GamerJB
2013-05-08, 10:57 PM
Setting up the IC so I can give a little background to give everyone some motivation.
What has gone before...
The Brinewall Legacy
Fires over Brinestump:
The Licktoad goblins of the Brinestump Marsh have been plaguing travelers along the Lost Coast road for the last month. Armed with fireworks their new weapons have made them braver and more daring. Forming a group of goblin hunters the PCs (all who are friends or an acquaintance of Ameiko Kaijitsu) set off to help the town of Sandpoint.
In the swamp they find more than just goblins. After battling a small shapeshifting abberation, the group confronts and kills the Soggy River monster (a local legend and evil sinspawn). But their main battle is the Licktoad goblins and their chieftain Rendwattle Gutwad. After a long hard fought battle the PCs explore the village and discover not only an odd treasure chest (from the lands of Minka) but a treasure map showing the source of the goblins fireworks, an old cave south of the village.
The trail leading to the cave takes the group past two old shipwrecks along where the sea meets the swamp. The Kaijitsi's star is a burnt out hulk with nothing of interest to find, but her sister ship Kaijitsu's Blossom is larger and still home to a few of it's former crew, who are now skeletons.
Dealing with the undead the PCs move on finding a cave at the end of the trail marked on their map. More skeletons guard this cave and a large jade and cherry wood chest set in a place of honor at the back of it. Dispatching the lesser undead and the Samurai Skeletal Champion - Tsutamu the group collects it's rich rewards and heads back to Sandpoint as heroes.
The Legacy's Lure:
One of the items discovered among the groups treasure is a note written in Tien. When the group gives it to Ameiko for translation the young woman starts to cry and flees to the kitchens.
My son, my heir. You know that I have kept secrets from you. You were always a perceptive son, and while you may not understand my reasons for secrecy, I hope that you realize it was necessary. Know that I was not angry with you for opening the warding box- I was angry with myself for withholding the truth from you and forcing you to seek out what I should have given to you. The words I spoke to you were from anger with myself, and it shames me to think of them now. I write this note as an apology, and to beg you to leave these secrets to history.
The Next few days will be the most important I have faced in many years. If our family’s enemies have, as I hope, forgotten us, I shall reunite with you and your wife, and your mother and I shall reveal the truth to you. But if they still seek the contents of the warding box, I fear that I may not speak to you again. The box holds our family’s greatest treasure, so I have returned it to Kortun’s care and it shall remain hidden in the secret third vault under Brinewall Castle-obscured from our enemies. I hope and pray I will not grant our foes the satisfaction of killing me themselves-if it comes to it, let my death by my own hand be my final act to protect you, so that our enemies believe our line ended.
I have instructed Tsutamu to keep this letter from you, delivering it to you only should I fail to return as I hope to. If I can, I will reveal all to you myself. If I cannot, this final missive from a father to a son must suffice as an apology in place of an explanation, and you must destroy this letter, flee to the south, and never return to Brinewall. If our enemies find what I have hidden, there will be nothing here for you. If they do not, they will lie in wait forever for your return.
I hope to see you again soon my son. But my heart tells me that I will not. I am sorry to have failed you, but I am proud of you, and I know you will survive this old man’s shame. You are strong, and you must remain so. For if you are reading this and I am gone, know that our enemies will never stop searching for us, and that is why I cannot reveal the truth to you until I know there is no chance of them finding us again.
Rokuro Kajitsu
Sunday, 29 Desnus, 4687
A day or so later Ameiko's grief has turn to determination and she and others start to form a caravan bond for Brinewall. A few months later that caravan is set and somehow the PCs have agreed to travel along (each for reasons of his own).
Ruins of Brinewall
The Journey north is uneventful and the caravan soon arrives at the ruins of Brinewall, but all is not well with their friend Ameiko. The young women falls into a feverish coma moaning cryptic portents in her delirium. Convinced it has something to do with Brinewall the group sets forth to investigate.
Battling an almost never ending flood of denizens of the ruin the group makes it's way to the hidden vault room and confront an oni named Kikonu. Defeating the mad oni the group uncovers a small artifact called the Amatatsu Seal, and are given the Vision of Jade:
In the visions, the PCs see an army of terrible fiends—with burning skin, glaring eyes, and sharp tusks, wearing strange armor and wielding exotic weapons—emerge in a storm from a vast forest, then descend upon a nation populated by Tian people. This vision is swiftly followed by another: a young man dressed in royal robes stands over a simple well, a friend at his side. Suddenly, the friend grows nearly three times in size and is sheathed in a frightening suit of jade armor. The jade warrior draws a sword and strikes down his royal friend, then holds the bloody sword aloft in triumph. A third vision follows, this time of a young Tian man handing a beautiful sword to a richly dressed Ulfen man in exchange for a bag of gold. Finally, this vision fades, and the PCs see their friend Ameiko waking from her deep sleep, but she is dressed in the finery of an empress. She rises from sleep not in a humble Varisian caravan, but from a resting spot within the arms of a jade throne.
These visions pass in the span of a few heartbeats, and after they do, they impart knowledge to the PCs’ minds. The PCs know that the land they saw invaded by fiends was Minkai, that the man they saw murdered by the jade warrior was Emperor Shigure of Minkai. They know that Ameiko Kaijitsu’s true family name is Amatatsu, one of the five royal families of Minkai—indeed, the last surviving royal family. The PCs recognize the young Tian man with the sword as Ameiko’s grandfather, Rokuro Kaijitsu, formerly Amatatsu Tsutoku, selling the family’s legendary sword Suishen to the Ulfen merchant Fynn Snaevald in the city of Kalsgard to finance his family’s flight and exile. They also know that Suishen is intelligent, and can impart much more knowledge of the Amatatsu family’s legacy if recovered. Further, they know that Ameiko herself is the heir of her line. Finally, the PCs know all of the powers and abilities of both the Amatatsu Seal and its warding box— including the danger of leaving the warding box open, which would allow the oni of the Five Storms to once more track the Amatatsu Seal.
With this knowledge Ameiko's next destination is clear - Kalsgrad, to recover the family heirloom Suishen. But in a land far to the east the oni of the Five Storms stir and Ameiko is likely in need of protectors.
Night of Frozen Shadows
Into the North
The caravan makes it's way to Kalsgrad harassed by the occasional wandering monster and Ulfen marauders. Once they reach the city they set out to find clues to the whereabouts of Suishen while the caravan prepares for the upcoming trip across the Crown of the World.
Gathering information among the Ulfen proves difficult and dangerous, as silent assaults by ninja clad assassins and enraged Ulfen drunkards, bar their way. But with a little skill and a lot of luck the PCs manage to find the newest owner of the sword a chieftain known as Asvig Longthews.
A Gathering of Shadows
Raiding the chieftain's farm the group learns that the sword is not there and is in fact on a funeral ship just about to be launched, burnt, and sunk - leaving the blade lost at sea. Hurrying the group makes for the slowly burning ship and their prize. But as is the life of the adventurer no task is simple. As they board the ship a group of ninja attack catching the group unaware. An epic battle amongst the burning boat against the Frozen Shadows leaves the group empty handed as some of the ninja escape with Suishen.
Investigating the local thieves guilds of Kalsgrad the group learns the location of the Frozen Shadows stronghold at Ravenscraeg.
Assault on Ravenscraeg
Determined to bring the Frozen Shadow to its knees for its repeated attacks on them the group sets out to find Ameiko's family heirloom and destroy the thieves guild for good. Tengu-ninjas, raven swarms, and an awakened druid crow make for a dangerous place, but the group successfully makes their way to the innersantum of the stronghold and find the leader of all their troubles in Kalsgrad awaiting them. Kimandatsu a female ogre mage and member of the Five Storms.
Unfortunately for the group the ogre mage escaped, their confrontation and is licking her wounds and gathering power to one day harass them again.
With the visions and knowledge gained the group realizes the next step in Ameiko's journey is to go to Minka and stop the Jade Warrior from the visions. But the quickest way to the Emerald Empire is across the most dangerous lands in all of Golarion - The Crown of the World.
And this is where are adventure shall begin.
LINKS:
Recuritment thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=282527)
OOC thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=283435)
What has gone before...
The Brinewall Legacy
Fires over Brinestump:
The Licktoad goblins of the Brinestump Marsh have been plaguing travelers along the Lost Coast road for the last month. Armed with fireworks their new weapons have made them braver and more daring. Forming a group of goblin hunters the PCs (all who are friends or an acquaintance of Ameiko Kaijitsu) set off to help the town of Sandpoint.
In the swamp they find more than just goblins. After battling a small shapeshifting abberation, the group confronts and kills the Soggy River monster (a local legend and evil sinspawn). But their main battle is the Licktoad goblins and their chieftain Rendwattle Gutwad. After a long hard fought battle the PCs explore the village and discover not only an odd treasure chest (from the lands of Minka) but a treasure map showing the source of the goblins fireworks, an old cave south of the village.
The trail leading to the cave takes the group past two old shipwrecks along where the sea meets the swamp. The Kaijitsi's star is a burnt out hulk with nothing of interest to find, but her sister ship Kaijitsu's Blossom is larger and still home to a few of it's former crew, who are now skeletons.
Dealing with the undead the PCs move on finding a cave at the end of the trail marked on their map. More skeletons guard this cave and a large jade and cherry wood chest set in a place of honor at the back of it. Dispatching the lesser undead and the Samurai Skeletal Champion - Tsutamu the group collects it's rich rewards and heads back to Sandpoint as heroes.
The Legacy's Lure:
One of the items discovered among the groups treasure is a note written in Tien. When the group gives it to Ameiko for translation the young woman starts to cry and flees to the kitchens.
My son, my heir. You know that I have kept secrets from you. You were always a perceptive son, and while you may not understand my reasons for secrecy, I hope that you realize it was necessary. Know that I was not angry with you for opening the warding box- I was angry with myself for withholding the truth from you and forcing you to seek out what I should have given to you. The words I spoke to you were from anger with myself, and it shames me to think of them now. I write this note as an apology, and to beg you to leave these secrets to history.
The Next few days will be the most important I have faced in many years. If our family’s enemies have, as I hope, forgotten us, I shall reunite with you and your wife, and your mother and I shall reveal the truth to you. But if they still seek the contents of the warding box, I fear that I may not speak to you again. The box holds our family’s greatest treasure, so I have returned it to Kortun’s care and it shall remain hidden in the secret third vault under Brinewall Castle-obscured from our enemies. I hope and pray I will not grant our foes the satisfaction of killing me themselves-if it comes to it, let my death by my own hand be my final act to protect you, so that our enemies believe our line ended.
I have instructed Tsutamu to keep this letter from you, delivering it to you only should I fail to return as I hope to. If I can, I will reveal all to you myself. If I cannot, this final missive from a father to a son must suffice as an apology in place of an explanation, and you must destroy this letter, flee to the south, and never return to Brinewall. If our enemies find what I have hidden, there will be nothing here for you. If they do not, they will lie in wait forever for your return.
I hope to see you again soon my son. But my heart tells me that I will not. I am sorry to have failed you, but I am proud of you, and I know you will survive this old man’s shame. You are strong, and you must remain so. For if you are reading this and I am gone, know that our enemies will never stop searching for us, and that is why I cannot reveal the truth to you until I know there is no chance of them finding us again.
Rokuro Kajitsu
Sunday, 29 Desnus, 4687
A day or so later Ameiko's grief has turn to determination and she and others start to form a caravan bond for Brinewall. A few months later that caravan is set and somehow the PCs have agreed to travel along (each for reasons of his own).
Ruins of Brinewall
The Journey north is uneventful and the caravan soon arrives at the ruins of Brinewall, but all is not well with their friend Ameiko. The young women falls into a feverish coma moaning cryptic portents in her delirium. Convinced it has something to do with Brinewall the group sets forth to investigate.
Battling an almost never ending flood of denizens of the ruin the group makes it's way to the hidden vault room and confront an oni named Kikonu. Defeating the mad oni the group uncovers a small artifact called the Amatatsu Seal, and are given the Vision of Jade:
In the visions, the PCs see an army of terrible fiends—with burning skin, glaring eyes, and sharp tusks, wearing strange armor and wielding exotic weapons—emerge in a storm from a vast forest, then descend upon a nation populated by Tian people. This vision is swiftly followed by another: a young man dressed in royal robes stands over a simple well, a friend at his side. Suddenly, the friend grows nearly three times in size and is sheathed in a frightening suit of jade armor. The jade warrior draws a sword and strikes down his royal friend, then holds the bloody sword aloft in triumph. A third vision follows, this time of a young Tian man handing a beautiful sword to a richly dressed Ulfen man in exchange for a bag of gold. Finally, this vision fades, and the PCs see their friend Ameiko waking from her deep sleep, but she is dressed in the finery of an empress. She rises from sleep not in a humble Varisian caravan, but from a resting spot within the arms of a jade throne.
These visions pass in the span of a few heartbeats, and after they do, they impart knowledge to the PCs’ minds. The PCs know that the land they saw invaded by fiends was Minkai, that the man they saw murdered by the jade warrior was Emperor Shigure of Minkai. They know that Ameiko Kaijitsu’s true family name is Amatatsu, one of the five royal families of Minkai—indeed, the last surviving royal family. The PCs recognize the young Tian man with the sword as Ameiko’s grandfather, Rokuro Kaijitsu, formerly Amatatsu Tsutoku, selling the family’s legendary sword Suishen to the Ulfen merchant Fynn Snaevald in the city of Kalsgard to finance his family’s flight and exile. They also know that Suishen is intelligent, and can impart much more knowledge of the Amatatsu family’s legacy if recovered. Further, they know that Ameiko herself is the heir of her line. Finally, the PCs know all of the powers and abilities of both the Amatatsu Seal and its warding box— including the danger of leaving the warding box open, which would allow the oni of the Five Storms to once more track the Amatatsu Seal.
With this knowledge Ameiko's next destination is clear - Kalsgrad, to recover the family heirloom Suishen. But in a land far to the east the oni of the Five Storms stir and Ameiko is likely in need of protectors.
Night of Frozen Shadows
Into the North
The caravan makes it's way to Kalsgrad harassed by the occasional wandering monster and Ulfen marauders. Once they reach the city they set out to find clues to the whereabouts of Suishen while the caravan prepares for the upcoming trip across the Crown of the World.
Gathering information among the Ulfen proves difficult and dangerous, as silent assaults by ninja clad assassins and enraged Ulfen drunkards, bar their way. But with a little skill and a lot of luck the PCs manage to find the newest owner of the sword a chieftain known as Asvig Longthews.
A Gathering of Shadows
Raiding the chieftain's farm the group learns that the sword is not there and is in fact on a funeral ship just about to be launched, burnt, and sunk - leaving the blade lost at sea. Hurrying the group makes for the slowly burning ship and their prize. But as is the life of the adventurer no task is simple. As they board the ship a group of ninja attack catching the group unaware. An epic battle amongst the burning boat against the Frozen Shadows leaves the group empty handed as some of the ninja escape with Suishen.
Investigating the local thieves guilds of Kalsgrad the group learns the location of the Frozen Shadows stronghold at Ravenscraeg.
Assault on Ravenscraeg
Determined to bring the Frozen Shadow to its knees for its repeated attacks on them the group sets out to find Ameiko's family heirloom and destroy the thieves guild for good. Tengu-ninjas, raven swarms, and an awakened druid crow make for a dangerous place, but the group successfully makes their way to the innersantum of the stronghold and find the leader of all their troubles in Kalsgrad awaiting them. Kimandatsu a female ogre mage and member of the Five Storms.
Unfortunately for the group the ogre mage escaped, their confrontation and is licking her wounds and gathering power to one day harass them again.
With the visions and knowledge gained the group realizes the next step in Ameiko's journey is to go to Minka and stop the Jade Warrior from the visions. But the quickest way to the Emerald Empire is across the most dangerous lands in all of Golarion - The Crown of the World.
And this is where are adventure shall begin.
LINKS:
Recuritment thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=282527)
OOC thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=283435)