The banteng lowed grumpily as it pulled the cart up the steep stony trail, jungle crowded in on each side of the narrow trail as they ascended.

A few hours into the journey they came across a stone bridge built over a stream.  There was an old man sitting on the edge of the bridge nursing a headwound...

In reply to Damian May (msg # 1):



Hanako, less resplendent now in black travel clothing and a conical woven straw hat  jumps down from the cart along the way several times, gathering a few useful plants she knows when she spots them not far from the roadside, then climbing back up.

If she is quiet, it is because she is listening, over the creak of the cart and the grumbling of the bantang for the sounds filtering through the jungle.



Hanako looks the elderly man, concerned that his present perch may be a dangerous one to someone without all their wits currently about them.

As the cart comes closer she asks of Tan in a clear voice "Please inquire if the man on the bridge ahead requires assistance. Do not startle him, be polite."

Nafu looks suspiciously around. His gutter urchin instincts expect threat and guile from apparently harmless meetings such as this one.

Datuk responds,"MY pleasure milady."
Tan walks towards the man and salutes him," Hail Sir! It seems you are hurt! May I help you and do you need help?"

The old man startled as Tan spoke, " Huh? Wha? Of course I'm hurt, I was attacked."

" Ah....manners...Selamat Pagi, Bli.  My Name is Wayan...those damned beasts stole all my wares and took my nephew with them."

"Selamat Pagi," Datuk Tan responds, taking out his water bottle and passing it to the old man. "Here do you need a drink?"

If and after the man drinks, Datuk continues," Which beasts, tell me more about it. Perhaps my mistress can help you," pointing at Hanako.
This message was last edited by the GM at 06:25, Mon 17 Jan 2022.

Hanako allows a small smile of approval to briefly cross her face as she glances at the watchful young man, knowing that wisdom is not confined only to grey haired sages in ivory towers full of scrolls.



Hanako inclines her head politely in thanks, her civility oddly easier to demonstrate in an uncivilized environment.



Hanako again nods in approval, of both salute and speech, allowing helpfulness to count more than eloquence in this instance, while she maintains a dignified silence, as she hopes befits one who must command warriors.



It is only by an act of great will that Hanako does not laugh out loud at this retort, but silently struggles to maintain her inscrutable air.

Her lips, however, are traitors in this task, as the hint of a smile lifts the corners of her mouth a little regardless of the lack of words spoken through them.

An injured man well enough to make retorts is a man who may yet survive his injuries, she reasons, and listens further.



Having swiftly placed the old man in family order by his name, Hanako permits herself one eyebrow raised in astonishment at his predicament before her expression rapidly turns to one of concern over both a theft and a kidnapping in the one incident.



Despite her curiosity, Hanako cannot but again silently nod in approval at his practical aid to Wayan, beset by recent ill fortune.



Hanako stands up and bows courteously in Waylan's direction, a feat of balance made easier by her standing atop a parked ox-cart rather than a moving one.

There is a look of polite inquiry on her face as she asks "Would you permit me to see to your wound, Bli? A blow to the head is an injury that may more dangerous than it may first appear."

She patiently awaits a reply before either sitting back down if the answer is in the negative, or stepping down from the cart to render assistance herself if required.

" Never turn down the ministrations of a woman, medical or otherwise.", the old man chuckled but there was concern and pain on his face.

" Damn macaques!  Though these seemed sick...and the smelt really bad....some of them were missing bits...damn strange."

" They headed downslope but away from the stream...not much meat on the boy if they took him for food."

Hanako smiles as she observes "I have been told that laughter is a fine medicine, so I am glad to hear that you know of it." then steps gracefully down from the ox-cart as she pulls a rolled bandage and a small round bamboo container decorated with a ferocious striped cat from her plain black robe's sleeves.

She stops a short distance from Wayan, looks him over carefully and explains "I am Hanako, of the Akari Clan. I have been trained in healing by my mother, Hana. Many patients of hers I have met reckon her to be wise in medical lore."

Stepping closer, Hanako adds in wry conclusion "And as they are still alive to praise her skills, I am sure they have good reasons to say that."

She then asks Wayan politely "If you will remove your hand from that head wound for a moment, then I will see what can be done with my own small skills for you, Bli Waylan."



Hanako's hands do not pause in their gentle examination, still checking for broken bones or unusual pressure on the skull, nor do her eyes shift from the wound as she says doubtfully "Macaque monkeys of the little red faces and long grey tails kind, or the pig tailed and dark furred forest sort, or a different kind again? The ones that live near the city to steal food, or even attack humans in groups when annoyed, but never taking a whole cargo or stealing people ..." then concedes "But a sick and starving jungle troop of them might not behave in a predictable way. How did they first attack you? Throwing rocks from the trees or leaping at you directly?"

Out of curiosity mingled with hope she offers "Perhaps feverish hunger has driven them to attack even each other for food, or they are survivors of a larger predator's attack themselves while in a weakened state?" then inquires "What 'bits' were they missing? Bitten away raggedly or cut cleanly with a knife?"



"How long ago did this happen?" Hanako asks, then "How many fingers am I holding up?"* followed by a qualified reassurance of "Rats and crabs are the biggest prey I know of them usually hunting to eat. Was your nephew alive and awake when you saw him last? Was he also injured in the attack?"

OOC: Hanako holds up four fingers, at a distance of a meter away from Wayan's face, to determine if Wayan is currently concussed or otherwise lacking in visual capacity.

"What is your nephew's name?" Hanako asks in a gentler tone, and explains "I am sorry to batter you with so many questions, Bli Wayan. It will help us search for him, as will knowing if his odd kidnappers took him and your goods away by the treetops, or on foot down on the ground."
This message was last edited by the player at 02:15, Tue 18 Jan 2022.

Nafu watches on, concerned. He examines the area, looking for signs of a struggle and the supposed abduction.  He has seen too many street scammers to not be wary of a story like this, chanced upon along the trail.

Tan respectfully stands aside as Hanako ministers to the injured man. However, he keeps a close watch, ready to draw his battle-ax when and if it is needed.

Wayan nodded at the torrent of words and allowed Hanako to treat him.

" Forest Macaques, long tails....they were bite wounds...but old and rotting..."


" Thats four fingers.  About....I'm not sure how long ago, not a great amount of time...it is strange...but they were not normal monkeys.  Of that I am certain."

" He is Ketut, but mostly we call him Kodok."

Nafu indeed sees signs of fighting and small scraps of rotten smelling fur..

Nafu listens dubiously to the old man whilst scanning the surrounds for threats. He is used to street charlatans and swindlers. He has used distractions himself when running with street urchins trying to survive.

Datuk tries to recall what he knows of the monnkeys mentioned.

OOC:Do I need to make a roll to see if i know anything?

Datuk knows long tailed macaques, they're common throughout the region..........these are not behaving like the animals he knows.

"Strange that these usually peaceful creatures attack humans. Are they fed by the people living around here?" he asks.

"Like Dragon's Scale*, or the Green Rot**?" Hanako wonders aloud, but hopeful of answer.



"Then you still have your wits about you." Hanako says in a relieved tone, then nods in agreement with his opinion of the forest macaques strangeness.



Hanako seems both worried and amused by this information, but says only "Thank you, Bil Wayan. Knowing Kodok's name will help us find him if he can hear us." as she finishes her assessment of his injuries, and begins to clean and salve the wound on Wayan's head.

She listens as Datuk asks a few questions of his own, nodding in approval of his line of questioning, but looks to Karash in silent inquiry, reasoning that of all those present, the farlander warrior may know more of the usual behavior of a small monkey than others.

Hanako spares a moment to swiftly warn Nafu "Look with your eyes, not your hands. I do not doubt the sharpness of your senses, but I do not yet know if this is a disease at work, or something more sinister."

OOC: Is Wayan's wound a bite mark, and if so, monkey sized or human sized. If not a bite, is it a claw wound, or a blunt trauma injury of some kind? If none of those options, then what kind of wound is it?




* 'Dragon's Scale' would translate as Leprosy, so named for the dead patches of skin's appearance.
** 'Green Rot' would translate as Infected Wounds, so named for the greenish colour of the pus generated, and for the tendency of wounds to become quickly infected in a hot wet jungle environment.
This message was last edited by the player at 07:41, Sun 13 Feb 2022.

" Fed? Not willingly but they raid crops on occasion."

" Neither....black, like dead flesh thats lain by the roadside."

Looking over Wayans wound she notes he likely slipped during the attack and struck his head on the bridge or other stone.

Tan opines they should think of a way to avoid the moneky attacks.

Hanako raises an eyebrow at this, then calmly finishes bandaging Wayan's blunt trauma head wound before she gives voice to her mounting suspicions.



"I suspect that they will be unavoidable if we stay on the road." Hanako answers him firmly "So we must not only locate Kodok, but also deal with his captors to prevent further highway robberies and abductions. I doubt the oxcart will go far without a road under it in the thicker forest, so best to leave it here under guard. It would not be wise to leave Wayan here alone, lest his attackers return."

She looks Karash as she mentions leaving a guard, and then to Nafu as she asks "Nafu, did they leave tracks on the ground we can follow to their hiding place, or did they take to the trees with their captive?" then leans down to sniff the fragments of primate flesh left by the kidnappers.

"Or perhaps they may be tracked by their stench?" she offers, wrinkling her nose at the smell.
This message was last edited by the player at 05:50, Thu 17 Feb 2022.

" I can guard the cart, and watch over the old one."

He petted the small monkey on his shoulder, " You wouldn't kidnap anyone would you?"

"Thank you." Hanako says gratefully, then offers "Your small friend will be safer here, I hope, and also act as another pair of vigilant eyes to watch for trouble by  the road. It would be helpful in finding our way back if you could keep a small and well controlled campfire burning."

She explains with a gentle smile "If Kodok finds his way back here without encountering our search party first, then better that his Uncle Wayan is here to explain that you are not a bodyguard to a little bandit boss, don't you think?"

Hanako hastens to add in fairness, as she gathers a few useful items from the oxcart "Not that I think you are, Karash, nor is your friend there on your shoulder a kidnapper." then turns to speak to Nafu...

Nafu looks a little surprised to be asked and then makes an ostentatious showing of carefully examining the ground for signs of the malicious monkey’s passage.

Having grown up on the mean streets of Crescentium, Nafu has never learnt the art of tracking. Though he has the skills to evade pursuing authorities and irate merchants after pick pocketing. If he can see something obvious he will point in the general direction rather than admit his failing, otherwise he will shrug and say there’s no clear tracks to follow.

Nafu doesn't expect to find anything but is suprised to note that the trail is rather clear through the thick forest, though he doesn't have much experience with wild animals he notes a large number of scrapes, scraps of fur and muddy prints as if many of the animals are uncaring about damaging themselves against trees, stones etc.

He can easily point out a trail to follow, at least for the moment.



20:23, Today: Damian May, on behalf of Nafu, rolled 6 using 2d10.  Tracks Stealth 12 vs nafu Perception 7.

“Come! This way. They went in this direction!” Nafu says excitedly before regaining his composure and trying to contain his delight at proving useful in strange circumstances.

He lifts a scrap of fur with the point of his stolen scimitar and holds it up for all to see

“These monkeys seem to be shedding fur. That is most odd don’t you think?”

"Yes, it is. They must be sick indeed to show so little care for themselves, or perhaps they are beyond caring..." Hanako answers, her voice trailing off in her perplexity at the entire affair.

She then leans closer and asks in a whisper "Do you see any signs of human footprints in this trail, Nafu? Look carefully, before we put our own feet over them in haste."

In reply to Hanako (msg # 27):

Nafus eyes see occasional signs of a human foot, but it is being dragged backwards.....he did not think small monkeys, even that many could bear a human bodily off the ground...

Tan follows the party. When or if he is able to, he will try to use his tracking skills.

OOC: Barbarians can track? If so do i need to roll to track?

In reply to Hanako (msg # 27):

Nafu turns to Hanako and with a shake of his head shrugs shyly and says

“No mistress, except perhaps as a prisoner dragged backwards? But who can say?”

"Thank you Nafu. That tells me that Kodok was not awake when they carried him off, or if he was, then he was still not in any state to resist being carried off." Hanako replies, looking more worried at this conclusion.

The apprenticed healer explains "The behavior of these monkeys is most strange. Leper's flesh is dry and withered by the time it falls away from the body in humans, so if it is a disease they have, then it is one I have no knowledge of."

"We had best seek Kodok quickly, but I do not want to lose the road's direction in the sea of trees, even with a fire's smoke to guide us." she adds, drawing a bundle of shiny red laquered bamboo slivers from her sleeve, and jabbing them in the ground beside the trail they follow every dozen paces into the jungle.

"Quickly now." Hanako exhorts Nafu and Datuk quietly "The monkeys left a stunned Wayan behind, not took him away as well, nor ate him where he lay. That makes me more certain this is no simple kidnapping and theft, and that his nephew is alive, if not unharmed."

In reply to Hanako (msg # 31):

The group began to move into the forest following the trail with Nafu and Tan leading the way.

After about 30 minutes of difficult terrain along the underbrush choked slope they began to hear sounds up ahead, it seemed to be a person moaning in pain.

Nafu was able to sneak close enough to see down into a small gully, within the 3m high stone walls was a small shrine decorated with a horrifying fanged and goggle-eyed visage with a long, protruding tongue.

Behind the shrine was a small cave in which a young man was bound with rattan, over him hovered an old woman dressed in rags with a rusty bronze blade.  The rest of the gully was filled with macaques....this close there was no mistake...these animals were dead...and yet they moved.
This message was last edited by the GM at 09:15, Thu 03 Mar 2022.

Hanako, satisfied that the young man held captive by a ragged grandmother still lives even with a bronze blade held so threateningly above him, glances about swiftly.

The face on the shrine draws her attention, it's features somehow familiar to her eyes, yet never so still as this one. Music half recalled but compelling in it's cadences, graceful dancers arrayed in vivid finery, and a language without the need for words.

The face is that of a woman grown monstrous, once a queen of men, now a queen of wicked kami and demons, a fallen follower of a stern but fair goddess from a far off land, but a goddess still known to Hanako's people, all be it by a different name and borne there by the words of saffron robed monks.

It is not the serene faced goddess alone that tips the scales of karma in that epic though, there is another force for good whose role is more prominent, a warrior of the great cat kami, who laughs at little monkeys and their antics, but fights the demon queen like a lion, or perhaps even a tiger...

All this passes through Hanako's mind in but the second it takes to see it, along with the knowledge that the laughing tiger lord and the angry outcast queen war eternally, but both are potent forces held in balance only by each other's existence.

The armed and dangerous old woman is thus seen in a different light by Hanako than most onlookers would regard her, but the young man's fate is more urgent than her own interest in royal history.

Hanako turns to the two bodyguards and rapidly whispers "We must free the bound man. The woman is also more use alive than dead. Words before blades, but be ready to use both."

OOC: Hanako has a plan to distract the woman in mind, but there's little time to discuss details in these circumstances. If anyone has any objections, and would prefer an alternative plan, this is the time to say so.

Nafu gulps and fights down his natural urge to flee danger. Reminding himself that he must face danger to become a great and noble hero he turns to the others and whispers nervously

“Perhaps I can circle around and get close enough to get the jump on the witch? I am used to creeping and sneaking…but in streets and alleys not in all these trees…”

"I charge in while e rest of you flank her?" Tan asks.

Hanako whispers back the reassuring suggestion of "Think of them as a wooden fenced alley with many gaps. Free the man. If we fail in this? Then hurry to your friend."



"Yes, but I do not know how many of the macaques here will follow her commands." Hanako warns him quietly, then offers in a whisper "Without orders, they may not be a threat. Engage her attention. Demand she move away from the captive. Force her to if she does not."
This message was last edited by the player at 13:41, Fri 11 Mar 2022.

"Yes milady!" Datuk says before moving forward with his battle axe!

"Halt in the name of the gods!" Datuk roars at the old lady. He moves towards her charging forward as he screams.

Hopefully Nafu is in place or closer when Datuk Tan challenges the woman.  If so he will leap out and attempt to knock her out with the pommel of his scimitar.

If not he will attempt to move silently and unseen into position whilst she is distracted by him

Hanako gets closer, trying to keep the woman in clear sight to slow her likely angry response to a man's challenge with some of her own feminine darkness.

OOC: Hanako looks for her chance to cast WEAKEN on the old lady with the bronze dagger, and will do so if she can get in range in time.

Nafu disappears into the foliage and steals his way towards the old woman along the edge of the ridge. As Tan charges down into the gully yelling,
"Halt in the name of the gods!", Nafu jumps her from behind catching her by surprise and bringing down the pommel of his weapon on her skull, but she manages to move aside at the last moment but is still too flummoxed to react.  Suddenly the old woman stumbles as her knees go weak.

Datuk manages to move all the way up to the old woman threatening her with his axe, but she has not yet dropped the blade....

The macaques do not react in the slightest to the sudden flurry of activity.




Next round.

Nafu will attempt to deftly knock the blade from her hand

Datuk continues to advance while preparing to fight the lady. He will be wary of traps as he advance.

Hanako glances nervously at the many macaques, but as they seem to be no threat at the moment, she makes her way calmly to the the bound man, hidden in the chaos already going on rather than intent on hiding herself.

She looks at the captive, a small but ornate blade in her own hand, as she attempts to discern what state he is in, and what harm has been done to him before she cuts him loose.

Nafu will attempt to deftly knock the blade from her hand, the old woman darts back incredibly quickly for someone of her age and her eyes turn black and hollow.


Datuk springs forward, burying his axe in the womans shoulder even as she stretched out a hand toward Hanako.


Hanako slipped through the crowd of rotting monkeys intent on the captive but as she did so she felt an unearthly pain strike through her momentarily, she steeled herself and fought it off as the old woman stared balefully then hurled a curse into the air.

As one, all the macaques began to move....

Datuk continues to strike at the foul woman with his battleaxe, hoping to decapitate her.

OOC: Is there blood when i cut her?

In reply to Datuk Tan Cheng Leng (msg # 45):

OOC: Quite a bit.  Though she doesn't show as much pain as you would expect.

Hanako blinks, pondering the source of her sudden unease, then narrows her eyes at the woman. Any further pondering is interrupted by the eerie rustling of seemingly dead macaques moving.

"Mercy of Kuan Yin, she's possessed!" Hanako says in horrified recognition, and throws caution to the winds as she lunges low and stabs at the demon ridden woman's ankles, hoping to trip her over.

Datuk is surprised that such a deep cut had such little effect on her.

"Must be on drugs," he says to his companions as he strikes again.

Nafu grits his teeth and lashes out with his scimitar.

Nafu slashes across with the scimitar cutting deep into the womans side, Datuk crashes in but she steps quickly back as if untroubled by her wounds.

Hanako slashes at the womans ankles, cutting one tendon and sending her to one knee.

The woman giggles alarmingly and a cloud of black flies buzz out of her open mouth and spilled out across the canyon biting and buzzing. But all three companions managed to come out unscathed by them.

At the same time the macaques rushed to attack as one. Nafu and Datuk manage to hold off the horde of undead simians for the moment but Hanako is bitten on her forearm.


OOC:

Cloud of Flies: SPEED 12. 1d4+1 damage. 20ft radius.
-2 hp Hanako.

By the Prophet! Nafu curses surveying the scene.

He drops low and slashes at the woman’s legs. Hoping to bring her down.

Hanako, who has already considered that possibility, looks doubtful, and continues her attempt to slow her enemy's steps.

It gives the young sorceress no pleasure that her blade strikes the possessed woman and draws blood, but the cloud of biting insects that swarms forth from the giggling woman's mouth is an unexpected attack, one that to Hanako's relief seems ineffective.

"Not drugged. Demon..." she begins to explain, but breaks off as one of the possessed woman's swarming simian minions bites her arm.

She grabs the offending macaque by the scruff of it's neck, and flings it at it's mistress.

Datuk continues to slash at the witch/demon or what ever it is, cursing in his native tongue

Nafu cuts low across the womans legs but she spins back impossibly quickly on her knee avoiding the blow,  Datuk however connects solidly and the old woman collapses to the ground in a spray of foul smelling blood.

Hanako tosses the dead monkey at the falling woman but as she collapses it becomes inert and simply tumbles to the ground.

The onrushing horde of simians collapse as one into a pile of small, sad corpses..

The injured boy looks around in panic.

Ever practical, Nafu searches the woman for valuables…

There are no valuables to be found on the corpse...or indeed much of anything.

Hanako looks hard at the body of the fallen woman, partly horrified at the death she feels responsible for, but also determined to find some answers to the tragic riddle before her.

She does not stop Nafu from searching the apparent corpse, but does say quietly to him "Please, take care. You saw the flies she spat before? I do not know what other surprises her remains may hold."

That said, Hanako tells Tan "Please keep watch. Those macaques may not be a threat now, but the jungle may hide others." then turns to the matter of the injured boy.

She begins the process of gently but swiftly untangling him from his bonds as she reassures him "You are safe now, Kodok. I am Hanako. These are my bodyguards. We were sent in search of you by your uncle."
This message was last edited by the player at 12:02, Tue 14 June 2022.