Joyful Rescue!

While Bangqiu was training, Tetsukichi and Beatriss made plans to return once more to the slavers’ stockade and this time to actually find and free the captive slaves. They met a traveler from Zhou Dang who was interested in accompanying them. He was a Tuigan, introduced himself as Sum-Dank and, by his bearing, showed he was used to the status associated with rank and wealth. He had a personal feud with the Black Flowers and wanted to avenge the death of a family member.

Without Bangqiu’s magical assistance, the party encoutnered new challenges entering the stockade. Damai led them to the secret entrance through a hole in the stone wall. They passed through the open courtyards into the garden where they met and killed the giant worm. The apes were also threatening, but Tetsukichi negotiated safe passage and Sum-Dank thanked them with generous gifts of goat meat.

The descended into the dungeon and passed through familiar corridors until they reached the room where they’d freed the man who was trapped with the rabid wolf. A man was there, tough-looking, and well-armed, but with a desperate look in his eyes. Kei-Ma was his name; he’d fallen in with the Black Flowers, but wasn’t a part of them. In fact they’d killed his friends. He offered the party some useful information, for a small consideration, just 25 tael so he could buy a horse in Quitokai and get away. Beatriss bargained him down to 20 and the party learned that the “best way” to get to where the slaves were held captive was to go through the natural caves accessed by way of a hidden tunnel in the torture chamber.

The passage proved difficult to navigate as it required the party to traverse a steep ravine filled with stalagmites and other sharp rock formations. Several rock pillars rose from the ravine, seeming to offer one way of crossing the ravine for those sure-footed enough to leap from one to another. But slick stone and thick mist rising from a steam vent discouraged this approach from being considered as a general solution. Instead, the party relied on rope, iron spikes, and the superior climbing skills of Damai and Sum-Dank to climb down into the ravine and then stumble across it. Climbing out proved more difficult. Strange creatures lived on the floor of the ravine. An adorable blue thing with bulbous eyes playfully stole Beatriss’s extra sword. Worse, when Sum-Dank free-climbed out of the ravine, he was shot by an arrow. Grimacing through the pain, he completed his ascent and scrambled for cover, then threw a rope down for the others. Tetsukichi climbed up next, under the cover of a thick cloud of mist. When the mist cleared, he could see that they were being attacked by a pair of archers from the other side of the ravine-- and one of them was Kei-Ma, the “helpful guide” who had suggested they come this way. Tetsukichi returned fire as the other party members made the climb. Those who successfully ascended joined Tetsukichi in shooting back at the ambushers across the ravine, finally driving them away.

The party rested briefly, and Ju-Mei assisted Sum-Dank in removing the arrow head from his back. The party pressed deeper into the tunnels, stopped to admire an underground bee-keeping operation (noting that the bees’ hive was in the roots of a hollow tree, which might provide another means of egress from the dungeon, if it weren’t for the bees), and then walked into another ambush: a hwacha, wolves, a score of cannibals, and a Black Flower commander. Mustapha pulled out a magic wand and blasted the villains with a fireball.

In time, the party emerged from the caverns-- into the room where they’d met and killed Marquessa. If there was any doubt before, they were now sure that the caverns had not been “the best way.” Bangqiu noticed that the cages of the owl-bear creatures were empty and warned everyone to be on guard.

Referring to the map that Gwinch had made in their earlier exploration with Toge, Bangqiu led the others’ out of Marquessa’s workroom and into a new part of the dungeon-- where they did find about a hundred captives. Unlike those from the moaning chamber above, these captives were eager to communicate, even if they spoke languages the rest of the party couldn’t understand. There was one toady among them who called out to the guards-- and promptly got those guards killed. Again, Mustapha played an important tactical role, using the illusion of a giant snake to cut off the guards’ attempt to raise the alarm.

The party hurriedly unlocked all of the prison cells and, after a few wrong turns, led them out of the dungeon to safety.

Back in Quitokai, the party was finally called heroes. They were feted and feasted in the weeks that followed. And they promised to stop bothering the baboons and their special fish. As word got out, villagers from the surrounding areas descended on Quitokai to be re-united with their loved ones. There were some other rescued captives who came from far-away places:

There was Bi-Gon-Dang, a monk, a young initiate from the monastery of the Two-Fold Path in Khanbaliq who had made enemies among his fellow monks when he objected to their participation in the slave trade. He and Sum-Dank set off for Khanbaliq, pledging that they would fight together to rid the capital of that evil.

There were several Cynadiceans. Most were, “of the lost,” committed to private hallucinations. The adults were distressed by the bright sunlight and their lack of masks; they sought refuge in darkness and accepted the hospitality of the people of Quitokai with scant gratitude. Bangqiu, even with his magic could barely understand their language as expression of coherent thought. The children, while sensitive to the sun, seemed to accept Quitokai as their new home. They adapted their imagined identities to match the make-believe games of the local children There was one Brother of Gorm. He told Tetsukichi and Bangqiu of the evil Zargon and and of his devotion to the the Order that would return Cynadicea to its former glory. He regarded Beatriss with pity-- a Cynadicean woman without a mask! But then he noticed the sickle scar on her wrist-- the last signifier of her former status as a Warrior Woman of Madura-- and his pity turned to scorn and condescension. Beatriss had no interest in leading him, or any of the Cynadiceans, back to the terrible place that had once been her home.

There were a handful of people who had crossed an ocean as captives. Bangqiu promised them that if they remained would him, he would take them to a port and buy a ship and with their guidance return them to their homes.

But first, there were those whose homes were closer by, but still needed help to reach them. There was Shushi, daughter of a Khanbaliq merchant who offered no reward, but was desperate to return home. Several were children had been kidnapped from hunter tribes that lived deep in the jungle and rarely interacted with the agricultural villages such as Quitokai. Tetsukichi promised that he would help them find their families.

Cannibalism! Xitaqa attacked! New Teacher!

Despite the lack of gratitude, heroes are heroes. A couple days later, the band of rescuers, led by Beatriss, Tetsukichi, and Bangqiu, made additional forays into the stockade and the dungeons beneath. They rescued one villager who was trapped in a box with a rabid wolf. Though traumatized by the experience, he was fully conscious and responsive. Once he was returned safely to Quitokai, showed great happiness to be together with his family. He also shared some disturbing news. There were still scores of prisoners in the dungeons below the stockade. Now that the Black Flowers had been largely been driven away, the dungeon was controlled by a band of cannibals.

The heroes returned the very next day. There was a message waiting for them. Written in black paint on the door leading to the dungeon, the message read, "We have enjoyed hosting you, monkey king! Today we will sample your hospitality in Xitaqa!" Bangqiu read this as a threat to his subjects, the baboons and convinced the others that they must return at once to Xitaqa-- the home of the baboons on the plateau.

Just as Bangqiu had feared, the Black Flowers had attacked. A small group on horseback had appeared from nowhere, ridden into the city, broken into the first house they came to, and killed most of its occupants, fleeing before the baboons could mount a counter-attack.

From this Bangqiu surmised (without evidence, and incorrectly) that the attackers were based in "ghost tower," a 40-foot structure in the middle of Xitaqa, and without visible occupants except birds that nested in its top story. Remembering the Marquessa had a twin sister, Bangqiu reasoned that she must be inside the tower, and had directed the attack. Bangqiu led the offensive against the tower. Although the front door triggered an electrical shock, he endured the pain and pushed the door open. The others followed him, coming to a second door that turned out to not be a door at all, but a sentient, shape-changing, killer, a mimic, if you will. Naron and others sustained minor injuries as his comrades battered the door into arcane goo. The party made their way up the tower, pausing briefly to appreciate dry fountains, and dusty fox-headed statues. At the top, they encountered an odd, but affable old man with a wispy beard, and wearing the plain black uniform common among clerks back in Zipang and also favored by Saisho. Although surprised not to encounter Marquessa's sister, Bangqiu was grateful to meet the wizard he hoped would become his new teacher. Bangqiu presented Sakatha's spell book, and was generally forthcoming about its undesirable effects. The wizard, whose name Kyo, answered that he was familiar with the hazards presented by studying ancient and felt qualified to effectively counter them. He was willing to agree to the bargain proposed earlier-- the book in exchange for tutelage-- but wanted one other thing. After he had educated Bangqiu, he would, from time-to-time, send messages in his dreams. He would teach Bangqiu how to answer these message-- and he would expect timely responses. Bangqiu agreed. Seemingly familiar with Bangqiu's abilities, Kyo asked him to report for lessons the next morning-- by way of the roof. The trapdoor would be open.

The next morning, the trapdoor was, of course, not open. Bangqiu pried open a shuttered window and received a bouquet of magic missiles for his efforts. Bangqiu returned to the ground and sought help from Ju-Mei. The dutiful priest tended to Bangqiu’s wounds and was persuaded to be lifted to the tower’s roof and wait for Bangqiu’s signal. Bangqiu returned to the ground and then climbed the tower by the stairs. As he reached the top, once more interrupting Kyo’s study of the lizard king’s book, he shot a magc misile out the window as a signal to Ju-Mei. Shùlí! the priest commanded-- and Kyo was held fast. Ju-Mei began chanting to break the book’s hold on Kyo; Bangqiu opened the trap door and lifted the old wu-jen a Ju-Mei completed the ceremony and as the effects of the Shùlí spell was wearing off. Only slightly abashed, Kyo locked the book in a trunk and congratulated Bangqiu on completing his first lesson.

Over the next few weeks, he would teach Bangqiu to receive his dream messages and also how to assume the form of a bird or other animal.

Joyless Rescue

After an unsuccessful attempt to track down Saisho, Bangqiu made plans with Beatriss to gather their associates and invade the slavers' stockade once more. Armed with knowledge of where the slaves were kept, and using their tested strategy, they scaled the wall at the back of the stockade and entered the low, windowless stone building in which Bangqiu had seen the captives. The room was unpleasant to be in. Besides the sight of rows of catatonic people, the sound-- a low hum, a deep passionless moan-- made the adventurers uneasy, challenged their courage more than the clang of clashing swords or the snarl of a pouncing monster. Moving their way around the room by torchlight, trying to track flitting shadows, they were surprised by long black robe that slipped off the fall and drifted toward them. Lieu, a high-ranking sohei, charged with his parang drawn. The black cloak enveloped his head and clung to his body like a rain-soaked length of silk. As his friends rushed to assist him, the cloak thing lashed out at them a tail-like appendage. Beatriss slashed at the monster with her sword. She slashed its alien body, but, based on Lieu's gasp of pain, knew that she was hurting Lieu as well. Bangqiu put on his invisibility ring. The others hesitated. They could not free Lieu without hurting him and he was in little position to help him. Beatriss decided that if nothing else, she would give Lieu a quick death rather than let him be suffocated or devoured by the cloak-thing resumed her attack with her sword, encouraging her followers to do the same. Nguyen cut off the thing's tail. Lieu fell to the floor and Beatriss leapt on top of him, doing her best to slash the monster only, but knowing she had little time for precision. At last Lieu burst, free, panting, the black cloak thing a shredded black mass. Ju-Mei tended to Lieu's wounds while the others sought a way to free the prisoners. There was a key, and manacles could be removed, but the prisoners still showed no interest in their own freedom. The humming had stopped. Still the prisoners were unfeeling, uncommunicative.

They did respond to commands. They responded very well, following orders to leave the room and fearlessly climb up a ladder to the top of the stone building and then climb over the sharpened stakes of the palisade. Bangqiu helped break their fall as they landed and led them across the ditch. They remained compliant as Damai led them through the dungeon and back to Quitokai. The celebration was subdued. The awkward question of how to treat Bangqiu the Baboon King-- who had threatened to attack the village with an army if they didn’t stop hunting the sacred fish-- was simply ignored. The people of Quitokai treated Beatriss as the sole leader of the rescue party. And, as they offered no reward, but instead asked why their rescued family members were acting so strangely, Bangqiu did not insert himself.