Ikai Azu

Art by @Burdrehnar

**Ikai Azu** is a Eclipse samurai lieutenant that is leading a troop of forces into the west of Glies.

## Description

Ikai Azu appears is the *Pride of the Nightwolf* as the leader of an enemy encampment. The Nightwolf orders the party to sneak into his camp and make copies of plans and potentially even assassinate him to throw the enemy into confusion.

### Appearance

Ikai Azu is a muscular humanoid samurai. He wears skin tight cloth covering most of his body including his lower face, only leaving his eyes showing.

## Traits

* **Honorable**: This creature will give the players one round to prepare and get ready. However, attempting to leave will increase the creature’s power and give it a free round of attacks.
* **Martial Adept**: This enemy is a Martial Weapon Specialist, and can engage/be engaged in martial clashes.
* **Ruthless**: This enemy will target downed players and will attempt to finish them when given the chance. Ruthless is almost always revealed at the start of an encounter.

## Characteristics

* Martial to identify: 15
* +12 Constitution Saving Throws.
* +7 Dexterity Saving Throws.
* +12 Athletics Checks.
* Focus: Ikai Azu starts the encounter with a resource pool of Focus. This resource pool starts with three Focus. Focus can be used for various abilities in this encounter.

## Abilities

* **Coward’s Price**: 1 Focus: Mark an enemy. If that enemy moves away from the samurai, that samurai activates Iaijutsu against that target as a triggered action.
* **Grit or Glory** - 2 Focus: The samurai heals himself for 50 hitpoints and purges all negative effects. This may be used even if unable to move, but not if unconscious. Was sealed during battle.
* **Iaijutsu**: 1 Focus: When initiative is rolled, or when Coward’s Price is activated you may move and take the dash action, draw your weapon and attack an enemy. If this attack hits, it is considered a critical hit.
* **Rogukurībā (Log Cleaver)**: This enemy attacks three times [d20+7] [2d6+4]. If the attack is a critical hit, the enemy is knocked prone and gets pushed back 20 feet. When this ability is identified, the critical threshold of this weapon is increased by one.
* **Stand Aside**: Whenever an enemy would attack you (with an attack roll), you may expend a focus. If you do, you may make an attack roll. If you beat their total attack, you negate all damage the attack would deal, even if the attack was magical.

### Stances

Ikai has various stances he can take which have different effects.

* **Crescent Moon Stance** - While in this stance, the samurai may parry non-attack spells with their Stand Aside ability. If a spell is countered successfully in this manner, the reaction is restored and the focus point is regained.
* **Half Moon Stance** - While in this stance, AC is increased by 4 and each time an enemy attacks and misses, the samurai is healed for 10 hitpoints. If the Samurai is not attacked for one full round during this stance: he gains 2 points of Focus.
* **Full Moon Stance** - While in this stance, the samurai may attack all enemies adjacent to him with each attack they make. If he strikes two or more enemies in this way he gains 1 point of Focus. Was sealed during his battle.
* **Eclipse Stance** - The samurai wreaths his weapon in moonfire. The target takes an additional [2d6] radiant damage unless an adjacent ally chooses to take it instead.

## History

Ikai Azu is a lieutenant helping lead a contingent of Eclipse samurai into the western Glies to invade.

### Eclipse Invasion of West Glies

The Nightwolf learned of their plans and encampment and sends an adventurer party consisting of Hex, Sunder, Ryn Lostone, Tori Hayden, and Haruko to scout of their base and potentially assassinate Ikai to thwart their plans. As the group climb up a nearby waterfall they spot Akai the Lieutenant in a drunken stupor on the wall of the encampment. They come up with a plan to bait him away from the camp; Hex turns into the Nightwolf and challenges the Lieutenant, demanding that they fight far away from encampment. He laughs and jumps down from the wall, asking if the Nightwolf is ready to die. Hex sets a time to duel, and Akai agrees and heads back into the camp.

The party decides to enter the camp as well, so Haruko casts a Pass without a Trace on Tori, Hex, and himself. They enter behind some crates, where they find some enchanted gold from the Fire Clan that is hot to the touch. They get deeper in the encampment and hear a conversation from the main tent. They catch that someone needs to report to the encampment every two weeks and that there are plans to invade the village of Greenbramble. Also, someone reported that two entire battalions have been attacked by the Mist. Something about “Mist Walkers” is mentioned and that there is not much time to set up on this side.

When the meeting inside the tent is dismissed, Lieutenant Akai is left alone and falls asleep. The party members enter from the back of the tent; Haruko goes for the plans that are on the desk, but Hex goes for a chest. He opens the chest and sees documents, potions, and a katana. Haruko silently grabs the plans and prepares to leave once Hex also thinks he is ready. He first grabs the documents and then goes for the katana. As Hex grabs the Katana, he hears a voice coming from it, asking him to get it out of here. They leave the tent and regroup with the rest.

### Duel

The next day, the adventurers wait at the meeting spot. Ikai Azu flies down from the sky on his kite alone to meet them. He realizes quickly that the true Nightwolf isn't there but believes he can easily defeat them. The battle starts with Ikai dashing up to Hex. Sunder runs up to assist and Tori sends her familiar dog Hero to help them. The three continue to fight against Ikai as he also strikes back. Throughout the confrontation he maintains an advantage for some time healing many of his injuries through his focus. Ryn constantly powers up the party as they fight which Ikai notices. This causes himto target and attempt to kill Ryn. He injures Ryn severely but the party is able to fend him off. Eventually Hex lands a critical hit on his back knocking him off balance. This gives Sunder a chance to rush forward and challenges him to a battle of blades. Sunder casts green flames onto his blade wihch blindes Ikai and allows him to dip low and bring his slash up as an uppercut across Ikai't face. This cuts his helmet free from his armor revealing one of his eyes being slashed which seals his Grit and Glory ability. They continue to fight gaining a slight advantage against him but still not enough to defeat him. Eventually Haruko lands a critical unarmed strike causing him to stagger back. Tori takes advantage of this and launches an arrow which snaps his elbow sealing his full moon stance and greatly weakens him. Soon after Hex gets the final strike killing him and feeding his blood to the living weapon that he stole from Ikai's tent.

As Ikai falls to his knees and dies, his body bursts open, revealing a pearl. It floats up and absorbs his life force until he is nothing but a skeleton, and it flies off to the East. Ryn notes that he isn't entirely sure what just happened, but it looked like a Phylactery.

## References

1. ↑ Pride of the Nightwolf: Episode 03
2. ↑ Pride of the Nightwolf: Episode 04