Setsuko Cleaver of the Realm

Life for Setsuko “Suki” had been anything but easy since she was a child. By the time she was 13, her mother had passed from a sickly disease that ravaged her village. Her father, a drunk, had abandoned her on their farm in the middle of the night. Suki learned from an early age that if anybody was going to take care of her, it would be herself.

Over time, Suki would meet new people and take odd jobs to provide for herself. No job was too small, and few were big enough to scare her away. On one fall evening, while walking down a dirt path with her friend Marcellus Chopper of the Tower, they saw a frantic-looking Wizard that was running towards them.

Once he was close, he yelled out, “Please, help me! I was just robbed of my staff! They are running off with it towards the barn down the road!”

Suki responded, “What does it matter to us? Aren't you a powerful Wizard?”

The wizard responded, “You will be rewarded, please hurry! Meet me at my tower when you have it!”

It didn't take long for Suki and Marcellus to track down the Goblin who had stolen the staff. They followed his footprints into an old barn and found him cowering beneath some hay. With no ability to escape, the Goblin surrendered the staff, and the young heroes were able to return it to the Wizard.

Upon receiving the staff, the Wizard presented the two warriors with two young jungle cats. “I had planned on using these in my experiments, but they are now too old. Take them and be gone!”

Through the Fall, over winter, and into Spring, Suki would train her new jungle cat Bagheera to become her hunting companion. They had grown very close over that time and had learned to trust each other.

One afternoon while training out on the farm's field, the Wizard who had his staff stolen the year before approached Suki and Bagheera.

“Since you were able to retrieve my staff from that nasty Goblin, I have a new job for you. It is very dangerous, and I will pay good money upon its completion. I will give you the details you need to know, but you are forbidden from looking inside the box that contains the items.”

“Where is this box?” asked Suki.

Snarling, the Wizard replied, “You will find the box in a caravan leaving the Blue Wizard Bastion and heading towards Alessar’s Keep within a week. The caravan will follow the road through The Wild. It will be guarded by Mage and Warrior’. I must get the contents inside. My latest experiment depends on it!”

Suki thought for a minute before responding, “I will need to hire additional hands to complete this task. The Guards will be a problem…”

“Hire who you must but tell no one else. I will pay you half now, and the other half when you deliver the package.” The Wizard threw a large sack of gold at Suki’s feet and departed.

Little did the Wizard know, Suki already had a crew ready for a job like this. At the first sign of sunlight the next morning, Suki set off to gather her team. First, her childhood friend Marcellus Chopper of the Tower. Second, their mechanical friend Meteo Hero of Machines. And last, their unofficial drunk uncle Rothschild of Goblins.

With the party now assembled, these four heroes departed the village and headed to the outskirts of the Blue Wizard Bastion. They followed the road into The Wild, scouting for the right location to take the caravan by surprise.

They ventured deep into the forest along the path of The Carnival Pass and located the perfect spot. Tall, and lush trees to shield the ground from the sun above. Overhanging limbs intersecting trees from the other side high above. Knobby roots remained exposed, crossing the path. The caravan would be left in hazy darkness. Large boulders along the path would provide a vantage point for the party to attach from above. The stream nearby would create mud thick enough to make it difficult for the wagons to escape quickly.

The plan was coming together, but now it was just a matter of time for the caravan to arrive.

Early in the morning on the 5th day, Suki and Bagheera spotted the full caravan two miles from the ambush spot. There were eight guards in total, two riding ponies in front, and two in the back.

The first wagon carried its driver and three Mage’ with supplies in the back. The second wagon carried a single box behind the driver and his assistant.

Suki and Bagheera rushed back to the party to ready them for action. The caravan was near, and anticipation was in the air.

Marcellus, Meteo, and Rothschild all readied themselves in their positions. The forest went quiet.

The faint clopping of the ponies' hooves could be heard first. The loud stomping on stones and branches announced the caravan's arrival. Getting closer, Suki waited for the signal from Marcellus.

Once the first pair of Warriors passed, Suki would jump down from a tall boulder onto the first wagon, take out the driver and pull on the wagon's brakes, locking them in place. This would create a barricade between the first riders and the rest of the caravan. It would also prevent the second wagon from running forward and escaping.

Meteo and Rothschild would take out the riders in the back and stop anybody from running in the direction they came. The group would then push inward and eliminate everybody else.

Suki and Marcellus locked eyes. They watched the first riders pass together, and Marcellus gave the signal. A loud blow horn blew, and the caravan froze in fear. Suki jumped down and sliced into the first wagon’s driver. He fell out of the wagon onto the dirt and was left to bleed out. The horses of the front riders were spooked. Bucking their riders off their backs, but tangling their feet in the saddle straps, they ran as fast as they could from the rest of the group with the riders dragging behind.

Meteo and Rothschild emerged from a fallen tree trunk that was next to the path. Lunging up from the ground, they grabbed the riders in the back and pulled them off the ponies' backs. Their steeds went running and never returned.

The four guards on foot were caught by surprise and gathered into a group, facing back to back. Meteo and Rothschild had tied a rope around both of their waists and ran around the outside of this group. After running full circles, the rope ran out of slack and was now being pulled tight against the guards. The rope dug into the exposed areas under the stomachs and started to choke the men.

Marcellus ran to the second wagon’s driver and ripped him out of his seat. He fell to the ground and lay flat in the mud gasping for air. One of the ponies pulling the cart reared up, letting out a loud neigh in fear. Coming down, its hooves landed on the driver, caving in his chest.

The wizards in the first wagon stood up to cast their spells, but Suki was already there. She carved through the first wizard and sidestepped them to get to the second. Lunging forward, she hit her mark in the middle of his chest. She spun around to locate the last Wizard but couldn't find her. In the fray, it appeared as though the last Wizard escaped.

Suki called out to the others, “Do you see the third Wizard?! She's not in the Wagon!”

Suddenly, emerging atop the large boulder that Suki had dropped down from, the third Wizard announced her position and began to conjure magic. Before she uttered the last part of his spell, Bagheera lunged from a lower position and latched onto her arm! The two tumbled to the ground, where the Wizard let out her last gasp and then went silent.

The skirmish was over.

Meteo and Rothschild began rummaging through the pockets of the slain caravan members, all loot was up for grabs! Armor, equipment, food, and coin would be split amongst the party, but unique items were the spoils to its finder.

Suki and Marcellus walked to the second wagon to inspect the cargo. They didn't hear anything at first, but after looking closer could hear muffled noises coming from inside.

They tried to look through the small holes that had been cut out near the top of the box, but there wasn't enough light to see what was inside. Suki noticed a small divide in the plants on top and pulled one of the divided boards to the side.

What she saw caused her to gasp. In the darkness of that box, two sets of scared eyes looked back at her.

While she didn’t know what exactly was inside the box, Suki knew for certain that they shouldn't be in there. Marcellus was just as surprised when he looked through the same crack.

Suki and Marcellus both took a step back and looked at each other. They knew what needed to be done. Finding a blade thin enough to wedge it between the boards, Suki pried open the top layers of wood and revealed two small children bound by their wrists and ankles. Their mouths gagged with cloth tied behind their heads.

A small parchment paper was nailed to the side that read, “These now orphans were taken in the middle of the night. Their parents were slain. Nobody will be looking for them. Do what you will with them…”

A flood of memories and emotions hit Suki like a tidal wave. All the fear from her childhood came rushing back, and it caught her off balance. She took a few steps back, knelt in the mud, and wept.

Meteo and Rothschild, not knowing what had just happened, walked up with big smiles on their faces. Holding up large sacks that they had filled with the loot, Meteo exclaimed, “Look, boss! Now we can all get ponies!” Expecting a laugh and excitement, they let out a chuckle. When that laugh wasn't returned, both Meteo and Rothschild investigated the box that was now ripped open on top. They peaked over the sides and found those same eyeballs from before looking up at them.

Marcellus untied the children's bindings and lifted them out of the box. Meteo and Rothschild collected the rest of the loot and loaded it into their supply bags. They cleaned up the path as best they could and left in a hurry.

They traveled for many hours into the night, stopping only briefly to eat and drink. Suki couldn't get her mind off one simple question: What should they do with these children?

After putting a lot of distance between the party and the ambush spot, the group agreed to stop and rest. It had been a long night, and it would take time before anybody would know to start looking for the missing package.

They had slept for a few hours before Suki woke up and sat down next to a fire pit that had been made in the middle of the camp. She threw some branches and dried-up leaves into the mix and stoked the flame. It wasn't long before Marcellus walked over and sat next to Suki.

Suki spoke first, “We can't take these children to the Wizard… who knows what he plans to do with them.”

“Agreed,” said Marcellus. “But what will we do with them?”

They sat in silence for a few minutes before Suki responded. “Who knows what will happen if we take them to somebody… What I do know is that if they are with me, they will be safe.”

By this time, Meteo and Rothschild had woken up and made their way to the fire pit. Suki shared her plan of keeping the children, and neither of them contested it. Next, they needed to decide what to do with the Wizard.

They spent the next few hours discussing and coming up with a plan. Though exhausted from the day before, the party packed up camp and headed back to Suki’s Village and the Wizards Tower.

They arrived at the Village after midday. Suki took the boys to her farmhouse and secured them inside. They found a box big enough and headed to the tower.

The plan was simple: Rothschild would hide in the box, and after the wizard brought it inside, Rothschild would pop up and jab the Wizard in the heart.

They dropped the box at the foot of the front door and called out for the Wizard. He ripped the door open, threw the sack of gold at Suki, dragged the box inside, and slammed the door shut.

Suki, Marcellus, and Meteo waited outside. After a few minutes, they heard a faint shout. “Baha, en garde!” Rothschild had succeeded. And a moment later he came walking out the front door, spinning a key ring around his pointer finger.

“Bet you didn't think it would go that smoothly… But if you'll excuse me, I’ve got a wine cellar to raid!”

Marcellus and Meteo joined in to raid the tower and find whatever loot they could.

Suki returned to the farmhouse. She had hidden the boys beneath the floorboards in a crawl space. When she pulled it up, she found them cowering in the corner, hiding from the light.

She slowly lowered herself and called out for them. They both jumped into her arms and started crying. “Please don't leave us again,” the slightly larger boy begged. The smaller one could only continue to cry.

Suki was quick to respond, “You won't ever be alone again.” They stayed there for a while, just crying, and embracing.

They sat together for a while before letting go of each other. Suki wiped away the tears that had fallen down her cheeks.

“What shall I call you both?” asked Suki.

The red-hooded child, more shy than the green-hooded boy, spoke up. “My parents called me Charming Kobold of the Capital, but my friends at home called me Koby.”

The green hooded boy responded, “my name is Shrewd Asphodel of the Ball, but you can call me Ashe.”

The adventures of Suki, Koby Ashe, and Bagheera were now afoot! Where they will venture next has yet to be decided, but the story will unfold itself very soon!

Entered by: 0x42c5…246E and preserved on chain (see transaction)