Jonterra and Raul work together to pin the tengu leader to the barricade, allowing Barley and Kryssa to both stab him with their weapons.
Though badly injured, the tengu leader continues to struggle against Jonterra's grip, but cannot escape.
The axe beak snaps again at Kryssa, and again she avoids its deadly beak.
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Raul settles on handling the bigger bird while Jonterra handles the smaller.
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Chamius inspires his companions.
Raul and Kryssa turn to deal with the axe beak, but neither manages a hit.
Jonterra tightens his grip on Kwankhonu, cracking a couple of the tegnu's ribs. Barley tries to run him through, but his katana deflects off armor.
The battle suddenly turns!
The axe beak gets past Kryssa's defenses and rips a chunk out of her with a vicious bite. Then Kwankhonu manages to break Jonterra grapple and throw him back.
Raul swings his greatsword around and slashes the throat of the axe beak. Blood sprays those standing at the breach as the giant bird flails and goes down.
Kwankhonu, cries out for his fallen mount, yet even though bloody and alone, he refuses to surrender.
Jonterra strikes Kwankhonu with a blow that knocks back onto Barley's waiting sword. He gurgles on blood an falls dead to the ground.
Once Kwankhonu is dead, any remaining tengus retreat or throw themselves on the villager’s mercy. However, victory did not come without a price. Many villagers were wounded in the battle and one spearman lies dead.
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The immediate issue resolved, Chamius saunters over to Kryssa and taps her with a wand.
"Nicely done, lady and gentlemen." Chamius glances over at Klaidingo as he finishes, looking as though he's about to say something more before giving the tiefling a grin and turning away to shout at the retreating tengu. "And don't come back!"
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Raul passes out the last of his spells and helps the villagers deal with the surrendered bandits however they choose. He then encourages everyone to get some rest and offers further healing in the morning.
"Well done all. Gorum smiles upon you."
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This village had reminded him much of his own in Goka. "Who was this man?, he asks the villagers of the dead spearman, "Hold him well in your places of honor."
Barley had expected half the village to get slaughtered; finding only one dead was rather bitter sweet; from the Wall of Heaven through winding waters on the Laughing Crow, then the pastures of Nesting Swallow - one shy, in this quest for perfection. As grandfather had said "This is the very perfection of any man, to find out his own imperfections."
"Well done my friends."
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After the leader goes down, Jonterra stumbles back and retrieves his temple sword. Breathing heavily, he stands quietly, ascertaining the damage done to the village, while he gets his breathing back under control. Once he finds his center again, he moves along the wounded, doing what he can to help, holding a hand here, putting pressure on a wound there. After the wounded seem to be attended to, he walks among his companions. "Shall we seek out the leader and see about the braid?" He asks quietly.
Though the villagers mourn the fallen spearman, a young man named Bui, they bury him on a hill overlooking the home he gave his life for and mark his grave with a carved stone. Yet, in spite of this, Nesting Swallow celebrates its victory. For the first time in years, the village looks forward to living free of banditry.
Je Tsun honors her bargain, isolating herself in her home with the Braid of a Hundred Masters for a day and a night. When she emerges with a smile, the braid is restored to its ancient potency.
"Your service to our village will be remembered always." Je Tsun bows deeply to you as she returns the braid. "May this artifact of my ancestors bring you the wisdom and knowledge you and your Society seeks."
The End.