After almost a month of continuous marching towards the east carefully avoiding the suspicious glances of the many manhunters and imperial patrols occupying the many roads in the Empire, you finally reach the place you heard would finally afford you at the very least a few days of respite from your arduous journey.

It was certainly not easy avoiding detection from the many enemies in literally every town you visited, once almost rousing the suspicion of an expert from the Divine Mantis sect. It was from that close call you resolved yourself to avoid well paved roads no matter how much they hurt your weary feet and you are even beginning to feel quite accustomed to walking on undulating, bumpy terrain.

Despite your overall weariness from trying to evade attention and pursuit, you cannot help but feel slightly better as your approach your destination of respite.

It is just a few minutes after the break of dawn, and the air in this secluded village of Boushima smells fresh and sweet.

As the sun's first rays creep through the gaps between the tall hills and mountains that surround the valley you are in, they reveal the slightly misty vistas of terraced paddies of rice and simple wooden homes and their tall thatched roofs. The sound of a nearby brook beside the rough beaten path whcih you traverse on grows louder with every step you make forward, and by the time you reach the entrance of this role model of a bucolic country village, the morning sun reveals at the top of a distant hill before you a small wooden monastery cloaked in a yellow manteau of autumn tree leaves.

A few of the village folk emerging from their wooden homes to begin work for the day notice your entrance are slightly surprised, but as they see your buddhist garments quickly understand the reason for you being here and continue about their work.

Upon exchanging a few greetings with some of the villages you hear a few rumors.

1. The village elder's son Gorou was attacked by wolves while he was out cutting wood and is currently being tended to by the old nun Kenmei in charge of the Suishou-in Verdant Pine Monastery.

2.  There are rumors of villagers seeing strange flashing lights in the forest to the southwest, along side very terrifying disturbing noises. Furthermore, recently, some dogs owned by the villagers seem to have gone missing which has troubled the villagers greatly.

3. The villagers are preparing for a small harvest festival to venerate the local deity Unmyou. There will be a fine feast and a ritual overseen by Nun Kenmei.

The one named Qianli made her way over the main road, to the side so as not to hog too much of the road for herself as that might be seen as a lack of proper conduct. She favored the Tao more herself, but both taught respect and, as such, did not need much getting used to. The air smelled nice, and so she stepped aside and off the road for a brief moment to inhale deeply, the sweet scent a more than welcome change from the dirt and mud of the past month.

A quick glance around her from her peripheral vision told her that her appearance did not attract attention, though she knew assassins would know better than to give themselves away. More importantly, she saw no guards being posted, or anything to show that her presence was thought of as a possibility, which meant pursuers were more likely to come from her back if they were not still patrolling the area she had just departed from.

When exchanging greetings, she kept her voice calm, gentle and level, years of lessons in persuasion and, ironically, the tea ceremony having instilled a good sense in her of remaining collected at all times and knowledge of the proper order of things that would not make her appear too forward. It was the well rehearsed voice of one that was where she was because she was supposed to, led by nothing but silken strings of karma.

There were several rumors in town. Rumors of wolves and disappearing dogs, the latter hinting at the former to be the one to blame, but what it told her was that it was unlikely that there was anyone hiding in the wilds, be it bandits or bounty hunters. Wild animals, for all the trouble they could bring to a peaceful village, felt as much a boon to her as did the air in the village of Boushima. For now though, she would need to make a good first impression as a Buddhist, rather than one simply wearing the robes of one, and so she headed over to the Monastery. It seemed they were quite busy, and she needed a place to stay that did not rely on coin the way an Inn would. They would be likely to offer room and board in return for her services, and in doing so even strengthen her cover as a traveling young Buddhist in the process.

In reply to Oriana Kimari (msg # 2):

Date (Y/M/D): 1000/10/08
Season: Autumn

As you pass through the village proper occasionally greeting a passing villager by clasping your hands and bowing, you soon arrive at the foot of the hill cloaked in the warm colors of autumn that caught your attention when you first arrived here. Beneath this colorful cloak of tall pine trees, are a series of stone steps many in number, leading up landing after landing. Besetting every few metres of travel up the stairs or past the landings are unlit stone lanterns, and the simple tiny sculptures of egg-headed monks bearing expressions of meditative tranquility wrapped in vibrant red cloths.

The deeper you go up this succession of steps, the stronger the scents of the fragrant woods of pine grows, though gradually being replaced by the familiar aroma of scented incenses as the sight of a two storied monastery comes into view, greeting you with a smaller one storied gate bearing two man-sized stone figurines of Nioh. At the top of the gate bears a decorative black lacquered wooden sign with the silver words: "Suishou-in" meaning Verdant Pine Monastery.

From the approach of this gate you gradually begin to hear the sounds of the striking of wooden temple blocks alongside the voices of chanting coming from the main building which is connected via sheltered walkways leading to eastern and western wings of the monastery.

From this main grounds you can also see pavings of large stone slabs leading elsewhere into the forest surrounding the monastery. After looking around for a bit, the chanting appears to end for a moment and you soon hear the sounds of the shifting of sliding wooden doors from the east side of the main building from which a neat row of nuns emerge from.

Leading those row of nuns appears to be a tall bald asura with a thin lozenge shaped blue bindi in the centre of her forehead, emanating an aura of tranquility much alike the many priests of Buddhism you have met throughout your life. Unlike all the other nuns who only wear black robes, the nun in from wears a on top of her own black robe a Kesa vestment made from sewed together bluish rags.

Noticing that a visitor has arrived, she motions to the nun behind her to proceed towards the Eastern wing of the building, while she herself walks down the side staircase and approaches you, clasping together her palms which hold together a string of wooden prayer beads.

"Greetings esteemed follower of monastic rule. You may call me Kenmei. Have you come here to nurture the seed of enlightenment within you...?" the head nun speaks in a gentle voice.

Qianli failed to suppress a smile when she saw the monastery. While she herself was more of a Taoist, the general feel and atmosphere reminded her of the times she had visited Minghai back home, and she could already feel the small pangs of homesickness fade away as her ears caught the sound of familiar chanting from other sections of the buildings. She gave Kenmei a respectful bow, mirroring the way the head nun held her own hands and necklace.

- "Greetings, Kenmei. This one was only recently named Qianli, and seeks to broaden her understanding of the world in order to reflect upon her own place in it. Would you have a place for a traveler willing to work and learn until the call to move on strikes her again?"

There would be no point in lying about her age, and so she incorporated it into her introduction. She knew from rumor that those of the Monastery were proficient in tending wounds, and it took very little insight to realize that that would be a very useful skill to pick up, especially this early into her year, if the past month had been any indication. She knew from Minghai that Buddhism treated greed, hatred and ignorance as the Three Poisons, and so she referred to herself in the third person as a traveler seeking to broaden her understanding and asking permission without dropping names right from the get go, as she felt that would have made her appear entitled.

In reply to Oriana Kimari (msg # 4):

After hearing your polite words and exchanging a few sentences with the Head Nun, you can tell that the things about Buddhism that Meikai have taught you were of considerable use in convincing the nuns of Seishou-in to eventually accept your joining in their monastic duties and self cultivation.

Based on the a brief introduction by the Head Nun and the Prefect of the apprentice Nuns, you came to know the basic layout of the monastery and the various duties a member of Seishou-in had to carry out on a daily basis. Without going into excessive detail, the things that you can expect to learn are: Nansei Sect Buddhist Cultivation, Nansei Sect Staff Technique, Cooking, Herbalism, Medicine, and Tea Ceremony.

After a brief tour of the Monastery grounds - you come to know of a number of places within:
- Hall of Benevolence - The main prayer hall where the wooden statue of Bodhisattva Sura - an Asura Bodhisattva of Antiquity sits
- Hall of Wisdom - The library containing records, teachings insights of predecessor nuns pertaining to all matters.
- Hall of Reflection - The dormitory of nuns. It is also where the kitchen is, and where food is prepared by the nuns themselves who take turns being in charge of food for the day.
- Hall of Charity - A combination of a guest hall and apothecary. Also used as storage.
- Pavilion of Emptiness - A stone garden with very tastefully placed rocks, miniature trees, and a small lily pond. Used for respite and outdoor meditation.
- Grounds of Purity -  A wide dirt field for practicing martial arts
- Teahouse of the Heron - A small teahouse situated in a small forest clearning. Nuns are not allowed to use it, as it is for special guests.

Nuns are only allowed to have one day of karmic involvement thrice a month. As interacting with common folk is considered part of the Buddhist way in this sect. During karmic involvement, you are encouraged to lend beneveolent assistance to the villagers, travellers, and even animals in the wilds.

While getting to know everyone in the Monastery, you become fairly acquainted with two nuns around your age - Nun Kakei, and Nun Kamatsu who share a room with you in the Hall of Reflection.

Nun Kakei is an upright, studious and competitive Human Nun who takes everything she does seriously and expects the same to be done by her peers. She is somewhat pleased by your behaviour, as you seem to be unlike her other room mate.

Nun Kamatsu on the other hand is a rather lazy and relaxed individual. She does not speak often though when she does it is often laconic, much to Kakei's annoyance. Somehow though, it seems from some brief conversations, that Kenmei favors Kamatsu quite considerably despite her lazy attitude.

During brief introductions with the two, Kakei noticed that you use the dialect of the east in names, and asks you whether you came from the eastern parts of Dingzhou.
Kamatsu on the other hand doesn't seem to care, and seemed to be asleep while standing.


Note:

During this period of time, you may decide whether to put your heart into the mandatory meditation of Buddhist cultivation taught to you, or avoid doing so, and secretly practice your own cultivation method. During days of karmic involvement, you are of course allowed to come down from the hill and practice whatever it is you wish.

You can specify the schedule you wish to take for a certain period of time e.g. Proceed wholeheartedly with the duties of an apprentice monk for a week/month/year. e.g. Proceed half heartedly and conserve energy for the night to sneak out to practice your own sect's arts etc - and any events that you encounter during the period of time under the conditions you state will open up at least one scene to be interacted with and resolved.

You can also specify the information you want to gather etc. The more specific your schedule is, obviously the more returns you will gain at the end of the time you specify, though there is a chance that specifying too many things will lead you to being overworked and get sick.
This message was last edited by the GM at 12:56, Thu 15 July 2021.

Qianli took her studies seriously... to an extent. Staff technique, Cooking, Herbalism, Medicine and her already advanced knowledge with the noble Tea Ceremony were lessons she took seriously and gave her all, though the Sect's Buddhist Cultivation she would proceed halfheartedly at, with the intent that her efforts would escape scrutiny if her marks in other, more useful areas compensated for it. It was harder to admonish a good student than a poor one. At night, she would use her skills to sneak out and practice her own Sect's Cultivation method, and while her sleep suffered at times, it really was no different than the month of often interrupted sleep while on the run had helped accustom her to. Better, in fact, as her sleep came with less interruptions.

On a personal level, she tried befriending both Kakei and Kamatsu, though she placed more effort in Kakei, as the opportunity for joint studying made her the more useful of the two by far. In response to her question, she would say that she did indeed come from the east, though had spent some time traveling in the west before her arrival to anticipate the occasional slip up into Yoh that might happen. Something that would be easier depending on the amount of native Yoh speakers within the Monastery.

In terms of information gathering, she would not actively seek out information given her busy schedule, but certainly act on what she heard and use her knowledge of persuasion and mannerisms that made it easy for people to like her to guide the conversation, and draw out hidden tidbits of knowledge during seemingly casual conversation. These conversations would only take place during days of karmic involvement, and of course Kakei and -- to a lesser extent -- Kamatsu the day after their respective days to learn what they had heard and cross-reference it with her own findings to sift fact from rumor and hearsay.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:50, Thu 15 July 2021.

In reply to Oriana Kimari (msg # 6):

The first week of your training and living in the halls of Seishou-in were thankfully uneventful, allowing you time to recover much from the mental stress of having to watch your back at all times for possible pursuing manhunters. During this period of time, you successfully managed to become closer Kakei, who seems to be particularly impressed with your elegance with the execution of Tea Ceremony, which despite her studious nature appears not to be her strong suit. By sharing pointers with her, she has slowly opened up to you and shared with you an interesting rumor:

It is said that there is a hidden cave grove some distance from Boushima that she stumbled upon once, while helping search for a lumberjack's dog who got lost nearby a few months ago. There, she found quite many bushels bearing extraordinary tea leaves with an exquisite taste and invigorating properties. Naturally, she has not told anyone about this, and says she is willing to share with you some of the leaves she harvested should you be willing to tutor her and share some secrets regarding tea ceremony, as to her it is infuriating that her skills fell way behind Kamatsu despite her diligence.

On the fourth day of the second week of your apprenticeship in Seishou-in, whilst cultivating your sect's art in a deserted clearing some distance from the monastery, you happen to notice a number of strange flashing lights much like the one's mentioned by the villagers when you first arrived, but instead of coming from the southwest - this time it seems to be coming from the west...!

Judging by the strength of the light, whatever is emitting it appears to be quite some distance away from where you are...

Qianli was more than happy to share her pointers on the Tea Ceremony with Kakei. The leaves themselves sounded more like a luxury than a necessity, but the special properties interested her. Perhaps some secrets could be gleaned from the leaves, and besides, having someone owe her a favor could come in useful at some point. She was confident about her ability to practice her Arts in secret, but there was always the off chance she would get spotted, and the biggest chance of that happening was heading back into her room at night after her own nightly training sessions.

At seeing the flashing lights, she paused her training for a moment, wondering about what to do. She could head over there to check, but the information would be useless in terms of ability to share it with others: She was not allowed outside of the Monastery, and telling others of what she would find would lead to having to explain what she had been doing in the first place, not to mention tightening the watch on the dorms that would make it harder to sneak out in the future.

Still, she needed to know. She was silent, and given that whatever it was was using lights, it meant they would be unable to see in the dark. More so, the lights themselves would darken the shadows out of its range, making it easier for her to hide and observe from afar, aided by the very lights that were being used.

She took a deep breath, and reached a decision. If the lights could be seen from the Monastery, she would head back and call one of the Nuns on evening duties, explain that she could not sleep and having spotted the rumored lights in the distance, slipping in the suggestion that there may be bandits, possibly intending to prey on the village or the Monastery itself. If they could not, then the next thing to consider was whether, given the distance, she could make it there and still be on time to sneak back into the dorms unseen: If she could not, she would simply finish her cultivation training as planned and head back to her room again. If, however, the lights could not be seen from the Monastery and there would be enough time to make it there and back again before the hour of the tiger (3-5 am) had passed, she would check the lights herself.

In reply to Oriana Kimari (msg # 8):

Date (Y/M/D): 1000/10/19
Season: Autumn
Time: Night

You previously managed to gain a small satchel of Purple Tea Leaves [3] - able to be used for 3 pots of tea - from the cheerful Kakei.

Back to the night as of present -
Based on your judgement, the source of the lights should probably be reachable in the time for you to return to the dorms unseen.

As the dark trunks of pine trees inch past you bit by bit as you stealthily weave through the shadows, periodically darkened by the strengthening bright green light flashing at intervals as you approach its source.

You notice that while the chirps of crickets could clearly be heard back at the clearing where you were training, their cries seem to fade out with every step you take towards the source of the strange light...!

Eventually, you notice that the source of the light appears to come from a clearing straight ahead - where an odd, ghastly sight greets you...

Seated cross legged in meditation appears to be a terribly emaciated old hag in rags with extremely dishevelled long white hair. Two dog-like ears protrude from the tops of her head alongside two long furred tails. Surrounding her appears to be the corpses around five dogs, with their blood glistening in the moonlight of the gibbous moon shining from above!

As you hear her rapidly mutter incomprehensible chants, you can see pills of green light emerging from the dogs bit by bit and entering her mouth. With every pill entering her parched lips, a much stronger flash of green light bursts forth from her belly!!

Qianli had seen enough.

She knew she would not stand a chance challenging this demoness in battle, nor did she have the means available to outwit it even if she had any detailed information specifically about it available to her, and she definitely did not have the skill to exorcise or banish it. The tails spoke of a kumiho, if the bedtime stories of her early childhood were to be believed, but accurate or not, she did not believe there would be any outcome other than having her soul sucked out of her body should she choose to interact with the creature.

And so, she backed away, refusing to have panic take control and focusing on quiet rather than fast, in the same way as she had approached. She would also keep listening to the sound of the animals on her way back, the creatures had a sixth sense of their own, and would sense danger and turn silent if there was danger nearby, which in turn would serve as early warning that the creature had begun giving chase to her. As long as she could hear them, she would still be relatively safe, though she would not allow herself to relax until she would be back in the Monastery. The last part from the clearing she had been training in to the Monastery itself, she would run.

If successful, she would head straight for Kenmei's quarters, knocking on his door while still slightly out of breath from running, it would help in solidifying a sense of urgency to the situation for when the Head Nun would request an explanation of why she was here rather than in her dorms like she was supposed to be. It was still night out, so odds were she would still be asleep, but she would feel much better with that monstrosity, whatever it was, unable to prey on the villagers and nuns -- and herself when she headed out to the clearing every evening, though she would not share that little detail.

In reply to Oriana Kimari (msg # 10):

Date (Y/M/D): 1000/10/20
Season: Autumn
Time: Night

"Are you certain...?" Kenmei asks with a serious expression on her face after you report to her regarding your sighting of that ghost-like abomination.

After pacing around her room and pondering for a moment she speaks.

"This is indeed quite troubling. We shall investigate the site you speak of immediately after breakfast tomorrow. As for why you made such a sighting at night... We shall speak of it at another time..."

Time passes as you rest for the remainder of what is left of the night, and soon after the morning's meditation and a quick simple breakfast of rice, soup and salted sesame seeds, Kenmei orders Kakei to take charge of the morning cleaning of the monastery before asking you to follow her, clearly to conduct the investigation she spoke of the previous night. You notice everyone look at you curiously as you leave the Hall of Reflection with Kenmei, who walks beside you.

After exchanging a few words while making your way by your lead towards the place where you discovered the presence of the emaciated ghostly beastwoman, you eventually reach the small clearing where you observed that ghastly sight the night before.

Much unlike the scene that you saw unfold before, the clearing appears to be completely empty and there doesn't seem to be any sign of the corpses of dogs that you saw before.

"So, where exactly did this meditating woman you saw sit at...?" Kenmei asks you notice her retrieve a yellow paper talisman from her sleeve...

Qianli had at least some time to prepare herself before she knew Kenmei would summon her, and that it would cause al manner of rumors to spring up within the Monastery as, as far as everyone was aware, she had done nothing to break the rules. She figured there would be some explaining to do to Kakei and, to a lesser extent, Kamatsu, as her roommates would likely be beset by the more inquisitive nuns trying to find out what they knew. She would need to find a way to apologize to them for it.

Some time later, Kenmei was following her down the path she had taken, a path which included the clearing for the obvious reason that it would have brought suspicion had she deliberately moved around it, given how much easier it was to move in a clearing than it was through a forest. In heading to the lights, it would only have made sense after all that she would take the path of least resistance, especially with the destination still a good distance away, and so she guided Kenmei along the same path she had taken sneaking closer to where she had seen the woman, visual aides giving her a sense of familiarity with the route taken that helped her set a good pace. Once she arrived, she stopped at the edge of it, motioning ahead and pointing out the exact spots when Kenmei requested it of her.

- "She was here, Kenmei. The dogs were lying around her here, there, there, over there, and another one there. There was blood, they were dying if not dead already when i crept close enough to see."

She made sure to remain well away from the affected area, pointing out the spots where the dogs and the woman had been, careful not to disturb anything. She turned around and pointed at where she had been hiding.

- "I was there and did not come closer, once i saw i returned immediately. Kenmei... When i arrived two weeks ago there were already rumors in the village of dogs disappearing and strange lights being seen, though the lights had been in the southwest at the time. Now, the west, so whatever it is, it seems to be heading north. What manner of beast could have done this?"
This message was last edited by the player at 17:01, Sun 18 July 2021.

In reply to Oriana Kimari (msg # 12):

Kenmei nods as she hears your words as she releases the talisman she drew out a talisman and throws it to the sky.

As the talisman begins to flutter to the ground she makes what you recognize as the Vajra Mudra - the right index finger wrapped by the closed left fist.

You hear her making a barely audible incantation and suddenly the talisman begins to straighten and levitate in the air. As her incantation ceases, the talisman begins floating about the places you pointed towards where the dog corpses and meditating woman once sat.

The moment the talisman approaches just inches above the grass upon which the corpses once were, the talisman begins pulsing with a golden light as you begin to notice what seems to be a greenish smoke emerging from the ground!

"An illusion formation...?" you hear Kenmei mutter as the once normal looking grass begins to ripple and contort in a strange way - eventually revealing what seems to be the neatly arranged skulls and bones of five dogs arranged in a pentagonal formation.

".... What manner of heretical art is this...?" Kenmei gasps as you clearly notice the shocked expression on her face. You see her release her hand seal and call her talisman back with a quick gesture before she begins to pace about, thinking deeply about this discovery. After a few moments she seems to come to a decision and speaks to you.

"It seems that there is some follower of the Devilish Dao who stumbled upon this place, intending to create some sort of formation around the village... Judging by what you spoke about the villagers' rumors about a similar disappearance of dogs to the west - there is no doubt that these formation markers were created by someone who is clearly knowledgeable about the Dao of heretical formations..." an extremely serious expression grows on Kenmei's face as she continues speaking.

"I will handle this matter personally from here onwards. Based on my experience with similar situations, I have a feeling that involving you in this will certainly endanger your life. And... since you seem to be the sort to wander about late at night, I will assign you to keep watch over the monastery compound in the wee hours - until the situation is resolved. You are to report anything you discover in the morning to me. Are you clear?"
This message was last edited by the GM at 10:10, Mon 19 July 2021.

Qianli gave a respectful bow in reply.

- "It will be as you wish, Kenmei."

Well, this certainly seemed to work in her favor. Having actual permission to go out and practice her cultivations -- though for different reasons -- would mean she would no longer need to sneak out, and anyone asking questions she could just answer by pointing them to Kenmei, who would confirm her reasons for being out there. Still... Perhaps she could leverage just a little bit more out of this, given her own skill in formations.

- "Kenmei, if this one may ask, what of the days of karmic involvement? Given the missing dogs, it would be logical for nuns to be asked to help finding them, which would make them easy prey for this creature."

She took a deep breath, motioning at the piles of bones.

- "The second thing is, this creature is adept at using illusions, which your talismans have shown able to disrupt. Would this one be overreaching if she were to request lessons in crafting similar talismans of her own?"

She kept her tone humble, doing her best to keep the eagerness out of her voice. The setup had been good, having her motivations grounded in necessity rather than desire. Whether Kenmei would accept the request right here and now was honestly not important, her true intent was to plant the seed of the idea and allow it to grow, making it into Kenmei's idea, rather than one forced upon her by a mere initiate. She would prefer the extra lessons to begin sooner rather than later, but knew this was something that could in no way be forced.
This message was last edited by the player at 10:34, Mon 19 July 2021.

Kenmei thinks for a moment before shaking her head. In response to your suggestion for nuns looking for missing dogs.

"I am not certain if there is only one person conducting this heretical arts. As you are all still apprentices - stumbling upon such malefactors would be akin to wasting your lives. Please, tell the other apprentices to restrict their activities to within the village for now until I am certain of this threat."

"As for talismans... These things are not so easy to craft as you magine them to be. These talismans are made by Refiners of Dharmic Tools at the Main Temple of the Nansei Sect, who have spent decades bitterly cultivating this skill. But..."

Kenmei ponders for a little while longer before continuing.

"I think as a precaution I will tutor you on the use of a simple protective talisman should the monastery be under threat at night while I am away..."

....

With this, you have receive two talismans:

- Dummy Talismans [72]: This is a dummy talisman that just releases a signal of Dharmic energy, used to practice with. It disintegrates after use.

- Basic Protective Talismans [10]: This talisman when slapped on any object can protect it from ONE harmful physical strike and elementary qi attack, reducing the received damage by 2d6. It disintegrates afterwards.


After receiving rigorous theoretical and practical tutoring about talisman use by Kenmei, your Talisman skill increases by 9d4. The Talisman skill reduces the amount of Qi consumed while activating talismans (self check), and influences the success rate of crafting talismans (opposed check).

2 weeks pass with this new schedule of yours, keeping watch at night, while receiving extra tutelage from Kenmei. While receiving lectures from Kenmei, you notice that she is always in possession of a bamboo scroll, which she seems to refer to time and time again while teaching you. It seems that she too finds it hard to impart the knowledge of Talismans.

Soon, a month has passed since you joined the sect, and you feel that you've learned and grown by a little bit since you've arived. While cultivating your own cultivation arts, you notice that you've made significantly more progress in your cultivation than previously while cultivating on the road in the small moments of respite you have had. Perhaps it is due to being able to find more time meditating in peace now - or perhaps is it due to the fact the Natural Qi in the monastery is much higher...? While thinking this you can't help but me reminded by the ghastly sight you saw on that night...

You may roll d100 each and compare the roll with the value of the skills below. If the roll is larger, then increase the skill by 1d4. If you don't possess the skill, increase it by 1d6.
Nansei Sect Staff Technique, Cooking, Herbalism, Medicine, and Tea Ceremony.

You gain the following Cultivation Art
Nansei Sect Buddhism - Southern Star Sect Buddhism:
[STR 15, ABL 15, Staff 15, Eye 15]
Xiuwei: 0/1000

You may increase your Xiuwei for Hyougan Shuushinpou by 2d100+50, and Xiuwei for Nansei Sect Buddhism by 1d100+50.
You may increase Dodge, Arm, Earth, Metal, Water by 1d4.

....

You may now describe any plans you wish to execute following the events you've encountered up to now.
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:04, Tue 20 July 2021.

- "Patience is indeed a virtue. One cannot expect to be a master in mere weeks."

Qianli bowed in reply to what she was to tell the others. She wondered why Kenmei would not do this herself as it would bypass most of the need to explain, but she knew it would also raise her standing a great deal to be working with the Head Nun so closely. Not to mention get her started on some of the closer secrets of the Sect, including the making of talismans, it seemed. Good fortune indeed. It would admittedly have been perfect if it hadn't been for her ending up in a variation of the Three Charms story, people-eating Mountain Witch included, but she wasn't very inclined to complain given how much she stood to gain from it.

She figured Kakei would accept her new status more readily, given that she had been helping tutor her roommate for the past couple of weeks, though it was still up in the air how Kamatsu would take it, given that she would be in a position very much like the one Kamatsu had been occupying prior to her arrival. Especially receiving personal tutelage by Kenmei in a skill the Head Nun herself found challenging, and being expected to see to the Monastery's defense alongside veteran members during Kenmei's absence as one who hadn't even joined less than two weeks ago would raise some eyebrows. It might motivate the lazier of her roommates to put some effort in, or it might incline her towards... less Buddhist measures, she would need to keep an eye on her, at least for the moment. But it would definitely not be something to turn down Kenmei's offer over. She did spread the word to the others to steer clear of the forest until further notice, figuring the smarter of the apprentices would have no trouble figuring out from the ample evidence that she had run into something dangerous in the forest that had even Kenmei worried, and so she did not deny those rumors, though she did not confirm them either, simply suggesting they ask Kenmei -- not like they ever would, anyway.

She would take her guard duty seriously, though she would continue to practice her Hyougan Shuushinpou over the Nansei Sect's Cultivation. She had to admit there were some interesting techniques among the teachings, but compared to the cultivation of her own Clan it did not have a priority. She did take to carrying a staff with her and making some time to go through the forms during her spare time, knowing that the Nansei did not teach unarmed forms like the Hyougan Gyouichi, and the staff would help her keep up appearances of one preparing herself for the possibility of combat. Not to mention, it would not look out of place on a monk the same way a saber or an axe would have. And lastly, every night before going to bed (though before her guard duty would begin), she would attempt to craft a Dummy Talisman, assuming the availability of appropriate writing materials in order to improve herself further.

Either way, she figured her cultivation came easier while staying at the Monastery. She did not know whether that was due to the area being higher in Qi circulation due to a high number of practitioners living within the same area, or simply the relaxation that came with not being hunted and having to look over her shoulder constantly, but she found events were progressing nicely. She had training of useful skills and even a few among them that were harder to come by, the nuns were unskilled enough in the use of stealth that she had no trouble sneaking out for her own training and with winter closing in there would be food and warmth throughout the season until spring would lead to berries and roots becoming available to hungry travelers again. And by then, she would assess the situation again to weigh the pros against the cons. Though, it needed be said, at the rate she was going there was still little reason to leave. But, it was a consideration she could not afford to dismiss out of hand, lest her hand be forced.

OOC: Gains:
Talisman skill: 23 (+23)
Nansei Sect Staff Technique: 5 (+5)
Cooking: 3 (+3)
Herbalism: 6 (+6)
Medicine: 2 (+2)

Hyougan Shuushinpou - Eye of the Storm Body Cultivation Technique: 326 (+226)
Nansei Sect Buddhism - Southern Star Sect Buddhism: 109/1000 (+109)

Dodge: 3
Arm: 4
Earth: 3
Metal: 3
Water: 4

Character sheet updated
This message was last edited by the player at 22:50, Tue 20 July 2021.

In reply to Oriana Kimari (msg # 16):

Date (Y/M/D): 1000/11/08
Season: Late Autumn

It is now a week before the Harvest Festival of Boushima where a feast will be conducted in the name of the local formless deity Unmyou.

While nuns are not permitted to participate in such earthly festivities, a nun can expect to partake in some delectable dishes around the period nearer to the day of the festival as villagers would donate to the temple some rather tasty rare mushrooms called Sekitake that give off a rather refined aroma.

After having a rather satisfying dinner comprising rice made with slices of Sekitake washed down with some warm soup, after finishing the evening course of meditation, you find yourself outisde standing guard in the monastery grounds.

The weather seems to have gotten much colder, and you clearly notice some white mist escaping with every exhalation you make.

After an hour of keeping watch after Kenmei leaves the shrine to further her investigation of the heretical formations, you notice a very faint rustling sound coming from the shrubbery near the Hall of Reflection. As you look towards the source of the sound, you just barely catch sight of a silhoutte moving away from the Hall of Reflection towards the east...!

Qianli hmm'ed when she noticed the silhouette slip around the corner. Given that the figure came from the Hall of reflection, it was likely another acolyte sneaking out much like she had been. However, since she was on guard duty, she could not let that slide, and so she slipped after the figure, trying to remain silent in order for her to close the distance, rather than having it turn into a running match. Whoever it was, they were taking care not to be heard, which would slow their pace, but over the past month she had more than acquainted herself with the good spots to remain out of sight while crossing the grounds, and thus knew where the blind spots would be as well as the best place to corner her quarry.

The figure's intentions puzzled her however. It could not have been someone with a craving for more Sekitake, as the kitchens were in the Hall of Reflection also, but she figured she would narrow it down based on the route the figure would be taking as she closed in on her target anyway. The Monastery was built in a fairly straightforward manner after all. Still, she did not wish to tarry as she was still supposed to be standing guard, so she put the priority on intercepting this figure rather than sneaking after them. There were only so many places they could go and, unlike her, they would need to slow down when around other guards. There would be plenty of opportunities to catch up.

In reply to Oriana Kimari (msg # 18):

You are surprised as despite your attempts to catch up to and intercept the owner of that silhouette. The person you are after seems to run much faster than you, and as the person escapes beyond the perimeter of the monastery, the movements of the person becomes more bold as though as the person cared not for one's own stealthiness at night!

It is clear that the person either knows it is being pursued or simply doesn't care, and makes no attempt to be discreet!

Eventually you and the person you are pursuing arrive at a clearing at the centre of which you see a mound of mud almost as large as a capybara. The mound seems to have an opening, and the person squats before it as though looking inside the mound.

Eventually, you notice the clouds parting and letting more moonlight from the sky to the clearing, and you seem to recognize the back of the person you were chasing.... It looks awfully like the back of Kamatsu...! Among the chirping of the crickets in the forest, you can hear Kamatsu's very faint voice - which is surprising as she rarely speaks at all apart from the routine group chanting.

"Come on out now, I got supper for you..." you hear Kamatsu very softly speak.
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:08, Thu 22 July 2021.

Upon reaching the clearing, Qianli hid again, unsure of what would happen next. It was peculiar that Kamatsu would mention supper to whatever was hiding in the mound, given that it was night: Would what was hiding be a creature of the night? If so, it would appear Kamatsu had gotten herself bewitched, which might work in her favor if Kamatsu's will was not her own: She would not react to having been chased if her orders were to head to the mound, so as long as she would not be seen by whatever was inside the mound, Kamatsu would not react either.

What was more problematic however was that she only knew of one creature capable of Formations that affected the mind that also moved around mainly at night, and it was the same whose formations Kenmei had gone off to research. She took out one of the dummy Talismans, holding it in her hand -- while it would have no meaningful contribution, the burst of Dharma might alert Kenmei if she was close enough to detect it, which meant she would only need to hold out long enough for the Head Nun to return. Or lacking that, reinforcements form the Monastery that would also have detected the Dharma signal.

That, however, was all the preparations she could afford to make. Given that the creature -- if this was indeed it -- apparently burrowed underground during the day, there might be a benefit in following it around until daybreak, and then leading Kenmei to the spot to eradicate it, but that was something she did not want to make assumptions about without truly knowing what it would be capable of... Not to mention, she still needed to confirm if this was indeed the kumiho that she had witnessed draining the dogs of their life force.

In reply to Oriana Kimari (msg # 20):

As you continue to observe the scene there doesn't seem to be any particular changes in Kamatsu's posture, and the only change in sound you are able to perceive seems to be the very faint sound of squelching and lapping of something wet against something wooden.

"There's no need to hurry - nobody's going to steal it from you...!" Kamatsu softly laughs as she continues looking into the mound.
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:08, Sat 24 July 2021.

Qianli took a deep breath, relaxing somewhat as she heard the sounds coming from the mound. No monsters in hiding -- and, in hindsight, the chirping of the grasshoppers gave that much away -- and instead, Kamatsu having found herself a pet of sorts. Well, at least now she knew why she always looked tired, if she had been doing this often.

Letting out a breath she had been subconsciously holding, she put her talisman back. This was a secret she could keep, though she'd still need to keep an eye out for any intruders given that they were all still in the forest at night. Odds were that Kamatsu would also know she had been sneaking out after bedtime, if she had woken to find her bed empty while she had been going through her forms, so a pact of sorts could be made.

Should nothing happen, she would wait until Kamatsu would be back at the treeline before speaking up. This area was remote enough to hold a conversation without being overheard, something that would be much harder in the Monastery among acolytes sharing their chores, and making it the best place to discuss it while heading back to the dorms. But all that was provided nothing out of the ordinary would happen.

In reply to Oriana Kimari (msg # 22):

Fortunately, there doesn't seem to be any intruders that seem to arrive, and sure enough, after a few moments, Kamatsu turns about and walks towards the edge of the clearing.

As you call out to her, she is slightly startled, but quickly regains her composure.

"So that was why Master Kenmei asked you to keep a look out? Did she suspect that I was keeping a pet again...?" Kamatsu laughs bitterly as she scratches her hair.

- "Far from it. It does explain why you've appeared lazy thus far, though i suppose 'tired' would be a better word. Walk with me, please."

Qianli motioned in the direction of the Monastery, and began walking.

- "You were, at least, partially correct. I am sworn to secrecy on this particular matter, though i can say a stray puppy was not the reason we were instructed to keep our activities on days of karmic involvement restricted to the village. What rumors have you heard of within the Monastery and what is your opinion on them?"

She wanted to let Kamatsu in on some of the information she had, but before that, she would need to know what rumors the other monk had heard of. Not only that, but the accuracy counted as well: She needed to gauge Kamatsu's perception and intelligence to get an indication of whether she would say more on the matter, and that little test included the realization that this was a test, rather than a chat between girls about local rumors. Going by Kamatsu's words, this hadn't been the first time she had been sneaking out, and so she suspected she'd have her ear close to the ground in order not to arouse suspicion upon herself.

In reply to Oriana Kimari (msg # 24):

Realising that she's in no position to argue, Kamatsu follows next to you with a slightly embarrassed expression.

"Well... Rumors... um..."

As you converse with Kamatsu, you learn of the following matters.

Kakei seems to be acting strangely, and hiding something from the rest of the nuns. And it seems that she's hiding something in the kitchens, but no one has been able to find it. Based on what you know as Kakei's friend - its probably her secret stash of rare tea leaves that she told you not to tell anyone about. Kamatsu says that she finds this rumor rather hilarious as she's always seen Kakei as being an uptight prefect.

Other than that little odd rumor, she speaks of a series of strange sightings by nuns - a really skinny looking dog with alabaster white fur roaming about in the northern parts of the forest where an abandoned mine is located. It is said that this mine has been depleted aeons ago, and was dug up by the villagers generations ago. It is said that this dog's fur had a very exquisite luster and sheen that was quite unlike the white pelted dogs or snow wolves that one would spot in the wild during winter. Kamatsu remarks that she too spotted this dog once, and as a fan of dogs, she hopes to be able to see it again. She also states that considering how many of the dogs went missing from the village recently, it was strange that such a fine looking dog would still have been spotted, as she thought that the missing dogs were likely the work of some dog thief or bandit.

As you study her expression, you notice that despite the usual lazy eyes, her facial muscles seem slightly stiff.

Qianli took a deep breath. No rumors of Kenmei leaving the Monastery at night, nor of the being that hid in the forest. Well, aside from this alabaster dog, apparently. The mention that it was rather skinny looking was something she found disturbing however, though she did her best not to show it as they continued walking to the Monastery.

- "Very well. Since i cannot stop you from heading out into the forest at night, as you would simply avoid sneaking past the places i stand guard, allow me to impart two critical pieces of knowledge. First, the dogs that went missing from the village are most likely all dead. And second, if you spot flashes of green light in the forest, immediately stop whatever it is that you're doing and run the opposite way as fast as you can. Then, report where you have seen it to Master Kenmei directly. I cannot specify further, though i trust it will not be necessary?"

She turned to look at Kamatsu. This was the closest she could get to telling Kamatsu there was something dangerous in the forest without actually telling her there was something dangerous in the forest. Given that this had not been the first time Kamatsu had been caught caring for a pet, she doubted she could dissuade her from continuing to do so, but neither did she want her to head out into the forest without keeping her guard up at the very least. Given how much the woman cared about dogs, the first fact that she shared would drive the second home exceptionally well.

In reply to Oriana Kimari (msg # 26):

Kamatsu's complexion pales for a moment as she hears what you speak, as though finally noticing the gravity of the situation.

"U... understood," she stutters after a few moments.

The rest of the trip towards the Monastery is very quiet, and eventually Kamatsu returns to the Hall of Reflection and turns in for the night.

Date (Y/M/D): 1000/12/08
Season: Winter

The Harvest Festival on the next week is also held with no issue, and all the villagers participated with much merriment and dancing.

The next two weeks of the month is thankfully uneventful, though at the end of the month a new visitor arrives at the monastery.


Upon Master Kenmei's introduction, a young looking nun arrives. According to Kenmei, the nun is Senior Instructor Tokusei - and she has arrived in the monastery for a task. Judging from the powerful aura her mere posture exudes, you surmise that she must be some Buddhist expert called by Kenmei from the main sect headquarters to tackle the issue that you reported to Kenmei about.

Unlike the rest of the nuns and Kenmei herself, Tokusei wears a graceful purple shawl that wraps around her head, covering her head and ears, and she bears a very tranquil countenance on her face.

"I will be in your care," she speaks in a crystal clear voice as she clasps her palms.

During the joint mealtime among nuns, you notice that the nuns bear rather uneasy expressions - according to Kakei, a Senior Instructor is supposedly one of the highest ranks attainable in the Nansei Sect - and is often given to nuns who are at least 60 years old. Out of the sect of around 2000 nuns, there are only around 100 Senior Instructors, who are experts in a certain special field.

You may roll d100 each and compare the roll with the value of the skills below. If the roll is larger, then increase the skill by 1d4.
Talisman, Staff, Cooking, Herbalism, Medicine, and Tea Ceremony.

You may increase your Xiuwei for Hyougan Shuushinpou by 2d100+50, and Xiuwei for Nansei Sect Buddhism by 1d100+50.
You may increase Dodge, Arm, Earth, Metal, Water by 1d4.
You may increase STR, ABL, Eye by 1d2.

That night, following her meeting with Kamatsu, Qianli let Kenmei know upon the Head Nun's return to the Monastery that she had more information to share, and told her about the white dog. She would also point out how Kamatsu had mentioned it looked really skinny, while the woman she had seen had looked emanciated as well, with long white hair and two dog-like ears, convinced that the two were, in fact, the same creature. If the mines were indeed where the lair of the creature was, knowledge of its home location might prove critical. She did, however, keep Kamatsu's secret about the puppy as she saw no harm in it herself, and it would build some goodwill between them.

When the Senior Instructor arrived the next day, it did not take her a lot of imagination to figure out the reason for her arrival. Kenmei was strong and capable, but going by how much she relied on the scroll to teach her about talismans, she was no expert, and had she owned any taels it would have been a safe bet to wager that Tokusei was. She did, of course, continue to feign ignorance of why such an important figure would visit the Monastery, though she did send a quick glance and a nod at Kamatsu to preempt any questions from her as well.

She did wonder what it would mean for her lessons. Once the dog-creature would have been defeated, would she still receive talisman lessons from Kenmei, or would things slip back into the regular routine of training and chores intended for apprentices? Or perhaps there would be more advanced training in the future, as she felt she had been making good progress thus far. Still, that was not her decision to make, nor did she think she had anywhere near enough weight to influence such a decision. She would have to wait and see. She did resolve to bring up the scroll during her next Talisman lessons, perhaps she could even convince Kenmei to have her take a look at that scroll herself?

OOC: Rolls:
Talisman: 25 (+2)
Staff: 6 (+1)
Cooking: 7 (+4)
Herbalism: 10 (+4)
Medicine: 3 (+1)
Tea Ceremony: 44 (+4)

Hyougan Shuushinpou: 506 (+180)
Nansei Sect Buddhism: 240 (+131)

Dodge: 7 (+4)
Arm: 5 (+1)
Earth: 4 (+1)
Metal: 5 (+2)
Water: 6 (+2)

Strength: 11 (+1)
Ability: 18 (+2)
Eye: 1 (+1)

Character sheet updated
This message was last edited by the player at 16:10, Mon 26 July 2021.

In reply to Oriana Kimari (msg # 28):

At the night of your encounter with Kamatsu, Kenmei left these words to you:

"Yes, my own investigations have led me to narrow down this Demonic Cultivator's whereabouts to that Mine. I have been dismantling the formations she secretly planted around the village, and she has taken refuge there. I suspect that there will be no shortage of traps lying in wait there, as such I have invited one of the sect's Seniors to help in handling the situation. Be at ease."

...

Date (Y/M/D): 1000/12/08
Season: Winter
Time: Night

On the night you have your Talisman lesson with Kenmei at the Hall of Wisdom, just as you are about to ask Kenmei about the scrolls, your lesson is suddenly interrupted by Tokusei as she emerges from the scroll holdings area with a number of bark scrolls.

"Senior Instructor Tokusei..." Kenmei greets the Senior Instructor respectfully as Tokusei places the bark scrolls on a nearby table and returns a greeting to Kenmei.

"So this is the new disciple you talked about? And you taught her the ways of Talisman use?" Tokusei says with a slight smile on her face.

You notice Kenmei making a rather uneasy looking expression - something that you have rarely seen at all.

"Indeed - her name is Qianli - she was a travelling nun from Teishuu. This is as a precaution considering the situation at hand..."

Tokusei studies you for a moment and she then speaks.

"So, Disciple Qianli. Tell me what you've learnt so far about the principles of Talisman use," Tokusei inquires as she looks calmly at you.

Make a Talisman self check (Success lower or equals Talisman skill. Failure otherwise. You can also choose not to answer if you want)

Qianli turned around when she heard the door open, wondering why her lesson would be interrupted, but bowed respectfully when she saw who it was. As she rose, her eyes went to the number of bark scrolls the senior Instructor was carrying, curious as to what techniques would be inscribed upon them, but knew better than to ask. When asked to show Tokusei what she had learned, she bowed again.

- "As you wish, Senior Instructor, though i am no master by any means."

She then proceeded to attempt the creation of a Talisman, though she took a regular piece of paper and writing ink for it rather than the white cloth and red cinnabar paint that would be used in the creation of an actual talisman, not wanting to waste the materials on what was essentially practice. She would explain as much before beginning, and comment on what she was doing every step of the way.

As she progressed, the basics were present in her form, but there were simply too many mistakes for the creation of the Talisman to be successful. While the talisman she had crafted had been a dud, she did not think any measure of success had been expected of her, but rather a preparedness to show that she had been paying attention. And pay attention, she had. Once done, she slid the talisman over to Tokusei. She knew the crafting had been unsuccessful, and while she felt the Senior Instructor could notice the slight sense of disappointment she allowed to slip through, this was ultimately a review of her progress more than an actual crafting attempt, and as such she would not hesitate in pointing out her own mistakes, or at least the ones she had been aware of. It was usually so that things went better in theory than in practice, and getting a handle on what exactly she did wrong was a big part of that.

OOC: Rolled 51 vs. 25

In reply to Oriana Kimari (msg # 30):

After you are done, Tokusei examines your work for a moment and then bursts into laughter.

"Haha, Junior Kenmei - you were never good in the handling of talismans. To think that you would have attempted to teach one of your disciples the using your own flawed understanding?"

"This Junior understands her inadequacy..." Kenmei looks down and slightly shivers as she responds to Tokusei.

"It seems that training in this monastery is a little lax. Perhaps this is the reason why such a situation had presented itself in Boushima," Tokusei shakes her head as she returns to face you.

"Young one, I shall provide you the opportunity to correct the tardiness of this monastery. Come with me to dispatch the Dog Spirit Cultivator tomorrow morning -"

"Senior Instructor Tokusei...!" Kenmei tries to protest, but is immediately cut off by Tokusei's soft by strangely powerful voice.

"You are not to interfere Kenmei. Stay here with the rest of the disciples. I shall see for myself the fruits of your efforts so far..."

"Listen clearly Qianli, I'm providing you an opportunity.... no... I am ordering you to undertake this tribulation to prove your worth to the Nansei Sect. Our sect did not form simply to observe the banal teachings of the Shakyamuni Buddha... We stand to hold back the line of carnage... It is foolish to think that our sect would be set up in this backwater village for the sake of seclusion..."

You can see Kenmei shaking slightly as though holding back words of protest.

"Should you succeed on your own Qianli, I will bring you to the Main Sect Grounds and take you in as my disciple. But should you fail... Then I suppose you will be a fine example to be set for all those who neglect their training and duties in the future..." Tokusei briefly looks towards Kenmei who bows down further as though being crushed by her pressure.

"We will set off at midday tomorrow Qianli. Prepare yourself, and rest early. You will gain little from the Talisman lessons of Kenmei."

Once Tokusei is done speaking, she returns to her desk stacked with scrolls and begins perusing them.

Kenmei only glances at you with an apologetic expression, telling you with her weak expression to follow Tokusei's instructions.

And as though understanding your earlier intent, she hands you the scroll she used to teach you about Dao of Talismans.

Qianli stamped down on her own internal screaming and gave a polite bow. Taking down an enemy Cultivator, was hard enough, but doing so while adhering to the Nansei teachings was sheer madness! That said, there was perhaps some information Takusei did not yet have.

- "This one shall obey, Senior Instructor. However, she must mention that she has had only six weeks of training proper, having arrived late Autumn in the year of her Naming."

She then turned to Kenmei, accepting the offered scroll. It was important to show Takusei that she wasn't objecting to her orders, merely stating information that might be important to consider. Whether or not the Senior Instructor actually would was, of course, entirely up to her.

- "Master Kenmei, given the task ahead, may i be excused of the remainder of my chores for the day?"

Inwardly she had to wince a little at the dressing down Kenmei had gotten in front of one of her own Monastery's apprentices. That could not have been good for the Head Nun's self esteem, and so she decided to help it recover a little by asking her permission to skip her chores for the day. It would include guard duty, but she did not name that outright, given that she felt it would have led to Kenmei getting slammed for having barely trained novices guard the Monastery. Regardless of what the answers would be, she would utter a 'by your leave' before retreating to a corner of the room, and begin studying the scroll like her life depended on it. Which it at least partially did, though the opportunity to learn of secrets beyond her current station had been equally inviting. Should she be granted leave from her chores she would study until the evening, handing the scroll back before leaving the room, and if she would not she would leave at the end of her assigned study time. She just hoped she would survive the encounter tomorrow, and that Takusei would step in before things turned ugly.

In reply to Oriana Kimari (msg # 32):



"That is fine. Judging from your posture, breathing and manner of walking I can tell that you are already leagues above any of the disciples here," she says while giving Kenmei a slighting glance.

When asking to be excused, Kenmei agrees wordlessly before returning to her quarters.

As you peruse the scroll, you notice that indeed it is extremely hard to understand - and you'd imagine even some of the prodigies in your sect would have trouble understanding its principles. No doubt it is something that would take years of practice to master.

When you eventually return to your quarters to rest, you find Kamatsu and Kakei about to sleep as well. Judging from their behaviour, they are unaware that you've been assigned a deadly task tomorrow.

Date (Y/M/D): 1000/12/09
Season: Winter
Time: Midday

By midday tomorrow, your wait for Tokusei ends as she immediately arrives right on time and motions towards you to follow her.

You notice her stride though powerful it gives off a certain note of elegance. It is clear that Tokusei most likely an expert among experts to display such passive finesse in every banal movement of hers.

Though it is now winter and some fog escapes your mouth whenever you breathe, you are able to feel the very thankful warmth of the sun shining down from the cloudless sky, filling parts of your exposed skin with much needed warmth especially in this hilly area. What's even more thankful is that it is not snowing!

Eventually you come to a rocky cliff face on which you see an entrance clearly roughly hewn by miners.

Based on the rotting wooden shacks nearby you imagine that this is the abandoned mine that Kamatsu was speaking about.

As you survey the cliff, Tokusei says with an amused voice, "what are you looking at? The entrance to the mine is there"

As you look towards Tokusei, you suddenly notice that she's holding a slender Dao made of wood and she slices at the air forcefully. As you blink your eyes, you suddenly see another larger cave entrance where you initially thought was a smooth cliff face, and all of a sudden you see that the Dao is no longer in her hand.

After this, she throws a large forearm sized red candle at you which seems to be alight and says with a tranquil expression, "go on in. I will be meditating in the shack nearby."
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:47, Thu 29 July 2021.

Qianli tried her best to keep her posture steady and her emotions calm, knowing what she would be up against. She did not say where she would be headed to Kakei and Kamatsu, given that the vow of secrecy on the matter of the demonic dog cultivator had not yet been lifted, though she would have been lying if she had had a good night's sleep. She did sneak out for her usual training routine, though not knowing just how powerful Tokusei was, she took extra care to train a little further away from the Monastery than she normally would have.

The next day, she found it surprisingly soothing to walk alongside Tokusei, though she figured that was mostly due to the aura of expertise making her feel safe against possibly being ambushed by the cultivator on her way there. Once at the mine she looked at the shacks, and then the ground to see if she could make out any tracks, when Tokusei performed some sort of illusion dispelling technique to reveal the entrance to her. She also tossed her a candle, which she managed to catch.

- "Senior Instructor, if this one may ask, does this candle have a specific purpose aside from lighting her way? And, this creature, would it need to be banished or exorcised or is there a different method that is to be used to purify it? This one has no knowledge of any special rites and preparations that may be involved in facing and dealing with such a creature, yet would be required to adequately perform her duties."
This message was last edited by the player at 16:05, Thu 29 July 2021.

In reply to Oriana Kimari (msg # 34):

"Bodhi originally has no tree,
nor any polished mirror stand,
Basically there is not one thing.
Thus where could dust alight?"

Tokusei recites a poem as she doesn't answer your question and heads towards the shack some distance from the mine entrance.

You recognize the verses as a poem composed by one of the legendary Patriarchs of Buddhism, with one of its interpretations being the idea that the Buddha-Dharma need not be studied as it is present within all - and only when all attachments have been placed down can one figuratively regain their connection to to the Buddha-Dharma.

As you study the ground for tracks - you find strangely what appears to be the very faint tracks of shoes pointed in the direction of the entrance.

Oriana bowed in response to Tokusei's recital, and proceeded to search the shacks to see if she could find anything that would be even moderately useful. Not that she expected to find an armory filled with axes and sabers there, but anything that looked sharp would be better than nothing. She would also take out the damage mitigating Talisman and place it inside her sleeve, waiting to be activated should she be attacked.

- "Wow. Okay then. If i get attacked, i'll just have to recite poetry, i guess."

Muttering to herself, she would bring with her whatever appeared to be useful, and head inside, candle held at an angle away from her face so the flame wouldn't be inside her direct field of vision and she would end up blinding herself to the darkness. She had used that mistake to her advantage too often during her skulking around to fall for it herself. Once inside the mine, she looked around, not knowing where to go to but keeping her attention to the ground and follow the tracks deeper in as she softly mumbled below her breath.

- "Sure, send the unarmed student out to deal with a freaking illusionist. Hey, let's have her hold a candle while she's at it, tie my ankles together and have me hop around all the way like a jiangshi why don't'cha. Maybe if i'll stare hard enough, she'll drop dead on her own: Know a few people i could use that on."

Taking a deep breath, she stopped the venting of her frustrations, and attempted to calm her mind. Getting her concerns off her chest had helped in that regard and, out of curiosity, she tested the candle to see if it could be used as a makeshift club. She wouldn't swing it around or hit anything with it, but the flame had kept alight when Tokusei had tossed the candle over to her even in this cold weather, so maybe there could be some use to it even if it was unlikely to be sturdy enough to bash someone over the head with it and knock them out cold. She had to know about her options after all.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:19, Fri 30 July 2021.

In reply to Oriana Kimari (msg # 36):

[Make a rage self check and add +1d6 rage on a failure in the light of your frustration towards Tokusei's unhelpful advice]

The broken shacks nearby contain simply rotting furniture and a few stacks of unused firewood alongside rusty tools.
The only thing you manage to discover that could be of some use is a Rusty Machete (1d4-1), and a Rusty Axe (1d6-1).

While opening one of the very worn drawers in one of the shacks, the entire drawer somehow just slides out and falls to the ground, revealing a false compartment below one of the drawers. Inside this compartment you see a rusty key and a small wooden slip upon which is carved the following:

Brother Luo,
The stuff is in the mine, buried under a very flat rock.
You'll know it once you see it. I've seriously never seen a rock so flat.
Everyone just enjoys stepping on it without caring what is underneath.
Don't forget about me once you make it in Xujiang!

Whether you take the items you discover or not, you eventually find yourself in the mine which seems to just lead straight forwards.

Based on the weight of the candle, you guess that it would most likely snap should you try to strike something with it. You've seen candles like these often being used to raise incense to various Bodhisattvas such as Jizou in temples that have their shrines - just not of such a size as the one you have in your hand right now. What is likely is that its just a larger version made of the same materials probably intended to last almost for an entire day.

After a few moments, you catch sight of a body that seems to have been pierced by stalactites. The body wears a horribly ripped Dao Pao, and its rotting hand is clutching what appears to be an Wavy Bronze Sword of average make (1d6).

Upon searching the body, you discover:

- A porcelain bottle containing sour smelling pills [5]
- A bamboo book journal
- A medallion of bearing the symbol of a strange undulating sword

The bamboo book journal seems to be only filled a little and it contains the following information:

Luo Kanli finally excused himself from years of hellish training in The Piaomiao Qijian Sect, and swears never to return.
He curses his old friend Master Thief Jiang Ni for dying of venereal disease before letting him know where he hid the treasure he stole from a Four Yin Sect Inner Disciple, and says that he had to spend a fortune and wasted almost 2 years to track down the most likely place he hid the treasure.

While you look through the belongings, you suddenly hear the soft sound of treading from deep inside the cave which seems to be growing louder gradually...
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:38, Sat 31 July 2021.

As she proceeded deeper into the mine, Qianli found that the catharsis of venting her frustrations had truly done her good, and helped put her mind at ease. She brought with her the machete and axe -- while they were of poor make, they were still better than nothing -- as well as the key and slip, which she slid into her pocket. It was a bit uncomfortable juggling a machete, an axe and a candle, but she supposed she could just put the candle down in case of trouble -- moving around in a fight would just cause the flame to blow out anyway. Given that the candle was only intended to give off light, she also took two logs of firewood with her, intending to turn them into a makeshift torch by lighting them on fire with the candle later on. Those she placed in her pack.

She did ponder about the apparently hidden treasure, and decided to keep an eye out for this supposedly very flat rock while she was in the mine. Instead of the flat rock, she did find something else however, in the form of a long-forgotten corpse impaled upon some stalactites that had at some point apparently come down from the ceiling. She decided to take the unintended warning to heart and keep an eye on the ceiling as well as her footing, just in case she might suffer the same fate. The corpse however also held a sword of fairly average make, but the cave had preserved it much better than the ones outside, and so she took it as well, along with the medallion, the bottle of pills and the bamboo diary. She gave the corpse a respectful bow.

- "It seems fate was unkind to you. Please forgive your brother Jiang Ni as he did leave you instructions, and may you pass on without attachments."

As she looked through the belongings, her ears caught the sound of footsteps getting closer. She quickly stuffed the other items in her pack as well, retrieved one of the logs of firewood she had taken from the shacks and lit it on fire using the candle before placing the now burning log down on the ground. The still-burning candle she hid in an alcove a few meters closer to the entrance, faking a hiding spot. She then took a few steps deeper into the cave and attempted to hide among the stalactites, hoping that the creature would be too distracted by the burning log to notice walking past her hiding spot as it would approach the log, and thinking whoever left it was hiding in the alcove where the candle was still shimmering light, enabling her to strike it from behind. It was a long shot, but she hoped it would work. She took the rusty axe in her hands, ducked into her little hiding place, and waited.

00:15, Today: Oriana Kimari rolled 37 using 1d100.  UNENDING RAGE vs. 63.
00:46, Today: Oriana Kimari rolled 77 using 1d100.  Sneakiness vs. 47.

Here's to hoping the Sneak roll was unnecessary ^^;
This message was last edited by the player at 22:56, Sat 31 July 2021.

In reply to Oriana Kimari (msg # 38):

While stuffing the items in your pack, you unfortunately make a few loud sounds compounded by the steps you made while heading towards your planned hiding spot. The area now lit by the log which the flames now begin to engulf, you catch the sight of 2 rotting corpses of furless dogs that appear strangely muscular despite their wasting flesh...! You notice a strange greenish glow from their eye sockets that are eyeless!

As though sensing your movements, the rotting dogs run towards you and begin their attack!
One leaps towards your calf to bite! [>= 80 to react. Else 3 damage]
Another leaps towards your chest to try to scratch at you! [>= 94 to react. Else 1 damage]

Qianli resisted the urge to cuss again. More undead. Just wonderful. She winced as the dogs attacked her, though she knew she had one advantage the rotting carcasses did not: Whereas the dogs posed a threat when it came to biting, unlike the mighty tiger the scratches were only an annoyance at best. Axe in hand, she attempted to grab the dog snapping at her calf by the neck, and attempt to start hacking into its exposed back with her axe. Undead or not, she had yet to see something be able to move with a severed spine.

Took 4 damage, 88 to hit, dealing 1 damage if i... understand the combat system correctly?

Find Weakness check successful (24 vs. 43)
Upward slash 3 damage, Elbow Strike 4 damage

Total: 8 damage dealt, 14/18 HP, 25/28 Qi
This message was last edited by the player at 11:16, Mon 02 Aug 2021.

In reply to Oriana Kimari (msg # 40):

With your swift and deadly attack the dog snapping at your calf is severed into two and you see the greenish glow dissipate from its eyes!

But with your stance lowered to grab at that dog, the other dog takes the opportunity to lunge at your neck! [> 65 to react, else 2 damage]

Well, one down, one to go. Qianli knew she had been leaving herself open in finishing off the first undead dog, but a two on one fight was simply not sustainable and would have hurt a lot more in the long run than giving one a good opportunity to strike at her. She managed to avoid the brunt of it by shifting her stance to have it bite into her shoulder rather than a vastly more lethal neck, but bite her it did, that had simply been near impossible to avoid given the circumstances.

However, she attempted to repeat her little feat, and grabbed at the dog as it bit her in an attempt to push it down and drive her axe into its spine again, with the power of her Qi behind it. It would go down, and she would win!

Assuming the second dog wasn't more durable than the first, upon the light leaving its eyes she would retrieve the burning log, and set fire to the desiccated corpses of the two dogs as well as that of what she assumed to be Luo Kanli, just in case it might rise as well later on. Once all three would be burning at a decent rate, she would take the candle and begin heading back to the entrance to ask Tokusei if she had any healing techniques. She had no real objection to clearing out the caves, but given the amount of dog corpses in the forest she'd rather not get stuck in a series of battles and be taken down by attrition, and she wanted to ask the Senior Instructor whether the bite marks the dogs had inflicted would have carried a curse with them, just as a precaution.

OOC:
Dodge: 15 vs. 65, failed
Find Weakness: 3 vs. 43, success
Attack (axe): 129 to hit, 5 damage
Attack (Qi Technique): 92 to hit, 3 damage (2 slashing 1 blunt)
Damage: 8

Total: 8 damage dealt, 12/18 HP, 22/28 Qi

In reply to Oriana Kimari (msg # 42):

Indeed, with your well placed attack, the rotting dog just barely scratches your neck with its filthy looking fangs before beomg crused by your axe and crumpling to the ground in a mangled heap.

As you head out of the cave - you suddenly see two familiar looking silhouettes at the entrance. And as though seeing the flame from your torch, the silhouetes react and hurriedly rush to you revealing upon entering the range of the torchlight that they are in fact Kamatsu and Kakei! Alongside them you hear a soft sound of paws nearby as you see a Tibetan Spaniel running ahead and leading the two towards you.

"Qianli! You're completely battered! Take a rest for now - let me tend to you wounds...!" Kakei says as she puts down her staff and draws out a satchel of aromatic smelling salves asking to show your wounds. "Take this pill in the meantime, it should help recover some of your energy" Qianli takes out a small wooden bottle and hands it to you. Inside you find a rather bitter smelling black pill the size of a thumb.

The Tibetan spaniel seems rather strange, and unlike what you would expect from a wild dog appears to be looking about in a strangely attentive manner.

Kamatsu who appears to be carrying a staff as well has a worried expression on your face as she sees the wounds on your body.
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:22, Mon 09 Aug 2021.

Qianli nodded, and welcomed the healing, though she did not take the pill -- she had plenty of Qi left and did not want the medicine to go to waste. She looked at the dog, petting it if it decided to come close and acquaint itself with her scent, but otherwise sat still to let Kakei tend to her in peace. In response to the offer for assistance, she shook her head.

- "That would be too dangerous. I have brought down two undead dogs, little more than rotting carcasses that were controlled by the magics this cultivator employed. Those corpses i have set on fire, with the intent to discover whether the dazing effect of the smoke would disrupt the cultivator's connection to the reanimated corpses. Regardless, i will need to scout further as some mines can be labyrinthine, and would prefer you to guard the entrance in the meantime so our enemy does not slip away. I know of your love for dogs Kamatsu, it would harm your heart to see what has become of those puppeteered, and i would not ask of you to strike at them."

She looked at Kakei and Kamatsu, giving them both a smile.

- "Since this cultivator is an expert in illusions, shall we decide on a password? A key phrase, so you will know whether i am me or simply one posing as me?"

In reply to Oriana Kimari (msg # 44):

"Yes of course... how about... uh... Lotus Paste Buns?" Kakei suggests as she finishes up with patching you up. [Regain 1d4 HP]

The Spaniel of course comes close to you and sniffs at your waist for a few moments before walking towards the carcasses and sniffing them too.

"Kamatsu will be fine on her own. Let me accompany you, Qianli. You likely haven't familiarized yourself with much of the staff techniques, and I imagine you would require some assistance should you find yourself in a pinch... I have some needles for acupuncture that might be able to stop your bleeding and cease the spread of poisons."

As you talk, you smell the smoke of the burning pile of corpses begin to infiltrate your noses, causing all of you to cough involuntarily occasionally.

"I will stand by here then..." Kamatsu replies in a somewhat uneasy tone as she stands near to the entrance of the cave.

Should you decide to push on, you will notice the Spaniel puppy following you alongside Kakei, who will continuously insist upon following you.

After walking for a few moments, you come to a rather large room dimly lit by faintly glowing orange crystals held in sconces, with a tall ceiling held up by what appears to be natural rock columns. Around each column appears to be a simply crafted herb patch surrounded by roughly made mud bricks.

Scattered throughout the room are around 8 patches, bearing all the same herbal plant: a strange salty smelling bushes with sickle-like leaves.

At the far end of this room next to another cavernous opening appears to be a table with a set of tools for medicine making - A mortal and pestle, and herb scoop, and a few earthen pots for cooking herbal remedies. Alongside these tools seem to be bundles of bandages, pots filled with herbal smelling oil, and a small shelf of various common medicinal herbs held in baskets.

As you walk into the room, you notice that there are around 3 rotting dogs patrolling the area, though they don't seem to notice your presence and do not seem to have that ghastly glow in their eyes like the previous two you encountered before.
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:49, Mon 09 Aug 2021.

Qianli nodded in reply to the password, and didn't object to Kakei joining her.

- "Good. And the answer will be 'Three Flowers Wine'. Kamatsu, we do not yet know if this demonic cultivator uses a method of remotely controlling a soulless corpse, or if it is a form of consciousness transfer. If it is the latter, even a single undead dog escaping would have all this begin anew, and she will know our faces. Be vigilant."

When Kakei wanted to step into the cave, Qianli stopped her.

- "Not yet. Tie a wet cloth around your nose and mouth, i intended the smoke to hinder the cultivator and it would not do for us to fall prey to our own trap. Breathe through your nose and keep your stance low."

She also headed back to the shack to pick up another log, bringing her total back to two again, and headed into the cave. Once inside, she drew two of her weapons, the sword and the machete -- it would come closest to the twin dao technique she knew. It would be easy for anyone that was not blind to see the familiarity with which she held the blades, hinting at previous training in a place that had not been part of the Nansei Sect, but there was no helping that. Safety came before secrecy.

She pointed out where she lit the fire under the corpses, explaining that the human one had not risen, and theorized that the cultivator needed either dog corpses to work with, or the victims needed to die in her presence. Continuing on, with Qianli keeping an eye out for the flat rock, they soon found themselves in a large room. She signaled for Kakei to come closer, and whispered through the cloth.

- "Take all the herbs. Try and keep them intact for replanting, but remain silent. Identify what you can, but it is not a priority, denying the enemy their reagents and components is. The dogs i fought had a green glow to their eyes, these ones have not. They also seem not to be aware that two of their number are missing. It is possible the smoke is having an effect on the cultivator as i hoped it would, but do not assume her weak or foolish because of it."

Leaving the herbs to Kakei, she sneaked over to what appeared to be the main storage area for medicinal herbs, and slipped as much of it into her pack as she could. She would also keep an eye on the rotting dogs, the ones she fought had been sliced in half with a single attack so it was possible she could take out a straggler and lessen their numbers. For now however, after she was done she would analyze the patrol routes of the dogs to see if she could single them out, where quick attacks and superior numbers would remove the puppets form the equation. She figured they were going to need every advantage they could get, and she wasn't about to pass up a good opportunity for one either.

In reply to Oriana Kimari (msg # 46):

Kakei nods as she ties a strip of cloth wetted using a gourd of water she draws from her robes around her nose and mouth and passes another one treated the same way to you.

While you proceeded, unfortunately you did not spot any sign of a flat rock - and surmise it might be yet deeper inside the cave.

"These are quite a lot of herbs to pick though! It will take some time!" Kakei says as she takes out a small sack and begins to harvest a number of herbs from the nearest herb patch.

As you make your way to the herb storage, you notice oddly that the rotting dogs, all of which look similar in build and condition, do not react your blatant walking, and they just walk about listlessly. They do not patrol in lockstep but simply walk about with maximal distance from one another as though they were intended to keep an eye on the entire area as much as possible.

You manage to fill your pack with a number of herbs from the shelves - but it seems that they are truly plenty and soon you find your pack brimming with herbs of common quality giving off a rather strong herbal aroma when put together.

As you rummage through the herbs, you discover a rusty key and a tattered manual titled "Fundamental Medicine for Dogs" with a rather tastefully drawn dog on the cover, hidden at the bottom of what appears to be a basket filled with the same sickle shaped leaves from the herbal patches in this large room.

By the time you're done looking through this part of the room, Kakei seems to have only harvested 2 of the 8 patches in the large room.

Qianli frowned for a moment as she saw the manual. While it made sense for it to be there if this were just a place where a hermit took care of stray dogs, the fact that this was the lair of a demonic cultivator hadn't escaped her, and she had seen firsthand that said cultivator didn't really care much about the well-being of said dogs. So why, then, was this manual carefully hidden in the way it had been? She leafed through the manual, trying to discern if it had been written in some kind of code or cipher, and keeping an eye open for mention of the scythe-like leafed plants that seemed abundant in the other section of the room. Regardless of what she would find, both items went into her pack before she moved towards Kakei.

- "The undead dogs seem pretty out of it, there is no intelligence behind them like the ones that had sought out and attacked me earlier. They're not patrolling more than simply walking in the same pattern, so it seems the cultivator's conscious control is required to make them do anything. And that means smoking the cave had the desired effect. I'm going to explore deeper inside, i'm pretty confident in my ability to keep quiet. If you hear me shout, come to my aid. Likewise, if i hear you i will rush back without delay. For now, focus on the plants, so that should we need to retreat, the cultivator will not have their necessities."

OOC: Healed 4 from being patched up by Kakei earlier, back to 16/18 HP.
This message was last edited by the player at 09:31, Sat 14 Aug 2021.

In reply to Oriana Kimari (msg # 48):

Thankfully, it appears that the manual is written in plain language and is easy enough to understand.

Generally, the manual contains a number of remedies and prescriptions for common dog ailments, but also appears to have an interesting section about boosting the vitality of dogs, and other reactions to certain potent medicines by dogs.

From the looks of it, the description scythe leafed plant is found in one section which names it Feicao (New Moon Shrub). Apparently the grass when crushed into paste and fed to or sniffed by dogs, can result in it entering a trance-like intoxicating state during which it becomes unresponsive to various stimuli and will not react even to signs of potential harm.

Kakei's brows furrow slightly at what you say as she replies.

"I think its not a good idea to split up. I have a feeling that the dogs might strike if we present ourselves in a vulunerable posture...." Kakei speaks with a rather unsettled tone. Kakei will try to protest, but if you insist she will likely trust your judgement on this matter.

Whether you decide for her to follow or not, the small spaniel will follow you as you make your way deeper into the cave.

As you go deeper you notice a large number of baskets of white chalk-like stones placed every few metres or so as the cave twists and turns. As you proceed, you begin to feel that the air feeling a lot drier than before, and eventually you find yourself at a portal beyond which you see what appears to be coffins of wood placed in neat rows at the far end of the room which appears to have a ceiling from which is hung numerous baskets of the same white chalk-like stones you see before.

Beside the four coffins appears to be around 6 large wooden boxes about half the size of a man that are closed shut with the exception of one which has a open lid. You seem to catch the faint scent of honey from this room. A quick survey of this rooms surroundings with your candlelight reveals that there is no sign of any creature in this room.

- "Do not worry. I am silent, and these dogs are much, MUCH less aware of their surroundings as the ones i fought earlier. I will go and return shortly, just a quick reconnaissance of the area ahead."

Qianli attempted to reassure Kakei's worries, and pointed at the scythe-leafed plants.

- "I found a book on them. The plant is called Feicao, and apparently when crushed into paste the taste and smell can put dogs into a trance-like state. I do not know the effects it would have on our dog, but perhaps it could be used as a weapon against the enemy cultivator? She did have dog ears when i spied on her in the forest."

She then sneaked into the next room, taking care to avoid the dogs, and when she arrived at the coffin room, would return to Kakei to tell her what she had seen. she would also take one of the chalk-like stones with her, though careful not to touch them directly, with the intent to ask if Kakei knew of them, and to check the book she had found to see if they were mentioned there also. Given how many of them there were, it felt to her like a deterrent of some kind, and the room a burial site for treasured pets. Had one of the corpses been possessed by a demon?
This message was last edited by the player at 14:56, Mon 23 Aug 2021.

In reply to Oriana Kimari (msg # 50):

"That seems like an odd plant..." Kakei comments when you speak about Feicao. "Considering how whoever is living here is cultivating much of this plant here I highly doubt it could be used as a weapon though... But I'll prepare some just in case..."


...

When you return, as you show the stones to Kakei she thinks for a moment before replying.

"Oh..! I know this is... this is a stone called Waterless Stone. Its commonly used to keep a place very dry as it absorbs the moisture in the air. Considering how you saw a few coffins there - maybe it is being used to preserve bodies...? ... Could it be that this is actually some ancestral grave...?" Kakei says.

After speaking about the stones, Kakei holds up two satchels of crushed Feicao. You can detect a rather salty scent faintly wafting from it.

"I also prepared this while you are away. Not sure if will be of any help though..."

Qianli nodded.

- "Yes, most likely those who were once the former miners of this place that had died to a collapse. A demon must have found its way into one of the corpses and possessed it, and used its magics to animate the dogs. There were six chests for four coffins however, and only one of them opened -- i believe it smelled faintly of honey. It is possible these were the pets, which should explain the book on how to care for them, and my guess is a demon found its way to one of these dog corpses and possessed it."

She took one of the small satchels, putting it in her pocket within easy reach, should it be required.

- "Good. Keep the second one with you, if my theory is correct it should daze the cultivator when applied to the face. And if it does not... use the time it will spend clearing goop out of its eyes wisely. Once you have all the plants, and are prepared, we shall continue."