as told by the cavalier Olmas Lurecia himself.

Starday, 22 Sarenith

Well, the greeting for the bridge was not very pleasant. The bridge itself was kind of beautiful, being of some sort of translucent material. But the sign …. the sign said

Only those close to death may visit the spirits of the past emperors.

So what – we had to be on death’s door? We had to know Death? We had to be a relative of Death? Really good friend?

Not that it mattered, really, because we WERE going …

With extraordinary caution, alert for traps and wards, Suishen ablaze, we gingerly crossed the bridge.

Before us stood a gazebo populated by four instruments carefully placed into poses they might assume during intermission: a drum, a flute, a mandolin, and a samisen. All appeared to be of fine, perhaps masterwork quality. We stared for a moment, perhaps waiting for them to magically reform into some sort of monster that would attack us.

But they just sat there.

Dasi remarked these instruments might make a fine orchestra for a dirge.

Kali cautiously approached them and inspected them. Finally, she stood. “With the right command word, yes, these will provide appropriately somber music. Unseen servants will take them up and play them.” She turned back to them, mumbled something, and sure enough – the instruments were picked up by invisible hands and began to provide soft but sad music.

Off to the north, there was a building that looked like it might be a crematorium, and several other small building were both north and south of us. Zos and Dasi entered the apparent crematorium. In response, a large humanoid figure with a fiery abdomen stood up and approached them. Zos quietly but quickly exited the room but Dasi upped the ante by casting displacement and starting a hearty song of courage. And retreating some.

The rest of us started running towards the commotion, just in time for Radella and Dasi to get hit by a bolt – a wall? a line? – of fire emitted by the creature. Dasi and Radella tried to withdraw, but Radella didn’t go far enough and it grabbed her and tried to stuff her in the furnace that was its abdomen. I challenged it, and struck it a solid blow, but it was not easy to kill. Eventually, it took a cluster of arrows from Ivan to dispatch it.

We had a brief discussion about the wisdom of splitting the group, with many solemn nods.

Some of the smaller buildings were either shrines or, in a couple of cases, small vaults. We found one that seemed to house the body of Empress Amatatsu Onoko. Ameiko entered and briefly offered a prayer, with no apparent reaction.

But it was when we entered the main mausoleum that things got interesting. This appeared to have five chambers, one for each of the five royal families. It didn’t take long to encounter the cantankerous soul of Emperor Shigure. His body, he claims, was thrown down a well which he now labels “The Well of Demons”. He demands its retrieval and a proper burial before he’ll offer a blessing to Ameiko (or anyone, for that matter).

No news what the well was named, or IF it was named, before it was befouled by dead bodies and evil demons. It has been a long day, even though it is but 4pm. Tonight we will strategize, and we will rest, and tomorrow we will take on demons. Supposedly.