Rokugan in the Shadows Ch 1: Gathering Dark

[Lightning Fast]

Kanishi gives as close to a nod as he can, then scuttles along after the messenger. "I have eaten many rotty-men and am full. This is not necessary..." he says quietly to Kyorlin. In truth, Kanishi was almost always hungry. Must have something to do with the growth.

Nonetheless, he continues, hoping to reverse his earlier misfortunes.

[~Corvus~]

Kanishi looks near the building where the man has fallen. His throat has been severed at the neck; bloodstains on the stones and on his shirt reveals his recent death beyond any shadow of a doubt; a dog, the same one that had talked to you just a few minutes ago, nearly 4 feet on it haunches, munches on the man's shoulder muscles. What fine shoulder muscles he has, too! They look nearly as appetizing as a fisherman's.

One peasant grabs a rudimentary spear and begins to walk down the path towards where they last saw him.

Clearly you'll have to think of something, and fast.

[Swami Monsoon]

"Wait here, we'll check on this."

Jade tries to reassure the crowd and then follows the crab in search of the missing messenger, but she's got a sinking feeling about what just went wrong.

[~Corvus~]

"Wha- What is--?" Upon seeing a woman of green-colored skin, the two peasants that have continued to pay attention startle and grab clubs. The other workers, content that the three watchers are OK, continue with their duties with due haste.

"What's happened to your skin?" These two look nervous, and they catch up to the third watcher. "Have Oni corrupted your skin?"

They move to within 10 feet of the ruined structure and have spotted neither Niku nor Kyorlin.

[Doxkid]

Yhrashnal spends a bit of time savoring his meal (mostly gnawing on bones until he gets bored and accidentally snaps them in half) until he notices another prey approaching. With a means to replenish his power secured in the form of the dead runner, he decides now would be the perfect time to test the limit of his magical abilities.

And Yhrashnal, in all his massive glory, trots toward the unsuspecting target and imposes his will upon it. "C'mere." He 'whispers' to it, his voice more tactile than audible.

Spoiler: OoC

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Yhrashnal chains a few abilities on the unfortunate being approaching him. He walks up to it, bringing it into range of his Despair Aura, drops Hexblade Curse on it, and then uses his Charm Person SLA.

(Move action) walk up into melee range of the approaching person. with a 60 ft move range he'll probably reach this distance lickity split, so he takes his time and walks slowly.
(Automatic) Despair Aura: will Save DC 12 or suffer -2 penalty on attack rolls, saving throws, ability checks, skill checks, and weapon damage rolls.
(Swift Action) Hexblade Curse [2/3 uses remaining if successful, 3/3 uses remaining if failed): Will save DC 12 or suffer a -2 penalty all dice rolls.
(standard Action) Barghest Charm SLA [0/1 uses remaining]: As per Charm Person. Threatened beings receive a +5 to this save. Lasts 2 hours.

[Kashmir]

Niku no Seijin

Whispering to Kyorlin, "I have a feeling that the newcomer may bring more trouble with him."

Pulling out his bow, Niku will nock an arrow and wait and see.

[Swami Monsoon]

Jade sighs and adjusts her hood.

"It's magical protection. I'm surprised you're more alarmed by that than by a giant crab."

[~Corvus~]

The closest of the three sentinels (to Yrashnal) turns left and says to his companions, "I think I just heard him; I doubt its any use if you come, too. You all might as well go talk with...them," and indicates Jade and the Crab.

He walks around the corner, sees the dog, the mess, and sighs. "Killed by a mysterious Oni. I doubt if its any use, but I don't suppose you'd know anything about this, dog?" He chuckles at himself and mutters, "he hasnt been dead a minute and poor dog is looking for a meal."


The other two nod, then approach Jade. "We have heard of magical protections, but that seems excessive. By the way...do you or your Crab...friend know what sort of Oni corrupt the spirits of our people into rotten flesh-eaters?

[~Corvus~]

The other sentinel looks at Jade and gasps. "Real jade magic...You must be rich!! I've heard of Shugenja that have wealth, but your magical protection is marvelous. You must have a rare patron indeed!"

[WarHunter]

Kyorlin

Bloodlust overcoming him he unholsters a crossbow and sets a bolt. trouble? The crab is trouble,
The green woman is trouble. I think he brings on the fun and carnage.
Do you want to pretend I am bound to you or just start shooting? he whispers back.

[Kashmir]

Niku no Seijin

"I think I can pass off as a human, you on the other hand are stricktly an oni to them, so worst case, I can "be your prey" to get close to them, if we need to and things go south with the crab, or if the wolf brings more samurai to them then they can handle. Niku will whisper to Kyorlin

[WarHunter]

Kyorlin

Whispering
if our giant allies are telling the truth, with this beaded necklace of light I will appear "bound", funny way to say takes. If this is common practice then these people have quite the hubris to think they can harness Oni in this way.

[Doxkid]

"~~...or if the wolf brings more samurai to them then they can handle.~~
A hounds ears are quite sensitive and he catches these whispers rather easily. Killing samurai? That should indeed be interesting; more so than killing the runner was, at least (even if he feels a rather warm sense of pride in having dropped his prey with a single attack) Difficult, but interesting. For the moment though the ships themselves should be unattended though, and the corpse he acquired shouldn't be going anywhere...

The hound sniffs around a bit before calmly meandering toward the shipyard; oddly enough he is not looking for unguarded ships, but instead for ships that only have one or two people defending them. More food can never hurt, after all, be that a sword or a pile of rations or a cooling body.

[~Corvus~]

The sentinel that had been talking to the dog turns to the other two that are fawning over Jade, and says, "I don't think we'll find the oni that did this. Are you satisfied here? We do have work that needs finishing. If Lord Ogatai hears that we aren't finished..." he flinches.

The other two look to Jade. "We have a messenger that was just attacked by oni. If you are indeed a shugenja, or are in the service of one, would you be willing to look into his death? We have...duties in the shipyard." They look for a sign of assent from Jade; if she agrees, they will return back to the lumberyard.

----

The wolf-creature that had talked to the four of you pads down the NORTH path to the docks. Just past the longhouse, three arrow-like ships wait in the water; their bodies are somewhat box-shaped with angled bows, and they sport a single mast with broad-sail rigging and a line that extends to the bow, with room for another front sail. They have space enough for a few hundred men each, they seem to be transports of some sort. Five soldiers guard each ship; four leather-clad spearmen and one with a naginata and studded leather.

The dock bends around the ships; on the SOUTH is the Shipyard. A fourth boat seems nearly complete. Its hull is being fitted with what seems to be the upper deck. Carpenters run back and forth with various tasks, and at the visible entrances, hawkish men with long clubs watch the docks for any more supicious activity.

[WarHunter]

Kyorlin

Beast I merely wanted to converse with my ally here to coordinate a plan,
Mostly for the fun of it. If you help me find samurai and let me deliver the killing blow, the body is yours to devour. whispers

[Swami Monsoon]

"I will look into it. Be watchful."

Jade follows the path of the missing messenger, really looking for the rest of her party. She's pretty sure about what's happened to the man, but she's not so sure about what her new comrades are going to do next.

[Kashmir]

Niku no Seijin

Seeing the inquisitive guards retreat, Niku will put away his bow and arrow, have his robes become a little tattered and torn, and take out one of his prayer scrolls, and saunter towards the crab and Jade.

"I fear that I am one of the last survivors coming from the town before it was completely overrun by the living dead. I tried to give all the funerary rites that I could, but barely escaped with my life and meager belongings."

[WarHunter]

Kyorlin

While not used to not being a key aspect in battle, Kyorlin relaxes while still being out of sight. He recalls his kills in this adventure and the fun he has had while he waits for his time for action.

Spoiler

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readied action: shoot closest human with handcrossbow when they start to attack or defend themselves.

[~Corvus~]

Jade and Niku feel another sense of Wrongness; Kanishi's form shrinks into a single black dot that then dissipates from your senses. However, this sense hardly lasts for an appreciable time, and you make it to the NORTH road, then EAST to the longhouse. Kyorlin skulks nearby, talking to Yrashnal.

The 5 soldiers closest to you are 55' away; they play dice with their commander among barrels at the entrance to the pier upon which a box-ship is moored.

Spoiler: Current position

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[Doxkid]

Yhrashnal considers the proposal for a few moments. While it is craven for the other creature (whatever it is) to ask for the glory of his kills, securing assistance bringing down this mortal domain is the entire reason he approached the others marked by The Voice's stench in the first place. Compromise is not all that tasty, but if his forefather could suffer the same burdens and grow powerful then by the Bleak Eternity so can Yhrashnal.

"I will try to leave at least three at death's door. We can speak about their possessions later. Kill the weak ones first." Yhrashnal slinks off to the North predatorily and then sets into a run directly at the one of the soldiers sitting beside the commander.

Spoiler: OoC

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Yhrashnal hide/moves silently northward, then charges the group. Two rounds worth of actions, but there isn't much to say (and he'd need to do this anyway so long as the attack is going through) so I'll pre-emptively post the second round.

Round 1:
Yhrashnal Hides/Moves silently northward, until he is lined up as close to the shore as he can get.
Hide: (1d20+8)[20] (in his he gains an additional +1 [HD/2=1] to hide checks. I didn't notice this earlier)
Move silently (1d20+7)[15]

Round 2: Yhrashnal Charges one of the soldiers and bites him (assuming the a prey-animal's gender is a common example of Barghest-Privilege). Same deal as before, Charging grants a +2 bonus to his attack roll and lowers his AC to [12]until the next round. Becoming adjacent to Yhrashnal inflicts his Aura of Despair upon the opponent. Will save DC 12 or it suffers -2 penalty on attack rolls, saving throws, ability checks, skill checks, and weapon damage rolls.

Attack roll (with +2 from charging) (1d20+8)[26]
Bite Damage: (1d6+5)[9]

Yet again, since he is currently in Wolf form he gets a free Trip attempt after he bites.
Trip attack strength check (1d20+4)[23]

[WarHunter]

Kyorlin

That is very kind of you but I only request the kills of Samurai, guards do not matter to me. Since they are no longer unaware I shall join in the bloodshed.

Spoiler: action

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holstering hand crossbow,
While in child of Shadow stance dark charges nearest guard that doesn't involve getting in the beasts way(1d20+9)[19]crit(1d20+9)[13]damage(1d6+6)[11]crit damage(2d6+6)[13]thunder damage(2d4)[3]

[~Corvus~]

Both Yrashnal and Kyorlin vanish into the shadows, only to spring upon an unfortunate spearman. He has little time to react; the Draegloth gets a claw's swipe upon him, putting him off-balance, and the wolf pulls him to the ground. The man's head cracks on a barrel; he goes limp. The other four quickly grab their spears (and one Naginata) but they are unprepared!

Spoiler: initiative

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Won by the 4 of you! Surprise round passed; it is now turn for the 4 of you; guards are flat-footed.

FWIW, Kanishi has been claimed by the Void; he will no longer be of help.

[Doxkid]

Yhrashnal eyes are alight with passion and happy at the first chance he has ever been given to show off and he certainly won't stop now that the ball is rolling. A trace of his inherited magic ripples his sable fur as he lunges at another soldier, his strength even greater now that his magic and natural power are working in concert.

Who dares stand before this unstoppable beast?

Spoiler: OoC

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Yhrashnal casts his Quickened Rage SLA. 0/1 uses remaining. Strength increases by 2(Morale), Constitution increases by 2(Morale), +1 Will saves (Morale), -2 penalty to AC(Morale) for 2 rounds. Natural armor increases by 1 as a consequence of this. Final AC is 1 lower than normal, at [13] from [14]. HP is temporarily [33] from [29]
Despair Aura: Enemies get to try saving against it again. Will save DC 12 or -2 penalty on attack rolls, saving throws, ability checks, skill checks, and weapon damage rolls. Successful save confers immunity for 24 hours.

Bite Attack: (1d20+7)[24]
Bite Damage: (1d6+6)[10]
Trip: (1d20+5)[10]

[Swami Monsoon]

There appears to be nothing for it. At least they are facing armed men who are presumably in the employ of one predator or another...
Jade forms herself into a stream of liquid and propels herself at the guards who are not already engaged...

Spoiler

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Use Form of the Wave to move past and hit as many guards as possible at the edge of group without hitting any allies, coming to a stop well out of melee range.
Damage (2d6)[2]
Recharge ]roll]1d4+1[/roll]

[Swami Monsoon]

Spoiler

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Re-rolling typo [roll0]

[Kashmir]

Niku no Seijin

Seeing the guards grab their weapons, Niku will quickly launch an arrow at the naginata wielder.

Spoiler: OoC

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Attack:(1d20+5)[22]
Crit:(1d20+5)[23]

Damage:(1d8+2)[3]
Crit:(2d8+4)[12]

[WarHunter]

Kyorlin

Switches stance to step of the wind in case the area becomes difficult terrain. He grabs at a foe that hasn't been attacked yet and attempts to throw him at any other guard that also hasn't been attacked yet, taking careful aim to not throw him some where he could escape from.

Spoiler: mighty throw

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melee touch attack(1d20+7)[8]check(1d20+6)[18]

[~Corvus~]

The guard Yrashnal bites looks as if he will catch himself, but he falls to the ground.

The Naginata-wielder takes the arrow from Niku, but she makes a gesture and he, too, feels a piercing pain in his side. She stammers out a cry to the other five guards several hundred feet away: "O-Oni!! Gather militia!" To the soldiers here, she says "S-stand by my side, spearmen! Hold our ground!"

Jade's acid washes to the remaining spearmen and burns through their boots, causing blood to pool and fizzle at their feet; however, they step into the long reach of the naginata wielder. Though Kyorlin had a successful attack earlier, his grasp misses the spearmen; instead, the three of them step backwards to the barrels stacked to the left side of the docks. The last soldier crawls out of the immediate reach of Yrashnal and Kyorlin carefully, spear ready to ward himself away.

"Prepare spears! Attack any that step in!" The Naiginata-wielder holds her weapon high; it looks ready to slam down in any number of directions.

Spoiler: Combat info

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Niku takes 2 Piercing damage almost as soon as the arrow is delivered.

Yrashnal takes 2 Acid damage from Jade's attack; he is in the reach area of her ability.

Soldiers take 5-foot steps backwards into REACH area of Naginata-wielder.

[WarHunter]

Kyorlin

Where are your Samurai? he yells as he draws a bolt and hand crossbow with his lower arms and takes aim.

Spoiler: delayed action

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if she refuses to answer or ignores him (1d20+6)[23]crit(1d20+6)[10]damage(1d4)[2]crit damage(2d4)[3]

[~Corvus~]

As the bolt from Kyorlin's crossbow finds its mark he, too, feels the pain of his attack in his side. The Naginata-wielder points to another of five soldiers approaching from the next ship over; this time, the naginata-wielder wears plate mail and has some sort of crest on his head.

Spoiler: actions

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5 soldiers from next ship approaching! They are 130' away, and moving about 60'/round.

Kyorlin takes 2 Piercing damage from his attack.