Session 21 Report

General Summary

The session started with Fanna having a dream summarizing their life up until now--Being an artificial creation of Lauran's, Lauran teaching them how to be a dutiful lab worker, hiring a nanny only for her to be eaten by one of the experimental creatures in a horrible accident, and Fanna growing fed up and running away from home. Lauran himself then appeared in Fanna's dream, inspecting Fanna and making comments about their observable skill over Ki now. He also seemed to call Fanna a different name: Vega. Fanna tried attacking him, but he dodged. After making a comment about looking forward to seeing what Fanna would do next, he finally vanished.   The party then woke up to get breakfast before heading off on their next journey, saying good morning to Iskra. They also comforted Nadyn, who expressed doubt and worry over if he could be helped, as he self-confessed to have killed people and done awful things in the past during the war. To comfort Nadyn, Fanna ordered him a glass of orrapilk, and as the party set off, Thien gave him his misprint copy of "The Wise Strongman" card.   After this, they went to the designated meeting spot with Donovan, Michael, and Mei by the River of Life's (Ming River) shore. Donovan got up and presented Amanti and Fanna with their spell foci, now upgraded so that they'd have critical hits on both a 19 and a 20 to attack. Michael then turned around and greeted the party, telling them how he stayed up most of the night with Guiying interrogating the spirit that had possessed the diviner's party, while also squeezing a game of Go in between. Nadyn was ready to officially be transferred to Michael's care, though hesitated and asked the party for advice. He wanted to ask Michael something "about his powers," but wasn't so sure about it. The party, not knowing the true nature of Nadyn's question, said it would be fine, wiht Amanti adding he would probably love to talk about his powers.   Nadyn finally asked Michael: Was he a Spirit? An eagle-eyed Thien noticed him crush his cigarette in his hands slightly when Nadyn asked the question, and Michael asked Nadyn to repeat what he'd said with an eerie cheerfulness. Nadyn, realizing the full weight of what he just asked, frantically explained how in Yumaly, it was a common saying that those with sharp teeth--in reference to Michael's elongated canines--were Spirits. After a moment of silence, Michael explained how growing up, his mother stressed the importance of covering his mouth when smiling, laughing, or yawning, as many people would react with fear and suspicion upon seeing their family's teeth. After shooting Fanna a glare that could put the fear of God into an Athiest after they made a joking comment about Michael's Wolf Spirit, he concluded by saying it was merely a genetic trait. Nadyn apologized, and finally ran over to Michael and gave him a hug.   It was then that the party noticed a commotion going on closer to the city: A death row criminal was being paraded around and publicly shamed and beaten. Fanna asked around for details about what was happening, and a woman from the crowd told them how the person was from an upperclass family who killed a noble's infant daughter.   Upon seeing this grisly slight, Michael informed the party of one last thing he had to teach them: How to give a body a proper burial. He asked them to dig a makeshift grave in front of them--shovels provided by a reluctant Donovan. After struggling and taking a long time digging the grave, Michael congratulated them, before telling them how digging wasn't the only part of burying a body. They had to fill in the grave too. With that, he dropped himself down into the hole, and commanded them to start filling it up. As the party hastily worked, Fanna witnessed a figure--a young boy, probably no older than a teenager, sitting at the edge of the hole, watching them with a smile. They tried interacting with him, but only got comments of confusion from Nadyn, asking who they were interacting with: Nobody else seemed to be able to see the figure.   Finally, the party finished filling the hole, and waited. After some impromptu singing by Thien, Michael finally emerged from the hole, saying "Not bad" and beginning to wipe the dirt off of him. Anahe, Nadyn, and even Donovan rushed over to help him. When they all finished, Michael looked into some nearby trees and informed Mei, who had been watching them the entire time, that she could come out now. After a moment's hesitation, Mei emerged.   She immediately laid into Michael, asking him if he knew who Nadyn was and what he had done, furious with him for his past actions. Michael rebuffed her, telling her that he has changed, and if he was responsible for Ayer's death, then now was the perfect time for him to teach Nadyn how to properly deal with Ghosts. A still unsatisfied Mei demanded Michael promise that he wouldn't let Nadyn hurt another living thing, holding out her hand for a handshake, wrapped in a silver thread. Michael, after taking a second to look at the party and Nadyn, agreed, taking her handshake. They were briefly enveloped by a glow, before returning to normal, and a few observant party members noticed Mei actually try to pull away from the handshake at the last second.   Yinghua ran out to try and calm Mei down, while Michael turned back to the party. He had one last thing to give them: A book on the history of Lingguo for Fanna, with notably a section on Cuiguo, and a book on Lingguoren religion, folk beliefs, and Spirits. He noticed how they seemed to have a history with academia, or at the very least scientific study in the past, and wanted to give them something that would help them on their journey that they might find interest in. While giving Fanna, he pulled them aside and informed them of how Guiying told him how Fanna pulled a knife out on her dad. He politely requested they not do that again, as he owed her dad a lot, and if he had to "enforce" any rules regarding security threats to the temple, he would have to oblige.   Having said all that they needed to, Michael, Nadyn, Anahe, and Donovan headed off. Leaving the party with Mei and Yinghua.   Everyone immediately got into a modified Chinese fishing boat, with Mei on steering duty and Yinghua chatting with the party. She introduced herself, telling how she helped support missions as the person in charge of food and medicine, and asked the party to introduce themselves as well. After that, she took out her flute and began playing music. Thien also joined in. After a bit of playing, the party heard someone respondig back with their own flute to their music--along with Fanna's tap dancing. Yinghua and Mei agreed to stop the boat and investigate, stopping ashore on a steep hill. After Brooks flew up and found the source of the music--A lone flute player sitting on the edge of the forest, the party went up to meet him.   He greeted the party, continuing to play his music and offering his bag to them to pay him for his performance. Fanna tossed a silver coin in, but he was dissatisfied with that, exclaiming how he couldn't use that, and asking if they had any hell money instead. Lacking in hell money, the party offered him Michael's now defunct Spirit repelling talisman, theorizing that since Michael was a prodigous spirit medium, it might be of some value. He scrutinized it, asking who this "Michael" individual was and not recognizing him. Only when did Brooks chime in with his unofficial title, the Prince of Wolves, did the bard now finally recognize it. He told the party of how Michael would make frequent trips into the Spirit World, spending time with Spirits and trading information, along with chasing down any malicious Spirits. The musician, now definitely revealed to be a Spirit by now, elaborated how he was semi well-known in the Spirit World, having gained noteriety for being an exceptionally powerful mortal, though being hated by the more evil Spirits.   Happy with the token, The Spirit Bard stopped to tell the party of his story: Of the Kingdom of Cuiguo, famous for living in gigantic trees and being full of master artisans of all kinds. The kingdom flourished under its rulers, but after their personal priest and spirit medium left to go on a journey, the royal family grew corrupt. The kingdom fell into ruin, and those who didn't emmigrate outright were killed by the influx of Corrupted Threads, who were born out of the moral and environmental decay that occured in the kingdom.   While talking, Thien's crossbow that he bought off a random shopkeeper began vibrating and glowing silver. The Spirit Bard recognized its energy immediately, saying how a talented artisan he knew probably made that weapon. Unfortunately, he could not pinpoint any of the magical properties of the crossbow, but said that it was likely magical, as the artisan he knew loved putting hidden little surprises in his weaponry.   With nothing let to offer the party, he said goodbye to them, and thanked them for hearing out his tale. The party set off in the boat again, but not long after, they encountered another sight: A beautiful woman on the opposite shore, waving at them and asking for assistance. She was picking herbs for her soup, and she needed some from the other side of the shore, promising a favor in exchange if the party could gather them for her.   The party opted to do this, and Mei and Yinghua steered the boat to the other side. Thien immediately found the herbs, and the party procceded to deliver it to the young woman. She smiled, and thanked them, before transforming into her true form: That of the goddess Meng Po, the one who serves the soup of forgetfulness to Spirits before they are reincarnated into the next life, so that they do not remember their past lives. Thien, recognizing her significance immediately, prostrated himself before her, but she told him it was not necessary and to get up. Recognizing the talismans Michael has given the party, she asked about him, but used a name completely foreign to the party: Haoyu Yang. When they seemed to show no recognition, she pointed at their talismans, and they realized they were talking about Michael. They told her how he was doing well, and had two apprentices now. Meng Po was surprised and amused: The last time she talked to him, he still went under his old name, and had expressed no interest in taking apprentices whatsoever. In the folk tales of Lingguo, it was believed that Meng Po would show up at rivers sometimes, disguised as a young woman and testing mortals by asking them to assist her in fetching herbs for her soup. Meng Po explained how she had encountered Michael, or Haoyu Yang, several times in the past at such river crossings--The first time she met him was shortly after he had ran away from home, in fact. She then conjured an image of him from when she knew him, with longer hair and more traditional medium robes.   Thien then politely asked Meng Po if she could inspect his crossbow, which The Spirit Bard had said was magical. She agreed, and after examining it, was able to pinpoint a Repeating Ammo infusion, the bolts would cause their targets to glow like Faerie Fire, and that there seemed to be a "presence" inside the crossbow, though she wasn't quite sure if it was a Spirit. Thien thanked her profusely, and Meng Po returned the party's favor with a bundle of herbs: Eating the entire bundle would grant the effect of Greater Restoration to the consumer. Satisfied with the encounter, she disappeared.   After getting back into the boat, Mei who had witnessed now twice different entities talk about Michael with some level of respect or reverence, asked the party what he was like. Though his name has been whispered before in the circles of The Atracidae, she was suspicious of him for taking in Nadyn. This resulted in an argument between her and the party, where she defended herself saying that she didn't think it was smart to put Nadyn and Donovan in close proximity with each other, as Nadyn had previously attacked Donovan. Eventually fed up, she sighs and says she'll try and reconsider her opinions, though she still seemed unhappy as she went over to be by Yinghua.   Yinghua and Mei eventually trade places, and Yinghua comes over to the party and explains Mei's anger: She doesn't have a family, and in fact doesn't know her family, as she can't remember anything past when she was 18. The Atracidae is really the only family she has, and she is incredibly defensive of the people she has now as a result. This includes Donovan, who Yinghua is aware that Mei had a past relationship with of some nature.   After a long day of traveling, the party stops to have dinner, before continuing on their journey upriver through Anshan. Yinghua takes over steering duty for the night. Early in the morning, however, just before sunrise, Yinghua wakes the party up in excitement. The river is glowing turquoise once again, just like when the party encountered the Crane Spirit, and all around them are several dolphin-like creatures flying and swimming through the air. One of them approaches the boat, where it and Soup headbutt each other repeatedly, before the dolphin is satisfied and flies away. An excited Yinghua goes to the edge of the boat and reaches out to the dolphins. Two eventually come to her, and she hugs them happily. Eventually, the river returns to its normal color, and the dolphins all fade away. As the first bits of daylight begin to appear at the horizon, the party goes back to sleep to squeeze in a few more hours.   Thien is the first to wake up, and he witnesses Yinghua doing Mei's makeup. He gets up and asks to join them, and Yinghua happily states she'll do his eye makeup next after finishing Mei's. Mei tries to tell Yinghua that it's not necessary, but she insists, as it is tradition for lower-ranking members of The Atracidae to help the upper-ranking ones with their makeup.   Amanti then wakes up, and asks if he could join in on doing makeup as well. Thien offers to do one of his eyes, and Yinghua (or Mei) says she can do his other eye.   While waiting their turns, Mei takes Yinghua aside to talk with her. From what the party can glean, Mei seems to be concerned by something, though Yinghua reassures her, telling with how the way "everyone's been talking about him, he's probably smart enough to figure a way out of it." Seemingly calmed down, Mei and Yinghua return to the party, and the session ends with Mei, Yinghua, Thien, and Amanti doing makeup together.

Rewards Granted

• Incense Sticks
• Small Prayer Book
• Book on Lingguoren History
• Book on Lingguo Religion, Folk Beliefs, and Spirits
• Bundle of Herbs (from Meng Po)

Character(s) interacted with

Nadyn, Iskra, Michael, Donovan, Mei, Yinghua, The Spirit Bard, Meng Po