The Daimyo's Gambit - Game Thread

The road has been long to get here to the mountain kingdom of Rosham. It has been four weeks since you left Agartha. Four weeks since Desiree, leader of the Ouroboros Guild, brought the five of you together, each representing the special interests of the Agarthan merchants or their own machinations. Four long, drudging weeks have passed defending yourselves from pathetic bandits or wandering monsters that did not realize the calibur of adventurers your unseeming lot represented.

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.

My feet ache and my pack seems heavier than when I started even though my rations have dwindled. Following the others through the forest trails up to the home of Shimazu I have time to think. My mind drifts back and forth from gold and treasure all the way to pain and death. I have no idea what I've gotten into, the Oroboros Guild seems interested in just the payout of these adventures. If they aren't looking out for their employees then I'm in the same spot I was 2 months ago.

I am very used to staring at butts while going up hills and waiting (praying) for some action. Cassandra turns her head just slightly and I know they heard something. The first chance I get I tried to hide, my clunky armor making noise, and I tuck behind a tree.

As I am observing what is going on I think to myself "I need to purchase a breastplate, this crap armor is too loud."

As the team moves to take up positions, a light breeze rolls through leaves of orange and red. Kildrak and Ai Shan seem nonplus as the other three hide.

Urki, though your chain mail makes it difficult, you move lithely through the trees and hide, waiting for a chance to strike.

Cassandra, your horse winnies softly and snorts as you calm it down but it quiets down and stays in place as you back away slowly to the other side of the road.

Fēng, As you rise to the higher boughs of the maples you can see the assemblage of goblins before you. There are at least sixteen of the creatures, nine of them are armed and have their hands on their weapons as they crouch, furtive looks on their faces. All are carrying loaded packs. You can see they have noticed, maybe not those that are hidden, but that your group has stopped in the road. The nine quietly creep into a line between the road and the remaining goblins.

Sorry, they aren't advancing just repostioning themselves. Only Feng can see them moving right now though they don't see Feng.

However, you do know something is there and could stride up and walk right into them and say your taunt and keep your roll if you want. Actually you don't even have to know what's there, you can challenge them anyway since you at least know something is there.

[OOC: Fēng is flying much too high to hear what anyone says. At any rate, the GM hasn't specified what kind if weapons the goblins are armed with.]

Fēng flies up into the air, focusing his ki with his forms, drawing in his potential energy waiting to strike from on high. However, as you fly straight up, you lose the goblins through the canopy above them. Unable to hear your compatriots you watch from on high to follow their actions.

Cassandra lets loose a string of profanity that Ai Shan is all too familiar with as a former sailor himself. The three of you, including Kildrak are still on the road, with the dwarf still plodding ahead on his ram.

Because of your position Urki, I will give you advantage to Perception. I'll go ahead and roll it to keep things going and because it'll decide if you actually see the gobs as they move to stealth.

Urki, you can clearly see them now. While your team prepares for battle, you can make out the line of goblins that have positioned themselves in front of the others. The nine in front have ropy muscles, small as they are, they look tough as nails, ranging from young to elderly. One middle aged goblin stands in the center, wearing a chain shirt while the other eight wear leather. All bear at least some sort of weapon whether makeshift clubs made from boards with nails hammered through all the way up to the leader's ivory handled wakizashi. However, you notice something else as well as you peak from behind the mossy tree. The seven goblins that stand behind are clearly female. All sixteen of them have furtive gazes and when Cassandra starts swearing, you see the nine brace themselves for battle.

As Cassandra moves forward defensively, you see some of the younger goblins pull back and the center goblin calls out to the flanks. Whatever he says emboldens them and they find resolve to stand firm. He still has only his hand on his blade, ready to draw it and blood in the same moment but you can see it now, staring them down face to face. There is fear in their eyes. You can see some of the elderly goblins that make up the flanks are missing limbs, hands cut off at the wrist, wooden legs from the knees down. The fear looks fresher and less hidden in the eyes and body language of the younger goblins but in the older ones, and in the eyes one in the center, it is mixed with pure resolve. They will fight you to the death if such must be the case. Urki supports you from your left and you can tell that they are focused on you and your advance. Ai Shan and Kildrak have not advanced but they support you from the rear.

Meanwhile, Fēng, you are lost in the canopy above them as you move to flank them from the rear. Knowing their relative position, you manuever into place to drop behind their numbers and strike in accordance with the teachings of the arts of war that you were taught. Your masters, if they showed such emotions between their hard lessons, would surely be proud that you have learned their lessons so well.

Be sure to seperate character knowledge and player knowledge.