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Guang laughs heartily as they tear away through the trees. In Tien, he says, "This is most exciting, friend, but you realize I am still with you, yes?"
His arms continue to further constrict around the tengu's slender torso. Still speaking the tongue of the east, he says mildly, "I will not kill you, you know. I am honorable. Far better to simply surrender than to keep being hurt like this, no?"
The Tengu knows that Guang is still riding on him.. and tries to shake him off.
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The Shadow Eagle tries to trip the creature who provoked the AoO with his bite. It provokes an AoO too, independent of it working or not. It isn't particularly bright, mostly trying to stop him from running.
Surviving or not, the illusion disappears by Duskin's turn. The Wayang stays in full defense, unable to do much about the other assailant.
After the horse travels another 50 feet, the Tengu squeaks out another command, causing the mount to buck.
One of the bandits victims gets up and grabs one of the Tengu's Washizaki and goes to finish off the downed Tengu by the cart.
The Orange Tengu is pulled from his horse. Clicking out a command the horse stomps at the irritating foe clinging to it's master.
The horse misses.
The Tengu tries to escape.
Eventually the Tengu is knocked unconscious by Guang. The horse only attacks once but misses. Guang drags back the bandit to the family, seeing that one of them is possed to kill the tengu that he brought back.
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"One got away, to my shame. If there are others, they may be alerted to our presence. We should keep the others alive for questioning."
-Posted with Wayfinder
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Guang comes back into the clearing, hauling an unconscious tengu. To the farmer who is ready to exact his revenge, he says, in Tien, "I beg of you to stay your hand, though I am sure your grievances are many. Irori does not permit me to watch a helpless mortal soul slain, if there maybe a chance he might mend his ways, and to stand by and do nothing. He is no longer any threat to you and your family, my friend."
In Taldane, he says to the others, "Is everyone well? I present my sincere apologies for leaving as I had, but, well, the horse wished to go! And I was on the horse at the time!"
He sighs a little at the news that one got away. "I was afraid of that. No doubt they will tell their superiors, whoever this may be. Ah well, there is nothing to be done for it!"
Seeing that Gudrun is badly hurt, Guang hurriedly crosses to him. "If you have a wand of healing I am most pleased to employ it upon your person, brother Gudrun! If you do not, I will certainly use my own."
Ultimately Guang will also use a charge from his own wand to bring one of their tengu prisoners conscious, albeit with his arms and legs securely bound.
"Are any of us scary?" Guang says at his fellow Pathfinders with a grin. "I am not very scary. I am too nice."
Still, in Tien, Guang attempts to reason with the captured tengu before threats must be employed.
"My dear friend! You perceive now that the path you have taken in life has been neither wise nor profitable. This preying on humble farmers has only resulted in your unfortunate current injuries and defeat. It would be far better if you forswore a life of violence and, perhaps, approached the nearest shrine of Irori in order to prostrate yourself and begin atonement for an unlawful and reckless life. The first deed of your atonement could even be the renunciation of your former criminal associates, and by telling us what you know of them!
"Of course, all beings have the right to choose their own path. It is within your rights to decide that you would still prefer the road of a lawless bandit. I cannot change your mind, but I earnestly plead to you to proceed upon a more enlightened course, for otherwise I would need to deal with you as a bandit who does not seek redemption, and Irori will not permit such a plague upon the noble highway of the traveler."
You have the final Tengus bound and are searching their bodies. On them you find their horses seem to be moving away from you and would need a handle animal check to make listen to your commands. Something tells you that they have been trained for war. Besides that, you also find four sets of Leather Lamellar, four Shortbows with 20 arrows each. 3 masterwork Wakizashi, 3 potions of cure light wounds, On the horses are military saddles.
The harassed family consists of an old man, his daughter, his husband and their two children. Once you have dealt with the Tengu, the old man steps forward.
”Thank you so much for helping us. They might have killed us if you hadn’t been here.” he looks back and motions for his family to come forward. ”I am Xien Wun Lao and this is my family. We just left Nesting Swallows and advice against you guys going there. It’s getting dangerous.”
As Guang interrogates the Tengus, they stare at him, as if they are not understanding him or just won't talk.
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"Any information you can tell us of the goings on in Nesting Swallows will help."
Jones will also replenish his arrows from the Tengus' quivers. Maybe take a few more if the others don't want them.
He'll also give his wand of Cure Light Wounds to Kasei, "For later. Just in case. Go ahead and use it on yourself if you need to. I owe you from our trip up the mountain and down the river. Thanks."
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"Not at all, my friend," Guang says with a smile to Gudrun. "That is what Pathfinders do for one another! Explore, report, cooperate!"
While the others talk to the farmer, Guang turns a stern gaze back on the tengu.
"I heard you speak in Tien at the beginning of our troubles, so I know that you understand me. I have offered the chance for atonement. You have declined to take it. While it pains my heart, my duty is very clear; as a servant of Irori and therefore of his perfect laws, I must execute you for the sake of the safety of others. I hope that you will pick a better path in your next incarnation."
The harassed family consists of an old man, his daughter, his husband and their two children. Once you have dealt with the Tengu, the old man steps forward.
”Thank you so much for helping us. They might have killed us if you hadn’t been here.” he looks back and motions for his family to come forward. ”I am Xien Wun Lao and this is my family. We just left Nesting Swallows and advice against you guys going there. It’s getting dangerous. A band of Tengu raiders is coming to attack our village. We are unsure if we can deal with it ourselves.”
The Tengu ignores Guang.
From atop one final hill, the object of your quest comes into view. From this height, the village of Nesting Swallow is laid out almost like a map. The small town consists of little more than a few dozen huts encircling an open common area.
Rolling hills surround the village to the north and west, while the east is bordered by a light forest. South of the village, the brush has been cleared, and a long string of paddy fields stretches out into the distance, webbed with irrigation ditches branching off from a stream that separates the village from the farmlands.
You are lead across the village.
This hut differs from every other one in the village only in size, easily twice as large as most of the other dwellings. Otherwise, it is identical, being another slightly elevated circle of bamboo and wicker walls surrounding a packed earthen floor. The interior has some rooms partitioned off the main one, and the collection of furniture and possessions indicates that this is another family home when not in use for official purposes. Against one wall stands a simple shrine with a collection of clay tiles hung from it, each bearing a different name. The lowest hanging tiles look quite new, a few months old, maybe. The highest and oldest tile on the shrine, however, bears the name “Li Yao.”
The center of the room is cleared, and an assortment of cushions has been laid out in a semicircle. A dozen or so old men and women sit on the cushions A woman standing in front of the shrine finishes a prayer and turns to join the seated elders; she is clearly the youngest among them, not even middle-aged, in spite of a face beset by worry and a hard life. Her youth is attested by the fact that she is greatly pregnant; six or more months along. After settling down into an empty place among the council, she motions to several empty seats opposite her.
Xien looks a little confused at the gathered crowd. "It's unusual for to meet like this." he says before he go to sit among them.
A lady stands up and speaks “With that in mind, permit me to introduce myself. I am Je Tsun, and the last of Li Yao’s descendants.” She rubs a hand across her swollen belly as she says this and smiles slightly. “At least for now. So, perhaps you look upon me and see the end of a quest. I look upon you, and I see hope. Hope for my village, my family, and our future. You have become familiar with the troubles facing us?”
Je Tsun nods at Zalanda, “Whether you are here in answer to the prayers of our people or simply here at this time by happenstance is beside the point; you are here. And it is within your power to help us. I tell you now, we have little to offer as incentive. This is a poor village even when not beset by misfortunes, and this year has been less fortunate than most. If you can save us from these tengus, we can offer you food, shelter, and whatever other aid we may give you. But as for a reward, the only thing I can offer is that which you came here for in the first place. Defeat our enemies, and I will bring this relic of my ancestor’s to life for you. I am sorry we do not have more to offer than hospitality, but our need remains: will you help us?”
She gets up and stretches "Yes, Bandits have been attacking us. In past seasons, they always arrive soon after a harvest. After all, there is no point in milking a cow before she calves. The barley crop is ripe; we need to bring it in this week or lose it. Soon after, the crows will descend upon us.”
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"Je Tsun-sama," Kasei addresses her, adding the honorific to recognize her status as, apparently, the headwoman of the village, "It will be both my duty, as a retired soldier in the army of Shokuro, and a servant of the Goddess Shizuru, as well as my pleasure as a man who cannot abide such base villainy, to help you send these miscreants to their final reward. You have my sword," he says, unsheathing his katana and bowing before her with the blade across his hands, offering her his service.
-Posted with Wayfinder
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Regretfully, Guang breaks the neck of the bandits before they leave. He takes no joy in the doing of it, but the law is clear and they have shown no turning to redemption...
***
Guang bows deeply to the woman. "Like the most honorable Kuwabara Kasei-- although I follow a different path, and a different god-- it will be the joyful duty of this most humble and insignificant person to assist you in defeating these bandits. Please, do you know where these reprehensible villains may lair? Perhaps we can hunt them out and dissuade them from raiding your beautiful village."
Je Tsun-sama shrugs. "We don't know how long before they attack, but we think it will be soon, about a week. We appreciate your help, as only some of us can fight. We don't know how many there will be, but we can help you prepare." as she pulls out a scroll and unrolls it. It has several options for you to do over the next week.
People Required: 20
Time Required: 6 days (each additional 10 people knocks off a day.)
Requirements: To speed up the work by a day would require a DC 15 Profession Farming or Knowledge nature.
People Required: Only 10 are fit to be archers. These troops can be stationed somewhere else, but while they are at other places, no one can fill in their place.
Time Required: Can be trained for a maximum of 4 days.
Requirements: BaB of +1 with someone who is proficient with light crossbows. Also, if you have Craft Bow/weapon Give me a DC 15 check.
People Required: Up to 40 people can be combat trained in units of 10 people. (aka, 4 units)
Time Required: 1 unit per day, multiple units can be trained at once, but requires more of you.
Requirements: You need at least a +1 BaB
People Required: 30 villagers can construct one in 6 days.
Time Required: Each additional 10 villagers reduces the task by 2 days.
Requirements: While you're not needed there, You can help and make a Knowledge Engineering or Profession Woodcutter to take the place of 10 villagers. (can only be done once per day.) Also, you can put traps in the Barricades with a DC 15 Craft Traps or Disable Device.
This can only happen after the crops have been harvested.
People Required: 20 villagers are required to flood the fields.
Time Required: This takes 2 days to complete.
Requirements: You can assist and make a DC 15 Knowledge Engineering check to cut it down to one day.
People Required: For every 5 people, the village gets a +1 perception bonus.
Time Required: minimum of 1 day.
Requirements: You can scout instead and use your bonus, plus any bonus that the village has for each 5 people on watch.
Duskin is able to shorten the harvesting by 2 days, bringing it down to 4.
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How does this sound to everyone for the first 3 days? Trying to optimize our resources.
From the Discussion Thread:
If we did:
Day1: 40 Harvesting, 10 Archery
Day 2: 30 Harvesting, 10 Archery, 10 Combat
Day 3: 10 Archery, 20 Combat, 20 FloodingThose not making checks can help scout.
We'd have 3/4 Archery (Not including Checks), 100% Harvest, 30/40 Combat Ready, If Duskin's Day 3 Check is Know Engineering instead of Nature, Fields 100% Flooded.
We could then move on to Finishing the Archery training, Combat ready the last 10 and Build barricades.
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This is just a suggestion, but let me know what everyone thinks:
Day 1:
50 Villagers Harvesting + Duskin, Jones, Zalanda, Kasai
Guang and Gundrun Scouting.
That brings Harvesting 100% Done.
Day 2:
20 Villagers Flooding + Duskin, Jones
10 Villagers Archery Training + Kasei
20 Villagers Combat Training + Zalanda, Gundrun
Guang Scouting
That Brings Flooding 100% Done, Archery 1/4 Done, Combat Training 2/4 Done.
Day 3:
30 Villagers on Barricades + Duskin, Gundrun
10 Villagers Archery Training + Kasei
10 Villagers Comabat Training + Zalanda
Guang and Jones Scouting
That Brings Archery Training 2/4 Done, Comabat Training 3/4 Done, Barricades 3/6 Done.
After 3 Days (Without Checks) we'd have the following completed:
Harvesting: 100%
Flooding: 100%
Archery: 3/4
Combat: 3/4
Barricades: 50%
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This is just a suggestion, but let me know what everyone thinks:
Day 1:
50 Villagers Harvesting + Duskin, Jones, Zalanda, KasaiGuang and Gundrun Scouting.
That brings Harvesting 100% Done.
Day 2:
20 Villagers Flooding + Duskin, Jones
10 Villagers Archery Training + Kasei
20 Villagers Combat Training + Zalanda, GundrunGuang Scouting
That Brings Flooding 100% Done, Archery 1/4 Done, Combat Training 2/4 Done.
Day 3:
30 Villagers on Barricades + Duskin, Gundrun
10 Villagers Archery Training + Kasei
10 Villagers Comabat Training + ZalandaGuang and Jones Scouting
That Brings Archery Training 2/4 Done, Comabat Training 3/4 Done, Barricades 3/6 Done.
After 3 Days (Without Checks) we'd have the following completed:
Harvesting: 100%
Flooding: 100%
Archery: 3/4
Combat: 3/4
Barricades: 50%
Looks good to me. Just tell Zalanda where to go and what to do she is not much for this military thing.
Those doing Combat training, you can make an Intimidation check each day to increase the knowledge that they learn.