Once Plank returns, the party suits up and heads for the NE in search of the base for the Shadowed Hand, in unclaimed territory where none travel. After about a week, they eventually pick up signs that indicate frequently traveled yet well-hidden paths. Following it, they come upon a village built to be as inconspicuous to any but those who practically walk straight in.
From afar, they see that the village is populated by humans, hobgoblins, and a minority of orcs of the Red Fang Tribe. It's a little past noon, so they decide to camp just out of sight and wait until noon. Once night rolls in, a very small bonfire is made and the party hears a song coming from near it; spoken in the Shadow dialect of Primal, telling a tale that the party is familiar with that involves the Empress and an ex-lover. It's a tale that likens their relationship between night and day, and how their separation creates the cycle as it is known. During this song, Cast and Plank receive something akin to a sending within their minds reminding them of their fate and to accept a swift death; though Plank received an additional message offering quarter if he came to their side (Bard's Siren Call, resisted). Readying their weapons for an imminent attack, none come, and the party eventually sleeps.
That morning, some hunters from the village are coming close to the party's camp, and the sound of Cast trying to put his armor on gets their attention. Concerned, one of the three hunters heads back to the village while the other two head towards the party (only seeing Cast and Marshal, the rest too well-hidden); wondering why unwelcome strangers are in the middle of nowhere. Cast declares that they come seeking information (never more specific than that) and they can't promise that they won't enter the village because of certain information they await. Eventually the third hunter returns and confers with the other two out of sight and from some distance, though Ethedril listens in with supernatural ears. They are worried about these vague and noncommittal adventurers, and decide to warn the elder of their presence. One of them returns, leaving the other two to watch the party, as well as a screecher arrow to warn the village if they're going hostile.
Once noon rolls around, the village looks unchanged, so Cast decides and informs the two villagers that he's going to fly up on his hippogriff to just have a look around. The villagers warn against such, because their watch was not warned of him and would fire upon him; but would accept him if the villagers could spread the news. Not wanting to be delayed, he tells them that he'll weather the shots, understanding that the villagers can't prevent any harm coming to him. With a trot and flap, he begins flying upward, which convinces the villagers (who are seen to be worried) to fire their screecher arrow, which triggers Ethedril's readied action to charge and kill them before they can act; and does so.
Cast sees a bit north of the village a spot of forest that's appreciably darker than the rest of the area, despite a lack of clouds above or the angle of the sun allowing the hill to normally create such shadow naturally. Dodging arrow fire deftly, he returns back to the party and informs them, a little disheartened at the sight of the villager's death. They suit up and begin moving around the village as fast as possible to get to the shadowed area.
While moving, they begin to hear a sound akin to a tuning fork that fascinates Plank. Just as they break it, an unarmored elf with black eyes and tongue, wearing a ceremonial shield and an elven thinblade that he continually knocks onto something to continue its humming sound. Coming up from behind are eight silk-steel armor wearing ninjas (Ethedril hears six more out of sight that are slowly flanking the party). Introducing himself as Shadowtongue and representative of the village that the party attacked. Cast offers compensation for the villagers' death, but they must continue on their recon mission to a shadowed area to the north which he believes to be a base for the Shadowed Hand. Shadowtongue is disappointed, telling the party that there is a price for such knowledge, which is blood.
Marshal is infuriated when he discovers that something's enhancing Shadowtongue's Countersong to counter abilities that require targets to be able to hear (such as many of Marshal's buffs, or even Cast's designate opponent).
After a couple rounds of pain, all of the ninja are dead and Shadowtongue surrenders just before an attack is levied against him. He informs the party that the Shadowed Hand likely has an escape clause in their contract with the party (usually by ending up too expensive for the guild), but they'd have to have the leader of another ninja guild request a calling in order for any kind of safe negotiations to begin. As a favor, Shadowtongue tells the party he can make a few contacts to see if Marshal's request will count (he does command a dojo of trained ninjas, afterall), allowing the party to rest in the town for the day.
With a warning as he walks away, he informs the party that should they cause any more death to the village, then they must fear the wrath of the Crow itself.
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