Zheng Peng nods, pleased that the party intends to respect his authority.
He passes the remainder of the night trying to avoid Lan!
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Zheng represses a sigh internally, and seems to visibly relax. Stares at the gravestone. Then leans in to dish quietly out of earshot of the other villagers "The Wall has been active. Some of my men have spoken to the rangers that patrol the outskirts. There have been sightings here and there. To the West. But far away, for now. Perhaps, after tonight, you would be willing to send out that shaggy scout of yours . I understand he has been busy gathering food for the Northridge forces..."
An olive branch, perhaps, for his company's thoughtful discretion.
Terrified into fawning, he goes to shake Lan's hand with exaggerated roughness - the latter noticing the constable's hands to be soft and silky smooth. Walking by Auntie Wu, he casually confiscates some of her smokes - placing them in his satchel "Contraband - will take this to the offices" and talks to Sigurd - "man to man" - handing him a shovel and broom "I can spot for you if you get those mounds pounded in. Can never be too careful" a shrewd display of insecure dominance. And "Keeping the town safe is rough work, you know. But you guys have been helpful to the Constable's office. I didn't want to be mayor. Who would protect the town?" he laughs nervously. Very. Nervously. "Quiet lately. Little too quiet. Maybe the Wall of Ghosts is afraid of the fight we'd put up?" his jest intends to be light-hearted. He hopes beyond hope the three of them simply agree with him, if for no other reason than to affirm the facade of his authority in the eyes of the villagers, some of whom seem to be rolling those very eyes with some melodrama. How gentle the party will be with him - and his disproportionate Ego! - remains to be seen...
The good constable, it seems, has already taken credit for his part in freeing the prisoners of Mo Douqiu. ”Bravely did we escort the villagers to safety, and returned them to their homes to reunite with their families. Willowshore is safe at last” he seems immensely pleased with himself. And indeed, when Zheng Peng finds out that the party is headed South of the Bank to confer with Old Matsuki, his ego swells behind his smile ”I will see to it personally that Granny Hu is abridged of the events that happened. Word is she is looking to make a promotion within her ranks…” knowing full well that with the party’s choice of Leader, that suddenly his own chances of receiving said promotion, for whatever it’s worth, are all but assured ”If you need anything, please call on the guard!” he tries to walk away with that being the final word. And in any case, the party heads South… …later discovering that some of the prisoners had been Southbankers, and that, unlike those recovered who called Northridge home, they were simply turned loose rather than actually escorted back to their side of the river…
The great hero constable of Willowshore - Zheng Peng - seizes the opportunity. It begins with a glint in his eye, and, he orders his men over to begin escorting the freed prisoners, one by one, from the tea house, before immediately taking credit for the act of extreme bravery! "We will bring you back to the safety of Granny Hu in the Northridge!" and giving his men another command - once the party finishes trying to be discreet - marches off barking even more orders at his men!
"We'll assist you in the flush out!" Zheng Peng - Willowshore's most inscrutable constable! - shows up with a handful of men. He avoids eye contact with Lan entirely. "Stand attention!" he instructs his deputies, beaming with self-importance, commanding them to retrieve their crossbows, then stow them, then "at ease", and so on...
Zheng Peng removes himself from Auntie Wu's care defiantly. But, as he hears about the situation outside - and especially the party's having already met with and impressed his auntie Granny Hu , he shifts from open hostility to passive aggressive truckling. "We are now sufficiently armed and prepared to defend the town, having been hoodwinked by those viscous fey. Lucky they struck when we were most vulnerable, else we would have been an insurmountable force!" he seems to overestimate his power, or at least, explain away his failure... in any case, he asks "Where will you go now?"
If you tell him about the Governor's Manor: "It's just... MISSING!?!" "Inconceivable!"
”As I said, the key is over there! Hurry, there isn’t time to waste, there are more, and we must stop them before they overrun the whole village!” The entire imperial guard, naked, exhausted, jailed, and badly bruised! Trained in Medicine?: Everyone has only 1 HP left!
Zheng Peng watches in awe as Kolphan cuts the bird in two. "You definitely deserve a promotion. I will talk to Granny Hu for you!" he observes his own importance in stewarding the matter. "Free me and it will be done" he promises. But Lan can see him crossing his fingers behind his naked back...
"You!" he points to Sigurd now "You look a respectable citizen, but for the company you keep; cavorting with the Scum of the Town!" he spits in his cell, then offers something beyond his actual jurisdiction "Free ME and I'll see to it that you are promoted to a respectable station. At once!" His unearned authority shriveling pathetically at his shrill attempts to assert pecking order! Positively irate!!
"And YOU!" Wllowshore's most honorable and diligent constable now sees Auntie Wu as she enters the room "I KNEW the two of YOU would Conspire against ME!" he accuses beyond probable cause - then "I hope you are sober enough to see the KEYS, you >>redacted<< >>redacted<< - they are right in front of your >>redacted<< face!" Hurling cruel and unusual insults from his cell, Zheng Peng's embarrassment and shame blossom into despair!
"Not YOU!" Zheng Peng, the most "honorable" and "diligent" (in his own words) constable of Willowshore looks upon Ho Lan with abject horror even beyond his own apparent captivity (stripped of weapons and naked but for a single cloth to cover his bits). He demands unreasonably "What are YOU doing here?!?" frustration painting red the entirety of his shrewd face, he absolutely seethes in some impossible combination of relief, embarrassment, and shame (especially shame) - then with integrity "Free ME first - I can HELP you to defeat these Humongous Savage Humming Birds of Death!!!" he makes an automatic motion to grab his weapons before jarring himself at his momentarily-forgotten unarmed state "There are KEYS hidden over there!" finally attempting to help.
1 vote hard and slow. First to 3 decides it. Remember: What is good for the goose is good for the gander!
Game Decision: Player Input So, Jinkin would like to Stride, open a door, keep Striding, and open a second door. Do we want to play it "fast and loose" (on both sides of the screen) letting you continue to Stride if you perform a simple Manipulate or Move action (such as opening a door or leaping)? Or do we want to play it "hard and slow" where an interrupted Stride forfeits the surplus movement it might have afforded. Down to go either way (but I have my preference), and seeking player input! What's at stake in this moment: a second door is either open or closed! =) |