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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Black Omega" data-source="post: 1196180" data-attributes="member: 79">Part of the initial ambush of Bansho Kishu was a Stinking Cloud cast by the Tsuno Soultwister.  A risky choice.  If it had worked, a couple of the group would have been incapacitated and probably killed quickly.  But everyone resisted the effect of the Cloud and used it as cover to regroup behind it as the Tsuno charged forward.  What was more disturbing to Mir was that her thrush was immediately the subject of attacks as well and only barely escaped.  Most attackers never bothered with her familiar.Verick went invisible and bravely rushed forward as the others regrouped and the Tsuno leader snarled in Rokugani “Samurai!  We offer you the chance to face us one on one!  The others we will cut down like dogs where they stand!”Toshiro bravely accepted, facing one single Tsuno by himself as the other Tsuno simply passed him by to attack the others.  Volar and Mindra very nearly simply teleported home but for the moment Mindra simply scampered up a tree, Mir and Volar taking shelter inside a stone wall of the elf’s creation.  Verick banished his own invisibility once he was close enough to the Tsuno leader and shouted a personal acceptance of the challenge.  He knew the Tsuno had a special hatred of the Lion clan and was not disappointed, then Tsuno Ravager charged him.  What did surprise him was how quickly the creature reached him, seconds sooner than he was prepared for and the creature’s first blow hurt him badly.Slowly the rest of Bansho Kishu reformed on the Stone ‘fortress’ Volar had created and Toshiro quit allowing the Tsuno to bypass him.  Summoned Dire Apes and Earth Elementals. Helped support the burly Crab samurai .  Verick was not doing so well.  A hundred feet from the stone wall, his speed wasn’t quite counter balancing the massive Ravager’s raw power.  Though he did terrible damage to the Tsuno, he was steadily forced back, step by step, until a savage overhead strike dashed his jade katana to the side and the next blow split Verick’s skull open, leaving the bloody Lion to fall in a bloody heap.The rest of the battle was drawn out but Bansho managed to hold on and finally force the Tsuno patrol  to retreat.  Everyone in the group was left pretty battered, but Verick was the only real loss.  The group found a spot well away from the blighted path to hole up.  Mir cast a Plant growth over the area around them to make it even slower for someone to try to sneak up on them while Mindra worked his magic, healing Verick of the crippling injuries suffered against the Tsuno.  Though a scar remains slicing across Verick’s face, a reminder of the vicious combat.  It would be a month before Verick was fully recovered from the wounds.And Volar was not the only one disturbed by the ambush.  Not only how they knew the group was there, but how they knew about Mir’s familiar.  The Tsuno had been entirely too well prepared for them.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Watches were set that night and for the first time since he had come to the forest, Mindra dreamed vividly.  He was out exploring through the forest and came upon some humanoid plant people close to the camp.  Watching for a moment, but as one of the plant people cast a spell that made them nearly invisible, Mindra felt himself summon a Dire Ape.Mindra woke back in the camp under the covers as a roar was heard, the distinctive snarls of a great ape, ended in mid growl somewhere out in the darkness.  As the group readied for attack, the first wave came.  A flurry of burning arrows into the camp, illuminating the area.  Then a summoned bear crashing in to attack as arrows started to fly into the group.  Mir and Verick could see well hidden archers firing at them, another of the thin, tall figures closer, firing quickly from two hands crossbows, smaller sized bolts that landed with a zap whoever they hit.  And over it all a yelled “Gley Va!  Came naha, ah duinya!”Volar and Mir quickly cast the Tongue’s spell and found Bansho Kishu was being attacked in retribution for the attack on the forest people by a dire ape they associated with Mindra.  It wasn’t easy, but the group refrained from attacking the Volodni at all as Mir tried to convince the forest people to call off the attack and talk.The Volodni were deeply distrustful, but finally the group’s refusal to attack them persuaded the plant folk to agree to a truce.  The Volodni were determined they had seen Mindra cast the spell.  Mindra talking to himself wasn’t helping the situation much.  He seemed to be in an argument with thin air.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~“Well, gee, skipper!  What was I supposed to do?  They were obviously moving in to attack and you know how dangerous this forest is.”  The dark spirit protested to Mindra. “Well, sure skipper, they could have been friendly.  But have we met a single creature so far who was?  Why think they were different?”“We can at least let them attack first and then fight them if needed!”  Mindra growled, growing annoyed.“But look what happened with the Tsuno!  Skipper, if they keep attacking first, sooner or later you’ll be killed!”  the spirit went on.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~And the rest of Bansho Kishu stared a little more at Mindra.  He’d never been this bad before.  Finally is was agreed to test some jade on Mindra, though whoever Mindra was walking to seemed to think this was a bad idea, based on the Vanara’s ravings.  The touch of jade burned into Mindra’s body painfully, shocking the Vanara to the core.</blockquote>

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