Lan plods after Zheng, Stone-whorl tracing lazy arcs through the fog as though measuring the greying light. The forest’s hush presses close, yet his thoughts drift instead to Shuǐ-Zhànshì: a boy reborn as gold-scaled rescuer, a village saved by water rather than drowned by it. "A fish mirrors the dragon, only smaller," he murmurs inwardly. Shí-Guāng’s voiceless reply ripples back: 'And every droplet remembers the river.' Fingers worry a lantern shard in his sash; its amber gleam feels dull beneath the damp, but the story’s echo kindles a faint warmth—hope that a humble act can spark sudden transformation.

So wrapped in reflection, Lan barely notes the clatter of pebbles underfoot or the way fog beads on his beard. Trunks loom and vanish at the edge of vision, yet he trusts Zheng’s steady pace ahead and Heng’s trailwise eye behind. Only when a crow’s harsh call snaps overhead does he blink, realize how far the light has fallen, and tighten his grip on the staff—quietly chiding himself for letting legend drown the present path.

Perception 9

Xi looks around.  “Stay on the path”, she thought to herself.  Was that a mist ghost?  No, just mist.

The crackle of leaves underfoot some creature make their way to Zheng, but none other of your group. Mist and wind whirl and howl around you, making it difficult to see anything. As Zheng looks up, his head darting around to pinpoint the noise's source, he spies a faint flickering of something making its way through the trees. It's too vague to make out its details, but you do see that it is advancing towards you. Leaves begin to blow into the air as it approaches, hissing in the gale. 

The figure continues to advance, flicking away stones and sticks as they fly towards it. It looms up before you, and you all can see it now. A blurry compaction of fog and mist, it takes the shape of a being but constantly shifts to something else, blown by the wind. It hisses in some elemental language, which sounds like a boiling tea-kettle on a hot stove - not quite a whistle, not quite the hiss of a snake. It's clearly asking you why you're here. And it doesn't look excited to see you.

(OOC: And I shall bid you all adieu. A tip of the hat to each and every one of you. Wyrm takes over from here for a while. (Unrelated note: This might be the last time you see me until late August (note since the school year's over soon). I might post sporadically over the summer.)

Zheng takes a few steps back and points to the thing flying towards them.

"Prepare for a fight! It seems we have caused something to be very upset."

(OOC: do we roll initative?)

Quote from JehanO >>

Zheng takes a few steps back and points to the thing flying towards them.

"Prepare for a fight! It seems we have caused something to be very upset."

(OOC: do we roll initative?)

(OOC: Yep! I might hover around for a while) 

Zheng initiative: 12

(Have a nice summer and good luck with final exams (if that is a thing)!)

Lan Initiative: 18

(ooc: I'm unsure if I'm in the scene. If so, initiative of 17)

(OOC: I would believe that An is in the scene. Still waiting for Wyrm to roll initiative for mistfolk but I'll put it here anyway:

CURRENT INITIATIVE:

Lan: 18

An: 16

Zheng: 12

Mistfolk: 8

Initiative. 20

Xi squints at the creature. 

"Hello.  Are you a Mist ghost?  Do you understand us?  We're here to see the wizard."

She repeats it in Draconic & goblin if it let's her.

Persuasion, if it helps.  18

Zheng?

Yes??

It's your turn (I think?)

(OOC: Am I missing something because my Initiative was 12 and everyone got a higher initiative than me but I have not seen anyone take their turn.)

(Oops, my bad. I think it is Lan's turn then?)

Initiative order:

Xi with a 20

Lan with an 18

An with a 16

Zheng with a 12

Mistfolk with a 4

(OOC: it is up to you but in one of the games I play in the DM orders combat by groups so it is not one by one but all of the initatives that match up. So this time 

Group 1: Xi, Lan, An and Zheng

Group 2: Mistfolk 

PBP combat can be slow so this speeds it up a little. If everyone is okay with this style.)

While Xi waits to see if the creature responds to her questions, she casts Mage Armor and spends a sorcery pt to use "Subtle spell".  If the creature attacks her she uses her reaction to cast shield.   If anyone starts to attack the creature she says "Wait!  See if it's a threat first."

(Sorry! I had assumed that the DM would react to Xi's question before we continue.)

Lan plants Stone-whorl’s ironwood butt into the leaf-litter, palms loose on the shaft, knees bent just enough to let his weight flow to either foot. His breathing slows to the four-count cadence he uses for mending bones—watch, assess, wait. Amber eyes track the swirling edges of the mist-shape while his ears stay tuned for the scrape of a branch or the snap of brush that might signal a flanking wraith. He offers no words, letting Xi’s question hang in the fog; every muscle listens for the answer.

Action: dodge