The road you have been traveling on has drawn nearer the mountain home of Shimazu, a warlord of old whose family has controlled the eastern range for generations. Stories and rumors have told of their stranglehold being the result of an ancient samurai guardian spirit or even in some cases an ancient Oni that watches over the clan and guides them through the ages but such stories come from the mouths of peasants and always differ from town to town. What hasn't changed however are the stories of Shimazu's cruelty. As you have gotten closer and closer to his home, the roadside villages have been more and more abandoned. Full fields of rice lay rotting in the paddies, and it is only just autumn. Here and there, some villagers have stayed and have warned you against the road ahead but even their scars and broken homes are not enough to turn you from your mission, to retrieve the Amulet of the Dragonstones. You signed a contract and for those of you who that means anything to, completion is key. Even those of you whose word is less than bond are still attracted to the road ahead for the sheer payout or danger, both of which promise to be high.
As dusk approaches at the end of a long day of travel, the setting sun behind you, the mountain looming ahead of you, and thick forest to either side of the road, Cassandra's ears pick up. Someone or something is moving in the forests to the south of you. A large group. You can hear them slow at your approach as well as their whispers they meant to keep secret. You have heard the gutteral sounds of Goblin before even if you can not understand the course speech. From the sounds of it though, there are many and it does not seem as if they realize you have noticed them.