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.