Glory of the Emerald Empire (Legend of the 5 Rings Quest)

[Winged Knight]

[x]Break off a small portion of our finger of jade, crush that portion in our fist, then toss the resulting powder into the kansen.
[x]If that fails, apologize again and crush her skull. It's the kindest thing to do.

Strength Rolls: 2k2=15, 2k2=7
Attack Rolls: 7k3=34, 7k3=14
Damage Rolls: 6k3= 14, 6k3=26

You shake yourself out of your stupor and act fast. With your free hand you reach up to the finger of Jade around your neck and easily break off a fourth of it. The precious substance is a little softer than you would have believed, no doubt a consequence of its absorption of the ambient Taint that permeates the Shadowlands. Then, holding the piece of Jade in your hands, you close your fist and squeeze with all your strength.

You were hoping to crush the Jade into a fine powder, but all you really got were about five slightly smaller portions from what used to be a larger piece. Not the best result, but it will have to do.

Growling, you charge forward and throw the Jade pieces into the dirty air where you figure the Kansen is located. As soon as the sacred materials pass through the barely visible cloud they dissolve into blackened sludge that hits the ground in steaming lumps.

The effect it has is obvious. There's a high-pitched squeal that undercuts Yori's wails, and you feel your ears pop at the noise. The dirty air around Yori's head recoils and shoots off, and the light that is Yori's soul finally has a chance to escape. It shoots out of her eye sockets and jaws like mist before dispersing into the air. The fog congeals a few feet away from you, taking an ethereal shape that glows faintly in the night.

You can just barely make out a fading image of Yori, now looking hale and hearty, smiling in your direction. She bows deeply at the waist, a silent thank you for what you have done for her, and then she is gone. She's free now, and can continue her journey to her next life without harassment from the horrors of this terrible place. The thought brings a smile to your lips.

You're so distracted by this, you almost don't notice the skeletal remains of Yori's body coming at you before its too late.

You just barely get your shoulder guard in the way of the undead's sharp claws, the bony points scraping off your armor. You back away and grip both hands on your tetsubo, barely taking any notice that the dirty air has resettled around the skull of Yori's body. Roaring, you swing your weapon and smash it into the skeleton's side, breaking off its left arm.

That almost sends the creature flying away from you, but it recovers with a speed that beggars belief and leaps on top of you. It's skeletal jaws, the canines now extended far beyond anything human, rip across your face. The pain hits you like a flash of lightning, two burning lines scoring themselves across your flesh. You just barely hold back a scream as one of those sharp points comes close to your left eye, but you power through and toss the undead creature off of you and to the ground.

Snarling, the beast made from Yori's corpse tries to rise. But with one hand the skeleton finds it difficult to move quickly, scrabbling across the ground. You slam your tetsubo into its ribcage, shattering its torso and breaking the monster in half. It screams and claws at the air for a bit, reaching for you, and you end the fight with one final blow to the abomination's skull. It shatters into a hundred pieces, bone shards falling everywhere in your immediate area.

You breathe harshly and hold a hand up to your face, wincing at the wetness you feel. Your blood is pouring quickly, and you curse. You take out one of your canteens and pour the water on the wound, cleaning it as best you're able, before you rip off a piece of your sleeve and bandage it as best you can. It's not a proper medical procedure, but at least it staunches the bleeding a bit.

You lean on your tetsubo with both hands, taking a moment to catch your breath. You know you can't stay here, not after all the noise. The scent of your blood isn't going to help matters either. Other creatures will come to investigate, and some might be nastier than a shambling undead animated by a kansen upset that its fun had ended. You don't want to be around when they come.

A noise from behind you takes you away from your thoughts, and you twirl around gripping your tetsubo with both hands. No Shadowlands monster is going to take you without a fight! You halt your attack, however, when you see what exactly snuck up on you.

It's a giant black furred rat, four feet tall and walking on its hind legs like a man. It's garbed in tattered clothing and ashigaru armor, and it's holding a spear in both paws. Its nose twitches as it looks at you, and you get a sense that the rat-man is barely containing a tightly wound bundle of nervous energy.

"Come-come!" the rat-man cries, beckoning you with a paw. "We must hurry-go! It's not safe here!"

[] Attack the rat-man.
[] Go with the rat-man.
[] Get away from the rat-man.
[] Write in.

Sosuke has taken 14 wounds. He is still in the "Healthy" bracket and has 64 wounds left.

 

[Winged Knight]

[X] Go with the rat-man.
[X] Don't turn your back on it, and keep your weapon out, but don't attack what...apparently, is an ally.


You shake your head a bit, coming down fully from the battle high that had gripped you during that short but hectic combat. This is one of the Nezumi, and they are allies of the Crab. It would be the height of dishonor to attack one of them without very good cause.

You are aware, though many in Rokugan are not, that the Nezumi have suffered terribly in the defense of Ningen-do throughout the centuries. Tens of thousands of them all died at once battling the Shadow Dragon in Yume-do, the realm of dreams. It almost drove them to extinction, and it was only through the work of the last Nezumi Shaman Ramak'teck that the remaining Nezumi managed to survive.

Almost a century later, they have recovered somewhat. The great Nezumi leader, Arak'hama, has managed to gather the Nezumi into a new One Tribe. They live in the Great Home within the Shinomen Mori, though even with the Ratling's recovery their numbers are barely thirty thousand in all of Rokugan. They have risked annihilation itself so that the world would live.

You bow to the Nezumi. He deserves no less for what his people have sacrificed. "I am Hiruma Sosuke. I will follow you."

"Yes-yes!" the Nezumi said, looking this way and that. "Good-good Samurai. Smart-smart Samurai! We must go-go! Hurry!"

The Nezumi dashes off toward the South, and you struggle to keep up. The little Ratling is far faster than you, and has to slow down so that you don't lose sight of him. This make the rat-man rather obviously uncomfortable, and he keeps looking all around and into the sky as you run. He chitters to himself in his own tongue, and breathes very fast. Even now, moving this quickly, he looks like he can barely contain his energy.

You continue this frantic pace for a little over half an hour, and you can feel yourself becoming winded. You're trained to march all day in heavy armor, but running full stop is something else again. Your can feel your legs burning, and your sweat pours into the wounds across your face, stinging uncomfortably. As your breath begins to come out in gasps, you hope wherever the Nezumi is taking you will come up soon.

Your wish is granted as the Nezumi comes upon a hill, smaller than the one you had stopped at hours before. The Nezumi dashes toward one side and pulls off a covering of straw mixed with dirt and rocks that blends in almost perfectly with the hillside.

"Inside! Hide-hide!" the Nezumi hisses softly. "We cannot be seen-seen! Nasty-nasty monsters in the sky to-"

The Nezumi is cut off as a terrible cry pierces through the night air, and the Ratling squeeks with fear. The cry is deep and resounding, but teeters off at the end to something lighter. It's almost like the screech of a bird, if that bird was maybe thirty feet long.

The Nezumi dashes inside, and you follow. As soon as you're in, the Nezumi brings the flap closed and presses himself against the wall. He hyperventilates quietly, and the Ratling's eyes have finally stopped their frantic motion. The Nezumi's gaze is purely on the flap of straw and dirt that separates your little hole from the outside world.

[] Peak outside through a crack in the flap.
[] Stay where you are.
[] Write in.

 

[Winged Knight]

[X] Sirrocco


You don't go anywhere near the flap. Whatever made that cry you heard had to have been huge, and you're not going to risk it seeing you trying to look through a gap in the covering. In fact, it would be best if whatever is coming just passes right on by and misses you entirely.

But wishing for things without a proper fallback plan is useless, and the Crab Clan would have perished centuries ago if it believed in such foolishness. You set your tetsubo down and draw your wakazashi. You don't have any other weapon that you can use properly in this narrow hole you've found yourself in, and you'll be damned before you leave yourself unarmed when there's Shadowlands filth about.

You back away from the opening and silently wave for the Nezumi to get behind. You point as his spear and making a hafting motion, indicating you want him to be ready. The Nezumi, still breathing quickly, nods and sets himself up behind you, pointing his spear out your left side.

There's another cry, closer this time, and a booming crash. The ground shakes, and you get the feeling something just hit the earth quite heavily. You strain your ears, and it sounds like the sound of the impact came from where you had been sleeping not an hour before. There's a booming sound, like rocks being crushed, and you can't hear anything but the sound of stone settling for almost a minute straight.

You shift your grip on your wakazashi, ready to slash at anything that should come close. But it seems whatever came in response to all the screaming earlier seems to be staying near your old campsite. You can hear faint shuffling noises, like something it picking at the ground in search. Then there's nothing but silence.

You tilt your head a little, trying to catch a hint of whatever is out there. Something obviously so big shouldn't be able to move this silently. Then again, it's not like the monsters of the Shadowlands ever played fair before. Why should they start now?

You nearly jump out of your skin when whatever's out there roars again, the noise much closer this time. The volume of it makes the cave shudder, and you restrain the impulse to slap your hands over your ears. You can just barely hear the Nezumi's breath increase further, and then feel a great rush of air passing by the tunnel mouth. There's a sound like mighty wings flapping, swiftly moving away toward the west and deeper into the Shadowlands. The last you hear of the beast is another reverberating cry, fading as it darts away.

The Nezumi lets out a relieved breath and slumps to the floor, letting his spear fall to the side. You turn to acknowledge him, and see that the tunnel actually goes a fair bit deeper into the hill. Sheathing your wakazashi, you sit down opposite of the Nezumi and toss him one of your rations.

"My thanks," you say, inkling your head. "Any idea what that was?"

"No idea, no idea," the Nezumi says, tearing into the food eagerly. "Just scent-smelled it on the wind, coming to you where all the scream-screams were happening. Didn't want it to catch-catch you out all alone."

"Can't say I don't appreciate your efforts. I would have fought it," you say, giving your tetsubo a pat. "But I'm not sure what one man alone could do against something as large as that thing sounded."

"Probably die-die," the Nezumi responds, finishing off the food you gave him. He pats his belly contentedly. "Pretty young for a Crab. Why are you walking about by yourself?"

"I'm doing my Gempukku," you say, taking a drink of water. "Making my way to Shinsei's Last Hope."

"Ah! That little town!" the Nezumi says. "Yes, I know it. I scout-scout for them often."

"I'm sure they're very grateful to you," you say.

"Oh yes-yes. The Crab are always nice to the Nezumi." He pauses for a second, then continues. "My name-name is Gazat'ken. Glad you didn't die-die, Hiruma Sosuke."

"Glad I didn't either. Would hate to die before I can kill more Shadowland bastards," you say before getting up. You motion further down. "I take it this leads somewhere?"

"Oh yes-yes! It goes down to the scouting burrow where the others are resting."

"Others?"

"Five of us," Gazat'ken says. "Bad-bad to scout the Shadowlands alone. Never do it like that if we can."

"Make sense," you say.

Gazat'ken starts scurrying down the tunnel, motioning you to follow. "Come-come! Sleep here, Hiruma Sosuke! Will be safer than outside!"

[] Take him up on the offer.
[] Politely refuse the offer and find your own place to sleep.
[] Write in.

 

[Winged Knight]

[X] Sirrocco


"I'll take you up on that," you say, picking up your tetsubo and following Gazat'ken down the tunnel.

You walk a short distance into the earth before coming across a fairly spacious cavern. Well, it would be spacious if it wasn't for all the junk accumulated in the corners. There's various odd and ends set in little piles, almost all of it useless but quite shiny. There are a few weapons in those piles, but for the most part it just looks like random trinkets the Nezumi have come across in their lives. It smells a little musky in the cavern, but overall not too bad. You've certainly smelled worse, at any rate.

Three of the Nezumi Gazat'ken spoke about earlier appear to be sleeping soundly on mats of straw, but one of them is awake. She perks up at the sight of you, her eyes going wide, and turns to Gazat'ken.

"What is this-this?" she asks, thankfully in Rokugani so you can understand her. "What are you doing, Gazat'ken? You bring a man down here?"

"Look-look with your eyes and scent-smell with your nose, Zara'hala," Gazat'ken responds. "This is Hiruma Sosuke, Crab Samurai! He is ally-friend!"

Zara'hala looks you over, her nose twitching a little, and then nods. "Yes, you are right-right. Is he what all the scream-screams were about?"

"I was," you answer for yourself. "There was a kansen tormenting a woman's ghost." You heft your tetsubo over your shoulder. "I decided that should stop."

"Oh, explains much that does," Zara'hala says. "And the earth shaking?"

"Big monster!" Gazat'ken says, waving his arms animatedly. "Scent-smelled it coming for Hiruma Sosuke, so I ran-ran and fetched him before it came!"

"Which why you not keeping watch-watch when I woke," Zara'hala says, her tone slightly disapproving. She scratches a paw beneath her chin. "You think maybe monster related to stupid goblins we're tracking?"

Gazat'ken shrugs. "Who knows? Shadowlands full of strange things."

"True-true," Zara'hala responds. She turns back to you. "I guess it is all right if you sleep here tonight. More big monsters might be walk-walking about."

"My thanks for your hospitality," you say, giving her a bow.

"It's nothing," Zara'hala says. "Crab have been good to Nezumi, so Nezumi will be good to the Crab. Scout leader will want to talk in the morning, though."

"That will be fine," you say as you find a free spot on the floor to lie down. "For now, though, I think I'm going to get some rest."

"Yes-yes," Gazat'ken says, moving to one of the thin straw pallets. "Sleep time now. Very tired."

"It's my watch anyway," Zara'hala says with a shrug. "Will keep eyes open for trouble."

You nod to her, and then close your eyes. Exhaustion you didn't feel earlier hits you quickly now that all the excitement is done. The day's marching, along with the fight and mad dash to the Nezumi burrow, has left you quite tired. Sleep will be welcome.

Your consciousness quickly fades, and soon enough you fall into slumber.

[] Dreamless sleep till morning. (Roll Will)
[] Dream.

 

[Winged Knight]

[X] Dreamless sleep till morning. (Roll Will)

Will Roll: 3d10=22


What you see before you can only be a nightmare, because if this is real then it is far too terrible.

Shiro Hiruma is burning, its walls broken into rubble and its defenders strewn across the ground. Men and women you've known your whole life, now gone. Blood has pooled across the ground in great lakes, and the scent of burned meat is everywhere. You see your Sensei among the wreckage, his armor peeled off his body like fruit. His hands and feet have been impaled with spears, and it looks like he was left there for hours until he finally died. His face is locked in a rictus of agony. The strongest man you've ever known, utterly broken.

You can see your parents hanging from one of the castle's balconies, their skin flayed off. They've been tied together in a macabre illusion of an affectionate embrace, their faces brought together as if they were kissing. You barely choke back the bile rising in your throat from the sight of it, and wish you could close your eyes.

You stand there, unmoving. With every once of your will you try to spur your muscles into motion, but it does you no good. All you can do is stand there and watch as your home, your family, turns to ash.

Your vision turns, though your body does not move, and you see the Great Carpenter Wall. Thousands of Oni dance among its wreckage, eating the corpses of the Wall's defenders. They are of all shapes and sizes, their proportions too grotesque for anything of the human world. They ravage the bodies of your kin like playthings, once noble defenders no more than food and toys to the demons of Jigoku. What they were in life, their victories and defeats, their dedication to Bushido, all meaningless in the face of utter annihilation.

Beyond the destruction of the Wall you see a vast army of Oni, Goblins and Ogres marching into Rokugan, limitless in number. They hold banners made from the skins of your Clansmen, and march to the sound of drums crafted from their flesh and bones. The monsters laugh as the peasants flee before them, and their laughter only increases as Samurai come to fight only to be effortlessly struck down.

You are openly weeping now, for you know you have failed. The Crab are destroyed, and with their demise the Empire will follow. None can withstand a force such as this. The Empire will run red with blood as its people are slaughtered to the last man, woman and child.

There is a roar behind you, and once more your body moves on its own accord. There, coming from some far off point, rises a gigantic figure, more than one hundred feet tall. He is strikingly handsome, but his flesh is pale as the moon and his hair is pitch black. His eyes glow an evil green, and as he gives out a triumphant cry his mouth becomes a pit of fire. What little hope you had left in your heart dies at the sight, because there can be no doubt who this is.

​

The Dark Kami, Fu-Leng, has returned. And now the world will come to an end.

A gentle hand touches your shoulder, and your body is your own again. You almost fall to your knees, but manage to turn away from the sight of Armageddon. As you complete your rotation, whoever has broken you from the hold of this madness moves behind you and gently lays your head down on their lap.

You try to see the face of this person, but their form is blurry. You're not sure whether or not that is because of the tears or something else, but you cannot perceive anything of your savior. Your surroundings change, going from a vision of Hell to a garden filled with more beauty than anything you have ever seen before in your life. Cherry blossoms float down gently from the Sakura tree you are both resting under, and you are surrounded by the smell of clean air and fresh water.

Compared to the last few minutes, it is as if you have been transported to Heaven itself.

"There now," a feminine voice says, and you know in your heart it is the voice of your savior. "No more bad dreams. Rest, and be at peace."

You close your eyes, and blissful oblivion takes you away from all the horrors you have seen.

o\O/o​

When you awaken, it takes you a few moments to get your bearings. You blink blearily around you before you recognize that you are in the Nezumi scouting den. You shake off the lingering fog of sleep, but the memories remain. You don't think you'll ever be able to forget the utter horror of that dream for as long as you live.

"What was that?" you mutter.

"Nightmares?" someone asks, and you turn. An older Nezumi is sitting nearby, sharpening one of his swords. The other Nezumi are busying themselves packing and getting ready to move out. "That is common, in this place."

"Yes," you say. "I'd heard about that, but to experience it so vividly…"

"You'll get used to it," the Nezumi responds. It is then you notice that he is speaking much more slowly, and isn't repeating his words. This particular Nezumi must have more experience with humans. "In any event, I hope you have rested well enough, Hiruma Sosuke, because I would like to ask you for a favor."

[] Write in.


Sosuke has, for the most part, gotten a full night's and thus regained 9 wounds. He now has 73 Wounds left.

 

[Winged Knight]

[x]Ask what it is. You are in their debt, after all.


"A favor, eh?" you say, welcoming the chance to move away from thoughts of your dream. "I guess I do owe you for giving me a place to sleep and all. I'll hear you out."

"I am Talak'tet," the Nezumi says. "My scout pack and I have been keeping tabs on the movement of Shadowlands creatures for the last few months, and what we have found disturbs us. Further into the Shadowlands there appear to be several groups coming together in their own bands."

You narrow your eyes at the implication behind Talak'tet's words. "You think maybe the abominations here are becoming organized again?"

"Perhaps," Talak'tet says. "Or maybe they're just fighting amongst themselves. To get an answer for that is exactly why we're out here. But going too deeply into the Shadowlands is suicide, even for the Nezumi."

"Not exactly seeing how this relates to any favors," you say, leaning forward with for hands on your knees. "Let's just get straight to the point."

"Patience, young Crab," the Nezumi says with a chuckle. "I'm getting to that. We've been on the look out for any respectable group that might have information on what's going on. To our good fortune, we've found a pack of Goblins that seems to fit our purposes."

"Goblins?" you exclaim, unable to keep the mirth from your voice. You wave a hand in the air. "Goblins are dumber than rocks! No offense, my friend, but I think you're chasing down the wrong prey if you're looking for answers."

"That would normally be the case," Talak'tet say, smiling. The expression looks a little strange to you on such an animalistic face. "But this little group of Goblins is being led by a Warmonger."

That makes you pause. Goblin Warmongers, unlike their smaller kin, are actually something that could be considered a real threat. While regular Goblins normally fought by overwhelming a single target with sheer numbers, a Warmonger could actually stand against Samurai and present a challenge. But their physical prowess was secondary to the fact that Warmongers could actually plan out tactics and understand orders, as well as keep the lesser Goblins in line. Whenever Goblins assault Crab assets, it's usually a Warmonger leading them.

"There is a band of fifteen Goblins a bit further South, including the Warmonger," the Nezumi continues. "They travelled here from the West, deeper into the Shadowlands. We think they did so for a reason, and we want to know why. Hopefully it might give some insight into just what is happening over there."

"And you want my help with the Goblins, I take it?"

The Nezumi nods. "Goblins are small and stupid, but they also outnumber us three to one. I would appreciate if you could aid us in dealing with them."

[] Agree to help.
[] Refuse to help.
[] Write in.

 

[Winged Knight]

[x] Agree to help.
[x] Did they have a plan in mind?


You don't respond immediately, but rather look down at your battered finger of Jade and give it a gentle squeeze. It's definitely softer now. The ambient Taint of the Shadowlands has worn away at the sacred substance, and what you did to it last night hasn't helped matters. But you're sure that it will last at least a few more days. At least, it should if you don't break off any more pieces of it.

If you give your support in this endeavor you would be giving significant aid to an ally of the Crab. Not only that, it could potentially provide valuable information for your Clan. All in all, it seems like just too good an opportunity to pass up even with your concern over your Jade.

And besides, the Goblins are supposed to be to the South anyway, right? That means it's mostly on your way. So hopefully you won't be losing too much time doing this.

"I'll help you out," you respond, giving Talak'tet a grin. "It'd be pretty boring if I just tried to walk all the way to Shinsei's Last Hope without any more issues. A man needs some excitement in his life."

"After last night I'd have thought you'd want a nice, quiet trip," Talak'tet says, shaking his head with a smile. "But I can't say I don't appreciate you agreeing to aid us. It eases some of my worries."

"I take it you have a plan to deal with this mob, right?"

Talak'tet looks up, all humor gone from his expression. "Before you showed up, we'd planned on attacking them at their edges while they rested. We'd hoped to take down at least four or five of them before we got noticed. Couldn't hope to get any more. Goblins may be stupid, but they won't miss it when a third of their group disappears."

"Seems like a sound plan," you say, putting a hand under your chin. "And after that?"

"Group together and hit them so hard that hopefully the little ones flee and we gang up on the Warmonger," Talak'tet says. "But now that you've agreed to give us aid, I figure we can go for a stronger opening move." He gives a nasty smirk. "There's nothing quite so terrifying to Goblins as a charging Crab Samurai. If you ram into the group and start killing as many as you can, we can hit them from the sides and rear. All goes well, and we'll have most of the mob dead and we converge on the Warmonger. Question him a bit, search his person for anything resembling marching orders, and we're good to go."

You rub your chin as you mull over the Talak'tet's words. It's not a bad plan, all told. It uses both your and the Nezumi's skills well enough, or at least gives you freedom to do what you're most comfortable with. If everything goes according to plan, you should have this fight wrapped up in just a few minutes. After all, Goblins aren't truly all that much of a threat, especially if you have the element of surprise on your side.

[] Agree to the plan.
[] Suggest changes to the plan.
[] Write in.

 

[Winged Knight]

[X] Agree to the plan.

Attack rolls: 7k3=36, 7k3=23, 7k3=25
Damage Rolls: 6k3=29, 6k3=18, 6k3=18


"Charge in and kill Goblins?" you ask, standing up and grinning widely. "Sounds like a fun afternoon. I'm your man."

"Good," Talak'tet responds, getting up and sheathing his sword. "Then we leave immediately. We know where the Goblins are camped, and I want to hit them before they have a chance to move."

The Nezumi all head out, and you go with them. They move unerringly toward the South, and its obvious they know this territory very well. You can't help but feel a little envious of how well the Nezumi handle themselves in this Tainted hellhole. You briefly imagine what it would be like to not have to fear the Taint, to be able to move in the Shadowlands freely. How much good could the Crab accomplish if they had that?

You shake off those thoughts. Not only are the pointless, because they are impossible, but they are uncharitable to your allies. The Nezumi have their own skills, and the Crab have theirs. And besides, they've helped the Crab out numerous times. To envy the Nezumi is to belittle their sacrifices.

After just an hour of marching you come across a stretch of land set between two small hills. You and the Nezumi climb up on your hands and knees to look down at the Goblin camp. It is, in the best possible light, a mess. There's trash thrown about everywhere, and most of the Goblins are just lazing about. There are a few on sentry duty, but they're honestly just standing around looking bored.

They've got something set over a fire, and looking closer you can see its actually a Goblin covered in tightly wound vines. Seems one of them must have run afoul of some Fudoshi and strangled to death. And the rest are now eating their dead comrade…

You wish you could say you were surprised, but you're really not.

The Warmonger is sitting down on a boulder and looking over the camp. There's a cave behind him, and he appears to be maintaining his sword. He's a good four and a half feet tall, looming over the other Goblins who barely reach four feet. And, unlike the others, his armor actually looks like it's been well kept.

Talak'tet motions a hand to you and points to one of the entrances into the little clearing. You smile and make your way down there, gripping your tetsubo with both hands. You're looking forward to spilling some blood today.

The Goblins don't immediately see you when you come out from cover, but they definitely acknowledge you when you charge in roaring at the top of your lungs.

You hit one of the Goblin guards with the full force of your tetsubo, and the force of it pulps the hapless little monster. He literally breaks into pieces, and your attack sends chunks of him raining across the landscape. The other Goblin on guard screams in fear and attacks you, but his strike is clumsy and you easily dodge. Your returning blow crushes his skull, and his corpse slumps down lifelessly.

The entire camp is in an uproar by this point, and the Goblins begin to achieve something resembling cohesion. One of them yells a battle cry and slashes at you with a dirty knife, managing a cut where your armor doesn't cover your legs. The wound isn't especially deep, but it still burns like fire running up your thigh. You snarl in pain and strike back, your tetsubo slamming into the Goblin's chest and sending its corpse flying through the air.

The Nezumi take this moment to strike, charging from the hills at the sides and rear. The Goblins scream in surprise and move to guard against these new foes, but are caught flat-footed. The swift Nezumi dart around their strikes, attacking quickly and moving back before they Goblins could mount a counter offensive. Spears and swords find purchase in green flesh, sending black blood flying through the air. Three of the little monsters fall, and two squeal in pain as they're wounded.

The Warmonger belts out orders in the foul language of his kind and brings in the remaining seven Goblins bunch up around him, their weapons pointed in all directions to stave off any attempt at flanking them again. The Nezumi surround them at all sides, trying to find a weak spot to break through, but the goblins are wary now, and are not letting the Ratlings out of their sight. It won't be nearly as easy to take them unawares again.

[] Attack the Goblins.
[] Charge straight through the Goblins and go for the Warmonger.
[] Write in.

Sosuke has taken 9 wounds. He is still in the Healthy bracket and has 64 wounds left.

 

[Winged Knight]

[X] Plan Sirrocco


The Goblins have bunched up together, no doubt hoping to take full advantage of their superior numbers to better repulse further assaults and protect each other. It's actually not a bad plan, and you can see why Warmongers are actually treated seriously. Where Goblins would usually just attack in an uncoordinated rabble or run away, this lot has actually come together in a real fighting formation thank to the Warmonger's influence.

Well, you can't have that.

Using the superior reach of your weapon, you hit one of the Goblins so hard that he disintegrates under your blow and crumbles in a shower of body parts that coats its fellows in gore. Two of the other Goblins, enraged and frightened at your ability to casually kill their comrades outside of stabbing range, charge out of formation and attack you with broken sword blades.

You deftly dodge one attack, spinning around and slamming your tetsubo into the Goblin's face. It's head flies off and down the cave the Goblins have bun hed together in front of, blood trailing through the air. The second Goblin gets closer than the first in hitting you, but you turn so that its strike harmlessly skids off of your armor without reaching your flesh. You slam your tetsubo atop his head, and the Goblin's skull shatters in an explosion of bone and brain matter.

While this is going on, the Nezumi have capitalized on the hole opened in the Goblin's ranks. Clumsy strikes and danced around, and there are not enough Goblins left in the pile for the creatures to properly cover each other. They dart in, stabbing and slashing, taking down the remaining four Goblins with ease. These monsters are used to attacking with overwhelming numbers to make up for their weakness, and denied that tactic they are easy prey to a coordinated assault.

The Warmonger, snarling, slashes at Talak'tet with his blade. The pilfered katana cuts deeply into the Nezumi's side, and Talak'tet squeaks in pain. But while the Warmonger is distracted, Gazat'ken stabs his spear into the Warmonger's leg. The big Goblin screams in agony, and then the other Nezumi pile on top of him. There's a brief scuffle as Zara'hala pulls out some rope, the Warmonger kicking and screaming to break away from the Nezumi holding him down, but soon enough they've got the Warmonger bound hand and foot.

"Almost a complete success," Talak'tet says, staunching the blood from his wound with one hand. "All right, let's drag this little bastard off and-"

A loud, rumbling roar cuts Talak'tet off before he can say anything else. There's sound of metal breaking, and something emerges from the cave. Your jaw drops as an orange skinned humanoid figure, over seven feet tall, emerges from the darkness of the cavern with what looks like a tree in its enormous hands. It is clad in nothing but a ragged loincloth, and its body is covered in scars. Long tusks extend from its oversized lower jaw, and two short horns jut out from its skull. Chains dangle from its wrists and legs, and it is obviously malnourished. But even still, its body ripples with muscle.

The giant growls and raises a hand, blinded by the faint illumination of the morning through the clouds. Its nostrils flare, and through its fingers you can see it glaring at all of you with bestial, animalistic hate.

That's an Ogre, you think dully as your shock fades, and you can feel your guts contract like an icy hand has gripped them tight. Oh shit.

[] Write in. (Roll Will to resist Fear.)

 

[Winged Knight]

[x] Sightedjt

Will Roll to resist Fear: 3d10+4=26
Attack Rolls: 7k3=20, 7k3=26
Damage Roll: 6k3=18

"Throw your spears at it!" you yell to the Nezumi before you run in, your tetsubo at the ready. The Nezumi shake off their terror of the behemoth before you, and the two Nezumi spear wielders toss their weapons at the monster. One misses it entirely, the Nezumi too shaken to aim properly. But Gazat'ken hits the Oni right in its muscled abdomen. The point of the spear digs in deeply, opening a hole in the monster's stomach.

The Ogre roars in pain and wrenches the spear out, its blood spurting into the air, and you take your opportunity to strike. You have to move quickly, hurt the monster grievously before it has a chance to get its bearings. You aim for the beast's arm, intending to smash it and perhaps cripple your foe before it can bring its full strength to bear. If you manage that, then the rest of this battle should be relatively simple.

But the Ogre, maddened and animalistic as it might be, sees through your plan. It moves its arm out of the way, and the most your tetsubo does is graze the monster's leathery skin. Almost none of your force even touched the beast. Your attack misses.

Then, the Ogre strikes back.

The force of the blow is like getting kicked by a horse, and you actually feel your feet being taken off the ground a few inches. Spit flies out your mouth as you gasp, and your armor creaks a bit under the pressure. Your ribs feel like they're on fire, and your stomach is screaming in protest of the abuse you are putting it through. You just barely manage to keep yourself from throwing up, forcing the previous day's meal to stay inside of you.

Snarling, angry at your missed strike and the pain you're feeling, you hit the Ogre back with as much strength as you can bring to bear. You slam your tetsubo into the monster's torso, and the power of your strike actually makes it stumble back a bit. It holds a hand up to its abused chest, breathing harshly. The monster wasn't in the best condition to begin with, and now it's taken two awful injuries in quick succession.

The Ogre only has eyes for you, and it roars in your face as it hefts its tree menacingly. You, however, notice the Nezumi drawing swords and surrounding the monster. They're moving cautiously, trying not to draw notice and obviously waiting for the most opportune moment to attack.

[] Write in.

Sosuke has taken 13 damage and is now in the "Grazed" bracket. He will take a +5 penalty to all TNs for every action. He has 51 wounds left. However, you may spend a void point to negate 10 of the damage you took from the attack if you so choose.