.
A young bard looks up and smiles. "Ready when you are."
|
Well, this should be entirely entertaining. Greetings everyone.
With hair streaked with gold, held back with a colorful, feathered headband, and eyes flashing with blue lightning, the young woman before you betrays her unworldly heritage.
She wears a stylish robe of rainbow hues and a necklace of strange, decorative bird around her neck.
|
|
Narayan approaches the group with his teeth bared in a grin that's... unsettling, but entirely heartfelt.
His jaw juts out over a very short neck, which with his broad shoulders gives him a somewhat squat appearance even though he stands comfortably over 6' tall. His clothing is simple and roughspun, but he has an small cache of various magical implements hung at his belt.
He gives Koh'Nangohr a respectful bow with that same fangy smile, and introduces himself, "I am Narayan Ssingh. It sseems we are returning to pathss I have not trod in many years."
|
|
Kai stands of typical height with most Tian-Shus, with typical dark brown eyes, and silky black hair that he cuts short and leaves largely ungroomed. What differentiates him though is his build - while most Tians are lean and lithe, Kai is well-built and muscular, clearly visible through the breastplate he is wearing. He holds a longspear comfortably in one hand, and is also equipped with a morningstar and some javelins. Across his chest is a bandolier where some vials of liquid are stored.
He greets everyone with a warm smile. "A good day to one and all. I am Kai, Lin Kai. Hmm, despite being a Tian-Shu, I've never actually been to Tian before. I am almost looking forward to this..."
After having received a letter from Venture Captain Amara Li, you quickly make all the necessary praparations for your journey to the meeting point. The way there itself is rather uneventful, or was that just your mind keeping you busy with possible scenarios and locations you could find yourself in? In either case, you arrive intact, and head to the Teahouse.
The Gilded Lotus Teahouse in Hisuikarasu is unusually busy. An eclectic band of tengu soldiers, possibly mercenaries, take up most of the seats in the common room. The archon Zepha and the tengu samurai Shiyo Takarak wait patiently in a private room at the back of the teahouse. The private room is much less rowdy, and its walls dampen the noise to a bearable level. A second tengu stands by Shiyo’s side, dressed in a uniform that matches those of the soldiers in the common room. He proudly boasts, "They may be noisy, but they’re the best fighting force this far west of Xidao."
With a quizzical look, Zepha retorts. "That does not tell one much, for if I were to step outside and turn left, I would be able to see the Gulf of Xidao quite clearly." Thankfully, Shiyo interjects before the tengu soldier manages to mouth off a reply. "Welcome, Pathfinders. Those returning, we welcome you as friends of the Way of the Kirin. For those whom we meet for the first time, you have our thanks for your trust in this endeavor. Before we delve into the particulars, introductions first. I am Shiyo Takarak, a samurai of the Way of the Kirin. To my right is Zepha, the righteous messenger from Heaven who has gathered us together." Zepha’s glowing eyes flash in acknowledgement. Shiyo then gestures towards the tengu soldier before continuing. "And this spirited and talented warrior is Captain Tai Dan. He and his soldiers, the Twenty-Four Masks, are to accompany you on your mission." Tai Dan bows.
|
|
He greets everyone with a warm smile. "A good day to one and all. I am Kai, Lin Kai. Hmm, despite being a Tian-Shu, I've never actually been to Tian before. I am almost looking forward to this..."
"Wǒ céngjīng, céngjīng. Dà duōshù qíngkuàng xià, rénlèi gèng duō."
Says a tall gold and silver-clad elf woman with a broad-bladed spear appearing as if from nowhere.
"Tianjing is on the eastern coast of Tian Xia, south of Kwanlai. The nation’s citizens are primarily aasimars. Descendants of heaven. In ages past, Tianjing was the site of a war between the Abyssal qlippoth--the precursors of demon-kind, and the celestial host. After claiming victory, heaven's armies could only partially seal the rift between the Abyss and Golarion. Many of the celestial host thus chose a self-imposed exile to maintain a vigil over the rift. Their descendants continue that tradition today."
"The coming of demon-kind saw and end of qlippoth rule in the Abyss. The surviving qlippoth lurk in its darkest corners waiting for their chance to emerge again."
"But on Golarion in Tian Xia the empire of Lung Wa was the predominant political force for nearly five centuries. Lung Wa conquered many nations, but it made no attempt to take Tianjing. The empire supplied the aasimar nation with food, art, and other support. With their basic needs cared for, the Tianji turned their attentions to the arts, philosophy, and scholarship, so by the time Lung Wa fell, Tianjing had become almost fully reliant on the empire. Unable to support and sustain itself, Tianjing sank into a state of anarchy, with its military unable to maintain both its vigil against the qlippoth and defend the nation’s borders. Only through the relatively recent actions of an individual hero, Sulunai, has Tianjing begun to recover. But that it all know of your unhomeland, Kai, that is of any pertinence to our mission."
She potions out her syllables (three per day) for the next several weeks of travel. At the meeting at the Gilded Lotus she nods her greetings.
|
|
Kahn looks around to see all the warriors clad in their decorative armors. "They all looks so calm but capable. I can sense they share a bond with each other like I with my own blade. Truly, an impressive sight."
Kahn eventually opens his third eye on his head to get a better viewing of the entire Teahouse, unaware of if anyone finds it disturbing that he has a third eye.
|
|
Victoria nods and smiles at Shonne and Feli.
Greetings, ladies. You both appear to have a wealth of knowledge. This is splendid since I never was able to remember half what I learned in school.
As she turns to the men, she comments
And you three seem more than capable to handle any threats needing more physical persuading. An excellent advance strike force to accompany us with the Twenty Four Masks. What foe could hope to stand against such a company?
Finally, in celestial, she addresses Zepha.
မေတ္တာနှင့်ကြားလိုက်ပါ၏, ထိုထက်ကျော်လွန်ခြင်းမှဝမ်းကွဲ။ ကျနော်တို့သင်နှင့်သင့်ကလူရဲ့သတိဝီရိယအမှန်တကယ်အကြွေးရှိပါတယ်။
Zepha nods towards Victoria, and and responds to Narayan's note immediately afterwards. "All in due time. We would like to get to know you first."
She offers a quick smile, but it is clear that she uses it to hide concern.
|
|
The blade opens its eye placed firmly in the hilt and stares out, looking at everyone nearby. "Been a while since I have been to lovely Tien Xia." Then lets out a sigh, "Which means obviously there is trouble if I am here with you." Then it looks over at the Celestial Beings. "Mmmmm... Seems we need to be on our best behavior if Heaven is watching this time."
After a few short moments, Zepha addresses you again, this time with a bit more concerned demeanor. "Recently, a group of Pathfinders uncovered evidence that suggests trouble on the border between Kwanlai and neighboring Tianjing. If we are lucky, it is nothing more than a group of misguided individuals leveraging the region’s history to their own benefit. It may, however, be more serious than that. Much like the Inner Sea region’s Worldwound, Tianjing was once the site of a rift, torn between realities, that allowed a horde of qlippoth a way onto the Material Plane. Only the combined efforts of an army of archons, azata, agathions, and angels pushed the invaders back. The celestials, however, could not properly seal the rift. Ever since, the celestials and their aasimar descendants have maintained a vigil against the ancient threat."
Zepha pauses momentarily, allowing those present to consider the possible implications in his message. "Pathfinders, your mission is thus two-fold. Travel with the Twenty-Four Masks into Tianjing to the North Winds Watch, the Tianji fort nearest to where your predecessors uncovered their evidence. Once there, attempt to determine the nature of the threat and deal with it, if possible. The Way of the Kirin has graciously covered the Twenty-Four Masks’ fee. We have briefed them already and they are prepared to assist you in any way possible. Their blades shouldprove invaluable should you encounter the worst."
|
|
"Wǒ céngjīng, céngjīng. Dà duōshù qíngkuàng xià, rénlèi gèng duō."
"啊，您会说天话。好极了！除了跟我父母亲之外，我也没什么机会说。希望在这会用得着。"
"And if I may add, I have come across fragments of qlippoth philosophy, suggesting that demonkind may not be the qlippoth’s only enemy. As mortal sin ensures that the Abyss receives enough souls to constantly birth more and more demons, some qlippoth therefore seek a way to sever this supply of souls, preferably at the source—the Material Plane. That would explain their interest in Golarion."
Turning to Zepha, Kai thanks her with a nod of his head. "The companionship of such fine warriors is greatly appreciated. I look forward to working with them. I trust that the information we have at this time might be sketchy, but what have been uncovered thus far about this threat?"
Tai Dan forwns when hearing doubts about his men, but seems confident "The Twenty-Four Masks are considered to be one of the few elite mercenary groups in the area. I have helped them train and develop their skills for several years, and can personally vouch for each and every one of my men. I'm sure their performance will be more than satisfactory..."
Zepha nods, and looks at Shiyo and you. Specifically, Lin kai. "We are not sure what happened in the recent weeks. I'm hoping it is just some misguided soul stirring trouble, but with the rift in the area, it's better to be safe than sorry."
Zepha seems surprised that you weren't briefed on the subject, but answers anyway. "Upon my request, your fellow Pathfinders visited Yiangma, a village along the border between Kwanlai and Tianjing. There they discovered that sinister forces corrupted many of the village, the neighboring woodlands, and a nearby Hei Fengan shrine. The Pathfinders did well to cleanse the village and shrine of this corruption. Yet after reviewing the collected evidence, witness accounts, and your colleagues’ reports, I now suspect that the qlippoth played some role in what occurred in and around Yiangma."
|
|
Zepha seems surprised that you weren't briefed on the subject, but answers anyway. "Upon my request, your fellow Pathfinders visited Yiangma, a village along the border between Kwanlai and Tianjing. There they discovered that sinister forces corrupted many of the village, the neighboring woodlands, and a nearby Hei Fengan shrine. The Pathfinders did well to cleanse the village and shrine of this corruption. Yet after reviewing the collected evidence, witness accounts, and your colleagues’ reports, I now suspect that the qlippoth played some role in what occurred in and around Yiangma."
Shonne nods once, the body language equivalent of the words "Uh-huh. Go on."
Zepha offers a quick prayer before you depart. Immediately afterwards, Tai-Dan instructs the Twenty-Four masks to pack up and leave. The tengu warriors finish their discussion and head outside towards the stables, where they wait for you in three separate squads. The Twenty-Four Masks, as their name suggests, comprises 24 tengu soldiers and a handful of support members. No two of the tengu carry the same gear, with each soldier donning the armor and carrying the armaments most suited to their particular skills or squad roles. Even so, the idea of a uniform still exists. First, each tengu wears navy blue prominently, whether as clothing, dyed and prominently displayed feathers, or painted armor and shields. Second, each soldier carries an elaborate mask, with most representing powerful beasts, such as tigers, or supernatural beings, including dragons and oni. A few soldiers carry more than one, tying the extras around their waists or to their backpacks. Tai Dan is quick to explain that some of his soldiers choose to also carry the masks of their predecessors, trainers, mentors, or fallen friends.
Tai Dan wears a mask shaped like an angry-looking, red-faced human. He carries two double chicken sabers and wears blue leather armor. Tai Dan leads the first squad, which includes the Twenty-Four Masks’ most heavily armed and armored soldiers. Even these soldiers avoid heavy armor, as Twenty-Four Masks prefer a mix of acrobatic, hit-and-run tactics.
One of the seargeants, Toko, wears a toad mask that allows her beak to protrude much as the toad’s tongue would from its mouth. Toko wears leather armor and carries a crossbow and an urumi. Toko leads the second squad, which includes the Twenty-Four Masks’ ranged experts, including archers and spellcasters.
The other seargeant, Naki, uses a helmet that features a faceplate shaped to resemble an angry-looking, long-nosed human, not unlike
the captain’s mask. Naki also carries a stylized kitsune mask, which belonged to her predecessor, tied to her belt. Naki serves as the Masks’ chief sapper, engineer, and surgeon. She leads the third squad, a mismatched group of specialists that supports the other two.
"The Twenty-Four Masks will be moving in three groups. I will lead one, and my two tacticians will lead the other.", Tai-Dan introduces his regimen directly. "This is Toko, she will command our scouting and ranged team. Naki over here, commands the auxiliaries.", he gestures towards the two sergeants.
They both nod and bow when introduced, and Toko steps forward, prominently looking at the tengu Pathfinders when speaking. "I look forward to us exchanging viewpoints on the philosophies of combat and strategy."
Naki remains in the back, observing the pathfinders as if looking for something, but doesn't oggle too much.
"I would suggest traveling on horseback.", Shiyo steps in. "The journey will be long. You wouldn't want to betored in case we find trouble. I took the liberty of hiring horses for you. When ready, we can head out."
Several horses stand nearby with saddles at the ready, one extra for supplies.
Felicitas nods, still a shadow of herself!
|
|
Kahn gives a firm salute to Zepha before leaving the Teahouse, then leaves to see the Tengu forces before him. He looks over each of the Tengu officers with his third eye open, which visibly perturbs some onlookers.
Seeing that Naki is probably the one he could most benefit hearing from, he decides that staying near her regiment might be worth while. Kahn has little experience being a diplomat, but his medic skills are all the social confidence he needs.
|
|
Not much of a tactician herself, Victoria nods.
"I always wanted to try to ride a horse. I am certain we will have a splendid time. Will one horse be enough to carry supplies for such a large group? Will we need to supplement with any other provisions? ."
She considers her background knowledge regarding tactics
"I will interested in views in philosophy and tactics. I am more into the study of the inner and outer planes and obviously all things arcane, myself."
|
|
"Thank you for the provision of the steeds. It is indeed welcome." Kai gives a bow, as his parents has taught him many years ago, when in showing appreciation for the offer. He has little experience riding, there being little need to do so as a watchmen in Absalom. A watchman walks his beat, feeling the ground under his feet.
With a natural humility, Kai replies with a gentle smile. "I was but a simple watchman. I fear I can contribute little in a conversation of battle tactics."
"We travel to North Winds Watch, a fort at the edge of Kaimuko Wood. It's a day or two of travel.", Tai Dan chimes in. "We can store the horses there for the way back. I'm sure they have a sufficient stable. Naki...", he calls on the auxiliary sergeant. "... please help our bulk-armoured companions mount their horses if necessary."
Naki nods quietly, and calls her squad to help with the task. While helping you up, she speaks up. "While we are at the topic of assistance, I was wondering if I should gather more supplies in terms of curative supplies. I have enough for the Masks, but I'm not certain in regards to your own proficiency in anatomy and healing magics."
The auxiliary sergeant and her squad continue to linger near you, expecting a demonstration of you being able to bandage a wound properly, or reassurance that you are capable of it.
|
|
Kahn looks up at Naki from his horse after figuring out his riding position. "Healing magic? Oh, you mean like this." Kahn calls forth his sword in one hand and holds it steady. Then in a single motion, he swiftly drags his other hand across the blade until blood begins to pour out.
"Dalenydra, watcher of the battle, healer of the soldier. I beseech thee, revitalize my wounds." his good hand begins to glow a white light before he touches his fingers to his injured hand. The wound patches up without a single trace of injury.
"I believe that should show you my faith for the Battlefield Healer is true."
|
|
Shonne takes the measure of her horse, feeling at ease in the saddle.
She has some skill at healing (even has the kit). Often times in her role as a courier she has found it important to be able to set the broken limbs and noses of others that she had to break in order to make her point. She is not sure though that she feels disposed to share knowledge of all of her skills with the Twenty-Four just yet.
"Yes, perhaps.", Naki nods, and turns around to purchase extra gear back in Kwanlai's capital. Within an hour, Naki returns to the horses and briefly speaks with Tai Dan. He nods, and orders the Twenty-Four masks to move out.
"Keep up, Pathfinders.", he grins playfully while passing by on his trotting mount. "We should reach the foot of Kimu Mountains by dusk. Then we camp."
Tai Dan, Toko, and Naki use mounts to navigate the long road ahead. Each squad of the Masks has a few beasts of burden to carry some of the equipment. Most prominently, Naki's Auxiliaries, who have an entire cart. With the exception of a pair of coachmen from the Auxiliaries, the Masks move on foot, leading the horses, oxen, and mules by simple leather reins.
Toko's scouts lead the way, with Tai Dan and Naki's squads near each other in the back. The steppes leading to Kimu Mountains are full of green pastures, but trees are rare. You pass towards the dirt road carved through the land by merchants and caravans, and make good speed away from the shore. With no fog, Kimu Mountains are visible even from the shore, but chance was not on your side on this day. Still, you reach your destination in good time, and the tengu start making camp at the foot of the mountains. Once camp is made, Toko gives orders to her squad, and sends a few scouts to search the area. The rest sets up a few dummy targets to shoot with bows and cut with light blades. Most of the Twenty-Four masks participate, and so does Shiyo. As you watch (and if), Toko approaches and offers you to give the training dummies a go. "To see your technique. I'm interested if it's different from what we're used to here. If it is, we might learn from each other.", she explains.
|
|
Toko approaches and offers you to give the training dummies a go. "To see your technique. I'm interested if it's different from what we're used to here...."
Shonne breathes out heavily, and dismounts wearily. She still does not trust her feathered hosts any further than most of them can fly. She raises her elven bow and takes a half-hearted shot at the target from about 70 yards.
"Mostly we in Avistan pick up our bow, aim the arrow, and release." she says in Tien to Toko almost leaving the middle part of her instructions out of her actions. "Is that very much different than what you do here?"
Later, among her fellows, Shonne says seemingly from nowhere: "Will we have to prove ourselves at every stop? Setting camp, foraging, fencing, where will it end? And to what end I wonder?"