At the mountain road fork, three orc patrolmen step out of the pines and block the trail. Their leader, a broad-shouldered veteran with a braided topknot, studies Tenda’s stance with narrowed eyes.
The Patrol Leader
That footwork is trained, not wandering. Why does a warrior of your level stray this close to Stratoa’s ancestral grounds?
Tenda Wildheart
He knows the training.
The leader’s gaze flicks past Tenda to the road behind him, where the Elder With Lantern and Xing Elira’s final words still hang like a fresh cut. The patrol is not here by chance, they are watching the same conflict from another side.
The Patrol Leader
Answer cleanly. If you chase the Warlord’s forces, you may pass. If you hide your purpose, we stop you here.
Tenda’s companions tense at his back as the patrol shifts into a ready stance. One hard answer here decides whether Stratoa becomes an ally on the road to the Warlord’s base, or another wall the enemy can hide behind.
✓ Quest Accepted
Gain safe passage through Stratoa
“I lower my guard and explain that we seek to dismantle the Warlord's network. I explain this in the Orc's language”
SUCCESS (Legendary Willpower, rolled -1)
Tenda Wildheart
We are here to dismantle the Warlord’s network, and to pass through Stratoa without bringing war to your roads.
Tenda lowers his guard, opening his hands at his sides. The shift is small, but it changes the fork at once, from challenge to conversation.
The Patrol Leader
His words are clean. Orc tongue, too, not a foreign butcher’s version.
The Patrol Leader
You speak our language with respect, warrior. That buys you more than a blade ever would.
Orc Patrolman 1
He is not bluffing. The others behind him look like allies, not prey.
The patrol’s weapons stay low. Zero eases a half step back, Daisy’s shoulders loosen, and Rex holds still, watching the orcs with a guarded, patient stare.
The Patrol Leader
If your aim is truly the Warlord’s network, then speak plain. What proof do you carry, and where are you bound?
✓ Quest Accepted
Prove Tenda’s intent to the patrol
− Scene Quest Removed
Gain safe passage through Stratoa
“I reach into my tunic and pull out the ledger to show the Patrol Leader. I explain that I have killed the Warlord and have only to dismantle the remains of his network.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Willpower, rolled +1)
Tenda reaches into his tunic and draws out the ledger, turning it so the Patrol Leader can see the bloodless truth of it.
Tenda Wildheart
The Warlord is dead. I am here to break what is left of his network, and nothing more.
The Patrol Leader
Then you have carried your burden this far in honor.
Orc Patrolman 1
A dead warlord leaves frightened roads. A broken network leaves empty roads.
The patrol leader steps closer, eyes on the ledger instead of Tenda’s fists. He studies the names, then gives a single slow nod.
The Patrol Leader
Show me the mark of the man you brought down, and I will know whether your claim stands.
Daisy watches in quiet relief, Zero stays still behind Tenda, and Rex’s ears angle forward as the orcs wait for the proof.
“I show the warlord’s mark to the patrol leader”
SUCCESS (Legendary Willpower, rolled -1)
Tenda tilts the ledger and peels it open to the page with the warlord’s seal. The mark sits in plain view, bold enough for every orc at the fork to read.
The Patrol Leader
That crest. So the road has a true wound after all.
He reaches in, not for the book, but for the page itself, tracing the stamped edge with one callused finger. The line of patrolmen loosens behind him as they see what he sees.
Orc Patrolman 1
If that mark is real, then the dead man’s shadow reaches farther than we thought.
The Patrol Leader straightens, then gives a hard nod toward Tenda and the others. The ledger remains open between them, now a shared proof instead of a challenge.
The Patrol Leader
You have shown me enough. Pass with your companions, and if the warlord’s hunters cross my road, they meet my spears.
Daisy exhales at Tenda’s back, Zero’s shoulders ease a fraction, and Rex lowers his head with a quiet, satisfied huff. The fork opens under the new agreement, waiting for Tenda’s next move.
Quest Complete
Prove Tenda’s intent to the patrol
New Gift: Diplomatic Ki Presence