" 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.