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This is the second session of a new campaign for Wandering Heroes of Ogre Gate (the first session is HERE). It is intended to play through the rules we are working on for the the supplement Profound Masters of Ogre Gate (in which player characters advance to the higher levels of Kung Fu and into Immortality). The players have recently become initiates into the Celestial Heart Sect. CHARACTERS
Phiphek: A Kithiri (many-ego humanoid) who travels with a fox demon named Mei Yun. Former member of Sun Mai sect.
Merciful Shade: A masked hero who seeks to reform demons. Disciple of Ancient Gray Demon.
Sentimental Ogre: A Juren (four-armed, ogre-like creature). Former member of Hen-Shi Sect.
Joyous Jian: A martial hero seeking to fight demons
Little Turtle: An initiate into the Celestial Heart Sect and disciple of Long-Winded Master.
Shengwen: A baby that is ether the progeny of Marauding Dragon or Magistrate Chengda.
SECTS
Celestial Heart Sect: An Immortal sect devoted to Hen-Shi that captures and reforms demons. Led by Ox-Hearted Widow.
Last session the party went to the city of Tung-on to investigate reports of demons killing locals. When they arrived they discovered bird demons sent by Marauding Dragon (leader of The Seven Blood Cave Alliance) were trying to take the baby of the local Magistrate (Chengda). After capturing a Blue Kingfisher Demon, they learned that the demons were in the sewers where they'd placed a Demon Stone (a device that interfered with their Demon Pointing Carriage's ability to detect Demons).
They headed into the sewers, leaving the Magistrate and his household unprotected. While wading through the system they were struck by a man with a chain whip. He was clearly powerful and his lashes were devastatingly effective. Eventually after a long battle the party brought him to his knees and learned he was Bai Zhun, one of Marauding Dragon's vanguards.
Chiphek had Mei Yun use her captivating abilities to charm Bai Zhun. This was effective. She praised his good looks and exceptional martial talents, causing him to trust her (this effect was magical). Bai Zhun told them where the Demon Stone was and that they were in the city to capture Marauding Dragon's child. They paralyzed him with Inverted-Three Point Strike and headed for the stone.
They found it guarded by a Peacock Demon and managed to capture it by using Blazing Net then performing a ritual to bind it to a gourd. De-activating the Demon Stone they returned to the surface and Phiphek went to the residence of Magistrate Chengda, to find everyone slaughtered and the baby, Shengwen, missing.
They chased the remaining bird demons, guided by Long Winded Masters Demon Pointing Carriage. On the outskirts of town, in a range of hills, they were able to encircle the creatures, who had the baby with them. There was an owl demon and two minivet demons. Phiphek used a gusting wind technique to pull the baby from the Own Demon, then Merciful Shade used Blazing Net to capture it.
They captured the rest of them and Sentimental Ogre tried to extract information from one of the minivets. It accused him of being wicked and taking the master's baby. They argued for some time over the ethical principles at stake, but both being relatively unintelligent, the debate devolved into a loud back and forth. Increasingly though, the party was convinced that Shengwen, the baby, was Marauding Dragon's son.
Taking the demons they headed back to Mount Dao. There they all met Ox Hearted Widow, leader of the sect. They informed her of Longwinded Master's death and gave the child to her. She told them that Abbess Tu Bao would take his place as leader of the Divine Meteor Hammers and that they should meet with her. She did not seem to show any reaction to the death and informed Little Turtle that he could engage in the accepted period of mourning. However she instructed that no one was to take revenge against Marauding Dragon.
Some of the party joined the Green Sword hall (Joyous Jian and Merciful Shade), a faction of the sect devoted to swordplay and tactics. Little Turtle and Sentimental Ogre joined The Divine Meteor Hammer hall, ordained monks and nuns focused on understanding demon lore and rituals to help imprison and reform demons. Only Little Turtle was made a disciple, the rest were entered as initiates (with Merciful Shade knowing she would ultimately be accepted because of her connection to Ancient Gray Demon).
Phiphek sought out a reclusive elder of the sect named Kong Xu who dwelled in a nearby cave and formed his own faction called Celestial Mind Sect. In the cave he spoke with Kong Xu who quickly accepted him as a disciple.
There was a meeting about the baby among Ox Hearted Widow, her son Jianyu, Ancient Gray Demon and Abbess Tu Bao. The party attended the meeting learning that the sect was divided on how to proceed. Ancient Gray Demon wanted to return the child to Marauding Dragon, Jianyu was opposed and felt it should remain with the sect. Abbess Tu Bao pointed out the danger this presented should Marauding Dragon decide to attack them directly. She asked the party for information on what occurred in Tung-on and whether the child was Marauding Dragon's son. Ox Hearted Widow said she would make her decision in next week. But would need more information. She told Little Turtle that he was to resume the patrols he had been taking with Long Winded Master, but that he should investigate the situation and see if he could find evidence that Shengwen was or was not the child of Marauding Dragon. If it was Marauding Dragon's child, she'd likely send it back to the Seven Blood Cave Alliance. If it wasn't they would find another solution.
The group were instructed in some new techniques before leaving then told to accompany Little Turtle on his patrols in Fan Xu Prefecture (the sect protects the humans in the region around Mount Dao). Shortly into their patrol, as they were heading toward Tung-on again, the carriage pointed to the south west, indicating a nearby demon.
They followed the demon into Daoxu Village. As they passed they heard the sounds of fighting in a nearby grove. Little Turtle continued to follow the demon's trail but some members of the party, Phiphek and Merciful Shade, went to the grove.
In the grove they saw a scholar openhanded fighting with a man who looked like a master swordsman. They seemed to have some kind of grudge, and Phiphek used an illusion to confuse them and get them to stop. He then asked what the fight was about.
The scholar, a handsome and well groomed man named Han Jiayin (called Scholar Han from this point on) said that the other man was a student of Master Chen's Spinning Dragon School and was telling lies about him. The other man, Left-Handed Dragon, claimed Scholar Han had been inappropriately forward with the daughter of his master and then spread gossip about her. Eventually Phiphek persuaded Scholar Han to apologize and the two men went their separate ways.
As Little Turtle and the others continued into town, they saw posters announcing an upcoming tournament at Master Chen's Spinning Dragon School. It said heroes would come from all over to fight for possession of the Wind Saber of Sunan. This troubled them as the Wind Saber was known to be held by Bone Breaking Sect, not Master Chen.
The carriage brought them to Pei Bao Tofu Shop. Little Turtle announced himself and an old woman answered. She seemed kind, and showed no signs of being a Demon (she also had many Golden Mercies of Hen-Shi in her house). He took the carriage around back and found a couple living in another quarter of the home (presumably related to the woman). The carriage clearly pointed at the lady living in this section of the house. Little Turtle decided to wait because the carriage took time to discern good demons from bad ones (his sect distinguished between the two). As he did so, the statue of Supreme Judge Yu on the carriage began to spin out of control and pointed south, then pointed at the lady, then south again. This meant it was conflicted between two demons. They followed the carriage south, and found it pointed to an inn, the Red Ru Fish.
They waited outside the inn to give the carriage time, but after a few minutes it began to spin and pointed south west as if the demon had left and moved to another spot. When they reached a river it spun out of control and stopped (then resumed pointing toward the Tofu Shop).
The group went to the inn to learn what they could. There they found the Freelance Brothers enjoying wine, while Headmaster Mu consoled a crying woman (these were all well known martial heroes from the Banyan). She told the party that she just found the body of a customer, Reckless Storm, in his inn room.
Going to the room they found his body drained of blood and a puncture wound on his feet. They also found shaggy red hairs near the bed (which Merciful Shade knew to be the hair of a Yansha Demon). They found a trail leading from the window that lead to the spot in the river where the carriage stopped working.
Returning to the dining area they asked for information from all present. The Firelance Brothers seemed pleased by Reckless Storms death and felt he had spent too much time boasting of his inevitable victory at the tournament (he even went around town to the other Martial Heroes present to boast to them as well). They learned that Princess Sarnai was camped outside of town and that Iron Clawed Lion was staying with the village headman. The woman told them she had heard a soft voice singing in Reckless Storm's room before she found him (Little Turtle knew that Yaksha demons could lull people with song).
Merciful Shade decided to head in the south western direction the carriage had pointed and eventually found Yaskha tracks leading to the residence of Scholar Han. She knocked and Scholar Han answered. He invited her inside and offered her a room in his guest hall. She accepted.
He seemed intrigued by her mask and appeared to flirt with her. He told Merciful Shade she could stay as long as she liked and that he have his servant, Chengsi take care of all her needs.
That night Chengsi surprised her by knocking on the door. Whereas Scholar Han was unusually good looking, Chengsi was exceptionally ugly. He told Merciful Shade that the master had invited her to stay in the main house if she wished, but she declined. He also told her that a meal would be prepared for her in the morning.
This is where the adventure ended.
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