[Naruto d20: Group 1] World Had to End Sometime

[ZeroNumerous]

Syncedu Village

I just want to be recognized.

A cold wind blows through the village, and with it comes the smell of death and fire. The acrid smell rolls in like a fog, crushing out the senses and driving humans to flee or prepare to die fighting. Those that run are cut down in midstride by a streaking silver arrow shooting down from the stars. But the kills are never clean, and they always strike mortal wounds that are never instantly fatal: An arrow to the lung, the spleen, a shaft lodged in a spine. No human escapes, no human dies instantly, and not a single one survives the coming battle.

I want to be known and loved.

And yet... They still try. A hundred and twelve bodies lay arranged in a single unbroken circle around the village. None are marred by arrows, but all are grievously wounded. Some lay mangled by spear or blade, others by claw and tooth, while still have been more slain by raging fire: All of them victims of the oni.

The Carrion Field

You travel through the burned and rotting forest with cautious speed. Normally, shinobi would leap through the branches but the trees in the Land of Fire cannot be trusted to support a human's weight after the oni invasion. Ahead, you spot a slightly charred sign marking the path to Syncedu Village, where rumor placed a surviving rain-nin hideout. Few believed it, but rumor was close to truth in the Land of the Oni--particularly rumors about ninja. You smell the village long before you hear it, and hear it long before you see it. Nonetheless, the sight is still unsettling when contrasted against the orange glow of the setting sun.

Thirteen freshly dead humans lay across the path ahead. Each one hand-in-hand with the corpse beside it, who in turn is linked to another corpse and they to another. You estimated that the ring forms a thin barrier around the village. Crows and ravens flock around the village, and one crow stops whatever it was doing to eye your group's approach. A quick snap of it's beak and a jerky swallow of it's throat tells you why the birds have gathered. As the swarm picks and pokes at the banquet laid out for them, you hear a familiar sound.

The rustling of leaves to your left, the rub of steel against steel to your right and you realize you're at least partially surrounded. Your trained eyes pick out one, two, four then a full six humanoid shapes hidden in the shadows of the dying sunlight. A voice mangled by far too much smoking calls out to you, but you do not see the speaker. "Dead men would not walk with purpose, and the living would be mad to come to this place. So tell me: What is your purpose in the land of carrion?"

[Callos_DeTerran]

Kamiko

The tall, muscular blond woman moves silently through the ashen forest at the head of the trio of shinobi sent to investigate these forsaken lands, stepping softly along burned ground as she pulls her crimson face-mask up higher over her nose. Blood red eyes flit about furtively, looking for that one sign of motion that would likely be the only precursor to an oni attack, one arm constantly reaching back to rest on the spiked handle of a freakishly long katana only to warily drop back down when no threat presents itself.

One can never be too careful... she thinks wryly to herself with each false alarm, grinning behind the cover of her crimson face mask as they travel further into the Land of Oni. White pantaloons are already smudged with gray and black, an unavoidable casualty that practically goes unnoticed as Kamiko finally catches sight of the ring of corpses. Lips turn down in a frown beneath the mask as they step out into the clearing where the village had been.

"Ain't this a sight..." the woman growls out as eyes narrow at the sight of the massacred village. though it's the noise of steel on steel that has her whirling. Akumetsu rasps as it's whipped free of it's sheath, the black blade glinting brightly in the dying light of the noon sun as she lowers the point down to the ground. She didn't know if these six where looking for trouble, but she'd be damned if they took her unaware!

"I could ask you all the same question, huh? Are you lot even human or are you monsters?" she asks cautiously, twisting her head to keep as many within her field of view as possible, "We came here to investigate this village here, what about you?"

[Binks]

Frowning slightly Q follows behind the shinobi with the katana. Average height and appearance, wearing a cloak over a vest in the style common to that of ninja from the village hidden in the cloud he carries no obvious weapons, besides a small shuriken pouch on his right leg. His physique is not terribly impressive and his chakra signature rather faint. Despite this he carries himself with confidence through the desolate forest.

As the group arrives in the clearing Q does not appear to react to the bodies besides a slight deepening to his frown. At the sound of metal and leaves he does something very strange given his surroundings. Q smirks as he turns and catches sight of the humanoid figures in the shadows.

Satisfied with Kamiko's handling of the figure's question Q takes a moment to glance around, turning slowly in place as he counts the number of the figures. His smirk fades back to the slight frown he wore through the forest as he ponders who these figures could be.

[Hyooz]

Keiko ran silently at the rear, content to follow the other two. Nothing like a job through a land as dead as the ashes they kicked up with every step. It was odd being so far away from the desert, but finding no life. Only ravens and other scavengers bothered to live here now, and the people that remained... well... they weren't doing so well.

Like the poor souls they found. Laid out in a ring. "Some kind of ritual murders? I didn't think the Oni were superstitious like this." Her musings were interrupted, however, by the sound of steel around them, and Kamiko's blade whirling from its sheath. For now, she refrained from showing her hand, but reached her chakra out to the sand decorating her body, already soaked in potent poison, just in case. She whispered to her companions "Keep in mind, it seems we are surrounded and by the sound of it, outnumbered. If it must come to bloodshed, we'll need to strike first. Until then, though, keep your cool."

[ZeroNumerous]

NPC

The silence that settled in the wake of Keiko's whispers drags on. Ten seconds, thirty, a full minute then finally two more pass before it's broken--Not by words, but by the glint of thrown blade that buries itself in the dirt between the two groups. The sword is a jagged wicked piece of silver steel normal to the blades carried by elite oni. The steel, called lunar metal, radiated a palpable aura of cold and cried small tears of fresh yet partially frozen blood.

A second passes, then one of the figures steps out into the dying sunlight. She looks like a human teenager, and would pass for one in a dark room, but your trained eyes pick out the inch long horns poking out between her dark curls. She wears a tattered ninja's cloak, and you can see a grimy set of blood-stained clothing beneath. She says nothing, but raises both her arms up to show you her empty palms. She speaks like someone who chewed cigarette butts like candy.

"My sergeant said not to trust you, but I've disarmed myself and mean you no harm."

The five figures left in the dark remain where they are. You hear the sounds of no weapons being sheathed, nor guards being lowered. They are not quite as trusting as the girl ahead, and they show it. Nonetheless, she motions to them with her empty right hand. Her silver eyes flicker between them and each individual in your group, before they finally settle on Kamiko.

"Me and mine are not here for humans. I ask that you allow us to pass in peace, and in return we will not speak of finding any sane survivors."

[Binks]

Q tries to catch both his teammates eyes. If either glance at him he shrugs, not a simple shoulder movement but a full hands and palms up obvious shrug as though saying sounds like a decent idea

[Hyooz]

Keiko

Holding her position at the ready, Keiko watched the girl stride toward them. At first, she was convinced she was a human who stole an Oni's blade, but the truth revealed itself quickly enough. "Forgive me for speaking out of turn, and for trusting as little as your sergeant seems to, but if you aren't here for humans, what are you here for?"

She thought again of the ring of bodies, unwilling to take her eyes from the Oni before them to look again. "See, even if it wasn't you, someone was here for humans, and not long ago by the look of things. We're here to find out what happened to them. And if that involves you, well, letting you pass might not be an option."

[ZeroNumerous]

NPC

"Oni business. We search for one that killed servants of, and stole from, my Lady--" She whispers a prayer to herself that neither Keiko nor Kamiko hear. "The rest is irrelevant to humans-especially those out for vengeance."

Q
You hear her whisper "may the Empress protect her soul".

[Binks]

Q raises an eyebrow at the oni girl's prayer but remains silent with his arms calmly by his side for the time being.

[Hyooz]

Keiko

"Vengeance? You misunderstand. We seek answers." Keiko relaxed slightly, keeping in mind those still around her, but their aim was surely faltering by now, and the more combat seemed unlikely, the more they would relax as well. "Our mission was to seek survivors. With the discovery here, I think my comrades would agree it has shifted to a mission of investigation. Our goals are similar, then, if aligned in different directions."

She shrugged slightly. "I don't imagine you want this to come to bloodshed, or else we'd be there already. If you know what happened here, we would beg your knowledge, otherwise, I see no reason we can't all continue on our paths."

[ZeroNumerous]

NPC

"Lying human filth!"

The voice from the darkness is much more human, and far angrier than the girl's in front of you. Her head snaps back and she gives an angry glare toward the speaker, and you notice she seems to pinpoint exactly where he or she is. She yells back something that sounds alien, and you don't quite understand it. A logical guess is that she was speaking their language, and her tone suggests a great deal of anger directed toward the speaker. She turns back to Keiko, and addresses the woman's question.

"All the sane humans so far have been out for vengeance, one way or another. It's hard for me to believe you seek something else, but I will trust what you say." She takes a step back and turns her head back toward the village. "What happened here is a blood ritual." A dainty hand points toward the corpse ring. "Beneath the bodies you will find runes. It's ancient magic, and yet recently discovered all at once. I assume the purpose of the ritual would be to slow down her pursuers--us. I assume that the result is that you're here."

[Callos_DeTerran]

Kamiko

Diplomacy wasn't exactly Kamiko's thing, so she was more then happy to let Keiko take the lead while she kept her own eyes peeled for signs of oncoming combat. However, one thing the oni-girl said made it impossible to just keep silent about all that was happening.

"'She'? Then you know who did this then, huh?" she grunts, straightening the tiniest bit out of her stance, "If you aren't lying then this 'she' is the one my anger is directed towards, not you lot."

Well, that was a half-truth anyway. Kamiko was just looking for a reason to cleave these abominations in half, but that didn't mean she was incapable of some limited co-operation to get at a truly heinous oni.

[Binks]

Q shrugs before speaking for the first time in the conversation. "Let's be completely honest, we'd love a little vengeance right now. But our mission comes first, and getting in a fight with you guys would interfere with us completing our mission." Q says, figuring that brutal honesty would be better than lying in this situation.

"So if you have any information you'd be willing to share about what happened to these people how about you tell us, then we both get out of each other's way?"

[ZeroNumerous]

NPC

The girl gives Kamiko a puzzling look. Her lips are turned down into a frown, yet her eyebrows are raised and her interest is obviously piqued. "As I said before: Everything else concerning the one we chase is irrelevant to humans, and your interference would gain you no merit in the eyes of the Empress."

Her movements become slightly more animate, and she begins to gesture strongly with her hands. You can assume she feels quite adamant about this. "The one we seek will be found. And when we do, we will destroy her. Completely." She takes a deep breath to calm herself, then begins speaking again. "I've told you all I know about what happened to these people. We will resume our hunt once our tracker returns."

[Binks]

"Fair enough." Q says, keeping a fairly blank expression and feigning disinterest. "Though if you know anything else about these people and how our why they died it would help our investigation and help get us out of your territory faster."

Diplomacy check: [roll0]

[ZeroNumerous]

NPC

She sighs. "As I said before: There are runes written in their blood. It's likely magic to slow us down, and I assume you were brought here as a result. But that's just conjecture on my part. I know nothing else."

[Hyooz]

Keiko

She nodded slowly, figuring that'd be all they would get. She glanced back at the other two. "Alright. Let's see what there is to be learned from the ritual ring. These runes might be worth studying. The more we understand of their magic the better. Turning back to the Oni girl in front of them, she bowed slightly. "Thank you for your time and civility. The next time we meet likely won't be quite so gentle, but until then, good luck finding the one who did this."

[ZeroNumerous]

NPC

The girl moves forward and retrieves her blade. She doesn't return Keiko's bow, and seems a bit puzzled at the gesture. Regardless of what her thoughts rest upon she's true to her word and backs away. She turns to the oni, shouts orders in that strange tongue, then the entire group moves away from the village and toward the west. None of the oni stay to watch you, but you get the distinct feeling that none but the oni girl are comfortable with the situation.

Village

If you venture into the village proper then you discover that it had been a minor village that tended orange trees. Of all the trees around the village, all but one are barren and have neither buds or fresh oranges growing upon them. The one tree that does have fruit rests outside the ring of bodies, and at first glance it's fruit is edible. However, if you take one down and squeeze it then you discover it's juice is pale pink and smells strongly of iron.

The village itself is pristine. No one had looted or disturbed any of the homes, and if not for the bodies you would suspect that everyone in town had just vanished in the middle of whatever they were doing. The village's center contains a multitude of tracks: Some are humanoid, some horse hooves, still others are the four-toed track of the oni wretch, but one group of footprints stand out from the others.

They appear to be sturdy hiking boots, yet the impression in the ground shines like glass. They are spaced apart to suggest whomever caused them was hurrying along, possibly running from or after something. Further examination reveals that the deepest parts of the footprints are, in fact, glass. The glass footprints travel from the south of the village--where Konohagakure and the majority of the oni host lays--to the north in a single unbroken line. You guess that whoever traveled through the area did not stop to investigate the ring, nor did they participate in the slaughter.

Ring

The bodies are all holding hands, though every third corpse is flipped face down. You see strange runes stretching from body to body. If you lift a body up, you discover the runes pass under each body and are soaked through with the victim's blood.

[Binks]

As soon as the oni are gone Q lets out an exaggerated sigh, dropping his arms and leaning forward. "Well...that was certainly an interesting experience. I wonder who this empress of theirs is."

Without waiting for a response Q heads into the village to begin his investigation. Wandering around for a bit he does a quick pass, doing some analysis on the trees before moving on.

Heading back to the ring of bodies Q lifts one of them up and looks at the runes for a bit. He then looks at one of the faceup bodies in detail, trying to find the cause of death.

Investigating the trees to find out why they're dead (know earth and life sciences): [roll0]
Quick autopsy (treat injury): [roll1]

[Hyooz]

Keiko

Crouching down by the bodies, Keiko poked at the blood making up the runes, sniffing at it and rubbing it between her fingers. Stopping just short of tasting it, she pulled a small chemical kit out of her bag and added a few drops to a vial.
As she experimented, the runes kept creeping back into her mind. They had similarities here and there to the ninja's own writings and symbols. Could they be derived from them somehow?

"I'll see what I can get out of the blood. What do you make of those tracks?"


Knowledge: Ninja Lore - [roll0]
Craft: Chemical - [roll1]

[ZeroNumerous]

DM

The blood making up the runes themselves is dried, despite the blood directly from a dead body being wet and sticky. If you attempt to scrape blood off a rune then you discover the dirt around the runes is solid and the blood does not move. It's almost as if the runes turned the dirt to stone and the blood to steel, as even a kunai fails to scratch the dirt or the runes.

Your exploration is interrupted by an incredibly loud screeching noise to the north, and you recognize the sound immediately. The noise is followed by a chorus of similar screeches and you realize that a flock of wyverns are descending on the area. The only wyverns that ventured out of what remained of Kumogakure bore oni riders, and that means you'll have guests soon. Based on the echoes of their screeches you guess you have another minute or two before they arrive.

[Binks]

"Uh oh" Q says, turning towards the sound. "I don't like the sound of that. We probably want to find someplace to hide this out." he says, looking about a good spot to hide, preferably one where his rocky colored cloak would blend in.

Spot: [roll0] Looking for a good place to hide

I'd ideally like to find someplace that can't be directly seen from the village, a small cave or something outside the village. If that's not possible then a group of rocks I can hide amongst would be nice.

Hide check (using Mythical Invisible Cloaking Technique, 1 chakra): [roll1] +2 equipment bonus if in rocky terrain from cloak/outfit camo.

If I don't have line of sight on the village going to use Tracking Thunder Web Technique to put up a 65ft radius area around myself where I can detect the movement of anything that comes into contact with the ground, 4 chakra, concentration duration

[Callos_DeTerran]

Kamiko

"Hide? They're just wyverns!" Kamiko says shortly, turning her head to the wind to try and gauge how close the oncoming flight of oni-beasts really was. Sound could get distorted over long distances and if they got the timing of when the beasts were supposed to arrive wrong, then it could end rather poorly for them. It wasn't like their chances of hiding from airborne menaces were that great in the first place.

"Most important is we don't want to get caught out in the open. I saw we fall back into the trees and try to find some cover there. It isn't perfect, but maybe we'll see if these oni bastards are here for us or for that group that decided to interrogate us. Wouldn't be surprised if they lead the wyverns right too us..." the blond swordswoman grumbles under her breath, turning red eyes left and right to try and find a good spot to hide.

...Then again, did they need to hide? Just pretending to be one of the dead could do it...

Will move to the trees if they are close enough and hide, or the buildings in the village if they seem relatively sturdy.

Hide: [roll0]

[Hyooz]

Keiko

The sounds definitely weren't a pleasant addition to their already tense afternoon. "While they may just be wyverns, it's best to hide for now. No need to welcome a second ambush." Following in Kamiko's footsteps, she dashed toward the trees to find a good place to avoid ambush and be ready just in case.


[roll0]

[ZeroNumerous]

DM

Kamiko and Keiko rush to hide behind some trees, but Kamiko picks a particularly thin specimen to hide behind and has a bit of trouble. Meanwhile, Q runs out of the village entirely and ends up in a shallow ditch well away from the village's center. He's certain to not be found, but he can neither see nor hear anything that goes on within the village.

Four mighty winged monsters (http://vnmedia.ign.com/nwvault.ign.com/NWN2/creatures/MM35_PG259a.jpg) smash into the ground thirty seconds after the cry had rang out. Four muscular bodies, covered in scaley flesh, stretch out in the warm rays of the setting sun. Their large heads whip backwards as they engage in a bout of jubilant roaring, crowing and begin sniffing the air. The wyverns are obviously excited, and luckily for you the dead overpower the smell of any living humans in the air. Their riders, twisted red-skinned abominations with human shapes, slide off their mounts like oil. The lead oni yells out in their strange language, waits for a response that never comes, then yells out again.

This time he gets the response he wished to hear. Soon enough, the red-skinned monsters are oozing their way northwest and you're left with the four beasts. One of the beasts moves toward the ring of corpses with it's mouth open, but stops once it gets closer. It sniffs one dead body, then another and another before prodding a fourth with it's blunted nose. Strangely, the creature returns to it's pack in disgust. It attacks the largest wyvern, probably to communicate it's displeasure, and you watch as it's beaten to the ground for it's insolence.

The creature gets it's mouth--and nose--full of dirt. It's eyes shoot open and it rears back and makes a very loud barking noise. The other creatures immediately begin smelling the area and wandering around. They seem to be tracking something.

[Hyooz]

Keiko

Crap. This could end badly. She couldn't be sure the wyverns were tracking any of her group, but they certainly seemed to have caught wind of something. Even if it wasn't them specifically, there was an increasing chance they would simply be stumbled across. Direct action wasn't ideal either. "Kamiko, be prepared to act if necessary. I've got an idea." Best to try to restrict their movements and protect themselves.

A monster turned its head their way and snuffled closer. Time for action. She clapped her hands together decisively and began the handsigns. Soon, she slapped her hand to the ground, sending chakra coursing into the ground under the Wyverns. "Doton - Yomi Numa" The earth under the winged creatures churned and twisted, turning rapidly into thick swamp mud, giving way and trying to pull them underneath.

Yomi Numa used - 10 chakra.

Reflex save DC 22 or they sink in the mud for 1d6 rounds, immobile.

[ZeroNumerous]

DM

The creatures flounder in the mud and sink. They shout out cries of surprise and pain, and you hear the shouts of the oni language in response. All of three of you realize the oni riders are returning to their mounts.

Wyvern Saves (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2916140/):
Ref 1: 11+6=17
Ref 2: 13+6=19
Ref 3: 9+6=15
Ref 4: 9+6=15

They all fail and sink down 13 feet. As these wyverns are only 10 feet high they begin drowning.

[Binks]

Q looks up when he hears the creature's shriek. Getting to his feet and kneeling to see out of the depression, confident that any observers have more important things to pay attention to now and that no one is near him Q looks towards the shriek's origin...and can't help but snicker a bit as the creatures sink.

Hearing the oni calls, however, bring Q's attention back to the fight. Still suppressing his chakra signature, and just poking his head out of his hiding spot, he begins preparing to enter the battle.

I presume we can take actions before the oni arrive? Or should we roll init or something? (if so [roll0])
Swift/Move - Get to a kneeling or standing position from which I can see the mud.
Standard - Ready an action. If any oni approaches within 120ft (long range unless I miscalculated) use the Lightning Strike technique. (5ft wide bolt, reflex save 19 for half, [roll1] damage. Otherwise do nothing.

[Callos_DeTerran]

Kamiko

The tall kunoichi grins behind her mask as one of her comrades sinks the wvyerns into the mud, knowing that it takes a large advantage away from their opponents even as the oni run back to check on their mounts. Still, it was good that it had come down to a fight, now things would get interesting! Quickly, Kamiko tugs off her gloves and pulls Akumetsu from her back, grimacing as the spikes dig into her palms to draw blood, but that was just fine...

In just a moment she's stepping out into the open and walking towards the big mud patch that had been created until she's standing on the opposite side of it from the village where the oni had gone in. There, she takes up a firm stance and raises her massive sword above her head.

"Muryou Saikyou Ryuu..." she says under her breath as blood flows into the air from her hands, beginning to coil around Akumetsu's black blade to form a tight black spiral around the blade, the woman's crimson eyes glowing as she waits for the first sign of the oni.

"Suiha Ryuugokutou!" The first oni to come within Kamiko's range would find the masked woman bringing her blade down in a sweeping strike that sends a howling blood dragon spiralling towards them, seeking to rend flesh and bone in it's acidic maw.

Spending 12 chakra to use an Empowered Raging Water Dragon, holding action until Kamiko sees an oni come within range though.

Kamiko
AC: 22
Health: 91/91
Chakra: 50/62

No Ongoing Status Effects

Attack: [roll0]
Damage:
Weapon Damage: [roll1]
Additional Acid Damage: [roll2]
Enemy must make a Fort. Save (DC 17) or be stunned for 1 round.

Initiative: [roll3]

[ZeroNumerous]

DM

Kamiko's water dragon easily dispatches one of the oni arriving, but instead of one of the fluid red riders she destroys a much more fleshy oni whose body is pulped by the dragon. The riders arrive shortly afterward, and so do six other fleshy oni. One of them is recognized by Kamiko when she draws a curved and silvery blade of moonsteel. The others are armed with much more common steel blades, but the riders lack weapons entirely. The riders gather together when the girl shouts out to Kamiko in the human language.

"Not out for vengeance? There are two others with her, stay on guard and watch for them."

The girl's presence seems to bolster the other oni. The riders congeal together into a single very large blob of viscous jello-like liquid.

I assume Callos wants to ready his attack action until the oni arrive, otherwise he would just be attacking dirt and air.

At this point I'll need initiative from Kamiko and Keiko. If Q wants to move the hundred and fifty feet to be back into position to be useful, then he's free to roll initiative as well but he won't arrive for 2 turns.

http://img641.imageshack.us/i/onivillage.png/
Key: Blue is the oni girl, pink is the rider blob.
Other oni are numbered 1 through 6.
Dark Red is Kamiko. Dark Green is Keiko
Light green are trees, which provide cover both ways if you hide behind them.
Brown is Keiko's swamp.

Initiative:
Oni: 5+9=14 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2919476/)

[Hyooz]

Keiko

"We couldn't very well sit and wait for the wyverns to eat us. When conflict becomes inevitable, strike first. I'm sure even Oni understand that." She knew she wouldn't be able to keep out of close combat for too long, so she began the hand signs, drawing earthen chakra within herself, a slight green glow beginning in her arms. As she finished, she extended one arm to the side, the satetsu decorating her body dissolving and reforming in her hand as a blade, her hair falling free, flapping in the breeze. "My opponent should know my name, in case either of us dies. I am Keiko of the Iron Sands. I am eager to test your blade."


Initiative: [roll0]

Jutsu activation can come whenever, on my initiative turn or before, whenever doesn't really matter.

Also, jutsu activated is Amatsu no Karada.