Axl hauls herself onto the heart platform as bamboo sways underfoot and saltwind threads through the canopy. Below, the lower trails vanish into dense green, marked by fresh bootprints and scattered alarm.
The Scout staggers in after her, one hand pressed to his side, while elders and villagers part around him in a tight ring. Every face turns toward Axl.
The Scout
They cut traps into the outer path. Two men, maybe more. I saw iron teeth and rope snares.
The Scout
They are moving toward the settlement, fast.
Sydney
Kree! Coming from the east walk!
Sydney wheels over the rooftops, then dives toward the eastern span, her alarm slicing through the murmurs.
A murmur rises among the villagers. Some clutch spears. Others stare into the trees, waiting for Axl to choose the next move.
The Scout
If they reach the walkways, they will trap us inside our own home.
✓ Quest Accepted
Rally the Tabaski to defend the settlement
“I will speak to the jungle, the creatures of this land will aid us. Axl scans the area for the nearest living creature”
SUCCESS (Superb Animal Handling, rolled +1)
Axl closes her eyes and listens past the alarm. The wind carries wingbeats, rustles, and tiny skitters through the bamboo above and below.
Near the west support, a palm-sized tree lizard freezes on a rail. Above it, a pair of bright-eyed lemurs cling beneath a roof beam, staring toward the east walkway.
Axl
The lizard is closest.
Axl raises two fingers and makes a low clicking call, then points toward the threatened span. The lizard darts a step nearer, alert to her attention.
The lemurs answer with chattering cries. Heads turn across the platform, and several Tabaski follow the sound to the eastern walk.
The Scout
They hear you. Good. Tell them what you found.
By the rail, Azul lifts its head at the carved marker tied near the nest bundle, then flinches toward the east with uneasy patience.
The intruder in the brush stays hidden, but the settlement’s nearest watchers have seen enough to grip their spears and edge into a defensive line.
“Axl instructs the lemurs to locate Hana and Prima. The black Panthers and send them the intruders way”
SUCCESS (Superb Animal Handling, rolled +2)
The lemurs chatter once, then split. One springs for the high rafters, the other skims the beam and vanishes into the canopy paths above the settlement.
Axl follows their flight with a sharp, guiding gesture toward the eastern walk, and the nearest Tabaski shift to make room for the message.
The Scout
Good. Hana and Prima will hear that faster than any horn.
Azul lifts its head again at the carved marker, then turns toward the eastern noise with renewed unease.
Below the platform, the first defenders brace their spears and square their shoulders along the walkway, eyes following the lemurs into the trees.
From the brush beyond the settlement, the hidden intruder stays out of sight, while the alarm ripples farther outward through the bamboo.
Quest Complete
Rally the Tabaski to defend the settlement
Skill Upgrade: Animal Handling Superb→Legendary