Velea and I lay on the top of the grassy bluff, overlooking the narrow strand between the agitated ocean and the rocky cliff protecting Tanvu from the worst of the weather. Beside us in the wind-whipped grass lay a Lao'Jin refugee and a pair of full sacks. Directly below us was a house, hidden from view from most of the top of the cliff. Just off shore lay a dragon boat riding high at close anchor. One of the boats that I remember well, having been transported in one just like it to Sheng Village such a short time ago. Clearly visible in front of the house was a battle between monks fighting in two different styles.
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"They have been assaulting our home for some time now, but this time they've got our students blockaded inside. The Ra'Jin are constantly attacking us, and I cannot get past them," said the Lao'Jin refugee beside us. I glanced over at him, noting how young he appeared from my lofty age of twenty and three. I supposed he had seen seventeen lunar New Year's, but certainly not much more than that. I turned back to study the fighting, noting the style used by the Lao'Jin monks was mostly soft circles, deflecting the force of attacks and using the enemy's power against him, typical of internal styles. The Ra'Jin monks fought with a hard, external style I had seen some of the Imperial Army trainers who arrived with the Emperor use. To my practiced eye, it appeared that the Lao'Jin monks would break the attack, and drive the Ra'Jin warriors off, but there is never a straight path through battle.
"Would you be able to get these supplies through to Master Yaol inside the house? He will surely need some supplies after having been trapped in that house for so long. If you will, I will return to Tanvu to solicit or buy more supplies. It looks like I may not have purchased enough medicines, if this fighting keeps up."
Velea and I conferred, and she shouldered both bags, so I could better fight. Looking at the terrain, we slipped down the western verge, and came around to the house from the side, behind most of the Ra'Jin. Silently signaling Velea to be ready to sprint for the building, I stepped quietly behind two Ra'Jin monks acting as reserves and snapped a vicious kick at the side of the left one's knee. He went down with a surprised, outraged howl of pain, and I continued the momentum of my attack into a knifehand attack at his partner's neck, which I expected would be parried. It was, but my foot found that most tender of spots on a man, and left him gasping as my foot drove his armor into his hip bone, trapping tender flesh in between. Two down in just about as many seconds, and we had a clear opening to the battle lines between the Lao'Jin student and the Ra'Jin invaders. The two downed men made enough noise that I had attracted some attention, and my charge at the nearest embattled pair was not unnoticed by my new target. However, he was trapped in between the two of us, and wasn't good enough to fend off both of us on opposite sides. The hole made, Velea sprinted through with the sacks as the Lao'Jin warrior and I each turned away from each other to continue widening the hole I'd made from behind the Ra'Jin lines.
Soon I found Velea fighting beside me. "The supplies?" I asked in a momentary lull.
"At the door. I thought" she stuck the staff-end of her yanyue dao between the feet out of a charging Ra'Jin warrior heading for me, and I altered his momentum and consciousness with a roundhouse kick. "you might appreciate some help," she continued.
Though the Ra'Jin commander tried to close the gap, the presence of Velea and I, and our unexpected attack from the rear tipped the balance just enough that the battle turned from prolonged to being over in short order. We left the Lao'Jin students to decide what they would do with the incapacitated Ra'Jin warriors, and went to find Master Yaol inside the Ghost Wind Academy.
Inside we found Master Yaol soothing his students and disciples, comforting them, and preparing them for the next, inevitable assault by the Ra'Jin forces. He saw Velea and I enter with the supply sacks, recognized us as the ones that helped break the last assault (probably because we were the only ones there he didn't recognize) and came over to thank us.
Velea and I both bowed to Master Yaol. "Master Tallon sent Meiyen and I to you shifu," introduced Velea. "Upon the way here, we met one of your students attempting to get these supplies through the battle. He went back to purchase more in Tanvu while we brought them through the lines for Ghost Wind monks to use."
"Good timing," the master replied with a half smile. "At least those cowards who fled are useful for something." He then shook his head in disbelief. "I have never seen the Ra'Jin attack this openly before. They must have official support, meaning they will be back again. The attack you came through is a fine example of how ruthless the Ra'Jin will be. This house is a house of training in the ways of Lao'Jin. Most of the students here are not trained or equipped in the ways of war. We are preparing to evacuate the Ghost Wind Academy, but will likely need your help again before we can get everyone safely away."
He sighed, "Even with the frequent attacks, our research must go on. We use treated komodo skin to write down our findings about the force of Jin, and those supplies are running low as well. I see you both carry a skinning knife. If you would, go and gather some skins from the komodo dragons on the bluffs above, as you await our faithful student's return. Let him know that we will be relocating, so should he find this school empty upon his return at some point, give him directions to Master Kanjaro in Dellerjuba. He will know where we are to be found."
So Velea and I climbed the cliff and hunted the giant lizards. After we had killed and carefully skinned four, the unnamed student returned with two more bags. In accepting them, I surreptitiously passed him several coins, and passed on the shifu's message, while Velea looked at the contents of the bag. She had several suggestions for what else might be needed by the monks and students, and after a drink of water, the student headed back into the city while Velea and I took the hides and deliveries back down to Academy.
That evening we awoke to the sound of a horn warning of another Ra'Jin assault on the building. Quickly pulling on our armor, Velea and I joined the students and instructors in defending the house. Rather than attempt to change the student's instructions by fitting Velea and I into the organized defense, Master Yaol had decided that we were to act as reserves, filling any holes in the lines, helping beleaguered defenders, and generally changing the nature of the battle from what the Ra'Jin commander expected from the students. The fight was relatively short, vicious, and treacherous in the dark, but the students' familiarity with the terrain, my whirlwind attacks, and Velea's healing proved to be decisive. We met the Ra'Jin as they waded to shore, and kept them from taking control of the beach.
The next morning, after a cup of tea and a bowl of rice, we again climbed the bluffs. I scanned the sea for more sails, but saw none, while Velea scanned the countryside. With a startled oath, she sprinted off toward some bushes. There she had spotted the student who had taken it upon himself to act as a supply line, a gash on his forehead bleeding weakly and bruises and minor cuts upon his arms, legs, and torso. He had apparently made it this far with a pack and another sack before having the presence of mind to crawl under the bush before passing out. Velea healed him, and he roused, when he told us that the kojuko gremlins have destroyed one of the outlying magical barriers and are blocking the route to the city.
Knowing that exposure to the elements would slow his recovery more than the potential dangers of being in the Ghost Wind Academy during an attack, we brought him to the house so Velea could treat him more effectively, and he could pass on his news to Master Yaol.
Master Yaol called me over after speaking with the student. "Master Tallon sent you here to be tested and you shall be. Beyond the battle testing and willingness to help the Academy that is. But as I am a bit indisposed at the moment, my pupil, Master Kaol, will need to further you along. This morning I sent word to Master Kanjaro and Master Tallon of where we would be relocating to, and I expect us to be able to evacuate this afternoon, barring an attack this morning by the Ra'Jin."
"When we leave, you will not be traveling with us. I sent Kaol, along with the first wave of students, into Tanvu several days ago. On your way to him, clear the Kojuko from the path so that I can send more students safely through to him. Good luck."
On the hill overlooking the path between Dellerjuba and Tanvu, Velea and I found a kojuko portal guarded by kojuko beholders, maneaters, and slayers. Several other adventurers where there as well, and we were all doing our best to kill the guards and their reinforcements as they came through the portal. That wasn't too difficult, except that they had managed to summon a huge spirit kojuko that took the combined efforts of all the adventurers there to defeat.
Stepping out of character here for a second. This is the first bottleneck I've encountered in the game. Each character is tasked with killing two kojuko beholders, two maneaters, and two slayers. The spawn rate is rather slow, so characters tend to stand on spawn points so that they have a decent shot at being able to get the first attack in on the creatures so they get credit for the kill. However, as the mobs are aggressive, players often end up killing more than they need of some types as they wait for the last couple they need to spawn, which takes those away from other characters that may be waiting for just that type. The spawn points randomly generate each of the three types, so players can't organize themselves to stand where a specific type of kojuko spawns. The only way to effectively combat this is join a revolving pick-up group that grabs new adventurers as they appear and from which players drop out when they are done with the quest, so that everyone there gets credit for each kill. However, as this is the first quest that requires grouping, many players don't think of this strategy, and a few even resisted it when I proposed the idea to them. Personally, I'd recommend that the quest introduction either mention the possibility of grouping with others to clear the road, or that the spawn rate of the kojuko be increased to the point that its definitely hazardous to be standing where they spawn, as you won't have regenerated health or power yet. That would encourage players to stand back from the portal some, and select which ones to pull.
Once the portal was cleared, Velea and I made our way to Tanvu. Remembering the ways of the city, and a bit fearful of being identified as a former officer in the Imperial Army who is probably presumed dead and being executed on the spot for desertion, I rearranged my hair to make it less likely to be recognized, and suggested that I take the lead. We passed the gates without being challenged, and on the docks just inside the wooden palisade, we found Master Kaol. "Praise the Emperor, and his enlightened rule," I greeted the monk.
"Praise the Emperor. Without his protection, we surely would have fallen victim to Jin." Then he spoke in a voice pitched low to not carry over the sound of the waves on the piers, "Speak carefully, the Emperor's ears are poised and his blade ready. You have my thanks for clearing the roads. Our students can now flee the academy to the relative safety of these walls."
"Master Yaol has sent us to you for further testing," I replied in the same tones, while turning to look and gesture at the city, as if asking for directions.
He also turned to point, and weave his hands, and half following his directions I recognized them as leading to the trainer's building inside the Imperial compound. "Only a handful of Lao'Jin master remain on this plane of existence. You have met most of them. However, those you have met with are not true masters. A true Lao'Jin master can never be destroyed. Jin transcends a mortal existence."
"In order to complete your training, you will need to seek out the true masters. Take some time and explore the city, carefully. When you are ready for your final tests, head out of the city to the abandoned hotel in the south. You will know what to look for. Good luck, and be careful."
