((Hmm, Gleeman? Ozzy? You two still around?))
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((Hmm, Gleeman? Ozzy? You two still around?))
(Sorry, did you not get my PM? I was on holiday for a week. But now I'm back!)
As one of the strongest, Masaya will keep pulling the cart.
Cover my back! If this cart stops moving, we'll be overrun!
((I had PMed Gleeman 1 week ago, asking if he was still in the game. He hasn't answered so far, I would suggest we NPC-play him until then.))
((As a note, I am on vacation this week myself, so I will sporadically be able to get to a computer to update. (I do remember Ozzy saying he was away now that he mentions it. My apologies for forgetting). Just bear with me on this, I will be back Sunday for regular updating.))
((What happened to the ice knife thing, by the way? Did it have any effect?))
Edit: ((Does anyone know the Spirit Tongue?))
((hello? oh and no no spirit language))
((Yeah, I am wondering if the spell was effective to determine if Vrishma should call in the heavy artillery. Anyway, I think Gleeman's PC should be played by the DM for now: just 3 is too few for the situation. Does anyone know where one can get a phrase or two of the "official" spirit tongue, or am I free to invent?))
((You need to make a ranged attack with the ice knife at your target. And apologies for not being around for a week. I'm back now obviously. So roll with the ice knife and roll damage as well, for both a hit and a miss. We'll move on from there.))
((i dont know the damage to roll))
Ikeira
ice knife to hit 1d20+2=12
((As the ice knife missed its target, roll 1d8 ))
ice knife scatter roll 1d8=4
((Well, all of the bakemono failed their reflex saves, so they all die.))
The bakemono fall forward, dead. The way is again clear.
((Time again for a bit of a cut scene. The story will be moving on again, just bear with me, heh.))
You turn one final bend in the trench, and there in front of you is a shallow pool with a fountain at the middle of it. The water is almost black and very sludge like. It comes up to your knees. It gets a bit deeper, too deep for the cart. The orb floats on top of the water, however. Seemingly of its own volition, the orb begins to float towards the fountain, almost as if it were attracted to the fountain in some way.
The orb slides over the fountain. The chaos around you stops. A bright white shockwave ripples out from the fountain. The dark, corrupted scene around you changes to a scene of perfect serenity. Verdant trees blow in the wind. The lake you are in is crystal blue. Birds fly about over head.
Another shockwave ripples out from the orb. This one is pitch black, much blacker than anything any of you have ever seen. The orb cracks, grows dim and explodes outwards in thousands of pieces. All of you are hit with many of them. The scene goes back to its previous chaotic form. All you know is blackness.
You all come to in a brightly lit, white room, although it is a bit bare. There are some doctors around you, looking concerned and a bit frightened.
Ikeira
"who, what, when ,where,why, how, wheres my pipe?"
ikeira wakes up and is groggy and a bit nauseus
Masaya groans, and opens his eyes. Aah, the light! He squints, and looks around. Where are we? Where are my daisho?
Vrishma
The Vanara open his eyes slowly, as if from a long dream. He blinks a few times, trying to realize what's going on, before seeing with the border of his eyesight the doctors scurrying about.
I have not entered the world of my ancestors, I see - not yet, I haven't. he mumbles in a his native tongue, more for his own ears than anyone elses.
He tries to prop himself up into seating position, and take a better look around. While he is still very weak, he notices a few familliar shapes. Ah, the humans are here too... But how did we get here? Was the army victorious?
He means to ask something along these lines, when he looks around again, distressed. Shimikawa? Here, girl!
Vrishma, your pet sits up next to you. She was lying on the floor.
One of the doctors speaks up.
"Your pet is fine, noble Vanara. You all came to us in bad shape. Your clothes were blood soaked and tattered. You four looked like you have been through hell and back. We assumed you were part of the army that was decimated in the Shadowlands. Reports are sketchy, and while many of the Tainted creatures were destroyed, none in the army remain alive aside from you four. And General Kyo. He had a haunted look about him, and he's a but jumpy, but he's back in the Imperial Palace."
Vrishma
Vrishma relaxes, but still has a distraught air about him: the news that there are no survivors is not a welcome one for him. He sighs forlornly, as he lets one of his hands fall to the side of him and starts petting Shimikawa.
Strange the will of the great Spirits is, that we should survive in all the slaughter. Yet their general much guilt has, for many of his warriors could still live but for his short-sightedness.... They all died, have they? Their ancestors proud will greet them, for well they fought. Yet who brought us here, I ask? I did not know there would be a second army coming, I did not. I trust the bodies have been burned, I do?
Masaya stumbles out of bed, and pushes himself up.
Where are my Daisho! he screams.
Ikeira
Ikeira is still searching for his pipe and getting more and more frantic about his searching.
"how long were we out"
The doctors all flinch at the yelling.
"Please," the same doctor speaks up again.
"No one brought you here. You were found on our doorstep. There were a few other survivors, but they have all...died. All of your possessions are in the next room, separated into piles. Now please, you are all still hurt and you need to calm down. When you four first showed up, you were out for a couple of days. You...came to afterwards, but then you passed out again, this time for a good five days. And here all of you are, awake again."
((Sense motive rolls for everyone))
(Sense Motive 19+10=29)
ikeira
ikeira doesnt bother with sensing motives or even staying put or arguing. he merely gets up and goes into the next room to collect his pipe and his teammates daisho returning with them and setting up what appears to be an elaborate ritual to the elements.
(at least a week while ill requires a reaffirmation of the vows i think and begging forgiveness for tabboos missed while ill)
Ah, my daisho. A thousand thanks for fetching it, heimin. Masaya starts to (feebly) get dressed, scabbarding his weapons. These blades belonged to my grandfather, and to his grandfather, all the way back to the time of the Kami. I would hate to lose them. I am deeply sorry for my behaviour, it was shameful, I hope you can excuse me as I am still weary from the trials we have faced. (If Masaya detected anything from the Sense Motive, he does not bring it up.)
Masaya senses that the doctors aren't being entirely honest, and you get the feeling that they are leaving some important things out about your arrival.
"While you were all unconscious, we noticed these strange markings that each of you have on your left arm. It's right about at your wrist area and we have no clue what they are."
If you look down at your left wrist, you will all see a strange symbol. It is different for each of you ((Something very valuable to you. Example, if you are a samurai, your clan symbol could be encircling your wrist)). The symbol is pitch black.
Vrishma
Sense Motive: 20+4 = 24
Vrishma props himself into a sitting position. While he still feels a little weak, he makes an effort to stand up and appear as if he's doing fine.
It won't do to appear so weak in front of these humans, no it won't; I should not shame Old Man River thus. What's heimin anyway? Just left here, you say? he asks, intrigued.
Edit: When he hears about something on his wrist, he raises his left hand; sure enough, there is a mark visible on his fur and skin. He looks at it with alarm, but also curiosity. Hmm, is this a sign of taint or honor? he wonders, but says nothing.
((If you have an idea for a shaman, let me know. If not, I would presume the mark would be based around a sign for a river, ideally mountain river, or just some symbol for water. His domains are river and animal, but he venerates his river totem more))
Ikeira
once again smoking on his pipe, he glances over at a mirror to check his hair and make sure it hasnt been cut then looks over at the doctors and their nervousness.
" very well now that you have given us the approved of information, leaving out unpleasant information to help us with our recovery, which seems to be a standard practice for healers all over the world, lets have all the information, starting with the explosion of the emporers prized weapon."
Vrishma, you also sense that the doctors are leaving things out. The doctors look uncomfortable.
"Well, when you came to us, you each had these pitch black shards imbedded in your skin in many places. That accounted for part of the blood smeared clothes. We couldn't account for the rest of it. Some of the other survivors talked of demons that invaded the camp and slew all in their path. They disappeared at sunrise.
"And, well, the demons reappeared a few nights after you four arrived. Perhaps appeared is not the right word. Myself and a few others witnessed the four of you....change....into viscious monsters. You attacked and killed the remaining survivors and then at sunrise, you turned back into your normal selves."
The doctors look around uncomfortably.
ikeira
" so we transformed and started killing. was anyone else attacked while we were transformed or just those of the army that survived and if so how many were tainted? oh and you might want to keep those shards and send them to the chief shugenja of the emporer for study as that is whats left of the emporers weapon against the taint. too many factors to determine why it failed and exploded."
Vrishma
Vrishma looks as if he can't believe these people but the notion of him killing the survivors doesn't look as if sits well with him. He stiffens, and blinks a few times as he tries to comprehend what the others are saying. Half scared, half furious, he almost shouts in the nearest healer's face.
We WHAT? Kii! Haruma's mercy, what are you saying, you strange man, this can't be right! Where are all those black shards, did they disappear? And if we killed so many people, how come we are still alive, and not in chains? And by Anuman's beard just what did we turn into, anyway?
He stops, abruptly, with a strange glint in his eye. Wait... if that, ancestors forbid, happened to us, what happened to the general?
We must see the General immediately. This is all too odd. I am taking my comrades to see the Emperor. Masaya stands, dons his backpack, and strides towards to the door. Out of the way, Heimin.
(So, is Gleeman here?)