CELESTIAL PLUME MASTERS SESSION EIGHT

This was the eighth session of my Celestial Plume Masters campaign using the Sons of Lady 87 book, which was just released in print. You can see the first session HERE. You can see the seventh session HERE. 

PLAYER CHARACTERS 

Wei Ziying: A skilled poisoner and physician, with ties to the Relentless Corpse Sect, Wei Ziying is a disciple of the Celestial Plume Masters. He also has a longstanding friendship with Kuo Qingzhao, who wishes to know more about the poisons that killed his wife (poisons Wei Ziying knows the secrets of). Grudge: Ravenous Nun Xuanji (for the murder of Red Eagle)

Wang Haoyang: A master of stealth, Wang Haoyang is one of the Celestial Plume Master disciples. He has a lifelong friendship with Pei Ye of the Vermillion Bird Teahouse, but has attracted the affection of another member of that organization, Fan Zhen'er (he does not return the affection but wishes to avoid creating friction within the Vermillion Bird Teahouse, and possibly creating enemies). Grudge: Guan Nuan (for a duel he escaped, she feels she lost face because he was weaker than her and should have been an easy victory)

Hei Ling: A one-eyed chief in the Celestial Plume Masters, Hei Ling is the father of Li Liang, whom he wishes to cease practicing her Toad Style kung fu because of the physical toll on her body. He had Li Liang with Qixia the candied fruit in his youth and since then Qixia has grown hostile. He has a working relationship with the Wu Sisters. Grudge: Qixia the Candied Fruit Vendor (of Hai'an). Grudge: Qixia (many reasons related to their pre-existing relationship)

Iron Tiger: The newest member of the party, sent by Night Thorn to help them expand. He has a longstanding friendship with Iron Beggar Sun Kang, whom he wants to leave his lap of luxury in the House of Flying Lanterns so he can train with the Nature Loving Monks and improve his Kung Fu. Iron Beggar in turn wants Iron Tiger to leave the Celestial Plume Masters. Grudge: Pei Ye (he murdered her favorite client, Golden Cobra). 

STEALTH OF THE SPIDER DEMON 

Wang Haoyang used Stealth of the Spider Demon and entered the room above where Qixia* and her men were enjoying a meal. At first he thought he had managed to enter unseen but Qixia said as she poured a cup of wine "Come my friend and enjoy some drinks with us." 

Wang Haoyang briskly fled the teahouse and left through the front door. He then snuck back around to the window of the parties private dining room and told them what happened. He then climbed a tree and tried to observe Qixia and her men through an open window at the teahouse. Seeing they had posted two guards at their door and begun to relax again, he struck them with his sword whipping strike, killing seven and wounding the rest, including Qixia. They quickly shut the window and there was commotion inside. The party then left their dining room and walked into the street, getting into positions that were tactically advantageous. 

THE CANDY SKEWERS OF QIXIA 

From the street Hei Ling was preparing his men to strike the teahouse, when Qixia started to exit the building with her men. 

After she exited, Iron Tiger blocked the door so her men could not follow. She shouted "Hei Ling you cowardly man, are you afraid to face me one-on-one. Is this a way for a husband to treat his wife?"

Devil Grandma from magic blade
Not Qixia but a good likeness played by the great Terese Ha Ping

Hei Ling said "I am not afraid of you, you ugly faced witch, and calling yourself my wife is a strange description of our relationship."

Qixia said "Tell your men to hold back, and I will do the same, then we can have a fair contest"

Hei Ling instructed his men to retreat. Iron Tiger went with Fan Zhen'er to watch from a nearby wine shop, but Wei Ziying remained hidden near some trees as did Wang Haoyang. 

Qixia walked to Hei Ling, stopping twenty paces from him. "Let's settle this matter now husband."

Hei Ling unleashed a blast of energy at her with his Emanating Palm technique, but she was able to nullify it with her own internal energy. Qixia threw a storm of ten of her candy skewers at Hei Ling, but he used deflecting canopy and sent them hurling back at her with the fabric of his robes. The skewers all struck her and she quickly swallowed a pill kept in a gourd beneath her robes. 

Once again Hei Ling unleashed his Emanating Palm on Qixia, but this time she tried to reverse the energy on him, starting a Qi Duel. The duel, Hei Ling lost and was blasted by a powerful explosion of force. 

The two stood, both wounded and near death. 

Qixia crouched and began to launch her charging Croak of the Toad attack. Hei Ling had been seriously injured by this strike previously when their daughter, Li Liang, attacked him with it. He leaned back and dipped low. Using his Strike of the Spider technique, he sliced her belly with his hands as she glided past him. She fell to the ground quite dead. 

STAND-OFF WITH THE BLACK SUN GANG 

Qixia's men left the teahouse and approached Hei Ling. Ten had Flying Guillotines. 

Hei Ling tried to persuade the men to join with him. They said while they no longer had any quarrel with the him, they had another master in Dee, Fragrant Sword of the Golden Heroes and were obligated to report back to him. Wang Haoyang and Wei Ziying knew Fragrant Sword to be a powerful master and the lover of Qixia. Hei Ling was not at ease with the thought of these men going back to Fragrant Sword so he gave them an ultimatum, which they respectfully refused. 

Before they could unleash their flying guillotines, they were rapidly dispatched by the party, something made that much easier because they had already been wounded by Wang Haoyang's Sword Whipping Strike. 

A sheriff had witnessed the match and approached, asking what had happened. They convinced him Qixia and her men were notorious killers and celestial plume smugglers. So he had his men gather the bodies and survivors. Not many survived though as the party had been surreptitiously killing all the fallen men in the street and teahouse. 

The party retrieved 10 bottles of antidote from Qixia's corpse before it was buried, and a scroll encased in gold that read "To Li Liang, daughter of Qixia and Hei Ling". They did not open it for fear it was trapped. 

A message reached Hei Ling from Leng Ziying, informing him that Long Ma Hall and the 87 Killers had formed an alliance. This was troubling news as the 87 Killers had been suffering numerous set-backs and defeats. 

They had learned from one of the dying men that a shipment of Celestial Plume would soon arrive, and they planned to rob it. This is where the session ended. 

*Because the session ended last week with the party just learning that Qixia was above them, I made a point of not doing any preparation or planning between sessions. I felt that Qixia was being taken off-guard so I shouldn't have anything like a strategy or plan in mind for her.