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.