Loose threads: Boggards. Kokoro (solved). Hag (Boggard leader) missing (solved). Mutated foxes between Shrine/coast (solved). Spirits & their illusory magics.
Participants: Nox, Thane Hildebrand, Raziel Vernadi, Tamiko Sato of House Miyagawa, Saorie Tylmae
Location(s): Elemental Portal Shrine, the Unseen Village of the Unknown on the Verge
Short summary:
The adventuring party got a request from a Guild Dwarf to pass on an invitation to Sendõ, the Matriarch of the Kitsune Village. The party gathered their gear, bought some wines as gifts, and two boats which were loaded onto Tamiko’s cart pulled by two oxen. The party travelled first to the Elemental Shrine, taking refuge inside for the night. The next day, they made their way to the shore south of the shrine. On the way, they were ambushed by what seemed to be a pack of mutated foxes, one of which has a disorienting illusory aura. After a while of fighting, the aura fox and one of its kin ran away. The party made it to the shore safely and set up camp.
Next day, they managed to stumble upon a Kitsune named Noyaki, who offered to guide them to the island so they could deliver the invitation. They learned firsthand how the spirits of the island protected the village, making everything seem wrong and eerie. If it was not for their guide, they would be lost. They reached the temple where the Matriarch was, and finished the task. Afterwards, they offered to help the kitsune with the recent boggard infestation, heading out into marches. The fight was touch and go, mostly due to the environment working against the party, but they made it and returned to the village. After mingling with the locals, they eventually reported the fight to the Matriarch and used their Recallers to return to town.
Full report - Thane
Approached by a Guild Unknown with a big stack of papers at the The Blinking Pug early. He suggested offering an invitation for the Lunar Tournament to the Kitsune Matriarch of the Unseen Village. The party realised that they might need boats to get across the sea to the island. Tamiko offered to cover the cost by handing over two (2) platinum pieces. Thane decided to buy three (3) bottles of fine wine as offerings. Tylmae asked the Guild for a bottle of Eleutherian Vintage and received a bottle, putting down ten (10) gold pieces as deposit. Once the two (2) boats were loaded onto the cart pulled by Tamiko's two (2) oxen, Sho with ear tag and Michi with bell collar, the party got ready at the south gate of First Landing.
The party made its way to the Elemental Portal Shrine late in the day, making a stop to rest and camp for the day. Nox scouted the surrounding area and found tracks of Owlbear and Hippogriff. Thane tried to Fortify the camp, but didn't succeed. Inside, they found Guild Researchers who contributed nothing. They'd make good distraction if the Shrine was attacked. The party made camp inside the Shrine, getting a full night's rest with no issues or distractions. As they woke up, the Shrine became lively with the Guild crew stirring about to do their tasks.
The day 2 journey was mostly uneventful until late in the day. The area surrounding the cart began to shimmer and change. The party assumed it was illusions starting already, and Thane tried to yell out to see if it was Fey pranks. What followed was an attack by three warped red foxes and a strange creature with an aura that made the party's heads swim.
The party won the battle, but the biggest fox creature with the illusory aura, and one of the smaller ones, managed to escape. Getting back to their cart, the party made its way to the shore without any further issues, making camp for the day. Next day, before heading out into the water, a Kitsune was spotted and tracked nearby - Noyaki. They seemed friendly enough and after some banter, the Kitsune offered to guide the party to the island through the protective illusion barrier. Once they got on land and secured the boats, there was a short game of two truths and a lie. The party was led through the town, where they met a child Kitsune named Deni who was very happy that Noyaki, his older sibling, returned safely. After a bit, they continues towards a temple, where they met Sendō, the Matriarch, who offered them some tea while they talked about this and that, including the idea of helping the Kitsune with clearing out Boggards that formerly worked under the defeated Hags.
The Boggards seem to be going on a rampage of sorts, perhaps because they are not controlled by the Hags anymore, with the last Hag fleeing from the island. The party wandered through the protective illusions with guidance from Noyaki, until they reached the swamplands and split up. While the Kitsune went hunting, the group made their way through soggy, misty swamp until they stumbled upon what seemed to be a Dragon Turtle graveyard of sorts. The Boggards have been very busy hunting them down, and a trio of battle toads were snuck up on by the adventurers.
The fight was tough, but once the leading Boggard was taken down, together with one of the martials, the third one fled, only to be taken down by Noyaki. The rest of the day was essentially spent resting and trading in the market area of the Village, with each member finding something other to get distracted with. Afterwards, they had a talk with the Matriarch and used their Recallers to return home.