IsleOfJade/SessionSix

Pig Seeks Hawk

Ryoga walked cautiously into the fogotten village of Green Willows, with its crumbling houses and abandoned streets. His young eyes took in the tranquility of the scene and he tried to imagine what it would have been like before the soldiers came and rounded up or killed its inhabitants. It was probably thriving once, this village of theives. But that was years ago, and Ryoga knew he would only find one theif here now. He lowered his oversized umbrella to the earth and let a traveling sack slip down his back. He was a strong boy, almost a man and far tougher than most. He scanned the overgrown landscape and tried to remember the signal that would identify him as "friend."

Ryoga pulls out the small coin the woman had given him. "Bury it in the ashes? What they hell was that crazy old bat talking about?" he says aloud to himself. He looks about for some ashes, finding enough scorched wood to start a new village but few actual ashes. He shrugs and walks over to a burned building and takes a knife from the belt at his waist.

Prax: [5d10.vs(7)] => [1,10,9,10,4] = (3) Stealth

(1) Ryoga: He scrapes a little burned wood onto the ground and, when he's got just enough, piles it up around the coin and presses it into the earth. He waits. Nothing happens.

(1) Ryoga: "Oh, right...the prayer."

(1) Ryoga: "Um...uh...villagers of Green Willows," he exclaims into the air, "um, I hope your journey along the river is a peaceful one. May you, uh, rest well on your passage to rebirth."

Ryoga looks around expectantly, a little self-conscious regarding his ab-lib prayer. He rubs his hand through his short dark hair.

Prax: The wind rustles through the reeds, but beyond that there is apparently no response... which depending on your perspective could be considered a good thing.

(1) Ryoga: "Hey, is anyone here?!!!"

(1) Ryoga: "This has got to be Green Willows," he mutters, "I know it. This is the right place."

(1) Ryoga: "This is Green Willows, right?!" he calls out to the air.

Prax: "Stop yelling," a voice calls out as a slender figure dressed in dirty grey and brown garb says as it steps forth from the shadows within the burnt out husk of a building.

Ryoga turns quickly to the voice. "I knew I had to be in the right place."

Bandit: "Who are you and what the hell are you doing here?" the figure asks, a hood pulled up hiding most of the face, but whispy bits of ratty brownish grey hair can be seen escaping from beneath the hood.

(1) Ryoga: "I was told to come here. I've got a message. A message for you know who."

Bandit: "You have a message?"

(1) Ryoga: "Yep," he answers, quite proud of himself.

Bandit snorts "And who would trust you with a message?"

(1) Ryoga: "Mistress Owl herself, if you must know. And I'm supposed to deliver it to the one they call...hey, wait a minute. Who are you?"

Bandit pulls out a wicked looking, but rather crude knife from within its robes and levels it casually at Ryoga, "Currently the one who decides if you get to see the sun rise tomorrow. You know you need more then her name if you want to talk with him."

Ryoga , who is still clutching his own knife, actually drops it in favor of the large umbrella he had dropped to the ground only a moment ago. He points the strange weapon at the man. "Oh, yeah?"

Bandit: "You're not too bright are ya, kid?"

(1) Ryoga: Then suddenly Ryoga's eyes pop, and he says, "Oh, you mean the...right...um...you know, all the leaves are yellow and, uh, all the grass is brown."

Bandit: "All the nights are longer, sun goes down." Bandit pockets the knife. "Mistress Owl is going to get a talking too..."

(1) Ryoga: "So that's it? Its kinda silly, don't you think?"

Bandit resists the urge to grab the boy's umbrella and beat him silly with it

Bandit: "Your message. What is it?"

(1) Ryoga: "Aren't you going to take me to him?"

Bandit: "Why should he waste his time with you?"

(1) Ryoga: "I have a message?"

Bandit: "And I will relay it."

(1) Ryoga: "Who are you again?"

Kenta: "Kenta also known as the Silent Cat."

(1) Ryoga: "My name is Ryoga. I'm not very fond of my other name though."

Kenta: "Your message, Ryoga."

(1) Ryoga: "Oh, right, but Mistress Owl said to take a message to him. She didn't mention you."

Kenta straightens up, actually not extremely tall, but he does loom quite effectively seeming to gather menace from the shadows

Kenta: "You really want to waste his time?"

(1) Ryoga: "'Little Pig,' she said, 'take this message to the Dusk Hawk.'"

Kenta: "I'm just... Little Pig?"

Ryoga flinches. "Yeah. I wanted to change it but she said its the name everyone knew so I couldn't."

Kenta: "By all the thousand gods... You know what he'll do to you if you waste his time right? I'm just looking out for your own best interests here."

Ryoga shrugs. "I guess. Fine."

Kenta peers at Ryoga from beneath his hood then shakes his head in apparent disgust at what he sees, "Definitely getting a talking too..."

(1) Ryoga: "I'm supposed to tell him that the Toad Demon Gang has made its move."

Kenta: "The Toad Demons have made their move? You have a full report, Little Pig?"

(1) Ryoga: "Yeah, I do. And I really prefer Ryoga…If you don't mind."

Kenta slaps Ryoga on the back, "Well congratulations. You just got yourself an audience with the Big Guy."

(1) Ryoga: "Great. When you introduce me could you call me Ryoga?"

Kenta takes out a burlap sack "Sure, just put this over your head."

Looming Attack

Mou-Shendu slows his pace as he approaches the clearing, watching the black smoke billowing skyward. He makes his way through a cluster of trees and surveys the scene, trying to take in the location of all innocent farmers, potential enemies, and Yukio. He hopes that he hasn't been seen, but stealth was never one of his strong suits.

(1) Yeled: The clearing reveals a scene not unlike what you encountered at the Vai farm, except that you've caught the tail end of the action here. There are a dozen or more bandits milling about, collecting whatever valuables they can. At least two are trying to coax a large marsh ox out of its pen. The farm hut itself is ablaze, but the screaming from those inside has already died down. You don't see Yukio at first, but catch sight of him far off in the swamp before his head disappears from view.

Mou-Shendu walks along the perimeter of the clearing, toward where he last saw Yukio. He tries to stay in cover, and tries not to make too much noise.

Yukio looks back towards the entrance, hoping that Mou-Shendu has caught up. After seeing him, he quickly makes his way over to him.

(1) First Bandit: "...but how much more of this are we gonna do before we head out? This is our third farm, and the others have each probably hit just as many as us."

Mou-Shendu pauses to listen. He knows that accent...

(1) Second Bandit: "We'll hit 'em until Grunau says to stop. And Grunau's hittin' the village proper, so I don't expect that's gonna be anytime soon."

(1) First Bandit: "I just don't think its smart to mill about this swamp too long. We've all heard the rumors..."

(1) Second Bandit: "Rumors? What rumors?"

(1) First Bandit: "You know. Dusk Hawk. He's supposed to be pretty tough, and this is pretty close to his territory."

(1) Second Bandit: "Dusk Hawk?!!! You're afraid of some country bumpkin lowlife? Don't forget who we are...and we've got Guild backing."

(1) First Bandit: "Yeah, but..."

(1) Second Bandit: "Just help me get this stupid beast moving. I'm so sick of eel and it looks like it'll be steak for dinner for weeks and weeks with this haul."

Mou-Shendu 's mouth tightens.

Yukio taps Mou-Shendu on the sholder gently, so not as to startle him...

Mou-Shendu turns quickly. After a split second, recognition sets in. "Yukio", he whispers. "What have you learned?" As he speaks, he turns back toward the bandits.

"Nothing too useful,” Yukio shows his bloodied blades and grins. “Besides that it looks like they are pillaging the town, and capturing the children."

Mou-Shendu frowns. "But we are still too late to help the farmers..."

Yukio: "The farmers perhaps, the chrildren though..."

Mou-Shendu sighs. "They are taking slaves, then."

Yukio nods...

Mou-Shendu seems pensive for just a moment. "They're attacking many farms, and they do plan to take the village..."

Mou-Shendu: After another pause, "Where are the kids?"

Yukio: "There was a girl, by the water, but I don't know where they are taking them"

Mou-Shendu: "They have been withdrawing towards the river", Mou-Shendu says, pointing. "They likely have a barge there. Let's bring down this bunch. That might just cause them to hesitate, and by us some much needed time."

Yukio heads towards the river, in the direction that Mou-Shendu was pointing.

Mou-Shendu: "Yukio. I meant this band, here." Mou-Shendu scans again for any sign of children.

(1) Yeled: You don't see any. Yukio left them in the swamp.

Mou-Shendu: "Where did you say you saw the little girl?"

Yukio turns, having gotten ahead of himself, yet again, and looks at the bandits that Mou-Shendu said.

Yukio: "Over there, by the river," he says while pointing

Mou-Shendu: "Are they out of danger?"

Yukio: "If they can swim?"

Mou-Shendu: "Alright, let's do this"

Yukio: Yukio grins, "Finally."

Mou-Shendu: "Wait here."

Yukio immediately frowns.

Mou-Shendu rises out of the swamp and walks forward about 7 feet. "Pardon me" he says loudly.

(1) Yeled: The bandits, who are so preoccupied with their looting activities that they didn't notice Mou-Shendu approach, all turn in unison when the water aspect walks forward and speaks to them. Their faces go from surprised to confused to a bit perturbed in a matter of seconds.

Mou-Shendu: "I'm not to fond of you burning farms around my home".

(1) Yeled: The bandits look at one another, then one-by-one unsheathe swords, pull axes from their belts, raise spears, and generally arm themselves with a variety of nasty looking weapons of questionable quality and cleanliness. They point their weapons at Mou-Shendu and, letting loose a combined battle-cry, charge him.

(1) Yeled: ((roll Join Battle (Wits + Awareness)))) (1) Yeled: [4d10.vs(7)] -> [4,9,2,10] = (2) Yukio: [8d10.vs(7)] => [7,6,8,9,5,1,1,9] = (4) Mou-Shendu: [5d10.vs(7)] => [2,4,5,3,10] = (1)

Mou-Shendu spins slowly, once in place, as they begin they're charge. As he does so, faint swirling whisps of blue begin to flow around him.

Yukio Sprints towards the enemies... As he gets close to the first one, he jumps, skying all of them and landing behind the one furthest away. He then begins a flury of attacks, slicing through each enemy as he makes his way up.

Yukio: [10d10.vs(7)] => [6,3,4,10,10,9,6,10,8,10] = (6) Yukio: [10d10.vs(7)] => [10,2,1,1,4,9,7,2,6,3] = (3)

(1) Yeled: Yukio separates the first bandit from his entire left side as the sharp blade tonfa cuts satisfyingly through him. Yukio continues his movement through his first victim to his second, who fares better in that he doesn't lose any body parts. He does, however, suffer a terrible gash across his fleshy stomach, and blood spills forth into the marshland as he falls forward clutching at his belly.

(1) Yeled: The bandits watch in surprise and amazment as Yukio leaps over them, and then in horror as he cuts down two of their number. The five closest to Yukio move to meet him, while the remaining eight continue towards Mou-Shendu.

(1) Yeled: [5d10.vs(7)] -> [10,4,4,7,5] = (2) (1) Yeled: [5d10.vs(7)] -> [3,1,9,5,2] = (1) (1) Yeled: [5d10.vs(7)] -> [9,8,2,6,4] = (2) (1) Yeled: [4d10.vs(7)] -> [8,10,8,5] = (3) (1) Yeled: [4d10.vs(7)] -> [1,5,5,4] = (0)

(1) Yeled: Yukio dips and weaves through a series of relatively clumsy attacks. However, his own onslaught left his left side slightly exposed and he is caught there by a spear. It catches his shirt and passes through the other side, just missing him. He hears the cloth tear.

(1) Yeled: The bandits charge at and past Mou-Shendu, striking as they go by.

(1) Yeled: [5d10.vs(7)] -> [8,10,7,9,3] = (4) (1) Yeled: [5d10.vs(7)] -> [6,2,5,4,9] = (1) (1) Yeled: [5d10.vs(7)] -> [1,5,10,10,1] = (2) (1) Yeled: [5d10.vs(7)] -> [9,5,9,8,3] = (3) (1) Yeled: [5d10.vs(7)] -> [8,10,6,1,8] = (3) (1) Yeled: [4d10.vs(7)] -> [3,6,6,4] = (0) (1) Yeled: [4d10.vs(7)] -> [3,5,7,5] = (1) (1) Yeled: [4d10.vs(7)] -> [5,4,3,5] = (0)

Mou-Shendu blocks strike after strike, swords, spears, axes, bare-handed, easily pushing away the weapons. As he pushes away the final spear thrust, he attempts to grab hold of it with both hands near the tip, and pivoting into it as he does. He uses his body as a fulcrum and attempts to pull the spear from his assailant’s grip, and use his own rotating momentum to fling the blunt end of the spear in a circle, smashing the weapon back into its master's face.

Mou-Shendu: [10d10.vs(7)] => [7,2,2,6,3,4,5,4,2,3] = (1)

(1) Yeled: The spear slips through your fingers as you try to grab it.

Yukio spins around in a circle with his blades at various hights, held roughly perpindicular to his body. While spinning he moves between two enemies.

Yukio: [8d10.vs(7)] => [2,1,2,5,9,2,5,10] = (2) Yukio: [7d10.vs(7)] => [6,1,9,7,7,2,10] = (4)

(1) Yeled: Yukio spins his blades, catching the first bandit in the forehead and the second in the upper thigh, slicing it nicely. Both fall into the spongy marsh. The three bandits still facing Yukio have seen enough. They turn to run.

(1) Yeled: The bandits fighting Mou-Shendu are focused on him, however, and they remain, surrounding him. Despite their best efforts, however, their disorganized attacks are easily parried by the flowing and swirling style of the Water aspect.

Mou-Shendu: When an opportunity presents itself, Mou-Shendu attempts to catch a bandit by the arm as he thrusts his sword, and, while twisting his arm into a joint lock, Mou pivots around him. He places his other hand on the man's shoulder blade and uses the joint lock to force him off his center of gravity, in a spiral, sending him tumbling into the bandits at Mou's back.

Mou-Shendu: [13d10.vs(7)] => [8,2,5,4,6,5,7,8,2,5,10,10,9] = (6)

(1) Yeled: Mou-Shendu sends the bandit hurling into his fellows, taking two of them out with the original victim. The three of them collapse into a pile of moaning bodies. Although they begin to untangle themselves, you can tell they are in a lot of pain.

Mou-Shendu will maneuver out of the circle, leaping over the heap of bodies.

Yukio quickly sprints over to Mou-Shendu's remaining attackers, and sneaks up behind one who seems focused on Mou-Shendu. As he approaches, he uses his tanfa like scissors on the enemy’s neck. He then does a wall run up the body, leading to a back flip, and kicks it into another enemy.

Yukio: [6d10.vs(7)] => [7,5,8,3,5,5] = (2)

(1) Yeled: The bandit notices your approach and turns to face you at the last minute.

Yukio: [7d10.vs(7)] => [3,8,5,10,2,1,9] = (3) Yukio: [4d10.vs(7)] => [4,6,4,8] = (1)

(1) Yeled: The bandit turns just in time to get his face sliced up, but before he can even scream Yukio uses his surprised and pain-wracked form as a wall and runs straight up him before slamming him with a kick that sends him flying backward. The body, which is now dead (with full rag doll physics in effect), sails through the air toward another bandit, although this bandit is able to dive quickly to the side to avoid the human missile.

(1) Yeled: The bandits, who now understand that they are overmatched in every way and are facing opponents like they've never before seen unanimously decide that now would be a good time to withdraw from this engagement. They turn tail and run. One of them is even foolish enough to drop his spear. Disorganized as always, however, they don't all run as a group. Instead they head in whatever direction they can.

Yukio yukio runs to the spear, aims briefly, and sends it flying into the air towards the one who dropped it.

Mou-Shendu grabs one of the bandits that had been knocked into a heap, and attempts to pin him in the murky swamp water.

(1) Yeled: Mou does so without problem

(1) Yeled: ((Yuk, roll Dex + Thrown) Yukio: [7d10.vs(7)] => [4,3,9,9,2,6,9] = (3)

(1) Yeled: The spear sails toward the bandit but passes just over his head. He jumps, though, and makes an abrupt right turn

Mou-Shendu turns the bandit over, making sure his mouth is out of the water so he can breathe and speak.

Mou-Shendu: "What's your name", Mou asks forcefully.

(1) Bandit: "Its...its...Jardan!"

Mou-Shendu: "Why are you here?", he demands.

(1) Bandit: "To collect the bounty on slaves," he answers.

(1) Bandit: A slight sprinkle of rain begins to fall from the heavens.

Mou-Shendu: "Where do you intend to sell them?"

(1) Bandit: "In...in Tien's Landing. The guild there is paying well, and they take as many as can be collected."

Mou-Shendu: "Where is Grunau?"

(1) Bandit: The sprinkle grows a little stronger

(1) Bandit: "I don't know...he's taking a force to the village."

Mou-Shendu: "Did you come by boat?"

(1) Bandit: "Come? To the Delta? Yes."

Mou-Shendu throws him back into the swamp. He stands.

(1) Bandit: "Ooph."

Ayame: The sprinkle of rain grows into a downpour, and dark clouds move in to completely obscure the sky. The already marshy land is quickly becoming sloppy mud.

(1) Bandit: This is not a natural storm.

Mou-Shendu: "Yukio. Go quickly and warn the village. Get to the school and get the students ready for defense. I will get the children and find Sparrow. Go fast."

Yukio runs off towards the village

(1) Bandit: The burning hut gets even more smoky than it was previously, until the flames begin to die down and leave behind a smoldering pile of sticks and reeds.

Mou-Shendu runs to where the children were last seen. He calls to them, letting them know who he is and that he is here to help.

Mou-Shendu: When/if Mou finds the children, he asks them if any other kids are missing, and tries to gather them as quickly as possible.

(1) Yeled: He eventually finds a little boy of about 5 years (I think I said five), hiding among the reeds near a small stream.

(1) Yeled: There is no sign of Yukio's girl.

Mou-Shendu calls out to her while reassuring the boy. He picks him up.

(1) Yeled: The boy is crying and cannot be consoled.

Mou-Shendu picks him up anyway. He just wants to avoid him resisting too much.

Ayame: One of the dark clouds swoops down at Yukio as he breaks into a run. Ayame skims slightly above the ground beside Yukio, sitting atop a flying raincloud "Quite a mess"

Yukio looks to see ayame, and is caught rather off guard by the whole floating on a cloud thing. He slowly stops running.

Ayame circles around him "What's your rush?"

Yukio: "Ayame, go quickly, warn the village. An attack is coming..."

Ayame: "You want me to warn the village?"

Ayame: "Is it the Immaculates?"

Yukio: "Yes Ayame, there is no time to explain. We must prepare a defense right away."

Ayame looks to be actually debating, for the moment

Yukio: "Ayame, what are you doing? Come on, we have to warn the village!"

Ayame: "Are you coming?"

Yukio jumps on the cloud with Ayame

Ayame looks back "Hold on" though there is nothing really visible to hold onto... the cloud zips off