"Thanks! We got this".
Cast "Evolution Surge" on Doxie giving her a 30' climb speed, then hold on for dear life.
The elves were silently judging to see how your group would approach this first obstacle, though all those watching are impressed with how you all tackled the ascent choosing to participate in the climb rather than wait for a rope ladder.
Jahsi slaps his daughter on the back, "See daughter, I told you these adventurers are more than they see, Hah Hah,"
Jahsi and Nketiah take you for a tour of the Elven Village high up in the tree canopies. Nketiah remains close to Violant, explaining much about Ekujae culture and how they treat half-elves, telling her that many Ekujae love their half-elven children and appreciate them unlike their Kyonin cousins. Ekujae have whole Half-elven villages, though they are entirely optional, they aren't shunted there as outcasts, but many half-elves make their way, choosing to be among those more similar in age ranges than remaining with their long lived elven parents.
Nketiah walks around, letting you guys explore the village, acting as a translator when neccesary, though all elves here speak Elven in addition to Mwangi, she still helps translate for the members of your group that speak neither.
As you are walking through the village, a pair of tall Ekujae Elven Girls, approach your group, Nketiah groans under her breath, "Not these two. . ."
Two elven girls step forward, swaying in time with the distant beat of drums warming up for the evening. Their anklets jingle with each confident step, and their brightly patterned wraps shimmer in the jungle light. One gives the party a once-over like she’s trying to figure out what they’re wearing.
The taller of the two gave the adventurers a long, deliberate once-over, lips pursed in faint amusement. "Sooo... you're the heroes everyone's been whispering about?" she said, her voice smooth and playful, with the faintest lilt of challenge. "I was expecting someone taller. Or like... with better posture."
She flicked her braid over her shoulder and gestured toward herself with theatrical flair. "Name's Mauuko. That’s Senyo."
The second elf gave a casual wave without looking directly at them. “Hi. Don’t get comfy.”
Mauuko clicked her tongue and crossed her arms. "No offense, obviously. We love a good jungle-savior story. But where we come from, talk’s cheap and titles don’t dance. If you’re here to impress the Ekujae, you’re gonna have to do better than looking like you just lost a fight with a tree."
Senyo finally turned, her grin sharp and gleaming. "Which is why we’re challenging you to a daikada. Dance battle. One-on-one. Your rhythm versus ours. Anklets only." She tapped her own with a finger, the tiny bells on them jingling. "You clip ours, we clip yours. Easy."
Mauuko stepped in closer, eyes gleaming. "You win? Cool. You get respect. Maybe even a seat near the fire. You lose?" Her grin widened. "Well... you still get dinner. But we will be talking about it for the next three moons. Loudly."
Senyo tilted her head, eyes narrowing with playful judgment. "So what’s it gonna be, heroes? Gonna dance? Or just sip fruit juice and watch like tourists?"
"I will volunteer for this dance. Who will challenge me?"
The moment hung in the air like held breath. Then Mauuko burst out laughing.
It wasn’t cruel—not exactly—but there was no hiding the disbelief in her voice. "Wait—you?" She looked him up and down like he was a half-empty fruit basket. “Aww, that is... so precious.”
She turned to Senyo, feigning concern. “Should I go easy on him? I don’t wanna, like, snap his ankles on accident. He still has growing to do.”
Mauuko clapped her hands, and the music behind the crowd picked up—hand-drums, wooden flutes, and the low hum of a chorus rising in tempo. She turned back to Samael, her posture shifting, graceful and predatory.
Round 1 - Dance Battle
Mauuko - 0 Pts
Samael -
Round 1
Oppa flexes his eyebrows suggestively.
"I'll dance with you maiden. Don't forget explosives come in small packages. And I'll not have so much trouble bending for your bangles".
Dagger (Not sure what the penalty is.)
Perform Dance & Duck
Stom has no desire to dance battle. He rests lazily against the trunk of a nearby tree. "Find me when someone wants to spar, for real."
As Samael and Oppa accept the challenge, Stom grins. "Best of luck, boys!"
"I'm... not exactly equipped for any sort of martial arts or dance, so I would be the talk much longer than you predict if I try."
Oppa joins into the dance, challenging Senyo to a tandem battle, happening concurrently with Samael's and Mauuko's, just one round behind.
Samael tries to tap Mauuko's ankle, but she pulls away just barely in time, continuing the dance she strikes back at him.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Oppa begins his dance and is quickly able to strike Senyo's ankle, scoring the first point.
She counterattacks, failing to strike him and shaken, nearly misses keeping on beat!
Round 2 - Dance Battle Sam/Mauuko
Mauuko - 0 pts
Samael - 0 pts
Round 1 - Dance Battle Oppa/Senyo
Senyo - 0 pts
Oppa - 1 pts
Lyra enjoying watching the dance battle claps along to the beat of the music with a huge toothy grin plastered on her face.
Round 2
"You can't catch me! You can't catch me! I float like a butterfly and sting like a bee".
Dagger
Break Dancing.
But finds his cockiness might be getting in his way.
Violant cheers on Samael, "Better you than me! You can do this!"
Samael dances and attacks with a gusto, striking not just one but both of Mauuko's ankles one after another, scoring 2 pts, he then renews his aggressiveness, taking risks with his dance moves but they pay off.
Oppa unfortunately struggles, as Senyo renews her ferocity after not taking the small gnome seriouesly, dodging his attacks and just barely messing up his rhythm, losing himself a point as he stumbles to stay on beat.
Mauuko counter attacks.
"Wow," she said after scoring a strike on Samael, voice dripping with sarcasm, "aren’t you just adorable? All that spark... too bad you’ll be old and wrinkly before you ever get good at this."
Senyo goes on the attack, seeing Oppa's off his rhythm she goes in for the strike.
Senyo stumbled through a spin, her anklets clattering off-rhythm. She shot a glare across the circle at Oppa, who was currently hopping on one foot, struggling to regain his balance after a disastrous twirl.
"Ugh, seriously?" Senyo snapped, flicking a strand of hair out of her eyes as she regained her footing. "Are you even trying, short-stack? Maybe if you had legs longer than a squirrel's, you could actually dance instead of... whatever that was." She waved a dismissive hand at him, as if his clumsy moves physically offended her.
Round 3 - Dance Battle Sam/Mauuko
Mauuko - 1 pts
Samael - 2 pts
Round 2 - Dance Battle Oppa/Senyo
Senyo - 0 pts
Oppa - 0 pts
Round 3
Diplomacy (Please don't hit me).
"You are a cheater and a bully. You know that I hit you fair and square first time, and now you're pretending I didn't. No way I can defeat your skills and your cheating".
Little pitiful knife.
Stealth Dancing
"You say that, but maybe you need a whole year to process Samael scoring a point?" Violant remarks as she cheers on Samael.
Samael and Mauuko continue their dance, Samael strikes another point but fails to maintain his beat, and stumbles losing the point he just gained.
She grins wickedly as she strikes Samael, tying the competition up.
Oppa and Senyo continue their dance with Oppa again landing a strike and maintaining his rhythm too!
Senyo overextends herself to land a strike on Oppa but as she does so, she stumbles badly, arms windmilling as she tries to find her balance but she goes tumbling out of the dance circle completely! The other elves watching, as a crowd has started to form, groan and boo Senyo. She lays there flopped over, blowing the hair out of her face, frowning.
Oppa is the winner of his dance battle!
Round 4 - Dance Battle Sam/Mauuko
Mauuko - 2 pts
Samael - 2 pts
Lyra casts guideance upon Samael in the hopes he can win his dance battle!
May her holy flame bring joy upon your dance! QUIIILURTH!”
"Wow you're quick. I was lucky that you stepped on that pebble".
Oppa extends his hand to help Senyo to her feet. Doxie approaches and licks Oppa's hand.
Round 4
Mauuko froze for just a heartbeat, the crowd erupting as the bells on both her anklets rang out. Samael darted away, already back in rhythm.
The circle of onlookers gasped, then burst into cheers as Samael backflipped out of range, landing with a cocky flourish.
Mauuko just stood there. Eyes wide. Mouth slightly open. Her perfectly coiffed hair clung to her face with sweat. Her chest rose and fell with sharp, shallow breaths — half from exertion, half from pure disbelief.
"No. No no no—" she hissed, stepping forward as if time itself had cheated her. "This has to be rigged. There’s no way that just happened."
Senyo groaned from the sidelines. "Ugh, seriously, Mauuko?"
Mauuko whipped toward her. "Shut up, Senyo, you lost too a gnome!"
From the edge of the circle, two figures step forward—Kadija, a tall elf with intricate facial markings and a composed demeanor, and Kuakae, a lithe elf with piercing eyes and a confident stride.
Kuakae, introducing herself and saying "But the dance of the Ekujae is more than just steps and strikes. It's a reflection of one's spirit and discipline."
Kadija extending a hand gracefully, "We invite you to a new round. Let us see if your prowess holds against those who have danced these rhythms since before your grandparents first breath."
Lyra claps Samael and Oppa on the back after their dance battles. ”By her Flame! That was much fun to watch! And they want another round!? I can ask for my Lady’s blessing once more!”
Samael wisely bows out before facing off against the more experienced Elves, they understand and bid you adieu, some of them clap Samael or Oppa on the back for being good sports.
The two girls you defeated, sneer and sniff in your direction before trouncing off toward the feast area.
Renali, who has been quietly and unassuming sticking with your group this whole time, speaks up, "This isn't what I expected from the battle hardened Ekujae, I didn't think there was any room in their culture for fun," she says very dryly.
Nketiah, continues your guided tour of the village, bringing you to the outskirts or edges of the treetop city, where you eventually come across an unusual sight. A slightly pudgy, lionness lying on one of the higher branches, watching the PC's intently.
Speaking up, Nketiah introduces the lionness, "This is Harriet, she thinks she is a leopard," Harriet eyes your group, wary of strangers in her territory. Nketiah seems to be watching, almost as if she is gauging to see what the Lion thinks of your group before continuing on.
"Was she raised by leopards or something? And as for the Ekujae, you probably only saw what they portray to the outside world. I only know about as much as foreign anthropologists can document -- and I can read -- but quite literally every culture has to have some room for fun, or they just go insane after a bit."
"Oh no! Thanks for the offer... but I know I was lucky that Senyo slipped".
Nature
Oppa looks up at Harriet and scratches his head. "Well I don't know a lot about jungle animals... but I always thought a cat that big better off in the plains than in a tree".
Stom cheerily claps Oppa and Samael on the back. "Well done, lads. Next time take it easy on them, huh?"
Stom looks curiously at the lion-like creature. "Looks like a lion but in the tree. How curious!" Stom keeps a careful distance as he has never seen an animal act this way.
If any of you try to approach Harriet she rises up slightly, defensively, unsure of your intentions.
Stom stays at a distance from the beast, clearly trying to avoid disturbing its rest. "Not many creatures like this from where I'm from!"
Oppa walks underneath the tree with his hand extended and warns Doxie to stay back.
"Such a good girl you are. You look so pretty up in that tree".
Nature
Diplomacy (If possible).
Lyra moves closer to Oppa and brandishing her holy symbol says “ QUIIILURTH“ which fill ms him with guiding light as he talks to Harriet.
Oppa, with a little bit of guidance from Saranrae, walks slowly up to the lionness, she starts to utter a low growl but Oppa persists and as he gets closer the growling fades and she sniffs his hand a couple times and then lets him give her a couple of scritches before getting up, giving a big stretch and leaping off into other boughs.
Nketiah beams proudly, "I had a feeling Harriet would like you, the other elves will look at you fondly at the feast for this. While the Ekujae are cordial and will throw you a feast, very few are tolerant of outsiders. Elves, they can be polite to your face, but inwardly can't wait for the years to take some of us younger-lived away,"
A short distance away a horn sounds, a hunting horn, Nketiah grabs Violants hand, saying "Hurry, follow me, the hunting party for the feast is about to set off, maybe you can join them and impress the Hunters, and warriors of our tribe," She dashes off, hopefully with the rest of you in tow.
Pulling up to a stop infront of an elf with striking hazel eyes and twists of dense curly hair that falls around his head like a lion’s mane with a massive longbow in hand, he greets your group in Elven, Nketiah helps to real time translate, "I am Akosa, of the Hawk Clan. My mother is of the River Clan, it is good you have come, If you want any say in what you eat tonight, you can come along.”
"My experience says the same, Nketiah, even though I only have experience with Kyoni elves living abroad--" she says as she get dragged off.
"I would be glad to help if possible," she says to Akosa, hoping that she can at least telekinetically hurl daggers and have it count.
Worried that his brash demeanor might not be appreciated by the Ekujae, Stom asks Nketiah if there is certain behavior that he should avoid. As Oppa greets Harriet, Stom finds time to ask his question.
"Nketiah, thank you for guiding us and providing warnings along the way. I don't want offend your people. Is there anything I should avoid doing during this feast?"
Stom offers his blades for the hunt. "I am always ready to swing my axe. If prey gets close to us, I can stop it from getting close to the archers!"
"Oh Boy Doxie. Now it's your time to shine. Let's go".
Oppa jumps on Doxie's back to keep up with the others.
Smiling at Stom, "Happy to educate you on the Ekujae ways of life," she says before continuing, "To start, you have heard most Ekujae introduce themselves with the clan and the clan of their mother, Ekujae are not born into their clans, though they always consider the clan of their mother to be family as well; they instead choose to join a clan after they have reached adulthood and while not permanent, Ekujae are expected to remain a part of their chosen clan for the entirety of their lives, meaning that joining or leaving a clan is a very serious matter, though few clans will refuse a request for either. Banishment from a clan is a shame reserved for heinous social crimes that Ekujae feel do not warrant capital punishment, such as child abandonment or reckless behavior that results in the death of another person, and is a punishment only slightly less severe than a death sentence,"
Looking over to the Hunter, Akosa who is growing impatient, "I can tell you more while we hunt, Stom,"
Akosa blows his hunting horn once more and the small group of Elven hunters and your group sets off into the woods, first climbing down the trees to the floor below and then Akosa lets one of you take the lead saying, "Show us what the forest tells you and we will hunt the game you seek,"
Lyra bends down and inspects the game trail and even grabs a handful of dirt and gives it a smell.
“hmm Oppa, what do you think of this ? I’m not entirely sure. Perhaps you or Doxie have a better idea. ”
Oppa will. Nature
Doxie smells the dirt a little too enthusiastically and sneezes in response. While Opa sticks in a fingertip taste it.
Violant tries giving an academic opinion from the vast amount of books she's gleamed.
Stom partners with Lyra to provide a watchful eye on their surroundings. "You scan to our front and right. I'll do the same with the left and rear."
Between the four of you, you guys are able to find the tracks to a number of big, wild, dangerous game, though you also find some mid level game as well as the option to search for bats, rats, nuts and berries.
The big, wild dangerous game includes a pack of large, red river boars, a giant nasty crocodile, or a large riverbuck with huge wicked sharp horns.
The more standard, mid level game would be more like deer, antelope or smaller boars than the dangerous Red River Boar variety.
Or you can easily capture and procure, bats, bunnies, birds, nuts and berries.
"Wow! I've never hunted dangerous game before. What kind of game is it?"
no
yes
yes
no
yes
yes
Samael, after looking at the tracks Lyra found and discussing with the hunters name this creature Mirejaw, a huge 30 foot long crocodile, more dinosaur than anything. It stalks a local swamp and has little tolerance for even other smaller crocodiles, incredibly territorial. Incredibly tough hide and jaws that can snap a horse in half.
Violant discusses with other elves and thinks back to her studies and believes that any such wild boars in the Mwangi that are big enough to survive like this would likely be some sort Daeodon, a large carniverous scavenger variant of a wild boar, weighing a solid 2000 lbs, standing 7 feet tall. A small herd would be fearsome indeed to take down, though likely taste delicious. Individually these boars are weak, but even just 3 or 4 at one time would challenge your group.
Finally you both learn about this Waterbuck the elves whisper about, two of the hunters tell you a tale about this creature.
"It ain't no normal buck. Looks like a waterbuck at first—tall, strong, but there's no color to it. Its coat is white as bone, but not soft like fur. No, it's coarse, streaked with old scars and broken bits of horn that grow back wrong—jagged, like knives, sticking through its hide."
"It doesn’t run from danger. It waits. You get too close, thinking it’s wounded or cornered, and then it strikes. Fast as thunder. Strong enough to throw a dire boar across a ravine. We lost two of our own trying to bring it down last season. I still hear them screaming when the wind shifts."
"Some think it’s cursed—born from the land’s old rage. Others say it guards something. But me? I think it just hates us, elves.
"Sounds like it'll be an excellent fight but also good hide and meat to the village."
"looks like we are heading in the right direction." she says as she bends down and checks the game trail again.
"Coming back with bats and rabbits would be disappointing. And, I'm ready for a challenge of large game. But would a fight ruin the meat?"