The old man smiles, as his son-in-law gives a nod of thanks as you help right the cart. Though his mule is dead, one of the horses is quite suitable for taking its place.
"You are seeking Nesting Swallow? That is our village." He says, looking down at the road in shame. "These bandits were part of a force that has been plaguing our village for quite some time now. I couldn't take it anymore, so I talked my family into fleeing, but I see now that flight is not an option. We would be risking more patrols of bandits along the road."
Looking up, a glimmer of hope seems to rise within him as he continues, "I do not know what a Pathfinder is, but perhaps the gods have smiled upon us now in bringing such brave souls to our aid! Are you here to help our village? Please come to meet the council, I am sure they will want to know more, as I surely do."
With the horse pulling the cart you easily arrive at your destination by the third mark after noon.
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.
As you enter town, you are met with curious stares and whispers among the villagers. Xien Wun Lao leads you through the village to his hut. "You may all rest here while I arrange a meeting with the village council." With a smile and a deep bow of respect, the old man turns to leave.
In short order, Wun Lao returns and beckons you all to follow him across the village commons to a lone hut.
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, and Xien Wun Lao joins them. 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.
The young woman gestures gracefully, despite her condition, "Welcome to Nesting Swallow. Elder Xien says that you are here to help us. You must excuse my skepticism, but you must know we could only afford to pay you in food, and millet at that. Why would you risk yourselves for little reward?"
“I see." The woman replies to Chamius. "Well, 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.”
“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. As I have said, 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. But if you can save us from these tengus, I will bring this relic of my ancestor’s to life for you. Will you help us?”
To Chamius, Je Tsun says. "They have only sent scouts ahead this season, so their numbers are unknown to us. In past seasons they have ranged in number from as few as 10 to as large as 30."
“We have been preparing defenses for the village; barricades, pits, anything to disable their riders and slow down those on foot. I must admit that we are not warriors - we have few true weapons but our farm tools: sickles, pitchforks, and simple spears of sharpened bamboo, but if you take charge of our defense, every able-bodied farmer will stand beside you and we will be your army."
When Raul asks about restoring the braid to help for battle, Je Tsun shakes her head. “If it were something that would aid in our defense, then yes, but all the stories passed down through my family that speak of the braid describe it as a relic of great wisdom and contemplation. Not something that would help us in battle. Every hand, mine included, is needed to finish the harvest and our defenses. Activating the braid will take time; time I do not have until after this crisis is past.”
"I will pray that your help is enough."
Je Tsun calls an adjournment to the council, "Let us begin to build hope for our people and all of the villages plagued by the Thundering Eclipse!"
The other village elders, none of them nearly as young as Je Tsun herself, clamor in Tien, and begin to get up, talking amongst themselves. Occasionally, they will smile and nod at you as they leave to gather the other villagers and spread the news.
Xien Wun Lao approaches you all and offers for you to stay in their home while you are here. He has already arranged for himself and his family to stay with neighbors for the duration of your stay. The old man will not take no as an answer.
Ok, you have approximately a week (give or take a day or two) to prepare defenses, since that is about how long it will take to harvest their current crop of rice and millet.
Out of the entire village, there are 50 able-bodied men and women. Everyone else is either too young, too old, or too infirm to be of use.
Basic rundown of Things that can or must be done(Each will have certain time and personnel requirements):
- Bringing In the Harvest
Harvesting crops is the top priority for the villagers, even above establishing defenses. Without food stored, they face starvation regardless of whether or not the bandits are fought off. This is an activity that can be performed mostly by the noncombatant villagers; even so, some able-bodied farmers are needed as well. Until the harvest is finished, the PCs only have 30 villagers at their disposal daily. The PCs can choose to speed the harvest up both by assigning more villagers to the fields or by lending a hand themselves. - Archery Training
Ranged weapons more effective than simple slings are a rarity in Nesting Swallow, but a handful of villagers own crossbows for hunting purposes; while they have never had to shoot at a target better armored than an antelope or hare, they can be drilled into effective support archers with effort. - Combat Training
While unskilled combatants, the villagers can be given basic training, allowing them to maintain the barricades as a unit. Their weapons are limited to adapted farm implements and makeshift bamboo spears, but they are all willing to take up what arms they can and assist the PCs in the defense of their home. - Constructing the Barricades
Controlling possible attack routes is key to not being overwhelmed. Constructing barricades from wood and bamboo aids in this endeavor. Incorporating the landscape and the existing structures of the village into this barricade allows the defenders to contain attackers to several choke points. Construction was already underway before the party arrived in Nesting Swallow; by continuing to assign workers to it or overseeing construction, the PCs can assist in making it sturdier and more effective. - Flooding the Fields
This can only take place after the harvest is completed. The crop fields are low-lying and designed to be irrigated by the stream. With work, they can be turned into a virtual moat by adjusting the flow of water, causing them to flood. This limits the routes the bandits can attack from, giving significant tactical advantage to the defenders. - Posting Scouts
The villagers are, obviously, already alert for horsemen in the hills, but assigning villagers and PCs to keep a closer eye on the wilderness can help give an estimate of how much longer until the raid comes. Even without specific allocation of villagers, each day you can make a Perception check for Nesting Swallow; the village is considered to have a base +4 Perception modifier for this. Adding more villagers increases this bonus, and PCs can make individual Perception checks if assigned to scout.
Those are what are presented, if you have any other ideas, they may help as well.
Without additional manpower devoted to it, the harvest will take 6 days to finish. Regardless of how many NPCs or PCs work the fields, harvesting takes a minimum of 1 day.
Each day requires the participation of 20 able-bodied villagers. Every additional 10 villagers doing a day’s work reduces the total number of days before the harvest is completed by 1.
Harvesting can take place without the PCs’ involvement, but they can speed it up significantly.
One harvesting PC counts as 5 farmers. A PC who makes a DC 15 Profession (farming) or Knowledge (nature) check does the work of 10 farmers in a day.