<div align="center"><span class="bbc_u">Brinestump Marsh</span></div><br/>Yazhu and Baihu followed the goblins' trail deeper into the marsh. The wetlands were filled with animal calls from the local wildlife. There was a sudden movement and rustle in the underbrush, and through a temporary gap in the undergrowth Yazhu caught a momentary glimpse of something... something<em>bipedal</em>watching them. Then the bushes closed again and it was gone, before Baihu could catch sight of anything herself.<br/><br/>But otherwise the trek was uneventful, and they were nearing their self-imposed 30-minute limit when the tracks led to a clearing upon which a filthy village-fort surrounded by a crude wooden palisade sat. A wooden gate in the north wall of the palisade lay in shambles on the ground. Nearby, a large, algae-filled pool on the northeastern side broke the palisade and allowed a clearer view into the village’s interior, which consisted of a collection of ramshackle huts connected by wooden walkways, all built on thick wooden stilts to keep the huts and walkways high and dry above the marshy ground.<br/><br/>(https://i.imgur.com/NqwuBxv.jpg)<br/><br/>Yazhu and Baihu came upon the village from the south. They could see a ladder rising above the palisade on the southern wall of the largest hut (H9-H10-H11) that leaned against what appeared to be a blank wall. Baihu morphed back into foxgirl form to speak. "Wanna bet there's a secret door there? Eugh, what's the point of trying to hide a door if they're just going to give it away with a ladder like that?"<br/><br/>Working their way around to the northern side of the village, their attention was caught by a demongirl waving at them from the bushes. Shalelu looked impressed that they had managed to find the village by themselves. "Good, I was afraid we'd have to track you down and bring you back here. Sandra went to fetch Ameiko and Marcius, they should be here soon." Sure enough, it didn't take long for the other three to join them, completing the group.<br/><br/><hr/><br/><div align="center"><span class="bbc_u">Goblin Village</span></div><br/>Gathered in a hiding spot to the northeast, the Jade Whores could see over the pond and into the village's interior. At first sight the village looked abandoned, with the tell-tale signs of a recent battle all over the place. Dried blood and debris hadn't been cleaned up, and the goblins were conspicuously absent from the place.<br/><br/>"Don't be fooled," Shalelu whispered. "The goblins are in there, make no mistake... something's got them too scared to come out of their huts, but I spotted a few peeking out their windows here and there. Reckon it's got something to do with the recent battle."<br/><br/>"We should try to figure out what happened," Ameiko added.<br/><br/><em>OOC: All allies are available for the next skill checks:<br/>Perception DC 15: study the situation from afar<br/>Stealth DC 15: sneak closer and get a better look<br/>Wildcard DC 15: a creative action with a corresponding skill check to figure out what happened<br/>The successes, up to a total of three, can be spent to find out more about the village as follows:</em><br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">H1: Palisade Gate (cost: 1 success)</div><div class="spoiler_body">The front gate lay in shambles, still not repaired and open to anyone who would waltz through. "Hold on," Ameiko spoke up. "I'm no engineer but I've fucked a few... and unless I'm mistaken, the gate was bashed down from the inside, as if someone was trying to escape that way. Whatever attacked the goblins didn't need to go through the gate."</div></div><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">H2: Pool (cost: 1 success)</div><div class="spoiler_body">The algae-filled pool was apparently an effective enough barrier that the goblins didn't bother to extend their palisade over it. A rickety wooden pier projected a few feet into the pool from the inside. "There's something else in there... bones sticking out of the shallows, and footprints on both shores... both human-sized," Shalelu noted. Sandra added, "Those bones are too clean... they might be the remains of destroyed undead skeletons!"</div></div><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">H3: Pig Pen (cost: 1 success)</div><div class="spoiler_body">The pig pen was a pit dug crudely into the ground. But instead of lifestock, it now held ashes and burnt remains. "Corpses were cremated here... Goblin bodies and bones... human-sized bones," Shalelu noted. Sandra added, "Those bones are too clean... they might be the remains of destroyed undead skeletons!"</div></div><br/><br/>Ameiko looked at Yazhu. "Your tactical decisions have proven wise... what do you suggest we do now?"