Homecoming Part 7

As the Traldar warmed to the visitors, they explained that the Hatukaan’s main temple lay not far away. “We will not allow them to return because if they do, they will summon all the dead to their evil work.”

Sukh and Ginjo were curious and decided to see the temple for themselves. A few traldars, mounted on lizards showed them the way. The temple was a two-story building. The domed roof had been badly damaged by a large landslide. As they drew closer, they noticed a gathering of people on top of the dome. They were about 20 and had the canine heads of the hutakaan and the muscular bodies of the traldar. In other words, they looked like hyena-headed bakemono from the Caves of Discord. They seemed to have just arrived in the valley—the dozen or so on the roof were being joined by others rappelling down the cliffs.

Sukh and Ginjo engaged the surprise visitors, with Ginjo explaining that the Traldar and Hutakan were engaged in civil war. The visitors explained that they were under the banner of the Master and that whichever side pledged allegiance to him would surely come out on top in any local conflict. The traldar guides, objecting to the conversation rode back to Ronkan. Sukh did his best to licit information from the hyeana-headed visitors but they seemed to have little to offer expect that, yes, the flying women were also part of the Master’s forces.

Sukh and Ginjo decided that they should also return to Ronkan. They were met with outrage and derision, accused of giving away secrets to the enemy. Ben-Kraal quieted the rabble and asked for a more in-depth briefing, but this was unnecessary as the hyaena-men soon arrived in person.

Ben-Kraal order that they should be provided hospitality and gave them an empty house to use as they wished (the same one where that tentacled monster had recently attacked) while he considered their offer of alliance with the unseen Master.

Ben-Kraal confided to Sukh and Bo-Jing his belief that the conflict of the valley would soon come to a head. And as long as the valley was haunted by the undead—whom he believed were controlled by the hutakaan, it would be impossible to consider negotiating peace. He believed that the undead would be put to rest through a special ritual inside the temple. To conduct the ritual, they needed water from the singing pool. Unfortunately, it was impossible to get to the singing pool and back within one day—and the Traldar dared not be caught out in the valley after dark . . .

Bo-Jing volunteered to lead a small group to the singing pool while Sukh provided support in Ronkan lest the hyaena men caused any trouble. The hyeana men were loud and boisterous, but in their crude unaffected manners and apparent martial prowess, they earned some begrudging respect among the Traldar.

Sukh was suspicious that something else was going on and patrolled the village with Phru, making many visits to the roof of Ben-Kraal’s tower. He sensed an invisible presence in the tower and called an alarm. In a burst of fire, that presence showed itself, a woman dressed in dazzling red and gold robes. She too declared her allegiance to the Master and warned the people of Ronkan that they must accept accept his authority. When Sukh and Phru attacked her, she ensnared them in a giant spider’s web and then blasted her way out of the tower, killing most of Ben-Kraal’s most trusted advisors. The hyena men burst out of their house and charged out of the village, while the flying women swooped down from the cliffs. Sukh chased the woman to a tower balcony and stabbed her twice before she escaped on the back of one of the flying women. Sukh ran back to the top of the tower to help Phru but was too late. She saw two of the women flying off with his lifeless body and a third with his axe.

The next day, groups of Traldar war parties set out with an unelaborated mission to “find out what’s going on!” One group returned late in the day with a badly-beatan Hutakaan. They put him in the same house that had been occupied by the hyaena men and deliberated over how to make him “tell what he knows about the fire witch!”

Ginjo returned in the evening. His missin had been a success. He cautioned the Traldar against torturing the Hutakaan prisoner. “Just because you make him talk doesn’t mean you can make him tell you the truth. If you hurt him he will only tell you what you already think.” Ben-Kraal agreed and ordered that the torture should cease. “We have a more important job to do now.”

The next day, a large group set out for the temple, including Sukh and Bo-Jing and their entire retinues, plus Ben-Kraal and six of his best warriors. They entered by breaking down the front door where they met a dozen zombies, most of them hutaakans, but one of them a reanimated hyena man. While the Traldar hesitated outside, Sheng and Shek held the doors half open so that Sukh and Bojing could fight the zombies in small groups, while Phubi castigated any that managed to escape the gauntlent. Ben-Kraal was thoroughly impressed by the combination of tactics and bravery; ordered his men to assist the fight. Together, the group destroyed the zombies while suffering only a few minor wounds. Gentle foot and the other bakemono shaman were glad to tend to these wounds and together the group entered the temple itself.

They soon found themselves in the main sanctuary—a large room, under the cracked dome with a pit in the middle surrounded by blue flames. Sukh found the stone altar, at the foot of a monumental statute of a jackal-head man. But there was no bowl to hold the water from the singing pool.


It was time to explore more thoroughly. While being harassed by more undead and quasi-sentient puddles of gray ooze that corroded boots and armor, they found a library full of books describing the history of the Hutakaans, at least from their point of view. While looking for clues about the golden bowl, Ginjo stumbled upon the story of his own family. Centuries ago, the Hutakaan held authority in the lowlands in a kingdom that included the tiny village of Pasar. The stubborn and ungrateful humans resisted everything the Hutakaans tried to teach them and when they did learn something, managed to forget that they had learned it from the Hutakaans. Some of the most ungrateful humans began to gather in secret, and made an evil plan to kill their teachers and destroy their most beautiful works. At almost the last minute, two of the plotters, Kwam-Rak and Tral-Dar, realized the error of their ways and confessed everything to their masters. The other plotters were captured and punished. Kwam-Rak and Tral-Dar were rewarded. Kwam-Rak was given authority over the lowland humans. Tral-Dar was invited to retire with the most learned of the Hutakaans to the Hidden Valley. Bojing considered these treasures were valuable than gold and he stowed as many as he could in his backpack, asking Phubi and the bakemono shaman to do the same.

Elsewhere in the temple, in a half-collapsed corridor, they stumbled upon the long-dead body of a Hutakaan priestess in all her temple finery, clutching a golden bowl. When Sukh grabbed for the bowl, the spirit of the priestess rose to attack. Her chilling touch drained a part of his very lifeforce. Most weapons were unable to harm the vengeful spirit. Saw, with the magical spear taken from the bull-man was able to pin the spirit to the ground and destroy it.

When the party returned to the sanctuary, they met additional undead, including re-animated bird-woman wielding Phru’s axe. The battle was quick and brutal. Phubi held most of the zombies at bay while the rest of the party fanned out and shot them with arrows. And when the battle was over, an argument broke out. Bojing had read the books from the library and he now understood that the the undead were temple guardians. If they were destroyed, a more terrible evil would be unleashed. He would rather fight squads of ambling zombies than even see whatever terrible thing lived in the pit. Sukh argued with him, but when he ran out of facts, made a dash for the altar and filled the golden bowl with water from the singing pool. Bo Jing tried to stop him but the Traldar “accidentally” stepped into his way. Sukh placed the bowl on the later and pronounced the words that involuntarily came to his lips. The sanctuary was bathed in a soft, golden glow. Everyone felt a little calmer. Some a lot calmer. Bo Jing just a very little tiny bit calmer. And he still thought Sukh was an idiot.

Homecoming Part 6

Ginjo, Sukh, together with Irak, Shek, and Vanilla Rainbow ventured out to observe the “jackalhead” ceremony. The other bakemono were required to stay in Ronkan and Phru and Saw protecting them. Following the directions of their hosts, the party found the ruins of a temple, reduced nearly to its foundations. Weaving around the half-columns and around a circular fire pit, a dozen fox-headed creatures chanted in a low drone, taking turns shouting out ecstatic phrases in a language that Ginjo barely recognized as bakemono though he identified only a few individual words.

Sukh cautiously walked down the slope and onto the floor of temples, holding out his open hands.

One of the fox-headed people stopped abruptly and raised up her own hands, and shouted out, “Behold, they have come!” The other chanters fell silent and all looked to the speaker, a tall and slender being, wearing robes trimmed with silver.

Sukh murmured a bakemono greeting and Ginjo came down the slope to join them.

The silver-robed bakemono uttered a series of friendly but unintelligible sentences.

After a few minutes of awkward pleasantries, the party determined that the speaker was trying to speak to them in Pasari, though her pronunciation was very strange. Ginjo asked how she had come to know his language.

“Your language? My ancestors taught your people how to speak. And sing and dance. We helped you develop laws, planned your cities and roads. All the systems you traverse.”

Her name was Kfadz and she listened eagerly as Ginjo told her about his family, about the caves of discord and about the carpet by which they had found their way to the bakemono homeland.

Kfadz and the others explained that they were the Hatukaan, and they were indeed ensnared in a war against the ungrateful Traldar. “As you have no doubt seen, they are brutish people. They refused to learn anything and rather than apply their animal strength to useful labor, demand to make their own way, destroying the beautiful things by which we once hoped to bring them up to a better way of being.”

Sukh expressed his hope that a peace could be negotiated. He declined the initiation to accompany the hatukaan back to their own settlement of Byxata, explaining that they had friends back in Ronkan. “But we will find a way to get out and come to Byxata.”

The party returned to Ronkan and reported that they had witnessed the ceremony and that it did not involve the summoning of undead monsters. Ben-Kraal sneered that they had been tricked by the jackalheads. The party began discussing how they would escape. They stayed up all night to watch the guard changes. In the middle of tne night they heard a scream coming from one of the houses. Ginjo broke down the door and found a Traldar teenager in the coils of a slimy green tentacle that was pulling her toward a dark hole in the floor. While her family clung to her desperately, Ginjo drew his katana and leaped into action. The tentacle was thick and tough, barely yielding to the katana’s edge while another tentacle burst through the floor and smacked Ginjo to the floor. Phru entered the house, pulled Ginjo to his feet and together they chopped at the tentacles until freed the girl. They fled the house and watched from outside as the tentacles thrashed about before finally withdrawing into the floor.

The Traldar complimented Ginjo on his valiance. After some reluctance, they admitted that the tentacled monster made appearance on almost a weekly basis, and attributed its attacks to the jackalhead magic.

The party spent a few more days in Ronkan, giving Ginjo a chance to recover from his fight with the monster. A fw days later, a strange flying woman appeared above the village. The Traldar instinctively raised the spears to hurl at her, but as she descended, she began to sing and they dropped their spears to stare at her stupidly. Sukh, shaking off the charm of her song, raised his bow and begin shooting arrows at her, driving her away. He recommended that the wall guards should begin plugging their ears with wax to avoid being deceived by any future attacks. Furthermore, he recommended that one of the “vocals”—whose voice could easily be heard from anywhere in the village and drown out any other noise—join the guards and pay special attention to any threats form the sky. Ben-Kraal was impressed by these suggestions and ordered that they should be done.

Homecoming Part 5

Ginjo and Sukh, together whith Ginjo's niece Phubi, Irak and the other sohei, Shheng and Shek, and the rehabilitated bakemono made their way through the lost valley.  Everyone, ans especially the bakemono were bemused by what they found-- a series of beautiful stone villages, all deserted, and marked my signs of deliberate destruction.  Frescoes, sculptures, engravings-- all forms of representational ornamentation had been defaced.  The remnants showed that the destroyed artwork had once depicted creatures that were bakemono or at least very similar to bakemono, with the same vulpine features as the monumental statutes that had guarded the gates.  The artwork seemed to show them in a variety of sophisticated activities-- playing music, studying the stars, reading from scrolls, and designing buildings.  

The party had entered the valley from the east and moved westward.  Finding a larger village with several strucutres still standing, they entered the largest, a three-story tower..  Inside they encountered a pair of zombie, their large pointed ears marking them as former bakemono.  Phubi drove them away and the party climbed to the top of the tower.  In the courtyard below, they saw a mob of skeletons and zombies gathering, all seemingly former bakemono.  Ginjo and Sukh jammed the door at the top of the tower so that it would open just enough to allow one monster to squeeze through at a time.  The skeletons reached the top of the stairs first.  Phubi presented her holy symbol and the first skeletons stopped in the doorway.  Other skeletons and then zombies pushed them through where they met the blades of Sukh and Ginjo.  Almost laughing like a pair of drunken farmers harvesting the wheat, the two friends joyfully cut up the undead mob.

When this job was done, the party had a chance to survey the landscape.  The valley extended further to the west, as far as the eye could see in the late afternoon sun.  The orange light marked the course of a distant river and a few more villages.

The party decided to press on rather than spend a night in a place that still might hide the walking dead.  They head for the river and camped on its banks.  In the morning, they ate and pressed on.  In the late morning, they heard loud shouting and traced it to its source-- the remnants of a battle!  Three dead people-- human rather than bakemono, but neither Pasari nor Zhou-- had been killed by arrows and spears.  The people were squat and hairy with rough clothing.  Puzzling over what they found, they were surprised by the sound of approaching riders-- eight human men, mounted on giant lizards.  They resembled the dead, and their rough features was all the stranger on a living person.

The men challenged them in strangely-accented bakemono, demanding to know who they were and what they had done.  Ginjo answered, starting to tell the history of his family before Sukh urged him to let the riders they were puzzled by the sight of the dead men and had no hand in their demise.  The riders were quick to accept this, and also expressed great suspicion of why Ginjo was traveling with "tyrant dogs"-- pointing at Soft Ear and the other bakemono.  Ginjo began the story of how his friend Gunjar had converted the brutish bakemono to his religion of forgiveness and peace, but was again interrupted by Sukh.

Sukh had found tracks-- like those of a dog-- and pointed them out to the rider.  They nodded with grim satisfaction and rode off in the direction of the tracks, urging Ginjo and the others to follow.  The tracks led into a ravine, where they were ambushed by a group of fox-like bakemono, all resembling the statutes and the defaced artwork.  There was a flash of light and a flurry of badly-aimed arrows.  Several rider riders were thrown from their mounts and the fox bakemono fled deeper into the ravine.  Ginjo discouraged further pursuit. Phubi tended to the wounds of those who had been injured and the new acquaintances that they would go to Ronkan so that the visitors could meet Ben-Kraal, whose father had led the rebellion and whom all humans accepted as their war leader and chief.

Eager for answers to their many questions about the state of the bakemono hoeland, Sukh and GInjo agreed to meet him.

Homecoming Part 4

 The silver needle, when inserted into Kwam-Rak carpet, slipped out of Ginjo's and, seemingly with a mind of its own, began to embroider the carpet with a golden thread.  The thread grew as the needle worked, passing over every square inch of the carpet to add line, shading, definition, even the illusion of flowing water and fluttering leaves.  The abstract shapes became a map and a beautiful landscape on which well-known landmarks were clearly visible including Lake Pasar, the Cave of Discord and hundreds of villages including the Kwam-Rak compound.  Pasar itself was only a small village and the map did not show the empires to the west or their roads.  The needle finished its work in the jungle near Lake Pasar, seemingly at the exact point where Ginjo now stood in the Monastery of the Two-Fold Path.  Ginjo and Sukh agreed that they must show the carpet-map to their bakemono friends.

By the time they reached the bakemonos' lair in the forest, the needle had moved. It had embroidered a pathway, using tiny letters in a script form of bakemono: "Now is the time for the dear ones to reconcile and return home."

Sukh and Ginjo discussed the matter with their bakemono friends and decided that they would use the carpet to find their way to the bakemono homeland together.  Sheng and Shek, plus Irak and a few other sohei would join them.

Relying on the carpet as a guide, the travelers returned to the Caves of Discord and the Shrine of the death cult, where they found a blocked tunnel.  Working diligently, they moved enough boulders and rubble to reveal a passage deep under ground.  After provisioning themselves with torches from the stores of the death cult, they ventured into the hidden underground highway.  They followed its course for many miles, soon realizing that they must conserve their torches by allowing the bakemono to lead the way while the darkness-blind humans made do with the light of glowing embers.

They spent two nights in the tunnel, crossed an underground river and found themselves in a maze of smaller tunnels.  As with the expansion of Pasar into a large town and the blockage in the shrine of the death cult, the carpet-map did not show this presumably more recent construction.  The maze seemed to be part of an abandoned mine.  The party lit additional torches to find their way and fought off attacks from an enormous, half-invisible spider.  They found their way at last by following a draft of pure air.  They came upon a wide tunnel slanted upward at a steep enough angle that a trickle of water ran steadily down it.  Following that tunnel they emerged on a blustery cliffside in the middle of the night.  After spending the night inside the tunnel, and waiting for the dawn, they ventured outside once more.  According to the carpet-map they were still on the right way, and would follow a path on the side of a cliff for several more days.  

At the end of those days, the travelers were confronted with another disconnect between the map and current reality.  The beautiful stone bridge that arched over the chasm to a pair of enormous iron doors had collapsed.  The party camped, rested, and discussed what to do.  Sukh had recovered a few magic potions from the lair of the bull monster.  According to wise woman he'd consulted in Pasar two of the potions had properties that might assist them in crossing the ravine.  

The party had enough rope that they climb down the wall of the ravine without expending any of their magical resources.  Despite a couple close calls, everyone reached the bottom safely.  They drank deeply from the river and rested on the soft grass.  Then they prepared to climb the other side.

Ginjo drank a long draught of dank, frothy liquid and within a minute, grew to five or six times his normal size.  His clothing and possessions-- including the rope-- also grew in size.  Climbing up the the other side of the ravine was a strenuous challenge, especially with Irak holding onto him.  But he was large enough and strong enough to use the ledges and outcropping like the steps on a ladder.  When he reached a large enough ledge half way up, Irak let the rope down and helped the others climb up it.  Then Ginjo and Irak repeated the maneuver to reach another ledge near the top.  The ledge at the very top was the too narrow and unstable to support the enlarged Ginjo.  He gave Irak a push and helped ther others climb up to the to ledge.  Then when the potion wore off and he returned to his normal size, Ginjo joined them by way of the rope.  

Now it was Sukh's turn to make use of a magic potion. He unstoppered a small glass vial and tossed back a dull blue liquid that turned to mist as it poured into his mouth.  As Sukh inhaled the thick mist, he too turned into mist and, in the form of a dull blue cloud, rose up and over the pair of tall iron doors.  For a moment, he took on the sight of the bakemono homeland.  His vision was blurred, but he could make out a verdant valley that matched the carpet-map, with towns and roads and other small structures dotted throughout.  He was not able to see any movement or detect signs of life.  Not knowing ow long the potion's effect would last, he descended to the ground on the other side of the doors.

On the inside, the doors were flanked by a pair of eight-foot jade statues-- humanoids with the head's of foxes or jackals.  These figures looked like what Sukh would call bakemono but their flowing robes, haughtily serene demeanors, and especially the artistry of the statues themselves were suggestive of something very different from anything Sukh had encountered in the Caves of Discord or his kind-hearted but simple friends.  Sukh was distracted from his musings by a chortle of laughter from Dew Blossom and Gentle Foot on the other side of the doors, still held shut by an iron bar.  With a shout, he heaved the bar off its brackets and called to his companions.  They pushed their way inside as the jade statues came to life.  

Relying on battle-tested tactics, Sukh and Ginjo each attacked one of the statues directly with a flurry of aggressive slashes while their companions made coordinated flanking attacks.  The jade statues were terrifying opponents, the faces set in fearless disdain but they fell to ruin under the rain of blows. They had reached the lost valley of the bakemono.

Immediately before them was a collection of stone buildings, the beauty of their proportion and precise construction still evident in their ruined state.  For they were ruined.  Roofs were missing, walls had collapsed, moss grew thickly, and, as they wandered into the town, they found the streets strewn with rubble, a tree growing from a dry fountain.  Looking closer, it seemed the destruction was deliberate.  Carvings and frescoes were deliberately defaced and marked by graffiti, in a style reminiscent, in form, style, and substance, of the Caves of Discord.

Welcome home?

Homecoming Part 3

 Ginjo and Sukh decided they would look for the needle in the Caves of Discord.  Based on their experiences with the bakemono, they reasoned that it would most likely be found with the strongest bakemono, the bear-like "kidnapper gang" that had captured Shek.  In their investigation, they learned that this group had only become bolder after the destruction of the Death Cult and the dispersion of the other bakemono groups.  They were regularly attacking human villages to obtain captives.  At least one village was offering a bounty.  Ginjo and Sukh decided that they would leave this problem to other adventurers and maintained a focus on finding the magic needle, which the inscription on the carpet  described as being made of silver.

They visited the "kidnapper" of "bear" bakemono and were welcomed gratefully.  The kidnappers proclaimed that they had several humans to sell. And their price had only increased slightly since the last time.  When Ginjo let it be known that they were more interested in a magic needle and that they had the carpet, the bear bakemono became talking over each other, some of them clamoring to see the carpet, with others shouting out prices to sell the needle, and one still threatening to sell the humans to another buyer who wanted to eat them. Sukh led the negotiation for the captives while Ginjo hinted that the magic needle looked like any other old needle.  Together they came up with an offer for the humans and agreed that they would come back soon to buy the needle.

The captives were a man and wife who lived on the other side of Pasar.  They required frequent rests and made repeated requests for "better food."  As they reached their home village, they chided the party for ransoming them.  "You know it only encourages them to raid us because they know they can get money.  What you should do is go and kill them all."

Sukh and Ginjo decide to leave this ambiguous and returned to the bear bakemono cave.  The needle presented was old and rusty. When Ginjo said he was looking for a silver needle, the bakemono tried to tell him it was silver, but needed to be polished.  Sukh and Ginjo debated buying the rusty needle, but decided they could always return and buy it later.  The references to people-eating monster who was also interested in buying captives made them wonder if this monster was the keeper of the needle.    If they killed the monster and didn't find the needle, they would only be in a better position to bargain with the bakemono.

Based on conversations with their bakemono friends, Sukh and Ginjo deduced that the people eater lived in the labyrinth where Liu-Po had been killed by giant beetles.  Ginjo warned that their foe would be a formidable one to live in such a strange place and share it with such  hideous creatures. But Sukh avowed that he would face any dangers with his sword ready.  Perhaps both thought of Gunjar, who had been Ginjo's first companion in exploring the Caves of Discord.  Ginjo missed the holy man, but he appreciated Sukh's wisdom in battle and felt confident knowing that together they were leading a well-disciplined group of warriors.

On an auspicious day, at about mid-morning, they entered the maze of the monster, a creature described as a powerfully-built man with the head of a bull.  Sukh did his best to map the narrow, twisty corridors, but soon found the effort made him dizzy.  They pushed onward by trial-and-error, avoiding the tell-tale red glow of the giant beetles.

After at least an hour of walking in circles, they found themselves in large cavern.  Their flickering torches created strange shadows that danced on the walls beside crude drawing of the foe they were hunting and the many victims he had hunted before them.  A pungent, bestial scent hung in the air, soon broken by the sounds of aggressive snorting and stomping.  Ginjo order the sohei and mercenary to spread out and find places to hide themselves.  He and Sukh stepped boldly into the middle of the cavern and drew their swords.

From out of the darkness, the monster charged, wielding a thick-shafted spear with a blade nearly as long as a sword.  Sukh whirled to miss the point of the spear whereupon the monster lowered its head and gored him with its horns.  Sukh was knocked to the floor and struggled to get up as Ginjo closed, slashing at the monster's back, opening two great wounds.  Bellowing in pain and rage, the monster turned.  Sukh and Ginjo mastered their fear and flanked the monster, taking turns withstanding its powerful blows while the other slashed and stabbed, remaining close enough to prevent it from gathering speed to charge.  Just as the monster was faltering, Ginjo was struck in the face with the butt of the spear and fell on his back.  Sukh, fighting to stay on his own feet was slow to come to his aid, and this was the moment for Phru to shine.  Chanting a prayer from the monastery of the two-fold path, he led the other sohei in a surprise charge against the monster.  Dropping its spear, it thrashed and kick like a pure animal as the sohei's spear found its heart.  The monster was dead.

They rested and explored the monster's lair, at last finding a boulder that concealed a cahce of strange treasures-- foreign coins, weird elixirs, and a small ebony box that held a silver needle with a thread of gold.  Ginjo gratefully granted the monster's spear to Phru.  Together, they collected all the coins they could carry and made their way of the labyrinth and back to Pasar. eager to test the needle.

Homecoming Part 2

 Ginjo spent a few days studying the Kwam-Rak family heirloom that had been entrusted to him, a beautifully-crafted carpet.  He puzzled over the design, seemingly abstract, but seemingly real.  He puzzled over the border, a complicated script that he recognized from the book he'd studied to learn Bakemono.  He recognized the individual words, but had trouble finding a meaning that matched the usually brutish and most often simple perspective of the bakemono he'd encountered in the Caves of Discord.

After consulting with Sukh, he decided to seek out his Bakemono friends, the four disciples of Gunjar who had helped him defeat the Death Cult.  He found them in their new home deep in the forest, in a cramped hollow beneath an enormous and vine-covered fallen tree.  When Ginjo described the carpet, the Bakemono were at-once eager to hear about it and reluctant to share what they knew.  Vanilla Rainbow sneered at the others, "Why waste our time on the old stories when we have a new one to tell?"  This confirmed for Ginjo and Sukh that there was a story and they decided they would bring the carpet to the bakemono.

When this was done, even Vanilla Rainbow could not hide her interest.  Ginjo shared the story that he had heard from Pau-Lung and the bakemono nodded.

Gentle Foot interpreted the border inscription.  The carpet was a map, a map to the bakemono homeland.

"But we need the needle," Vanilla Rainbow interrupted, "and the needle is lost!"

The needle, as Gentle Foot explained, would complete the carpet and show the way to the bakemono homeland.  "When the time is right."

Ginjo and Sukh heard four stories about the fate of the needle.

1. It was still held by the strongest bakemono.  
2. It was given to a powerful monster for safe-keeping.
3. It was hidden in a foul, disgusting place where no non-bakemono would dare to go.
4. It was lost and would never be found.

Homecoming Part 1

 Besides rescuing Irak, Ginjo and Sukh recovered an abundance of treasure from the Death Cult. Ginjo resolved to visit his family and make a suitable gift, so that he might share the honor he had recently received with the people who had given him life and a disciplined upbringing.  His family was comfortable and prosperous; they owned good farmland, which they leased to about twenty families.  But this land was far from the comforts of civilization and surrounded by untamed jungle.  As landowners, his family bore the responsibility of protecting the farmers from both he beasts of the jungle and the hunter tribes who did not respect the labor of the farmer.   Ginjo knew that gifts of gold coins from faraway places, sparkling gemstones, and fine silks would bring some excitement to lives that were honorable, but often difficult. Sukh was glad to accompany his comrade, as were Sheng, Shek, Irak, and a few other sohei.  They traveled to the backcountry in a heavy-laden small flat boat, paddling upriver over a few days.  

They reached the homestead at the end of the day and found it bathed in an orange glow. A beautiful sunset? Perhaps, but the column of dark smoke and sound of screaming told Ginjo that his family was under attack.  Rushing to their aid, the party was attacked by a large group of well-armed hunters.  Ginjo and Sukh held them off while their associates carried their burdens through the gates of the fortified homestead. 

Once the party was safely inside, they met Ginjo's uncle Pau-Lung who briefly explained the situation. The forest hunters had long been a problem for the Kwam-Rak since they saw little difference between gathering wild fruits and stealing bags of rice, shooting a deer and shooting someone's milking goat. But this was different.  More than a raid, these were organized war parties, from at least two different tribes, with vicious dogs, flaming arrows, and incessant drumming.  One wall had been breached, several farmers had been killed, the other tenants were huddled inside the main house.

Ginjo asked to lead the defense of the walls, leaving Pau-Lung and the Kwam-Rak family to protect their tenants. Having seen Ginjo's battle prowess, Pau-Lung agreed.

Night fell.  Outside the Kwam-Rak stronghold, and screened by the trees, bonfires burned on all four sides.  The various groups of hunter-raiders took turns chanting and drumming, their menacing conversation denying anyone inside the stronghold the comfort of sleep.  Close to midnight, Sukh, from his rooftop watchpoint, called the alarm.  The hunters were making a two-pronged attack, charging two places where the stockade wall had already been breached.  Sukh led Sheng and Shek in repelling the attackers with arrows while Ginjo and Irak led the sohei in defending the breaches.  The wild and undisciplined hunters were surprised and dismayed to meet such well-armed and courageous defenders.  Those who evaded Sukh’s arrows suffered Ginjo’s blade.  The balance were routed and the forest to the south side of stockade fell quiet.

The Hunter-Raiders made several other sorties throughout the night, but all were soundly repelled.  Pau-Lung hinted that attackers were under the sway of a sinister force from outside the area.  Attacks by giant bats shortly before dawn seemed to confirm.  The raiders’ final attack, using ladders to scale the stockade wall was fearsome, but reckless, showing a disregard for self-preservation on the part of the attackers that left the defenders feeling uneasy even in their victory.  What was driving these men to throw away their lives?

Pau-Lung believed he knew the answer.  Several weeks ago, a merchant had arrived.  He was given a warm welcome.  The Kwam-Rak family had little contact with the outside world so any visitor brought the promise of exciting news about faraway places and this merchant with his rich and outlandish clothes, foreign manners, and retinue of quiet servants was especially captivating.  There was some disappointment when they learned he had little to sell and even more when they learned he had almost nothing to tell.  While obviously learned, he seemed to know nothing about the goings on in Pasar or any other town and had no opinion on the war between the Zhou empires.  Instead he asked questions and his questions soon proved intrusive and oddly knowing.  He believed that the Kwam-Rak family was in possession was in possession of a mysterious carpet with a unique design, an abstract pattern that “becomes nearly recognizable if you stare at it long enough, like a landscape visited in a dream.”  Pau-Lung could not deny that he knew of such a carpet, but refused to consider any offers to sell it, even refused to discuss its whereabouts.  No one had ever seen Pau-Lung so distraught, but the man smiled, promising to return later, “after you’ve had some time to consider all the advantages of letting it go and the disadvantages of keeping it.”

Pau-Lung explained that he did in fact own a mysterious carpet.  He had only seen it once.  His father had show it to him, told him the story of its origin and the reason why it must be kept within the family.

Generations ago, the Kwam-Rak family had been simple jungle hunters.  They were not even a family for they had no name, no land, no legacy.  But the first Kwam-Rak had met a strange creature in the forest and agreed to share his honey with it.  In honor of his hospitality, the creature taught the first Kwam-Rak all the secrets of agriculture, building, metal-working, and more, even house to read, write, and play music.  With the help of this benefactor, the first Kwam-Rak had cleared a plot of fertile land, built a solid house and established himself as the first of his people.  The benefactor promised Kwam-Rak that his family would hold the land in perpetuity.  In return, he only must promise to keep safe a beautiful carpet of exquisite design.  He could not allow it to be harmed and could not sell it or give it to anyone outside the family. 

“Ginjo, you have chosen another life.  Your brother is a good farmer and a good manager.  He will inherit the land, the farm, and family’s wealth.  But you will receive the family’s most precious legacy.  Take it far away from here.  When the stranger returns, I will show him the presents you gave us and tell him that I sold it.  And I know that he will force me to tell him where you have gone, so tell me what I should tell him and nothing more.”

Ginjo agreed to take the carpet.  Pau-Lung gave it to wrapped in rough cloth and asked him not to look at it until he had gone somewhere far away.

Ginjo spent the next few days resting and relaxing with his family.  He learned that his niece Phubi had received the gift of insight and healing.  Pau-Lung asked Ginjo to take her with him.  “She is young, but brave, and the good spirits will not allow her to come to any harm.  Protect her and allow her to protect you.”

Ginjo, Sukh, and their associates left the Kwam-Rak stronghold and went to Pasar, and to the Monastery of the Two-Fold Path.  Ginjo and Sukh secured themselves in their quarters and unwrapped the carpet.  As described, its design was abstract, bearing lines and shapes and fields of colors in no clear pattern.  What had not been described was the border of red with golden letters that Ginjo recognized as the Bakemono language.

The Caves of Inharmonious Discord, Part 8 (Two Prisoners)

 The next day, the party returned to the shrine of the Death Cult.  They were met by one of the adepts and eight skeletons.  Seeing the four bakemono, the adept asked the party to wait while he summoned the supreme leader.  As soon as the adept was out of sight, Ginjo attacked the skeletons, swiftly dispatching two of them.  The rest of the party joined him in laying the bones definitively to rest; then they quickly made their way to the receiving room in which they had met the supreme leader the previous day.  When they arrived, a group of four adepts were busy summoning a large group of skeletons and zombies.  Ginjo led the attack against the adepts and their minions while Sukh, accompanied by Shek and Sheng tore through a series of smaller rooms until they found the supreme leader in his private chambers, starting to don his armor.  Relying on his evil powers, he was able to incapicate Sheng and Shek, but Sukh fought with determination and courage, slashing at him with his sword and smashing up the furniture while driving him forcefully into a corner and killing him

Out in the reception room, Ginjo concentrated his attacks on the adepts while the sohei fought the skeletons and zombies.  Using superior tactics, the four of the sohei held the bulk of the mindless undead at bay, allowing only one or two to fight at once so that they could be destroyed by the other sohei.  

When the battles were over, the party declared an uneasy victory.  The supreme leader was dead and most if not all of his minions had been destroyed.  But there was no sign of Irak.  While debating what to do next, who should run into the room but their "friend" Pana.  His robe was torn and his face bruised.  "They're coming!"  he cried.  "The other priests!  They're going to kill us all!"

Sukh pointed his sword at Pana's throat and demanded "Where is Irak?"

Pana didn't want to answer and didn't need to.  A heavy clanking sound announced the arrival of four more skeletons in rusty armor, followed by three priests in red robes and three zombies.  Ginjo ordered the sohei to adopt an defensive position against the skeletons charge.  Then he made a counter attack routing the three priests whose flight was hampered by their own zombies.  In the confusion of battle, Sukh noticed that Pana had disappeared. Quickly deciding there was one place where he could have gone, Sukh dashed through the reception room and into the chambers of the supreme leader-- sur enough Pana was there, looting the body of his fallen master.  "It's what he would have wanted."  Pana found a handful of coins and gems at Sukh and pushed a panel to open a hidden passage.

Out in the hallway, the sohei destroyed the skeletons and Ginjo killed one of the priests while the others ran away.  Ginjo backed away from the attacking zombies and ducked half way behind a corner so he could fight them one at a time.  They were much slower than his flashing blade and he quickly cut them down.  As the last of the zombies fell to the floor, a previously hidden door opened and Pana dashed out. Ginjo brought him down with a flying tackle and began punching him while the sohei gathered around to cut off any attempts to escape. Sukh emerged from the hidden passage and the party threatened Pana with death if he wouldn't take them to Irak.

Pana agreed. He led them down the wide smooth echoing corridor and down a flight of rough steps into a darker, cramped dungeon.  The passage here was narrow and twisting, and he led them through a series of barred doors to a small chamber.  He open a small window so that Ginjo could the legs of a chained woman inside, then handed him a set of keys.  Ginjo opened the door and rushed in, but the woman was not Irak, but a horrible monster with snakes for hair.  Ginjo stopped himself sort but the valiant Sheng met the eyes of the monster and was turned to stone.

Sukh and Shek seized Pana and pulled his arms behind his back before he could even think of running.  He pleaded his ignorance, and begged for another chance to prove himself, but with a more immediate crisis at hand, they simply held him tightly and ignored his argument.

The snake-lady offered the party a bargain.  Her freedom in exchange for the elixir that would restore their friend.  Sukh flatly refused.  "We don't trust you and we won't free you until we have the elixir."  Ginjo resolved the stalemate by charging at the woman, and braving the snakes until he found the elixir.  They restored Sheng and left the snake woman, reasoning that she could not be trusted.

Pana led them deeper into the dungeon and to a larger chamber filled with devices of torture.   Irak was there.  So was the torturer; he had a few words with Pana, then grabbed his axe and rushed at Ginjo.  Pana called upon his dark magic and transfixed Sukh.  Ginjo dodged the totrtured's axe and drew his sword.  Sheng and Shek fell on Pana.  With Sukh unable to speak and Ginjo engaged in mortal combat with a worthy foe, there was no one to answer Pana's last cries for mercy and he was swiftly killed.  Ginjo, tired and bloodied from his fight with the skeletons and zombies might have fallen under the heavy blows of the bloodthirsty torturer, but the sohei came to his assistance and killed his wicked foe. 

Ginjo broke the chains to free Irak.  Meanwhile, the bakemono practiced their recently learned healing arts upon Sukh and massaged his limbs until he was able to stand and move again.  

The party carefully traced their steps out of the dungeon and into the open air.  It was late afternoon and many of their number were in no shape to make a forced marched to Pasar.  They climbed higher up the canyon and far enough from the caves that they felt relatively safe and made camp.  The most wounded slept while the bakemono tended to them.  In the morning, they hiked back to Pasar.  The party thanked the bakemono for their assistance and the bakemono thanked them for giving them a chance to redeem themselves.  They would not return to the caves but they knew they would not be accepted in human society.  Instead they would build a hut deep in the forest and live out their days according to what they had learned from the kindly and forgiving Gunjar.

The Caves of Inharmonious Discord, Part 7 ("This is all your handiwork")

Sukh, Ginjo and their retinue of on-loan sohei and former mercenaries decided to go to the cavern hideout of the wicked men and demand to know what happened to their friend.  They were received with unctuous hospitality.  The men living in the cavern seemed to be far outnumbered by scores of reanimated skeletons and corpses that seemed to unquestioning follow their every command.  The men, dressed in dark red and black robes spoke gleefully of the awesome power of death and congratulated Sukh and Ginjo for the many offerings they had provided.  Indeed, most of the reanimated corpses were those of bakemono; both Sukh and Ginjo recognized certain individuals as enemies they had recently cut down with their own blades.

The leader of the death cult told them that he did have Irak and that he had plans for her.  But . . . 

He would be willing to make a trade.  He did not want money.  He wanted life for life.  Four bakemono lives would be worth it to him to surrender the prize of a brave and honorable monk.

Sukh and Ginjo agreed.  They returned to their first campsite and the shrine to Gunjar.  They met the bakemono who tended the shrine and asked for their help in defeating the Death Cult.  They would be asked to fight and they would not be turned over as sacrifices.  Sukh and Ginjo promised that they only needed their help to negotiate for Irak's release and that no one would be left behind.  The bakemono agreed.

The Caves of Inharmonious Discord, Part 6

Back in Pasar, Ginjo and Sukh made a quick plan.  Based on what the bakemono had told Ginjo about the "kidnapper" bakemono, Sukh wanted to approach them about their missing comrades.  He wasn't ready to deal with hordes of undead.  And, by selling one of the gems from the temple, they might have enough cash to ransom their friends from the kidnappers and avoid a lot of unnecessary hassle.  Sheng the mercenary who had spent time with Shek in a bakemono dungeon was eager to join the effort to find his friend.  The group of sohei also agreed to the plan in hopes of rescuing Irak.

Ginjo and Sukh found the kidnapper bakemono and struck a deal.  Unlike some of the other bakemono, these were larger than most men and covered with hair thick hair.  They were cagey negotiators, insisting that the party buy both of their humans sigh unseen, but were willing to accept much less than the party had expected to pay, 100 tael for the pair.  

Happily one of the ransomed captives was Shek.  Sadly, the other was a wild, crazy and belligerent man. The hairy-bear bakemono rolled him down the hill in chains.  As soon as he was released, he struck Sukh, made a grab for his sword and, when thwarted, charged back up the hill to attack his former captors with his chains.

Reasoning that a dog will always return to its vomit, Ginjo and Sukh took this opportunity to hustle Shek to safety and learn his account of his capture.  Shek confirmed their suspicion that the Pana had used strange magic to paralyze himself and Irak and then carried them into the darkness.  They had both been bound with ropes to be carried and force marched through the forest, and reached the Caves near dawn.  It was still dark, and they had encountered a large number of bakemono were cavorting and fighting each other in the open area at the bottom of the canyon.  Shek recounted that Pana had traded away first his two assistants and then Shek in order to keep hold of Irak.  Based on this recount, Sukh and Ginjo deduced that Pana was affiliated with the wicked men who had constructed some kind of temple in one of the caverns high in the canyon.  Ginjo was not eager to return there, having been quite unnerved by the experience of fighting animated skeletons.  But he agreed it was the only way to save Irak and that time was already against them.

The Caves of Inharmonious Discord Part 5

Gwinch received the news about Irak's capture with tempered concern.  Far from resenting Ginjo, he provided five sohei, all veterans of battles during the years of strife within Pasar, with orders to accompany Ginjo in his hunt to locate their missing comrade.

While Sukh had some business to attend to in Pasar, Ginjo was anxious to return to the caves and rescue Irak. He found a sage to teach him some useful phrases in the bakemono language and some scrolls to study to better understand its grammar.  Dank-Sum, a mercurial wondering warrior from the Northern Empire,  volunteered to join them, asking only that he would share in all major decisions in leading the group.

During the days in Pasar, Ginjo had reflected on the loss of his friend Gunjar and also puzzled over the odd statue and collection of objects at their old camp.  Based on a hunch, when it came time to return to the caves, Ginjo suggested that the group return to the old camp once more.  Dank-Sum questioned how this detour would serve their goal, but went along.

The shrine at their old campsite had seen several improvements, including a garland of leaves and flowers around the statue.  And upon closer inspection of the crude statue, Ginjo noted several uncanny details that made him nearly sure that it was intended to represent his fallen friend Gunjar! While Ginjo puzzled over what this could mean, Dank-Sum heard the sound of someone approaching.  The party scrambled to find cover.

A few minutes later, four pig-faced bakemono arrived at the campsite, chanting gibberish.  They offered a bowl of rice to Gunjar's statute and sat, looking at it.  The bakemono seemed to have dressed to resembled Gunjar, complete with staff, rough robes, and fake beards.  When Ginjo emerged from the bushes, the bakemono were visibly alarmed, but did not flee.  Ginjo was friendly and make good use of his bakemono greetings.  The bakemono explained that Gunjar had spared their lives while many other bakemono had been punished for their wickedness.  While most of the other pig-faced bakemono had fled the Caves of Discord, they had remained, united by a vow to spend the rest of their days living peacefully and never doing harm to humans ever again.

Sum-Dank was charmed by the bakemono's testimony, but wanted facts about the Caves of Discord.  The four bakemono had much to share.  They drew a picture in the dirt, describing the different bakemono who lived in the caves.  Most had been "punished for their wickedness" and killed or driven away.  Those who remained were the most fearsome and most wicked of the bakemono who kidnapped people and sold them to the bull-man for eating.  Or sometimes just ate them.  And then there were the evil men who lived in the red and black caves, even more wicked than any bakemono.  Based on it the description of the bad men, Ginjo and Dank-Sum concluded that Pana the odd foreign priest from Pasar was actually affiliated with these men.

And so they saw out the black and red cave high up at the end of the canyon and ventured inside.  Immediately, the party knew that they were not dealing with bakemono.  Instead of the reek of rotten food and unwashed bodies, there was the cool stench of death mixed with acrid odor of strange incense.  Instead of chattering and growling in the distance, there was distant moaning, shrill piping, and the alarming echo of their own footsteps.  And there were zombies.

Bakemonos, once killed by spear thrusts or the slash of fine sword, ambled along the corridor, and attacked with stupid fearlessness,  The party encountered a large group of zombies and animated skeletons in an ornate audience chamber, dominated by a ebonywood throne on a marble dais.  After destroying the undead, the party discussed what to do next.  Ginjo acknowledged that in dealing with such strange enemies, he would like to be fighting side by side with Sukh, his friend from the north.  Dank-Sum, for his part, announced that he would simply return to Pasar and enjoy a life of ease.  Together, they pried four large gems out of the throne and returned to civilization.

When Art Imitates Awesomeness

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpvGr3O2ZHg

The Caves of Inharmonious Discord Part 4

Now a battle-hardened group of nine, the party returned to the ground they'd claimed near the Caves, a small clearing serviced by a stream. They were surprised to find a statue of a man or humanoid, made of clay and stones, with a long braid of grass for hair. The statue was about two feet tall, and held the shaft of an arrow as a staff. The statue was placed on a low mound and surrounded by small offerings including a jar of beer and a stack of coins. Chilled to think that this was no coincidence but evidence that someone had tracked them to their base, the party set out to find a new place to bivouac. The place they found seemed satisfactory, but an hour after sunset, the sound of drumming rose to discourage restful sleep for anyone. It sounded like it was coming from a swampy area to the south. Half-expecting an imminent attack, the party listened until the drumming became monotonous, and then ate quick meals of rations while devising a schedule for sleep and watch. Sukh and Ginjo decided that the foreign priests would not be called upon to keep watch. Instead, they would share this duty with Irak and Sid, Sheng and Shek. The drumming ebbed and flow but did not cease until nearly dawn.

In the morning, the group decided to seek out yet another camping spot, and moved a couple miles away from any of the danger spots they'd identified-- the swamp, the "shrine" at their old campsite, and the Caves themselves. They found a decent spot, well-sheltered and with water nearby, and then set out for the caves. They decided to return to one of the caves on the northern wall of the cavern that Sukh had previously raided with Sentra. They found the familiar row of skulls and severed heads. They found a large hall, quiet, and with a cold fireplace. Hearing footsteps, they turned to meet the approach of a badly-injured bakemono, his pig-like nose having been crushed into his face. The bakemono's movements were slow and jerky and its eyes did not register the intruders. Pana, the foreign priest, pulled an amulet form under his robes and ordered the unsettling creature to begone. Without making any clear response to this gesture, the bakemono zombie passed through the room without attacking.

The party concluded that this cave had been deserted and decided to leave it themselves. They returned to their new camp.

That night passed peacefully. In fact, Sukh and Ginjo slept so well that they did not wake up until mid-morning and discovered that half the party was missing, including Shek and Irak (who had been on final watch together), plus the foreign priests. Ginjo found tracks that seemed to suggest that at least some of the missing people had gone in the direction of the caves.

On the canyon floor, they discovered the dead body of the one of the acolytes, as well as those of two dog-lizard bakemono. Reading this as a clue, they entered the low cavern on the northern wall from which Sukh had previously seen this same type of bakemono. They charged into the cave and Ginjo and Sid stumbled into a hidden pit. At the same time, a pack of giant rats attacked, followed by javelin-wielding bakemono. Sukh and Sheng fought off the rats, but Sheng received a nearly lethal wound from a javelin. Sukh helped him leave the caven and found him a place to hide. When he returned to the fight, he found four bakemono gathered around the edge of the pit, cheering and jeering while pushing the rats into it.

Two well-placed arrows from Sukh sent the bakemonos to flight. Down in the pit, Sid and Ginjo were harassed by vicious rats from all sides, but without the threat of additional rats raining down on their heads, their sharp swords soon obliterated the vermin. Sukh let down a rope and rescued his companions.

Based on this experience, Sukh and Ginjo concluded that a stronger group of bakemono had taken their friends. And also that they had little hope of prevailing in any battle against stronger foes. They took the injured Sheng back to Pasar and gave Gwinch the bad news that Irak had been captured.

The Caves of Inharmonious Discord Part 3

The adventurers spent a few days resting and discussing their next move. Gino and Gunjar decided that if they made a trip to Pasar to recuperate or find supplies, some of their companions might not want to return to the caves. There were at least two more dens of bakemono.

So, the next morning, they made another assault, investigating one of the highest caves on the south side of the canyon. The bakemono here had a strange aspect, being generally lean, almost skeletal, with faces like canny dogs or mangy cats. They were powerful, but lackadaisical warriors. The heroes surprised a group at their dinner and, thanks to Gunjar's call for divine assistance, swiftly incapacitated them, binding them and depriving them off their long, wickedly-barbed spears..

The heroes crept past a cave filled with sleeping bakemono and then burst into the room occupied by the chief of this group of bakemono. After a difficult battle punctuated by the bakemonos' whooping and maniacal laughter, the chief was killed and the others had surrendered. The heroes bound the surviving bakemono. In the meantime, they heard noise outside, and a few bakemono knocked on the door. Gunjar wanted to meditate and heal his wounded companions, but they kept returning. They were supplicant, but loud. Ginjo and Gunjar decided they would turn them away once more, then wait for silence and make a break for it.

They followed this plan, but on their way up the hallway, then a group of bakemono with bows and crossbows jumped out and started firing arrows at the party. A larger group of bakemono, armed with spears came at them from a side room. Ginjo and Gunjar realized all of their companions were in grave danger. Ginjo charged at the bowman while Gunjar tried to hold the spearmen in the sideroom. Both were largely success full, but enough bakemono slipped through to attack the rest of the party.

Just when all seemed lost, Sentra and Sukh arrived and surprised the bow-wielding bakemono from behind. They killed one and distracted the others long enough for Ginjo to direct his companions to the safety of the outside world.

Sid was the last of the monks and he was gored by a spear and fell to the ground. Gunjar drove away the attacking bakemono with his staff and then knelt to revive his dying friend. He succeeded, pulled Sid to his feet and pushed up the hallway toward safety. But, three bakemono took this opportunity to attack Gunjar with axes and spears. They knocked him to the floor and stabbed him over and over. Ginjo fought past the bakemono at the top of the hallway and led the others out of the cavern.

Down on the cavern floor, they regrouped. Gunjar, Ginjo had received several minor wounds and some of the others were hurt quite badly. The mysterious Sentra had disappeared into the wilderness, but Sukh stepped up to a role of leadership, muttering an apology for his long-time resentment of Gunjar. "I just thought he was odd, but he never hurt anyone. Now he's gone, Anyway, let's get back to camp."

This was easier said than done. Gunjar knew the way best. Sukh thought he knew the way, but ended up in a swamp. They retraced their way and found themselves in a thick forest, just as the sun was setting. The part stumbled on, using their swords and parangs to cut through the vines that hung thickly from every branch. Arif, one of the monks, got his sword caught in what looked like a thick shiny vine, but proved to be strangley elastic and sticky. He caught his other arm trying to break his sword free, and then two strange, hairy creatures dropped on him-- spiders, about the size of cats. Arif's friends from the monastery rushed to his aid, killing one spider and and driving the other away. But it was too late for Arif. He died of the spiders poison.

Rather than find "home camp," the party decided to just find an open place, far from the trees and wait out the night. Those who were exhausted slept. Those who couldn't sleep kept watch. The next day the group returned to Pasar via the Rowche Valley. Howzaa, the last of the farmers, announced that he was ready for a quiet life. He would defend his village from Bakemono attacks, but he would not go looking for death in the Caves of Discord. The party's courage would be remembred anf they were welcome in his home any time.

Back in Pasar, the monks Bagus and Cahya were less apologetic. They did not have confidence in Ginjo's ability to lead and saw that he was more motivated by a hunt for personal glory than any deeper calling.

Sid, another monk, formed a friendship with Sukh, mourning Gunjar. He could not explain how fighting bakmono served the goals of the Two-Fold Path, but he trusted that Gunjar had seen some purpose in it and if Sukh wanted to return, so would we.

Likewise, Irak admitted to Ginjo that she believed in him even if her fellow monks did not. There was a deeper evil, a darker threat to Pasar. The Two-Fold Path had taught her to look for allies in all places.

Sheng and Shek, the mercenary guards whom the party had rescued were thoroughly committed to Ginjo, plus they were getting paid by the Silk Guild. Attacking bakemono was ten times more profitable than escorting caravan and waiting to get ambushed.

Sukh and Ginjo felt confident felt confident I their ability to lead the other four, but still felt the lack of Gunjar's wisdom and knowledge of the healing arts. They needed a holy man, and not anouther warrior monk, but a true mystic. They met Pana, a foreigner from the lands to the west. He was not an adherent of One Law, but promised that he and his two silent acolytes had access to secret wisdom. And he was enthusiastic about killing bakemono.

The Caves of Inharmonious Discord Part 2

From the vantage point of the large  purple-green bakemono, Gunjar and Ginjo had spotted a number of other caves higher and deeper in the canyon.  The chose one to explore, having found a broken shield outside, plus a handful of copper yuan.  Almost as soon as they entered, they felt disoriented and this feeling intensified as they explored further.  Gunjar, doing his best to map, was overcome by an urge to vomit.   They were attracted to a dim red light and horrified to find its source, a scuttle of dog-sized beetles with  glowing glands surrounding their scythe-like mandibles.  Ginjo, a true warrior, overcame his fear and drew his sword, and let the farmers and monks into battle against the disgusting foes.  The beetles were fierce and their shells hard like armor.  While Ginjo’s individual prowess was no match for the beetles, but his tactics failed to account for their strange qualities.  Two climbed up the walls to escape his flashing blade and then dropped down on the lightly-armored Liu-Po.  They tore him to bits. 

Gunjar and Ginjo rallied their companions and killed the beetle that had killed Liu-Po and chased away the others.  Shaken my the death of the valiant farmer, Gunjar proclaimed that they should exit the cave, and take Liu-Po's remains with them.  Ginjo led the way, bearing a lantern.  The twisting ways of the cavern seemed to take them deeper and deeper, but just when they had nearly given up, they saw the glow of daylight.  They walked toward the light and felt the outside air on their faces.  They carried Liu-Po's body back to their camp and decided to bury him there.  Gunjar presided over a short ceremony.

The Caves of Inharmonious Discord Part 1

A couple months later, a few farmers from Rowche visited Gunjar and Ginjo to ask for more help.  The village priest had led a procession to the abandoned temple with plans to reconsecrate it, and found it had been burnt to the ground.  All evidence-- including tracks, graffiti, and a couple pig-nosed humanoid bodies-- suggested that bakemono were responsible.  In the weeks that followed, bakemono had begun raiding the village, mainly to steal rice and livestock, but gleefully killing any villagers who tried to stop them.  Two of the farmers, at great risk to their own lives, Howzaa and Li Po, had followed the bakemono tracks to a slot canyon riddled with caves, perhaps once the refuge of a band of monks, but now thoroughly corrupted by the forces of disharmony, discord, and yes, chaos.

Gunjar and Ginjo recrutied a few of the monks from the Monastery of the Two-Fold Path and set out to destroy this wickedness at its source!

Gunjar and Ginjo noted a cavern entrance on the floor of the southern side of the canyon and entered there. Not far within, they encountered a half dozen of the blue-green, pointy eared bakemono that they’d fought at the temple above Rowche Valley. The heroes had the advantage in every way—numbers, tactics, and individual prowess. The bakemono were killed and the heroes pressed on. They reached a cramped chamber, pathetically styled as a throne room, where a slightly larger bakemono bloodthirstily ordered his underlings to attack. Gunjar uttered a blistering sermon condemning them for their wicked ways and the bakemono were struck dead.

The heroes pressed on, climbed a flight of stairs and and explored other caverns, other rooms.  They encountered larger, better armed bakemono, but thanks to Ginjo's courage and leadership, they continued to triumph in every battle, suffering only minor injuries, which were well-tended by the wise and capable Gunjar.  In the course of their adventures, the heroes came upon more proof of the bakemono's wickedness-- several  human prisoners. These included a wealthy silk merchant, his wife, and two of his guards.  The  merchant begged to be escorted back to Pasar.  The heroes agreed.  Ginjo received a generous reward from the Silk Guild.  The guards, named Shek and Sheng, were outfitted with armor and weapons and directed to accompany the heroes in any future assaults against the denziens of the Caves.  Shek and Sheng, having witness the prowess of Ginjo and Gunjar first hand were proud to join them.

In addition, Sentra and Sukh agreed to join the plans for future sorties against the bakemono.  Gwinch provided 5 more sohei.  All told, the expedition force included a dozen farmers, sohei, and caravaners, plus the four leaders.  They made a shared camp, but decided that they would split into two forces, with one group staying to guard camp while the other made a run against the Cave.  This would ensure that wounded adventurers would have a safe camp to return to.

Sentra and Sukh led the next raid, together with a few sohei and farmers.  They first ventured toward a small tunnel, half-obscured by trees at the base of the northern side of the cavern.  As they drew closer, they were ambused by a half-dozen small, but vicious bakemono.  They dropped from the trees and stabbed Sid the sohei with their spears.  He was rescued by his companions, who chased the strange little bakemono-- whom some compared to rats, others to dogs, and others to lizards-- back into the underbrush.  Sheng was barely breathing.  Sentra was able to stablize him, but insisted that they return him to the relative safety of camp.

This was done and Sukh and Sentra returned to the caves, this time following a path up the northern wall of canyon and entering a wide cavern mouth, its entry way well-lit by the afternoon sun.  The sun's rays fell on the grisly site of about 50 skulls and severed heads, lined up in a series of niches.  Some were human, most were pointy-earred bakemono.  From the corner of his eye, Sentra noted a pig-nosed head that seemed to move.  He blinked and it was gone.  Closer inspection found a hole at the back of an empty niche.  Sentra threw his torch threw the hole and saw another hallway running parallel to the one they were in, behind the row of heads.  They had been seen!  Sentra and Sukh made some quick deductions and charged down the entry corridor, seeking a way to get to the watcher's hallway!  They didn't find him, but they found a group of four pig-headed bakemono.  The fight was quick.  The bakemono were killed and the heroes pressed on, reaching the lair of a bloated, bright red bakemono, with huge tusks sprouting from his procine face.  He was surrounded by bodyguards and what appeareed to be female bakemono.  The sohei and farmers squared off against the bodyguards while Sukh challenged the chief.  The chief was a powerful, but reckless warrior.  Sukh dodged and deflected a flurry of blows until the chief exhausted himself, whereupon Sukh swiftly dispatched him.  The death of the chief shocked the other bakemono; in their panic, they were swiftly dispatched.  The heroes of Pasar looted the chief's lair and then made their way out of his cave and returned to their camp.

Early the next morning, two groups compared notes and maps and Gunjar and Ginjob set out for the caves with a group of retainers.  They ventured into another cavern that was inhabited by pig-nosed bakemono.  Gunjar called on divine assitance in transfixing a large group of bakemono.  He would not allow Ginjob or any of the others to kill them, insisting that he was devoted to forgiveness and peace.  He would fight to save his life, but would one not harm a helpless prisoner.  When they encountered the chief of this group of bakemono, the combat was lethal.  Ginjob killed the chief and claimed his magical axe, and the heroes made their way out and returned to camp.

The next day, Sentra was too tired to leave camp and so Gunjar and Ginjob decided they would lead another sortie.  This time, rather than charge into new caves, they decided to make another visit to the pointy-eared bakemono who had been holding Sheng and Shek prisoner.  They surprised a group of about a dozen small blue and green bakemono, armed with crude spears and killed several of them.  The survivors threw down their spears and begged for mercy.  Gunjar ordered them to leave the caves and forswear their wicked behavior. Venturing once more into the upper caverns where they'd rescued Sheng and Shek.  They met larger, fiercer bakemono, with the same large pointed ears and colored deeper purple greens and purples.  These bakemono despite their individual prowess, were not numerous and were overwhelmed by sheer numbers.  The heroes located an extensive armory.  Farmers and sohei helped themselves to fine suits of mail, shields, and swords and bows.  The noted light from the outside and discovered an exit.  From higher up on the southern wall of the cavern, they were able to note several additional cavern entrances, on the northern side of the canyon and in its west end. It was late in the day.  Everyone in the party was tired and some were wounded.  While scanning for a way back down to the canyon floor, Ginjo noticed a large hairy creature armed with a huge club and surrounded by about a dozen bakemono.  They were communicating with it excitedly, exhorting it to enter their cave.  These were the same bakemono that Gunjar had agreed to spare.

When the hairy creature did enter the caverns by the lower exit, Gunjar and Ginjo made their  escape.  They followed a path that led both deeper into the canyon and higher up the cliff wall until they located a large and well-worked cavern entrance. Could this be a place to rest? No. Despite the impressive exterior, there was something unnerving about the place.  They heard a faint piping  from  within and a felt a chill draft that carried a foul odor.  Gunjar and Ginjo decided that it would be safest to return to camp.

Rowche Rumble

Pasar has been quiet.  By the time the investigators returned to the Black Flower hideout in the Blue Water Wine Hall, it was found to be deserted.  While there was clear evidence of their recent presence, none of it implicated specific individuals, none of it elucidated a motive to the murder, and none of it suggested what activities they might pursue next.

Ginjo: "Black flower is not openly in the city and we met the farmers because we started a drug store."

The "drug" Ginjob referred to is "Rowche," a mild stimulant, popular among Pasari originals and in throughout the area.  The best Rowche was grown in the Rowche Valley, about half a day's journey from Pasar.

Ginjo: "The farmers asked us to get their jade leaf statue back from the bakemono. And we agreed to help them so the Rowche would keep coming so we could sell it."

According to the farmers, the bakemono were wicked creatures that had long harassed them, and stealing their livestock.  The farmers had long tolerated this behavior, but recently the bakemono had made a larger raid, and stolen the jade leaf statue which, the farmers believed, brought the blessings of warm rains and gentle sunshine to their valley.  A large group had stolen it and were now encamped in the abandoned temple on the ridge above the village.

In fact, Ginjo agreed to help the farmers, but his friend Sukh refused.  Making inquiries, he met Gunjar, a wandering shaman from the steppes.  Gunjar had little interest in Rowche, but he was outraged at the desecration of the temple.

So, Ginjo and Gunjar traveled to the village and Rowche.  They were quietly celebrated.  Early the next morning, Ginjo and Gunjar, together with seven farmers, made their way up the mist-shrouded ridge.  By noon, they reached the top of the ridge and were passing through a forest.  The mists had cleared, and the peaked roof of the dlipadated temple was visible above the treetops.  

As the heroes reached the edge of the forest, they heard noise and in the clearing beyond saw about a dozen creatures, all vaguely humanoid, none remotely human.  Some were horned, others were winged, many, but not all had tails.  Their ears and noses were generally large and pointed.  Their skin colors were blue and green and purple.  Two were blind-folded and beating each other senseless with sticks while the others cheered them on.

Gunjar asked that the largest of these creatures be transfixed; his prayer was granted.  Ginjo led the farmers into battle and the remaining bakemono were killed.  The heroes bound the transfixed bakemono and carried them into the forests.

Inside the temple, there were more bakemono.  Again, the heroes surprised them, and killed many.  But there were so many of them, and the undisciplined farmers, armed with short spears, suffered the most.  Three were killed and others ran away.  The bakemono were also undisciplined and pursued the fleeing farmers while the survivors accompanied Gunjar and Ginjo up to the top floor.  These bakemono were larger, better armed and fully prepared for an attack.  Or so they thought.  Gunjar issued a blistering sermon, condemning the bakemono for their violent ways, and most were struck dead by his words, so true in their harshness.  Ginjo killed the leader inone-on-one combar and the farmers reclaimed their jade leaf. There was a subdued celebration.  Only two of the seven farmers returned with minor wounds.  These were Howzaa who had fled the large battle in the lower floor of the temple, but nevertheless managed to kill a pursuing bakemono and claim his bakemono.  The other was Liu Po who stayed close to Ginjo when the battle was fiercest.  In that day he learned to fight with courage.