Rokugan in the Shadows - Rise of the Nezumi

[~Corvus~]

"Wak-Chat reporting in!" A leather-clad ratling stopped at the gates outside a massive grey citadel that looked, to the untrained eye, like a massive, ten-storied many-tiered anthill. Guards at the entrance this Nezumi paused raised their wicked bone-glaives, letting him pass without a word.

The ratling ran his way along a winding corridor, taking turns at corridors or random intersections until he reached guards outside a cavernous room. "How is he?" Wak-Chat looked past the door guards to the emaciated, sniveling rating sitting on a high throne made of bone and covered with many lavish animal pelts. He was attended to by many females that cooed at him, fed him food, and rubbed his skin and shoulders with scented oils.

' Shaman-Chief Red-Eye has less and less lucid moments. By his decree, breeding was finished soon Yesterday. We still follow his Will.'

'I bring news of our war effort.' Wak-Chat handed over a square of parchment to the guards, saluted, then left.

'Damn Hobgoblins...Bring in The Children. ALL of them.'

---

Ikrit had been gathered into the cavernous Throne Room with his many siblings. Although there must have been more than five hundred of them gathered there, it was tough to see more than five of them. Swirling around the space were the contrails from several thousands of incense sticks, and the conversation kept the incense moving.

Into the area walked a grey-furred Nezumi, and conversation quieted. This one had eyes that were milky-white, and though cataract-bound and blind, it walked with perfect precision. It turned and searched among the many faces for twenty tense minutes.

It touched one, then another, and again until it had touched thirteen. 'You will lead our forces now. You are all strong with His fury, and can bless our brothers to turn the tides of this battle.'

She finally turns to Ikrit 'And You!! Ikrit Plaguebearer, your powers are of the Old World. You and your spirits shall bring sickness to their forces where they must be made weak.

The rest of you carry the Blessed Blood of our Shaman-Chieftan Red-eye! The time is now, when you all have grown and trained and become strong, that we turn the tide of war! We will take these Hobgoblin heads, and leave no prisoners!!

The Seer looks like she has more to say, but instead turns around and walks out of the room.

For a brief moment, Red-Eye straightens. His left hand shoots out, and he runs down from his throne and Seizes Ikrit by the collar. Tun! You will find-take him and bring- drag to me!! You will do this, yes-yes!

[Tjallen]

Surrounded by the four spirits that usually accompany him, Ikrit nods as he is ordered to spread the gifts of the divine father, hardly paying attention as his thoughts are filled with devotion and his eyes, alight with religious zeal, constantly drifting to Red-Eye's form.

As the Grey Seer leaves and Ikrit once more prepares to lead his siblings ritualistic prayer, the subject of their worship snaps out his hand and grasps the plague priest, his claws drawing blood.

"Tun! You will find-take him and bring-drag to me!! You will do this, yes-yes!"

For once the object of his focus is the one addressing him, his answer for the first time instant and without hesitation:
"Yes Chieftain-Lord, Tun-thing will be chained-caught, it is unknown-new to this one, where does your servant-son start-begin this search-hunt?"

[~Corvus~]

'Tun drew-made much-many deal-pact with Red-Eye, until this fate-curse. Tun became ally-traitor-friendship-stabber.' Red-Eye undid the torn leather belt that he had refused to let anyone even touch and beckoned Ikrit forward. With bony yet strong and firm hands, Red-Eye tied The Thew to his son. 'Your mission is most-most-great need. You go to Chokka, tell her you scour-search Hell-Pits for Tun. When you believe-know this mission, answers will come. Find-make way.'

Chokka, the Firstwife of Red-Eye, had produced nearly three hundred children, all of whom had been well-used in the conflict against the Hobgoblins. They had proven the greatness of Red-Eye's virility and had given rise to the power and reverence he currently held. If anyone could take credit for Red-Eye's continued success as a leader despite his Curse, it would be her. She stood from the platform of the great bone-and-pelt throne, and her gaze swept over all of the Nezumi gathered. Great Shaman-Chief, any words for the gathered?

GO hunt-kill-maim ALL WHO OPPOSE US! The time of Nezumi-Skaven is now!

[~Corvus~]

In response this commotion, the auditorium surges with energy. The excited and assembled mass of ratlings breaks, and as they flow out of the cavern, excitement flowing through them as palpable as a Ikrit feels immune to their flow, as if a feeling guided him to sway at just the right time. Just as he was to exult in being nearly alone with Red-Eye, ten attendants usher him--along with Chokka--out of the room. They tell him that The Chieftan would be ill soon, and they had questions to ask him.

Chokka instead appraises Ikrit, and asks him, I expect you have questions? Come, let us walk to our map room.

[Tjallen]

Slowly bowing to Chokka, Ikrit reaches for the small cuts on his neck and flicks the blood at the floor:
"Blessed First-Mother, this one am alive-awake for the first time, the spirits flock to serve-obey. Please inform-tell all-all about this Tun-thing. It must be important-vital for Blessed-Chief Red-Eye to give-lend his belt-relic to this lowly one."

As he shuffles after Chokka, the blood sizzles on the floor, unseen, and between a blink and the next the four spirits surrounding him turns into eight. Their forms less ethereal as a divine mandate has been given, all that is left to do is change reality to suit the will of the truly favored.

[~Corvus~]

Chokka pays little heed to the young-born's manifestations. She has grown used to strange occurrences among her people since Red-Eye's influence, even if this recent gathering was among the strangest. Their war-efforts had waxed and waned, and they fought over ground that had become increasingly wearied and worn down over the substantial foot traffic of the past year's conflict. Still, The Nezumi had kept the secret origin of the Skaven, the quick-growing, miraculously potent and quick-growing hybrids of Red-Eye and his female...consorts to a minimum of exposure. Mixed in with their normal numbers, these "Skaven" had quickly grown to undo the dwindling numbers of the Nezumi population and revitalized what many believed were a dying trend of their kind. The incredible births had led to a resurgence of growth throughout the many and gathering tribes. Even though this war with the Hobgoblin host had shifted its sole focus on the Nezumi and away from the Unicorn and other Human tribes, the Ratlings had endured beyond hope.

Nezumi did not follow human measures of time. They had little capacity to focus on anything but now or a season from now. The past was known as Yesterday. The Rememberers, the only Nezumi with a capacity to recall past events from even the Darkest Day--the day their empire had been shattered by Fu Leng and his fall from his space among the Celestial Heavens--all the Rememberers had been dying. That was, until Red-Eye came along. His Skaven-born gave rise to grey-furred Rememberers, now dubbed Seers, that also had the means to access the Old Magics. The Old magics, the Sorceries of the past, had long since been abandoned as an agreement with the Rokugani, that Sorcery only stemmed from Jigoku. But it was not so with the Skaven-Nezumi generations. Red-Eye had been tested with magics, and it was shown that his soul was a collective piece of many hundreds of recovered from The Beyond. And so the Seers, the just-born few among his second-generation children, had grown quickly into stable Nezumi that had great magics.

Times were changing. But Chokka had little means to cram all these ideas into Ikrit's skull. She watched him, and knew that The Thew would soon be reaching into his mind and giving him answers.

---

The Thew pulsed and throbbed into Ikrit's mind. He felt a soft voice, one that gave the idea of a well-worn couch, a comfortable and wholesome feeling touched with age, soon to expire. You are a first-born of Red-Eye, and your blood runs thick with his essence. Come, tell me of what you have learned little one, for in his presence I have felt myself fading from existence.

[Tjallen]

Exulting in the newfound blessing from just a single touch from his progenitor, Ikrit welcomes the voice of The Thew and answers eagerly:
"Greetings Exalted One, this honored one is named Ikrit and is blessed by your presence! If you would grant this lowly one your hallowed name so that I may carve it into the annals of history, and perhaps explain your relation to the great Chieftain Red-Eye. We are at war with the hobgoblins, death decimates the Nezumi, but the Skaven rally time and again against the unblessed hordes. Blacksmiths and other craftsmen are establishing themselves, and the Blackspot tribe, first of the Nezumi to rally to the cause, have proven of great help. In his great forethought the Mighty Mage-Chief Red-Eye gifted them with a liquid flame thing that produces no smoke and immense amount of heat, making our forges hard to track and disrupt. The nezumi does not have many craftsmen however, but together with Skaven smiths their ability to repair scavenged arms, armor and trinkets the tides are turning. I have however been sent spirits of his divine glory and they have constructed a holy relic, because of this I have been chosen by the Exalted Red-Eye to track down a 'Tun' and bring him before him in chains. The traitor apparently dealt in bad faith and turned traitor. However, I know naught of this mysterious figure, but I was given what I assume is your vessel to help me in this endevor, might you confirm this, Trusted one?"

[~Corvus~]

The Thew gives an impression of deep thought and contemplation.

I know a bit of Tun, for I was spun of godflesh possessed by his masters. Although I can tell you much, I am also bound by ancient rules that forbid me to name or speak directly of many specific details of his and others' natures.

The many Realms of existence all have organizations of great power. Tun that Red-Eye knew was a being of great Order and Evil, bound to the equally powerful body of a being of Earth and Water. His natures gave him a very rare power with Blood, that enabled him to perform great and binding Rituals both weaker and more powerful than what you mortals call Magic. With all of this in mind, you must now consider what next I tell you.

Tun is not the kind of Traitor you expect. You, your siblings, the discoveries Red-Eye brought to the Nezumi, and the Rebirth of the ancient beings you call Skaven, are all products of deals he made with the one named Tun. In fact, Red-Eye himself exists because of the deal his ancestors made with Tun and his "cousin" Orusc. Every deal Red-Eye made came with greater and greater consequences, and your father lacked the insight to see the precise nature of the contracts he made. Still, Tun has left one contract incomplete, and I suspect this is part of why your sire feels that Tun is a traitor. You must also see this from another angle.

Realize that Tun has given your father, and your people, considerable fortune and power in exchange for his current affliction. Any attempt to break Red-Eye of his state will carry steep costs, as I have explained to him a countless number of times. I tell you this because he may ask it of you. It is far beyond my power and knowledge to break the curse of the First Aboleth, which Red-Eye falsely calls a laghathi. It has a vastness far beyond what you might call a God, and has a malicious intent far beyond the Being known to the Rokugani as Fu Leng. The First Aboleth can see far into every Future and far into Every Past, and it chooses to speak words and share Memories that do the greatest possible damage to every being with which it interacts. Thus, I urge you to consider what Tun has done to your Father as a mercy. This being, the First, is the only real traitor your father has ever encountered.

Whatever Red-Eye asks of you, do not seek the First Aboleth, the "Laghathi" as he calls it. Do not seek it even if your father orders you, cajoles you, censors you. I repeat again, never seek out the First Aboleth for any reason, ever; put the idea forever out of your mind. Your real quest remains to find Tun and bring him to your Father.

Tun has not died a True Death, for his spirit-soul remains bound in contract with his ancient Masters. I suspect, however, that for you bring him before your Father, you must also secure a new body for his Masters that will satisfy their many requirements. For this, I urge you first to find a means to contact them. The Rokugani do not posses the requisite knowledge, and neither your enemies the Hobgoblins. However, there is one enemy of the Rokugani empire that almost certainly does. You must travel to the lands of the Phoenix and talk with their enemies, the Mirror People. We will talk more of this later.

As I expect you will first be asked to aid your people against the Hobgoblins, let us end with a warning of my Duty. If you say "I wish" and then wish for something, I am must do my best to fulfill this request. However, my powers grow weak; I can only fulfill a Limited Wish (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/limitedWish.htm), as much of my vast insight and minor power has aided and guided your father. Before our tenure runs out, you may have to use me to fulfill his request.

Now, do you have any other questions?

[Tjallen]

Speaking aloud, Ikrit addresses Chokka: "Blessed First-Mother, The Thew-belt speaks to this one, it speaks of the traitor-Tun, do you have any way-method to contact-speak its masters or it's 'cousin-kin' Orusc? To complete my quest-goal I may-must find-reach the mirror-people of the phoenix-enemy lands."
Thinking at The Thew Ikrit voices his questions: "Blessed Thew, do you know of a way to contact this Orusc? And does my father possess knowledge or perhaps a way to contact or summon any of these ... things you speak of?"

[~Corvus~]

The Divine Cloth remains silent, giving an indication that either it was unwilling or could not answer his question. Chokka does.

'Red-Eye always mentioned that he could concentrate on Orusc or Tun and cause it to appear. You are lucky I remember him from our single meeting Yesterday. Come, let us find privacy.

She leads Ikrit to personal chambers--a simple room with a high ceiling and a window higher up, no more than 4 by 2 spaces, and perhaps 8 paces high. It was simply adorned with a wash-basin, a chamber pot, a sleeping space with pelts, and a small table with organized tools for upkeep of blades and armor, and a small weapon rack & armor stand. The rack held a few knives and a single spear with a strangely long blade and so it could be used both as a thrusting weapon or a 2-handed blade. The metal looked light and strong, and was worked with strange symbols that Ikrit felt he could not read even if he wanted to.

Chokka takes a kris--a knife with a wavy blade--from the rack and finds a round bit of leather from the worktable. She searches her walls until she finds a hole and jams the knife through the leather to the hole and motions for them to stand back. She speaks a few words in a strange language and turns to the table. From one of the ordered boxes, she takes a small wrapped object and holds it as you both wait.

A Nezumi with silver eyes and what looks like cloth-and-bamboo armor climbs out of the leather circle. The ratling struggles as if it's climbing from the other side, and finally he tumbles down from the wall. As he dusts himself off, the leather disk emits distant sounds of what seems like crumbling dirt, the myriad cracking of breaking objects, and a countless number of screaming creatures until the silver-eyed Nezumi touches the leather, which then melts into a terrible stench of rapidly-burning flesh. Ugh, he mutters. Here again? He spots Ikrit and snaps his head to Chokka. I specifically forbade you from calling me around others.

Actually, if I remember correctly Orusc, you forbade me from calling you around others unless I was willing to have them bound to you by Contract. As an aside, she explains to the youngling that it was the only way to be able to contact him in the first place. Orusc gives a smile that shouldn't be possible with his anatomy.

Do you have what you promised? Chokka hands over the...cloth-covered...object and Orusc turns around to unwrap it. Oh, this is definitely worth the trip. He wraps it up, turns around and pockets the thing in a fold of his armor, and takes out a small scrap of paper. This is your next task. I'll have our agreed-upon reward soon.

No Orusc, by midnight tonight by this region of the world's standard Rokugani's measurements, or our arrangement is finished. Her hand points to the kris and she continues, 'Or I will break that knife.

Orusc gave a nearly-imperceptible nod. Addressing Ikrit he asks, 'Tell me child of Red-Eye, if you would house the ancient spirit of a Celestial in a non-Celestial body, what would you choose? How would you do the same for a Fiend?

[Tjallen]

Thinking upon the question, the lethargy of a diseased body back in full force, for a full minute almost unblinking, Ikrit finally opens his mouth to answer: "Human-elf-things, spirits seem to favor that shape or a slight variation of it. Most intelligent races seem to be variations on that base shape. Nezumi seem to be an exception to this, a superior one if less underhanded. Humans, if the stability is all that matters."

[~Corvus~]

Orusc chuckled. Among humanoids, Nezumi have a great resistance to the corruption of a soul. Despite your age, there is wisdom in that choice. How about you, Chokka?

Would you dispense with the condescension and just tell him what he needs to find?

Oh, but I am curious what you might think. Indulge me.

Chokka sighed. The nature of Tun's spirit-soul already provides protection against corruption. His last form gave him a terrible weakness. Perhaps a resilient, powerful body. A Great Lizard of Yesterday, one more powerful than the Wani ka Gomi.

Interesting. Where would you find this creature?

This is intolerable Orusc. You know more of the...world and the Realms than I. Why should I guess?

If you won't entertain me, then why should I help you or this youngling?

Chokka furrowed her brow and put her long slender fingers to her brow as she bowed her head. Finally she breaths out and raises her head. Chikushido, the realm of beasts and nature spirits?

Nope.

Sakkaku, the Trickster realm?

Orusc gives several soft claps. The Rokugani and your Elders have all lied to your people for generations, Chokka. You can indeed Remember without a Rememberer. This is why I ask you to do the intolerable.

The last...would-be Adventurers I to which I gave aid also encountered a particularly pleasant breed of "great lizard" called a Ryu, or a lesser Dragon. Usually they serve as messengers between the Celestial Realm and the Mortal one, but sometimes they are given permission to stay. This I would use to bind the soul of a Celestial.

That's cheating!

Hardly. They are magical lizards but are not Celestial beings, as the True Dragons are.

This world has little understanding of Fiends, as even the one you call Fu Leng is not one, yet steals from fiends to make his Oni. The young Ikrit touched on the most important aspect for this world: the ability to resist the influence of Fu Leng truly makes Nezumi the greatest of Humanoids. A Fiend is corruptible to the extreme, and thus we do not linger in this world else we risk being Tainted by your Fu Leng.

For Tun, we craft a body made from the flesh of Nezumi.

Chokka gave a look to Orusc of complete disgust. I will have no part in this. My contract with you has been fulfilled; I expect you to honor yours.
Ikrit, no move-touch weapon-tool-armors. Door-closed when leave-done. With that, she unceremoniously left her small room.

Orusc smiled as he appraised the young ratling. Payment for the price of being able to commune with me shall be to slaughter the hobgoblins as best you can. Are we agreed?

[Tjallen]

Once more thinking, Ikrit wheezes out a derisive bark of laughter: "A life-death of slaughter-killing for you-thing? No, this one will not be dissuaded-impaired. The blessed First-Mother have deemed this worthwhile-sacred, so I will offer-pay four days form midday-noon tomorrow by the Skaven-Nezumi of Red-Eye's time-measurement. The time-days will be spent-used seeing the Nezumi-Skaven's victory against the hobgoblin-things come to fruition, this will be done-completed as I deem best-feasible. Is this acceptable-agreeable for, you-Orusc, to enable communion-communication to you-Orusc at your cost-payment until Blessed Chieftain Red-Eye with full knowledge of the consequences decide otherwise in return for this service-deed Orusc-cousin?"

[~Corvus~]

Red-Eye is not part of our agreement. However, your participation in battle will do nicely. As for your agreement with him... Orusc pauses, savoring Ikrit's feelings and even his slow thought.

Red-Eye has long wished to crush the Rokugani and reclaim the glory of the Nezumi. It's a fine sentiment, but we'll need to break apart the people from within. When you finish off the Hobgoblins, ask me of the Bloodspeakers.

He stepped over to the workbench, found some leather scraps in a box on the floor beside it, and looked among them until he found a workable piece. It had many cut-outs on the edge, but what looked like was once soft leather had hardened and become brittle. She won't mind losing this... He took the Kris out of the wall and pinned the dessicated, misshapen leather there.

[Tjallen]

Shaking his head slowly, Ikrit answers the bamboo-clad nezumi: "Blessed-Wise Red-Eye would not be part-subject of the agreement-deal, simply the One-Master deciding-choosing when it is done-over. You must-will agree before we can continue-work towards tomorrow. The pact-deal must be agreed on-to."

[~Corvus~]

Orusc nods to Ikrit. Fine. I'll explain myself this ONE time, since your soul is so young. You must begin thinking for yourself.

In order to construct a body for Tun, I will require Nezumi flesh, and conveniently, your master Red-Eye already wants to defeat the Hobgoblins, and this conflict cannot end without losses. I have already made arrangements for these interests to commingle. TUN is not in a place where he can simply be summoned; rather, because your ruler slew him, understandably, but he's going to take a hundred years to be accessible to MY masters, and worse, I'm not allowed to free his soul. Now, let's talk about you.

YOU are young. You don't have the strength for this job, not yet. My agreement with YOU is to help your brothers and sisters with this conflict; if you do that, you'll learn of battle, of its demands, and your own capabilities and you'll get stronger.

Next, we will begin work on YOUR contact with MY masters, with whom you might bargain for information. To do this, you'll have to make your way across at least two territories of Rokugan, and far from lands where your kind is considered...decent? With a palanquin carried by your own kind? It will take effort, resources, and payments to make this happen. Would you rather pay your enemies--The Rokugani, whom are more likely to lead you off a cliff or let you wander into a battle than help--or deal with someone who has a great amount of experience in this place?

[Tjallen]

Looking at Orusc with eyes glassy from contained illness, Ikrit slowly answers: "So you agree-accept the terms-contract as I said-explained, with understanding-knowing that Mage-Chieftain Red-Eye decides-chooses when you have paid-completed back your part-deal, with Blessed Red-Eye understanding-knowing the consequences of completing the contract? If you-thing will tell-relate the tale-story of Tun's death-life This one will listen-hear."

[~Corvus~]

Orusc sighed. You're lucky The Thew works for you now. There's not much I can tell. Orusc paused briefly, clearly for dramatic effect, and The Thew took this moment to supply to Ikrit's mind, My memory is unclear, but I do have some glimpses of them when I was...whole. They kept what's left of me for...other means, which ended up being a part of a contract between Red-Eye, Tun and Orusc to make me.

Tun and I agreed to not work against each other for a time, and his untimely death was felt by me AND our Masters. We've worked together before, and since he was killed during our assignment to this world, it's MY damnation to finish HIS contracts! I have completed the ones I can, but our powers are different and complimentary.

This war will continue until Red-Eye determines it's gone on long enough; that is HIS decision, and I agree, the war will be complete when he says so. However, this war is through an agreement that he and Tun made, and thus it comes before the deal between you and I. Red-Eye's command to Chokka was to have her instruct YOU how best to fulfill your mission: to bring Tun back. Chokka led you to me, and trusted you and I to work out an agreement; therefore, she acted in a way Red-Eye already asked her to, but leaned on her best judgement. By this chain of connection, my agreement with you will help you fulfill not one but TWO ambitions by your Master. With the completion of his order to you, we'll also have done some work on a THIRD. I call this, young rat, efficient expedience. He stumbled by his own ambitions, as The Thew explained to me, and therefore, I do my best to complete the agreement he had with Tun...at least until Tun is back, and I am free to work on my own business.

I will not be able to help bring Tun back unless I have the appropriate materials. Therefore, you will help your brothers and sisters in the War against the Hobgoblins; that is our deal for continued communication. It is up to you whether or not you wish to honor this. Since this has taken more time than I would have liked, I must leave else risk being late for another contact. He gives Ikrit a stern, if not amused, look and leaps into the leather. Once he's disappeared, the leather burns and leaves a foul odor in Chokka's room, only to waft upwards to her open window.

Ikrit hadn't yet processed it, but this entire year he's been alive and growing rapidly, he's been confined to the Barracks, the Mess Hall, the Training Yard and the adjacent Spirit Garden. He now has permission to travel wherever he wants before the next "Deployment." Ultimately, Orusc committed him to a battle he would likely have been assigned to before his conversation with Red-Eye. The Nezumi had, with Red-Eye's great and powerful magic, produced and birthed a record number of Nezumi in addition to the strong...Red-Blooded like himself. Their mage-ruler was fertile far beyond normal Nezumi, and he seeded good stock. His condition aside, the Nezumi had successfully hidden the rapid expansion of their numbers well.

[Tjallen]

Just as Orusc leaps into the leather, Ikrit starts raising his hand to ask: "But what-who is-was Tun? Oh, gone. Thew-Belt, what-who is-was Tun? Why did Blessed Chieftain-Magelord Red-Eye kill-slay him? How-why did he betray-stab the glorious one?"

[~Corvus~]

Red-Eye and Tun had a different interpretation about an agreement they'd made. Red-Eye asked Tun to raise an army for him, which is an expensive request for anyone, let alone one being. Tun's request required Red-Eye to travel to a dangerous realm of evil. While there, Red-Eye asked questions of the ancient being I've told you about, the First Leviathan. The creature's incredible power maligned even my own perception: it caused me to see what it was not, and only by delving into Red-Eye's memories at his urging has let me see the truth. I have since told Red-Eye many times about it, but he insists on the false memory.

The First Leviathan forced the memory of a terrible God at the moment of its ascension onto Red-Eye, and he became permanently insane, held back only by the connection to some Divine power he'd gained before my association with him. When Red-Eye returned here, he asked Tun to quickly make a new deal for his return to sanity; This request was beyond my power, and Tun did what he could to alter the magical affliction upon Red-Eye and also fulfilled his first request. The silver-eyed one shunted much of the power from the God-Memory into a magic that would be productive and powerful and also fulfill his request for his new army, but he also left an opening for Red-Eye to have moments of extended clarity, the best he could do. But Red-Eye did not want to be disabled

His second request, for Tun to remove his affliction, couldn't be done, not without considerably more effort. Red-Eye believed Tun had crossed him and thus shot him with a lethal bolt. I have spent what time I could advising Chokka and a few others on what he might gather, but neither Orusc nor I have the means of breaking such maladies. Tun's practice was of blood-magic, evil but also incredibly pure and powerful. His skill in working the life-essence of those he takes is unparalleled, and so Red-eye killed the one capable of giving him real aid.

It is not my place to judge Red-Eye, Ikrit, but know this: We must all accept the consequences of our thoughts and actions.

[Tjallen]

As Ikrit heads out to once again find Chokka, he mumbles to The Thew: "The Blessed One paid for our births-lives with his mind-sanity, but was surprised-blindsided? Leviathan is enemy of nezumi-skaven, will enter-write into the Annals of Hate. Blood-magic is strong-good, so why-how evil-bad? How can we-I return him-Tun, Orusc-thing acted-talked like enemy-ally, loyal-true only skin-deep."

[~Corvus~]

Red-Eye often took risks without fully understanding their consequences. Hmm...Tun once told me that Red-Eye has blood of a Divine Being, but he refused to say any more. Not all Divine Beings are benevolent, and no two divinities have the same power or AMOUNT of power. On another world, there is a Spider-Queen-God, and her worship only comes from a very isolated population...else she would not be a god. Perhaps this essence, this Divine Blood, has altered the core of what makes Red-Eye.

Ikrit explores the many levels of the citadel, and with the mention that he must find Chokka, he is instructed to one of the large spires at the edge of the tower. The hallways in this part of the citadel look and feel different; they are cleaner, less-trafficked, and there's both less light and less need for it. His path leads him to a wall-section overlooking the great and towering trees of the Shinomen.

From this height, he can see its verdant expanse. Here and there, clouds move just above the tall trees, making what anyone in the forest only sees as mist. Far beyond the shinomen, the land slopes down and he sees a vast landscape that would open up just at the edge of his horizon.

Opposite the view of this forest, beyond and behind the citadel, is the massive Baobob, a tree five times as tall and nearly half again as wide-around as the Citadel, that the hated Hobgoblins have occupied. Ikrit thought he saw smoke rise from its trunk, but as he focuses on it, the smoke disappears from his sight, as if it were as insubstantial as the vitreol in an aging eye.

The Thew continues, Orusc has little desire to do the tasks Tun signed up for, but he is bound to complete them, and he rankles at the task. He has tried to have Chokka and other Nezumi into other deals with him...Orusc does not think in terms of what benefits him right now but what benefits him many years later, maybe ten or twenty or even fourty years later. Chokka might only understand that she doesn't have the vision to understand what he's planning, and doesn't trust what she can't understand.

Ikrit reaches the large spiral tower. "Halt," says one of two Nezumi guards. "This tower is not for the young. Why do you seek this place?"

[Tjallen]

As he shuffles towards his goal, his censor still lit with pleasant smelling incense, the Plaguebringer starts thinking more about the war he is about to engage in as his thoughts get sidelined he mumbles to The Thew: "The Blessed Divine One is Godling, Skaven-Nezumi will give life-soul to elevate. But Nezumi lives-dies quick, Orusc-thing getting-hiding death-souls? Tun-thing is blood-body, Orusc-thing is soul-mind? Good agents-minions, who is master-puppeteer? Orusc not fit for mind-healing, Blood-mind and Soul-body. Opposites-wrong, fiends instead of celestials. Divine-One Red-Eye tangles in high-strange realms."

Getting his thoughts back on track once more he talks to The Thew about his thoughts: "Plague-disease is weapon, this one can make-turn water sources into foul things, but takes long time to leave. If agent smuggles into water-supply of hobgoblin-things, would spread and weaken-kill. But lack strong-powerful plagues, only have few-weak plagues. You know-wise to where-how this one can get-find more?"

Bowing his head, Ikrit turns his glassy eyes to the guard as the spirits around him stare unerringly: "Have business with Blessed Lady Chokka, new weapon, dangerous, lasting."

[~Corvus~]

The guard hesitates, mulling over this proposition, and finally says, "This tower holds secrets you are not permitted to see. If you agree to be blindfolded for the ascent and the descent, we will guide you safely to the top, where you may talk with Chokka." With his consent, the guards put a thick, dark bag over his head and another Nezumi just inside the tower looks up from some ledgers to lead him up the steps. They make slow but steady progress, and it's quite a bit longer than he expected. The Thew gives him a comforting sense of their total progress, and with that the journey becomes easier to weather with patience.

The Thew thinks for a long while before it replies. "I do not know what Orusc plans, but I sense that he spoke with some truth: he seeks to make a powerful body crafted from the bodies of dead Nezumi. I guess he wants to make a golem body. If this is the case, the body will interfere with most of Tun's old powers and abilities, be much slower, and Tun might be very upset with it, but he but he will still be able to perform his blood-craft. I suspect Orusc wishes to remove Tun's ability to make pacts and agreements, and keep that ability for himself."

They are little more than half of the way up the tower, and have a bit more time for contemplation or conversation.

[Tjallen]

Ikrit nods at the guard: "Blessings upon you brother-sibling," before following the guard, slowly waving his censor from side to side as he walks.

Mumbling prayers in-between conversing with The Thew as he walks:
"Do you-belt have-know secrets of plague-disease? Would like-want. Can make-forge alliance-pact?"
"Tun-thing weakened, but here? Can transfer into new-other body after Chieftain decides-punishes?"

[~Corvus~]

The Thew shows no interest in either a plague or making of pacts. I am here to serve you. As long as you wear me, you are my master.

Orusc has talked with Red-Eye many times, and I suspect he and the Great Chief agree on their...dislike of Tun. I suspect Orusc hides this disdisdain for concern that it would be exploited, and instead tempts others towards more agreements. Body transfers are far beyond my knowledge, as are the workings of metal and energy. But those employers of Orusc and Tun..? They would have connections.

This inevitably brings back a previously unanswered question: Who do they work for, who is master-puppeteer? I am compelled not to say. Orusc and Tun have both an employer and work in service to another being. But I have something else in mind to discuss..

Blood Magic is the purest form of magic possible, for it coheres to the very soul of a being, beyond their simple emotions and choices. In this realm of Rokugan, the being known as Fu Leng, the Divinity that betrayed the others and fell from the Celestial Realm, has made it impossible to work blood magic without him being able to corrupt it. Tun was the exception, but only if he worked in the guise of a Nezumi, a pure being beyond Fu Leng's taint. That word, Nezumi, carries a meaning of vermin in it, both a blessing and a curse, at least to the Rokugani: although Nezumi are pure, they are despised by nearly all the humans. They paid for their purity, and most of their whole race lacks memory.

The Thew's musings blend in with your journey. It's only near the top, as Ikrit hears conversation, does he realize the implications about what The Thew said about the Blood Magic.

Is that why you decided against being a Remember, Chokka?
No. I would have failed the test anyways. Better to have... She cuts off as the guard brings Ikrit into view. She speaks with another Nezumi, a scarred one, tough and strong-looking despite his age. He has a tattoo on his left shoulder indicating the rank of Captain. This is unexpected.
The guard that accompanied Ikrit unveils him and descends. The half-Nezumi can see a great deal more than he could from the citadel ramparts. A nearly perfect view of the forest, blocked only by the other two towers, and a good deal beyond. He can see the Baobob, occupied by the Hobgoblins, and their long line of reinforcements and caravans that approach the tree. He sees, too, the hidden encampments of the Nezumi and--was it a trick of his eyes?--a flash of silver among the Nezumi, and another one, more brief than a blink of an eye. Much of the forest had been burnt, and many of the Hobgoblin fortifications near the Baobob had been consumed in terrible fire, evidenced by the blackened earth around them. But even now, they cut down the forest near them.

Beyond the forest to the North, be could see many mountains, and the barest glimmer of heat not from the sun, to the north. The fabled Northern Sands from which these Goblins came. To the West-North, more mountains that also seemed to darken even with the presence of the sun, and to the far West, a darkness that almost hurt his eyes to look at.

They must be stopped, Lady Chokka, the guard says, nodding to the Baobob where the Hobgoblins occupied.
Chokka eyes Ikrit as she responds to the guard-captain. And they will. This is the one I told you about, captain. He is the one I hope will bring new and lasting victory against our invading host. Do you bring good news, Ikrit?

[Tjallen]

"Does the Skaven-Nezumi carry this purity? Could I-we learn the blood-magic? Do you-belt know, can teach-show blood-magics? Can Thew get-find body and help Skaven-Nezumi?" Ikrit asks of The Thew before ending his prayers as he hears Chokka's voice.

Inclining his head to the guard-captain and bowing to Lady Chokka, Ikrit presents the news: "Two-fold is news.First-worst, spirits" He gestures to the spirits following him, "doubled after blessing of Mage-Chieftain, will-can construct relic-device of power-disease, can spread to hobgoblin-things, if give up-kill tree, can put into water supply, silent killer, can spread to all-most that fights. Allow to retreat, let disease-plague claim-weaken. Best-second, Nezumi are-is pure, immune to taint-corruption, can learn-use blood-magics with no risk-threat of Fu Leng. Blood-magic is pure-stong, is why human-things hate-fear Nezumi. Memory is cost, but if no use price, is bad trade. Must-must start using-teaching blood magic. Hobgoblins are-is materials."

[~Corvus~]

The Thew is thoughtful, and doesn't speak for a while.

Chokka nods. "Whatever knowledge you have, we'll give you the resources you need to construct your war machines. We have forges and forgers, and finally enough resources from our allies among the Rokugani.

When Ikrit starts to speak of Blood Magic, the lady warrior and the guard-captain share a look. "Red-Eye forbade us to use Blood Magic, as it was a practice used by Tun. He does not wish us to use it until Tun has been...returned. If you have such knowledge of these arts, do not practice in this citadel, and do not get caught.

The Thew interjects a thought into Ikrit's mind. I have no means to teach you blood magic. It's the most-guarded secret of Tun. But some of his knowledge may still remain...in crystals that Orusc has.

The air around you darkens for a brief moment, and Chokka reaches out to the Guard-captain. Ikrit hears the sound of a snapping neck, and as the darkness fades, the guard-captain flies off the observation platform, over the thin metal guard-rails, to the outside the citadel, far below. Chokka does an excellent act of yelling out in shock and rushes to the thin metal railing, and even does a risky stunt, as if she, too, were hurled off the platform...but catches herself, and the captain slips from her hands with a curse. Three and a half heartbeats later, his body *thwacks* to the ground far below you. Chokka climbs back up the railing deftly, and narrows her eyes, leans forward to rest her body on his, and whispers to Ikrit, Blood magic is taboo, but I trust you can be discreet. Do not get caught. I will not kill to protect your secrets again. She straightens, as if she had recovered from her momentary weakness, and changes to a normal voice.

...We'll have to find a new guard-captain. If we can't trust them to weather the Dark One's attacks from up here, then unfortunately a replacement must be found. Come, youngling, let's be away from this unsafe place before more tragedy befalls us. She picks up the cowl and ushers Ikrit down, quickly placing the cover over his head. Again the young half-Skaven gets a comforting feeling of progress. He has a distinct sense he is alone with Chokka for a bit of time. Tell me, young one, what this plague is. I'm curious now how you discovered it. Is it another of the Divine Gifts granted to the new, elite generation?

[Tjallen]

Not having the reflexes to react in time, Ikrit simply nods and follows Chokka.
'Possession, by who-what? Nezumi have taboos not set by Chieftain, must remember, weaker, but numerous than Skaven-nezumi. Chokka must understand value of blood and purity.'
As they are alone he brings up the subject of blood-magic, although slightly less direct: "It is taboo-forbidden because the rokugani-things fear-hate nezumi, the price was memory, weapon must be grasped when strong-wise Chieftain Red-Eye is returned to use. Orusc-thing may have crystals of knowledge, Tun-thing guard-hoard this jealously-fearfully. Is source of power, is unique to nezumi, is important, must usurp and take for own. Also Orusc-thing dislike-hate Tun-thing, is weakness, will try to sabotage-inconvenience Tun-thing if can. Need dead nezumi for Tun-things body, Orusc set up war for this."

As he lets Chokka think he returns to a less dangerous subject, if not less vile: "Plague-disease is blessing, This One collects them, makes vials and weapons, is immune, need sample of body with disease or to get disease itself, any rumors-whispers of places of disease would-will be appreciated-beneficial, Lady Chokka. As blessing by Red-Eye turned the spirits into a multitude, they can now build-make a plague-furnace, is for spreading plague on battlefield, clouds of disease, useful for infecting hobgoblins and retreating. Other-second choice is plagueclaw catapult, but unique, can only have one, spirits make-repair, maybe design can be copied-duplicated, but is magic. Can hurls rocks and plague, spread into tree. Else, send invisible eshin-skaven, pour vial into water supply. Maybe add doses of poison-rats, have seen-watched brothers train-find rats. Fight hobgoblin-things when weak-sick, take prisoners, use for magic or slaves. Important."

[~Corvus~]

Chokka looks surprised with the warning about the bodies being gathered, then shakes her head. "We'll watch where Orusc has others place the bodies for 'storage' and be sure to burn them so he can't use them. Thank you for keeping watch.

...About the crystals, I know of them. Chief Red-Eye used them, so I guess you have some lenience. Still, we should limit our contact from now on. I'll assign you one of my subordinates; they will work with you and will relay messages back to me when needed. Don't tell that person anything you wouldn't want others to know. She turns to leave, but as an afterthought she says, We're working on the designs for your catapults. They might be very useful for this siege.

[Tjallen]

Ikrit shakes his head slightly and objects: "We-I must find-make corpse-body for Tun-thing, Chieftain orders-wills it. Better the dead-fallen than the willing-sacrificed, but keep loyal-true eye-watch, must not be allowed to be hidden from us-I, but must be hidden-secret from soft-weak."

As his last parting words, Ikrit murmurs, just loud enough for Chokka to hear: "You will-must believe, First-Mother"

[roll0] Listen check!

[~Corvus~]

Chokka looks taken aback.O...of course I trust you. she returns, as her voice softens. I must return to the Throne room, where we make battle preparations. I believe you mentioned your desire to find more resources to poison them? You must make haste. We attack in ten days, and we shall need time for your diseases to spread to the enemy camps.

[Tjallen]

"Faith-belief is a must-need, Blessed-True Chieftain will-shall ascend, perhaps by wrestling the mantle of godhood from a false-weak god, but we-I shall be the arrow-spell he loosens upon the weak-faithless. The cloak-shadow that shields him. We must-can not fail." Ikrit responds, taking the opportunity to enlighten Chokka as to the ultimate goal of the Cult: Apotheosis.

As he is made aware of a deadline he quietly bows and requests aid before taking his leave: "I require new-old diseases, tombs of old-dead, if-when hear-know of any, inform-find This One, Blessed First-Mother."

With the goal of unearthing more tombs and their possible diseased remnants, Ikrit sets out to find the one in charge of the Eshin. The only Nezumi to have been tutored personally by Red-Eye: Second-in-Command. While she may have another name, that was what she was known as to Red-Eye and through him, the Cult.

[~Corvus~]

Although he has significant status among the Nezumi and even his bretheren, Ikrit learns, via crow messenger (the "contact" Chokka had talked about) that the Chieftan himself had a prescient vision of Ikrit and Chokka's altercation atop the tower. Although he kept secret what he saw, the Great Chief screamed that Ikrit was not to recieve aid.

Alone, his search takes nearly two weeks, significant travel between the Citadel and the battlefield, and finally he manages to track her down. Their conversation, held on the thirteenth day just after the sun has passed its zenith, lasts less than a minute. You seek-find many-much places in Shinomen. We-Eshin-I not give you aid by command Great-One-Chief. Go-seek now the big-big beasts.


-|-|-|-|-|-|-

The Shinomen, treacherous and wild, has yielded only small game and terrible-but-edible moss for the last fifteen days. Chokka sends a crow messenger every three days with a simple message:
Tough battle. New warriors strong; meet hobgoblin and bugbear with losses on both sides. Battlefield not move much.
-Ck
The message has not changed yet.

Ikrit walks through a thick tangle of trees only to find a great and crumbled stone structure, worked into the ground, that descends far below. His eyes take several moments to register...yes, four Large snake-creatures with arms, well-blended into the surroundings, that guard this stone structure. Two of them are coiled around dead, moss-covered trees that flank the entrance to the ruins; another two, both wielding what appears to be staffs adorned with skulls that patrol the perimeter of the massive descending staircase.

[Tjallen]

Mumbling praises to Red-Eye under his breath, Ikrit sheaths himself briefly in silvery dust as he walks out into the clearing, his hands visible and one raised in greeting: "Hail, This One comes-walks in peace-quiet, Diplomat-speaker for Red-Eye tribe-clan. Speak-talk-peace?"

Eagle's splendor cast.

[~Corvus~]

One of the patrolling serpents hiss, and the guards untangle themselves from the trees. They remain at their posts, however, and the one patrolling continues its leisurely patrol around the sloping stairs, occasionally giving a glance towards the ratling.

The two guards hiss to each other, and they reach down to their sides. The air shimmers near their hands and bright green halberds coalesce into their hands. One of them moves forward, and keeping the weapon raised, it replies to Ikrit in a voice with elongated S and vowel sounds and avoids R sounds. Thiss place isss not oopen to outsidaahhsss. It beloongss to Naga. Keep disstance and sspeeak whaat you sseeak.

[Tjallen]

Looking at the Naga blankly for several long seconds, Ikrit slowly answers: "This One comes in peace, I-I hunt-search for the diseased-dead, to fight-kill. Also, This One seeks alliance, against hobgoblin, bugbear, and human-things. Naga-clan help with war, at end, take part in spoils."

[~Corvus~]

The Naga hisses at Ikrit's request. "The Naga ssleep uuntiil the Akasha's reeleaassse. We ssstand watch over thoosse assleep. No deaaad distahb thiiss place. it motions with its halberd away from the site to the north-east. Travel thiss way to the oold ccity of Senkuntin. Theahh you ffind many dead.

We ssstand watch, nnoot join conflict

[Tjallen]

"What-who is the Akashas? Can This One find-free, so Naga can join-fight in conquest? How long-far to Sekuntin?" Ikrit answers slowly, waiting for an answer before setting out towards the city of Sekuntin.

[~Corvus~]

The Akasha is what you humanoids caal meditation...maaybe ssleeep, buut thosse in Akasha sshare the ssleep-meditation. Moosst of the Naga staay in Akasha uunntiiil the Eeviil Ooone, the Taiinted Oone....Fu Leng cooomesss baack. Hhee hass beeen knoown to usss long beefoore thiss place was maade of the Kami's will. We Sslept and liived in the Akasha, the Looong Ssleep. Now ooonly a feeew of us staay awake soo the othersss may sleeep and keeep magicss aaaliive. Youu Nezuumi oonce heelped usss liive peacefuull liives until Fu Leng caame.

Wee manifesst magiics to keeep thosse in Akasha sssafe. It looks at Ikrit with curiosity. Maaybee you show uuseefuul way to uuss. Go to Senkutin, thiiis waay. Slaay the ghouuuls and giive eevicence of slayiing...mmm...thumbss. Theen we sspeeaak of aiid.

the Naga motions again to the north-east. Go now, Nezuumi.

[Tjallen]

"I-we shall bring the final peace they deserve."
Wielding The Herald of Red-Eye, made from the skull of slain mummy and a looted and remade, desecrated, and re-blessed unholy symbol swaying at the end of a mastercrafted chain of iron fastened to a haft inscribed with verses of devotion on the bonewhite wood found in the forests of Shinomen, Ikrit trods towards the indicated city. As he walks, his shadow becomes deeper and from it, six figures rises and follows. The true skaven, born of madness and nightmares, wear naught but rags, daggers, and faith.
As Ikrit nears the city, he brings his tail to his side and removes the cloth covering it, revealing the four foot long tail covered in metal and religious verse, the whole thing tapering into a razor sharp point, glinting slightly in the few rays of sun shining down through the canopy.

[~Corvus~]

It's not hard to find the place. He arrives on a street where moss-covered cobbled stones lie fractured and disturbed by wild, unchecked plants. Buildings wrapped with vines and invasive trees have crumbled from gaea's grip, and groups of people-like figures mill about in packs of five around the crumbling city.

The Thew cautions Ikrit, I feel my presence slipping in this place. Such profane power. Be cautious of the ghouls..

A nearby pack, skulking about a pile of unused and partially mossy cobbled stones, has stealthily approached Ikrit and his group. Their skin is leathery, as if oiled and maintained somehow, and a tone of green. They charge, mouths open and head thrust forward in hungry anticipation, their hand spread wide to grip Ikrit's body.


[roll0] [roll1]
[roll2] [roll3]
[roll4] [roll5]
[roll6] [roll7] Edit: critical, x2
[roll8] [roll9]

On any hit, grapple: [roll10]
[roll11]
[roll12]
[roll13]
[roll14]

[Tjallen]

As Ikrit prepares to put up his combat spells, a group of Ghouls charge him, snapping at his armor. As one of them aims a bite straight at his throat, Ikrit realizes one thing: He does not want to die. Instinctively he pulls one of his six companions in front of the attack and dispassionately brings his flail down on the ghoul that suddenly found a different throat to rip.
As he swings the Herald of Red-Eye, Ikrit mumbles the first syllables of the litany of hatred: "For it claws-bites at the roots, hate-hurt the parasite..." imbuing the strike with greenish light.
As his tail whips out, sharp and viscous, he slams a vial of disease into the Herald which soon releases foul yellow-green vapors.


Immediate action: Verminous Valor - Use adjacent ally as meat shield to avoid crit: 18 damage, ally dies 5/6 left.
Standard action: Smite ghoul, power attack 6 [roll0] for [roll1] if hit, also trip Opposed str/dex roll [roll2]
Also attack with tail: Power attack 6 :/ [roll3] for [roll4]
Move action: Load plague censor with plague vial (Blinding sickness) for the next hour, dc 16 fort 1d4 str, every 2+ points forces a save against blindness. 3/4 vials left

[~Corvus~]

The ghoul's howls begin to attract others. He sees another pack of five a bowshot away.


Fort vs 16: [roll0] or [roll1] Str damage & potentially [roll2] vs Blindness.

Attacks! Ghouls are going to Aid Another, giving each other Advantage (roll 2x, take best result) on attacks.
[roll3] & [roll4] [roll5]
[roll6] & [roll7] [roll8]
[roll9] [roll10]

Any hit rolls a grapple check:
[roll11]
[roll12]
[roll13]

One of the ghouls looks like it has some of its strength sapped, and it falls back just a bit to give another help attacking Ikrit; this one looks as if it's about to grasp onto the Skaven, and they scream in triumphant chorus.

[Tjallen]

Slapping away the probing hand and retaliating with his tail, Ikrit starts maneuvering backward towards a wall, not liking the risk of being surrounded by grasping ghouls.
Making way by swinging the herald and releasing clouds of disease that affects nobody except those struck directly, Ikrit fights with annoyance and building rage.

Grapple: 19+10, rolled in discord.
Martial Spirit stance! For each hit heal 2 hp.
Attacks: Power attack 3
Tail: [roll0] for [roll1]

Herald of Red-Eye [roll2] for [roll3] / [roll4] for [roll5], if hit dc 16 or take 1d4 str, if 2+ damage new check to avoid blindness. If immune to disease get +5 on save.

Bite [roll6] for [roll7]

[~Corvus~]

Ikrit's attacks tear into one of the bodies around him, viciously ripping it asunder. It vibrates violently as it falls to the ground, but he continues his savage attack. Before he's landed his second mace swing, a second body falls, but something strange happens as he whirls his mace for a follow-up attack against a third; the first creature that's fallen erupts in a violent explosion, nearly throwing him off his last attacks. He anticipates the next three ghouls' exploding forms, handily dodging the worst of the exploding bodies, but he tumbles into the last one's exploding form


Damage, all Acid:
28
25 12
34 17 Heal 4
21 10
16

83 damage, healed 4 (also healed 2 before he took damage)
79 Acid damage

[Tjallen]

The pain not yet registering, Ikrit focuses his will to live on himself, his desire to not fail. As he does, his arms light up in searing light. Now covered with eerily familiar patterns as the light flows over him.

Casting Cure serious wounds for [roll0]

[~Corvus~]

The nearest pack of five creatures, with pale and leathery skin that look stretched tight are nearly upon him, a mere 20 feet away.

[Tjallen]

Needing time to survive another explosion like that, Ikrit hurries away, mumbling one of the Verses of Worth: "The red eye shines-sees upon-in strength-power".

Move away, 30ft!
Maybe resist energy (Acid), else double move!
[roll0] if 10 or lower, failure!

Maneuvers: [roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]
from the top:
1 Crusader Strike
2 Mountain Hammer
3 Battle Leader's Charge
4 Revitalizing Strike
5 Bonecrusher

[~Corvus~]

It's a tense half-minute before Ikrit both regains use of his spells and also has enough time grant himself Resistance to the creatures' acidic death explosions. Just after he's managed to cast the spell, the creatures have chased him well into the jungle.


[roll0] & [roll1]
[roll2] & [roll3]

[roll4] & [roll5]
[roll6] & [roll7]
[roll8] & [roll9]

On any hit, Grapple:
[roll10]
[roll11]
[roll12]
[roll13]
[roll14]



Two of the creatures seize Ikrit while the others fumble over one another in the jumble.

[Tjallen]

Wrenching out of the claws, Ikrit swings the herald defensively, not trusting his ability to withstand another chain explosion.

Revitalizing strike go!
Combat expertise 4+1 [roll0]+1 for [roll1]+2 + healing [roll2] + 2 martial spirit

Edit: Forgot furious counterstrike +2! So changing combat expertise to -5/+5 and adding +1hit/+2 dmg edited in a +x

[~Corvus~]

With his swinging censor, the creatures can't land a grasp on him long enough. Ikrit feels his vital essence recovering as he lands a solid blow. He hears bones creak and splinter, but the ghoul barely gives out a moan as it doggedly pursues him.

[Tjallen]

Laughing at the failure of the beasts, Ikrit swings his flail at the injured one once more, this time with more power than sense.

Granted maneuver: Crusader strike.
Crusader strike at the ghoul, no expertise, 2 power attack: [roll0] for [roll1] heal for [roll2] + 2 martial spirit

[~Corvus~]

Red Eyes assumption of leadership for the Nezumi had been cause for celebration for the clans, though it caused a great deal of disruption among their ranks and traditions. The old ways of being and doing broke beneath his unwavering gaze and steady stream of shouted demands. Although the beleaguered tribes found new ground and space to live and grow, his choices and direction proved myopic by the time the Hobgoblins attacked them from the West. The time for the Nezumi-Skaven conquest of the Rokugani had to be deferred.

The Nezumi were unable to find a lasting way to combat the organized Hobgoblins. The first battles the Nezumi won led to a sense that the war would be easy. Most of the Nezumi had honorable methods, and the few young skaven were vicious but few. The Hobgoblins' discipline, deep coffers and powerful martial techniques spelt trouble for the Nezumi. Ikrit, plague acolyte, joined the fray after his nearly-fatal foray into the Shinomen. However, his arrival meant an introduction of terrible disease both for his Nezumi allies and the Hobgoblin invaders. His arrival was too late, and his dangerous presence spelt doom for his fellows.

He led a small group in guerrilla resistance to lead the Hobgoblins' forces into Scorpion-clan territory. He gave his life along with Chokka, a long-term companion of Red-Eye, to ensure the longevity of the clan and to cover the Nezumi retreat to the harsh hills before the Unicorn Clan.

The weakened and broken Nezumi need a new champion to pursue both the secret long-term goals Red-Eye and the otherworldly agents that give the Nezumi support. With the burden of the Hobgoblin invaders pressed to the Scorpion-clan's flanks--and their Unicorn-clan neighbors occupied by invading mirror-creatures from the North--the Nezumi have a chance to evade notice by the humans and renew a search among the ranks of the young ratlings for hope.

[~Corvus~]

~~~

In the turnings of one season, the Unicorn have begun to know their foothills were occupied by more and more and more of the Nezumi. The primitives and commoners, warned by their local lords and the better-educated, left them be. But when Khan Moto Chagatai spotted the first snowflake on the steppes of his residence, he sent a messenger-falcon to his southern vassals. By the end of day of the first snowfall, a score of unicorn riders rode into the foothills of their new neighbors. They sent up five soldiers as messengers to the Nezumi camps. Here the five of them wandered, until all made their way to the throne of Red Eye.

They happened upon Red-Eye in a whole day of Clarity. The reports of what the clans had salvaged left him in a foul, if not salvageable, mood. The Lava-ooze relic had been preserved, as had his personal belingings. However, Chokka, Ikrit, and most importantly, The Thew had been lost in the guerrilla-war escape. Most of the Nezumi had lost their lives by Hobgoblin sword, but the majority of the Hybrid and his new Skaven-born remained with the clan. He considered killing a few Nezumi to make himself feel better, but now was not a time for wanton slaughter of his precious few resources.

Speak-tell what you want-seek from us, Red-Eye demanded of the messengers.

One of them nodded his head, and as they all bowed low the one who spoke did so humbly. "The lords of the Unicorn Clan have seen the Nezumi on the mountains south of the Unicorn, and wish to proffer condolences for the terrible losses at the invasion of the...invaders. If it pleases you Mage-Lord Red-Eye, we extend an invitation for yourself and your representatives to join Khan Moto Chagatai at Hokhum Castle. We bring twenty extra horses should you require mounts."

[Tjallen]

Remembering his previous interactions with humans, Red-Eye starts reaching for his magic. The scars on his lower arms reacting to magic once again flooding through them, sluggish from disuse. Just as the first signs of casting becomes visible, he pulls back on the magic, changing his mind from slaughtering the irritants.
"I-We accept the gift-horses. Lords-Unicorns not here-visit. Only lord-human, not ruler-Chieftain, can meet-talk with same rank-authority, in neutral-open space. What is subject of talk-meeting? Why have you human-things come to great-mighty Nezumi-clan?" The foul mood of Red-Eye barely concealed, the aborted spell leaving a slight pressure wafting off of the skaven, barely noticeable, but oppressive to the weakest nevertheless.

[~Corvus~]

"The Great Khan has much to tell you, O mage-lord but these horses are fine stock."

Red-Eye knows a minor deception when a Rokugani speaks, and his advisors have learned--by now--that he would want to know. The advisors interject that the speaker is humble about the horses' quality; if anything, they appeared *perfect* when the Nezumi examined them. The human pauses to give an uncomfortable nod.

"Y-yes, they are fine stock for a Lord befitting your station. The Khan wishes to tell you about the horses himself, I suspect. His message reads thus...
'This ride will lead us to a newly-made fortress north of the Shinomen, where I, The Great Khan, have marshaled a great army to help defeat the shadowlands invaders. We wish to greet you and your clan, and again wish to present gifts and secrets that will buoy your spirit.'

...Should I tell him you are on your way?" The messenger waits for an answer, his head bowed and his body nearly prostrate.

[Tjallen]

Snarling audible Red-Eye answers the man: "Last human-thing I-I met butchered the last-only of my birth clan. Poisoned-burned ally. Now, want me-us to ride-go to army, far from home-safe? I-I smell-see ambush-treachery. Could-should out heads on spikes, but..."
At this point, Red-Eye visibly brings his anger in check with greed, bloodlust, and insanity visibly flashing in his eyes, unseen to the bowing human: "Unicorn-things give gift-horse, ally-friend offering. I-We repay in kind, I-I stay, meet with Khan Chagatai later, first I-I send-present you with good-fine Daughter and Son. Second-in-Charge will-shall inform them, arrange for others. The pact is sealed-made, Unicorn-thing." The chieftain smiles, and it almost reaches his eyes.

[~Corvus~]

The messenger's eyes tighten as Red-Eye twists the offer given him. He tightens the grip on the paper, but he forces his grip to relax and mirrors the smile Red-Eye gives. "You are a cunning warlord, and a fine tactician. We are not like Lion or Scorpion, who would have let your people be slaughtered for whatever reason they seem OK nor the cunning Crane, all who say one thing and may mean or do another. We Unicorn say what we mean. I'm sure the Great Khan will find amusement from your judgement.

...We leave early this next morning. Can we provide anything else for you or your representative named..?"

[Tjallen]

"Second-In-Charge will decide-choose, guard-servants too. When-how can I-We expect Unicorn-things to deliver-give own children-hostages? How many servant-guards, for this peace-deal?" Red-Eye lifts a single eyebrow as he questions the messenger.

[~Corvus~]

The speaker chooses his words carefully. "Your second and his guards will ride with a full honor guard. Lord Toritaka will give a squadron's command to the Mage-Lord, and they will serve loyally." The messenger departs along with his other two after they bow again.

~~~Three days and nghts pass; Red-eye has been quiet and cooperative, peaceful, and his advisors have kept him from being approached or observed except from afar. He returns to awareness as he rides. It's early morning on the fourth day~~~

The shinomen has a deeper stain of green than when Red-Eye last saw it--the stain of fresh-spilled blood, perhaps, that shows up even at a distance. Much of its middle is burnt, and as they ride, they do see several comapnies of horse-men that harry the Hobgoblin hosts that have traveled east, towards the Scorpion's holdings. Smoke wafts from the Shinomen and it adds haze to his ride. A nearly-imperceptible line perpendicular to the horizon becomes a tower, and he realizes its very tall and very thin, made from what must be an unusually well-grown palm tree, hollowed out to make a semi-living tower. More ingenious, it blends into the landscape around it. Lord Toritaka, a man dressed in purple armor made from interlocking metal plates and heavy cloth with a royal purple, approaches Red-Eye's company and introduces himself. He points to the tower and explains that its manned by the Unicorn, but gifted to them by the Naga nearly four centuries ago. "We saw the Hobgoblin invaders approach, but our first forces were crushed so utterly that none escaped. We've been marshaling forces for three months now, and we're ready to march. Mage-Lord Red-Eye, you and your kind have an open invitation to join in our ride for revenge."

Red-Eye might have responded had a golden voice not then entered his head. "Finally I have found you again. I thank you for freeing me from the Wani, that had held me for so long, Snich. There is another Eshin that now wears the blood-memory of the Wani. This is my last gift as I depart forever..." and soon the voice fades away. His ears ring and he has a temporary feeling of dizziness, but he returns to consciousness as some of Red-Eye's assistants help him pull his horse to the edge of the grassy plain they've been riding on for the last three dats.

The grassy knoll drops to a steep slope overlooking a greay valley. A hundred thousand calvary watch a man in purple-and-gold colored armor march among their ranks and he speaks to them with mage-augmented voice so that it carries across the valley to every man and woman there who looks upon him with rapt attention.

"...have told me of how the Nezumi fled the SHinomen, and led their attackers to the Scorpion, to the Lion, and yet many of them, most of them died in their retreat. This is the extent of the dishonor of the forces of Shadow, that they slaughter a fleeing foe as if it were a beast to be hunted. I know many of you do not look favorably on the Nezumi, so let me ask you now, had this happened to your own clan-mates, how would you react? Tell me how you would react."

A shout goes up from the crowd, "They killed our Unicorn troops to the last!" A ripple of replies, of shocked sounds, and low dissenting calls form a wave of disapproval from the troops.

The mounted Khan continues, "The Shadow treated the Nezumi with no more compassion than our own troops! If the Nezumi did not matter, if they did not matter, then the Shadow would have passed them on and wasted no strength of arm to bring them down." He pauses a moment for dramatic effect and continues, "We are gathered here today to stand against the Shadow that would crush our Nezumi allies as well as many of our own. We are here to march and send a ripple of hope into Rokugan, that the shadow will not bring us to our knees, they will not crush our allies, no matter who or what they are!"

The energy of the people below shift; a swirl of hope starts among the people, an energy Red-Eye knows of, a magic of hope, a force that's almost tangible to him. The Great Khan looks up to the top of the hill, where Red-eye and the forces of Toritaka's riders have now assembled, and all of them watch with bated breath. "Today we march as a tide of warriors, and we shall flow as one force, each building as a force and a tide as great as the Moon's, and with this energy wash away the mightiest army of oppression that has ever DARED to enter our domain." THe great Khan, now at the back of the valley and at the bottom of the precipice from which Red-Eye watches, turns his horse and begins to gallop towards its exit.

His voice continues to carry over the forces as he gallops. Ride now, noble warriors, for our brothers and sisters whose lives are returned to the Void too soon. Ride now, for our allies forced to flee and live in desperate isolation. Ride now, and begin the tide to wash away this evil that invades our land. RIDE NOW, AND LET EACH OF YOU CUT DOWN THE DARKNESS THAT WOULD TAKE AWAY OUR FUTURE! RIIIIDE NOOOW!"

The flood of riders that exit the valley and move towards the rear columns of the Hobgoblin army takes long enough that the sun has moved a bit across the sky before they have all deployed. Lord Toritaka and his men follow the Great Khan, and Red-Eye's advisors--and the leader of the Unicorn company now under his command--ask him only one question: Shall we join the army in its attack?

[Tjallen]

Ignoring the question, Red-Eye quickly checks the gear he doesn't remember packing. Finding his belongings and his poisons neatly packed in unfamiliar places, he quickly rearranges them to better suit his preferences.
'Second-in-charge has packed enough for a full day, I should be able to make it to the filthy goblins in less than an hour, lucky the unicorn-things have shown their hand, will make our position better after. Hopefully I can find some proper heads, their leaders at least.' The Skaven thinks to himself as he quietly looks over his gear. Satisfied with the inspired choices in poison and the plentiful number, he turns to the Unicorn Leader riding close to him, his hands busy writing a short note: "I-I will be going ahead, after meeting your Khan. Unicorn-things can come if they are fast-strong enough." With that, Red-Eye simply rolls off the horse and as soon as he touches the ground launches ahead, dropping the note in the hands of his daughter in passing, faster and faster until he moves more than twice that of the fastest messenger horse. Determined to not lose too much time he rushes ahead, barely touching the ground every hundred meters or so, quickly catching up to the Great Khan and slowing down to fly at eye level with him quietly activating the blessing that allows his lies to be indistinguishable from the truth:
"You wanted my attention you have it, and with this you have gained my approval, I am Mage-Lord Red-Eye, Cheiftain of the Nezumi, for what did you desire my presence?"

The note reads:
The memory of the Wani lives on in an eshins clothing, find it, notify me when the battle is over.
Slight of hand to deliver it successfully at speeds: [roll0]
To deliver it without anyone but the receiver noticing (Hide) [roll1]

[~Corvus~]

None of the Unicorn have ever seen a Nezumi so powerful or incredible as Red-Eye launches himself forward with speed given only to a falling stone. He leaves behind his retinue of soldiers, and he can only guess whether or not they follow at a pace more suited to standard horse riding.

~~~

Although the stallion of the Unicorn Khan is a larger horse than most, it whinnies and shakes at the sudden streaking form of Red-Eye whom has caught up to the Khan. As he addresses the ruler so soddenly, thirty spear-bearing horsemen move to interpose between their ruler and Red-eye, two hundred bows arch and curve, and he can even feel the tingle of myriad possibilities of magic from others with neither bow nor spear. Although the front of the column has stopped rather quickly, the rest of the forces flow beyond them. Several men whose faces bear the face of command, look curiously but press onwards. With a wave from him, the Khan's second--a youthful woman also in purple-colored (leather) armor with a porcelain mask and severe eyes that peek out-- with her command the spear-bearing horsemen relax and step back. The Khan speaks with her briefly, an exchange left unheard over the hoofbeats of the massive army; the second turns her horse slightly and catches up to the rest of the army. Curiously, the flow of the horsemen makes it so that very soon they are at the outside of the moving column.

The Khan appraises Red-Eye for a short time. Surrounding the two of them are the thirty spear-bearers and also the two hundred archers and the casters also, but all show an alert watchfulness instead of held actions. The Khan's stare is intense as if he's seeking something, but he soon throws back his head in laughter. I have so much more to tell you than I already told my soldiers! He turns his horse slightly and points beyond himself, to the mountains beyond the gathering-point. Those mountains and hills are unoccupied by any Rokugani, and we have noticed how you're been run down and out of the Shinomen. But even more importantly, those caves and burrows you've made yourselves at home in are not safe. Certainly its clear that they are old mines, and they're close to our own current mines. It would be a regrettable disaster should anything collapse and bury more of your tribes; and so here are some prospecting reports on the veins found just beyond the surface:

72% iron, 17% platinum, 9% gold, and other trace metals. He again throws his head back and gives a hearty laugh that carries even through his armor. "Here we've been driving game towards your burrows the last several months and we could have hired an entire new team of miners and set up a few cities, whether or not it's winter! ...This sort of site could make your people rich among the empire. After this great battle, We'd like to help the Nezumi to these new mountains to begin a new life entirely your own.

As we ride--and you fly, as your great magical being dictates--to defeat a common enemy I urge you to consider our offer as a gesture of friendship and reconciliation for the ills you've likely had at the hands of the others within the empire.

[Tjallen]

Correcting the Khan as he keeps pace with the horse while mulling things over: "I-I am using no magics-tricks, Khan-thing talks of much-great things, but earth holds many-big monsters, will think-decide after goblin-things lie dead-slain. Great Chieftain Red-Eye shall go-see enemy, will kill-slay, cause chaos-confusion, offer is tempting, must seal in blood-pain. Talk more after battle-win."
With that, Red-Eye allows the Khan his parting words before jumping ahead, weaving between the horses, but not letting his ability to actually fly be seen. The Skaven heads towards where the enemy is thought to be, keeping an eye out for scouts and traps during the traveling.

[~Corvus~]

The Khan gives him a salute: Left hand crosses across his chest to touch the opposite shoulder. "Of course. If you do all of this without magic, what wonders you must work with its powers. It will be a pleasure to see what you can do."

The Khan, ostensibly unflappable, looks for Red-Eye's departure and exults in his powers as much as his other attendants, but simply keeps his enthusiasm to himself. He smiles, and tells his others, "This is going to be a favorable battle. We must watch him closely. Perhaps his prowess can change the minds of the other clans.

~~~

Red-Eye's flight takes him north-and-east, and at the peaks of his arcs he can see the multitudinous swarm that is the Hobgoblin army. In the centre of each cluster moves several balls of un-light, where the brightness of the sun disappears. In the vast distance where the Hobgoblins have begin their engagements with the Scorpion and Crab armies--Red-Eye can just see the banners beyond the Hobgoblins' reach--the disappearing light also appears at the front of of the Hobgoblin army. He's too far away to see how the front-battles are going, but he CAN make out the pockets of space where catapult-arms and even what look like huge, inverted "T" structures poke above the created darkness.

[Tjallen]

Quickly thinking over how best to apply his talents, and explosives, Red-Eye finds himself gnawing on a mushroom, the ones keeping him from the grasp of insanity, prepared with pieces of meat and roots as he decides that the darkness will have to be stolen away, preferably for his own personal use. As he investigates he finds it maintained by no magic he knows of, the profane energy wafting off the ritual setting his fur on edge.

As he mulls over how best to dispatch the spellcasters maintaining the darkness, he discovers the nature of the structures poking out of the darkness: Trebuchets. Leisurely setting up explosives on the trebuchets and the catapults, all set to go off as one. As he moves between the siege weapons, the Mage-Lord amuses himself with sniping the standards and banners, silently amused at the scramble to find suitable places to hang the, now poleless, cloth.

Before he can finish with setting up the last of the bombs, a loud explosion can be heard as some hobgoblin stumbled upon one of the explosives and removed it. With renewed speed Red-Eye swiftly sets up the last few bombs and briefly appears in the sky, laughing dangerously as the trebuchets and most of the catapults suddenly explode, gets devoured by a multitude of ethereal jaws, or spontaneously catch fire, before once again turning silent and invisible.

Still having hours left before the Unicorn army arrives, Red-Eye decides that if HE can't have the darkness, neither can the hobgoblins. Setting to the task of extinguishing the ritualists that keep the darkness going. Silent arrows, anathema to the hobgoblins, duplicate before striking the casters. Before they can even react several arrows follow up, all find their marks invisibly and silent, the unnatural silence surrounding the arrows and their targets even as they disintegrate. The Nightlord jumps between spots of darkness, leaving only silence and cooling bodies.

As he traverses the Hobgoblins camp, Red-Eye keeps his eye out for the targets strong or important enough to warrant a visit as the darkness is dealt with, the hobgoblin champions and leaders must fall, even if a disciplined army like this may not lose much more than their experience in duels and tactics.

[~Corvus~]

The Hobgoblin camps strike him as one of incredible efficiency. Each rank, file, and section is so meticulously arranged that it's practically impossible to tell he's moved while in each section. If it wasn't for the slightly changing and scarred faces he might never have found his way among the army. One thing's for sure, as he tries himself in battle among several hobgoblins: they hide their experience well. It's nearly impossible to tell the powerful ones from the non-powerful ones; even the ones with extra-gaudy face and chest decorations are no guarantee of better power or experience.

Red-Eye dedicates himself to the spots of darkness after the siege engines have been loaded with explosives, and he finds that the mage-casters have single star shapes on the shoulders of their studded-leather coats; hardly any way to identify the important Hobgoblins until one is in stabbing range anyways. This makes his job a tad bit easier, and he becomes a little efficient at taking out the darkness-makers as the army begins to converge with the front lines of the Scorpion and Crab clans. But he's not prepared for the powers they unleash.

As the Hobgoblins get within a half-mile of their foes, they stop their advance. The Rokugani send forth their skirmishers but lightning courses through the front of the Hobgoblins. They direct great arcs of energy through the skirmishers, so that many--if not all--of the spear-throwers and archers' forms cook and fry in a terrible expenditure of energy. Bolstered by their allies' power, the Hobgoblins then send their own skirmishers forward and advance many ranks of spearmen to greet the onrushing cavalry of the Rokugani. The humans falter at the great magics unleashed, but soon recover and the battle begins with a great rush.

Not long after Red-Eye's witnessed the hobgoblins' circle magics at the front of their lines, he can hear the great thunder of horses that announce the arrival of the Unicorn's great cavalry force to the rear.

~~~

At Red-Eye's direction, the soldiers given to his command held saddle the many Nezumi given horses, and there are many thousands of others besides that desire vengeance against the Hobgoblins; many Unicorn, curious about their ratling allies, decide to march with those on foot (though they bring their horses of course). With the reports of these new mountains given to his seconds, Red-Eye's administrators know what to do: Find these mountains and begin a relocation. It takes them the better part of a day to pack in the many supplies--the Magma Ooze is a tricky issue that they expend more spells than usual making secure--but soon the Mage-lord's laborers and non-combatants, under a light escort, begin their march towards a better location at the edge of Rokugani space.

As the troops are marching south-east to meet with their faster cousins, however, one newborn Hybrid finds himself singled out among the many by Ekchik, Second-in-Command. "Red-Eye told us to watch for one that bears a great present from the Wani. We have sensed a great magic from you; is this false?

The cloth on Drip billowed against the wind, as if the wind was blowing in the opposite the direction it currently flowed. Might as well give up and tell them, right? This is our time to get free.

[Tjallen]

Grinning as a disadvantage of such a regimented and well trained army shows itself: Tightly gathered formations of spearmen, against other infantry and even cavalry is a great tactic. Against a murderous arcane archer like Red-Eye, it is nothing more than packing the corpses closer together, leaving both several dozens dead, but also a mass of difficult to traverse corpses behind with each fireball unleashed.

Targeting the closest packed groups that would hinder the momentum of the hobgoblins and be in sight of the Great Khan, Red-Eye releases Thirteen black arrows in a steady rhythm, each arrow exploding into a wave of fire momentarily shrouding those caught momentarily before the sound of the explosion is heard and the aftermath is seen: smoldering corpses and burnt earth.

Repositioning between the explosions, Red-Eye fervently prays as the fires consume his foe, not daring to fire additional arrows that may fail to take a life:
'Receive-take this offering of lives, see-feel my devotion, eat-feast their corpses, delight-laugh in their pain, hate-despise their existence, direct your wrath-envy and take-steal what they had, grant me the will-power of the blessed Thirteen'

As the last explosion rocks the front and the last litany is silently screamed, Red-Eye moves towards the Great Khan, waiting for a few minutes to gauge if communication would be possible or if a stealthy retreat to a hidden place to rest for a few hours to recuperate from the monumental exhaustion of his resources, magic and otherwise.

~~~

Nodding at Ekchik, the Eshin Assassin, Drip, known for his skill at frustrating enemy scouting efforts replies cautiously:
"A sacred relic was given-gifted to me, by the great-mighty Mage-Chieftain himself. It has matured and grown alongside myself. He knew, we will serve-kill in his name. It grants me great-significant abilities that will help-support in my tasks. It was kept a secret, but our Divine Chieftain has decided to unveil it now, for reasons no doubt more complicated-wise than We-I can understand, Warlord Ekchik."

[~Corvus~]

The Great Khan took his great march to reflect on what he'd seen earlier. A Nezumi who seemed to float with the blessings of the wind-spirits, and could propel himself through the air faster than a ballista javelin in free-fall. Rumor from some of his citizens said this leader had some terrible sickness that sometimes caused him to behave unwell. He'd recently sent a small group of soldiers to talk with the Mage-King, and the Shugenja that accompanied them detected no disease. The disguised mage did detect a curse far beyond her knowledge, one that terrified her. Despite this mysterious affliction, Red-Eye proved to possess more-than-capable servitors that were able to render him capable at least some of the time.

Scouts reported that the Hobgoblin army used their darkness-"blessings" granted by Fu-Leng--from which they could see through without issue--and had started to lay siege to the Crab and Scorpion with some mysterious tower-shaped catapults. The army had also started substantial fortifications with plenty of spears to face the oncoming Unicorn. The Khan had his light cavalry, all of whom were well-equipped with javelins (and shortswords and shields) to harry the lines of those planted in defense. It was a complete surprise to see, however, that the Hobgoblins were already in a little disarray. It seemed explosions had taken out many of their siege equipment and their defensive blockades. Gone, too, were many of the expected pockets of darkness.

It was the Mage-Lord's doing, he suspected. The Khan directed a small unit of both eight heavy and twelve light cavalry to wait with the reserve; they'd be if case the ratling was spotted and possibly in trouble. The wide plains here offered practically no cover and no true hiding spots, and if practical knowledge from his own taught him anything, an exhaustion of spells could leave one surprisingly vulnerable. The first two cavalry charges broke down what remained of the spearmen organization, and in rushed his more-heavily armored cavalry. Screams, whinnies and furious sounds of confusion rang out among the Hobgoblins. The Khan smiled and turned to his second. "Toshika, you have the command, and you know my orders. I'm going in with the fourth wave. With a few nods, he joined his troops, all of whom cheered for his presence.

~~~

Armored horses, thundrous hooves
Dive into Oni:
Tempest of steel, rain of blood.

~~~

Commander Ekchik narrowed her eyes and directed her retinue to clear a space for only herself and Drip. When no one but her own personal guard were within earshot she lowered her voice to Drip and spoke clearly "I have a mission for you that's vitally important for Red-Eye's success. With the departure of The Hew, he has lost the ability to contact one of his important associates.

She hands Drip a simplified map of Rokugan (https://i.pinimg.com/564x/17/93/18/17931859466bf7cb27a824e98affd1f7.jpg) and a clan-detailed version (https://i.pinimg.com/originals/95/bc/75/95bc7582314663071bf04a08d022dffb.jpg). The clan's map is a little old but it still serves as an adequate reference. Our spies at the Unicorn Khan's palace report they have sent riders to the Agasha clan's region in the North-West to aid against an invasion by silver-eyed ones. Travel there by any route you see fit, capture a silver-eyed one of importance, and send word by messenger-bird. May your....gift from the Mage-Lord bring you success.

[Tjallen]

The Black Bell tolls once,
Souls are consumed by dread fire,
The bell tolls thirteen.

~~~~~~

As the Khan goes to join his forces, Red-Eye shimmers into view, casting off the cloak of silence. Much different from the somewhat plain looking ratling of the morning, this is the appearance of a Mage-Lord: His red eyes shine with an overflowing color only describable as magic and the scars on his arms, normally hidden by fur and cloth, pulse with red-orange light. All traces of tiredness are gone and his earlier stillness nowhere to be found, every second he moves with frantic energy, hardly keeping still for long enough to hold eye contact, his very form brimming with energy and religious zeal.

He moves to speak to the Khan, seeped in the twin essences of godly ritual and mass murder. Red-Eye smiles broadly, honestly, for the first time.


As the Khan goes to join his forces, Red-Eye distractedly digs a small burrow far from the battle, the entrance trapped and hidden. While he goes to speak to the Khan he prepares to rest, to build his bombs back up and regain some of the spells expended during the day. Utilizing his body double, who in truth is simply another body for him to use, for this long is distracting. Even he does not know if he is or isn't the double, not that it matters, if he was the one that spent the morning picking off mages, or if he was the one raining down fire, sacrificing the hobgoblins to further his rise.

He lays down and sleeps, spent of more magic than he used to command before his insanity, the magic comes easier, the insanity and forced introspection letting him glimpse the secrets. As he slumbers, he dreams of pleasant feelings, of complex magic, and of revenge.

~~~~~~

Listening closely, Drip quickly looks at the maps as he follows up the briefing with clarifying questions: "Capture Important Silver-Eye alive, what of unimportant Silver-Eyes? Are more better-useful or one enough? Is important to not be seen-heard by man-things? Are they allies-shields to be involved, or obstacles-enemy to silence? Any other goals-missions? Cause-make chaos if opportunity is found-seen?"

[~Corvus~]

Commander Ekchik thinks on Drip's question as they ride. "The Silver-eyes are unknown. They invade the man-creatures' land. Capture traitor Tun; do what you think must among mirror-people to get there. She twists her mouth, looking at the horse. "Some Rokugani show kindness and wisdom, all care for their beasts, but none like the Unicorn; they have real honor. Travel among Unicorn be most safe. Common people will not hurt you, but are afraid of the nobles. The ones with good weapons, the Nobles, hold power in their chests: any noble is dangerous. Many "noble" ones kill Nezumi on sight; as you travel, strike fear into the hearts of these Rokugani! Show them you are not weak-flesh! Keep in mind your goal: Find the Mirror-people to the north. Capture Tun; bring back to Red-Eye so he can find answers.

Several riders bearing Unicorn insignia rode in front of Ekchik to catch her eye. "The departing army will be out of sight soon. Shall we push on?" The grey-furred Nezumi shook her head. "We will advance as a reserve. Keep our beasts in good health. The soldier saluted as he gave her a studying gaze but dropped back. Ekchik pointed to the clan-map. "We reach the edge of Ide-space. As you travel North and then East...May the wrath of the Mage-lord be with you.

~~~

Drip's journey with his horse was pleasant enough as he moved north of the lake they'd seen. He could see the non-combatants of his tribe head into the mountains; his chestnut-and-white horse had a distinctive color division across its face, an imperfect line that went from its right nostril to nearly its left ear; its left ear was white and its right ear was chestnut. As the day winded down, he faced the first of his many challenges:

Clouds without warning--
Light rain falls--distant thunder booms:
Future promise looms.

Horse dances, unsure.
The pleasant beast rolls its eyes,
Spooked by the lightning.

~~~

The devastation wrought by Red-eye demoralized even the normally unshakable Hobgoblins. With so many Hobgoblin archery units disrupted, the Unicorn riders harried and charged the flanks of Hobgoblins while taking minimal losses. Several hours into the battle, when the Unicorn archers' formations had spent their first horses, the Hobgoblin army had soaked the ground with blood. The cavalry spear-bearers had taken the most losses, but with the Khan's presence, they prevailed upon their attacks and soon the Hobgoblin army found itself both divided and out-flanked. The hobgoblins, with little choice, split into two large sections, and ran for the small gaps left in the aggressive unicorn formations. Many more died on the retreat. By the end of the first day, the Hobgoblins had lost more than a third of all their forces, and they were divided to boot.

The Unicorn pulled the bulk of its forces back, and the Khan joined the Scorpion-clan defenders. Though his horse had taken some rather serious injuries, several Shugenja tended to the great beast's wounds upon his direction; he personally visited and helped out the healers instead of joining the other nobles in the strategy meetings. A tired-looking Khan rose before the next dawn to gather the commanders' ideas and rode to the Crab's forces. He distributed the Scorpions' plans, and with a mostly-coordinated plan, the Crab defenders had an edge to bring new hope.

In the first skirmish of the day, the Crab joined forces with the Scorpion and assaulted one section of the divided Hobgoblins' army, while the Unicorn, picking up cues, rounded out the battle against the other half. Only outnumbered two-to-one, the Rokugani fought bravely and fiercely, and with a slow retreat of attrition, had the Hobgoblins charge their lines when least vulnerable. Though the Unicorn forces hadn't found the Mage-Lord Red-Eye, his handiwork among the Hobgoblins was still evident: The latter forces, without help and aid from their mages and clerics, had significantly less morale, despite their discipline.

Hoof and foot above
Shake his underground lair:
Many-worm breakfast.

[Tjallen]

Nodding along, Drip smiles a malevolent smile as he is given free reign to spread death amongst their enemies. He eagerly sets out as soon as his orders have been delivered.

As the rain start to fall, he mumbles a prayer and as the last syllable leaves his mouth the first lightning strike hits, illuminating the evening sky. Grinning, Drip calms the horse as he restrains the urges of Drop to fly screeching into the night sky. His familiar bearing an uncanny resemblance to the first and only mount that ever carried Divine Red-Eye into battle: Skree the Manyfold as he is now known. As the thunder rolls over him, he joins Drop in welcoming the storm with bestial screeching.

Blessed by the storm,
Laughter hidden by the rain,
Good Omens revealed.

Having expressed his joy at the unforeseen, but very welcome, blessing, Drip calms down the horse, mumbling calming words and stroking its mane. Setting up camp for the night, he once again sends his mind towards the cloak he now wears: 'We go into the disgusting-numerous human lands. Do you know anything that will aid-help us in this: secrets, dangers, targets? Or of these silver-eyed things we go to kill-steal?'

~~~~~

Waking up after a couple hours, rested and well, Red-Eye is greeted by a familiar hand shoving a mushroom halfway down his throat. As he stares balefully at himself or his double, he recognizes the cloying taste of poison. As he quickly catches up on the happenings he starts tinkering with new batches of bombs as his double or himself sets down to sleep. As the hours stretch out he finds himself carving into a colorful rock, a many pointed hollow star starts taking form. As blood slowly soaks through the earth, a drop drips down and is caught in the center. It is followed in the next dozen minutes by another dozen droplets. As the other ratling wakes up, he joins in and four hands work tirelessly on the symbol, small resonating sparks of magic flows from the still glowing scars, down his arms and into the object. As eight hours have passed the star lies finished, thirteen drops of blood flow in ever-changing circular patterns in the empty middle, with sparks of flame and lightning moving as in slowmotion through the star: Green lightning dances with purple flames through the black and white material of the star itself. As the night falls, Chieftain Red-Eye digs himself out of the makeshift burrow, the holy stone must be purified in blood, and there are enemies aplenty to whet its appetite.

As approaches rises, the Hobgoblins live through a night of silent death. Entire squads slaughtered to a man with nobody hearing a thing even as arrows find their homes only a few yards away. The death-toll rapidly grows before anybody notices anything amiss, as the first alarm is raised a gross lies slain.

Handle animal to calm the horse [roll0]
Handle animal to keep Drip from flying into the storm: [roll1]



https://i.pinimg.com/originals/b1/06/96/b1069600c962dad45264914034fe4e99.jpg
Here I imagine the middle part being hollow with the blood droplets forming patterns as you look into it, possibly bringing images of the 'false birth of a god of madness' to the front in case of non-believers.

[~Corvus~]

Words drift into Drip's mind. Our path through Unicorn land lets us return the horse with favor, but Drop is better. We should visit Nezumi tribes to learn of the humans that treat them poorly. If you hold up that simple map....yes...Let us visit the Dragonfly, the gatekeepers to the Dragon-clan. Remember what they call you: Nezumi. It means insect, pest, annoying critter.

The rain passes with the next sunrise; the journey takes Drip into a pass, carved in places by human hands, but mostly untouched and left to grow small plants and mosses. The rising sun, here, is little help to the shadows of the mountain. As you approach in the cold, an imposing voice asks Drip, "Who goes there? What clan do you follow?"

In the echoes of the canyon, the sound plays tricks on Drip's ears. Where the voice comes from is not readily visible, though a some carved crenelations perch on some low ridges of canyon some two hundred feet further into the pass. I will make your voice more appealing to them. Worry not.
~~~~

The battle against the Hobgoblins turn to a worse as an uncharacteristically heavy rain inundates the huge battleground, disrupting communication. The Hobgoblin army, emboldened by the rain, attacks and takes the Scorpion stronghold, killing all within. Restocked and resupplied, the Hobgoblins fight with extra vigor for several days as the rain continues in nearly unceasing stamina. Only the swift slaying of their kind, witnessed only by those that would die, can return them to a state of fear. Alarm-bells ring, and Red-Eye felt invincible. His kills both swift and unseen, he was prepared to jump from the roof of the Scorpion fortress. How quickly victory could turn.

Winds blast the high roof
Footsteps drum with the rainfall
Lightning-quick trap hits.

A harpoon pierces the bone of his left leg, jolting him from a great leap; he soars into the lip of the roof. A voice vibrates from one of the few Hobgoblins there whom is not shaken by the invisible creature. "Careful! We must capture this one alive, even if we can't see him. Thick hands seek through the air over the ledge to grasp the mage-lord as he dangles, impaled by solid steel rod bound itself by thick linked chains each bigger than one of his own hands.

There persists a malevolent aura from an enemy on this rooftop that imposes a -5 penalty on all will saves, WIS-based skills and CHA-based skill checks the Hobgoblins' enemies might make.

Red-eye has been hit by a mundane trap! It deals damage. This can be halved with a DC 26 Reflex save, but remains Entangled (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/conditionSummary.htm#entangled) to the harpoon, which is anchored to the building itself.

He will take [roll]3d20 damage for hitting the building, no save, from his leftover trajectory.

[Tjallen]

Mentally sending a thanks to the voice, Drip looks around for the owner of the voice as he answers: "I am Drip, from Clan Thirteen Red Eyes. Who is there-skulking?"
Stealthily palming a throwing knife and preparing Drop to jump into his beastly form, Drip stops his horse as he waits for an answer.

~~~~

As he feels the harpoon enter his leg, Red-Eye switches the hobgoblins on the roofs from merely targets, to threats, and an arrow is in flight before it has reached the bone.
His instinct bid him to flee, so he jumps away at full speed and smashes into the building at speeds, the pain more than he has ever felt before, but strangely detached.
As the hobgoblins close in he silently scoffs at the notion that such weak fools could ever take him alive, another arrow is sent towards a second hobgoblin and as it strikes true, the mage switches places with his target.
Briefly appearing on the rooftop, Red-eye once again cloaks himself in shadows and disappears from view once more.
But the air is charged, the sheer malice and hatred extruding from the skaven almost a palpable thing. Suddenly the war is personal and the Chieftain intends to make the hobgoblins bleed for this insult, for this hit to his feeling of invincibility.


Reflex save against dc 26: [roll0]

Swift action:
Quickened arrow (Baleful transposition dc 19 will or swap places. Poisoned w/ daylight brew dc 34) +1 split seeking arrow:
Arrow 1: [roll1] for [roll2] +14 if flatfooted, + baleful + poison for [roll3] con + [roll4] str damage + dc 21 or be entangled for 1 round if flatfooted

Arrow 2: [roll5] +4 if previous arrow missed for [roll6] +14 if flatfooted, + baleful (if previous arrow missed) + poison for what was rolled above if previous arrow missed + dc 21 or be entangled for 1 round if flatfooted

If translocation goes off: Move action to turn invisible, if not attack with second translocation arrow as standard action (arrow 3 and 4):

Arrow 3:
[roll7] for [roll8] +14 if flatfooted, + baleful + poison for [roll9] con + [roll10] str damage + dc 21 or be entangled for 1 round if flatfooted

Arrow 4:
[roll11] for [roll12] +14 if flatfooted, + baleful (if previous arrow missed) + poison for what was rolled above if previous arrow missed + dc 21 or be entangled for 1 round if flatfooted

If Red-Eye is still stuck, he will shoot two more arrows into the base of the harpoon to get free (Arrow 5 through 8):
Arrow 5:
[roll13] for [roll14]
Arrow 6:
[roll15] for [roll16]
Arrow 7:
[roll17] for [roll18]
Arrow 8:
[roll19] for [roll20]

[~Corvus~]

Shadows of the mountain's pass move on the eastern cliffside and become distinct figures: grey-robed humans with hard faces and tanned skin carry twisted staffs of ash. One of the warriors further away from Drip is the one that speaks. "We are warriors of the Ura-tai, a clanless family united in service to the Empire. We keep watch over this pass for the good of the Empire. You ride a fine horse, one that looks like the Khan's own. And this clan, Thirteen Red Eyes, is not known to us from the many Nezumi we know from the SHinomen. Do you come by this pass as friend or foe?

~~~~

The second arrow hits a rather armored hobgoblin, and as he instantly finds himself among the back-rank of Hobgoblins, he hears a satisfying scream followed by a squelch of a body that hits the ground not soon after. The Hobgoblins laugh and turn towards the space where their leader had been. Confusion turns to consternation as not only is their leader gone--which they animatedly talk of--but the several hobgoblins closest to the building's edge look down only to find him bleeding far below the building. Panic ensues for a few moments before one of them speaks in broken Rokugani:

"We arr not givink upp snneakky one! We will ffight youuu!!" THe many hobgoblins ready their blades and face the space where Red-Eye might have been but they don't attack. Instead, a hobgoblin in cloth robes, not 10 feet from Red-Eye's position, begins casting a spell.

[Tjallen]

Raising the hand not holding a knife in greeting, Drip smiles at the Ura-Tai: "Greetings warrior of the Ura-Tai, I too am a warrior-soldier, would you accept my clansmen into your ranks if they were so inclined-willing?" As he excitedly asks his own questions, he completely ignores the questions he was asked,

~~~~

Red-Eye jumps away, eager to tend to his wounds, as a second invisible Red-Eye sights the caster and unleashes a full volley of arrows into his back: While only one was wounded, the pride of both halves is prickled. Vengeance is the due of the prideful and those prone to grudges.

Red-Eye 1: Move action to fly away, keeping an eye out for further traps.

Red-Eye 2: Swift action: Invisibility -> Superior Invisibility
Full action: Full attack with +1 splitting Goblinoid Bane Arrows poisoned with spell-resistant Eyeblast dc 33 to avoid blindness:

Poison only applies once per attack, each missed attack gives a +4 for all following attacks on the same target.

Attack 1:
Arrow 1 (+2 hit from being invisible, +2 hit/dmg +2d6 from bane, dc 33 fort to avoid blindness, ref dc 21 to avoid entangle): [roll0] for [roll1] + [roll2] bane + 14 if flatfooted.

Arrow 2 (+2 hit from being invisible, +2 hit/dmg +2d6 from bane, dc 33 fort to avoid blindness, ref dc 21 to avoid entangle): [roll3] for [roll4] + [roll5] bane + 14 if flatfooted.


Attack 2 (Rapid shot):
Arrow 3 (+2 hit from being invisible, +2 hit/dmg +2d6 from bane, dc 33 fort to avoid blindness, ref dc 21 to avoid entangle): [roll6] for [roll7] + [roll8] bane + 14 if flatfooted.

Arrow 4 (+2 hit from being invisible, +2 hit/dmg +2d6 from bane, dc 33 fort to avoid blindness, ref dc 21 to avoid entangle): [roll9] for [roll10] + [roll11] bane + 14 if flatfooted.

Attack 3 (Iterative):
Arrow 5 (+2 hit from being invisible, +2 hit/dmg +2d6 from bane, dc 33 fort to avoid blindness, ref dc 21 to avoid entangle): [roll12] for [roll13] + [roll14] bane + 14 if flatfooted.

Arrow 6 (+2 hit from being invisible, +2 hit/dmg +2d6 from bane, dc 33 fort to avoid blindness, ref dc 21 to avoid entangle): [roll15] for [roll16] + [roll17] bane + 14 if flatfooted.

[~Corvus~]

Another Ura-Tai points Drip to an incline on the cliff hidden by plants and weeds. "Come join us up here, and let us talk around a fire. The pass cuts up its face three times with a ramp and an incline that tilts away from its edge and towards the larger mountain above it; the trudge requires even a little concentration at best and could even be seen as dangerous for an unguided horse. Finally you reach a mostly-flat space near the entrance of the pass. The edge curls up, blocking any visibility of the canyon from its perimeters. What Drip might easily have dismissed as old tree tops are the gnarled tips of tents; in one of them walks an Ura-Tai and soon emerges with a gourd and a tray of small cups. He grins and says to the others, "Let us welcome this one with his ambitions for his fellow clan-mates."

Ten Ura-Tai sit down; several others instead opt to walk onwards, preferring to keep their vigil among the long mountain's pass. Another Ura-Tai, hunched over what is not a fire but a fire-pit, says "It will be sundown when the boar we roast underneath the buried coals here is ready. Rat-one, it's customary for visitors of this pass, especially those who are not known to us, to stay and exchange gifts. Those that have no gifts to exchange instead share stories. Perhaps it's time for a story of our own. This story goes back to the time of Toturi, when the Crab-clan had been infiltrated by the Shadow, and waged war against the empire.


The Cold Dark Dawn

The samurai who stepped forward to greet them - like the rest of the samurai who stood and looked to the two riders - bore the standard of a coiled dragon, all in gold and green. The first rider wore a similar banner on his back but his was of a unicorn, noble and fierce and matching his colors of purple and gold. The third rider wore no banner at all. The two riders dismounted and the samurai bowed low to them both. As the samurai recovered from the bow, her eyes fell on the two riders and her delicate lips spoke. "Lord Shinjo", she said to the samurai from the Unicorn Clan, "and Toturi-san," she said to the other unadorned samurai. The two returned her bow.

"Samurai-maiden," the Unicorn began.

"She is Lady Hitomi," said Toturi, his voice low like thunder.

Lord Shinjo Yasamura smiled under his mustache, his gaze falling on Hitomi's soft features, so contrasted by her hard eyes. "Lady Hitomi, I did not know the training for Dragon samurai began so young."

As she spoke, Hitomi's voice was as sweet as summer fruit, but her eyes as dark as Toturi's. "Some must grow up sooner than others," she said.

Toturi nodded and pointed back behind the samurai-maiden. "What do you think of that?" Both samurai turned to face the great mountains that reached up to the morning sky and the tight pass that stood before them.

"Only a few men at a time," Hitomi said. "No room for riders."

"Their cavalry cannot match ours," Shinjo Yasamura said. "But even that is little comfort.

Toturi nodded. "We need more men. We need more time."

"There is no time!" Hitomi's voice nearly crackled with her anger. "With you it is always 'Wait, be patient.' Do you think the Crab armies are waiting? Do you think they are patient?"

"Their impatience will be to our advantage, Hitomi." The calm in Toturi's voice was enough to still her rage, but Toturi knew the rage inside a samurai driven by revenge would not sit still forever. "Regardless, we must take Beiden Pass from the Crab. The fate of the Empire depends upon it."

Yasamura shook his head. "Easily said, Toturi. Not so easily accomplished."

Toturi nodded. "I agree. That is why we must employ every advantage we have. The Dragon samurai are known for their strange understandings of magic."

"It is our shugenja who are the spellcasters," the Dragon samurai-maiden corrected. "We have developed their ways into our tactics, that is all."

Toturi nodded. "I understand. You must teach me these tactics. I will need a full understanding of the shugenja'' spell-casting ways to use them to full advantage."

Hitomi nodded. "I shall."

"Also, I shall need to speak to the Ise Zumi in your army."

"The tattooed men," Yasamura whispered. Toturi heard a slight tremble in the Unicorn's voice as he spoke. Yes, the Dragon had many mysterious orders among their samurai. No other Clan was so enigmatic as the Dragon.

Hitomi spoke then. "Can we count on the strength of the Unicorn cavalry, Lord Yasamura?"

It seemed as if Hitomi's words had broken him from a trance. "Yes. Yes you can. We will be ready."

"Then go back to your horses," Toturi said. "We must meet the Crab armies before they reach halfway through the Pass. Once they are entrenched, no amount of tactics will move them."

Yasamura bowed to both samurai and mounted his horse in a single motion. Toturi watched him do it and was still uncertain how it was done. There are many things he could learn from both the Unicorn and the Dragon. He would need all of them to defeat the army that faced him on the other side of the Pass.

"Toturi-san?"

This time, it was Toturi's turn to find Hitomi's voice breaking him from a trance. He looked down on the samurai-maiden. "Yes, Lady Hitomi?"

Her eyes were a deep brown, nearly black, and Toturi suspected that the hate that was inside her may have something to do with their color. "This army was mine to command. Given to me by Togashi Yokuni himself as a gift given on the day of my gempukku."

"Your coming of age ceremony, yes I know."

Her eyes narrowed and her hand fell to the katana at her side. Toturi knew the question that was to be asked. "Then why, only one week ago, did he take it from me and give it to you, a dishonored coward?"

Toturi nodded. Two years ago, his katana would have flown from its sheath and sliced at her with all the rage and fury of a Lion samurai. But he was no longer a Lion samurai. He was a ronin. A warrior without honor, cast down from the Emperor's grace.

"I was not always a ronin, Hitomi."

Her hand never moved from her katana. "You were the Champion of the Lion Clan. You were the greatest general in the Empire. Now, you are nothing."

"I am the general of his army, Hitomi. Your Lord Togashi Yokuni put me in this position. If you question my authority, you question his. Is that your intention?"

Toturi watched her eyes closely. He knew the rage she carried inside of her and was ready at any moment to defend her right to lead the army into battle against the Crab. The black fire in Hitomi's eyes never faltered, but her hand moved slowly away from her katana and she took one step back as her body bent in a low bow. "I will acknowledge your right to lead the armies of the Dragon, fallen Lion, but if you fail us, it will not be a Crab that takes your life."

"If I fail you, it will be my own steel that takes my life, Lady Hitomi."

She nodded quickly and turned to walk back to the Dragons making ready for war. As she did, Toturi took a step forward and said, "I miss your brother, too Hitomi."

The samurai-maiden stopped. Her whole body stiffened and her hand fell once again to the katana in her obi, but she did not turn.

"Is it true that you carry his blade with you?"

Her voice was hardly above a whisper. "Aye."

"I need a samurai driven by courage, not by revenge. I need your strength, Hitomi, not your hatred."

"You will get what I give you, ronin."

Hitomi stood silent with her back to the him, then continued on her way back to the Dragon samurai. Toturi stood and watched her leave, then turned his attentions back to Beiden Pass. He had the Unicorn, the mightiest cavalry in the Empire. He had the enigmatic magic of the spell casting Dragon Shugenja and their equally mysterious samurai. And he had his Lion heritage, despite what any others may think. He was still a Lion, trained from birth to follow bushido, the way of the warrior.

"They may have taken away my name," he said to the sunrise, "but they cannot take away my heart. They cannot take away what a hundred generations have given to me."

Then he thought of the army on the other side of the Pass.

"And it still may not be enough," he whispered. Suddenly, the morning air was very cold.

* * * * *

The Wounded Crab

Dawn was creeping up before his eyes, but the dark clouds so full of storm kept the golden rays from reaching the chilly morning soil. Yakamo watched the sunrise for a moment then reached down into the pot of water and splashed his face clean. But no matter how many times he rinsed his skin, he could not escape the putrid smell of death that clung to him like a blood bloated leech. The water felt good as it trickled down his face and over his lips.

The cool water had washed away the heavy lull of sleep, but the pain in his wrist remained. This morning - as it was all mornings - it was a dull throb that matched the pulse in his chest. By noon, it would be a raging bonfire, calmed only by the smooth salves and magical mutterings of Kuni Yori, his father's most trusted Shugenja. For the thousandth time, he looked at the stump where his right hand should have been and he muttered the name of the samurai-maiden who took it from him.

A younger man approached him. He was dressed in a similar armor and his belt held a long sword and a short sword, the sign of a samurai. "My brother," he said.

Yakamo did not turn. "Yes, Sukune?"

"The Dragon army has reached Otomo valley. They shall reach the opening of Beiden Pass by noon."

Yakamo said nothing to his brother, only nodded. He felt his wet mustache against his cheeks and the cool of the water running down the hard angles of his back. Then, another voice called to him. This voice was not used to calling over armies as was Sukune's, but was like the sound of a sharp blade on silk. "My lord…?" it asked tentatively.

Yakamo turned immediately, for he knew who the voice belonged to, and more importantly, what the shugenja was bringing for him. "Kuni Yori," he said with his voice filled with anticipation.

The shugenja stood behind Sukune by almost five paces. Yakamo walked toward Yori, nearly pushing Sukune aside. "You have finished your work?" he asked, now looming over the thin frail figure.

"I have, my Lord. With the assistance of a…quiet ally."

Yakamo could not care less how the item was finished. He looked down at the wrapped package in the shugenja's hands and took with it with his own massive left. He quickly unwrapped the cloth until the huge claw was revealed. Yakamo smiled.

"It has been…enchanted with magics that I have only recently learned, my Lord. I am uncertain of its effectiveness."

"Anything is better than a stump," Yakamo said sharply.

"We must still attach it, my Lord. Again, a magical process that may cause you some significant…pain."

"As quickly as possible. Toturi and his Dragons are nearly here."

Quite suddenly, Yakamo looked up, looking at Sukune. "Why are you still here?"

The young samurai's eyes filled with confusion. "My brother, I…?"

"Move your forces to the front of Beiden Pass. Keep him from gaining any ground. My army will arrive shortly."

"But my brother, we will need your…"

"Now Sukune! Do not make me tell you again."

Sukune stood silent for only a heartbeat, then he bowed and ran toward the direction of his waiting footmen.

As soon as he was out of sight, Kuni Yori whispered, "My Lord, I think he is beginning to suspect."

The anger of Yakamo's glare forced the Shugenja to take a single step back. "Just because your family has chosen to delve into dark secrets, Kuni Yori, and just because my father has allowed you to do so, do not think for a moment that I approve." Yakamo approached the Shugenja and Yori took another step back. "DO not think that I do not know of the things you have bargained with to gain the powers that you have. My family has done battle with the Shadowlands for a thousand years. We need their strength now to claim the Throne from that pathetic weakling the Lion and Crane call an Emperor, but I assure you, when we have won the Throne, I will make certain that you and the rest of your kind are dealt with appropriately."

"Those dark secrets," Yori meekly said, "will give you something to fight with other than a stump."

Yakamo looked again at the runes that were engraved in the claw he held in his left hand. His eyes then turned to the mewling Shugenja and back again to the claw. We will use their strength, he thought, and we will use their knowledge. But we do not need them. We do not need them.

"Forgive me if I speak out of turn," Yori's voice broke through Yakamo's thoughts. "But our scouts have reported that Mirumoto Hitomi leads one of the contingents of Toturi's Army, my Lord."

The suddenness of Yakamo's movement flung Kuni Yori to the ground. His eyes were filled with fire, his lips frothing with rage. "YOU!" He screamed at the fallen Shugenja. "You will gather your spellcasters together and perform the ritual immediately!"

Kuni Yori raised himself up from the damp morning earth and bowed low. "as you command, my Lord." Then he turned and walked down the hill toward the small tent where his apprentices waited for him.

Yakamo turned once again to the rising sun and looked down at the force of samurai moving toward Beiden Pass. "Do not fail us, Sukune," he said. "For the price of failure is greater than you could possibly imagine."



The Ura-Tai pause for a few moments and then give appreciative taps of their staff upon the ground. They turn to Drip and one tells him, "It appears your turn to tell of of your clan."

"Yes, and why they might seek to be guardians of this great pass."

[Tjallen]

Drip thinks intensely about what to tell the humans, he discards the stories told by his father, too personal, and the ones about his own involvement in the hobgoblin war too much of a vulnerability.
After a minute of deliberation Drip settles on a story, and a preamble:
"Stories are the worth of the soul in our, and every other, clan. Only the remembers have clear memories longer than a few days, so know that what you ask of me is to bare the soul of my clan. But you have treated me with respect and for that I will tell you of the Herald of Red-Eye: Ikrit the anointed. Should you ever see two intertwined stars, it is his mark, second only to that of the thirteen."
At this point Drip stops to draw out the symbol with a stick from the fire.

As he tells the story, Drip idly starts sharpening his throwing knives to focus his thoughts.

"As you may have heard, the hobgoblins have been taken by the shadow. They marched an army, two million strong, on our clans, when they came we numbered only a few hundred thousands, most of which were women, children and those unable to fight. In the first engagements the losses were neglible, but for every one of us there were dozens of them. After weeks, months, of increasingly harsh fighting it was decided that we had to flee.

I had personally mostly been fighting in skirmishes, ambushing patrols and scouts, for I was still young and inexperienced.

However, escaping with the children was proving to be almost impossible, we were surrounded and outnumbered. Holed up in the great fortress. We had no way to get out apart from the main gate and some tunnels that had been dug by my brothers and sisters.
It looked like we would have to fight our way out, something we knew would lead to decimated numbers with very little chance of survival. But staying was sure to mean death, disease had wracked the hobgoblin forces, and their carcasses had been laying forsaken in the forest, spreading the plague to the weakest of us. Less than a hundred thousand was left. It would take a miracle for us to get out. So we, our clan unnamed at this point, decided to distract the hobgoblins. As the rest filtered into the tunnels, led by my sisters and those who were not likely to survive facing half a dozen on their own.
We were a hundred or so.
Led by the first mother, Chokka, and headed by the herald, blessed Ikrit.
HE THREW OPEN THE GATES...
And in they came. Hundreds, thousands, for each of us standing there.
We fought for hours, the exodus had started just past the evening feast, and as night fell, we still fought. So many of us died or were lost. They sent their champions, they chocked the streets with their bodies as we drew them into choke points. And every step of the way, when the rest of us had to take a step back, Ikrit-.. "

[~Corvus~]

The Ura-Tai listen to Drip as he tells them a story that has never before been given to them: one from the perspective of their ratlign allies. The only sound comes from the soft rustle of a shifting foot or the soft sip from a cup. But Drip's story is cut short just as he paused to gather his breath. From a dark corner of their camp, several arrows fly and hit a few of the Ura-tai that hadn't been quick enough. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0PhkYINGOY) The arrows are many-barbed and look dangerous to remove. Those hit immediately spring away and scatter. Several others, able to evade the arrows, shout out to others that are--presumably--asleep.
"Arrows from above!"
{{I see wasp-clan scouts! Three, no five in gliders!}}
"Shields!! Use shields!"
<We need water-shugenja! Where's Mikikyo?>

Several of the warriors give a hand-gesture--a splayed hand that extends towards Drip but then goes to a weapon--and one of them translates, "They thank you for your gift, but they must go to battle. If you must be on your way, Drip, now might be a decent time. There is no need for you to stay for this skirmish." She hands Drip a small token, a sliver of light blue jade wrapped in the middle by a dark-leather cloth. It looks unfinished, but has the start of a carving on it. "Just as this piece is unfinished, so too is your story. Come back to complete it, and return to us as a friend. We will make contact with your tribes people." The Ura-tai woman whips a bracer in a quick, fluid motion and deflects an arrow that Drip might have had to dodge. She then reaches to the log she'd perched on and draws up a medium-sized shield that blocks her torso and shoulders, and faces the people in the sky.

High above now, carried by winds that blow just beyond the mountain's reach, not five but six...no, seven...soldiers in white-and-blue costumes that make them seem as clouds work pedals on machines that look part kite and part magical marvel. They level hands towards the group of Ura-tai and more bolts come sailing down towards them, yet they remain several hundred feet above, carried by quick winds they use to their advantage. Drip found himself leading his horse down the cliff before he'd fully registered what exactly he was thinking. But the sky soon begins to darken before Drip's very eyes.

A large cloud had floated for some time towards the mountaintop he was descending. But Drop started to react: it started screeching at the sky, eager to go into the air. The animal was beyond misbehaving; it knew what was coming long before even Drip's highly-tuned sense caught on. These were no Rokugani warriors. Neither were these creatures the hairy masses of rage and fur that made up a goblin army. They were much worse. They were the nearly hairless and long-eared humanoids that were only told of from Red-Eye's greatest and most-feared ravings. The ravings where he usually choked a servant or two to death. Drop thrashed and pulled against Drip's restraints; the creature wanted to fly. Its mouth dripped saliva and its eyes had the hungering look of a creature filled with such a frenzy he wondered of the beast, usually at least able to be quieted by a stern word or a quick nose-lashing, only bit at the air and the hand Drip thought to raise against it. A thought entered Drip's mind, the first thoughts to ever come from his flying beast's mind. Its thoughts twisted the words to say {{Eldar. Eldar.}} But Drip knew what Drop meant.

The sky was darkening from a cloud of Elves.

[Tjallen]

Riding away to circle back around on Drop in order to follow the flying humans to their home, mostly to murder them and claim the flying machines. As Drop starts acting out, Drip angrily shushes the bat, until the elves appear. Curious as to what these filthy monsters are doing out of their forests, and more importantly, how they are flying.
Quickly tying the horse to a tree, Drip gets up on the misbehaving bat and orders him to fly towards the first fliers, approaching them from above.

[~Corvus~]

Drop heaves its wings and ascends with an excited burst of energy and quickly flies above the winds bearing the elves towards the mountain-range. Drip's vantage gives him eyes on just what the invaders have used to avoid detection: a gargantuan balloon with bladed at the back that push it through the air. It has also produced a cloud...until now. There are several others in mechanical flight machines made of some sort of light-blue metal. They ride the winds that bear them to the mountain that they currently attack with what looks like crossbows. From where Drop hovers, he's closer to the balloon than the individual fliers.

[Tjallen]

Thinking on his choice of target, Drip takes a few moments to think, both at Drop as is habit, but also at the relic representing Red-Eye:
'The humans, their machines are inferior, they are easy targets. The elves might be useful allies, but they are elves. They deserve death for their treachery and their very existence is anathema to our future. But are they more useful alive than dead? There is no real way of salvaging the flying things, these elves have not yet proven to, they are firing at our allies. They apparently desire death. Drop, target the top of the balloon, keep us out of sight if possible. Robe, anymore backup from you?'
As Drop angles towards the top of the balloon, Drip prepares for the bat to roll in the air so he has the opportunity to swipe his blades through the balloon, a combust spell already on the edge of his thoughts, ready to be brought to bear on the, presumably, flammable balloon.

[~Corvus~]

A voice enters Drip's mind and with it enters an image of a pond on a snowy night. The hardening ice obscures a humanlike shape below its depths. I have a few ideas. If you simply wish to cut several holes in this...container of air, we can disguise the sound of escaping air with another sound. Perhaps the distant rumble of thunder?

The robes respond to Drip's imagined plans for his spells with images of its own. A tree overlooks the lake, and from it the leaf falls. A gust of wind carries the leaf to its bank, where a single, soon-to-be-frozen drop of blood stands out among the snow and forming ice. The wind carries the leaf to cover the blood, obscuring what might have been a clue to what is trapped under the lake.

I suggest you save your flames. We could also dampen the sounds of Drop's wings to quieter than an arrow in flight. It would give us a way to approach from behind and slay them quietly.

[Tjallen]

Drip bows his head quickly, accepting the strange metaphoric images: 'Capturing it for the Clan would be quite a victory. Drop, approach silently from behind, we kill them or throw them out of the contraption. Get close to the top of the thing before we do so, I want to set up a bomb, just in case they escape somehow. Thank you for your guidance, I will not fail to bring them down.'

As Drop flies quietly over the balloon, Drip swiftly attaches an infernal bomb to the top with a simple timer of twenty minutes. Moving into place behind the elves, Drip prepares for the coming fight, with Drop salivating with desire for violence against this ungodly enemy.

[~Corvus~]

Drip and Drop's movements quiet to a barely-audible swish of cloth and the softest rustle of wing. Silent, the two of them launch from their temporary perch--where now a bomb ticks, adhered to the balloons frame--and drop below the gargantuan balloon. The flying beast wings past rear rotors and surges to a fifteen-foot wide and thirty-foot long pod on which five elves with pale skin and long and slender ears perch watchfully. They scan the areas below and also the skies. They pause every now and then to talk at stones that float just above the balcony of the cable-suspended pod.

Two elves, their eyes focused on distant figures, barely have time to register surprise as they see the large war-bat and Drip. A strange, gooey ectoplasm envelops part of one's torso and head, and Drip feels a deep sense of satisfaction from the robes at what is ostensibly its doing. The other elf, too startled to be a threat, falls backwards in anticipation of a strike from Drip and calls out in language that reminds the rat-hybrid of blowing wind and swishing water; the sounds should be quieter but instead have an intense musicality to them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Most of the flechettes from Red-Eye's double strike true and the (once) speaking Hobgoblin and several other would-be chain pullers fall before his deadly aim. The arrows splinter and crack, releasing their own magical clouds; many Hobgoblins clutch their eyes, screaming amid the chaos, but others with grim determination haul (one) Red-Eye's chain, only to find it unbound!
Several others, blinded or unable to see, unleash spells, arrows and attacks at where they last saw the second attacking Red-Eye.

In a momentary lull of action made longer by the awakening pain in his leg, Red-Eye sees into the building's darkness where a giant, bloated and heavy goblinoid gives the chain a mighty tug, unbalancing the other hobgoblins that had been on the chain, and pulling them to the ground. Free from the chain, however

Drip and Drop must roll initiative!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Vs R-E 2:
[roll0] & [roll1]MC
[roll2] fire
[roll3]& [roll4]MC
[roll5]
[roll6]& [roll7]MC
[roll8]
[roll9]& [roll10]MC
[roll11]

[roll12]& [roll13]MC
[roll14]
[roll15]& [roll16]MC
[roll17]
[roll18]& [roll19]MC
[roll20]


Vs R-E 1 (no attacks as he is invisible and transposed.)

[Tjallen]

The moment of surprise used, Drip 'slinks', as his father called it, off of Drop and swipes both his crescent-shaped, and poisoned, knives across the body of the speaking elf in a movement deliberately made to cause blood to spray into the air as he threatens the elves: "Surrender-bow or die-scream!"
Drop meanwhile offers no such clemency, instead doing his best to devour the upper body of another elf, gleefully screeching all the while.


Initiative: [roll0]

'Surprise round' so no movement or swift actions:
Drip: 1st round of combat, slinking advance activates and he moves up to 50ft to jump next to the elf and cut him with his knives.
As free action, activate awesome fencing swapping around a single +1 ability from one set to another leaving his main weapon as a +1 keen, enfeebling Eagle's Claw.
Attacking with both weapons as a single standard action, using intimidating strike and taking a -1 to hit in order to intimidate the elf should it hit.
ATTACK (Main-hand) +1 keen enfeebling Eagle's Claw (Spider Venom, Colossal):
To Hit: [roll1] for [roll2] damage Plus Spider Venom, Colossal (5/6 doses left) DC 34 for [roll3] Strength damage
Plus Intimidate [roll4] or be shaken for the rest of the encounter.
If crit (15-20): [roll5] to confirm for [roll6] damage and [roll7] strength from enfeebling

Attack (Off-hand) Eagle's Claw (Roach Paste):
[roll8] for [roll9] damage plus roach paste dc 18 or nausea for 1 round
If crit (18-20): [roll10] to confirm for [roll11] damage

Drop:
Bite:
[roll12] hit for [roll13] damage plus 1 bleeding/round till healed




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ascendency:

The dark hungry night,
Sacrifice of the living,
For the Thirteenth Star,

The Mage-lord hungers,
Slights must be repaid in blood
For the Rat's vengeance,

A soul squashed,
for the vision of the one,
For the Mage's vision

Holy Trinity,
the Rat, the Mage, and the Star,
For the Doom to come.

As he sees the muscle behind the trap, Red-Eye's being screams out for him to run, to escape, to stop the pain, but it is lost in the only sound he can care about: The roaring in his ears, accompanied by the red encroaching on his vision, the ratling and the newborn star both thirst for blood.
The frenzied ratling sights on the hobgoblin, allowing a single arrow to find it's mark in his side, refusing to dodge and foul his line of fire. The only allowance for his own safety being the continued, suddenly cloyingly, cool feeling of darkened invisibility he has wrapped himself in.
Snarling, he lets loose three arrows crackling with darkness, the sheen of poison hidden as six arrows seek their mark.

As he sees the muscle behind the trap, Red-Eye calmly prepares the arrows coated in the poison known as slow death, a straightforward poison meant to deepen wounds, more like acid than any other poison. Having become a true master of toxicology, the Mage-Lord is able to ignore the old adage of 'the dose makes the poison' and simply reverse the effect with a simple application. As soon as he is finished with the hobgoblins, it will be time to tend to the bruises already forming from crashing into the wall. A reprieve from the fighting may be in order, simply to relocate and replenish.


Red-Eye 1 (45/81 HP)
Move action: Prepare arrows coated in slow death, observe the fight for nasty surprises, Spot: [roll14]

Red-Eye 2 (66/81 HP)
Swift action: Invisibility -> Superior invisibility for 1 round
Full-round action: Full-attack + Rapid shot w/ +1 Splitting Goblinoid Bane arrows poisoned with Daylight Brew (DC 30 2d6 con + 1d6 str / Blindness) + Darkbolt (4 bolts each doing 2d8 damage + will/neg daze for 1 round)
Free action: 5ft step forwards

Each arrow that misses gives +4 hit for every following arrow.
Each set of arrows carries: 1 dose of poison and 1 spell-charge
Each arrow has the bonus of invisibility and targeting flatfooted for an incorporated +2 hit and +2 x int damage (14)

Arrow 1+2 (2 Darkbolts):
Arrow 1: [roll15] for [roll16] + [roll17] damage

Arrow 2: [roll18] for [roll19] + [roll20] damage

If either arrow hit, an additional [roll21] damage and 2 dc 21 will saves to negate daze, and a dc 30 fort save to negate [roll22] con damage and [roll23] str damage


Arrow 3+4(1 Darkbolt):
Arrow 3: [roll24] for [roll25] + [roll26] damage

Arrow 4: [roll27] for [roll28] + [roll29] damage #Nat 1, every attack after this get a +4 to hit

If either arrow hit, an additional [roll30] damage and a dc 21 will saves to negate daze, and a dc 30 fort save to negate [roll31] con damage and [roll32] str damage


Arrow 5+6(1 Darkbolt):
Arrow 5: [roll33] for [roll34] + [roll35] damage

Arrow 6: [roll36] for [roll37] + [roll38] damage

If either arrow hit, an additional [roll39] damage and a dc 21 will saves to negate daze, and a dc 30 fort save to negate [roll40] con damage and [roll41] str damage

[~Corvus~]

Drip and Drop lay waste to the four elves on this small zeppelin's suspended deck. Two fall from a terrible assault: one from the flying beast's terrible claws, and the other falls, their muscles quickly drained of strength from a gash on their leg. Though it bleeds a little, the wound would not be fatal; this elf's eyes roll back in their head as the wound around the leg quickly bows outwards and turns sallow. One of the elves, frightened by Drop, leashes an arrow past the flying beast's wing, only just clipping its edge, but then tosses his bow from the craft, and yells in a soft language, holding his hands and going to one knee. The other, seeing the elf dying near Drip, points to the wounded one and carefully lays down not only their bow but a bandolier of knives; they then motion to the one whose wound seems to prevent the elf even from breathing, talking in a tone that suggests concern and urgency.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Red Eye lays waste to most of the Hobgoblins on the visible space of the roof. Many others, previously poisoned, gurgle as soon as they hoist their weapons. Some others, seeing the terrible slaughter, simply jump off the ledge or push others off in an attempt to flee. The large hobgoblin looks like he flexes back, nearly all the way back, like a bridge, then reverses the motion, falling on his hands. The mage-king barely has time to register the size of the dark object, a Large metal ball, that, in a great rush of splintering stone and wood, shatters all of doorway and wall and the face of the structure as it streaks inexorably towards him.

Half-ogre Hobgoblin...Hurls a Large rock!

[roll0] to hit. If hit, [roll1]Thunder plus [roll2] (magical) bludgeoning.

[Tjallen]

Standing over the fallen elves, Drip sends Drip to deal with the other flying enemies, as he collects the discarded weapons and points towards the ground over the railing with his blade, insistent on getting the craft landed. As he does he makes sure not to stand between the poisoned prisoner and the other elves.<br>"Land this craft at once, else I will make art of your bones for your cowardly kin to find."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

As the boulder promises certain death to the Rat, what makes him Red-Eye disappears just before the impact splatters the body across the surface of everything around him. With an sudden jerk, the Mage quickly hides, invisible, silent, and vary. Applying the poison with swift stabs to his arms as he sends out one of his trained rats, sending it to hurt the ogre and deliver poison. As he goes to ground, he makes sure to stay out of sight of the half-ogre.

Hide check! [roll0], stabity stabity for [roll1] damage from the arrows delivering two doses of slow death healing [roll2] each round for 5 rounds.RAT poisoned with a single dose of Liquid Mortality (DC 20 fort or take 1d4 str DRAIN) it uses Red-eye's skill ranks and BAB to sneak up to and bite the ogre. HIDE [roll3] and a small bite [roll4] for 1 damage and a dose of liquid mortality. TIME FOR REPLACEMENT BODY DOUBLE [roll5] HOURS! Unless a 13 is rolled in which case it is instantaneously.

[~Corvus~]

Drop wings away with a throaty yell and doggedly pursues the nearest enemies. Due to its superior mobility and maneuverability, his companion takes a few risks to attack the first few elves and has some nasty stabs to its neck and chest; the next several elves, however, it only breaks their flying wings and moves on, letting the long-eared creatures to plummet the several miles to their inevitable doom. As Drip's cowed Elven pilots comply with his request, he remembers the bombs he'd planted on the Zeppelin's exterior; they have a little bit of time before they explode, but at the speed the zeppelin is traveling, they might detonate before they land.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Mage, now aware it has time to kill before it can be truly bold, expertly shoots arrows at the offending ogre and makes himself incapable of detection afterwards. He finds himself quickly descending from the building, and he quickly gets lost behind the many Scorpion-clan troops that, because of his expert disruption of the Hobgoblin ranks, have overrun the fortifications and secured a foothold just outside the building. A messenger, trailed by several young-faced but hardened-looking rats, passes right by The Mage, asking several of the various units of people where Mage-lord Red Eye was, telling of an urgent message. A few soldiers mention that he might have gone into the fortress ahead; the messenger pauses, uncertain of what to do, but human screams issue forth from the building. "Maybe i'll wait until it's more secure before I enter." The youth turns to leave, passing by a burning catapult, and heads towards one of the large craters left behind by The Rat's explosions. "Maybe there's a temporary den somewhere close."