The Crippled Bone

[Canary]

[Succeses: 4/6, Failures: 0/3, Raises: 9/10]

[Canary]

Hanzou followed the nezumi he'd been paired with, as they moved to a defend the camp.

"You were telling me about these creatures, I'd like to know more. What are we facing?"

"Animals, goblins and ogres from capital," it said. "All change-change by dream-of-evil. Sometimes stay dead after kill-kill. Sometimes not. Got big-big evil spirits, too."

[Miyako]

"You are too kind, Togashi Nadare," Miyako responded to the tattooed man and returning his smile with one of her own. She could not recall coming across the man all that much over the past couple weeks in the camp, but she appreciated the kind words. She took her bow in hand and joined Hanzou on the watch. She kept an eye out, but his eye was quicker, and the Nezumi quicker still, for by the time she saw it and pulled an arrow from her quiver the creature was already down before she could hold her breath to focus on her shot and pull on the string. The immediate danger out of the way, she stood down for the moment, eyes still vigilant to others like it on the horizon.

"Lots of big-big evil spirit things? Do they lead the other ones in the attacks?" she asked, following up on Hanzou's question as the rain continued its pitter-patter outside. "And the rain that singes and burns: it falls often like this?"

[Canary]

"You are too kind, Togashi Nadare," Miyako responded to the tattooed man and returning his smile with one of her own. She could not recall coming across the man all that much over the past couple weeks in the camp, but she appreciated the kind words. She took her bow in hand and joined Hanzou on the watch. She kept an eye out, but his eye was quicker, and the Nezumi quicker still, for by the time she saw it and pulled an arrow from her quiver the creature was already down before she could hold her breath to focus on her shot and pull on the string. The immediate danger out of the way, she stood down for the moment, eyes still vigilant to others like it on the horizon.

"Lots of big-big evil spirit things? Do they lead the other ones in the attacks?" she asked, following up on Hanzou's question as the rain continued its pitter-patter outside. "And the rain that singes and burns: it falls often like this?"

It nodded. "Yes Big-big evil spirits can't stay long, though. Not always-always burn, but rain often."

[Togashi Nadare]

Meanwhile, back under cover
"Fascinating technique Togashi-san, might I suggest-"
A nearby rat squeaks loudly in pain
"Uh, what I was going to say was-"
It squeaks again
"....I'll be right back."

Nadare chuckled and continued his work. "Unfortunately my nezumi language skills are nonexistent. Now. Does it hurt when I do this?"

Squeeeeeeek!

"Then I will not do that." He looked more closely. "Ah, I see the problem. We can fashion a splint for this injury."

[Hanzou]

"Animals, goblins and ogres from capital," it said. "All change-change by dream-of-evil. Sometimes stay dead after kill-kill. Sometimes not. Got big-big evil spirits, too."

"Dream-of-evil?" As he asked, the rain fell harder. The nezumi had driven off the creature, but it was still out there. Now, it was harder to see.

He questioned the wisdom of asking for aid from the water spirits. There was clearly corruption all around. But, he couldn't risk letting that creature surprise them.

He sliced his arm and whispered the rites. He heard strange whispers in return, but found the blessing of the true water spirits.

And then, he saw it.

"There it is!" Hanzou shouted to the nezumi and pointed

- - -
The Crippled Bone, Casting Water Kami's Blessing TN 20, Affinity: 6d10o10k3 26 3 wounds taken

The Crippled Bone, Resisting Kansen, TN 10, Jade: 3d10o10+10 23

The Crippled Bone, Investigation/Perception, 1 CR, TN 35, Wary, Water Kami's Blessing, VP +1k1: 10d10o10k5 41

[Canary]

"Land get lost to place of evil, where evil's dreams spread. So, place is dream-of-evil," it explained before skewering the creature again. "Things twist-twist and change in dream, yes?"

[Canary]

[Successes: 5/6, Failures: 0/3, Raises: 10/10]

[Togashi Nadare]

Meanwhile, back in the medical tent...

"You know, I once gave first aid to a bear." He placed the needles into a small jar before adding his sterilizing concoction and swirling them around. "But that is a story for another time." He patted the ratling on its shoulder and moved on to the last patient.

"Now then, what seems to be the problem?" Eyes scanned the injuries carefully before he began to probe the wounds. "This will hurt. But trust me friend."

It took a while to apply the treatments. Nadare was concerned about internal bleeding but it seemed the rat was really tough. A little needle work, a salve, some bandages, and a potion he had whipped up from those psycho-active mushrooms.

"Now, how do you feel?"

Day 13. The Crippled Bone. Medicine/Intelligence. Void for +1k1. TN35: 8d10o10k5 51

[Hanzou]

"Land get lost to place of evil, where evil's dreams spread. So, place is dream-of-evil," it explained before skewering the creature again. "Things twist-twist and change in dream, yes?"

"I hadn't snikt thought of it like that." he nodded as they watched the creature be taken down by the other warriors. "Being so close has been swist giving us bad dreams."

[Canary]

Meanwhile, back in the medical tent...

"You know, I once gave first aid to a bear." He placed the needles into a small jar before adding his sterilizing concoction and swirling them around. "But that is a story for another time." He patted the ratling on its shoulder and moved on to the last patient.

"Now then, what seems to be the problem?" Eyes scanned the injuries carefully before he began to probe the wounds. "This will hurt. But trust me friend."

It took a while to apply the treatments. Nadare was concerned about internal bleeding but it seemed the rat was really tough. A little needle work, a salve, some bandages, and a potion he had whipped up from those psycho-active mushrooms.

"Now, how do you feel?"

Day 13. The Crippled Bone. Medicine/Intelligence. Void for +1k1. TN35: 8d10o10k5 51

The Nezumi looked confused and said something in its own language that may not have even made sense to other Nezumi.

[Canary]

[Successes: 6/6, Failures: 0/6, Raises: 10/10]

[Complete Success! +20 Purity]

[Canary]

[This thread is now open for RP]

[Miyako]

Again Hanzou is quick on the draw with what he sees, and again the Nezumi make work of the creature before the tribeswoman can fire off a single arrow. "Hanzou, your eye is sharp like the bird: it seems perhaps that you need not my help on the watch after all," she said to him with a chuckle. And that was fine with her: with his sharp eyes on the horizon and the Crab and Dragon working their medical wonders on the injured and crippled Nezumi, perhaps they would be in a more open mood, or at least more talkative beyond the small-talk they made while they conducted themselves around their shelter and accomplished what had been requested of them.

"Some of them will take another day or so of rest, the ones with more significant injuries taking longer, but the salves and tinctures they prepare and give to them should help greatly in their recovery. We have a good number of well-trained medicine-men and women with us," she said to the Nezumi as she gestured with an open hand towards where Nadare and Xia were working their healing hands.

"And though we do not smell like Nezumi does, many, like Hanzou, have sharp eyes like the bird to see the danger ahead; he and others like him have maintained vigilance over our camp, and on our journey we have already on some days and nights detected, faced, and driven away the evil sent to us," the tribeswoman added as she then gestured towards Hanzou and the group of Nezumi that had defeated all that the man had seen.

"As I mentioned earlier, we would like to speak about the South and the dangers that lie ahead of us. There are already some among the Nezumi, you have heard, that walk among us and provide guidance, but more knowledge and expertise would be welcome. Is this only a temporary shelter from the rains? Do you have a larger camp somewhere else? There are but only four of us here that tend to the injured and keep watch, and we have only brought but so much supplies to treat those injured: if one is amenable to it, and once these rains subside, perhaps you might bring your kind nearer to our camp? We have more medicines and medicine-men and women whom can help the injured, more sharp-eyes that can work with sharp-smells to ward off dangers. In kind, we hope you might share with us the things you know of the South... anything you can tell us at all will do in ensuring those good medicine-men and women and sharp-eyes might make it home once our journey ends."

[Togashi Nadare]

The Nezumi looked confused and said something in its own language that may not have even made sense to other Nezumi.

With a nod he looked over at the other Nezumi. "You may find your friend here speaking in colours for the next 12 hours. It will keep him occupied while he should be resting."

Nadare stood up and walked over to Xia. "It has been a pleasure to watch your work. Perhaps we can exchange knowledge one of these days? There is always more to learn."

[Canary]

The Nezumi nods to Miyako. "We got much-much knowings of Crater. Some of us go with, help-help. Got shamans to help-help. They visit tonight."

[Miyako]

She nodded her head to the Nezumi in appreciation. "We will have much thanks for what information and assistance you might provide us, truly. When the rain subsides, I will head back to our camp and let our shamans know that your shamans will visit so that they might speak on such things." The tribeswoman looked outside, the blistering rain still coming down.

"The Crater... like a wound in the Earth itself, or so I have overheard. Have your kind been close enough to lay eyes upon it? Many have spoken of the horrors that come from it - few have spoken of the thing itself."