Session 7 (LW)

Guided by Stars

General Summary

The group remained in Niigata, discussing the recent events of Chisato, and Rika's leaving, but also deciding their next major course of action. Several things were learned. Firstly, although Mori had an additional copy of Ephemeris - the strange book used to guide Threads to their destinations - and although Mori had did his best to teach Zoe how to use it, he was no true reader of this book, and neither was she, despite Zoe's unique talents with the Ephemeris. The group had two options: either let Zoe venture out, continue using the book, and see how proficient she could become as she continued to learn the weird eccentricities of how it operated, or otherwise, find someone known as a Weaver: a unique individual who could use the Ephemeris innately, and guide them on their path without issue.
A second concern was that Zoe was not proficient in dangerous situations. She said as much herself, noting that Kenji had tried to keep her as safe and healthy as possible, to the detriment of her learning from dangerous situations. It was agreed by Rika, Mori, Zoe, and the group that she should be put in more dangerous encounters to test her mettle more, and let her grow as an adventurer rather than simply as a Thread.
Finally, Zoe did explain that she was distraught. She was frustrated and upset by the death of Kenji, despite being able to maturely hold in a lot of her grief. She insisted that regardless of what happened, she wanted to visit her father and brother back in their small town of Gifu. The group agreed entirely with this assessment.
The group set off from Niigata, first back to the capital city of Ezo. A related benefit is that this may throw off their would-be pursuer by confusing his path, if he was even able to keep up. But more notable, they wanted to seek out their various contacts to find methods to train Zoe as well as potential Weavers who might have been out there in the world. They learned from K'rist's professor and headmistress of several quests that had been issued to the university, which a group of adventurers could handle, making them ideal candidates: one to a small village near the Sea of Trees, another on the coastline to the northeast regarding an odd wizarding acquaintance. They also learned of a potential contact in a small town of Izumo, someone who showed promise while they attended the university, but who had not been seen for some time.
The group set off first toward Zoe's home of Gifu. They arrived in their due time, after traversing many smaller villages, some of which began to notice Kenji's absence from their group. Zoe's hometown was small and simple, and it was clear that she came from little. She introduced the group to her family: her father Rintaro, and her brother Jin. She had a fantastic union with her family, bonding after having not seen them in a very long time. The group had a small respite here in Gifu, where their concerns and worries seemed further and away than normal.
Next, they traveled to the Sea of Trees, seeking out the issues the locals there were having with strange events regarding natural beings. It was discovered when they arrived that dryads had been assailing the town, causing grief and destroying property, and that the attacks were escalating. That night, the group waited, and sure enough, found the town assailed by a collection of dryads, sprites, and pixies. When they attempted to bargain with the beings, the beings left.
Through a will'o'wisp, they were guided to a small campsite outside of town in the forest. When investigated, they met two druids who had recently arrived in the area, investigating the same scenario. They say that the villagers were disturbing the Sea of Trees by cutting down firewood, causing grief to the natural balance. But they also beckoned a larger problem of their own: their leader had been confused or entranced, and was lurking out in the forest, late at night in the cold, seemingly out of his wits. They feared his great strength had something to do with the increased activity of the Sea of Trees, and that perhaps he had been charmed or enchanted somehow. They knew his location, and actively sought it out with the group in the dead of night...

Character(s) interacted with

Zoe Miyamizu

Report Date

15 Feb 2019

Primary Location

Ezo