The Most Fortunate Khatun

Bo Jing led a triumphant but weary, slow march back to Banua. Alert as always, but relaxed, he let his horse choose its pace, with the others following. The air was fresh with the hint of coming spring.

Towards evening, the party noticed the glow of campfires among a large cluster of yurts. Approaching, they heard singing and laughter and smiled at each other, wondering if the people of the Bolad horde knew what good reason they had to celebrate. Zhang was wary but Batzorig urged his companions onwards. “I know the song they are singing from my earliest days. These are not howling beastmen, but good people, enjoying their birthright. And with our news, we will be most welcome surprise guests!”

But it was the guests who were most surprised. The feast was sumptuous, the music unending, the hosts most richly arrayed and the guests fully expected. The high host was a man in bright green clothes. He accompanied the musicians on a fiddle, danced with all the women, and joked with all the men. He was the King of the East. This feast was to celebrate his daughter Narantsetseg and perhaps to honor Bo-Jing as his son-in-law?

Bo-Jing married Narantsetseg and the feast continued over several nights and days. Each night, the King of the East asked one of Bo-Jing’s companions to re-tell the story of how they had come to the lands of the Cradle of Humanity (“that is the old name of what you call the Valley of Fires, four, five, six, how many fires?”) and their campaign against the Beastmen and defeat of their evil leader. And one evening, when he was talking to Bo-Jing next to a low fire, he asked, “I think you have something that belongs to me?”

And so Bo-Jing gave up another of the four coins, this time to one whose face matched that of the coin and the King responded with deep gratitude. “You have shown me that you are brave, honorable, and generous. All who meet you will see this in your face.”

The King restored Narantsetseg’s hearing and gave his blessing to Batzorig, thanking him for his kindness as her elder brother, and forgiving him for any unfortunate incidents along the way. He gave gifts of gold, fine new clothes and a suit of armor for Bo-Jing’s flying steed.

And so the heroes returned to Banua, coming from a feast instead of a battle. The attacks on the city had ended, and scouting parties had found no signs of bestmen for several days. And so the people of Banua, accepted Bo-Jing’s good news with satisfaction and also prepared to celebrate. There were several days of joyful gatherings, but the songs were bittersweet for the losses had been great.

Gaansukh opened the palace and set Bo-Jing upon his council chair. He was ready to retire. He had done his best to protect his people, but his failures were many and the rain of forgiveness does not fall inside a palace. He would go with a few of his closest advisors to the shrine at Sum Sakhius.

The people would select their Khan, but Bo-Jing had loved them as a tax collector, he had re-united the Naran horde, he had defeated their enemy. “Do you know I was once suspicious of you? But you are a man of bravery, honor, and generosity. And now I see it on your very face!”

And so the people of Bolad and Nergui, reunited as the Naran horde, called on Bo-Jing to be their Khan. The Emperor summoned Bo-Jing to Khanbaliq to recognize his khanship. He asked Bo-Jing to pledge his loyalty and named him protector of the Barrier Peaks. As long as Bo-Jing and the Naran would protect the Empire’s border, they would pay no Imperial taxes.

The Most Unfortunate Khatun: Part 3

Bo-Jing was an expert tracker and the beastmen who had captured Narantsetseg made no effort to cover their tracks. For three days, the heroes and their warbands pursued the beastmen, arriving at a dense and swampy thicket at the northern limit of the Naran domain. Leaving the warbands to guard their retreat, the crafty leaders, Tetsukichi and Bo-Jing, together with the powerful sorcerers Bangqiu, Hyamsam, and Salt, and a small number of other trusted companions, made their way into the thicket. This was a fulsome place; the thorny branches of the hedges torn at their arms and ankles, the mud stank of death, and the air rose in a thick, reddish mist.

They fought several small groups of beastmen before reaching the center of the thicket, and the site of a horrifying ritual. Surrounded by over a hundred beastmen and other disgusting monsters, there Narantsetseg, chained to a black altar, with a man in black robes looming over her, holding a knife aloft. The sky swirled in a blood-red vortex. The man chanted, together with three witches, and the horde of beastmen echoed their chanting. As they chanted, the horrible blue-black statue of a horned man seemed to glow from within.

The heroes stayed a safe distance away and made a plan. The sorcerers made Tetsukichi and Bo-Jing invisible. The Mustapha created the illusion of an attacking force from the other side of the thicket. The beastmen attacked the illusionary invaders, while the black-robed man and witches continued their ritual. Bo-Jing’s henchmen pelted the beastmen with arrows as they closed with the illusionary force. Bo-Jing surprised the man I the black robes, dealing him several grievous blows; Tetsukichi guarded Bo-jing’s flank, holding the three witches at bay. The black-robed man tried to continue the ritual while dodging Bo-Jing’s flashing swords. The witches were of little help as they were being blasted by magic missiles from Salt, Hyamsam and Bangqiu. When two of the witches fell, Tetsukichi turned to assist Bo-Jing in his fight against the black-robed man. The wretched servant of evil fell to a flurry of sword strokes.

Within moments a green-golden wind swept over the thicket, dispersing the red clouds and vaporizing the beastmen in a flash of blinding fire. By the time Bo-Jing regained his senses, he found Narantsetseg free of her chains and safe in his arms.

Siege of Banua Day 4

 It was easy to follow the fresh tracks of the refugees. And it was also easy to note the fresher tracks of a huge number of beastmen; these tracks stayed with those of the refugees, an ominous confirmation of Bojing’s theory that Naransetseng was still alive and still being pursued.  Based on this, and seeing know other way to reach the Nergui refugees before the beastmen did, Bangqiu took the form of a falcon and soared into the sky.

Bangiqu, in falcon form, pulled away from his companions and before long had reached the horde of beastmen, half-encircling the Nergui encampment.  There was no fighting.  Instead, a group of wizened men wearing red caps and wielding long, barbed swords were parlaying with a number of Nergui warriors. Narnuteng was clearly the chief point of negotiation.  She stood alone on a small mound, eyes darting and hands twitching, at once terrified and terrifying, like a small animal ready to fight for its life..  The Nergui spearmen surrounding her – at a distance, were guarding her in both senses of the word, protecting her while preventing her escape.

Bangqiu soared higher into the sky directly above Naransetseng, and then resumed human form, using his magic boots to ease his freefall descent as he reached the earth. Using his magic understanding, he same Naransetseng a secret sign to persuade her that he meant no harm. Then he took hold of her, cloaked them both in a thick cloud and reascended into the gloomy sky. Enraged, the beastmen attacked the Nergui refugees . . .

 That evening and night, Bangqiu summoned all his natural human strength to hold onto Naransetseng, while his boots carried them higher into thin air and away from the terrible sounds of battle and slaughter below.  Naransetseng clung tightly to Bangqiu with arms and legs; her tears mixed with the stinging rain on both their faces. A steady wind from the east blew them into the mountains guardin the valley of the five fires.  When he was certain they were far from the battle and marauding beastmen, Bangqiu lowered them toward a grassy mountain slope.  Reaching the solid ground, they collapsed into exhausted slumber. 

By the time Bo-Jing and the war band reached the remains of the Nergui camp, the few survivors encountered were too traumatized to explain much of what happened.  The “deaf witch” had disappeared, and the beast men took vengeance by killing everyone they could before scattering to the four winds.  Bo-Jing thanked the survivors and convinced them to return with him to Banua, promising them his personal protection

As Bo-Jing would learn later, one of the four winds brought a group of beastmen, yeti, and fanged flying stags north to Banua. They attacked in a series of poorly-organized desperate raids.  Ganbaatar invited all non-combatants the take refuge within the inner walls.  Archers lined the outer walls and targeted the beastmen as they charged through the broken gate.  The beastman destroyed property and killed animals, but found no human victims in the outer town.  Nor could they reach the inner town.  Although the gates had been destroyed by the giant demon-badger, the pit it created was nearly impassable.  A line of brave warriors armed with spears on the other side of the pit made it a death trap for the attacking beastmen and yetis.  Most dangerous to Banua were the flying stags.  But, happily for Banua, the mercurial magician Hyamsam emerged from the shadows to protect his adopted home.  He blasted the flying monsters with magic missiles, a ball of fire, and a cloud of steam, killing several of them and driving the rest away. 

Defending the Lands of the Five Fires 05 (First Khazu-Kala and then Banua)

Bo-Jing, Bangqiu, and Salt decided they would go to Khazu Kala. Expecting a difficult battle, Bo-Jing ordered that they make a comfortable camp and rest for a couple days, giving their wounds a chance to heal. 

And so, by the time they reached Khazu Kala, the battle was all but over. A single wizened creature, wielding a rusty wicked sword, stood surrounded by a dozen Nergui warriors—and also dozens of corpses. Bo-Jing and Ses-Hami arrived by air and Bo-Jing attacked the strange fiend with a flying leap. With his fiery sword, Bo-Jing dispatched his foe and won the admiration of the Nergui. 

 Gansukh was dead and his name had the taste of ashes. His duplicity had brought his own death, the deaths of his loyal bodyguards, the deaths of the people who depended on him. With little argument, the survivors of the attack, both the warriors and the people, agreed they would join Bo-Jing. Yes, even in rejoining the Bolad horde in Banua.

It took three days to arrive within sight of Banua and the arrival was not a cause for celebration, but another serving of hardship. For the proud city of the steppe was surrounded by an army of beastmen, dragons, and monsters. Bo-Jing himself cursed bitterly at how the pettiness of Gansukh had brought such horror among the people he had agreed to protect. But Salt would not allow her friend the luxury of despair. She directed his gaze from his foes to the people who now trusted him. With courage and faith, he could bring these people into Banua. Reuniting the people of Bolad and Nergui did not guarantee their survival but preserved their hopes for another day.

Bangqiu became invisible and rose into the air, surveying the enemy camps, and determined the safest route to the city. Bo Jing received the information and led the way. The warriors of Nergui rode in two files with the people and their animals between them. They rode with their swords in the air, shouting a battle cry and in this way represented themselves as attackers of Banua rather than its allies. The beastmen cheered their passage. Bangqiu, invisible, flew into the city and alerted the defenders to the ruse. When the gatges were opened, Salt and Bangqiu blasted the band of beastmen who tried to join the people of Nergui. The unarmed people passed into the city. Bo-Jing and the warriors stayed to defend their entry, warding off more attacking beastmen. Only when the innocents had entered the city did the warriors follow. Bo-Jing entered last of all and the gates were closed.

Defending the Lands of the Five Fires 04 (The truth about Batzorig's sister)

Npi-Nhut and the other khimoris thanked Bo-Jing for his assistance. They promised to keep watch over the valley and alert him to any more incursions. And, as a further sign of appreciation, Ses-Hami would accompany him as he made his way to Khazu Kala. Bo-Jing was especially grateful for the khimori’s assistance as a scout and promised his father to not expose him to unnecessary danger.

The company made their way out of the valley, Ses-Hami sometimes scouting ahead when they reached likely ambush points. They reached the watch fire of the Nergui horde and were given a cold welcome. The soldiers shrugged off Salt’s questions about the beastmen and rather than share their ger, sent the guests to sleep among the firewood. 

The company, still including the eight men from the Worm Clan, departed early the next morning and not far from the edge of the valley, heard the sounds of battle. Drawing closer, they found a Nergui encampment under attack by beastmen. Bangqiu broke the beastmen’s charge with a wall of fire then levitated above them to blast them with a cloud of steam. Salt cast her magic missiles and the few stragglers were cut down by Bo-Jing and his men.

The families in the camp offered thanks and, recognizing Bo-Jing’s status as a local baghatur, pledged their loyalty to him and the Emperor. They shared a meal and, though hesitant at first, voiced their discontent with Gansukh. Many had avoided Khazu Kala, waiting for a sign. Over the course of the meal, as they listened to the grim tales of the Worm Clan, they began to believe that Bo-Jing was that sign. The invaders welcomed by Gansukh were worse than they had feared. If anyone could rally resistance against the armies of the mysterious “Master,” it was Bo-Jing.

Among the group were three skilled archers and a retired officer from Gansukh’s army. They vowed to support Bo-Jing when the time came, though their first duty remained to their families.

Later that day, Ses-Hami alerted Bo-Jing to another camp under attack. Bo-Jing and Bangqiu again led the counterattack. Several warriors from the camp joined the fight, and one of them proved to be Batzorig—formerly Gansukh’s right hand, and brother to Gansukh’s khatun, Naransetseng.

After the battle, Salt warned Batzorig that Naransetseng was in special danger: the beastmen had been searching for her among the Worm Clan.

Batzorig’s scarred face went soft. His lip quivered. He nodded, then shared his story.

“I overheard Gansukh speaking with a stranger. At first, I thought it was another black shaman—someone after her necklace. But I listened more closely. The man didn’t want the necklace. He wanted Naransetseng.”

As trust in Gansukh eroded, many people of Khazu Kala made secret plans to flee. Batzorig had persuaded his sister to join them. He remained behind, pretending ignorance—a role Gansukh accepted, perhaps too willingly.

“It was easy. My brother-in-law was afraid of her, and he avoided her. But then... the stranger returned. He brought half-man monsters. And suddenly Gansukh demanded I bring her to him.”

Batzorig stalled. He told Gansukh that Naransetseng had gone to visit their mother’s grave—three days west of the city. Gansukh had raged. And then he had despaired. The stranger promised to return.

“That was four days ago. I stayed close, in case Gansukh needed me. Because... he’s my khan.”

Batzorig turned to Salt, Bo-Jing, and Bangqiu.

“My sister is deaf, but she is not a witch. She’s the daughter of the King of the East. When we were children, my mother was alone—my father and uncles were at war. One day, a man came to our camp. He wore green and played the fiddle. He helped my mother... stayed with her... and then Naransetseng was born. Before my father returned, the man left, but he gave her a necklace.”

He looked down at his hands.

“She was beautiful. She believed our father—the man who raised her—was the squat, scarred soldier who came home from war. An ugly man, look at me, my face was his face! And he loved my beautiful sister more than anything. More than me, I think. She was not deaf when she was born.”

Then, almost in a whisper:

“But the stranger... he knows who she really is. That’s why he wants her.”

Defending the Lands of the Five Fires 03 (Not the coin they were looking for)

Over the next few days, the party was joined by the remnants of the Khimori herd—Npi-Nhut, Ses-Hami, and only three others. Then they were attacked by the lion-eagle creatures. These beasts were fearless and seemed driven by hunger. They targeted the party’s extra horses, swiftly killing two and carrying them off.

Salt reacted immediately. Bo-Jing had given her a magic wand, and she used it to unleash an explosive ball of fire as the creatures fled. Those not killed were forced to land. Bo-Jing and his men galloped after them, fighting with arrows and swords. The brave warriors were grappled by talons and slashed by claws, but they defended each other and killed the monsters.

The Khimori expressed their gratitude, praising the party for slaying enemies they had come close to believing were insurmountable. Ses-Hami examined the bodies and told Bo-Jing he believed six more remained—including one that was invisible except when attacking. Bo-Jing assured Ses-Hami that he and his company would remain in the valley until the threat was eliminated.

Bangqiu then suggested that while ranging over the northern end of the valley, they should search for the Northern Coin. Bo-Jing agreed. Following Erke’s earlier hints and their own knowledge of the valley, they located an enormous horse statue, which they reasoned must represent the King of the North. Bangqiu climbed it. Following the statue’s line of sight, he spotted a high cliff to the north, pockmarked with caves. From this vantage point, he also saw figures moving outside—possibly human, possibly animal, likely something in between. The company decided to rest and approach the cliffs the next day.

While resting, they kept a close eye on the figures. The next day, they climbed to the cliffs and encountered a group of beastmen, clearly agitated but held in check by a robed man—Erke, the mysterious traveler they’d met in Khanbaliq. He greeted them like old friends, apologizing for having left Banua without them.

“I didn’t know when you’d return. And as you can see—I found some new partners!”

Erke explained that, with the beastmen’s help, he’d located several tunnels, one of which surely held the Northern Coin.

“Unfortunately, these are the breeding grounds of the crimson death worm. Watch your step—or your last breath will be a cry of agony!”

Beastmen from the Clan of Worm tapped their crimson shields and laughed.

Erke added that most of the beastmen had died exploring.

“They almost never watch their step...”

Salt found the beastmen unsettling. Their musky odor was overpowering, and they stared at her with bloodshot eyes and drooling fangs, whimpering when Erke shouted at them in a harsh metallic tongue. Their glowing marks oozed blood and pus as they scratched at them.

Erke pointed out the tunnels he had explored and suggested sending in the beastmen first to draw out the worms.

“Your men can shoot them—the worms—before they shock us. And if all the beastmen die, we won’t have to pay them. Speaking of payment, I’m working for the Emperor. He expects the coin, but we’ll all be well rewarded.”

Bangqiu and Salt rejected this at once. Salt didn’t believe Erke. Bangqiu didn’t care.

“We don’t work for the Emperor,” Bangqiu said. “If we find the coin, I want it.”

As they argued, Erke lost control of the beastmen, and they attacked with fury. Erke pulled a potion from his robes. As his body sublimated into a blue-green cloud, Salt fired a ball of flame from her wand. The cloud evaporated and two beastmen were incinerated. The rest attacked.

At that moment, a screech from above heralded another assault. The lion-eagles returned. As the Khimori took to the sky, the beasts targeted the party’s horses. Bo-Jing and his soldiers outnumbered the beastmen, who fought with a death-wish. Four horses were killed before Salt and Bangqiu drove off the lion-eagles with magic, killing one.

Knowing another attack could come from any direction, the party set camp with many watchers.

After a day of rest, Bo-Jing and Salt chose to explore the tunnels. The Worm Clan refused to follow.

“The death worm is our totem,” they said. “We must warn you—if molested, it will defend itself with poison, needles, lightning... But if it spares you, so will we.”

Bo-Jing promised to avoid unnecessary violence, believing the coin could help in the war against the Master. Bangqiu chose to remain outside to guard the horses—and to keep an eye on the Worm Clan.

Bo-Jing, his men, Ryu, and Salt ventured into the tunnels. The warnings proved accurate. Gan-Yul was bitten and his leg swelled painfully, but he survived. The party cleared the path with long poles, using rocks to kill worms from a distance. Most effective, however, was Ryu’s snake staff. As a giant python, it drove out the worms, crushing and devouring them. Even when bitten repeatedly, it endured, only reverting to staff form when finally overcome.

The nest they found covered an older, human-made tunnel. After crossing a chasm, they entered a small chamber. A bronze coffer rested on a stone pedestal. Though small enough to hold, it was too heavy to lift. Bo-Jing summoned all his strength to knock it off. Something clattered inside.

From his pack, Bo-Jing retrieved a bottle of vinegar he’d found in Khanbaliq. While his men gagged, he drank it down and, with a great shout, smashed the coffer open. Inside was a dull metal disk, possibly pewter, with four doves flying in a circle—no symbols, no writing. Ryu read the accompanying scrap of paper:

“Where your treasure is, your heart will be also.”

Outside, Npi-Nhut approached Bo-Jing with a plan. He believed Bo-Jing was honorable, but the lion-eagles would return. Many more horses—and people—might die. The Khimori couldn’t fight effectively while carrying riders, but Npi-Nhut was willing to make an exception. Each would carry one fighter into the aerie.

Bo-Jing agreed. Ryu volunteered. Bo-Jing chose Gan-Wei and Yi-Ren. A dilemma arose over whether to take Zhang or Gan-Yul—Salt resolved it by volunteering herself. Npi-Nhut approved, noting her uncanny timing in battle.

They flew by moonlight. Salt pressed her face into Npi-Nhut’s mane. Bo-Jing, riding behind Npi-Nhut on Ses-Hami, held tight, his legs aching. At dawn, they reached the southwest cliffs.

Npi-Nhut signaled. The Khimori circled, then dove. Two lion-eagles were visible. As Npi-Nhut feinted, the others dropped their riders. Bo-Jing landed on one, severing its wing. Gan-Wei and Yi-Ren flanked the other. Ryu landed and released his snake staff.

Salt remained airborne. The wounded lion-eagle screeched. Two more emerged—and then the invisible one struck Bo-Jing, pinning and slashing him. Salt blasted it with bolts of energy. Bo-Jing tracked it by claw marks and gusts of air, striking again and again.

Gan-Wei and Yi-Ren killed one, but struggled with the next. Ryu’s snake immobilized it long enough for Gan-Wei to finish it. Ryu healed Yi-Ren, then joined the fight with his staff. Salt hit the invisible foe with magic again.

It screeched and flew—Salt bathed it in violet light, revealing it to the archers. Struck by arrows, it dove. Ses-Hami chased it to the ground. Though wounded by its talons, he threw it off, then pounded its head with his hooves. The others arrived to find the final beast dead.

Back in the aerie, Bo-Jing found a fine sword among the bones and gave it to Gan-Wei.

Defending the Lands of the Five Fires 02 (Into the Valley)

The party returned to Banua and shared news of their success. Ganbaatar was thoroughly pleased and announced a small feast in their honor. The celebration was muted, however, by the growing evidence that their recent triumph, despite the symbolic importance, was of little practical importance compared to the challenge ahead of them. The population of Banua had noticeably increased in the few weeks that Bo-Jing and his company had been gone. The most obvious newcomers were members of the Bolad horde who returned to the seat of their khan as was their right. But more and more of the newcomers were refugees from the Nergui horde. They were not soldiers, but families and widows. Ganbaatar referred to them as his “long-lost people returned,” and setting a tone of generous triumph. But anxiety was growing. Clearly, Gansukh could not defend his people as well as Ganbaatar, but would “better than Gansukh” prove to be good enough?

Bo-Jing discussed the matter with Ryu and came to the one obvious conclusion. As the Emperor’s baghatur, he was not a Bolad partisan. His duty, accepted as a charge from the Emperor, was not only to collect taxes, but to defend the people. He would go to Khazu Kala, make peace with Gansukh if possible and, regardless of whether he succeeded in this, find a way to bring help to the people. If he could not organize a defense himself, he would gather information to make a compelling report to the Emperor.

The mysterious Salt had also found her way to Banua. Bo-Jing suspected that Bangqiu had found some way to contact her through the dreamworld, but regardless, he agreed that he would be glad to have the advice of another magician when confronting the armies of the “Master.” Nar-Nuteng, however, decided that she would remain in Banua.

En route to the lands of the Nergui, Bo-Jing encountered a khimori, a blue-black flying horse, who introduced himself as the son of the khimori whom Bo-Jing had met in the Valley of the Five Fires. The young khimori, who was called Ses-Hami, told Bo-Jing that the Valley had been invaded by evil creatures who defiled the cradle of humanity with wanton bloodshed, fighting each other, killing animals, and setting the grass on fire. At first, the khimori had avoided these dangers by taking flight when necessary. But more recently, the land-bound monsters had been joined by flying abominations, flying lions with the heads and razor-sharp beaks of giant eagles. These monsters had pursued the khimori, and killed several of their number. Without assistance, the entire herd would soon be eliminated. Bo-Jing promised immediately to help, then spent a sleepless night agonizing over how his promise might cost human lives. By morning, he concluded that assisting the khimori might also benefit the people of Khazu Kala; if nothing else, he would learn something about the monsters that were causing so much havoc in the area.

On their way into the Valley, the party passed through the Bolad fire camp and found it completely destroyed, with all the firewatchers dead. Venturing into the Valley itself, the party encountered a group of haggard soldiers with crimson shields. These men expressed their joy and relief in meeting other natural people, explaining that they were of the Clan of the Worm and that their lands had been overrun by beastmen. These savage murderers attacked without reason or purpose except to find someone they called the “deaf witch” and the “queen with no name.” Circumstances had become so dire that these men of the Worm Clan had entered the Valley of the Five Fires, with the plan of crossing it and warning their treaty-partners and plan for common defense. Bo-Jing thanked the men of the Worm Clan and agreed that all people should unite against the alien threat. He believed that the “deaf witch” being sought by the beastmen was Naransetseng, the wife of Gansukh, khan of the Nergui Horde. He would accompany the men to warn the Nergui that they were being targeted by the beastmen. But first, he had made a promise to the khimori. The men of the Worm Clan asked to travel with Bo-Jing, seeing that he was a true baghatur of courage and honor. Bo-Jing welcomed their help gladly. Continuing on their way, the group encountered several of the beastmen that the men of the Worm Clan had described. These men were tattooed with strange symbols and seemed to be in the midst of a painful transformation from man into beast, having developed claws and fangs. They were fearsome opponents, but Bangqiu and Salt blasted them with a cloud of scalding steam and other magic attacks; those who survived were swiftly cut down by Bo-Jing and his men. The men of the Worm Clan pledged their gratitude at having been accepted into such valiant company.

Ses-Hami approached Bo-Jing and asked to share with him some information that he had previously kept to himself. His father, Npi-Nhut, had been captured by the beastmen. The beastmen had asked him to deliver Bo-Ing to them in exchange for the life of his father. Ses-Hami had seen that Bo-Jing was not only valiant, but honorable, and he realized his father would rather die than be part of any transaction that might endanger such a good man. Ses-Hami knew where the beastmen and other monsters were lying in wait, hoping to ambush Bo-Jing, on the main path leading into the Valley. But he also knew another way, through the forest on a path even higher than the ambush point. He proposed that they attack the monsters and rescue his father.

Bo-Jing agreed to the plan. Ses-Hami led the group through the forest to the top of a steep grassy slope overlooking the path into the valley. Indeed, there was a group of beastmen plus three trolls, watching the path below. They had prepared an assortment of rubble, held in place by a pile of logs and ropes, and poised to be cast down onto the path below. Npi-Nhut was chained to a rock, guarded by three enormous wolves. Bangqiu ascended into the air and threw a ring of fire down on the would-be ambushers. The ring expanded, holding them in place. The Worm Clan rained arrows down on the entrapped beastmen. Bo-Jing ordered his men to fire their arrows at the wolves charging up the hill, while stepping forward with his sword ready to meet the attack. Salt added her own magic missiles to the volley of arrows. Only one wolf reached Bo-Jing, and he was killed by a single blow from the baghatur’s sword. Those beastmen who tried to escape their prison and were not consumed by the flames were overwhelmed by Bo-Jing and his men when they reached the top of the hill. Soon the evil monsters were dead and the company of heroes emerged victorious and unscathed. Npi-Nhut was freed, and he confirmed his son’s sad tale. He would gather the rest of the herd and, with Bo-Jing’s permission, travel with the brave heroes as they continued their campaign of justice throughout the Valley.

Defending the Lands of the Five Fires 01 (Cleansing the Shrine of Sum Sakhius)

The party return to their house in the city and enjoyed long baths for finalizing their plans to return to the Bo-Jing’s post in the lands of the Valley of the Five Fires. Bo-Jing announced that they would leave the next day, hoping that an early departure would avoid any more audiences with the Emperor. Bangqiu sent a thought message to Kafka in the Happy Valley, telling him that the monastery in Khanbaliq was suitable for reconsecration and habitation by genuine monks, although there were some problems in the way of an ant infestation and sewage system irregularities that would need to be addressed at some point.

The company set out the next afternoon. As they traveled north, Bo-Jing and Bangqiu found that increasingly their reputations preceded them. When there was no inn available, there was a snug house, and when there was no house, there was an encampment around a roaring fire, the smell of roasting meat and a crowd of smiling faces. Mainly they wanted to hear about the coin that Bo-Jing and Ganbaatar had given to the Emperor. Where did they find it, what were it’s powers, what would the Emperor do with it, would there be marriages to Imperial daughters? Some knew of the feud with Gansukh and the Nergui horde. Some had heard rumors of Bangqiu’s powers. And always there were one or two young men hoping to spar with the bright-eyed warrior maiden.

Bangqiu and Bo-Jing wanted to find another coin. And along the road, they found someone who wanted to help them, a mystic named Erke who told them he visited the Valley of the Five Fires in the dreamworld and heard rumors of the where the Northern Coin could be found. “The horse of Khagan Harad still looks for his master.” Bo-Jing invited Erke to travel with them.

As the party traveled further north, the welcomes were as warm as ever, but with an undercurrent of desperation. They were hearing strange stories about men taking on the minds of beasts, becoming maddened by the basest instincts. There were a few jokes about the barbaric ways of the Nergui horde, but most understood this was something more. Instead of tall tales, these people wanted to hear that yes Bo-Jing and Bangqiu did lead a battle against wolves, giants, and flying monsters. And yes, when the time came, they would do it again.

When the party reached Banua, they were ready to put aside thoughts about the coin. Ganbaatar was “so thankful that you decided to leave the good life in the capital and return to little old Banua.”

Based on stories of what was happening in the lands of the Nergui horde, Ganbaatar had forbidden his people from traveling in the lands west of Banua. And yet, the Master’s armies, the beastmen were likely on their way. He was especially concerned to hear stories that the shrine of Sum Sukhis had been defiled. Northeast of Banua, Ganbaatar considered this the true jewel of his lands. “A holy place for all people. No matter your faith, any one who visited there with an open heart would come away with peace and joy. Until now.”

Pilgrims had gone and not returned. Others had given up their pilgrimage, finding themselves more and more uneasy as they came in view of the stupa that marked the holy place.

Bo-Jing, Bangqiu, and Nar-Nuteng were glad to go. Erke would not. Instead, he would stay and wait for them in Banua.

The travel to the shrine took several days and while the people they met were welcoming as they got closer there were fewer and fewer people. They met a hermit who told them the strange history of the shrine, that it was built with a pool on the ground floor, an upper story, and a lower floor that was closed off to everyone, in expression of the constant necessity to resist evil. And now the shrine had been overrun by monsters, blue and purple oni who attacked pilgrims and defiled the shrine.

On the day when they finally reached the shrine, they met a pair of 10-fotot tall blue-skinned monsters, trying to knock down a tree in which an eagle was nesting. Bangqiu and Ryu used their magic to transix the monsters. They fell to the ground in a stiff slumber. The eagle flew down from the trees to peck out the monster’s eyes and feed it to her chicks. In examining the monsters bodies, Bo-Jing noticed several large, pus-filled sores and bloody boils. Ryu could talk to the eagle who explained that the monsters lived in the “quiet stone house” and had “taken the silence away” with fighting and screaming.

The party entered the shrine and found the pool as described by the hermit and a staircase leading down. At the bottom of the staircase, they found a pair of oni standing guard outside a door, their backs facing the party. Bangqiu spoke to them in his most commanding voice and in their own language, explaining that he had come from the Master and wanted a full report. The oni promised that they were doing the Master’s bidding, and guarding the place but there was something in the underground that was making everyone sick. Everyone wanted to leave but the chief said no. Bangqiu expressed the necessity of speaking to the chief at once.

The oni agreed and let the party back upstairs and to the upper floor. The other oni they met were glad to meet visitors. Using both his sword and the power of the Eastern Coin, Bo-Jing was able to convince them that he was a powerful ally. Some were violent, but not in a sustained, cohesive, or even fully serious way, and not necessarily directed at “the little folk.” On a lark and perhaps to impress the visitors, two of the onis decided to throw a third over the balcony and into the pool below. All of them were covered with the same sores that plagued the onis that had been harassing the eagles.

When they reached the chief’s quarters, they found him less cowed and more hostile, and suddenly found themselves surrounded by a dozen monsters who had already shown their capacity for easy violence. Thinking fast, Bo-Jing called on the power of the Eastern Coin and with a sharp word, the chief was struck to the ground motionless. The onis hesitated and then one sprang for the chief’s yak-skin cloak, proclaiming himself “the new chief.” He was challenged by one of the other oni and in the midst of the melee, Bangqiu made the cloak disappear.

The onis didn’t notice immediately, but when they did, they began to cry out in outrage once again threatening the visitors with violence and doing their best to deliver on their threats.

An invisible Bangqiu, stepped outside the a window and called from there, “the cloak of the chief is outside. The first one outside will claim it as the new chief.” To prove his point, the invisible Bangqiu dropped the cloak. Those oni standing near the window saw it fall to the ground. After testing they were too big to jump out the window, the oni, pushed their ways to the stairs or over the balcony. As soon as they got outside, the still invisible Bangqiu, made the cloak disappear again, only to carry it and drop it further away from the shrine.

As the rest of the party made their way out of the shrine, they met a pair of onis that had been so stricken with sores that they were barely recognizable as oni any more. Their skin had been stretched and discolored a pale violet and most of their teeth had fallen out of their mouths. And they attacked with fearless rage, seemingly relieved to be cut down by the blades of Bo-Jing and his comrades.

The party looked at each other and nodded grimly. Bo-Jing led the way back down to the door that the oni had been guarding. In their absence it had been smashed open. In the space below, they met and killed more of the diseased oni. They also found a boulder of black stone, nearly as large as the shrine itself and pulsating with a sickly purple light. Immediately, their skin began to itch and their minds were clouded with evil thoughts.

Continuing to explore, they found two rooms with writing carved on the wall. They felt peaceful here, especially when they touched the wall. They could not read it, but Bo-Jing recognized seeing something like it in the books that Bangqiu carried with him.

The party exited the shrine and camped, waiting for Bangqiu’s return. When he did return, they told him about the writing and he agreed to enter the shrine and examine it. They re-entered the shrine and indeed Bangqiu could read the writing. When he read it, their minds felt completely at peace. Returning to the room with black-purple boulder, they found it had been shielded by another gentle yellow light and that they could stand next to it without ill effect. All the same, Bangqiu announced that a wooden door and promises were insufficient to keep the shrine safe. He covered the entrance to the undercroft with a seamless wall of stone.