Dramatis Personae
- Jian Wu aka Two (played by Christian G.): TBA. Tagline: TBA.
- Jiao Ting aka Eight (Played by Chris D): TBA. Tagline: TBA.
- Liang Jing Min aka Five (Played by Randy H.): TBA. Tagline: TBA.
- Nongmin Chushi aka Seven (played by Rory F.): TBA. Tagline: TBA.
- Sheng Yi aka One (Played by Calvin J): TBA. Tagline: TBA.
- Zhiyu Zhige aka Nine (NPC): TBA. Tagline: TBA.
- He Bohai aka Eleven (NPC): TBA. Tagline: TBA.
- He Donghai aka Twelve (NPC): TBA. Tagline: TBA.
- He Qing aka Four (NPC): TBA. Tagline: TBA.
- Laoshu aka Mouse aka Three (NPC): TBA. Tagline: TBA.
- Meiyou Ren aka Six (NPC): TBA. Tagline: TBA.
- Rang Baozhai aka Ten (NPC): TBA. Tagline: TBA.
Previously . . .
With the fourth day over, a lot of them want to wander around the primeval forest for a day during their free time. Mouse, despite being overwatch for multiple days in trees, reports that she hadn’t seen anything, neither did anyone else during the past couple days really. Sheng Yi manages to find a rather old and decrepit looking trail through the woods from a spring into the woods. Most of the group decide to follow it except for He Qing and the twins who stay back to watch the wagon and to watch He Qing respectively. Zhiyu leads the group using her navigation skills and marking the trees on the way using a knife. The group is quite jovial and loud as they go along.
Ghosts and Spirals
Jian Wu, Jiao Ting, Liang Jing Min, Nongmin Chushi, Sheng Yi, and Zhiyu Zhige
The Ansiwari Triskelion
Eight Month 7th day, 998 Zao Dynasty, 14th hour
Shidao Province
They come to a fork in the pathway, the path to the left looks to be the lesser used of the two. Nongmin seems to think that it’s people using the trails and suggests that they follow the left trail along with a lot of others while Jing Min keeps talking about wanting to see something that he hadn’t seen before, not something that would kill them. Sheng Yi takes charge and they take the less worn, left pathway with folks having their weapons at the ready.
They come across a clearing and trigger an encounter. The ground is mostly clear with circular stone markings on the ground with wavy circles within all covered with moss and a small cliffside on the far end of the clearing with a cave entrance. Several folks are quite excited about the clearing and what the markings may mean as they explore the clearing. The circle seems to call out to Nongmin. A figure comes out of the ground like smoke as Nongmin approaches the circle. It reaches out for Nongmin, its presence causing people some shock and trouble with Ren fleeing the sight.
The smoky figure attacks Nongmin, connecting with the young boy, draining his stamina. Ren takes a second to try to convince Zhiyu to leave while Mouse dashes forwards and attempts to stab it, the blade passing harmlessly through the smokey figure. Ren shakes off his fear while they shout about how to destroy the thing, Mouse hitting it once again to no effect. Jing Min goes to grab Nongmin and Mouse and drag them away from the smokey figure. Sheng Yi shakes off the surprise and observes the situation. Zhiyu steps closer to Nongmin and Mouse and uses foxfire on the smokey figure but it dodges. Jian Wu rushes forwards while Ting remains stunned.
Nongmin tries to get away and resists the stamina drain as Rang cries out that it can be harmed by bones. They’re reminded of the bones they barely spotted above the cave entrance. Ren starts running towards the cliffside while Jing Min draws one of the bear claws from his pack that was distributed to people. Zhiyu’s foxfire comes back around burns the spirit, dealing the first bit of damage to the smokey figure. Nongmin breaks free of the figure’s grasp. Ting breaks his stun as Jian Wu steps forwards to punch before he dodges the figures hug in return to drain Jian Wu’s stamina. Rang runs towards the cliffside.
Ren and Mouse acrobatically climb upwards towards the bones. Jing Min punches the smokey figure and connects with a bit of solid figure. Sheng Yi runs towards the cliffside as well. Zhiyu’s foxfire burns the figure some more as Nongmin readies a bear claw. Ting charges forwards to try to slam the figure but passes through it harmlessly. Jian Wu tries to pull Ting away from the figure but misses by centimeters.
Ren and Mouse start grabbing the bones from the cliffside while Jing Min goes to hit the figure in the back, but it dodges. Sheng Yi moves forwards towards the cliffside to grab a bone of his own. Zhiyu’s foxfire missed its mark while Ting crouches to try to expose some bone since flesh covered doesn’t seem to do much. Striking the stone somehow manages to break the circle and two more figures appear, attacking Jing Min and Rang. Rang runs away from the figure.
Ren and Mouse distribute bones to Sheng Yi and Rang. Zhiyu’s last pass of foxfire misses the figure. Nongmin stabs at the figure, striking it and blue fire rushes out of the Nongmin and ignites the spirit, causing it to disperse. Ting punches at the figure that dodges the blow while Jian Wu dodges backwards from the figures retort to Jian’s own missed blow. When one of the figures goes for Ting, he trips and falls prone as the figure grapples him.
Ren and Mouse trip down the cliff with Mouse moving and swinging at the figure attacking Jian Wu. With Sheng Yu throwing a bone at Jian Wu who catches it with ease, Jian Wu steps forwards and whiffs on his first strike. Ting, with having the figure right where he wants it, punches the figure with his bare hands. The figures drains stamina from Ting while Rang throws a bone towards Zhiyu.
Ren and Mouse keep striking at the figure attacking Jian Wu while Jing Min strikes the figure grappling Ting. Sheng Yi moves to attack the same figure as Ren and Mouse. Zhiyu moves to pick up the bone at her feet while Nongmin strikes forwards through the figure and hits Ting in the groin. Jian Wu fails to dodge the figure’s latest blow and trips backwards, getting grappled by the figure. Rang passes a bone to Nongmin.
Ren and Mouse strike the figure while Jing Min narrowly misses hitting Ting. Sheng Yi hits the figure to little effect. Zhiyu strikes at the figure, missing and grazes Ting to no effect while Nongmin’s attempt at a horizontal slash passes above Ting. Ting, in the meantime, attempts to punch the figure again while Jian Wu breaks free from the figure and dodges the figures attempt to hug him again. Ting continues to get drained as Rang hands Jing Min a bone.
Ren and Mouse strike at the figure, dispersing it. Jing Min uses the bone to grapple the figure while Sheng Yi runs forwards and misses the figure, hitting Jing Min. Zhiyu moves to heal Ting’s injuries, only healing the stab wound in Ting’s groin. Ting punches, the healed knuckles passing through the figure and hitting Jing Min instead. Jian Wu runs forwards and strikes down the figure leaving Jing Min to fall onto Ting. The only response he can muster when Jing Min asks why Ting punched him is to shrug. Ask a stupid question.
Aftermath
While they sit and try to recuperate, they hear an old woman compliment them on their fighting prowess. She’s looks to be in her fifties and is carrying a basket. Telling them that she was going to banish the spirits herself, but she was getting older and wasn’t able to do it herself so them fighting the spirits banished them. She’s an Oracle, it’s a spiritual place and she offers to take them to her home for something to eat. Jing Min’s inspection of the cave reveals nothing more than some dripping water before they return the bones to where they got them from. There’s not much else to see around the area.
After Action Report (GM)
This was a “bonus” encounter. The PCs took the least traveled path and what they got was a trio of hungry ghosts. I also laid the groundwork for more stuff in later time skips. It’ll be interesting to see how that comes to fruition (if at all) later on. The old woman the kids have encounter is more properly known as the Green Seer and she’s centuries to thousands of years old. She’ll be playing a pivotal role for the kids as a possible teacher of arcane arts, advisor, and maybe even friend if they live long enough. Overall, another really great session and even though the players felt like they were struggling against the hungry ghosts they did very well. Better than I would have thought. Moreover, they didn’t even try to run away (which was good for the mindset needed to complete their training). They just saw a problem and attacked it until it was dealt with.
Other Notes
Bonus report here.
Soundtrack
None.