Colonizing the Dark Continent (For Weiss Ritter)

[Xatarias]

Either Laughingwind is thoroughly in command of her emotions, or she doesn't find your thinly veiled threat all that impressive. The same can't be said for her warriors as the more fainthearted among them visibly flinch as your indignant rage washes over them. Enough of them retain their wits to keep their weapons readied, however, and you quickly find yourself being escorted amongst the roots of the massive arboreal complex of Hometree.


You march down into a sloping tangle of roots as more and more Forestfolk descend from the canopy. These aren't just Thornpaws rangers, but also bands of wide-eyed youths, mothers with kits clinging to their fur, and elderly squirrels that need help taking their seats. As they assemble around you, you realize what you had mistaken for a simple depression is actually an organic amphitheater, carefully cultivated and maintained by generations of furry horiculturalists.


Telai shifts nervously next to you, gripping the hilt of her handax tightly as literally thousands of eyes scrutinize you.


The warriors guarding the immediate perimeter draw your attention. More than the supreme confidence of their movements and their cool regard their surroundings, it is their attire that is so unusual. Bound by leather thongs, they were a clicking assembly of ivory plates laced with a silvery veins. The substance defies your efforts to identify until you recognize the origins of a stylized skull-helmet worn by one of the Forestfolk fighters. They were wearing stomper bones. Remembering your close encounter with one of the beasts, you get the sinking feeling that this novel equipment might prove more effective than might be expected.


Laughingwind waits for her people to finish gathering before raising her hands. A vast silence follows.


Brothers and sisters, dark times have fallen upon us...

 

[Weiss Ritter]

Part of Nathaniel felt a perverse pleasure at the naked unease some of the Forestfolk warriors felt in his presence. Agatha found pleasure in the pain her final mental assault inflicted upon him as she died, Shen'ri viewed him as a feeble child that needed protecting, Oliver had beaten him unconscious and dragged him off for Cynthia to suspend from the ceiling as a prisoner and plaything, and the apprehension Milly and Telai felt about his powers only served to frustrate him. It felt good to finally project some semblance of power and control rather than scrambling to solve or mitigate one crisis after the next.


It was a base impulse and an illusory one given the sheer number of Forestfolk warriors who had no doubt slipped into the most tactical positions they could while he and Laughingwind spoke, but it might have done more to keep Nathaniel from snapping than contributing to it.


His right hand rested atop the hilt of his rapier as the group led him toward their amphitheater. It was a more casual reminder of his willingness to use the weapon if forced than Telai's grip of her hatchet, but it was there all the same. The countless eyes observing them did nothing to set him at ease even if only a minority of them were warriors in the same vein as Thornpaw. Laughingwind wanted to make a spectacle of this, and after she'd made her opinion of his entire species and forced this upon him without even asking first, he wasn't inclined to be charitable with her intentions even if they stopped short of an execution.


The more heavily armored warriors on the outskirts of the amphitheater aroused some of Nathaniel's natural curiosity, though. The stomper bones must have been relatively heavy, which seemed at odds with the amount of rapid and agile jumping and climbing around that seemed to be the Forestfolk's preferred way of battling in their woods. From what he'd seen of them, he doubted their strength and endurance were so far beyond that of his species that that military maxim wouldn't apply. Perhaps these were honor guards and protectors of the hometree who wouldn't need to constantly sprint about the forest.


Nathaniel inhaled a steadying breath as Laughingwind began to sign to her people. His expression remained as stoic and unreadable as he could manage, but inwardly the Avalonian man was bracing himself. If Brokenstream's heir was going to say what he thought she was, then this was going to be a bit of an ordeal.

 

[Xatarias]

The content of Laughingwind's speech is unsurprising to you, listing the grievances of her people, invoking the memory of her grandfather, and most of all, the need to stand united against a malicious foreign power. As her hands move more and more rapidly, you can feel the atmosphere become electric. The crowd chitters in agreement with Laughingwind's talking points, raising their hands in mute applause when she delivers each verbal hammer blow.


Some wish to return to the old ways. But the tide of these newcomers will brush aside a coalition that is not united. Separate we are weak, but together we can repel any and all that wish to take what we have worked so hard to achieve.


Look around you. No matter how deep your differences, or how old your feuds, you share more in common with those gathered here than you ever will these furless strangers. We all have homes, we all have families. Only when the love we share for this nation is greater than the greed and selfishness can we stand resolute against all threats.


The squirrel maiden pauses, the sea of faces before her held in utter captivation. You can feel the rising anticipation as Laughingwind delivers the climax.


You all have been hearing of the indecision within the council house. I know your fears, that the nofurs will swarm the roots of Hometree before compromise can be reached... We don't have the time for bickering, and I refuse to stand by waiting while our legacy crumbles beneath our feet. I stand here beholden to no council, offering my soul in service to this nation. As my grandfather before me, I promise you hearth and bread. Peace in service to all... And unwavering resolve in the face of our enemies.


She turns to you.


As a stranger that understands our words, take this message to your people: go home.


The crowd's roar washes over you like a tidal wave.

 

[Weiss Ritter]

Nathaniel made a conscious effort to breath slow and steady as Laughingwind made her appeal to what felt like the entirety of the Forestfolk clans. She'd already set the tone for diplomatic relations between their people when she made it clear she would accept nothing less than submission from him and immediately resorted to forcing he and Telai to come with her rather than even trying to ask. Still, some small part of him held out hope that she may have been playing up her mistrust and anger against the "nofurs" to rally her people together and behind her.


Those hopes were utterly dashed by the climax of her address and the jubilant roar of the crowd.


Nathaniel shut his eyes a moment and took a deep breath. Short of being killed or captured, he had to wonder if this excursion could have possibly gone any more wrong.


I will deliver your message.


Nathaniel signed back, his motions and gaze hollow. They both had to know that even if he and his expedition in its entirety retreated back across the sea, little would change. There was an entire settlement effectively controlled by the much more substantial Lentani forces for Laughingwind to contend with as well, to say nothing of other settlers or opportunistic freebooters who answered to no one.


His hands fell back to his sides. He seemed to only half be staring at Laughingwind now. Agatha had accomplished her mission after all and his mind rushed to try and calculate the repercussions. Not just in the short term, but what would happen once a legion of xenophobic beast-men intent on violently driving any human from one of the great new frontiers transitioned from rumors to cold, hard fact in the eyes of Avalon and its contemporaries.

 

[Xatarias]

As the assembly goes crazy, Laughingwind pulls her hands in close, signing to you in confidence. Though her scheme is clearly a resounding success, she certainly doesn't look like triumphant, simply tired and resigned to the situation at hand.


I would advise you to head my warnings. You will be given what time you need to vacate the coast, but if I begin to suspect efforts to entrench or delay... I have to honor my promises, Nathanial.


"Sir, this is looking less friendly by the minute," Telai says. No doubt even without being fluent in the Forestfolk sign language, she got the gist of Laughingwind's message. "If we're being allowed to leave, I suggest we take the opportunity."

 

[Weiss Ritter]

You know I don't speak for all of the people there.


There was a hint of frustration in his movements. She hadn't just...signed all those words and made all those promises without knowing what they meant. She'd just whipped her people up into a nofur-hating frenzy and built the continuation of their federation on a foundation of xenophobia.


Are you hoping that I will convince them all to leave as well for you? Including the rivals who Thornpaw considered allying with me against? If that doesn't happen for one reason or another, are you planning to kill everyone in Newport?


Nathaniel glanced over his shoulder at Telai. She was right. The Forestfolk were in a frenzy now, and even Laughingwind might not have been able to control them if he and Telai lingered much longer. There might not even have been enough time to finish this exchange.


With a heavy sigh that was more resigned than frustrated, Nathaniel turned to leave.

 

[Xatarias]

You climb quickly from the amphitheater, receiving more than a few hostile looks, but no one tries to stop you from leaving. The crowd roars against as Laughingwind recaptures their attention with her impassioned signing.


It takes you several minutes for you to clear the shade of the massive canopy overhead and reach the foliage-choked undergrowth of the jungle proper. Telai easily strides alongside you, trying to put together the details of recent events.


"I take it things didn't go well?" She asks. "One minute we were sitting down to talk and then... That. Those squirrels looked about ready to do anything Laughingwind said. How did things go so wrong so fast?"

 

[Weiss Ritter]

"They did not," Nathaniel said tersely to Telai as the pair left the hometree behind them. His jaw tightened when he heard the crowd roar yet again from whatever Laughingwind told them. Gods, she was still going at it?! Did her inexperience mean she honestly didn't know the dangers of courting and exploiting such volatile emotions, or did she simply not care?


"Her people are furious with our kind, all of our kind, and Laughingwind is willing to use that if it maintains their sense of unity. She wants all of us "nofurs" gone from these lands and is quite willing to use force if we don't comply,"


Nathaniel was fuming with a perverse mixture of grief and anger. His hopes of not only peaceful coexistence but mutual benefit had not been simply murdered so much as publicly executed. Laughingwind claimed she didn't blame him for her grandfather's death and her body language suggested she wasn't truly eager to spill the blood of Agatha's species in retribution, but...dammit, they'd crept through this forest and risk their lives for this discussion! She'd lured him into Agatha's former abode with promises that she too wanted peace between their people only to turn around and use him as a messenger and perhaps even trophy to cement her rule! It must have made her people feel wonderful to have one of the murderous nofur leaders escorted before them and placed at their mercy. Thornpaw waving armfuls of firearms probably would have had a tough time beating that!


"We need to reunite with the others and get back to Newport. We have a great deal to discuss with the rest of our forces, the Lentani, and anyone not affiliated with either expedition."

 

[Xatarias]

"Agreed, but- Nathanial wait!"


Telai tromps after you as you delve deeper into the undergrowth.


"You're telling me it was all just a farce? But what about your conversation earlier? How-"


The questions continue as you press on. Soon, Telai is brought up to speed and you manage to find the trail you cut previously. Hopefully Milly was able to trace your movements and make for the rendezvous. You cast about in the immediate area, when Telai calls out in a throaty bellow and you wince, the southerner shrugs.


"They already know where we are, right? Might as well."


As if on cue, Milly's answers.


"Over here! You'll want to come quickly."


Following her voice, you come to a clearing where Milly braces herself on a rock, blunderbuss unslinged. She has the weapon steadily trained on a stocky squirrel- Thornpaw. The warrior raises his hands in greeting, but is brought up short by the captain raising her firearm.

 

[Weiss Ritter]

Nathaniel tried to keep his tone even, or at least not overly harsh, as he filled Telai in on all that had transpired. The tension in his voice remained but she had nothing to do with what upset him and taking those frustrations out on one of his most valued allies would have been the height of folly.


"It's not just them I'm worried about. The wildlife has been similarly...hospitable," Nathaniel replied as he winced from Telai's bellowing. It seemed to paid off as Milly emerged without a poisonous predator or lumbering behemoth charging behind her, though.


The young man shot Telai a curiously look and briskly moved to see what Milly had found. He froze in surprise at the sight of Thornpaw, but only a moment. Several emotions struggled for dominance on his expression, but they were all one shade of resignation or unamusement or another.


"I'm fairly certain he isn't here to assassinate any of us, Milly. Lower your weapon, but don't set it at ease,"


If Milly complied, Nathaniel suspected Thornpaw would find the gesture more comforting than he should have. After seeing Milly's marksmanship first-hand, the Brightland scion was convinced she could fire from the hip faster than most people could blink. She wouldn't even need to be all that accurate at this range with that gun.


I take it that this meeting isn't coincidence and you've come to do more than gloat over how I misjudged Laughingwind?


The squirrel maiden had been fairly forthcoming on Thornpaw's eagerness to trade for "nofur" weapons. At the time his desire to keep further settlements confined to the coast, likely to ensure a steady influx of arms and ammunition his people might have lacked the resources to produce for all the warchief knew, seemed tantamount to becoming a vassal-albeit one with autonomy-to the Forestfolk. Thinking about what would happen to the Hillfolk if Thornpaw suddenly found he and his warriors armed and trained in the use of firearms while tensions still lingered between them hadn't made a deal with him appealing either.


Now? Well...Thornpaw's wishes when it came to "nofurs" could prove more palatable than Laughinwind's, but the question of how the Hillfolk fit into all this remained. And that was assuming this wasn't just part of some deception. He'd been tricked by one Forestfolk too many today.

 

[Xatarias]

Thornpaw raises an eyebrow a your outburst.


I wouldn't be here if there wasn't a reason, and your words do little to inspire my confidence in you. You were outmaneuvered by Laughinwind, as was I, but we can't let our pride blind us to new opportunities. Our new chief isn't naïve enough to think that pretty speeches will be enough to hold the clans together. She will have to make a show of force. I'm curious what your reaction will be.

 

[Weiss Ritter]

Nathaniel met Thornpaw's raised brow with a flat, almost accusatory look of his own. Really? The man who couldn't resist making a snide remark about the Forestfolk council "mistaking" his hesitation to give the warchief who had been chafing under Brokenstream's willingness to negotiate with him firearms and training for wisdom was trying to lecture him about outbursts? What was next? Accusing him of being too suspicious?


That may depend of what the other...clans in Newport think of all this. Despite what many, many of your people think, my expedition didn't come here equipped to conquer these lands. If she thinks to rally the Forestfolk and assault or extort us at Newport just to grandstand, then she is going to learn the hard way what it means to wage war against my people. If she thinks to starve or terrorize our settlement from the safety of the forest whether or not we plan to leave...well, the people who suffer won't care how precious those trees are to the coastal clans.


Nathaniel frowned as he gave Thornpaw an appraising look. He was transparently trying to decide just how much he could trust the warchief, but it wasn't as simple a matter as whether or not Thornpaw had the honor and capability to hold up his end of any bargains made...


The elder Laughingwind used to stop me from sensing the warriors until it was too late: is she a skinwalker? If your people have laws against the chief using one to read the minds of followers they suspect, do you trust Laughingwind not to break them for "the greater good" of the Forestfolk?

 

[Xatarias]

Thornpaw's ears flatten and his expression grows dangerous.


Twinberry is not a skinwalker and you do her dishonor for suggesting it. Her order is committed to the good of the clans and places strict limits upon themselves, lest their powers be abused. They do not own lands and live by the generosity of the ungifted. Until the clans were united, they lived in seclusion and were entreated for aid only when it was most desperately needed.


He gives you a hard look, clearly trying to dissect your reasons for asking such a question.


Your powers are known to us, and it would be foolish to assume that Laughingwind wouldn't take them into consideration going forward. While I would consider it a blessing to wake up tomorrow and never see a nofur again, I suspect that Laughingwind will have a harder time removing you than she expects... Which brings us back to the issue at hand. Will your people attempt to stay if the forests are closed to you? Are more of you coming?

 

[Weiss Ritter]

Thornpaw's hard gaze was met by an equally inquisitive look from Nathaniel. For all the warchief's passion and offense, all Nathaniel got out of it was a definite "maybe". Twinberry's order might have been trained to not abuse their powers in such a way, but that simply meant they could if they wanted to. Laughingwind had already proven quite adept at convincing the Forestfolk to obey her for "the good of the clans", and at the very least who was to say they wouldn't decide to make a convenient exception to he and his species?


Nathaniel inhaled a deep breath that was really more of a masked sigh than anything else. At least Thornpaw was honest about his feelings, but it did little to change the feeling that he was trapped between a rick and a hard place...with something equally terrifying about to drop down upon them all if he survived that.


Nathaniel frowned a bit at Thornpaw's signing even as the rest of his expression softened. He looked thoughtful rather than displeased. He probably would have needed to consult a map and some of his notes on the known nearby lands to accurately answer the warchief.


If what we were dealing with now were our only concerns? Members of my species, not necessarily my clanor allies of my clans, might remain on the coast. There can be value in a port even without using the mainland itself. I'm not sure what will happen if Laughingwind attacks Newport, though. We have more to worry about than just...this-


The young man made a sweeping gesture to encompass the forest, Newport, and the hometree.


To worry about. The false priestess said that my "replacement" would arrive in a few weeks from when she murdered Brokenstream and tried to kidnap me. She was hoping that I and the other clans in Newport would weaken the Forestfolk for her clan, and wanted to see your people either broken or pitted against the Hillfolk. I don't know if that means my "replacement" simply thinks to take over our forces or if they intend to bring an army of their own, but everything I've learned so far indicates that Agatha's clan is still strong and intends to kill or enslave all of us.

 

[Xatarias]

If this "mutual enemy" is so intent upon securing our lands, then don't your ports pose a threat to both our interests? You claim to want to shield us from their wrath while simultaneously maintaining the inroads necessary for them doing so. And if your clan is so fickle as to change allegiances on a whim... Then you have larger problems than Laughingwind.


He raises his paws in a placating gesture, seeking to halt whatever rebuttal you would submit.


It seems to me that open warfare is in neither of our interests. Perhaps you could endure conflict with our nation, but it would leave your back exposed to this usurper. Laughingwind doesn't believe they exist, but I think you've made too many errors for someone battling on a single front.


The acknowledgment of your competence comes grudgingly to say the least.


Here is my proposal: retract all of your warriors from the forest and convince the other chiefs of your people to do the same. Cede the land you sought to purchase with Brokenstream and remain behind your walls for the next few days. The less offense you give, the less immediacy will be lent to Laughingwind's call to marshal her forces. I will try to persuade her to listen to compromise in the meantime.

 

[Weiss Ritter]

The changes in Nathaniel's expression once the thoughtful spell passed were subtle but would have left little doubt in Thornpaw's mind that a meticulously prepared list of reasons vacating Newport at Forestfolk speartips would have done more to harm than good was forthcoming. Though, the risk of hostilities with the Forestfolk being forthcoming still was enough to make him mentally debate over the wisdom of letting the warchief know mobile, seafaring artillery brigades a sufficiently large and well-equipped "waverunner" could be.


The rather backhanded admission that he just might not have been the complete fool Thornpaw thought was enough to give Nathaniel a bit more pause than the warchief may have liked. If this was the best of what he had to work with, then what the hell was going to happen after whatever reinforcements Agatha called for were dealt with? Would helping some "nofurs" kill other "nofurs" really made the Forestfolk any less inclined to banish he and his expedition from this continent once they were no longer needed?


Nathaniel pressed a hand to his forehead, adjusting and steadying his glasses as he did so. The farmland would have taken considerable time to produce useful crops anyway, so pulling back from it wouldn't be a terrible loss. Cynthia and the rest of Newport didn't truly answer to him, but he doubted it would be terribly difficult to convince the former that sending her forces into the Forestfolk's domain for any reason would be a death sentence and a waste of limited manpower. Together, they might be able to leverage enough influence to ensure the unaffiliated citizens complied as well. The fort, though...


I may be able to do that, but it will probably give the rival clan I made peace with more influence over my followers and I now that they control Newport. If possible, please try to stop Laughingwind and her forces from dismantling the fort. Without it, we'll have nowhere except the forest to fall back to if we can't stop Agatha's clan at Newport, and I doubt it will make either of our people more inclined to avoid a war.

 

[Xatarias]

Laughingwind's actions aren't exactly mine to control. She is chief now. But I will do my best to keep our warriors from committing to anything rash. Enough of us have died during the past few days as it is.


With that, the warchief turns and leaps into the canopy, tail swishing. Moments after he leaves, several shadowy figures dart off in the same direction. Barring some other unseen observers, you and your companions are alone.


"Well things seem to have accelerated," Telai muses. "I doubt Madam Lentani is going to be happy with the outcome."


"Seeing her disappointed is one of the few things I'm looking forward to after getting out of this blasted jungle," Milly says, shrugging. "Gotta find silver linings when you can."

 

[Weiss Ritter]

Nathaniel nodded grimly, not favoring Thornpaw's chances. Whatever the warchief's stature and qualities as a leader among his people, Laughingwind possessed the raw charisma to dominate any discussion among the Forestfolk all other things being equal. Her desire to his entire species gone from the continent coupled with the raw, volatile emotions she was trying to exploit would make for a powerful combination and an environment where reasoned debate and moderate solutions wouldn't be welcome. Still, this was one instant where it cost nothing to try.


"We're just the messengers in all this, Telai," Nathaniel exhaled a weary breath as he glanced to the mercenary. "You saw how the Forestfolk reacted when Laughingwind made her speech. This was inevitable the moment she put her mind to uniting them by attacking us."


The young Brightland's expression as he gestured that it was time to leave, reunite with Claire and Shen'ri, and head back to Newport would have been answer enough for Milly's remark. He didn't disapprove, if anything her having a silver lining after everything was a good thing, but he just wasn't capable of savoring the idea of Cynthia Lentani squirming even a little. At least, at Laughingwind's paws and while they were trapped in the same boat together.

 

[Xatarias]

You quickly assemble your gear and relocate your recently hewn trail. It doesn't take long to rejoin the stream bed. From here, the road to Newport is familiar territory. Hopefully Laughingwind's promise of safe passage would hold out. Of course, as you previously noted, the forest holds many dangers beholden to no chieftain.


You are just about to project your consciousness in search of the remainder of your party, when you round a bend and catch sight of both Claire and Shen'ri.


The assassin sits transfix as your Hillfolk follower shows her what appears to be an ordinary river rock. A swift blow against a boulder reveals a gleaming crystalline core that has Claire wide-eyed with delight. You approach as she repeatedly rejoins the geode along its fissure, opening and closing it as if some magic was being done.

 

[Weiss Ritter]

The sight of Claire and Shen'ri not only safe but truly savoring each other's presence was enough to make the faintest of smiles tug at the corners of Nathaniel's lips. At least something wasn't ending in disaster today. If there were any gods out there, they just might have been taking pity on him. Certainly the last thing he needed was more diplomatic tension with the Lentani forces with the Patron and the Forestfolk lining up to take their best shots.


Nathaniel waved as he approached the pair only to freeze when the rock was split open with one well-placed smash. Something was gleaming inside.


"What...what did you find there?" The young man tried to keep a neutral expression, but being torn between wariness and a broad grin at the normally reserved psychic assassin's utter and unrestrained joy and curiosity made that impossible.


The question was quite serious, though, and his heart skipped a beat even as he approached. Was it "just" pretty but otherwise of limited worth, or had Claire just stumbled across a whiff of mineral wealth that could seriously undermine everything he hoped to accomplish?

 

[Xatarias]

Your eyes marvel at the lustrous sheen of the amethyst crystals revealed before your eyes. While this mineral already traded at a premium, the indigo veins crisscrossing throughout gives you a hunch that this variety is particularly unique... And valuable. Shen'ri conveys to you that such treasures weren't uncommonly found in stream beds, washed out from the bluff over millennia.


"Shiny."


Shen'ri preens as if his newfound friend had just bestowed upon him the most eloquent of thank yous.

 

[Weiss Ritter]

Nathaniel stared long and hard at the shimmering amethyst. Just a few days ago he would have been thrilled by the sight. Negotiating for extraction or even mining rights with the Forestfolk would have taken some doing, especially if more concentrations of the beautiful jewels were to be found deep in their territory, but it just might have been possible. Especially if the squirrels cared little for shiny rocks or "nofurs" sifting through streams and a bluff.


Now? He would have to worry about more than just the stupidly greedy coveting these precious stones. If the Forestfolk continued on the warpath Laughingwind seemed determined to lead them down, it would not only not only "justify" the taking of Forestfolk land to those being made to suffer for crimes they had nothing to do with, but ensure that far more than a backwater port with an overabundance of undeveloped land was at stake.


And all this because Shen'ri wanted to show his new friend something cool.


Nathaniel's gaze shifted to the golden furred Hillfolk. Neither it nor his thoughts were disapproving or even upset toward Shen'ri, but the husky native would have instantly realized that things had just become even more complicated in a way Nathaniel could have done without.


"...Claire, if you intend to take that with you to show Miss Lentani, keep it in one of the packs where no one else can see."

 

[Xatarias]

Shen'ri whines softly, clearly not intending to have caused trouble for you. The broader implications are not lost on him, and he gives the stone a nervous glance as Claire stows it away. Group assembled, you begin the trip back towards Newport. With luck, you'd reach town just as night falls.


(Insight roll: 11)


Telai takes point and Milly follows from behind with her formidable arsenal. You quickly reach the bend where you found the forestfolk body. The same foul stench reaches your nose and you brace yourself for the unpleasant scene. Rounding a boulder you look down... And see a fresh squirrel corpse neatly placed alongside the nearly decomposed one. A flash of movement to your right draws your eyes and a disturbing presence encroaches on the fringes of your psychic senses... Muscles coiled, twitching in eager anticipation of the hunt. A malicious hunger flaring within its belly, unquenched even by numerous recent gorgings.


That's when pounding starts. A primal beat devoid of rhythm echoes throughout the forest. The shrieking shrill of claws being drawn over granite pierces your ears.


Whether this unseen enemy intends to attack or merely intimidate, you only have the barest of moments to prepare for their next move.

 

[Weiss Ritter]

Nathaniel's body was tense by the time the group neared the mutilated Forestfolk corpse and his senses strove to focus anywhere but on the grisly sight. It took him an instant longer to notice the fresh corpse than it should have, but in exchange his eyes spied the flicker of movement almost instantly.


"Defensive formation," The young Brightland gestured for Telai, Shen'ri, and Claire to take positions around he and Milly. It would ensure three out of their four flanks were covered and that the gunslinging privateer and psychic juggernaut could rain attacks down on their assailants with relative impunity.


His the poisoned blade of his rapier was drawn by one hand while the other clasped his flintlock pistol, but it was his mind that Nathaniel intended to lash out with first.


Whatever these beasts who had once been Hillfolk intended, nothing good would come of allowing them to roam free. Nathaniel's psychic presence would have roamed through the woods in search of the nearest one and attempted to grasp it just long enough to pry whatever useful information he could have from its mind before crushing it outright...unless whatever he learned gave him very good reason to reconsider.

 

[Xatarias]

(Intellect roll: 13)


You have no trouble sensing the circle of beastman closing in on your position. They glow with a sentient rage that contrasts sharply to the harmonious thrum of the surrounding vegetation and wildlife. Their intent isn't hard to discern- they want you and your company dead... As painfully as possible. You shudder realizing their motivations aren't the result of cold calculus or impassioned hatred, but a pure sadism that simply reveled in suffering and fear. This was Agatha's masterpiece at work. Savagery with all the brutal cunning to execute it to the fullest.


You attempt to mentally grapple with one of them, but the former-Hillfolk's consciousness is so repulsive, you might as well have grasped a hot coal. It's only moments before you are forced to retract. A wet dribble rolls from your nostrils as you snap back into focus.


"Shen'ri, get the hells back!"


You sense hesitation in the golden Hillfolk as he sniffs out his brethren. Memories of their dank imprisonment cross your connection. Your friend had hoped his former friends had managed to rebuild some semblance of the lives they had previously, but evidence to the contrary surrounds him on all sides.

 

[Weiss Ritter]

Nathaniel's mind recoiled from Agatha's renegade puppet, as much from the pain of the all too brief mental link as the implications of it. Was this what would have happened if he tried to assault Agatha's with his power? Gods, how was he supposed to fight the Patron if just touching such a mind was enough to do this to him?!


"Shen'ri...!" Nathaniel hissed, forcing his tone to remain firm and unwavering. Whatever the hulking native's feelings on his lost kin were, now wasn't the time for anything resembling hesitation. They had all seen the renegades' handiwork for themselves.


"Stay in formation and guard each other's back. Keep moving to Newport. The faster we can get out of this forest and within reach of reinforcements, the better,"


His grip on his two weapons tightened. Maybe...just maybe he could adjust his tactics and work something out in regards to his mental attacks. Being trapped in a pure melee with one of Agatha's perfected killing machines was...not a thought he relished, to put things tactfully.

 

[Xatarias]

A bush rustles and a gunshot rings out. You sense the Hillfolk lurk away and Milly curses, tossing aside her spent pistol before drawing another.


"Save it," Telai murmurs, slowing adjusting her position to cover Milly's flank. "These guys aren't going down with anything less than a direct shot. Shen'ri, get the hells over here!"


The beastman whines and looks towards the trees with a vacant expression. You sense... Recognition? Mourning? Maybe these HIllfolk weren't just his comrades in chains. The moment is tense, and you despite your best efforts, the golden-furred Hillfolk is immovable. Before more drastic action can be taken, Claire flits over to her friend and reaches up to place her hand on his muzzle. Something passes between them, and the assassin simply beckons with a single word.


"Come."


Shen'ri gives one more mournful look at the surrounding trees and bends down to scoop up Claire, hoisting her onto his back. He lumbers on all fours back to you at great speed.


"Well? Stay and fight, or make a break for it?" Milly asks. "I get the feeling they aren't going to let us crab walk all the way back to the coast."

 

[Weiss Ritter]

Nathaniel was equal parts relieved and unnerved by the way Claire snapped Shen'ri back to his senses. She could well have just saved all their lives, but the notion that the Lentani assassin commanded such influence over the mighty native warrior, perhaps even more so than he did, was...unnerving.


But he and his group had much, much larger and more immediate problems to deal with now. Six to be specific, unless Agatha's rampaging agents had somehow managed to...recruit more like them.


"...We find a defensible position and fight," Nathaniel said swiftly, his eyes already scanning for a suitable clearing or rock formation to make the most of their firearms.


"They've successfully either hunted down or outright ambushed two forestfolk. I doubt we'll fair much better, and our gunshots may draw in reinforcements. The Forestfolk have no love for us, but these...marauders are even more of a threat to them than us, and both Laughingwind and their Warchief would rather I reach the Newport with their terms."

 

[Xatarias]

"Hunker down and wait for either Cynthia or jumpers to save us," Milly mutters, her eyes glued to the surrounding tree line. "I don't know about you, but I'm not feeling too optimistic here."


Crab walk really is a good way to describe how you and your party slowly progress down the stream bed. The Hillfolk constantly nip at the periphery of your psychic senses, delighting in working themselves up to a raging fury before breaking off. Keeping track of them is mentally taxing to say the least, and with each feint, you can feel yourself growing more and more weary. Claire leaves the blanket defenses to you and instead lashes out with quick decisive mental strikes, attempting to lame some the encroaching beastmen. A howl off in the distance confirms she as at least somewhat successful, but by looking at the diminutive assassin and seeing blood leaking from both nostrils, you know her efforts don't come without a cost.


"Nathanial."


You shake yourself from your mental whack-a-mole to survey the ground Telai has picked for your impending battle. The bend in the stream here causes a nasty rapids to form, deep and swift. While it might not halt a berzerking Hillfolk, it might be enough to slow them down. Your group could focus its efforts to fortify the single viable approach from the treeline, taking cover amongst the myriad of boulders and skewed tree trunks.

 

[Weiss Ritter]

"That part of the plan is uncertain," Nathaniel conceded to Milly with a nod. They might not have been close enough for Newport for the gunfire to be overheard, and even if it was the fighters there might struggle to make it through the forest in time. Cynthia Lentani was no altruist, but she believed his warnings about the Patron and his Syndicate. Whatever the benefits she could have reaped from Nathaniel's demise, they seemed to be far outweighed by the harm it would do...especially after she was able to secure such a favorable position during their interrogation-turned-negociation anyway. Laughingwind and the Forestfolk, though...the former may have wanted him to deliver her ultimatum, but if Thornpaw was correct that she intended to use violence anyway, who was to say she couldn't calculate that his death through her inaction would be a great boon for her people on the field of battle?


"But I am certain we will fair poorly if the Hillfolk are able to fight us on their terms," Nathaniel's eyes pointedly surveyed the trees and the abundance of cover they offered, even to creatures as hulking as the rage and sadism consumed Hillfolk.


By the time the group reached the bend in the stream, the young man was certain there was sweat mixing with the blood dripping from his nose. It wasn't just the sheer demented nature of these Hillfolks' mind that made them such a mental challenge to pin down, they knew how his and Claire's powers worked perhaps even better than they did, and he was starting to wonder if their...."training" had strengthened them against conventional mental attacks. Agatha lived among the Forestfolk long enough to know that they had some among them with the Gift. Perhaps the psychic shackles he'd thoughtlessly removed had been meant to keep them bound to her in spite of that.


Telai's call shook him out of his reverie. He nodded in approval at the mercenary's choice of terrain. They probably wouldn't have been able to find a more defensible position anywhere else in what they'd explored of the forest.


Nathaniel's pistol and rapier were holstered and sheathed in favor of the bayoneted rifle he'd kept slung across his back. With cover and rapids powerful enough to slow the Hillfolk down for at least a few moments, arming himself with a weapon that offered superior firepower and greater reach seemed prudent even if the makeshift spear was not as familiar a melee weapon to him as his personal blade.