view to the harbour and the ocean. Two ships were anchored in the harbour, while a third was already sailing westwards. Rokuro stood on the walls, looking towards the horizon and the black storm clouds above it. Tsutamu, in his samurai armour, was nearby. From the clear sky above, a bolt of lightning struck Rokuro and then leapt across to Tsutamu. Rokuro collapsed, clutching at his chest. He shouted at Tsutamu and pointed towards the harbour. As Tsutamu turned and ran, a second lightning bolt hit Rokuro, who twitched and then lay still.
Among storm-driven waves, Lonjiku surfaced and caught hold of a floating piece of timber. In the distance, a ship had run aground near a line of cliffs. Lonjiku waved feebly, but there was little chance anyone aboard that ship would be able to see him.
The visions ended. “Well, that was all very thought-provoking,” Ameiko said after a few moments. “But we’ve still got a bit of escaping to do. Sorry.” She closed the lid of the box that held the statuette. The pale green symbols on her forehead, hands and chest all vanished.
As Olaf became aware of his surroundings again, he saw that Zaiobe was standing in front of him. Her left hand was grasping her right wrist tightly, and she was gazing at the haversack Olaf carried. Her expression looked hungry.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
Zaiobe turned away. When Sunshuke offered her his hand, she spoke to him. “I’m fine,” she said.
The travellers began to hear the noise of many creatures approaching from the west. This seemed to be a good time to start riding away from Brinewall Castle.
Once the travellers had ridden far enough that it seemed safe to stop for a while and rest, they dismounted and talked about the visions.
“Who were all those people?” Lahja asked.
Ameiko twisted the two white locks in her otherwise black hair around her fingers. “I think,” she said quietly, “that many of them were members of my family.”
“And was that a demon?”
“Oni,” said Sunshuke.
“Demon,” Lahja said firmly. “Or devil.”
“It was a kuwa oni,” Sunshuke said. “They like to take human form and infiltrate social hierarchies.”
The travellers decided to open the box and talk to the statuette again.
The statuette explained that it was the Amatatsu Seal. It had been created to guide and protect members of the Amatatsu family, and to allow them to prove their identity as rightful heirs of one of the five ruling houses. Its container was a warding box, which blocked all forms of divination magic when the lid was closed.
The Seal explained that it only knew about events experienced by members of House Amatatsu, so it could not tell the travellers what was happening in Minkai now. “But with oni wearing Minkaian military uniforms, it seems that the imperial power there has been corrupted. They were killing people simply for worshipping Desna or singing in a tavern. Ameiko must go to Minkai and do what she can to ensure its people are safe.”
“She doesn’t have to go,” Olaf said.
“Yes, she does,” Sunshuke said. “It is her hereditary duty.”
“I note,” said the Seal, “that Ameiko has inherited considerable wealth. The original source of much of that wealth was rents and taxes paid to her family by ordinary Minkaians.”
The Seal also explained that anyone who agreed to join Ameiko’s family would need to swear the same oath to protect the people of Minkai. The Seal possessed magic that it could use to heal members of the family. However, taking the oath would presumably also be dangerous, since House Amatatsu seemed to have some powerful enemies.
“Do you mind being shut in a box?” Lahja asked. “Doesn’t it get boring?”
“No,” said the Seal. “I place myself in a dormant, meditative state. Dozing, if you prefer. But thank you for asking.”
The travellers were much wealthier than they had been on the trip from Sandpoint to Brinewall, but the return journey was much less comfortable now that they had abandoned their carts, tents, bedrolls and cooking equipment. Gradually, they were able to buy replacement supplies in the villages they passed through.
During the journey, Sunshuke asked Zaiobe if there was any part of the Brinewall treasure that she particularly wanted. “No,” she told him. “Being free of that man is reward enough.” Zaiobe’s refusal clearly took a lot of her willpower.
Some time afterwards, Zaiobe established a telepathic bond with Sunshuke, so they no longer needed to be touching to share mental speech. The travellers wondered whether Zaiobe would be accepted in Sandpoint, and she agreed to stay close to one of her companions whenever she was in the town.
Initially, Azu-Bemphi also turned down an offer of any share of the treasure. But Olaf eventually persuaded the faerie dragon to make a request. “Would you be able to have a gold collar made for me?” Azu-Bemphi asked. "Set with tiny gemstones? A chip of lapis lazuli ... and ruby! And emerald! And sapphire?”
Throughout the return journey, Ameiko was unusually quiet. The night before they arrived in Sandpoint, she told her companions that she had decided to swear the oath and travel to Minkai. She invited them all to join her, and she said she would be honoured if any of them chose to be adopted into her family. However, when Sunshuke accepted her offer, she replied to him in a serious tone. “Are you sure you’re ready? I wonder, sometimes, whether you make promises too quickly.”
During the first night back in Sandpoint, Safa entertained the guests at the Rusty Dragon with an edited version of the travellers’ adventures in Brinewall. She cut out any reference to Ameiko’s family history, but greatly exaggerated Zaiobe’s bravery and Tomoko’s skill at archery during her description of the battle with the evil commander of the castle.
The next day, Sunshuke spoke with Toshi and Tomoko, trying to persuade them to join Ameiko’s family. They both replied that they already had families of their own. Sunshuke then asked for advice. “What should I do if ... if I happened to have a previous obligation that conflicts with my new, greater duty to Ameiko?”
“You’ll need to speak with the person you have this obligation to,” Tomoko said.
“Maybe they’ll agree to release you from it,” said Toshi.
Sunshuke nodded. “That reminds me – there’s someone I need to talk to.” He hurried away.
Tomoko stealthily followed Sunshuke through the streets of Sandpoint and watched him enter a nondescript house. He emerged about a quarter of an hour later. He looked troubled, and not at all as if any great burden of conflicting obligations had been lifted from him.
During the next two weeks, Sandru acquired more trade goods, including dried herbs, dyed cloth, brandy, local ceramics and a lot of carefully packaged green coffee beans, along with more equipment for cold-weather travel and a couple of small, portable greenhouses.
Ameiko put her tavern and her family’s glassworks up for sale and soon negotiated a deal with Ethram Valdemar. She donated much of the proceeds to helping fund Sandru’s caravan.
Toshi spent the time brewing potions, and he also spoke with his mother about his plans to take his father’s ashes to Hongal and try to catch up with some of his father’s relatives there. Toshi’s mother recommended that when the travellers arrived in Kalsgard, they should look for a guide named Gorvald Gormundr or his son Ulf – they had led her caravan to Hongal years before.
Lahja and Tomoko found time to go clothes shopping with Zaiobe. The harpy had no money of her own and seemed entranced for a while by the gold coins her new friends gave her.
On the morning of their departure, Sandru introduced the travellers to the drivers and guards he had hired to accompany them. There was also a passenger – a young man named Nezhrovan who would be travelling with the caravan as far as Kalsgard and paying a reduced fare in return for taking on some of the menial chores along the way.
The travellers gathered for a final breakfast in the Rusty Dragon. Ethram Valdemar’s hired workers had already replaced the lanterns and hung up a new sign with a picture of a dragon that looked more metallic than imperial. “He’ll run your business into the ground, you know,” Safa told Ameiko.
When breakfast was finished, Ameiko placed the warding box on a table in the common room and opened the lid. In the presence of the Amatatsu Seal, she swore her oath to protect the people of Minkai, and she then adopted Koya and Sunshuke into her family. In turn, Koya and Sunshuke swore the same oath.
“Whew,” said Ameiko. “That was a bit intense. How about another cup of tea?”
Soon afterwards, the travellers went outside to the covered wagons and other carts that made up Sandru’s caravan. There were some emotional farewells to family members being left behind, and then the travellers waved to Sandpoint and set out on their journey to Kalsgard.
During the journey, Sunshuke spoke gloomily about their chances of success – and even survival. “You don’t seem very happy,” Safa told him.
“Of course I’m happy,” Sunshuke said unhappily. “Maybe once we’re past Kalsgard, things will seem clearer for me ...” He did not explain further.
The travellers passed the time by learning campfire songs from Safa. Toshi and Tomoko offered lessons in using chopsticks and speaking Minkaian. (The first phrases Toshi taught Safa were the Minkaian for “Shut up, Sunshuke,” and “Please ignore everything this man says.”)
Sandru drilled the travellers in methods for discouraging attacks on the caravan. “We need to scout ahead and around. If we spot hostile scouts, we show them that we’ve seen them and put on a display of strength. Guards in defensive formation, some flashy magic, people in shiny armour out in front. That’s often enough to convince bandits to look for easier targets.”
The passenger named Nezhrovan caused some concern, even though he was friendly, made himself useful and joined in with the campfire songs. “He makes me feel icky,” Lahja confided to her friends. And Tomoko was intrigued by the small locked suitcase Nezhrovan had brought with him. So Safa distracted Nezhrovan by teaching him a very carefully chosen song, giving Tomoko plenty of time to pick the lock on the suitcase in secret. In a hidden compartment, Tomoko found four sealed letters, a garrotte and a dagger with a small opaque vial attached to the scabbard by a neat little mechanism that would break the seal, tip the vial and coat the blade with liquid when the dagger was drawn.
Tomoko left the suitcase and its contents exactly as she had found them, and quietly reported her discoveries to her companions. Olaf recognised two of the names on the letters – they belonged to prominent Kalsgard merchants who were rumoured to be connected with the criminal underground.
Nezhrovan’s choice of weapons provoked some discussion. Did the travellers have a contract killer in their midst? Sunshuke in particular seemed thoughtful – and perhaps worried – when Tomoko described the dagger. However, the group decided not to take any action against Nezhrovan yet.
The journey to Kalsgard passed uneventfully, although the caravan did need to use some of Sandru’s methods to discourage two separate groups of bandits and one small raiding party of hobgoblins.
Although it was late spring by the time they approached Kalsgard, a chill remained in the air. And at twilight, when the caravan reached the last bridge before Kalsgard, a fog was already rising.
- The jade dragon statuette is the Amatatsu Seal. It can identify, guide and heal members of House Amatatsu. Its warding box blocks all divination magic when the lid is closed.
- Ameiko has now sworn an oath to protect the people of Minkai. Koya and Sunshuke have been adopted into House Amatatsu and have also sworn the oath.
- Ameiko, Sandru, Koya and Shalelu will be travelling by caravan to Minkai, accompanied by the PCs, Azu-Bemphi and Zaiobe. Sandru has hired drivers and guards, and there is also a passenger travelling with the caravan as far as Kalsgard.
- Toshi’s mother has recommended hiring a father-and-son team of guides - their names are Gorvald and Ulf Gormundr.
- Zaiobe is no longer detecting as evil.
- The passenger Nezhrovan does detect as evil, and he is carrying some letters and weapons that have provoked suspicion.
In which Koya receives a disturbing warning and Sandru receives a puzzling letter
Sandru approached the bridge to check that it looked sound enough to carry the weight of the wagons. Tomoko heard faint noises – a creak and a clink. She called out a warning. As if in answer, someone shouted a battle-cry in Skald. Half a dozen axe-wielding Ulfen humans charged out of the fog towards the caravan. Two of them attacked Sandru, two others rushed past him, and the remaining two fell asleep.
Lahja hurried forwards to defend Sandru, and Tomoko shouted instructions to the drivers, telling them to move the wagons into a defensive ring. As this was happening, six more Ulfen warriors charged out of the fog towards one side of the caravan. Sunshuke used colour spray to take down some of these new attackers. A small cloud of sky-blue gas with sparkling yellow highlights appeared around one attacker who was still standing.
Sandru’s hired guards were soon busy holding back another six attackers who had charged out of the fog from behind the caravan. Ameiko joined the defence there, and Koya healed some of the beleaguered guards.
Sunshuke, Tomoko and Shalelu fought the attackers at the right side of the caravan. At the left side, Toshi was throwing bombs at one of the first group of attackers. Another of that group got inside the circle of wagons and charged towards Olaf and Safa. Toshi saw Nezhrovan step out from a shadowed hiding-place, slip a garrotte over the attacker’s head and choke the man until he passed out.
Near the back of the caravan, two more of the attackers fell asleep.
Eventually, the defenders prevailed. Koya healed her wounded allies, and the surviving attackers were tied up.
Azu-Bemphi appeared. “Did you see my sleep?” he asked excitedly. “Did you see my euphoria?” Since the faerie dragon’s breath weapon hadn’t had much effect in combat, he asked permission to try it again on two of the prisoners, who became gratifyingly woozy.
Tomoko and Toshi searched the prisoners and found marks on each of their upper arms – these could have been left by metal arm-rings that the attackers habitually wore but had removed for this occasion.
The travellers also found a boat under the bridge – it seemed to have been used by the attackers to travel to this location.
Tomoko selected the most adolescent-looking of the male prisoners and took him some distance away for questioning. One of the other prisoners called out to him in Skald: “Remember, stay silent.”
Olaf acted as translator for Tomoko, who spoke gently in an attempt to persuade the prisoner to talk. At first, he seemed reluctant, but Tomoko kept trying. Lahja joined the interrogation, standing silently beside Tomoko, looking beautiful and disappointed. The young man seemed increasingly dazzled and bewildered, and finally gabbled out an answer to Tomoko’s question. “We were sent by Lady As–”
His voice broke off. Instantly, massive bruises appeared on his head and arms. Lahja desperately tried to stabilise him, but found that the prisoner was dead.
Tomoko discreetly wiped aside a tear, then looked back at the remaining prisoners. “We could try another one, to see if they all have it.”
When the incident was described to Sunshuke, he tentatively identified the cause as some sort of blood geas. The young Ulfen warrior would have made a promise willingly and died when he broke it. “If you take an oath without considering the consequences,” Sunshuke said, “then you deserve to receive the consequences in full. But it is an evil spell, because it is unnecessary. Death is not the worst possible result from breaking an oath.”
“Are you quite sure about that?” Toshi asked. "I think it might be."
“The loss of self-respect is the worst that can happen.”
Toshi still looked sceptical. “That reminds me. Did you sort out that problem you had? The conflicting obligations?”
“It is resolved,” Sunshuke said. “More or less,” he added quietly.
The next morning, the travellers buried the three attackers who had died during the ambush and the one who had died afterwards. Koya presided over a brief ceremony. She then spoke quietly to some of the travellers. “I have been dealing out the cards each evening,” she said, “and paying close attention to the dreams that follow. If I’m interpreting them correctly, there is great danger waiting for us in or around Kalsgard. There is an enemy who wears a double disguise. And there will be a threat we cannot hope to defeat, only survive.”
The travellers discussed whether they should go to Kalsgard at all. There were two main reasons to visit: the guides that Toshi’s mother had recommended probably lived there, and Ameiko wanted to track down the samisen that her grandfather had sold – the instrument had appeared in two of the visions from the Amatatsu Seal and so Ameiko thought it could be important. Also, Sandru hoped to purchase more supplies and equipment. And despite her own warning, Koya was eager to see the city and try the potent whisky made by the Kalsgard gnomes.
So the caravan continued towards Kalsgard. The attackers’ boat looked valuable, and the travellers decided to take it with them. With some spare wheels and planks, they put together a long makeshift cart. They lifted the boat onto it. A few of the travellers chose to ride in the boat to Kalsgard.
The caravan arrived at Kalsgard close to sunset, and the travellers decided to spend the night outside the walls. That evening, however, some of the travellers took the prisoners into the city and handed them over to the local authorities.
Lahja stayed with the caravan and spoke to Nezhrovan, who was brushing down some of the horses. “I’m a bit confused,” she told him. “That weapon you used ... Isn’t it mostly used by bad people? But you were helping us.”
“We were ambushed,” Nezhrovan said. “I didn’t have a blade with me, so I used whatever was to hand. I didn’t want them getting to Safa and Olaf.”
“You’re not going to do anything bad in the city, are you?” Lahja asked.
“I don’t intend to.” Nezhrovan’s tone was cautious, but not defensive or embarrassed. This conversation did not seem to resolve Lahja’s confusion.
The next morning, some of the travellers went into Kalsgard. Koya and Lahja explored the city and saw the sights. Tomoko and Sunshuke went to the Jade Quarter and visited a tea shop, where they exchanged lengthy formal compliments with the proprietors and asked about the recent history of travel to Tian Xia. According to the locals, no caravans had arrived from Tian Xia for three years, and none had arrived from Minkai for over twenty years. Tomoko and Sunshuke agreed to try to take letters to Minkai, and in return they were offered discounts on cold weather outfits and equipment by some of the Minkaian merchants who lived in the Jade Quarter.
Meanwhile, Toshi was asking about the guides his mother had recommended. He was sent from tavern to tavern until he found a Varki woman named Uksahkka. She was drunk and was having some trouble putting together coherent replies. Toshi offered her an alchemical remedy, which she drank. Then she became more suspicious of him, until Toshi told her that his mother had travelled in a caravan to Hongal more than twenty years ago, and Gorvald and Ulf Gormundr had been the guides. Uksahkka told Toshi that Gorvald Gormundr was dead and Ulf Gormundr was missing – Ulf had been hired eleven days earlier by Asviga Longthews, a local warrior noble. Ulf had not been seen since. Uksahkka had gone to Asviga’s estates to ask after Ulf, and some warriors there had beaten her up and thrown her off Asviga’s land.
The travellers met for an early dinner at the Hunting Serpent Inn, where Toshi and Koya tried the local gnomes’ whisky. They were approached by a young, gangly seamstress with short red-blonde hair, who introduced herself as Renn and said she wanted to become an adventurer. Lahja offered to test Renn’s strength with a friendly arm-wrestle and found that the seamstress was indeed quite tough. The travellers advised Renn to look for their caravan outside the city walls and ask Sandru if he wanted to hire any more guards.
Soon after Renn had left the tavern, Sandru arrived. He was holding a letter, and he seemed more worried and distressed than the travellers had ever seen him.
“What’s wrong?” Tomoko asked.
“A messenger just delivered this to me,” Sandru said. “It’s from the sheriff in Sandpoint. He says there’s terrible news about my brother, and I must return to Sandpoint immediately. That’s all. How could he write that? Terrible news, and no more details.” Sandru started pacing around the travellers’ table. “I can only think of three reasons why the sheriff would talk about ‘terrible news’. My brother is dead or dying. Or they’ve finally managed to pin something on him, and he’s going to stand trial.”
Tomoko examined the letter. The paper and ink looked right, and the handwriting was the sheriff’s. The date seemed plausible – a rider could have carried the letter and only now caught up with the caravan – but it did seem to be a bit of a coincidence that it had been delivered on their first full day in Kalsgard.
“What will you do?” Sunshuke asked.
“I don’t know. I feel obliged to go back. He is my brother. But I’ve made a commitment to Ameiko. You need me to run the caravan. And all my coffee’s here.”
“Family is family,” said Toshi. “We can’t advise you – this has to be your decision.”
“I know. I wasn’t really asking for advice. Just wanted a chance to talk.”
“Why don’t you sit down?” Lahja said. “Have something to eat. I always find that if I stop thinking about things, they get clearer.”
Sandru sat down.
“There’s something I need to do,” Sunshuke said abruptly and stood up.
“Do you want company?” Tomoko asked. “It could be dangerous out there.”
“No. Do not be concerned about me.” He left the inn.
Sandru began to complain to the travellers about his brother. “Jubrayl seems fatherly. Generous with praise and support. He makes people want to help him, and as soon as they promise him anything, he acts as if he owns them. Tangles them up in his dirty schemes while keeping his own hands clean. He keeps trying to lure me back into the Sczarni. With this journey to Minkai, I thought I’d finally get away from him completely. And now this happens. This letter.”
After about a quarter of an hour, Sunshuke returned. Blood was dripping from two knife-wounds on the right side of his face. “I have talked to someone and determined that the letter is a fake,” he said calmly.
Lahja quickly healed him, but a blotchy dark mark in the shape of a lopsided X remained beneath his skin where the wounds had been.
“How can you possibly know that?” Tomoko asked.
“And what the hell happened to you?” asked Toshi.
Sunshuke sat down and began to explain.
- The caravan was ambushed by Ulfen warriors at the last bridge before Kalsgard. The warriors seem to have placed themselves under a blood geas not to answer certain questions.
- From a dream, Koya has received a warning about danger in or around Kalsgard. Someone is in a ‘double disguise’, and there is a threat that cannot be defeated, only survived.
- The caravan has reached Kalsgard and is parked outside the walls. The main reasons for visiting Kalsgard are to hire a guide and reclaim the samisen that Ameiko's grandfather sold.
- According to inhabitants of the Jade Quarter, no caravans have arrived from Tian Xia for three years, and none from Minkai for over twenty.
- The recommended guide (Ulf Gormundr) was hired eleven days ago by Asviga Longthews, a warrior noble with estates near Kalsgard. Ulf has not been seen since.
- It seems likely that Lady Asviga was responsible for the ambush.
- Sandru has received a letter from the sheriff in Sandpoint, saying that there is terrible news about Sandru’s brother. However, Sunshuke claims to have determined that the letter is a fake. An explanation for this (and the mark on Sunshuke’s face) may be forthcoming.
In which an abandoned suitcase causes some concern, and a samisen is tracked to an incongruous location
“I had some things to sort out,” Sunshuke said.
“With your face?” Toshi asked.
“I recognised the man Nezhrovan from Sandpoint,” said Sunshuke. “He is a member of ... a certain organisation. I saw him write the letter to Sandru. I have told him to leave the caravan.”
“Has it stopped hurting?” Lahja asked, looking at the mark on Sunshuke’s face. The dark stain beneath the skin could have been left by a blade coated in tattooing ink.
“Everyone needs a feature,” Safa said. “It’s striking. Makes you stand out from the crowd.” She hesitated. “I’ve run out of positive things to say,” she muttered.
“This organisation ...” said Sandru. “You’re talking about the Sczarni, aren’t you? You knew that one of my brother’s gang was travelling with the caravan, and you didn’t tell me?” His tone became increasingly angry. “And if you saw him write the letter, you knew it was fake before you left this inn. What were you doing?”
“That is my own business,” Sunshuke said.
Safa suggested that everyone should calm down, but this did not seem to have much effect on Sandru’s temper.
“Were you a member of this group?” Toshi asked.
“I am not a member of it,” Sunshuke replied.
“You’re my cousin,” said Toshi. “Sometimes you get on my nerves, but I’ve always trusted you. Now I’m not so sure. You know how foolish it is to keep secrets.”
“I have told all that I will tell about this,” Sunshuke said. “Soto Sunshuke is no more. I have joined Ameiko’s family and started anew. I am now Kaijitsu Shinji. Pleased to meet you.”
When the travellers returned to the caravan, they noticed Nezhrovan’s suitcase near one of the wagons. “Didn’t you say you told him to leave the caravan?” Sandru asked Shinji. “Why is his suitcase still here?”
Tomoko unlocked the suitcase again. The dagger and all the letters were missing, but there was no other change to the contents.
Sandru spoke to his hired guards, who said that Nezhrovan had seemed ready to leave the caravan when he was approached by someone from the city – a young, gangly Ulfen with short red-blonde hair. “She whispered something to him,” said one of the guards, “and he followed her, leaving his suitcase behind. He looked ... less alert than usual.”
By next morning, the mark on Shinji’s face had almost completely faded, which meant that the cause was presumably not tattooing ink after all. Shinji also had a new, real, elaborate tattoo of a jade-coloured imperial dragon on his arm, skilfully created by Tomoko.
The travellers returned to the city to gather more information. Lahja and Koya visited the office of one of the city guard captains. Lahja wanted to warn the authorities that Nezhrovan might do “something bad”, but also might have had something bad happen to him. The captain recognised Renn’s name and description – the authorities believed that she was linked to the Rimerunners Guild, an influential group of merchants who did “some legitimate business”.
A few of the travellers went with Ameiko to visit Fienna Seevald, the merchant who had bought a samisen from Ameiko’s grandfather many years before. Fienna apologised – she could not sell the samisen back, because it had been stolen ten days earlier in a violent attack on her house that had left two of her servants dead and one severely injured. Even though Fienna kept many valuable and beautiful objects in her house, the samisen was the only item that was taken. Fienna told the travellers that if they could recover the samisen, she would give it to them if they could also deal out some form of justice or revenge to the people who had murdered her servants.
Fienna had given the servant who had survived the attack some time off work. Safa went to visit him. She brought along a cake, which was surreptitiously and comprehensively consumed by three young children while Safa talked with their father. He had only seen the culprits briefly before losing consciousness from the wounds they inflicted on him. He described a tough-looking brown-haired woman and several axe-wielding warriors. They had broken down the back door and attacked without pausing to ask questions or make threats. Safa asked him if he had noticed any identifying marks or features. “Now that you mention it,” he said, “I did glimpse something around one of their arms. A gold arm-ring, perhaps. With a symbol like an animal’s head ... maybe a big cat’s.”
Toshi tracked down Uksahkka again, to get a description of Ulf Gormundr and find out more about Asviga Longthews. Uksahkka said that Asviga had been buying a lot of ale and beer, because she was hosting a wake on her estates that evening for her liege lord, Snorri “Stone-Eye”, who had recently died from illness. The mourners planned to launch Snorri’s funeral boat at dawn the next morning, but Uksahkka said that this would almost certainly be postponed, because of the heavy fog that she expected to rise during the night. Uksahkka told Toshi that she was not a fighter, but she would be happy to help out in other ways, if there was anything she could do to aid the search for Ulf.
Some of the travellers asked around the city about other guides, in case they were unable to find Ulf or it seemed that he had been corrupted by his captors. However, there were not many guards with experience in travelling to Tian Xia. A few were missing – they had set out with caravans during the past few years and had not returned. The others were all currently absent from Kalsgard, having been hired to join various expeditions to other destinations.
The travellers then went to some of the popular taverns to collect gossip about Asviga Longthews. They learned that Asviga was rumoured to have connections with the Rimerunners Guild. Her late liege lord Snorri had a reputation among the Ulfen people for unusual erratic cruelty, and there was general relief at his demise.
Also, Asviga used a stylised lion’s head as a personal symbol.
The travellers returned to the caravan to discuss what they had learned and to make plans. “Someone’s doing a good job of thwarting us,” Olaf noted. All the evidence pointed to Asviga and the Rimerunners Guild. Perhaps Asviga or someone in the guild was an ally of Kikonu, the commander of Brinewall Castle - perhaps there were even disguised oni in Kalsgard. But how could they have known to expect the caravan?
It had been no secret in Sandpoint that Sandru’s caravan was headed towards Minkai, but the travellers had kept quiet about its true purpose and Ameiko’s real identity. One theory was that Nezhrovan was allied with the Rimerunners Guild and had found an opportunity during the journey to send a message ahead. His disappearance perhaps simply meant that he was now “surplus to requirements”. Another theory was that the quickling Buttersnips had travelled to Kalsgard to bring news from Brinewall - she could have easily overtaken the caravan.
The festivities at Asviga’s estates could be a chance to learn more. The travellers decided to go there and scout around. If the opportunity presented itself, perhaps a couple of them could disguise themselves as guests and get into the main building. The travellers were also interested in finding out exactly what was on board the funeral ship that was due to be launched the following day.
(One of the travellers suggested taking the boat they had brought with them from the site of the ambush, setting it on fire and using the cover of darkness to switch it with the funeral boat. However, this plan was dismissed as being slightly impractical.)
Olaf bought a scroll of locate object and sent his hawk Kala to observe Asviga's estates from the air. After sunset, the travellers chose a place to climb over a fence and sneak onto the estates. They found a suitable hiding-place in a barn. The sounds of celebration from the main house could be clearly heard.
The main house was surrounded by wooden posts that had been driven into the ground, forming a large circle. Olaf stealthily approached the posts and found that they had an aura of conjuration magic - perhaps they would summon creatures if someone passed between the posts. But the travellers reasoned that Asviga and her vassals would need a way to get past safely. So they waited until a group of keg-carrying guests arrived. Azu-Bemphi turned himself invisible and flew in close to watch. One of the guests traced out a rune-like symbol in the dirt just in front of the gap between two of the posts. The guests then walked between the posts, and the man who had drawn the symbol hastily erased it with the toe of his boot. Azu-Bemphi had been able to see the shape of the symbol, and he returned to draw it for Olaf.
Olaf and some of the other travellers then moved forwards stealthily. Olaf drew the symbol, and the travellers then walked between two of the posts without summoning anything.
Olaf cast locate object from his scroll, but the spell did not pick up any trace of a samisen in the building in front of them. So Olaf gulped down one of Toshi’s potions of expeditious retreat, ran away from the house and left Asviga’s estates, hoping to reach the funeral boat within the duration of the spell. He skidded to a halt as the river bank came into view – there were torches lighting up the scene, and over three dozen armed warriors were standing guard near the pier where the boat was tied up. Olaf was just in time - as the spell was about to end, he sensed the presence of a samisen somewhere ahead, presumably on board the funeral boat.
Azu-Bemphi had followed Olaf. The faerie dragon offered to turn himself invisible again and cautiously explore the boat. “If you see anything dangerous, just get out of there fast,” said Olaf. He cast message on Azu-Bemphi.
The faerie dragon disappeared. Soon afterwards, Olaf heard Azu-Bemphi’s whispering yet still enthusiastic voice. “The deck seems mostly empty. There’s a human-shaped form, wrapped up in cloth, on a bier. And there’s a trapdoor in the deck. Do you want me to open it? I think I’d be strong enough. Wait a moment. I can hear something from below. It’s a sound like ... rattling chains, maybe?”
- There are no other guides with the relevant experience currently available for hire in Kalsgard.
- Apparently, Nezhrovan is a member of the Sczarni, a criminal organisation whose leader in Sandpoint is Sandru’s older brother. Nezhrovan has disappeared in circumstances that suggest he was affected by some sort of enchantment cast by Renn, who is believed by the local authorities to be linked to the Rimerunners Guild.
- The samisen was stolen ten days ago (which is close to the date when the guide named Ulf Gormundr was last seen). Fienna Seevald has offered to give the samisen to the travellers, if they can find it and deal out justice or revenge to those who stole it.
- Asviga Longthews may be responsible for the theft of the samisen. According to rumour, Asviga is linked to the Rimerunners Guild.
- A wake for Asviga’s liege lord is currently being celebrated on Asviga’s estates. The funeral ship is due to be launched before dawn tomorrow morning, but Uksahkka predicts that this will be delayed until the following evening because of fog.
- The samisen seems to be somewhere below decks on the funeral ship, which is currently under heavy guard. There may also be someone or something moving below decks – Azu-Bemphi has heard a faint sound like the rattling of chains.
Kaijitsu Shinji: The name taken by Soto Sunshuke now that he has joined Ameiko’s family and “started anew”.
In which a funeral ship is launched ahead of schedule
Concerned that there could be an alarm on the hatch, Olaf told Azu-Bemphi not to investigate further. The travellers gathered in the barn on Asviga’s estates.
Olaf knew that there was a samisen on board the funeral ship, and the travellers wondered whether Ulf Gormundr could be there as well. The noise of rattling chains that Azu-Bemphi had heard could have been made by a prisoner in the hold.
The travellers had no evidence that Ulf was on board – after all, if his captors just wanted him dead, there were much easier ways to kill him. “But they’ve taken two things we need,” Olaf pointed out. “Perhaps as bait for this trap.”
However, it was a trap they needed to investigate. The travellers returned to Kalsgard and tracked down Uksahkka to ask for her advice.
Olaf knew that some of the more impressive funerals in Kalsgard used a device to delay the start of the blaze until the ship was some distance out in the water. Uksahkka mentioned that she could get kayaks for the travellers if they wanted to approach the ship stealthily. But the travellers had a plan of their own. They asked Uksahkka for directions to a tavern where they would have a good chance of finding a large number of drunken pranksters.
Tomoko used up a lot of cosmetics to disguise herself – improbably but successfully – as a young Ulfen woman, and she also made Toshi and Shinji look less obviously Minkaian. The travellers then went to the tavern Uksahkka had recommended. It was after midnight, and there was no shortage of moderately drunk people.
“Snorri Stone-Eye wronged our families,” Tomoko announced. “Shh, Lahja,” she added in a whisper.
Tomoko told the revellers in the tavern that she wanted to take some mild revenge by “borrowing” Snorri’s ship and disrupting the funeral display. Snorri had not been popular in Kalsgard. Tomoko’s eloquence and Safa’s oratory were persuasive enough that the travellers quickly acquired a couple of dozen enthusiastic, noisy volunteers. The travellers and their new companions hurried to the docks and crowded into several rowing-boats, some of which belonged to the volunteers (probably).
They rowed down the river into the fog, with the volunteers singing improvised songs and making bad puns about their new mission. (Not all the volunteers seemed to have an entirely clear understanding of what this mission was. Adding to the confusion was the number of volunteers who turned out to be named Olaf.)
“We have to be quiet now,” said Tomoko. She eventually convinced the volunteers to row in a very rough approximation to silence.
The travellers asked two of the volunteers (one of the Olafs and an undine named Erik) to swim to the funeral ship, climb on board and stealthily cut the ship loose from its mooring. One group of volunteers rowed ahead, planning to attach a rope to the front of the ship and tow it towards the middle of the river, to prevent it getting stuck on the bank as soon as it began to drift.
The travellers heard a few shouts, a swish and two splashes from the direction of the funeral ship. Soon afterwards, Erik appeared in the water, swimming towards the travellers’ boat and keeping his accompanying Olaf afloat. The travellers helped them climb aboard. Apparently, some of the guards had moved from the pier onto the funeral ship (perhaps because of the rising fog). The guards had attacked the two volunteers, who had just managed to cut the mooring rope before jumping into the water.
The travellers took their boat to the side of the funeral ship and Tomoko threw a grappling hook across. The funeral ship had a line of openings in its hull for oars. These were not large enough to allow anyone to climb through – not until a volunteer named Ragnar adjusted one of the openings with an axe.
Meanwhile, two other boatloads of volunteers headed to the river bank to create “a distraction”.
Lahja, Toshi, Shinji, Tomoko and their Olaf climbed through the newly enlarged opening into the hold. They saw a long chain leading from the mast towards the stern, into an unnatural fog obscuring that end of the hold. Lahja could sense the presence of evil in the fog.
“Ulf, are you there?” Toshi asked.
Several of the Olafs responded from the rowing-boat, but the only sound from the hold was a moaning howl that could have been words in garbled Skald.
There was a small sideways jolt in the ship’s motion – perhaps the group of volunteers in the boat ahead had managed to attach a rope and start towing. The funeral ship was definitely free of its mooring and was moving downstream.
Toshi, Shinji and Tomoko worked together to pull on the chain. Lahja stood ready.
A figure stumbled out of the fog. It looked like the walking corpse of a drowned man in rotting seafarer’s clothing. It wore an eye-patch and carried a greataxe. It did not resemble Uksahkka’s description of Ulf.
There was a shout from the travellers’ rowing-boat – the people on board warned that they were going to cut themselves free from the ship, because the guards on the deck were trying to get into their boat.
As the undead creature attacked Lahja, Olaf blinded it with glitterdust and covered its axe with grease. Lahja’s warhammer and Shinji’s arrows soon returned it to death.
The travellers quickly searched the hold. They found a samisen with a strong aura of magic and various other items which they gathered into a haversack. There were various distant shouts and splashes from outside.
Tomoko was asking Olaf whether it would be possible to wear an ioun stone as a large ear ornament when the travellers heard a whumpf from the deck above them. They rushed to the steps and climbed through the hatch. One end of the the bier was alight. A slim figure dressed in close-fitting dark blue cloth stood next to the blaze, holding a smoking tindertwig.
“Ninja!” said Shinji to his companions.
The travellers had seen no sign of movement from the shrouded figure on the bier, but they were still worried that it could be Ulf, perhaps heavily drugged. Lahja, Toshi and Olaf ran towards the bier.
Two more figures in dark blue stepped out from hiding near the prow. One of them shot an arrow at Tomoko, and then the two of them moved in to flank Shinji. “Ninjas!” said Shinji.
An unusually big owl flew out of the darkness, landed on the ship’s railing and watched.
The fire was spreading. Toshi reached the bier just in time to pull the shrouded figure away from the flames. He realised immediately that it was not a human body, either living or dead – the weight and rigidity suggested a wooden mannequin.
The flames now cut off Lahja, Olaf and Toshi from their companions near the prow. And Lahja had been briefly caught in the fire as she pursued the ninja who had started it. She tried to push the ninja off the ship, but when her opponent dodged, she decided to jump overboard herself to extinguish her burning clothes. Toshi and Olaf dived off the opposite side of the ship to avoid the flames.
Meanwhile, Shinji had been badly injured and knocked unconscious by the two ninjas flanking him.
“Shinji!” Tomoko shouted as she saw the two dark figures lift Shinji and begin to carry him to the side of the ship.
Tomoko ran towards them and struck one of the ninjas down. The other ninja dragged Shinji to the railing. Tomoko charged, vaulted over the railing and managed to pull Shinji with her.
From the water, Toshi and Olaf saw Tomoko summersault and Shinji plummet into an unfamiliar rowing-boat now tied to the funeral ship.
Olaf cast web between the railings of the funeral ship and briefly trapped one of the ninjas in the effect before the web caught fire and disintegrated. The owl flew away.
The ninja then jumped down into the rowing-boat with Tomoko and Shinji. A carefully aimed fiery bomb from Toshi rendered the ninja unconscious while missing Tomoko, Shinji and their boat (the splash of flame did hit the funeral ship, but this now seemed a bit redundant).
Toshi and Olaf swam to the rowing-boat. They helped Tomoko tend Shinji, then tied up the unconscious ninja very carefully.
The deck of the funeral ship began to give way. Soon the entire vessel was ablaze and sinking.
“Ninjas ...” said Shinji as he regained consciousness. “They must have been looking for Ameiko's family.” He looked at Tomoko. “You should join the family too.”
“I can’t become an heir,” Tomoko said. “I’ve told Ameiko the reason.”
Shinji tried to persuade Tomoko tell him as well.
“You’re the last person who can complain about anyone keeping secrets, cousin,” said Toshi.
The travellers rowed through the fog and smoke, avoiding the floating remnants of the funeral ship.
Weighed down by her armour, Lahja held her breath and walked along the bottom of the river until she reached the bank. She climbed out of the water.
“Who is carrying the Amatatsu Seal?” asked a nearby voice.
“Wha-?” Lahja asked. She recognised the voice as Renn’s. As she looked around, she had a sense of fighting off an attempt to reach into her thoughts.
Renn was standing close by, dressed in a black hooded cloak. Although she looked the same as she had in the tavern, her manner had changed from over-enthusiastic youngster to honey-tongued diplomat. “There’s no need for us to argue. Why don’t you just answer all my questions?”
For a few moments, this seemed to Lahja to be an entirely reasonable suggestion.
“Which one of you is the heir?” Renn asked.
Lahja looked puzzled.
Her tone rising in frustration, Renn rephrased the question. “Who got covered with glowing green symbols when a box was opened?”
Lahja really didn’t want to betray any of her companions. With a desperate effort of will, she managed to free herself from the enchantment. “Why are you being so unfriendly?” Lahja asked. “What have you done to our sort-of-friend-maybe? The little man with the suitcase?”
“He’s visiting us,” said Renn.
“I don’t think he wanted to.”
Renn shrugged. “He seemed happy enough.”
Lahja caught sight of a rowing-boat with some of her friends in it. She grabbed hold of Renn’s arm. Renn tried to resist – or seemed to – but did not manage to free herself.
When Tomoko, Toshi, Shinji and Olaf reached the bank, Lahja started to tell them about Renn.
“Which one of you is the heir?” Renn asked before Lahja could stop her speaking. “Which person in your caravan is the Amatatsu heir?”
Lahja put her hands over Renn’s ears.
Some of the travellers had the same sense of resisting an intruder in their minds. But others simply thought that Renn had to be asking about Ameiko.
The only person who answered aloud was Shinji. “It is time to die,” he said sternly and nocked an arrow.
The travellers attacked Renn as she transformed from human shape into an owl. She was struck several times but managed to escape into the night sky.
Olaf asked Azu-Bemphi to fly at once to the caravan and warn Ameiko that their enemies may have learned her name.
- The PCs have retrieved the samisen from the funeral ship.
- It seems that Ulf Gormundr was not on board the funeral ship. His whereabouts are still unknown.
- The PCs have captured a ninja, who is currently tied up and unconscious.
- Renn may be a nogitsune, a type of oni similar to kistune (who are shape-shapeshifting humanoid foxes). She seems well-informed about certain matters (such as the existence of the Amatatsu Seal), and may now have learned Ameiko’s name through the use of an ability to detect thoughts.