Good Deeds

The hour was well past midnight, and the group still hadn’t come up with a strategy for raiding the Imperial Granary and making off with enough food to help stop the starvation that was plaguing the people of Kasai. The problem wasn’t getting in; despite the heavy guard outside, they were confident they could teleport inside without being detected. The problem was the sheer volume of rice involved. Zhustin and Nicki had dome some quick calculations (and the others would have to trust their arcane knowledge), and figured that it would take roughly sixteen tons of rice to feed the starving populace – and that was just for one day! Getting that amount of rice out of the granary without bringing the army down on them was the real challenge.

Shinjiro was in favor of just inciting the people to storm the granary – even the Jade Regent’s Typhoon Guard surely couldn’t stand against 50,000 rioting commoners, right? But Isao shook his head. “There were riots when the Jade Regent first imposed his Rice Tax, and they were brutally put down. The rioters, their families, and their neighbors all ended up with their heads on spikes around the granary, as a warning to the rest of the city not to try anything so stupid again. Now the people are beaten down and afraid – I doubt you could muster enough supporters to make a difference.”

Shinjiro sank back into his seat. The group sat in silence for awhile, and then Nicki spoke up. “With the Jade Regent’s armies eating all that rice, it must be getting restocked, right? Isao explained that there were two rice harvests each year. During the harvest season, the roads to Kasai were choked with wagons full of rice, as all the surrounding farmers and villages brought their harvest to the city for sale. And, as luck would have it, the harvest was currently in full swing.

“How many wagons are we talking about?” Nicki asked eagerly. Isao thought for a moment. “Probably 60-70 per day, each carrying about a ton and a half of rice.”

Zhustin got excited. “We could hijack the wagons before they reach the city – create a shortage that forces the Jade Regent to bring his army out of the city to recover his rice, and then …”

“We’re not trying to devise a military strategy,” Ameiko reminded him. “We need to feed my people.”

“You’re making this too hard,” Sawyer snorted, and everyone turned to him. “Let the wagons get into the city, past the guards at the gates. Then just divert a few of them. Tell the drivers they’re to deliver their loads to an alternate granary, pay them, and send them on their way. If we only take a few wagonloads per day, we could have enough to feed the hungry, and the Jade Regent’s people probably wouldn’t even notice the shortfall for quite some time.”

Isao nodded eagerly. “I know of a couple of warehouses we could use for this. I don’t think it would be smart for you to be the ones redirecting the wagons – you’re foreigners, and would draw too much attention. But I know people who would help, and have contacts who could redistribute the rice from our warehouses throughout the rest of the city, to get it into the hands of the people.”

The rest of the group agreed to the plan, and Isao rushed to put it into action. Nicki and Shinjiro put up the funds to buy the rice (each wagon load was only worth about 30 gp, so the sum was modest). By daybreak, everything was in place. Isao asked the party to be at the warehouse in the beginning, to provide muscle in case anything went wrong, but the plan began to execute smoothly. One by one, random wagons would be stopped on the major streets and redirected to the “new” granary. The farmers simply shrugged, did as they were told, accepted payment, and went on their way. The rice began to pile up in the warehouse, but soon a network of other people began arriving with hand carts, wheelbarrows, or small goat carts, and the rice began flowing out into the streets and alleys of Kasai, and thence into hungry bellies all over the city – all courtesy, they made sure their couriers told everyone, of the Princess Ameiko.

By early afternoon, the party was congratulating themselves on the success of their strategy. Then a man came running into the warehouse, and pulled Isao aside, whispering urgently to him. Isao paled, then called the party over. They came, loosening swords and expecting attack at any moment, but his news was more chilling.

“Your friend, Habetsuta Hatsue, has been captured by the Jade Regent!” Hatsue was Jiro’s lieutenant, who had preceded them into Kasai by a few weeks. “She’d been working to establish contacts with the resistance leaders in the city,” Isao continued, “and we hadn’t heard from her in several days, but assumed she was just undercover. But it seems she’s been captured, and is to be executed in the market square this afternoon!”

The news was grim indeed, but the party had no intention of allowing Hatsue to be put to death. Ameiko was still at Isao’s estate, and they quickly agreed not to involve her in this – they didn’t want her presence in the city to become known prematurely. They used Bella’s innovation for traveling across Kasai undetected: they placed her Portable Hole in the bottom of a wagon, climbed inside (it was cramped, and Bella had to sit on Sawyer’s shoulders, but they could fit), then had some old cloth and boards thrown over the opening, hiding it.

Within half an hour, their driver told them they’d arrived at the marketplace. They clambered out of their hidey-hole, and joined the back of a crowd that had gathered (or been forced to gather) to watch the execution. They were not a moment too soon, for a party of Typhoon Guards were just dragging Hatsue up onto a blood-stained scaffold that had been erected at the side of the marketplace. The young monk was battered and bloody, her clothes torn, and her arms tied to her sides with coarse rope. Most horrifying, both her hands had been hacked off at the wrists, leaving bloody stumps.

As Hatsue was led up onto the scaffold, one of the Typhoon Guards stood in front of it, addressing the crowd in a loud voice. “This northern rebel scum stands accused of treason and conspiracy against the throne. She has been spreading false rumors of the existence of a so-called “heir” to the throne, a supposed Amatatsu princess. Such tales are lies! If any of you meet such an imposter, you are to turn her in immediately, or face the same fate as this piece of trash!”

Using Suishen’s See Invisible power, Sawyer spotted another oni Typhoon Commander hovering in mid-air above a nearby building, scanning the crowd suspiciously. Marie said a quick Prayer to Desna, and then hissed to Sawyer and Bella, “Stick close to me!” as she began to move through the crowd, drawing closer to the scaffold. They followed, and Bella quaffed a Potion of Blur. Nicki felt like he was surrounded by too many targets, and moved away from the group, skirting the edge of the onlookers.

Sandoval wasn’t sure what fate her captors intended for Hatsue, but in case it was a quick beheading, he decided not to waste any time. He sent a Song of Discord wafting towards the group of guards on the scaffold, then burst into a rousing song of Inspire Courage, drawing immediate attention to himself. Two of the Typhoon Guards charged at the bard, and one slashed him with his katana. But the guard who had been speaking to the crowd was incited by Sandoval’s Song, and turned and slashed his swords at the comrade behind him. Another Guard rushed over and wrapped his arms around him, trying to get him to stop, while the others clustered tighter around their prisoner.

Zhustin cast a Quickened Haste, speeding up Sawyer, Bella, and Shinjiro, then cast Greater Invisibility on himself. Shinjiro rushed to Sandoval’s aid, kicking the Guard assaulting him in the back.

The crowd began screaming in panic, trying to find some way to escape the fighting that had suddenly broken out on all sides of them. The flying Typhoon Commander unleashed a Cone of Cold that left dozens of them dead, and chilled several party members. Sandoval cast Mislead, turning invisible while he was instantly replaced by an illusory double. His clone made as if to run away down an nearby alley; the Guard fighting him swung at his fleeing back, and immediately realized it was just an illusion, but by this time the real Sandoval had dashed in the opposite direction.

With a scream of elation, Nicki called forth the powers of Hell, and a gout of Hellfire sprang up around the Guards on the scaffold, burning them badly. Seconds later, Marie, Sawyer, and Bella suddenly appeared on the smoking platform, thanks to Marie’s Teleport. She cast a quick Detect Magic on Hatsue, wanting to make sure that she had nothing that would prevent Marie from Teleporting her to safety. Sawyer and Bella laid into the Guards around them. Suishen sliced one in half, and stabbed another, while Bella’s blade sliced through another’s jugular. He stood for a moment, blood spurting from his wound, but died as he raised his sword to strike back. The other Typhoon Guards launched a furious counterattack, but were unable to hit any of the heavily armored and combat-experienced party. The only exception was a Typhoon Guard who, under the influence of Sandoval’s Discord, slashed one of his friends over and over again from behind, leaving him staggering.

Zhustin pointed a finger at the flying oni and a black ray of negative energy shot forth. As the Enervation struck the Commander it suppressed his life force, leaving him much less capable than he’d been a moment before. His spell spent, the Hasted wizard dashed forward and rolled underneath the scaffold platform, out of sight of the oni above. The oni, for his part, ignored the fighting and drew a slender wand from his belt. He pointed it at Hatsue, and a bright green ray shot out, enveloping her in a soft emerald glow. Sandoval cast a Rainbow Pattern in the air around the oni, and while several bystanders below were fascinated by its swirling colors, the Commander was not impressed.

Shinjiro delivered a lightning-fast Flurry of Blows on the Typhoon Guard in front of him, breaking several ribs and an arm. Nicki followed up with a trio of Scorching Rays that sent that Guard tumbling to the ground and scorched his partner attacking the monk from behind. Marie was trying to fight her way to Hatsue, and smashed her mace into the Guard holding her. One of his mates turned to attack her, but the tip of Bella’s rapier suddenly appeared out of his chest, and he dropped like a stone. Other Typhoon Guards managed to land lucky blows on Shinjiro and Marie, but did so little damage they might as well not have bothered.

Sawyer decided that Marie and Bella could handle the rest of Hatsue’s Guards, so he turned and rushed at their Commander, using Suishen’s Air Walk to reach the flying oni. He landed one good cut, but as on the dock, Suishen’s flames didn’t seem to faze the oni, and its blade had a hard time penetrating its tough hide. The Commander whirled his naginata around his head, and then brought it down on Sawyer, Smiting him a painful blow. Sandoval tried casting Slow on the Typhoon Commander, but the spell had no effect.

Nicki darted into a nearby building for cover, then peeked back around the door frame with a Wand of Lightning Bolts in hand. The shaft of electricity flew upwards and zapped the oni. Sawyer unleashed Suishen’s full fury, and the blows landed repeatedly, but the big oni just snarled at him. However, Sawyer easily dodged the oni’s riposte, and the Commander’s face grew dark with fury.

Down on the scaffolding, Bella shredded one of the surviving Typhoon Guards, amputating all four of his limbs in a blinding series of blows. But his mate, enraged by Sandoval’s Song of Discord lashed out at the nearest creature. Unfortunately, that was Hatsue. She was unarmored, her arms were tied, and she was already badly injured. The raging Guard’s katana and wakizashi hacked at the helpless girl, and she collapsed in a bloody heap, not breathing.

Zhustin rolled back from under the back of the scaffold and leaped onto it, ready to grab Hatsue and Teleport away. But instead he found only her lifeless body, still encased in a green glow. As soon as he saw the emerald light, he recognized the spell. “Shit!” he cried, “They’ve locked her with a Dimensional Anchor!” He knew the protective spell would prevent any form of dimensional or planar travel. Marie reacted instantaneously; she cast a Greater Dispel Magic on the dead captive, and the green glow disappeared. As soon as it did, Zhustin grabbed her, and they vanished. But a moment later, Marie heard Zhustin’s muffled voice from beneath the platform. “We’re down here – hurry, she needs help!” The cleric leaped off the scaffold and rolled beneath it. Then she cast Breath of Life on Hatsue’s limp form. To their delight, she drew a ragged breath.

Shinjiro and a Guard were trading blows some distance from the platform. Shinjiro landed five hits for every one of the Guard’s, but the guy stubbornly refused to fall. Suddenly, a flight of Magic Missiles slammed into the Guard, and he tumbled to the ground. “That’s how you do it!” Zhustin taunted. Sandoval tried casting Hideous Laughter on the last remaining Typhoon Guard, but nothing happened. Then he changed his song to Inspire Greatness on Sawyer and Bella, even as his harmonizing echoblade continued singing Inspire Courage for the rest of the party.

Nicki hit the flying oni with another Lightning Bolt, and Sawyer redoubled his attacks. Suishen’s blade bit into the oni again and again, the ancestral sword screaming with bloodlust. His last blow sliced open the oni’s belly, and steaming guts spilled out over the fascinated onlookers below as the oni fell out of the sky.

That just left one surviving Typhoon Guard. Zhustin rolled out from under the platform, ready to blast the oni with a Lightning Bolt, but when he saw the Commander hit the dirt, he re-aimed his finger and fried the Guard instead. Bella stabbed him once, then Sandoval rushed over and stabbed him again, and the last Guard fell.

Carrying the badly wounded Hatsue, the group ran for their waiting getaway wagon. Bella made a quick detour to pull a few loose magic items off the dead Commander. Nicki really wanted to make another skeleton friend, but the rest of the group dragged him away before he could Animate the oni’s corpse.

Once back at Isao’s compound, Marie tended to Hatsue’s wounds. A Heal spell brought her back to full strength, but the cleric could do nothing for now about her missing hands, and the emotional scars from her torture and abuse at the hands of the oni might never heal.

There seemed to be no more crises demanding the party’s intervention – it was time to turn the focus back to Ameiko and fulfilling her destiny. And that meant visiting the Imperial Shrine, to obtain the blessings of her ancestors, and the blessings of the ancestors of the other imperial families. Isao told them there was an old fisherman, a loyal subject, who knew the ways to take one of royal blood, bearing an Imperial Seal, to the hidden island. They asked Isao exactly what it meant to ask the blessings of the dead ancestors. "There is a cemetery on the island, where the dead emperors and empresses are laid to rest. I assume you must somehow commune with their spirits. But of course I've never been there, or spoken to anyone who has, so I'm not sure."

And so that night, near midnight, they set out again in their traveling hole. When the wagon stopped, they were not at the docks, but at a deserted area of seashore. Their driver led them to a winding path through sawgrass and rushes that ended at a mud beach. A small boat was pulled up there, and an old man bowed to Ameiko as she approached. He introduced himself as Kadei Ejigoro, and he appeared to be even more ancient than Isao, if that was possible. He looked as if a light breeze would blow him over, but when they were in his boat he took the oars and rowed them with strong strokes out into Kasai Bay.

There was a light fog laying on the dark water as they rowed in silence for some time. Then a pair of vermilion posts rose from the water of the bay, about twenty feet apart and fifteen feet high, joined together by an upper lintel painted black. It was a torii gate, and Ejigoro rowed his boat directly through it. Some time later, a second torii gate rose out of the darkness, and they passed through it, as well. A third, fourth, and fifth appeared. Sawyer could tell they were making a wide circle on the water, and by the time they approached the last gate, they were headed back in the direction from which they’d come.

As the boat passed under the fifth torii gate, the mist suddenly vanished. To their left, a dark island rose out of the water where none had been a moment before. They could see a single stone dock jutting out from the island’s shore, with a wooden building a short distance behind it. The interior of the island was shrouded in darkness. This, then, must be the Imperial Shrine.

The PCs earned 27,886 XP for the night, putting them at 412,005 XP, with 445,000 required for Level 14. You won’t reach level 14 next week, but it’s possible you could the following week, so start looking at your next level-up. We’ll be back at Leo’s next Sunday, but Scott will be singing and Roger will be on call.