The Daughters of Habagat
Sabungan has no walls, but as the nipa huts become fewer and the rice paddies of the town make way for wild jungle growth, the area of the haunted wood begins. It is a bastion of wildlife abundant with game. However, last year rumors of a white lady roaming the jungle began. Upon the possibility of seeing such death, the cocksureness of Sabungan’s hunters vanished. Why hunt and risk the attention of the white lady when the Oryang river is fertile with fish?
What really happened
As the monsoon rains fall and the hard work of the celestial diwata begins, Habagat, the bringer of rain, allows his adarna daughters a few nights of reckless abandon. Bitwin, Kisap, and Ningning would then descend to Kalupaan, shed the wings that define their divine aspects, and dance naked in their secret grove of mango trees deep within the jungle.
What really happened
As the monsoon rains fall and the hard work of the celestial diwata begins, Habagat, the bringer of rain, allows his adarna daughters a few nights of reckless abandon. Bitwin, Kisap, and Ningning would then descend to Kalupaan, shed the wings that define their divine aspects, and dance naked in their secret grove of mango trees deep within the jungle.
Last year, however, the place was not so secret. Pilandok stumbled into the adarnas’ dancing grove as he pursued one of his half-baked plans to get rich quick. He was hoping to catch a wild cock in an attempt to replace the sickly one that he had. He also felt that it would help him get rich quick - the junglefowl are notoriously more aggressive than domestic cocks, and thus likelier to win matches. That they are nigh impossible to train was a secondary concern to Pilandok.
On that fateful night, Pilandok found Kisap’s wings, which have contracted into the spherical Adarna stone after it made contact with the mud. It twinkled in the mud as stars twinkled up in the sky, so he picked up the stone and made off with it, eventually deciding it was magic and feeding it to his sickly cock.
He never noticed the dancing sisters.
Without her wings, Kisap is meanwhile left without her mantle of divinity and cannot perform her duties to Kalangitan. She cannot even return to the sky realm, as the only way to return is through flight. Her sisters on the other hand, need to perform their duties and hers, and so could only leave her in the jungle as she searches forlornly for her missing wings.
Dealing with the adarnas
The celestial diwata’s concept of time and overall outlook is different from mortals. They are each likely to be several centuries old, and their mastery of their respective crafts will show this. On the other hand, they act with the maturity of young adults, and their main concern is finding Kisap’s wings before their father realizes that she is missing. (This will likely happen in the next five years or so.) So while they have a sense of urgency about them, they also tend to be slow to act.
If they act collectively as a patron, the adarnas can grant the power of flight to their favored.
Random Encounters: The Haunted Wood
Humans have hunted less and less in the jungle as the stories of a white lady spread throughout the town. As a result, game is abundant for its top predators, who in turn grew large from their frequent feeding. This also means that the beasts are unlikely to fight to the death, prefering to fight another day if they are clearly outmatched by their “food.”
In addition, adarnas have an affinity with birds. Feral chicken roosts, colorful parrots, eagles, and the like are a common sight. The random encounter table does not account for these animals, and instead focus on jungle elements that can pose a threat to the adventurers.
On that fateful night, Pilandok found Kisap’s wings, which have contracted into the spherical Adarna stone after it made contact with the mud. It twinkled in the mud as stars twinkled up in the sky, so he picked up the stone and made off with it, eventually deciding it was magic and feeding it to his sickly cock.
He never noticed the dancing sisters.Without her wings, Kisap is meanwhile left without her mantle of divinity and cannot perform her duties to Kalangitan. She cannot even return to the sky realm, as the only way to return is through flight. Her sisters on the other hand, need to perform their duties and hers, and so could only leave her in the jungle as she searches forlornly for her missing wings.
Dealing with the adarnas
The celestial diwata’s concept of time and overall outlook is different from mortals. They are each likely to be several centuries old, and their mastery of their respective crafts will show this. On the other hand, they act with the maturity of young adults, and their main concern is finding Kisap’s wings before their father realizes that she is missing. (This will likely happen in the next five years or so.) So while they have a sense of urgency about them, they also tend to be slow to act.
If they act collectively as a patron, the adarnas can grant the power of flight to their favored.
Random Encounters: The Haunted Wood
Humans have hunted less and less in the jungle as the stories of a white lady spread throughout the town. As a result, game is abundant for its top predators, who in turn grew large from their frequent feeding. This also means that the beasts are unlikely to fight to the death, prefering to fight another day if they are clearly outmatched by their “food.”
In addition, adarnas have an affinity with birds. Feral chicken roosts, colorful parrots, eagles, and the like are a common sight. The random encounter table does not account for these animals, and instead focus on jungle elements that can pose a threat to the adventurers.
2d6
|
Encounter
|
2
|
Kisap, stranded adarna
|
3
| |
4
| |
5
| |
6
| |
7
|
Someone they’ve met before (roll on your list if you have one)
|
8
|
1d4+1 wild cockatrices
|
9
|
A monsoon that lasts through the night
|
10
| |
11
| |
12
|
Travelling
The haunted wood is a dense and heavily-populated jungle, and trekking through it is difficult. Travel pace is reduced to one-fourth (x1/4) of normal speeds. Navigating is slightly harder (base DC 16) while foraging is slightly easier (base DC 14.)
Because of the dense nature of the jungle, weapons that rely on wide, striking arcs (most slashing weapons, flails) are difficult to use. Make attack rolls with such weapons at a disadvantage. In addition, the abundance of trees provides for ample space to duck from attacks. Consider any opponent who is more than 2d6x10 feet away to have half cover against ranged attacks.
Main Hex Location: The Mud Nest
A small house, built of brick that is created from mud that was heated with the flames of a star. Built by the adarna Kisap with the help of her sisters, this is where she spends her nights. She is a natural genius (Int 18) on matters of measurements and patterns, and a close inspection of her hut will reveal her precision as well as her fondness for circles, ellipses, and other conic shapes. There is a 15% chance that her sisters are visiting her on every given night of the monsoon season.
During the day she wanders the jungle in search of her wings, leaving her hut seemingly unattended. In truth, she cares for 3d6 chickens who nest in a nearby grove of mango trees. If they see strangers entering her hut, they will simultaneously crow in alarm. Inside the hut is a bed, a table, and some protrusions for sitting, all sculpted and attached to the same mud the floor was fashioned from. There is also a large, clay jar filled with dried mangoes.
Other hex locations:
The haunted wood is a dense and heavily-populated jungle, and trekking through it is difficult. Travel pace is reduced to one-fourth (x1/4) of normal speeds. Navigating is slightly harder (base DC 16) while foraging is slightly easier (base DC 14.)
Because of the dense nature of the jungle, weapons that rely on wide, striking arcs (most slashing weapons, flails) are difficult to use. Make attack rolls with such weapons at a disadvantage. In addition, the abundance of trees provides for ample space to duck from attacks. Consider any opponent who is more than 2d6x10 feet away to have half cover against ranged attacks.
Main Hex Location: The Mud Nest
A small house, built of brick that is created from mud that was heated with the flames of a star. Built by the adarna Kisap with the help of her sisters, this is where she spends her nights. She is a natural genius (Int 18) on matters of measurements and patterns, and a close inspection of her hut will reveal her precision as well as her fondness for circles, ellipses, and other conic shapes. There is a 15% chance that her sisters are visiting her on every given night of the monsoon season.
During the day she wanders the jungle in search of her wings, leaving her hut seemingly unattended. In truth, she cares for 3d6 chickens who nest in a nearby grove of mango trees. If they see strangers entering her hut, they will simultaneously crow in alarm. Inside the hut is a bed, a table, and some protrusions for sitting, all sculpted and attached to the same mud the floor was fashioned from. There is also a large, clay jar filled with dried mangoes.
Other hex locations:
Part 3: Oryang, the river goddess
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