Rook flicked an old Noxdorman coin—now worthless—in a unique pattern between his deft fingers; a pastime to keep his sleight of hand sharp. He stood overlooking the black-blue waters of Bihendil, a Haukeland city, waiting for instructions. His reflection, dwarfed by the ringed planet Andvari in Valhalla’s sky, made him sigh, reminding him that he was far from home.

He and his clan came from a world far different from the larger-than-life heroes praised by the Hegemony. His clan were masters of the alleys and slums of Westdam, living a harsher reality than most Vorid would admit exists.

No matter how the Hegemony’s propaganda glorified their victories, its rapid industrialization had left certain clans barely scraping by on whatever scraps or cyaline they could steal. Often competing with rivals to arrive at battle sites full of broken military equipment first so he could dismantle as much as possible, this was his life. The thought made him grin as he recalled his band, the Ringtail Rogues.

Compared to others, no one could match their speed or the precise way they’d trade positions in the heat of a job. One would dismantle machinery while the other distracted the competition, and then they’d swap. This trickery guaranteed them the best hauls.

But too many victories made them a bigger target. A rival gang demanded they surrender their territory, hunting them down and declaring them outlaws—just moments before Volarak stepped in with the offer of a second chance.

Rook and his clan were stunned to find that Volarak understood teamwork as well as they did, but on a far grander scale. Given a new opportunity as part of Volarak’s spy ring, codenamed Hayato, they found unexpected allies among Earth’s shinobi. A jōnin taught them Japanese folklore after hearing of their exploits on Noxdorma, and Rook and the others were especially inspired by the stories of the tanuki, a yōkai famous for its trickery.

Volarak’s arrival on the mainland would be sudden, swift, and unseen. The Tanuki Tricksters would make sure of it.

Tanuki Tricksters are available in the Molten Crustaceans & Tanuki Tricksters Common Army Expansion!