Sep 21, 2025 1:17 pm
OOC:
The speaker would make three. Not two.The Quiet Village of Kibamaru
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Sep 21, 2025 1:33 pm
OOC:
Yes, the two heads you took should both be Oni, the speaker is the one I'm not sure about. He's being called an Oni but the earlier post seems to imply he's a possessed human.
Sep 21, 2025 7:39 pm
"Ōhare no kotoba."
Cloud ignored the spittle, his armor was covered in blood, a bit of spit was no bother. He focused on exorcising the Oni from the speaker. He traced some iron filings and silver powder on the speaker's forehead and cast a spell of protection on the man.
Can lay on hands be used to force the oni out? It says 5 points to remove poisoned. But nothing about willing possession.
This is the first time in 25yrs of D&D that I have encountered a willfully possessed person that wasn't another player character.
Cloud ignored the spittle, his armor was covered in blood, a bit of spit was no bother. He focused on exorcising the Oni from the speaker. He traced some iron filings and silver powder on the speaker's forehead and cast a spell of protection on the man.
OOC:
Cloud will Cast Protection from evilCan lay on hands be used to force the oni out? It says 5 points to remove poisoned. But nothing about willing possession.
This is the first time in 25yrs of D&D that I have encountered a willfully possessed person that wasn't another player character.
Rolls
Religion - (1d20+4)
(19) + 4 = 23
Sep 22, 2025 7:49 pm
BlackCatWhimsy says:
Content with letting the masked one deal with the Oni, Yuriko spends a moment bandaging up the more serious wounds before turning to any of the villagers still around."Which direction did the 3 come from? Have you ever seen the speaker before, is he from a nearby village?"
Jomsviking says:
"Ōhare no kotoba."Cloud ignored the spittle, his armor was covered in blood, a bit of spit was no bother. He focused on exorcising the Oni from the speaker. He traced some iron filings and silver powder on the speaker's forehead and cast a spell of protection on the man.
OOC:
Cloud will Cast Protection from evilCan lay on hands be used to force the oni out? It says 5 points to remove poisoned. But nothing about willing possession.
This is the first time in 25yrs of D&D that I have encountered a willfully possessed person that wasn't another player character.
OOC:
I am making a roll for this. I will say the Protection from evil gets a Wisdom save with your spell DC (17) from the possession at advantage for...reasons.Edit: now I think I need to spend a lot of time on this next part....
Rolls
Wisdom Save - (2d20h1+6)
(36) + 6 = 12
Sep 22, 2025 9:12 pm
Cloud kneels over the restrained Takeshi, his prayer beads rattling as he mutters an incantation beneath his breath. The air around him grows heavy, charged with unseen pressure, and then the words strike with the force of thunder. As the last syllable leaves his lips, a shimmer like oil on water flickers across the Speaker’s body, a warding light that burns against the unnatural taint inside him.
The Takeshi's back arches violently, his jaw opening far wider than human muscles should allow. His eyes bulge, bloodshot, as he screams in a voice that is not wholly his own. From his ear and the corner of one eye, a pale, writhing form pushes free, the slick body of worm-like creature, screeching in a shrill psychic note only half the crowd can even hear.
The villagers recoil, some clutching their ears, others crossing themselves and whispering "Oni." The creature spasms against the light of Cloud’s magic, shriveling as though the very air has turned against it. With one last twitch, it drops to the dirt, sizzling like fat on a hot pan before lying still.
As the foul creature shrivels on the ground, the Takeshi's body heaves with ragged sobs. Takeshi blinks rapidly, his gaze unfocused, before tears streak his dirt-smeared face. With a desperate gasp he twists onto his side, clawing at the earth as if trying to bury himself.
"Gone... it is gone..." he chokes out, his voice raw and broken. "I could hear it whispering, every hour, every breath… I was nothing, I was hollow, and then I was theirs. Forgive me, please... I did not want this. I did not want to be without their voice." Pleading as much to Cloud as to the worm creature itself.
He presses his forehead to the dirt, shoulders shaking uncontrollably. His fingers dig shallow furrows in the soil as he whimpers, rocking back and forth.
"They filled me, they gave me purpose," he moans. "Without them I am empty again. Please... give it back. I cannot bear the silence. I cannot bear to be alone in my own head."
His cries turn shrill, frantic, his voice cracking as he lifts his tear-streaked face toward the party. "Put it back inside me! I beg you, please, I am nothing without it!"
The Takeshi's back arches violently, his jaw opening far wider than human muscles should allow. His eyes bulge, bloodshot, as he screams in a voice that is not wholly his own. From his ear and the corner of one eye, a pale, writhing form pushes free, the slick body of worm-like creature, screeching in a shrill psychic note only half the crowd can even hear.
The villagers recoil, some clutching their ears, others crossing themselves and whispering "Oni." The creature spasms against the light of Cloud’s magic, shriveling as though the very air has turned against it. With one last twitch, it drops to the dirt, sizzling like fat on a hot pan before lying still.
As the foul creature shrivels on the ground, the Takeshi's body heaves with ragged sobs. Takeshi blinks rapidly, his gaze unfocused, before tears streak his dirt-smeared face. With a desperate gasp he twists onto his side, clawing at the earth as if trying to bury himself.
"Gone... it is gone..." he chokes out, his voice raw and broken. "I could hear it whispering, every hour, every breath… I was nothing, I was hollow, and then I was theirs. Forgive me, please... I did not want this. I did not want to be without their voice." Pleading as much to Cloud as to the worm creature itself.
He presses his forehead to the dirt, shoulders shaking uncontrollably. His fingers dig shallow furrows in the soil as he whimpers, rocking back and forth.
"They filled me, they gave me purpose," he moans. "Without them I am empty again. Please... give it back. I cannot bear the silence. I cannot bear to be alone in my own head."
His cries turn shrill, frantic, his voice cracking as he lifts his tear-streaked face toward the party. "Put it back inside me! I beg you, please, I am nothing without it!"
Sep 22, 2025 11:54 pm
Cloud was succeeding amazingly well; Lucky Eddy continued to watch . . . and learn.
Sep 23, 2025 10:28 pm
"I do not care what you want. I would kill you now, but your blood is unworthy to touch something as magnificent as this sword."
Cloud regarded the wretched Takeshi. Cold green eyes glowered at the grovelling man. The man who so reminded him of Saito. Saito who had been lost, directionless, without discipline or path. Hopeless.
Saito had benefitted under years of hard work, and a firm but loving hand. Cloud had no luxury of time. He couldn't be Takeshi's father. A broken man like this needed a master, needed a commander. "What manner of creature is this before me? Are you not a man?"
Taking the adamantine boot from Takeshi's chest he removed the blade and without cleaning it stowed it in its bleeding scabbard. "You want purpose, the very least a man can do is die. You can die to your miserable self and collect the basic decency to help these people who you have doomed. You can die fighting the threat you have marshalled and spare yourself the wrath of Shin Okami. Or you can fling yourself off that rock over there, and die so you are no longer everyone elses burden. If you accept your purpose is to die, you will at least see *that* purpose fulfilled."
"The Enlightened One said 'For want is the root of suffering.' Stop wanting and start doing. In such you will have an overabundance of purpose that it will crush that malingering mindset. But no one, not even Amaterasu can give you purpose. You must take it yourself."
Cloud regarded the wretched Takeshi. Cold green eyes glowered at the grovelling man. The man who so reminded him of Saito. Saito who had been lost, directionless, without discipline or path. Hopeless.
Saito had benefitted under years of hard work, and a firm but loving hand. Cloud had no luxury of time. He couldn't be Takeshi's father. A broken man like this needed a master, needed a commander. "What manner of creature is this before me? Are you not a man?"
Taking the adamantine boot from Takeshi's chest he removed the blade and without cleaning it stowed it in its bleeding scabbard. "You want purpose, the very least a man can do is die. You can die to your miserable self and collect the basic decency to help these people who you have doomed. You can die fighting the threat you have marshalled and spare yourself the wrath of Shin Okami. Or you can fling yourself off that rock over there, and die so you are no longer everyone elses burden. If you accept your purpose is to die, you will at least see *that* purpose fulfilled."
"The Enlightened One said 'For want is the root of suffering.' Stop wanting and start doing. In such you will have an overabundance of purpose that it will crush that malingering mindset. But no one, not even Amaterasu can give you purpose. You must take it yourself."
OOC:
Have I mentioned how huge of a Toshiro Mifune fan I am?Last edited September 24, 2025 12:32 am
Rolls
Persuasion - (1d20+9)
(7) + 9 = 16
Sep 24, 2025 12:33 am
Akari seeks out some bamboo to cut and fashion long poles upon which to display the Oni's head.
Last edited September 25, 2025 5:47 pm
Sep 24, 2025 8:11 pm
The elder walks past Ute and steps forward, laying a weathered hand on Ute’s arm before speaking.
"No. We should not end his life, but neither can we trust him free among us. The Oni left its mark, and who can say if it lingers still? He is our neighbor, yes, but for the safety of Kibamura he must be watched. Lock him away until we are certain he is truly himself again."
Takeshi left sobbing in the rain watching the worm-creature intently.Akari stakes the head of the downed Oni on a long pole. The villages staring at it intently around. Some with horror, others with hatred. The feeling that she gets is that the village is divided on being fearful and ready to fight.
"No. We should not end his life, but neither can we trust him free among us. The Oni left its mark, and who can say if it lingers still? He is our neighbor, yes, but for the safety of Kibamura he must be watched. Lock him away until we are certain he is truly himself again."
Takeshi left sobbing in the rain watching the worm-creature intently.
OOC:
@RageRed I forgot to mention in the last post. Only one Oni died, the other Plane Shifted away Sep 24, 2025 10:22 pm
The shriveled and seemingly dead worm creature lies in the dirt as its former host watches it. Lucky Eddy rises fluidly to his full 3 feet and change, walks calmly over to it, and cuts it in half with his ax. If it moves when he does so, he will cut it again to quarters and ask for a priest.
Last edited September 24, 2025 10:22 pm
Sep 25, 2025 11:26 am
Utu smiles at the Elder and places his hand upon theirs, "In this task I can help you." He then walks over to Takeshi placing a firm yet gentle hand upon the weeping man, pulling his to his feet. "Uncle here has somewhere for you to wait, follow us." The gunslinger will grab the man’s wrist step in behind him and guide them to the holding cell as indicated by the Elder.
Sep 26, 2025 4:46 pm
The Elder places a hand on Utu’s arm, his weathered fingers steady despite the tremor in his voice. "This way," he says, leading the gunslinger and Takeshi down a side path that winds toward a narrow wooden hut near the edge of the rice fields. The small structure is barred and reinforced, clearly meant for keeping troublemakers or the desperate safe from themselves. With a nod of gratitude, the Elder waits for Utu to settle Takeshi inside before sliding the heavy beam across the door.
Before departing, the Elder turns back to Cloud. His voice carries no malice, only a tired plea. "I know your heart burns for the safety of our people, samurai. But temper your anger. Not all here see as you do." He gestures subtly toward the edge of the crowd, where frightened villagers cling to one another, some glaring with suspicion at the outsiders who now hold sway.
Meanwhile, Lucky Eddy’s sharp ax splits the shriveled worm cleanly in two. The pieces twitch once, then lie still, ichor seeping into the dirt. The crowd murmurs uneasily. A middle-aged priest in gray robes steps forward from among them, clutching a string of prayer beads carved from bone-white wood. Bowing his head first to Eddy, then to the party, he kneels by the remains. His chant is soft but insistent, each word pressing against the silence left in the wake of the creature’s death.
When the final prayer fades, the priest rises. His expression is grave as he addresses the gathered warriors. "You have done a great deed, but this is only a fragment of the truth. There is something you must see." He clasps his beads tight and gestures toward the eastern ridge. "Come with me, to the place of worship. The gods and ancestors left warnings there that may guide our hands in what is to come."
With that, the priest turns, already striding toward the village shrine, the crowd parting in uneasy silence as he passes.
Before departing, the Elder turns back to Cloud. His voice carries no malice, only a tired plea. "I know your heart burns for the safety of our people, samurai. But temper your anger. Not all here see as you do." He gestures subtly toward the edge of the crowd, where frightened villagers cling to one another, some glaring with suspicion at the outsiders who now hold sway.
Meanwhile, Lucky Eddy’s sharp ax splits the shriveled worm cleanly in two. The pieces twitch once, then lie still, ichor seeping into the dirt. The crowd murmurs uneasily. A middle-aged priest in gray robes steps forward from among them, clutching a string of prayer beads carved from bone-white wood. Bowing his head first to Eddy, then to the party, he kneels by the remains. His chant is soft but insistent, each word pressing against the silence left in the wake of the creature’s death.
When the final prayer fades, the priest rises. His expression is grave as he addresses the gathered warriors. "You have done a great deed, but this is only a fragment of the truth. There is something you must see." He clasps his beads tight and gestures toward the eastern ridge. "Come with me, to the place of worship. The gods and ancestors left warnings there that may guide our hands in what is to come."
With that, the priest turns, already striding toward the village shrine, the crowd parting in uneasy silence as he passes.
Sep 26, 2025 8:55 pm
The dragon's head showed no signs of pity or remorse. Cloud wondered how zeal could be mistaken for anger. But considering the station of the elder, he assumed it was a peasant's understanding. He didn't fault the mistake, he just lacked the desire to understand the why. Those on the path of the dragon had no need for such complicated emotions. He just blinked, bright green eyes masked behind the dragon's head unmoved by the appeal to his emotion. "These aren't men to he negotiated with. They are devils bent on the annihilation of your kin. To afford them mercy is suicidal." He replied without a shred of passion, to him that was the only truth.
Cloud also follows the priest.. A means to destroy the enemy could be garnered from the why of their invasion.He couldn't help but remember the work of The Glorious Strategist. "All warfare is based on deception." The words seemed especially poignant in this instance.
Cloud also follows the priest.. A means to destroy the enemy could be garnered from the why of their invasion.He couldn't help but remember the work of The Glorious Strategist. "All warfare is based on deception." The words seemed especially poignant in this instance.
Sep 28, 2025 4:05 am
Uncertain at first whether to follow Utu or the Elder, Yuriko knows they need to figure out how to best prepare for the upcoming attack and follows the rest of the group behind the Elder.
Oct 3, 2025 8:06 pm
The shrine rests near the village’s heart, just beyond the central square, tucked between a stand of gnarled pines and the steady murmur of the river. Its architecture is modest yet dignified: weathered wooden beams darkened by age, a gently sloping roof of layered cedar shingles, and painted eaves carved with stylized cranes and lotus blossoms. Faded paper lanterns hang from the beams, their once-bright reds and whites dulled by years of sun and rain, though each bears the same character in bold brush strokes - "守" (protection).
A short stone stair rises to the entrance, flanked by two guardian dog statues whose faces have been worn smooth by time, their features more suggestion than detail. A faint smell of cedar incense clings to the air, mixed with the salt tang of rice straw mats drying nearby.
Inside, the air is cool and hushed. The floorboards creak softly underfoot, polished by generations of barefoot villagers coming to leave offerings. Wooden plaques bearing the names of ancestors line the walls, each one meticulously brushed with ink, some centuries old. The central alcove is simple but reverent: a raised platform where offerings of rice, sake, and folded paper charms are carefully arranged, watched over by a single bronze gong that glimmers in the dim light.
At the far end, the Elder pauses, his face heavy with memory. With a careful hand, he pulls aside a screen and reveals a rolled length of fabric stored within. Unfurling it across the low table before the party, he speaks softly, his voice tinged with sorrow. "This tapestry is our record. Eighty years ago the Oni came, and our people were nearly lost. The story is woven here, so that we may never forget… and never mistake their return."
please excuse the AI art
A short stone stair rises to the entrance, flanked by two guardian dog statues whose faces have been worn smooth by time, their features more suggestion than detail. A faint smell of cedar incense clings to the air, mixed with the salt tang of rice straw mats drying nearby.
Inside, the air is cool and hushed. The floorboards creak softly underfoot, polished by generations of barefoot villagers coming to leave offerings. Wooden plaques bearing the names of ancestors line the walls, each one meticulously brushed with ink, some centuries old. The central alcove is simple but reverent: a raised platform where offerings of rice, sake, and folded paper charms are carefully arranged, watched over by a single bronze gong that glimmers in the dim light.
At the far end, the Elder pauses, his face heavy with memory. With a careful hand, he pulls aside a screen and reveals a rolled length of fabric stored within. Unfurling it across the low table before the party, he speaks softly, his voice tinged with sorrow. "This tapestry is our record. Eighty years ago the Oni came, and our people were nearly lost. The story is woven here, so that we may never forget… and never mistake their return."
[ +- ] Tapestry
please excuse the AI art
Oct 15, 2025 2:47 am
Yuriko looks over the tapestry carefully. "Elder, please tell us. What story does the tapestry tell? How did the villagers defeat the Oni before? It looks like warriors came first, setting fire to the village, and then an octopus showed up?" Putting her hands together in respect, she looks at the Elder expectantly.
Oct 15, 2025 3:16 am
Eddy was glad that the woman warrior spoke first. He too had interpreted it as demons, then an octopus, even though that made no sense to him yet.