Tekhra, the Judicial Champion
Tekhra has served the community as a judicial champion for years, but is now employed as the lord Rafiki's personal champion and is the only person he can completely trust. She comes from a village in the northern Wilds that has been cursed for years and she has long wished to seek out a solution for it. She has grown to love Rafiki, but knows she cannot have him whilst he is bonded to Mayatanay.
Edge 2 Heart 1 Iron 3 Shadow 2 Wits 1
Masked, Duellist, Ironclad
Tekhra was summoned to her lord's courtroom in the early hours. Dawn was just breaking through the verdant canopy and the town only just starting to stir. He addressed her with the utmost gravitas on the matter of the elf Mayatanay. Report reached him during the night that she has escaped and is no longer within the Fortress that Catches Tears. He paused for this to sink in, but got no reaction from the stoic warrior. He explained that she was most likely kidnapped - she had, after all, chosen to return here and face the consequences of her crime. He had deduced, then, that there was an element within the town acting against his rule and he could not be sure who he could trust. He was therefore charging her with the discovery of the traitorous element.
SWEAR A WOODEN VOW [Dangerous] (Uncover the traitors in the settlement) - Miss
Tekhra knelt before her lord, solemnly placed her mask upon her face and swore the vow to him. She felt confident in her ability to kick over enough rocks to find the worm or worms of deceit, but Rafiki had bad news for the only witness to her disappearance - the guard posted to her - was slain and so there were no leads to go on. As she began to ponder where she could possibly start, he called for a servant to usher in the Ironlanders. This caught Tekhra quite off-guard and as they shambled in she quickly defaulted to standing to attention at her master's side as he addressed them.
Rafiki filled the group in on the situation. As compensation for making him wait for the Moonshard Stone, they were to assist Tekhra in the rooting out of the traitors. He felt he could trust them too since they were outsiders with nothing to gain by her disappearance. Luiden requested access to the body of the dead warden - his companions glared at him in fear that he would reveal his dark arts and sour the relationship with the elves, but he was both eloquent and tactful and Rafiki saw no reason to refuse him.
They went to the small shack in which Mayatanay had been held under house arrest. It was a simple structure with meager furniture and inside, laid out on the table, was the body of the warden. It was immediately clear he'd been stabbed several times. Luiden explained to Tekhra his gift for communion and though she considered it outlandish witchcraft, she had no compunction with its use for servitude to her lord and the security of the community were of paramount importance to her. Luiden arranged his affairs around the body and began the ritual.
COMMUNION - Miss
PAY THE PRICE - Loss of confidence
Absence from his wife's spirit had Luiden doubting himself and try as he might he just couldn't get himself into the receptive frame of mind to make the connection with the deceased. Tekhra was underwhelmed to say the least.
Williarth took a look around the scene for clues.
GATHER INFORMATION - Weak Hit
He found some markings that looked fresh - symbols carved crudely and hastily into the wood of the cot-bed. Another was found in the earth just outside the door. He couldn't tell what they meant, but Kabeera recognised them as marks the hunters of Bleakfalls would make to help navigate and help others track them should they not return. But they were hard to make out and Kabeera herself was not a hunter herself so it was a tricky task to decipher them.
GATHER INFORMATION - Weak Hit
She gleaned enough to get a vague direction and pick up the trail of more symbols, eventually leading to a large residence near the settlement boundary. Tekhra informed them that this was the house of Zursan, a high-ranking noble close to Rafiki. They would have to proceed carefully to avoid political ramifications.
REACH A MILESTONE (Uncover the traitors in the settlement) - [2/10]
Kabeera and Tekhra approached the home and knocked whilst the others hung back and waited. The door was answered by a servant, Ilsit. He was suspicious but knew Tekhra would not be here disturbing his master without Rafiki's blessing, so he let them in and fetched him. Zursan was a tall and elder elf in finely-embroidered robes. His countenance was pleasant, though it became quickly apparent that he wouldn't be answering any questions without information coming his way first. Kabeera filled him in on the situation and asked what he had to say about the trail leading to his home.
GATHER INFORMATION (Kabeera) - Weak Hit
Zursan was happy to oblige and gave every impression that he had nothing to hide. He revealed that there was an escape tunnel from his property to outside the settlement and since Mayatanay was not on the premises she must have gone (or been taken) through it. He himself had slept fitfully through the night, but he had three staff and could not account for them. though he considered them loyal he was reluctant to stand by them when accusations of treason were being brought to bear.
As the servants were gathered in the communal area Kabeera summoned the rest of the party. Tekhra was ready to undertake a physical interrogation and began to drag one towards a side room, but Luiden stopped her and insisted they try it his way first. The servants were all pleased to hear this - Tekhra had a fearsome reputation. Luiden gave them a speech about what was at stake, citing such serious concerns as the war with the Ironlanders, the power of the Moonshard Stone and the undead doom that threatened all the Ironlands. With the stakes so high, it was imperative that any traitors be uncovered and not granted any cover of so-called loyalty.
COMPEL - Weak Hit
The gravitas did hit home to a certain degree, but none of them would say a word until they could be guaranteed Tekhra wouldn't be allowed to hurt them. Luiden gave this assurance. Luiden then called upon them to turn in the treasonous amongst them.
GATHER INFORMATION - Strong Hit
Two of them backed each other's alibi most convincingly. The third was hung out to dry by having no support for his story and even an accusation of secretive meetings the day before. He had no choice but to own up to his complicity in allowing the kidnappers access to the escape tunnel during the night. More than that, he revealed that they were a cultish order and had taken her to an ancient temple known to few elves. He drew a crude and inexact map of its location in the forest.
REACH A MILESTONE (Uncover the traitors in the settlement) - [4/10]
Tekhra cracked her knuckles and promptly dragged him to the side-room to determine whether or not there were any others in the town that were in on it. Luiden protested that he'd given them his word. "That was when they were presumed innocent..." she said as she closed the door. There followed a series of crashes and cries. Zursan expressed concern, though more for his furniture than his servant.
COMPEL (Tekhra, Masked) - Strong Hit
GATHER INFORMATION - Weak Hit
She emerged soon, rubbing her knuckles and announced that the wardens could now be called to take the traitor into custody. He had revealed that he'd been hired by Barkees, a member of the community who was known as something of a crime boss. Rafiki had long wanted to rid the settlement of Barkees, but the elf was clever enough to maintain enough popular support and doubt over his actions to stay politically safe. But with this new information his days were numbered. Tekhra led the group from the residence towards the neighbourhood where Barkees held sway, stopping briefly at her home to collect the rest of her armour.
REACH A MILESTONE (Uncover the traitors in the settlement) - [6/10]
There was a stark difference to this area of the town. The buildings were less cared-for and many of the locals seemed to have nothing to do despite the morning being well underway. The group received many a suspicious glare as they proceeded down the main thoroughfare, led by a determined Tekhra. She pointed to a male elf ahead, identifying him as Barkees' chief henchman. The rest hung back a little as she approached him. They spoke tersely in elvish and it soon became apparent that her approach wasn't winning him over. He gave a sharp whistle and Tekhra backed away from him as armed thugs appeared all around them, closing in with vicious-looking blades.
ENTER THE FRAY - 2 x Large pack of untrained elves [Formidable]
... [Heart] Kabeera - Weak Hit
... [Heart] Luiden - Strong Hit with Opportunity (4)
OPPORTUNITY - Escape the closing circle
... [Heart] Williarth - Weak Hit
... [Heart] Bjorn - Weak Hit
... [Heart] Tekhra - Miss
ENDURE HARM - Strong Hit
The henchman darted forward and stabbed at Tekhra before she could get both blades unsheathed. The knife hit the armour and plunged between rows of scales, but was deflected to inflict a gash in her side rather than puncture deep into her midrift. She stumbled backwards, but quickly regaining her composure.
Luiden was even quicker off the mark and had sprung away to be on the outside of the enclosing circle of enemies. He moved to maneuver behind the henchman.
SECURE AN ADVANTAGE - Weak Hit
As he closed in a couple of thugs emerging from a nearby building saw what he was up to and ran to engage. He leveled his spear against them.
FACE DANGER (Skirmisher) - Weak Hit
CLASH (Skirmisher) - Miss
ENDURE HARM - Strong Hit
The skirmisher fended them off at first, negating their momentum and keeping them in the doorway, but one ducked past the spear and jammed a knife into his stomach. Luiden grabbed the attacker's wrist and locked eyes with him, glaring fierce defiance.
Meanwhile, Bjorn had dropped to a knee and took aim at a charging thug.
SECURE AN ADVANTAGE (Archer) - Strong Hit
STRIKE - Miss
PAY THE PRICE - Delay
He took too long getting a lock-on and his target got close enough to kick him over. He went sprawling and all the arrows fell out of his quiver across the ground.
Kabeera came to Tekhra's aid, using a series of feints to put the henchman off balance and distract him.
AID YOUR ALLY - Miss with Complication (6)
PAY THE PRICE - Disadvantaged position
COMPLICATION - Disarmed
She'd underestimated his combat presence and he deftly stepped into her melee range and batted each of her daggers hard enough to send them flying before sweeping her legs out from under her. She landed awkwardly and looked up at him in fear.
Williarth was throwing himself into the fight, whirling his staff about to halt the thugs in their tracks.
STRIKE (Pack B) [0/10] - Weak Hit [1/10]
He dealt a couple of strong blows, knocking one off his feet and bashing another in the temple. The fight was on!
Tekrah had three thugs closing in on her, hoping to take advantage of her weakened state and look good for their boss, but they'd not accounted for how quickly she could regain her composure and before they could attack her twin swords came whirling round at them.
STRIKE (Pack A) [0/10] (Duellist, Masked) - Strong Hit [4/10]
Now in full-on combat mode, she sliced and span and kicked and skewered until, mere seconds later, the trio lay lifeless at her feet.
Luiden kept his grip on his attacker's forearm, anchoring him in place along with the knife still stuck in his belly. He moved to spin the spear about and wedge it in the building's outer wall to use as an impaling spike.
FACE DANGER - Miss
PAY THE PRICE - Disarmed and hurt
ENDURE HARM - Weak Hit
But the thug saw it coming and yanked the spear from him and threw it into the building with his free arm whilst cruelly twisting the knife in the wound. Luiden screamed in agony.
Bjorn was in trouble too - unarmed and about to be hacked up by two thugs charging straight for him. He gritted his teeth, remembered all the times in combat his reactions had kept him safe and then entrusted his life to them.
He tripped up the first thug, snatched up an arrow from the floor and loosed a shot almost point-blank at the second.
STRIKE (TURN THE TIDE) (Pack B) [1/10] - Strong Hit [4/10]
The arrow struck him in the neck and sent him careening off to the side.
Kabeera was in trouble too though. Bjorn turned and tossed the knife from his boot towards her whilst Tekhra came vaulting out of nowhere to barge the henchman away.
AID YOUR ALLY (Bjorn) - Weak Hit
AID YOUR ALLY (Tekhra) - Strong Hit
SECURE AN ADVANTAGE (Kabeera) - Weak Hit
The knife landed a little way from Kabeera but the henchman was sent sprawling by the heavily-armoured shoulder-barge. She scrabbled across the dirt for the knife and made it, just in time to face another thug stabbing down at her.
CLASH (Pack B) [4/10] - Miss [4/10]
ENDURE HARM - Miss
She kicked out at him but her disadvantaged position hampered her enough that the thug could sink his blade into her thigh. Blurt spurted and Kabeera screamed.
Williarth was there in a moment. "She's the heroine!" He cried, ever conscious of his precious ballad-in-progress.
STRIKE (Long-arm) (Pack A) [4/10] - Strong Hit [6/10]
He struck the thug once, twice, three times and then watched him slump to the ground.
Tekhra squared off with the henchman, each staring the other in the eye with murderous determination.
STRIKE (Duellist, Masked) (Pack A) [6/10] - Strong Hit [10/10]
END THE FIGHT - Strong Hit
She expertly deflected his thrusts and swipes until the moment he was off-balance and open, then dealt two lightning-fast slices that stopped him in an instant. The henchman keeled over with most of one arm falling some distance away and half the remaining thugs fled as soon as they realised the leadership was no more.
Bjorn spotted Luiden's peril and took careful aim to dispatch the thug carving up his insides.
SECURE AN ADVANTAGE (Archer) - Strong Hit
STRIKE (Pack B) [4/10] - Weak Hit [6/10]
Bjorn took him out cleanly and started to nock another arrow as two more came running at him.
Luiden ducked inside the building and ran for his spear, aware another thug was right on his tail.
FACE DANGER - Strong Hit
He grabbed the morbid polearm and span round to fend off the pursuing charge.
FACE DANGER (Skirmisher) - Weak Hit
ENDURE STRESS - Strong Hit
He was so used to feeling his wife's spirit through the wood of the shaft that it surprised and demoralised him that it was still not happening for him. But he could envision her callous encouragement to inflict harm on those who would harm him.
STRIKE (Pack B) [6/10] - Strong Hit with Opportunity (4) [9/10]
END THE FIGHT - Weak Hit
ENDURE HARM - Weak Hit
The last thing the thug saw before the bone-blade rammed into his abdomen was a sadistic grin across Luiden's face. The skirmisher yanked the barbed head free and emerged from the building dragging the fresh corpse and roaring his triumph, which was more than enough to break the rest of the assailants and send them running.
Tekhra stood over the dying henchman. She gently pressed down on the wound to his chest with her foot until he told her where Barkees was hiding out. After he told her she severed his windpipe and walked away.
REACH A MILESTONE (Uncover the traitors in the settlement) - [8/10]