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There are four player characters in this campaign:
CHARACTERSLimb Taker
Xiao Li
Li Xun
Feng Yao
GANGS AND SECTS SO FAR
The Divine Vipers: Control the Pleasure Quarter, led by Bamboo Viper
The Killing Bixie's: Specialize in forged documents and black market items, they are led by Sun Leng.
Green Tigers: Control the area around the Embroidered Dragon fighting platform. Pretty big group.
The Orphans: A small band of pick pockets and opportunists who are led by a woman named Jia and operate in the Pleasure Quarter and Slums.
The party continued its criminal activities in the slums of Daolu. They spoke with Sun Leng, the leader of the Killing Bixie's, and she told them it would be a good idea to expand into Green Tiger Territory. She said she'd give them 10 Knife Men to see what they can do.
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| Art by Jackie Musto |
In the meantime they went to the Golden Tael to find a woman named Hidden Scorpion. She was known to hire her information gathering services. They were brought into her private dining area, where she continued to eat and drink as they greeted her.
Xiao Li bowed and said "Greetings senior, we would like to discuss making a business arrangement with you."
Hidden Scorpion looked Xiao Li up and down, then continued drinking her wine. "My prices are high."
"I just want some information on Smiling Asura, where he will be on a particular day," Said Xiao Li.
"My usual price for that is well over 2,000 spades and you don't look like you can afford it....but I can lower my rate if you provide some other service in exchange."
Feng Yao stepped in and said "I am a musician, I can write a song for you."
Hidden Scorpion thought for a moment, then said "What sort of song would you write about me?"
"I can write about your hidden talents," He said.
"I don't want people to know about my hidden talents. Write about my beauty instead. No, wait, write about how magnificent I am, then sing it through the streets of the whole city and I will do the job for 2,000 spades."
They agreed to her terms, though Feng Yao talked her into limiting his performance to the Killing Bixie District and the Fortune Quarter (to avoid running into trouble with rival gangs).
They departed after agreeing to meet Hidden Scorpion the next day at the Silk Thread Wine Shop. Feng Yao went to the pleasure quarter to speak with the Orphans. On his way he was trailed by someone. He looked back and saw golden cloth of a robe fluttering from an alleyway. He approached to find a sharply dressed man leaning against the alley wall and spying on him.
The man stepped out confidently and said "I came to challenge you. You killed my friend Silver Immortal. In two days, you and all of the people present at the book shop, come to the edge of the city and we will settle this score."
"Who are you?"
"I am Eye-Gouging King," said the man.
"Very well," said Feng Yao. "In two days we will meet."
He turned and walked away, then as Eye-Gouging King left for another part of the city, Feng Yao lobbed a rod filled with Divine Powder at him. Eye-Gouging King unfurled his golden robe and it swatted away the rod before it burst in flames.
"That was a very bad idea," Said Eye-Gouging king. "Two days, outside the city, you and all who killed Silver Immortal, meet me then to die."
Feng Yao left and tended to the matter he had come for (to no success). He then returned to the Pearl Dragon (Killing Bixie's Headquarters).
Knowing they needed to prove they could earn money to gain Sun Leng's respect, Li Xun and Xiao Li decided to sell their services in the temple quarter. There they found work at the Temple of the Bold King.
As they approached the temple an old woman came up to them and said "I notice you are going to the Temple of the Bold King, can you do a poor woman a favor?"
They nodded.
"You two look like brave men, and my husband has been missing for days. I heard he was last seen going into the temple, can you see what you can find for me?"
"Why should we do that?" Said Li Xun.
"Because you are righteous heroes."
They nodded and told her they would see what they could do, then continued on to the temple.
The Abbot of the temple instructed them to guard the doors and let no one in from dusk to dawn, saying he would pay them 245 Spades and offer more work in the future.
They stood guard. Eventually a pretty woman in colorful robes and an upper-class hairstyle approached the doors. They both stepped in her way.
"No one may pass," Said Li Xun.
"But I live here," Said the woman. "My name is Feng Guai, now let me through."
"The abbot said not to let anyone in and he didn't mention you, come back later," Said Xiao Li.
Feng Guai produced a golden medallion with the image of the Bold King upon it. "Now let me through."
"Go to one of the inns," said Xiao Li. "Find some place to stay for the night and come back in the morning."
Visibly irritated Feng Gaui said "Then go in and talk to the Abbot, he knows me, I live here."
"The abbot said no one can go inside, that includes us, so we can't go in and ask him anything," Said Li Xun.
"This is the last time I will ask, strike the gong and speak with someone at the temple. I am expected."
Li Xun and Xiao Li debated the matter and finally decided to hit the gong. A monk emerged and told them she was indeed allowed to come in.
The next day the Abbot gave them a contract to guard the doors four days of the month for 265 spades each shift. The monks also explained who was allowed in and who was not.
From there they went directly to the Silk Thread Wine Shop to get their monthly protection money and to meet Hidden Scorpion. When they arrived a man dressed all in black and covering his eyes with a conical hat, lounged at one of the tables. No one else appeared to be present.
"This place is under my protection now, your little money making scheme ends today," Said the man.
"Who are you?" Xiao Li asked. "I am Black Whip and more than anything else I hate those who bully the weak and extort hard working people. Leave here and never come back."
The party encircled Black Whip.
Feng Yao arrived and pretended to act like a normal customer. He sat down and demanded wine.
"Come back in an hour my friend, the wine shop is closed for now," said Black Whip.
Feng Yao launched a surprise attack but Black Whip stood up and kicked a bench to intercept his weapon.
Black Whip lashed with a whip to restrain with his right hand and sliced with a dagger with his left. He wrapped his whip around Xiao Li's wrist, but Xiao Li evaded the dagger slash. He also threw benches and tables at the party as they swarmed around him. It was a long fight, and Black Whip was tough to bring down, but they managed to overwhelm him with their strikes.
They debated what to do with Black Whip. Xiao Li and Feng Yao fought over the issue. The result was Xiao Li stabbed Black Whip, killing him.
Hidden Scorpion arrived soon after. She said down and told them that Smiling Asura would be staying at a room in the White Rat. She also explained that he was planning to ambush them when they arrived at Master Shan's apothecary for their protection money.
"He has a brother you know," She said pointing at the body of Black Whip.
"Who?"
"White Whip," she said. "He lives in Nansun, about seven days from here."
They thanked her. Feng Yao spoke with Hidden Scorpion and persuaded her to go with him to fight Eye Gouging King. She agreed for a small fee. She also told him they would need others to help them and to watch out for his eye taking technique.
That night they planned an assault on the White Rat Inn. Dressing as merchants, they took their knife men and got a room there. When Smiling Asura went out to the main hall alone, they surprised him, charging down the stairs. Smiling Asura whistled. The attack went well but Smiling Asura cracked Li Xun in the head, knocking him out completely. Feng Yao had given several of the Knife Men exploding rods. After a Xiao Li led the attack with several swift strikes, the Knife Men bombed Smiling Asura and he collapsed. At that moment, his men poured out from rooms on the second floor. Xiaoli threatened to kill Smiling Asura if the men approached and this gave them room to escape back to the Pearl Dragon.
At the Pearl Dragon they interrogated Smiling Asura and were planning to kill him. But he offered to go quietly, even helped them, if they allowed him to retire comfortably. He promised useful information. So Xiaoli sealed the deal by becoming sworn siblings with him. She felt he wouldn't go back on the offer if they formed this bond. He then told them that the man they wanted to kill next was Saffron Physician (he managed most of Smiling Asura's protection rackets). He also said that Saffron Physician would have 25 men, but that they would soon be attending Saffron Physicians annual celebration and perform the Lion Dance in his honor. There would be a moment during the lion dance, when the 25 men were to be particularly vulnerable, balancing very high in the street. He suggested attack at that time.
This is where the session ended.
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