Your GM has done experience -- and thanks to assigning CR values to the mandible doors, black stone and energy web effects, as well as a bonus award for retrieving a minor artifact -- I say minor, Orion says major, but guess who is the GM...? :-) -- always do that sort of thing before determining regular experience so not tempted to play with the number -- anyway, as a result, I was amused to discover that Ashiko managed to just get over the 15th level xp total by about 400 xp or so.
Soshi Ashiko is obviously spending some time learning new spells and skills and such while other folks are out adventuring this time -- and indeed something has come up that the adventurers may choose to address (if the players choose to play, given that's what I am preparing!) which Ashiko might not be that interested in anyway. Alternatively, if Ashi wishes to spend some time enchanting stuff she can end up remaining 14th level if she really wants.
Miya Hatori and others were just beginning to check into the whole (well, shattered actually) Bloodwhite Stone business with their divinations and gather information, when a messenger from the Dragon Guard (the samurai and bushi who guard the city and suchlike) arrives at the palace looking for "the Korobokuru Hero Gorvak, and his Honorable Companions".
Evidently, there is a funny looking monk (something they are pretty used to actually) riding a humongous funny looking tiger (something they are definitely NOT used to) along with four fine-looking samurai women waiting outside the gate of the city, with a young korobokuru woman accompanying them, seeking to find out if Gorvak the Hero is currently in town. The monk says his "name is Magoun -- Gorvak should recognize it, and certainly his companions will know me" -- the guards want to know if Gorvak will go with them to speak with these folks, and if any of the more esteemed imperial and noble companions of this Gorvak fellow will be there to see what the heck is going on and make sure everything is okay...though they may not word it quite like that.
I presume that Gorvak will be amenable to seeing what these folks have to say, and that some of his companions will tag along as well? Anyway, more info tomorrow at the session -- but it seems like Gorvak's distant cousins need his mighty axe to solve some sort of problem for them...and a few extra warriors and spellcasters might well be helpful... :-D