Sins of Our Elders - PCs
Introduction
Our intrepid heroes begin this tale already at Candlekeep, having returned from the Temple of the Restful Lily and born witness to the assembly of a very special collection of adventurers and their subsequent departure to take on Vecna himself. Never ones to rest on their collective laurels and surely inspired by the bravery of the Vecna hunters, the party shortly finds themselves recruited to solve yet another mystery. In a minor twist, this mystery has nothing to do with books, and little to do with Candlekeep.
Teles acquaints our stalwart companions with yet another of the impressive roster of Great Readers, Fheminor Scrivenbark (or was it Scribbleback?), a lightfoot halfling master sage and specialist in the myriad cultures of Toril. Over the past few months, Fheminor has received a series of communcations from a contact in the unusual city of Yeonido. He relates the following information to the party, describing the city.
Yeonido is located on the northeast edge of the Gulthmere Forest along the Sea of Fallen Stars, but it is a peculiar place. It appeared in its current location in 1487 DR during the geographic upheaval of the Second Sundering. However, there is nothing in the historical records of Candlekeep describing the city or its culture prior to that point. While it shares some similarities to the cultures of Kara-Tur, there is nothing definitive to link the two. For example, the language of Yeonido, Halri, shares nothing with either the known dialects of Kara-Tur or those of any known human or draconic dialects in Faerun. Further, the dragonborn of Yeonido have distinctive morphology when compared with those of other regions in Faerun, including Tymanther, which suggests that Yeonido may not even have originated in Abeir. It is possible that its appearance here during the Second Sundering was merely a coincidence. When I first adventured to this place to attempt to understand it, the town's inhabitants had seemingly no understanding that they were in a strange land. Their collective mental state must have been altered in some way for them to have seamlessly woven their city's current location with thousands of years of history that their legends cover. As such, with more and more nearby cities and nations becoming aware of the place, they have initiated commercial activities with their neighbours and are establishing a firm foothold on the peninsula their city occupies.
Unfortunately, it seems that all is not well in Yeonido. A contact of mine, one of the local magistrates, Kun Ahn-Jun, has relayed to me some disturbing accounts of strange occurrences bedeviling the townspeople. They are reluctant to seek aid, but they have had no luck with their attempts at solving the mystery and have offered a substantial reward if someone can handle the situation.
As always, the party quickly rallies to the call for help from Fheminor and the people of Yeonido. All, that is, except for Clint Westwood, who makes his way off to Baldur's Gate to continue his training and moonlighting with the Bannerless Legion. In his place, Moxie has recruited another tabaxi, Sits In Open Boxes, whose behaviour is profoundly feline, while having an appearance akin to that of the famous cereal mascot, Tony the Tiger. Whether Boxes is GRRRRRRRREAT or not remains to be seen! With little fuss, Fheminor is able to Teleport the party directly to the outskirts of Yeonido, as it would have required many days' ride to reach the city otherwise.
Cast of Characters (in order of appearance)
| Name | Pronunciation | Description | Gender | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kun Ahn-Jun | kun ahn-june | Magistrate, human | non-binary | friend of Fheminor Scrivenbark, only person that remembers fog & attacks |
| Bi Chin-Hae | bee chin-hay | Tea Shop owner, human | male | knew Dae Won-Ha |
| Nah Dae-Shim | nah day-sheam | noble, dwarf | male | plays baduk w/Da Ju-Won |
| Da Ju-Won | dah joo-wan | noble, human | female | plays baduk w/Nah Dae-Shim |
| Dae Won-Ha | day wan-ha | former Magistrate, current gwishin | female | famous in her time, but overshadowed by Queen Young-Soo, faded away |
| Young-Gi | yung-gee | retired Royal Advisor, dragonborn | male | brother of Young-Soo, uncle of Jin-Mi |
| Hwang Jung-Soon | h-wah-ng juh-ng-soon | Overseer, human | female | Tiger District, supervises construction |
| Jin-Mi | jeen-mee | Queen, dragonborn | female | Seat of Dragons, daughter of Young-Soo |
Arrival in Yeonido
After touching down, the party is greeting by a scenic view of the city and surrounding farmlands. A steady stream of the usual sorts of people passes in and out of the city gates and all initially appears to be well. However, as you approach the gates, an unnatural fog seems to arise from the city itself and tumbles over the walls and out through the gates, engulfing the our heroes and the various citizens of Yeonido. From this fog emerges three menacing gargoyles, all bearing the same visage: a ferocious woman with a mouth full of fangs. They bear down on the guards and farmers out in the open, but fortunately, these city folk suffer minimal casualties thanks to the martial prowess of the party.
Following this abrupt encounter, our stalwart companions are surprised to find that even with the serious injuries suffered in the attack, the locals seem perplexed when asked about what had happened. They genuinely appear to have no memory of the attack and have no explanation of the visible effects thereof. While the party puzzles over this situation, they are approached by a well-dressed official, who inquires, "Have you just suffered an unusual experience?" The person is a young magistrate, Kun Ahn-Jun, well-respected, but as they reveal, finding themself in an uncomfortable situation. Ahn-Jun seems to be the only person in the city that can remember these mist-shrouded attacks, which have been increasing in frequency over the past few months. Multiple attacks per day resulting in tragic deaths written off as accidents are now occurring. They have tried to raise the alarm, but no one else can corroborate their experience. Ahn-Jun has begun to question their sanity and is relieved to hear that the party also witnessed and can remember this attack. Ahn-Jun promises the party 250 gp each if they can help unravel the mystery that is plaguing Yeonido and points the party to three locations to investigate:
- Construction Site. Located outside the city walls where the Tiger District abuts the nearby forests, this construction site has suffered numerous attacks and unexplained setbacks.
- Park of the Elders. Several attacks have occurred at this royal park in the Haetae District.
- Tea Shop. The city’s oldest tea shop is located in the Phoenix District. Two nobles were found wounded and nearly dead outside it only a few days ago.
If the party needs further assistance, Ahn-Juh can be found at the Seat of Dragons, the administrative center of Yeonido.
A Chronologically Murky Revelation
At some point in time close to this, the use of Detect Magic reveals that every person in view seems to be radiating varying degrees of enchantment magic. The strength of these emanations appears to indicate the recency of the person's exposure to the source of the magic. An attempt is made on one of the victims to Dispel Magic, but it seems to have only the slightest effect. Puzzling indeed!
Phoenix District
The Tea Shop
Our heroes venture first to the posh Phoenix District to visit the Tea Shop. Hundreds of years old, it is the most famous tea shop in Yeonido and, as such, apparently has no need for a more elaborate title. Inside the tidy shop the party finds walls lined with hundreds of teacups, each bearing the name of a visitor of some renown. The proprietor is Bi Chin-Hae, who is more than happy to offer the party pots of delicious buckwheat and jujube tea. Aubrey is, of course, happy to indulge, which helps ease the party's line of inquiry regarding the attacks. Chin-Hae is somewhat distracted by Boxes' feline shenanigans, but he tells our heroes that they might find the two victims of the most recent attack at the baduk hall a few blocks from the shop. They are Nah Dae-Shim and Da Ju-Won, both nobles, the former a dwarven man and the latter a human woman. It is also worth noting that at this point, theories are starting to form in the party's minds.
The Baduk Hall
Strolling down to the baduk hall, our heroes are able to find the two aforementioned nobles. Hunched over one of the dozens of gaming tables, the pair are immersed in their game, shuttling the black and white pieces from space to space. It isn't immediately clear who has the upper hand. When polite inquiries regarding the attack are made, Dae-Shim and Ju-Won indicate that yes, perhaps after they've concluded their game, they would be happy to discuss the event. How long might that take? Apparently, an average game might last for three hours! In an effort to expedite the conversation, Bunk and Aubrey (I'm pretty sure) manage to put on their thinking caps, decipher the intricate strategies of baduk, and coach the two intellectual combatants to a much quicker resolution. Many flatteries are exchanged between the four and the nobles are now pleased to relate what details they can recall of the tragic attack that nearly ended their lives. While Dae-Shim and Ju-Won share the same fog amnesia as the other locals, they do offer a few new pieces of information. First, they both recalled seeing a strange woman around the Tea Shop. Second, they tell our heroes that Chin-Hae probably knows more about this woman. Third, and most importantly, they secretly fear that the woman they saw was a gwishin, a sprit that refuses to leave the earthly realm until the injustices against them are resolved.
Tea Shop Redux
After returning to the Tea Shop and confronting Chin-Hae with these revelations from the gaming nobles, he initially demurs in true Yeonido fashion, but is persuaded to elaborate. As it turns out, Chin-Hae has also seen this woman and more importantly, recognizes her as the former magistrate Dae Won-Ha. He has seen her at the shop on a few occasions and also saw her at the Park of the Elders in the middle of the night. Dae Won-Ha was something of a folk hero to the common people of Yeonido for a period of time, but her fame was eclipsed by that of the late queen, Young-Soo. Dae Won-Ha's name seems to have faded from the city's collective memory and Chin-Hae can't recall any details of what happened to this formerly fabulous magistrate. He then shows the party a paired set of teacups. One bears the name of Won-Ha, and has the curious property of casting a blue light, which glows brighter when Won-Ha's name is spoken. The other is for a former royal advisor and uncle to the current queen, Young-Gi. Chin-Hae notes that Young-Gi, also the brother of Queen Young-Soo, is now retired and resides at the Estate Gardens near the Haetae District. Chin-Hae graciously allows the stalwart companions to travel with the glowing teacup. Finally, he also elaborates on the nature of the gwishin and how they are typically dealt with: special dignitaries known as spirit arbiters negotiate with these mournful spirits on behalf of their families. He is unsure of whether the spirit arbiters have been engaged to deal with this particular gwishin and if so, why they have not been able to settle her issues, whatever they are.
Tiger District
Glowing teacup in hand, the party heads northwest and outside the city walls to the under construction Tiger District. They are soon met by the overseer of the construction operations, Hwang Jung-Soon. She leads a retinue of guards that are attempting to protect the labourers in the area and reverse a string of setbacks, allegedly due to sabotage or accidents. While Jung-Soon also cannot remember specifics of any attacks, she is angry that the government has not done more to assist them and is relieved that our heroes have arrived, presumably to help. She notes that there are dangerous animals living in the forest nearby and that, huh, don't they look a lot like Boxes? Perhaps the cat-man is here to personally intervene, even though she doesn't believe that the forest-dwelling felines are responsible. In the course of the conversation, they notice Jung-Soon pulling her sleeve over what is found to be a scar that looks like it was made by a tiger.
As the party and Jung-Soon converse, another bank of fog comes rolling slowly in. From this meteorological mass emerges four massive, blue tigers. Obviously magical, they also have no regard for Boxes as a possible kindred spirit and begin viciously attacking the labourers, guards, and the stalwart companions. Boxes is able to grapple one and attempts to drag it up a tree after doing massive damage to a pair of the supernatural predators. Creed is just about to be cat food, but pulls off an incredible action hero move and leaps, spinning backwards through the air to unleash two eldritch blasts that fell another of the beasts. The final tiger of this malevolent quartet is able to scamper off to the north before it and the fog both fade away. The teacup glows brightly.
Party Checkpoint: 2022-08-14
Shrine of the Hero
Following the feline fracas, our heroes bravely seek the path trod by the fading tiger. Along the tree line, they discover a path marked by moss-covered stones, largely overgrown. While they cannot locate the tracks of the ghostly beast, the path seems like a good bet. After travelling 400 feet or so deeper into the forest, the party reaches a slab of marble covered in moss. By the slab sits a stone lantern, within which glows a blue flame, similar in hue to the light of the tea cup. At first glance, it is thought to be a burial mound of sorts, although Bunk is unable to move the slab to confirm. In the course of investigating, our heroes find beneath the moss a pair of inscriptions. The first is illegible, although the script appears to be vaguely Draconic. The second, however, is in Common and reads, "Dae Won-Ha, Warrior for the People". The very Dae Won-Ha who is believed by Bi Chin-Hae to be the gwishin wreaking havoc on Yeonido. And the same Dae Won-Ha whose name is inscribed on the glowing teacup held by Vanyel. Speaking of this teacup, Vanyel notices while flying close to the lantern that the light of the teacup and the flame of the lantern seem to brighten when brought near each other. (Vanyel remains in mid-air to avoid unwanted attention from Boxes.) A recollection of the information provided by Fheminor at the start of the adventure reminds the party that the illegible message is likely written in Halri, the native language of Yeonido. Curious as to its meaning, a charcoal rubbing is made for future translation.
Unsure of what exactly to do next, experiments are conducted with the lantern, with Creed unafraid to pass his hand through the supernatural azure flame. At no risk due to his resistance to fire, he finds that the flame gives off no heat and is wholly unperturbed by Creed's efforts. After consulting with Selune, Aubrey gives the go ahead for an attempt to produce an effect by placing the teacup in the lantern. It seems to fit there nicely and the light given off by both increases quite a bit in intensity, but no greater revelation occurs. In an act of creativity/boredom/mischief, Creed then takes a break for a quick snack, chewing on some moss from the shrine. He finds himself entranced, held sway by a vision of his patron, Titania. She chides him gently, then reminds him that there is a third location yet to visit and to ponder the motivation of this gwishin. With that little bit of help, and its resultant continued greening of Creed's wrists, the party resolves to carry onward. They find that the lantern is easily moved, pick it up with the teacup, and head toward the Park of the Elders in the Haetae District.
Haetae District - The Park of the Elders
By the time the party arrives at the lovely park, it is well into the twilight hours and darkness is descending on the city. There remains enough light for our heroes to recognize a statue of the late queen, Young-Soo, depicting the stately dragonborn presiding from her throne. Engraved stone plaques surrounding the statue detail the various achievements of the queen.
This tranquility is short-lived, however, as the all too familiar fog once again appears. This time, it ripples forth from the statue, enveloping it in a foggy shroud. Quickly, the stalwart companions see this mass coalesce into the form of a woman, clothed in the garb of a magistrate, shrieking in the night. Her face is somewhat familiar, calling to mind the twisted visage adorning each of the gargoyles they battled with shortly after arriving outside Yeonido. Speaking of gargoyles, two appear out of the mists, flanking the gwishin and also bearing the same mournful face. In the shrieking, the party can discern clipped, anguished messages, lamenting being forgotten and vowing revenge.
Thinking quickly in the face of the city's tormentor, the gwishin of Dae Won-Ha, our heroes attempt to convince Won-Ha that her memory does indeed live on! Presenting the lantern and teacup, which glow fiercely in the gwishin's presence, results in the dissipation of the gargoyles and the fog and a substantially calmer Won-Ha. A negotiation ensues, in which she grants the party one week in which to have her stories spread and celebrated once again, and for her to be given the proper credit for the previously claimed works of Queen Young-Soo. Our heroes agree to the terms, seek shelter for the night, and resolve to consult with Ahn-Jun the next morning to put the required plan into action.
The Pet Shop Boys (and Aubrey)
After a well-deserved night at one of the Phoenix District's fine inns, our stalwart companions rise, have a restorative breakfast, and set out for the Seat of Dragons to discuss the situation with Ahn-Jun. As usual, however, they are derailed by a stop in a pet shop. I believe the original purpose of the stop was to find a harness/leash for Boxes, but I honestly don't remember exactly. In this pet shop, there is an examination of fish and various birds, before Vanyel finds himself face to face with a baby owl. The young creature inquires hopefully of Vanyel if he might be his father, which is a daunting question for our fine-feathered friend. Vanyel demurs, but eventually buys the owl's freedom and goes to set him free, but the little owl seems quite fond of the ranger and lingers for a bit. Meanwhile, Cornelius is able to craft a crude, yet effective, laser pointer type device to distract Boxes outside the shop, so as to maintain the safety of the animals therein. To help deal with Boxes even more effectively, a few harnesses designed for large canines are also purchased, with the idea that if they are used in concert, they might be collectively sufficient to restrain the large tabaxi. Creed also, for some reason, decides to buy a Tasmanian devil, which for some other reason, the shop owner has. He is more than happy to part with the dangerous and wily beast. Creed is outfitted with the necessities for the care of such a creature.
Confession and Resolution
Following the shenanigans at the pet shop, the party travel to the Seat of Dragons to discuss the latest developments in their investigation with the young magistrate, Kun Ahn-Jun. Ahn-Jun is pleased to hear of the progress and potential solution, but needs to validate the gwishin's claims with a review of the city's records. After a little time passes, they return and declare that is does indeed seem to be true that many of the claimed achievements of Queen Young-Soo were actually spearheaded by Won-Ha. Ahn-Jun is able to secure an audience with the current monarch, Queen Jin-Mi. She is gracious and receptive to the description of events presented by our heroes and the magistrate. The queen's uncle, Young-Gi, is summoned to provide some explanation for this erasure of Won-Ha's contributions to Yeonido. He confesses that, while he and Won-Ha were once close and he respected her greatly, he was responsible for pushing her into obscurity. Young-Gi explains that he did this to preserve the status of his sister, Queen Young-Soo, and their family. Won-Ha's popularity with the common folk was growing too great and her insistence on measured growth and maintaining a symbiotic, respectful relationship with the surrounding wilderness was restraining the growth that the business class of the burgeoning city demanded. He has regretted his actions for many years, but has never revealed his role for fear of tarnishing the image of his sister and niece.
Queen Jin-Mi is thankfully more concerned with actual propriety than preserving image through immoral means and takes both Won-Ha's plea/threat seriously and is willing to make things right. She orders Young-Gi to carry out the necessary steps to celebrate and restore Won-Ha's name in the next five days. Our stalwart companions are relieved to know that their hard work will be rewarded with safety and peace being restored to Yeonido. They're also excited to find that the good Queen will match Ahn-Jun's promised reward of 250 gp per person with another 250 gp. Huzzah!
Local Celebrity Status
Following their great success, word is dispatched to Fheminor at Candlekeep that the job is done and our heroes are ready for an extraction. While awaiting his arrival, the party goes on the hunt for some magic items in the local markets. Aubrey manages to find a bargain on a Bag of Holding from a merchant who picks her out as one of the heroes responsible for clearing up the accidents and other mishaps that had recently befallen the city. In a strange development, the party later finds themselves outfitted with a Folding Boat, a joint gift from Teles, Moxie, and the grateful city of Yeonido for their contributions to making Faerun a better place.
Post-Script
With the mystery solved and Won-Ha placated through the diligent penance of Young-Gi, her spirit is able to depart the earthly world and her gwishin is seen no more. The people of Yeonido start to regain their lost memories as the magic of the fog fades over time. While some of what they recall is terrifying, their culture respects the perspective of the gwishin. They are thankful that their current monarch seems to be above such vain concerns as those that drove Young-Gi and Young-Soo to push aside the humble Won-Ha. Oh, and since no one remembered to ask why Ahn-Jun's memory was never affected (although you did raise the question a few times while formulating theories), it was because they wear a Ring of Mind Shielding, a gift from their mother. Ahn-Jun keeps it invisible, but you would have thought they might make the connection. Also, the minimum required spell to counteract the fog's memory effect was Remove Curse. The more you know!
An adventure for 6th-Level characters. Written by Stephanie Yoon.
2022-08-21
References
Treasure
- Promise by Kun Ahn-Jun of 250 gp per party member for help in solving the mystery.
- An additional 250 gp per party member awarded by Queen Jin-Mi to the party for their valour and wit.
- The freedom, fondness, and friendship of a young owl. (But not family!)
- One Tasmanian devil, the most fiendish of animals available in the pet shop.
- A laser pointer, crafted by Cornelius and invaluable in distracting Boxes.
- A set of assembled harnesses intended for large canines, invaluable in restraining Boxes.
- Bag of Holding, purchased by Aubrey from a starstruck fan, along with a handful of trinkets.
- Folding Boat, a gift from Teles and Moxie to our heroes for their continued meritorious service.
- One of a matched pair of teacups, bearing the name Dae Won-Ha. It glows w/a faint blue light, which pulses each time her name is spoken. The other cup bore the name Young-Gi. (Returned to Bi Chin-Hae.)
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