This was a lead-on adventure from the skill challenge.
Tortured Cherry Blossom Spirit
The rich black soil is littered with rotted flowers, and there are many varieties of dead and withered plants and trees throughout the room. The single healthy-looking plant is an eight-foot cherry tree located in the centre of the “garden”.
Three ugly creatures with deep blue skin, hunched bodies, and small stunted wings are hovering near the tree. One of these creatures has a blade with which he is cutting the blossoms. Rich white milk drips from the blossoms into ivory bowls held by the other two creatures. Standing a few feet off to the north side of the tree and keeping a watchful eye on the proceedings is another creature, ten feet tall with a single horn, red skin, and brightly coloured clothes. He wields a dai-katana of titanic size.
The blue creatures are bakemono (goblins) the large creature is a hi-kyojin (fire giant). All four are in service to the Five Storms but, not being oni are able to come and go from the House of Withered Blossoms. These creatures risk their lives to bring the cherry blossom milk to Munasukru who enjoys drinking it.
Tactics
The bakemono charge in piece mill using pitted katanas. The hi-kyojin uses a potion of improved invisibility and then attacks at range initially before engaging in melee.
Treasure
He provides the party with 3 cherry pips – one of each type.
Enchanted Cherry Pits. These wonderous magical seeds come in three varieties: smooth brown, spiked purple, and crescent gold. When the seed is planted and watered, it roots and grows into a mature bonsai cherry tree in 2 rounds, blossoming in the third. Each plant yields 2d4 blossoms, which must be picked for use. Each blossom lasts 1 hour before it wilts and looses its magical properties.
- Brown. When the blossom is picked, from it steps a full grown cherry-blossom samurai. He serves for one encounter or until slain, then withers away.
- Purple. When picked the blossom turns into ripe cherry. When thrown the fruit explodes on impact, causing 2d8 points of fire damage within a 10′ radius. This damage bypasses the defences of oni and cancels their regeneration.
- Gold. The blossoms shine with a golden light. When picked, a blossom shines brightly with the light of the full moon in a 10′ radius. The characters have the blessing of the moon god Tsuki-Yomi. The PC wielding/wearing the blossom and his allies gain the effects of a bless spell and oni and hostile yokai creatures suffer the effects of a bane spell.
Boon
If the PCs save the cherry blossom they receive an additional boon. Whenever their are enemies or traps nearby they will smell a burning cherry blossom. When it is danger free they will smell the sweet smell of the cherry blossom in full bloom.