"Falter not!"
One uppity Grunt calls out.
"Zoudou will be back, and promote those that snuff these intruders! Remember that Paradise awaits the Worthy!"
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"I do not, sir" ↺) Hands Lan the key ring "Here you go, sir"
With simple, even expedited obedience, the grunt hands Lan looks down at the ring, and it dawns on him:
The Yellow grunt regards Lan "Yes, sir" he dutifully responds, preparing to obey both his master and his higher rank superior - he begins fumbling for the keys on a key ring that has keys in total...
Ahead, upon the throne, Mugirou, the leader of the Rovers, slouches on his wooden throne brooding, while a few Noppera-Bo grunts pester and mock prisoners held inside the cage. He looks up and says "The ones we have are too young. Will not suffice. We need..." He looks ahead to register the new prisoners: YOU! "...Old Faces!" Mugirou finishes, excitedly "Place them in the Cage!" At the very same moment, Midori beckons for the Noppera-Bo Occultist (with Auntie Wu's face!) to rescue her "Please! Please granny!! Please take me home!!!" which causes the perverted creature to smile cunningly - it responds "Don't worry dear. Granny will take care of you!"
"Ah!" the Occultist Noperra-Bo Captain butts into the conversation - Lan is creepily presented with the face of Auntie Wu, who says to him "So, you've decided that you'd like to become a Prayer then? Won't your betrayal draw the ire of Mugirou? Shall we see what Mugirou thinks about your new allegiance with Zoudou?" He begins walking towards the Warehouse excitedly, and looking back "Well, are you coming? Quickly now, bring the sacrifices!" The warehouse-like building stands taller than the fences of the camp. Within, a makeshift wooden cage, apparently crafted from parts scavenged from large saws and nets and other lumber work tools, sits before a haphazard throne made from a large root burl that’s nearly five feet tall. Inside the cage, Midori and less than half-a-dozen other recognizable Willowshore citizens are trapped, slightly malnourished and dirty, as if fed half-rations for a day or two. Midori, upon seeing "Auntie Wu" come inside, immediately runs for the cage bars and calls out her grandmother's name!
Ahead, upon the throne, Mugirou, the leader of the Rovers, slouches on his wooden throne brooding, while a few Noppera-Bo grunts pester and mock prisoners held inside the cage. He looks up and says "The ones we have are too young. Will not suffice. We need..."
Hearing Lan, one grunt suddenly brooks wide space around Auntie Wu, and another who had been about to inspect her bonds suddenly stands down too. "She is a witch?" the helpful third inquires. The second nods in the affirmative. Hearing the commotion from afar, an Occult Noppera-Bo Captain comes over, studies Auntie Wu for a moment, then , his own blank features now an immaculate copy of the druid's, down to her scraggly and tangled hair. "Now I have her Power" he brags "We will channel this Witch for the Ritual - this should please Zoudou" The others seem to agree. The grunt says to Lan "Okay, you may place them with the others. But then: Be gone, Rover! Your ways only lead to nothing. You will never know the Paradise that lies Beyond if you don't Pray!" Meanwhile, across camp, Sigurd lands and helps Kazuki scale down the last ten feet, carefully avoiding the spikes. Mogu pops out of his (borrowed) backpack to look around, then pops back in.
"I don't like the looks of that one" one guard says, looking at Vekka. "Why is this one crying?" another says, looking at Auntie Wu. "Maybe we should sacrifice them first" a third adds helpfully. It seems, at least for time being, they tentatively accept the situation for what it appears to be...
"Why did you not remove their armor?" the suspicious Noperra-Bo grunt asks Lan "Perhaps it was too difficult to watch two at one time. Are you alone? Where are the rest of the Rovers?"
There is a distant sound - a clang of metal against wood - the Noppera-Bo guards nearly look - but the dissheveled looking Auntie Wu and Vekka distracts him. "Grab that one's backpack, and take both their armor" he point to the latter "Throw it in the pile" One of the grunts cuts Vekka's backpack at the straps, then strips the tengu and halfling of their armor, and missing the katana altogether somehow (!), carries everything else over to the Treasury, and quickly returns.
The guards look upon the strange faceless one, and speak "You must be a Rover, then. Although we do not need additional bodies, we will take them" They begin to scrutinize the "prisoners"...
"One of them is hiding" "It's just a bird"
Again to his superior "That one is a fighter. Look at him. Do you want him coming to our camp? I can stay behind, and give them the girl, while you take the other. I can pay with my body to inure my soul" he reaches for Miyuki and tosses her the party's direction - with her arms bound, she falls to the ground tripping over her one sandal, landing on her face, but squirming, whips her feet around to stand, and comes running towards Auntie Wu crying! he holds his hatchet up to the remaining twin's neck once more.
Four hooded strangers - a familiar sight - escort the twins through the wood headed West. The party is immediately spotted!
Initiatives
Hooded Stranger - perhaps six seconds from freedom - ducks his (allegedly noseless) head just in time to avert a followup icy blast - the woods are so close - he feels warmth in his joints again - he makes his last ditch break for it!
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The hooded stranger tightens his grip on his machete, and with a graceful motion, slides it behind his back, as if feigning harmlessness, simultaneously turns around to face the party, the coverings of his hood leaving his identity unknown, between the low light of the trees in the small clearing, and the shadow cast of it's heavy, sunken, wooly stitching. He speaks! His voice ordinary, human, groveling. "You have found me! I am lost. I was taken. Let me show you my wounds..." he advances closer a stride, standing now adjacent to Vekka "...do you see?" leveraging the kindness of Vekka's heart against him, he seizes the opportunity to stab the tengu viciously, pulling the machete back out from behind his back, and striking brutally! ~) Surprise Attack
Vekka goes down! And with that, the stranger flees!
Unsure if he wants to turn around, the hooded stranger remains motionless, but does not tighten his grip on his machete... Confrontation Tracker (Open): Auntie Wu w/ ??? @ ??? Ho Lan w/ ??? @ ??? Kazuki w/ ??? @ ??? Sigurd w/ Make an Impression (Diplomacy) @ 12 Vekka w/ Make an Impression (Diplomacy) @ 16
The party decides for an open approach - moving cautiously, they stow their weapons and Confront the humanoid (human?) figure, who freezes as he (male?) becomes aware of not being alone in the wood, relaxing his machete arm, and stopping in place, but interestingly, not turning around fully, or really at all, instead, turning only his neck, and only slightly, so that, presumably, his hood barely permits the acknowledgement of their presence, perhaps, too, permitting his peripheral vision to track them, in return, visually. There is a pause where it would seem natural for him to speak - but he chooses not to, or cannot, or will not... Confront Skills (Open): Deception, Diplomacy, Intimidation, or Perception. As you craft your post, choose one skill above to roll. If you have special skill feats / ancestry feats, now is a good time to mention them (and provide text / links).
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