Rain drums the shrine roof in a steady hush. Moss climbs the stone steps, and a single paper lantern burns low beside the offering shelf. Arimari Tiarasan ducks inside from the road, wet cloak darkening at the hem.
In the far corner, an elderly hermit works with a small knife, shaving curls from a block of cedar. He does not look up at first, only keeps carving with patient hands.
The incense is old, but the shelter is dry.
The Hermit
If you have come for the weather, you are welcome. If you have come for trouble, leave it at the gate.
The hermit lifts his eyes at last, then sets the figurine in his lap. The little shrine seems smaller for the pause, and calmer for it.
The Hermit
Sit. Warm your hands. The road to Cedar Pass is long, and rain makes every traveler honest.
“I speak with the hermit about Cedar Pass”
FAILURE (Fair Reasoning, rolled -3)
Arimari lowers himself onto the mat by the entrance, water ticking from his sleeves. The shrine holds its quiet around him, and the hermit’s knife keeps whispering through cedar.
Arimari Tiarasan
I am looking for Cedar Pass. Do you know the road well?
The Hermit
Well enough to miss its worst moods. In rain, the stones loosen. In fog, men do too.
The hermit turns the little carving in his hands, studying the grain as if it answers him better than people do.
The Hermit
There are toll men on the pass when the road is rich, and hungry men when it is poor. Either kind remembers a face.
Arimari Tiarasan
Then I should know what faces to avoid.
The Hermit
A fair request. Sit with me a little longer, and I will tell you whose banner flies there now.
He sets the cedar figure aside and reaches for another shaving of wood, glancing toward the road with a calm that does not quite hide his caution.
“I speak with the hermit about Cedar Pass”
SUCCESS (Fair Reasoning, rolled +1)
Arimari leans in, and the hermit finally meets him with a full, unhurried glance.
The Hermit
Cedar Pass? A hard road, but a honest one. Traders curse it, pilgrims thank it.
The Hermit
The banner there now belongs to men who count tolls twice, once for the road, once for their hunger.
Arimari Tiarasan
He asks what faces I should avoid.
The Hermit
Avoid the one with the split lip. He speaks softly, then remembers your name before you offer it.
The old man sets down his knife and draws a line in the cedar dust, marking a fork in the road with two careful taps.
The Hermit
Take the left track after the third stone marker. If you see prayer papers tied in the pines, you have gone too far.
He pauses, then slides the finished shaving toward Arimari like a small gift.
“Thank him for the shaving. Take it and examine it”
SUCCESS (Good Perception, rolled +0)
Arimari Tiarasan
Arimari inclines his head and thanks him, then takes the shaving with both hands.
The cedar is light as a paper charm, its edge clean from the knife. Arimari turns it once, and the fresh scent rises warm against the rain.
Arimari Tiarasan
The grain runs straight, then bends near the tip.
The Hermit
Good cedar keeps its own memory. That one will teach your hand if you let it.
He watches Arimari's fingers with the patient interest of a man more used to tools than talk.
The Hermit
If you reach Cedar Pass by dusk, keep to the left track. The toll men like easy ground and loud fear.
The Hermit
Stay a little longer if you wish, I can show you the mark of the third stone marker.
+ New Item Acquired
Cedar shaving
“I stay and learn the third stone marker”
SUCCESS (Fair Reasoning, rolled +1)
Arimari settles beside the mat, and the hermit answers by setting the cedar aside. Rain hisses at the shrine edge while the old man bends over the dust map.
The Hermit
The third marker stands where the road narrows and the stones grow close. You will know it by a split root in the bank, and a notch cut low on the face of the stone.
He traces the route with one finger, then taps the left track and the shaded ditch beyond it.
The Hermit
If the toll men are there, keep your eyes on the marker, not their hands. Men lie more easily when they think you are hurried.
Arimari Tiarasan
The split root and low notch. Enough to find it by sight alone.
The hermit lifts the cedar shaving again, turning it so the grain catches the lantern light, then lays it across Arimari's palm as if sealing the lesson.
The Hermit
Take that road at dusk, and you will have the marker before the pass wakes fully. Go when you are ready.
“Take the road at dusk”
SUCCESS (Great Agility, rolled -1)