The Dragon's Village 2017

[Topato]

The escaping spirits concerned Tian greatly. The barriers between mortal and spirit realm were there for a reason, and any breach could only portend great danger.

[Vanya Mia]

After the glee at being given Ning's hand-me-down armour abated the majority emotion in Moriko's expression was one of puzzlement and confusion.

"This is silly," she remarked in a tone most might normally associate with an announcement of impending disaster. "Why would so many want to come?" She looked at Ning in a manner begging for an explanation. "Thinking is hard and things flash by and change so fast it's hard to keep up, unless they go backwards and forwards which is even harder because if the spirits wanted to come they'd have to make a home and the home can't go..." A look settled on Moriko's face that on others might have equated to them experiencing a moment of epiphany.

"Something might have made them take the animals as home, and then the animals would be hurting and that would be why they cry." Moriko pondered for a moment and then asked. "Do you think the spirits don't want to come? Because if they don't want to come they are going to be angry and if they are angry then their home will be very angry, and the animals were so angry they wouldn't listen." The puzzlement returned.

"But what could make them come?" For possibly the first time ever a look of some dread crept into her features. "Whatever it is it must be very naughty."

[smartalec]

This was a worrying thought. Wen spoke with a sword; throughout this journey, when confronted with wrongdoing, he would speak, the wrongdoers would say something foolish, they would attack, he would defend himself, and it would be over shortly. But talking down someone he would rather not hurt? That was new. But he couldn't just keep apologising and offering money to people who were wronged...

To lead by example, maybe. That was all he had. In the meantime, there were problems he could apply a sword to. "I do not know, Moriko. Perhaps one of these people living here have done something short-sighted... a shrine damaged, or some other thing that you and Ning can understand. But if this woman in this house does not know, then I am unsure. I hope this wil be put to rights simply..."

[Klasa]

Jya. . . Truly, this was going to be another test set upon him by his Master it seems. The spirits were possessing the living and transforming them. And the root cause of why was unknown for the most part. And so it feel upon Huo Da and the Dragon Warriors to solve this problem.

The Dragon Warriors, which were another issue as well. Once more their lack of fluidity and cohesion showed itself as a thorn in their sides. He had to wonder if they would ever get along with each other? Some seemed more open than others, but as it stood it appeared as if factions would soon grow within their ranks.

He wondered if perhaps he should do something, but ultimately decided against it. He would keep his current hands off, observer and advisor role to the Warriors. After all, they were the ones chosen by the Dragon, so they should be the ones to fix themselves.

[Lazybones]

Session 25

+1200xp for full-party IC posting.

[Vanya Mia]

((Server is up. Usual details.)

[Mirgalen]

For now, Tenko decided that it would wise to let unsettled matters to rest at least until a more appropriate moment to bring the subject up again. As it occur destiny decided that the moment would come sooner rather than later.

Leaving the safety of the witch cabin they travelled to the location of the first cave. On the way and inside the cave they did fight some cold beings and some possessed creatures. They retrieved the plants and went to another location to get crystals. Again they faced some enemies included undead. Yet, they managed to overcome these and found a trinket or two.

After completing the mission for the witch they were given a necklace that was the key to enter the spirits realm. They had rested and were ready to go. Before the day ended and before they could reach the spirits realm, a horde of possessed creatures attacked them and things turned ugly very quickly. Tenko was on the ground bleeding but this time he did not travel to the other realm he opened his eyes, he had blood in his mouth. He used his innate power to heal himself and completed the task with a potion and healing bandages.

He looked around trying to find the others. Poor Huo Da was being chased by a big wolf. Tenko went after them but before he could reach them Huo Da failed. He engaged the injured wolf, perhaps the same who had nearly killed him earlier. Since they had reach the frozen lands he had to put his frost kama and the lesser one away and use the singing fists. He punched the wolf over and over like he had learned at the monastery. The magical sounds produced by the gloves were somehow hurting the possessed animal. With one final blow Tenko killed the beast who returned to his original wolf form. He quickly grabbed his bandages and tried to revive Huo Da but it was too late.

Huo Da was saved using divine magic just like Tenko had been saved after the battle on the wall.

They would need to rest and recover before going any further. More creatures could come and attack them but going forward without resting was probably a suicide.

Tenko went to meditate. As he was standing up he had an idea. If he and Tian could share the three kamas (not counting the lesser enchanted one) in a better way, on average they would both be more effective in combat for the benefit of the entire group. He decided to go and share his thoughts with Huo Da first.

//

I was thinking we have 3 good kamas for 2 kamas experts. If we take turn to pick 2 out of three for the duration of a session than things may be more balanced. e.g. Session 25 Tian got two good kamas (fire and ?), Tenko got one (frost - to fight ice creatures), Session 26 Tenko pick 2, Session 27 Tian pick 2...

[Karvon]

The missions to recover the items needed for the witch to create the amulet were completed with some difficulty. Various undead and possessed creatures had to be dealt with, but eventually, all were destroyed. Amulet in hand, or rather round the neck of Wen, the party headed for the portal or rift, Gojiro wasn't clear on which it was actually, leading to the spirit world. The spirits seemed to sense they were coming and sortied out in impressive strength to try to stop further progress. These too were slain after a long and bloody battle which also saw a couple of the party fall. Fortunately, thanks to blessings of the gods, the fallen were recovered and restored to life. Gojiro, himself, had come closer than he wished to this experience on several occasions and had no desire to have to go thru such himself. He vowed to be more careful in the future. However, he doubted the spirit realm would be a place death could easily be avoided. He only hoped the rewards would be worth the risk.

//I'm not really sure IC or OOC that pooling and swapping kamas is a very practical solution to the issue. But hey, whatever you guys wanna do is fine by me

[Vanya Mia]

It took a little while for Moriko to seem to fully engage with the world around her, for the usual level of engage at least, her expression only focusing completely when Master 'arrived' with a pop. There was a rush of grumbling and rumbling from the panda with a concerned and urgent tone to the growls. She reached out and patted his head as the rumbling continued, the concussed look in her eyes fading away and a smile of acceptance emerged.

"Master says he has been told this is very bad and I must stay to help because if it keeps being bad soon everything will be bad." The emphasis Moriko placed on the word 'everything' somehow implied an apocalyptic level of events. Master nodded sagely and turning to look at Ning he rumbled again and Moriko turned to address her specifically. "He says you are right and water is true and you must listen and use what it says even if it is only whispers and that I must help!" With that she grinned brightly and gathered herself up.

"So it is a good job you think this home is suits me," she concluded, "because I will be here longer."


((I agree with Karv. OOCly we need to focus the amount of damage that can be done when facing the kind of encounters we do and Tian has been proven the better damage dealer. Asking for Darkfire would be a better solution. Tenko's IC decisions are yours to make but while I know this will be unpopular I am finding the time we spend over perceived inequality in the division of 'loot', and the seemingly OOC bleed into IC, increasingly frustrating. Can we not spend more time over it IC, pretty please?))

[smartalec]

As Moriko and Ning banter, Da gathers himself up from the snow, Tien and Tenko speak on weapons and they all see to their wounds, Wen catches his breath, and raises his voice. "They seized the moment. Caught us, before yin and yang could come together. But if this mountain had much more to throw at us, I think it would have," He posits, tossing aside a rag cut from the clothes of the fallen, wet with the blood from Fighting Steel. "The great Sword Sage once said that 'if you you make your opponent flinch, you have already won', but his seventeenth precept asks a disciple to not fear death. I think, if we follow that example now, we will catch whatever lies atop the mountain when it's unready for us."

***

((It's getting so that we'll have to choose loot/weapon groups rather than classes before we begin a campaign, isn't it? Creeping closer to the absurd. What's actually going on here? Can we sort this out as players?))