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  1. - Top - End - #61
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    Default Re: Rokugan in the Shadows - Rise of the Nezumi

    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?
    Last edited by ~Corvus~; 2020-11-10 at 06:57 PM.
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  2. - Top - End - #62
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    Default Re: Rokugan in the Shadows - Rise of the Nezumi

    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?"

    Spoiler: Note and rolls!
    Show
    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: (1d20+8)[21]
    To deliver it without anyone but the receiver noticing (Hide) (1d20+20)[37]

  3. - Top - End - #63
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    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.
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  4. - Top - End - #64
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    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.

  5. - Top - End - #65
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    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.
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  6. - Top - End - #66
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    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.

  7. - Top - End - #67
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    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.
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  8. - Top - End - #68
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    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."

  9. - Top - End - #69
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    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 and a clan-detailed version. 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.
    Last edited by ~Corvus~; 2020-12-11 at 11:09 AM.
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  10. - Top - End - #70
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    Default Re: Rokugan in the Shadows - Rise of the Nezumi

    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?"

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    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.
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    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.

    Spoiler: Drip
    Show
    Handle animal to calm the horse (1d20+16)[30]
    Handle animal to keep Drip from flying into the storm: (1d20+20)[30]




    Spoiler: The thirteen pointed star
    Show

    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.
    Last edited by Tjallen; 2021-01-08 at 12:12 AM.

  13. - Top - End - #73
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    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.

    Spoiler: conditions
    Show
    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 (6d8)[14] damage. This can be halved with a DC 26 Reflex save, but remains Entangled to the harpoon, which is anchored to the building itself.

    He will take [roll]3d20 damage[/roll] for hitting the building, no save, from his leftover trajectory.
    Last edited by ~Corvus~; 2021-01-13 at 09:25 PM.
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  14. - Top - End - #74
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    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.

    Spoiler: Actions! Red-Eye
    Show

    Reflex save against dc 26: (1d20+23)[43]

    Swift action:
    Quickened arrow (Baleful transposition dc 19 will or swap places. Poisoned w/ daylight brew dc 34) +1 split seeking arrow:
    Arrow 1: (1d20+10)[16] for (1d10+9)[11] +14 if flatfooted, + baleful + poison for (2d6)[5] con + (1d6)[3] str damage + dc 21 or be entangled for 1 round if flatfooted

    Arrow 2: (1d20+10)[27] +4 if previous arrow missed for (1d10+9)[15] +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:
    (1d20+16)[27] for (1d10+9)[14] +14 if flatfooted, + baleful + poison for (2d6)[6] con + (1d6)[3] str damage + dc 21 or be entangled for 1 round if flatfooted

    Arrow 4:
    (1d20+16)[29] for (1d10+9)[13] +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:
    (1d20+16)[31] for (1d10+9)[16]
    Arrow 6:
    (1d20+16)[23] for (1d10+9)[17]
    Arrow 7:
    (1d20+11)[22] for (1d10+9)[13]
    Arrow 8:
    (1d20+11)[25] for (1d10+9)[15]

    Last edited by Tjallen; 2021-01-20 at 11:33 PM.

  15. - Top - End - #75
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    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.
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  16. - Top - End - #76
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    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.

    Spoiler: Actions [B
    Show
    Red-Eye[/B]!]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:
    Spoiler
    Show
    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): (1d20+20)[30] for (1d10+11)[16] + (2d6)[6] 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): (1d20+20)[34] for (1d10+11)[17] + (2d6)[8] bane + 14 if flatfooted.


    Attack 2 (Rapid shot):
    Spoiler: If mage is dead different target
    Show
    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): (1d20+20)[21] for (1d10+11)[13] + (2d6)[7] 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): (1d20+20)[35] for (1d10+11)[17] + (2d6)[6] bane + 14 if flatfooted.


    Attack 3 (Iterative):
    Spoiler: If previous target is dead, new target
    Show
    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): (1d20+15)[16] for (1d10+11)[16] + (2d6)[7] 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): (1d20+15)[35] for (1d10+11)[15] + (2d6)[5] bane + 14 if flatfooted.

    Last edited by Tjallen; 2021-01-24 at 11:35 PM.

  17. - Top - End - #77
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    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."
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  18. - Top - End - #78
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    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-.. "

  19. - Top - End - #79
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    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. 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.
    Last edited by ~Corvus~; 2021-03-16 at 09:16 PM.
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  20. - Top - End - #80
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    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.

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    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.
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    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.
    Last edited by Tjallen; 2021-04-04 at 07:54 PM.

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    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.
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    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.

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    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

    Spoiler: combat
    Show
    Drip and Drop must roll initiative!
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Vs R-E 2:
    (1d20+10)[24] & (1d100)[42]MC
    (4d6+5)[20] fire
    (1d20+11)[17]& (1d100)[17]MC
    (1d10+4)[13]

    (1d20+11)[24]& (1d100)[83]MC
    (1d10+4)[12]
    (1d20+11)[20]& (1d100)[83]MC
    (1d10+4)[12]

    (1d20+10)[13]& (1d100)[41]MC
    (2d6+4)[9]
    (1d20+10)[28]& (1d100)[63]MC
    (2d6+4)[12]
    (1d20+10)[19]& (1d100)[35]MC
    (2d6+4)[11]



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

    * post roll count doesn't match database
    Last edited by ~Corvus~; 2021-04-20 at 12:04 AM.
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    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.

    Spoiler: Rolls (Drip & Drop)
    Show

    Initiative: (1d20+16)[28]

    '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: (1d20+11)[15] for (1d8+8)[9] damage Plus Spider Venom, Colossal (5/6 doses left) DC 34 for (2d8)[6] Strength damage
    Plus Intimidate (1d20+9)[15] or be shaken for the rest of the encounter.
    If crit (15-20): (1d20+11)[25] to confirm for (1d8+8)[16] damage and (1d6+2)[7] strength from enfeebling

    Attack (Off-hand) Eagle's Claw (Roach Paste):
    (1d20+10)[20] for (1d8+7)[14] damage plus roach paste dc 18 or nausea for 1 round
    If crit (18-20): (1d20+10)[11] to confirm for (1d8+7)[15] damage

    Drop
    :
    Bite:
    (1d20+13)[32] hit for (2d6+11)[16] 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.


    Spoiler: [B
    Show
    Red-Eye[/B]]Red-Eye 1 (45/81 HP)
    Move action: Prepare arrows coated in slow death, observe the fight for nasty surprises, Spot: (1d20+19)[35]

    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: (1d20+20)[33] for (1d10+25)[34] + (2d6)[2] damage

    Arrow 2: (1d20+20)[21] for (1d10+25)[32] + (2d6)[8] damage

    If either arrow hit, an additional (4d8)[12] damage and 2 dc 21 will saves to negate daze, and a dc 30 fort save to negate (2d6)[7] con damage and (1d6)[6] str damage


    Arrow 3+4(1 Darkbolt):
    Arrow 3: (1d20+20)[31] for (1d10+25)[32] + (2d6)[8] damage

    Arrow 4: (1d20+20)[39] for (1d10+25)[27] + (2d6)[8] damage #Nat 1, every attack after this get a +4 to hit

    If either arrow hit, an additional (2d8)[10] damage and a dc 21 will saves to negate daze, and a dc 30 fort save to negate (2d6)[8] con damage and (1d6)[3] str damage


    Arrow 5+6(1 Darkbolt):
    Arrow 5: (1d20+15)[18] for (1d10+25)[32] + (2d6)[6] damage

    Arrow 6: (1d20+15)[26] for (1d10+25)[27] + (2d6)[10] damage

    If either arrow hit, an additional (2d8)[8] damage and a dc 21 will saves to negate daze, and a dc 30 fort save to negate (2d6)[6] con damage and (1d6)[2] str damage

    Last edited by Tjallen; 2021-05-09 at 05:33 AM.

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    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.

    Spoiler: Attack!
    Show
    Half-ogre Hobgoblin...Hurls a Large rock!

    (1d20+36)[49] to hit. If hit, (6d6)[23]Thunder plus (12d6+24)[65] (magical) bludgeoning.

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    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.

    Spoiler: Actions
    Show
    Hide check! (1d20+20)[28], stabity stabity for (1d3)[1] damage from the arrows delivering two doses of slow death healing (2d6)[8] 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 (1d20+26)[41] and a small bite (1d20+13)[29] for 1 damage and a dose of liquid mortality. TIME FOR REPLACEMENT BODY DOUBLE (1d12+1)[5] HOURS! Unless a 13 is rolled in which case it is instantaneously.
    Last edited by Tjallen; 2021-06-24 at 08:46 AM.

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    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."
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