Session 28

Spent night at Yamasura. Recognized as heroes for clearing roads around Yamasura.

Met lumberjacks from Kyuden Isawa who were hauling wood over the trail. They use bloodwood to create swords/weapons. Many Phoenix samurai use wooden swords. In times of war, they may apply blood oil to swords to sharpen the swords. The blood oil is something that the Isawa family carefully controls.

Forest Shadow City--castle in the center of Morikage Toshi--has been cursed and abandoned for over 200 years now. 200 years ago, Shiba Kojiro, was engaged to the daughter of the Agasha daimyo (when Agasha was Dragon), Agasha Yuriko. After becoming married, Shiba Kojiro became callous and changed and divorced the Agasha. Agasha Yuriko killed herself in the main plaza of Forest Shadow City. Agasha Yuriko blamed herself for tormenting Shiba Kojiro/causing his change in personality. Agasha Yuriko's mother cursed the castle, killing the forest for a mile around the castle, until just recently, when the curse has been slowly growing. Recent rumors are that a haunted spirit walks the forest floor, a shaggy man wearing leaves for clothes. Phoenix peasants believe the spirit is a demon because it has pointed ears. (Spirit later identified as Luth.)

Mike decided that if we arrive at Forest Shadow City and no other humanoids are there, we can claim the castle there and will assume ownership of it--so Mike therefore has a motivation to act.

We arrive at Morikage Toshi. Dome of mist covering forest. Forest killed by cold--cold still exists. Milosh identifies a spirit-flower on a stone plinth in the center of a slightly grassy grove (frozen). Aayadin casts Speak with Spirit from biwa and most of his blood spews out across his body. Centipedes (spirit centipedes) rise up from the ground, saying "kill for leader". Elven druid, Luth, arrives and speaks with group. Grove/flower is planted in memory of Selena, dryad who died in Ravnica. Mist quickly expanded outward encroaching/covering grove. Luth used seeds from saplings from Selena's body to plant grove. But the mist expanded outward and killed trees; is suppressing life force of grove. Luth speaks about Ravnica/Mystara. Luth wants the suppression to stop attacking the grove.

Luth speaks of a companion who told him of a darkness spreading from this continent (Kozakura). Kana said there is a darkness spreading. Luth speaks of the lightning sorceress who destroyed the ship we took to Kozakura on the first day of Orca's travels, who watches over the world and strives to fight against the darkness. Kana observed that something was wrong in Kozakura; Luth came here to try to find what was wrong, and is now stuck here guarding the grove. Luth seeks assistance in dispelling that threat. Luth says that if Kana attacked our ship/killed those on it, those on the ship were guilty; perhaps there is a reason this group of scholars (Orca) escaped while others didn't.

Luth gives us centipedes that we place on our shoulders. We can telepathically communicate among our group by thinking through the centipedes.

We reach the castle. Aayadin donkey-kicks open the door to a door in a shed outside the castle. Skeletons run out of the shed--and start moving out of other sheds also.

An Oni appears, shimmering into existence, at the top of the watchtower outside the castle.

After defeating the skeletons (Bastion action dodge), Oni says "we are waiting for you inside the castle; the gates are open."

we go inside and find a frozen phoenix samurai. we thaw the samurai. it tries to attack us. it has a masamune blade katana--soaks up blood, magical damage. We identify the frozen samurai as Shiba Kojiro.