THE CRIMSON CHARM

This is another casual review where I give my immediate thoughts after watching a movie. Today I am discussing The Crimson Charm. 

The Crimson Charm is a 1971 film directed by Huang Feng, starring Ivy Ling Po, Chang Yi, Shih Szu, Fang Mian and James Nam Seok-Hoon. Huang Feng would go on to direct a number of Angela Mao movies for Golden Harvest, including Hapkido and Lady Whirlwind, which we have covered on the podcast. 

The movie opens when Chief Jiang Zi Chao of Zhongzhou Sword Sect and his daughter, Shang Qing, are traveling to his 60th birthday celebration, when they save a woman from the son of one of the Crimson Charm Gang's chiefs. In the fight, the son is killed, and they are soon issued a formal declaration from the father, Yellow Gowned Chief Chao, that he intends to extinguish their entire sect at the gathering. Blood Master Linghu Lei, the grandson of an unorthodox master, comes to Chief's aid and promises to join them for the celebration. 

True to their word, the Crimson Charm Gang shows up at the birthday celebration and it is a massacre. By the end, only four survive: Senior Han, Yu Fang Fang, Blood Master Linghu Lei, and Shan Qing (though she suffers a horrible internal injury). 

The story is essentially about three of these characters seeking revenge three years later against the Crimson Charm Gan. But it develops more complexity. Each of the heroes seeking revenge gets growth and we learn there is more to the slaughter of Zhengzhou Sword Sect, that the killing of the Yellow Gowned Chief's son was a pretext. 

The three heroes the movie follows are Blood Master Linghu Lei, Senior Han and Yu Fang Fang. Blood Master Linghu Lei, escapes the slaughter with an injured Shang Qing. Bringing Qing to a cave he tries to cure her internal injuries over the three years. They fall in love, but she succumbs and asks him to erect a grave tablet to her as his wife. After her death he is even more formidable than before, but half-crazed. Senior Han was kicked out of the sect before the slaughter and found a master named Holy Sword to help train him for revenge. He is the most straight forward of the three heroes here (and I had the impression the master ejected him from the sect before the slaughter over a minor issue of etiquette so he could avenge them). Yu Fang Fang feels almost like the real protagonist of the movie. Played by Ivy Ling Po, she lost her arm in the attack on Zhongzhou Sword Sect, but was later found by their grandmaster, a woman who took her to the mountain temple and trained her. She fights one-armed and has the Dragon Sword, a clever blade that can retract into the hilt and extend to a variety of lengths. This allows her for instance to slip away easily when her sword gets hooked by another blade. It felt fitting fort a one-armed swordswoman. 

I liked how they gave each hero a section of time to develop and grow. I was especially interested in the love story between Blood Master Linghu Lei and Shang Qing. Yu Fang Fang was a fun character to follow around as she investigated the Crimson Charm Gang. She gets a great scene in one of the inns. 

I enjoyed the direction, there were some interesting uses of angles and the close-ups were effective for me. The sound on the version I saw felt a little off during the fight sequences (it is possible this was an issue with my TV, but it was only during the battles). The movie looks good and there is a nice variety of locations so you get the sense of a full world. 

The fights are not perfect but they are fun, filled with inventive weaponry and swagger. There were a few moments where some of the movements felt off to me. These were pretty rare but when they happened I noticed. Still there were lots of good performances and the showdown at the end is terrific. The movie teases who the final chief of the Crimson Charm Gang is throughout the movie (it is the kind of film where you only see the back of the villain before the final scene). I won't spoil who it was, but I was glad who they cast when it was revealed. 

The Crimson Charm Gang are my favorite kind of wuxia thugs: eccentric and morbid. We get cool bad guys like White-Faced Yama King. The leader of the gang is terrifying when he shows up, and he has deadly weapons with abilities the viewer isn't sure of until he uses them (this heightens a lot of the tension in the final fight). 

The Crimson Charm was a movie I hadn't really heard of before but was a nice surprise. For a ranking I am giving it a 7.5. I may have given it a 7 but the doomed love of Master Linigu Lei and Shang Qing, and the look on Ivy Ling Po's face when she is dropping henchmen like flies with one hand, elevated it for me. I believe this is included in the Shaw Brothers Classics Volume 2 Boxed set. I saw it on prime. I would like to get it on disc to see what extras are available as I really wanted to learn more about this movie. 

Rating: 7.5 

KILLER DARTS (CASUAL REVIEW)

Killer Darts is a 1968 Ho Meng-Hua film, starring Chin Ping (Jin Yu-Sien), Yueh Hua (Liu Yu-Long), Fang Mian (Liu Wen-Lung), Chang Pei-Shan (Hu Chi-Feng), Pang Pang (Ah Fu), and Shen Yi (Lin Heung-Kam), and Ma Ying (Chou Chao). 

The movie opens with Chou Chao, a wicked bandit chief, burning down the home of Master Liu Wen-Lung and murdering his wife. All is lost except for the master's son, Liu Yu-Long and his chubby servant Ah Fu. With his disciple, Hu Chi Feng, he manages to poison Chou Chao with a dart, forcing the bandit to chop off his own arm to survive (but not before vowing revenge). As they set out to start a new life, Hu Chi Feng proves to be a bad seed and terrorizes a local homestead, killing the father and using one of his master's darts to kill the mother. Master Liu Wen-Lung tries to force his disciple to commit suicide for being so wicked but he refuses and escapes. The daughter Jin Yu-Sien, holds her mother as she dies, who makes her vow revenge, and Yu-Sien the darts that poisoned her. The master takes pity of daughter of the homestead couple and raises her as his own. This sets the stage for the story that unfolds. 

The movie is a thrilling tale of revenge gone awry with Jin Yu-Sien coming of age as Master Liu Wen-Lung's pupil and falling in love with his son, Liu Yu-Long). All would be perfect except for a love triangle involving the daughter of a local wealthy patron named Lin Heung-Kam, and a growing misunderstanding over the darts that killed Yu-Sien's mother. 

The real star of this movie is Chin Ping, and she is very good in the role of Yu-Sien. I thought her action scenes were especially effective. This is still more in the swash-buckle era of wuxia and her swordplay was excellent, very punctual. It is a shame we didn't get more Chin Ping movies as she has a lot of charisma on screen. 

While the action isn't wild, it is still exciting and well executed. As said, this is more of a swashbuckling style, but there is also a variety of weaponry. The darts I thought were particularly exciting (though not as prominent as one might expect from the title). And Chou Chao fought with an interesting arm attachment after losing his hand. At one point Liu Yu-Long demonstrates some nifty qigong with a surprising special effect to stop a flying bowl mid-air. But for me the arrow-through the head scenes stole the show.  

The storytelling is very good in Killer Darts. Ho Meng-Hua is usually very reliable here and in this movie it feels like all the pieces fit into place perfectly by the end. There is an emotional arc that is rewarding, especially Yu-Sien's journey of discovery and revenge. It is more of a touching film than a cathartic one.

And Killer Darts is a movie that is really driven by the story. The action is important, but I found myself not worrying about when the next sword fight was going to be because I was so immersed in the storytelling.

It also builds a convincing martial world. Mostly it is developed around Master Liu Wen-Lung and his battle against the bandits. But at a certain point in the film we see just how extensive this bandit network is and there is a scene where a host of colorful martial experts are on full display.

I quite liked the sets too. The bandit fortress is a nice lair with plenty of traps (and another example of a wuxia dungeon). I especially liked the burning house at the start of the film.

Killer darts is quite solid. I would probably have rated it a 7 if it had just a bit more emotional punch to it. But 6.5 here indicates an enjoyable evening of wuxia entertainment.

Rating: 6.5 

THE QIWU SWORD (RBRB)

This is an attempt to game the film The Sword for Righteous Blood Ruthless Blade, me and Jeremy's wuxia TTRPG published by Osprey. In the movie there is a weapon called the Qiwu Sword, and it is heavily suggested it is cursed but effective. I highly recommend the film and you can see my review of it HERE. 

THE QIWU SWORD

This blade looks like a well-crafted jian with an ornately decorated wood handle and sheathe, a guard and pommel of matching black. The blade itself also seems dark in certain light. It is reputed to bring back fortune to the wielder. Some even say if it is discarded, the bad luck still returns to the owner.

The Qiwu Sword does Muscle+1d10 Damage, bestows a +1d10 to attacks but does 3 Extra wounds on a Total Success. It is also capable of cutting through weapons that parry it. If anyone parries, there is a 5 in 10 chance the weapon they block the attack with is cut in half, and that the attack continues on and does damage as normal. This also applies to any counter that redirects, or evades a melee in attack in someway (except there is a 3 in 10 chance the attack still goes through, and in these other cases, the blade doesn't slice through anything to do so). 

Anyone wielding the Qiwu Sword is subject to two major effects. The first is that if they are made to roll on the death and maiming table, they must roll twice and take the worst of the two results. The second is they face more challengers and grudge encounters than other people. When they roll on the Encounter Table, us this table instead of the standard one provided on page 136: 

ENCOUNTER TABLE
2d10        Result

2-10          Grudge Encounter

11-15         Challenger 

16             Ally or Friend 

17-19        Complication

20             Twist

THE SWORD (CASUAL REVIEW)

Here is my second casual review. In these installments I just do quick immediate reactions to films after viewing them. I hope to do more in the coming weeks and months.

The Sword is a 1980 wuxia film directed by Patrick Tam, that stars Adam Cheng and Norman Chu. It also stars Jade Hsu, Tien Feng, Eddie Ko, Bonnie Ngai Chau-Wah and Jojo Chan. It was recommended by John in our wuxia media group.  

I loved The Sword. Right from the opening, where Tien Feng, playing Hua Qian Shu*, goes to a blacksmith who has made him the Hanxing Sword, I was hooked. There he shows the black smith a blade called the Qiwu sword, believing they could make a good pair, but the black smith warns him the sword was forged in hatred and brings ill-fate to the person who wields it. Some time later, after Hua Qian Shu has retired because so many people want to kill him, the movie follows Li My Ran, played by Adam Cheng, who wants to fight the retired swordsman so he can take his own place at the top of the martial world. Along the way he is gifted the Qiwu sword, by a woman Hua Qian Shu gave it to for safe keeping. Li Mu Ran is also in love with Xiao Yu, played by Jojo Chan, but she is married to Lian Huan. The pursuit of these two goals, leads to a tragic path of blood and doomed romance. 

What struck me was the focus of The Sword. It is almost a wuxia chamber piece. The movie follows a small number of characters. And while it does have many locations, these are not particularly important and they aren't the focus. It is the drama among the characters that matters. 

The music, the visual tone, the action, everything fits perfectly for me. This is exactly the type of wuxia film I look for. The action is all well edited, and sharp. It is mostly swordplay, with plenty of spins and people flying through the air. But it never feels ridiculous. It always seem to have its feet planted firmly on solid ground. That isn't to say it is not extravagant with the bloodshed. There are a handful of key over the top moments. But this is restrained. It isn't cranked to 11 the entire time. 

It does an excellent job at maintaining mood. In the end it is a cathartic film. And I think the theme song really helps tie everything together. As a wuxia film it leaves me feeling very satisfied. Perhaps not feeling happy in the end, but like I've had a complete movie experience. It has everything, from tragic misunderstandings to a love triangle and a deliciously evil villain. But there is still something about it that is quite straight forward and simple. Nothing feels extraneous. 

The performances are good but the two that stand out are Adam Cheng as Li Mu Ran and Norman Chu as Lian Huan. Lian Huan is a properly evil villain. He is sophisticated and plays the gentleman, but other than that there is almost nothing redeeming about him. People are disposable to him and all he really seems to care about is having the Hanxing and Qiwu swords so he can be the number one swordsman. Li Mu Ran is a quiet hero who learns the hard way, and perhaps a bit too late, that fame and glory are just illusions. Adam Cheng gives a very good performance in my opinion. Both physically and emotionally. He is the stoic wuxia hero who occasionally brims with an overflow of emotion that just barely breaches the surface, but it is there. And there is something kind about his character. He is stoic but not Jimmy Wang Yu stoic. Eddy Ko was also very good as Lian Huan's black garbed henchmen (he spends much of his time trying to assassinate Li Mu Ran, or otherwise cause him turmoil). 

The women too have pathos in this movie. Though I would say this is a film that is definitely more about the men. Yuen Chen played by Bonnie Ngai Chau-Wah, I found the most interesting. She seems to be the lover of Hua Qian Shu, and is the one keeping the Qiwu sword for him. She has one of the more moving scenes in the movie. 

Visually this is also a very compelling movie. There were lots of moments where the framing of a scene caught my eye. And again the editing in the fight scenes seemed well done to me. 

I highly recommend The Sword. At least on a first viewing it was great. I want to see it again soon and hopefully it holds up on multiple views. I wish I had been able to get it on disc, as I would love to have access to extras and learn more about it. However I had to watch it on prime. The quality there was good.

Rating: 9

*In the version I saw the name of his character was a bit different in the subtitles but using the Hong Kong Movie database name list for consistency. 

THE LADY ASSASSIN (CASUAL REVIEW)

This is a casual review of The Lady Assassin, which I have posted elsewhere online. I am making slight edits to this version but it is basically just my initial thoughts after seeing it. My hope is to do more reviews like this one where I just react to a film after first seeing it (normally I spend more time on the reviews and will often rewatch films multiple times for them). I may write more about it after a second or third viewing. I will try to stick to a 1-10 scale for rating them (1 being bad, 10 being great). 

The film is directed by Tony Lou Chun-Ku, who has a cameo as a Japanese Ninja-bodyguard hired by the emperor. Tony Lou did a number of gonzo wuxia films like Holy Flame of the Martial World, Lovers Blades and Bastard Swordsman. He also did movies like The Holy Virgin Versus the Evil Dead, which is good too but a kind of schlock-fest. The Holy Virgin Versus the Evil Dead has one of the best musical cue sequences I have seen in a movie. 

The Lady Assassin came out in 1983, and stars Leanne Lau Suet-Wah (Lu Siniang), Norman Chu (Tsang Jing), and Lau Wing (Fourth Prince). There are plenty of other familiar faces like Ku Feng (Lu Liuliang) and Jason Pai Piao. Daisy Cheung and Yeung Ching-Ching also have cool roles as Tsang Jing's disciples named Pearl and Jade. This one is not quite as crazy as a movie like Holy Flame of the Martial World but still pretty intense when it comes to the fight choreography. It is a palace Intrigue based on real history and folk legend about the death of the Yongzheng Emperor who was the fifth emperor of the Qing Dynasty. 

This period and in particular court intrigue set in this period is usually not as interesting to me as other wuxia stories. So The Lady Assassin had to work a bit harder to secure my interest. Right from the beginning I was captivated by it and my mind never started to wander. While it isn't filled with fights in every moment, there are plenty of fight sequences and the fight sequences themselves are quite entertaining. The does a good job balancing story and action and is well-paced throughout. The characters are all nicely done and physical performances look precise. Norman Chu stands out, as does Leanne Lau. And I liked Jason Pai Piao's character (he is a haughty right hand man to the emperor who is incredibly ambition). Lau Wing makes for an interesting villain here, which I will discuss below. 

The plot revolves around the royal succession as the emperor is dying. The two possible heirs seem to be Fourteenth Prince (played by Max Mok) and Fourth Prince (played by Lau Wing). Fourth Prince conspires with a literary Han rebel named Lu Liuliang to alter his father's will (after discovering it names his brother heir). He promises to end the anti-Han policies of the Qing in exchange for the man's help. He succeeds with the aid of Lu Liuliang's daughter Lu Siniang. As might be expected, the Emperor doesn't hold true to his word and it all culminates in an assassination plot of revenge by Norman Chu's Tsang Jing and Leanne Lau. However the emperor has recruited Japanese fighters and ninja's to protect him so the final confrontation is pretty spectacular. 

The 88 Films disc itself is very solid. The transfer looks gorgeous and that really helps bring these older films to life for new audiences. So I think overall, it is a success and good value (it was 21 Dollars on Prime when I got it, so it is quite affordable). The extras were decent. There is a nice interview with Poon Kin-Kwan, on of the film's martial arts directors. The interview is very informative if you want a first hand account of the evolution of stuntwork and fight choreography in Hong Kong cinema. He goes into how many of the stunt men like were trained initially in Peking Opera. The interview also discusses what it was like being part of Shaw Brothers in the 70s and 80s. He talks about how the industry changed in recent years. However the interview doesn't really get into any details on The Lady Assassin. The disc comes with one of the better fold-out posters I have seen too. There are stills as well. Personally I would have liked to see more information about the movie itself (whether as an informed commentary track or a sleeve with information). I wanted to learn more about The Lady Assassin after watching it, and there wasn't a lot in the extras for that. 

Overall I really enjoyed The Lady Assassin. I might give it a rank of 7, and that could go up or down on further viewings as there is a lot to go back to and enjoy for a 90 minute film. I really liked the Norman Chu role and his relationship with Lui Siniang. Lau Wing was great as the villainous fourth prince. The action choreography and the physical performances in them are what make the movie truly work. Everything looked tight and dazzling. I think also it creates a strong sense of place and atmosphere.

Rating: 7

GAMING DRAGON MISSILE FOR RIGHTEOUS BLOOD, RUTHLESS BLADES

This week, a poster in the Bedrock Games discord asked about how to make the weapon in The Dragon Missile, a 1976 Ho Meng-Hua film for our dark wuxia game Righteous Blood, Ruthless Blades. Ho Meng-Hua directed The Flying Guillotine and this movie presents us with another lethal weapon that decapitates people and fills the martial world with awe and terror. I decided to sit down and come up with something for RBRB. 

Here I started with the weapon and built an adventure inspired by the story in the movie. One difficult choice was deciding weather the Dragon Missile would be a Signature Ability or a Weapon. I ultimately decided to have it be a weapon that relies on a Signature Ability (much like the Flying Guillotine in Wandering Heroes of Ogre Gate). If you do run this adventure, realize it is intended to be a powerful weapon that has potential to throw the martial world into disarray. It is deliberately imbalanced in order to be scary. A player can still get their hands on it, and learn how to use it, but they would likely attract a lot of attention by doing so. 

I wanted to use an existing weapon as a base, initially, following the poster's suggestion, I was going to use Blood Sparrows (83). Those would work perfectly fine. A variation on the Curved Beauty Daggers could work too. But I ended up taking the mechanics for the Jagged Blade of the Raksha (because the Dragon Missile in the movie is physically imposing) and beefed it up to be a Top Ten Weapon. 

In making this adventure I also draw heavily on NPCs in the Righteous Blood, Ruthless Blades rulebook. When we designed them, one of our goals was to give GMs a setting through non-player characters. So this is an example of how to take NPCs, and update their present situation, to use them in a new scenario. 

This adventure is for a higher level party, with all the major foes being level 7 or greater. With some modification this can be run for a lower level party. What follows is more of a set-up for an adventure. The GM may want to do additional preparation unless they are comfortable winging things on the fly. Note that numbers listed in parenthesis are the page numbers in the RBRB rulebook where relevant informatio, such as Signature Abilities or NPCs, can be found. 

ADVENTURE BACKGROUND

Three nights ago, Eunuch Zhang (196) fought in a secret duel with Phoenix Empress of Mingshui (219). Eunuch Zhang dipped his sword in Golden Viper Venom. Both he and she were seriously wounded in the fight and escaped, but both were poisoned by the venom. This deadly venom kills over the course of months and can only be cured with the Longevity Rattan. Neither wishes anyone to know about their battle. Now they languish and their only hope is the Longevity Rattan, which is rumored to have been found by Lady Iron Hand/Wan Shu (239) and brought to the homestead of Hong Wenlong (201) where she waits with his three disciples for his return. In a separate incident three weeks ago, Eunuch Zhang poisoned Hong Wenglong with Golden Viper Venom. Lady Iron Hand, knowing he had a just grudge to settle with Chen Nianzhen (193), found the Longevity Rattan, brought it to his homestead, and waits for his arrival so she can give it to him (he was out settling as many affairs as he could). 

HOOK
The players are called upon by an ailing Phoenix Empress of Mingshui, wife of the prefect of  Shandong. Their contact is Township Mistress Xuan Yufeng who asks them to come to Five Phoenix Manor near Jinan. There they are taken to speak with Phoenix Empress of Mingshui who is covered in boils from Golden Viper Venom, and seems to be dying. Township Mistress Xuan Yufeng explains that Mingshui was in a duel with a terrible master who poisoned her. She says she cannot reveal the masters identity but tells them that the only cure is Longevity Rattan, and it is rumored that Lady Iron Hand is protecting some in Chengdu at the homestead of Hong Wenlong. She has good information that a powerful fighter welding the Dragon Missile has been sent already to obtain the Longevity Rattan on behalf of the man who did this to her as he was also poisoned. They will have to hurry to beat him there. 

The Phoenix Empress is a highly influential person and the players can gain a lot of social and political capital if they help her. However Township Mistress Xuan Yufeng is willing to pay a high sum given the present situation. She can presently provide them each with one of the following objects: 

Butterfly Swords of Wen Chi (83)

Diamond Axe Blade (84)

Liquid Swords (85)

Hidden Fang (87) 

She can also pay them 150,000 coins (half when they agree to take the mission, half when they return). 

THE POISONED FIGURES 
Phoenix Empress of Mingshui (219), Eunuch Zhang (196), and Hong Wenlong (201) are all poisoned by the Golden Viper Venom at the start of the adventure and suffering the appropriate skill penalties. They can still be active characters in the scenario but will not be at their full ability unless they are given the Longevity Rattan to reverse the poison. All three can be formidable if they enter into the fray. 

ENCOUNTERS ON THE ROAD
Encounters and the adventure structure itself can be handled in one of two ways: 

The first treats the adventure as a race to the Homestead in Chengdu, with Survival rolls determining many outcomes. The road to Chengdu is long and players should make regular survival rolls to see if they have encounters or run into other difficulties. Normally encounters are not very frequent in RBRB on the road. But here, given that the situation is important and many will try to insert themselves into it or thwart the players efforts, the GM should have them make a number of rolls. The players should be able to reach Chengdu on ten successful survival rolls (any Total Success counts as two). However the GM should also roll for Sima Luo to see how quickly he arrives (he has a one day head but is traveling from Shanghai and will need to make 13 successful rolls). If at any point, he catches up to the party or overtakes them, and encounter with him becomes possible. Otherwise the players are likely to have encounters with others (minions of Bureau Four for example). You can roll on the chart below but just keep this in mind. 

The second approach is to focus more on the tension of being hounded on their way to the Homestead. Sima Luo being the biggest threat they will face along the way. In this instance, he may know of the PCs mission and seek to eliminate them before they get to the homestead. This can create a sense that the party is hounded by Sima Luo, who antagonizes them along the way. So the GM may want to craft encounters that feel appropriate along the road (perhaps using the ones listed below as a foundation). The big difference between the first and second method is this one will have a stronger sense of pacing to fit atmosphere and the encounters will all add to a sense of escalating tension. 

However the GM deals with the road to Chengdu, once they get there, they must contend with Lady Iron Hand, and possibly still contend with Sima Luo (who will likely wait until after they have the Longevity Rattan to act). This may also present a choice, as Lady Iron Hand wants the Longevity Rattan to help Hong Wenlong. And her cause isn't unjust. But saving Phoenix Empress of Mingshui is also important. Let the players decide what they want to do, but if they choose to thwart Lady Iron Hand she will have to contend with the party (she won't seek to kill them, merely to stop them so she can cure Hong Wenlong). 

Hong Wenlong can arrive whenever the GM wishes, and he can even participate in any battle that happens to occur (whether to help or attack the PCs depends on circumstances). 

Once they obtain the Longevity Rattan, they still need to make it back to Jinan. Here they are also likely to be hounded by Bureau Four and also any fallout from events at the homestead itself. 

SAMPLE ENCOUNTERS 
The GM can roll or pick encounters from the list below, or design their own on the fly or in advance. When rolling, only use encounters that make sense (for example if you've established that Sima Luo is five days behind the party, it doesn't make sense for him to encounter them; however if he were five days ahead, an ambush is possible). These can all be used on the journey to or from Chengdu, but should be adjusted according to events that transpire: 

1. Thief Goddess Li: Thief Goddess Li sneaks into the player's encampment in the middle of the night (or at the best possible opportunity that presents itself) and tries to take the most expensive or important looking item/weapon/object she can. She is dressed in the cloak of Qin Shihuang (94). This ostentatious garment was stolen from the palace and is made from bear fur, giraffe pelt and fine leather (she prizes it and believes it will enable her to give birth to an emperor if she never takes it off for a year). Bureau Four is very interested in apprehending her as a result. But she is merely in the area, because she'd heard that many martial heroes are traveling this way for some unknown purpose. She wants to find out what is going on and hopes to steal some expensive or important items while she can. Usually she just takes things and runs. So this could become a chase encounter. However if she learns more it is possible she would assist the players or offer her thieving talents. If the players have the Longevity Rattan, this is an object she would want to steal. Remember that her Uncanny Hands (58) give her a +1d10 to any Theft or Gambling skill roll. 

2. Shuai Huixiong/Handsome Bearded Hero (225): The Handsome Bearded Hero blocks the party to test their mettle. He appears drunk and pleased with himself He simply wants three rounds or exchanges with each person, a friendly duel, not to the death. He is on his way to protect Lady Iron Hand and help her guard the Longevity Rattan. He is unlikely to share this information with the party, instead he will try to find out their reasons for traveling. If he learns they are heading to the homestead, he offers to join them (so he can prevent them from their aim once they arrive). If the players have already taken the Rattan, he is likely trying to get it back or get revenge on behalf of Lady Iron Hand. 

3. Master Gao (217): Master Gao of Illustrious Qilin Villa, a physician and fraud, is on the road to Hong Wenlong's Homestead having heard rumors of his impending death. This is a simple information gathering mission on his part. He wants to learn what he can and share it with his groups chief, Wu Tooth Beauty Niu. He knows that the Longevity Rattan is possessed by Lady Iron Hand, but is not interested in it. He may see the party as potential allies to turn against his enemy, Xie Song (240). So he will tell them what he can and tell them lies about Xie's cruelty and deception. He can be helpful to them along the way. 

4. Bureau Four Agents (176): The party is ambushed by Bureau Four Agents (roll 1d10 and divide result by two to see how many). They are following orders to stop anyone who might interfere with Sima Luo's mission. 

5. He Tian (200): He Tian has been sent against the party on a suicide mission by Sima Luo. If he has the opportunity to set up an ambush, he will use his Chess Board of Doom (39) ability to set the battlefield with sand covered pit traps he can control using a pulley system (Detect TN 6; Athletics TN 8 to avoid; 2d10 Damage). As an option he can create a series of spear traps he controls and aims through a similar pulley system, allowing him to fire at up to 6 different targets at once (roll Trade against Evade; 3d10 damage). If the party convinces him he was sent on a suicide mission, he may be persuadable to their cause. 

6. Bureau Eight Chief Constable Bao Leng (177): Constable Bao Leng is a ferocious and foolhardy chief constable for Bureau Eight.  He has four Bureau Eight Constables (177) serving under him. The Bureau has intelligence that Eunuch Zhang was poisoned and seeking a cure. He has been assigned to deal with the agents Eunuch Zhang sent to retrieve said cure. However the descriptions are hazy and he will assume any martial experts heading to Chengdu are Zhang's men. He attacks the party and attempts to arrest them. He can be reasoned with but is very difficult to convince. Should the party persuade him of their innocence and the true focus of their mission, he may be willing to work with them.  

7. Brocaded Granny (223): Brocaded Granny approaches the party while 4 Lu Bank Henchmen (182) lurk in the hills using the Granny's fabrics as camouflage (TN 9 to Detect them if players actively look). Moneybags Hu (218) of Lu Bank (182), sent Brocaded Granny to stall, pay-off, or kill people retrieving the Longevity Rattan for Phoenix Empress of Mingshui. He despises Five Phoenix Manor and is pleased she was poisoned by Eunuch Zhang. He hopes to kill two birds with one stone by preventing Phoenix Empress from receiving her cure, and further ingratiating himself into the imperial court. Brocaded Granny will approach the party selling her finely woven garments. Her aim is to befriend the party and travel with them. If they are not amenable she will take a more direct approach and offer them each 2,500 coins (she can go up to 5,000 each) to end their mission and come meet her benefactor who wishes to procure their services (her benefactor is Moneybags Hu). If she finds out how much the party was paid, she assures them that Lu Bank can double the offer. If they persist in refusing, she attacks immediately, which signals the Henchmen in Hiding to attack as well. 

8. Lord Dragon Long Dawang (211): Long Dawang and his son Long Fang (see Lord Dragon's Nine Sons on page 213), politely approach the party seeking to join them. Long Dawang explains that he admires Five Phoenix Manor and is well acquainted with Phoenix Empress of Mingshui. He wants to help them, and says he and his son would like to accompany them. While a cruel and ambitious man, Long Dawang is sincere in this instance and is determined to help cure the Phoenix Empress, whether the party agrees or not. If they refuse he and his son continue to follow and lend a hand when they find themselves in trouble. Should he help them at the Homestead, he will be ruthless in dealing with Lady Iron Hand, as he wishes no one but Phoenix Empress of Mingshui to obtain the Longevity Rattan. Note that in this scenario he is no longer suffering from his fire deviation. 

9-10. Sima Luo and Minions: Sima Luo decides to take care of the party, sending 3 minions to engage them up close while he fights from a distance (ideally on elevated ground). If Sima Luo is near enough to the party he may also join in the fight (otherwise he continues his own path to the homestead). See Sima Luo entry below for more information. 

ARRIVING AT THE HOMESTEAD

At the homestead, Lady Iron Hand will be waiting with The Three Heroes of Guiyang in anticipation of Hong Wenlong's arrival. Use her stat block on page 239 of the RBRB rulebook. The Three Heroes are listed below. Lady Iron Hand is not a fool and knows people might try to take the Longevity Rattan for their own purposes. Therefore she has put a decoy using another rattan vine, in an elaborate box in the center of the homestead (and she and the three heroes appear to hold vigil over it). In reality she has the Longevity Rattan under her robes in a pouch. Anyone examining the false Longevity Rattan can detect the deception on a TN 10 Medicine and Alchemy roll. She will not give the Rattan to anyone but Hong Wenlong and is willing to fight anyone who tries to take it. 

THE THREE HEROES OF GUIYANG 
The three heroes of Guiyang are three brothers named Cha Mo, Cha Muyan, and Cha Mian. They are also the new disciples of Hong Wenlong, the Ill-Fated Blade (201). Of the three, Mo is the least trust worthy. Muyan is the most social and good-looking, while Mian never speaks but is highly expressive. All three are educated and well-mannered, but somewhat rigid. They greatly respect Lady Iron Hand and are loyal to their master. 

Defences: Hardiness 8, Evade 8, Wits 5
Skills: External Martial Arts: 2d10, Internal Martial Arts: 2d10, Survival: 3d10, Talent: 1d10, Trade: 2d10, Persuade: 2d10, Empathy: 2d10, Detect: 2d10, Athletics: 1d10, Endurance: 2d10, Muscle: 2d10, Speed: 1d10, Ride: 1d10, Jianghu: 2d10, Peoples and Places: 2d10, Scholarly Arts: 2d10

Level/Killing Aura/Drinking Limit: 3

Killing Aura Darkness: 14

Max Wounds: 3

Resist: 0

Eccentricities: Greedy (Mo), Impeccable (Muyan), Mute (Mian)

Grudges/Rivalries: Chen Nianzhen

Allies: Wong Wenlong 

Minions: None

Equipment: The Dragon Missile

Signature Ability: Studied Blade Style (57)

Counters: Sword Parry (69) 

SIMA LUO 
Sima Luo had principles at one time, but now he kills for the highest bidder. Once his services are secured, he is loyal to the end of his contract. Presently he works for Eunuch Zhang and has been tasked with obtaining the Longevity Rattan to cure him. Sima Luo has few scruples and would kill his best friends mother if it gave him an edge. Clever and relentless, he possesses the Dragon Missile, and knows how to wield it. He inherited the blade from his Master, Dragon Missile An, who died many years ago. He hopes to find a worthy disciple he can pass his weapon and technique onto. He would even train an enemy, if that person were truly a great fighter and deserving of the blade. Sima Luo always keeps the ears of those he has assassinated. 

Sima Luo has command over three minions assigned to him by Eunuch Zhang: Hua Yan, Guo the Tiny Mouse, and He Tian. They travel together but he may occasionally send them out independently to attack PCs or undertake other missions. He has a strong dislike of He Tian, and hopes to send him on a suicide mission during the journey. He also has three Bureau Four agents with him as well (176), and can call on more if he needs (he is carrying messenger pigeons in his supplies). 

Defences: Hardiness 8, Evade 7, Wits 6

Skills: External Martial Arts: 3d10, Lightness Martial Arts: 2d10, Medicine and Alchemy: 2d10, Meditation: 2d10, Survival: 2d10, Drinking: 2d10, Theft: 2d10, Gambling: 1d10, Magical Arts: 1d10, Detect: 2d10, Persuade: 2d10, Reasoning: 3d10, Speed: 3d10, Muscle: 2d10, Athletics: 1d10, JIanghu: 3d10, People and Places: 2d10, Institutions: 1d10

Level/Killing Aura/Drinking Limit: 8

Killing Aura Darkness: 900

Max Wounds: 5

Resist: 2

Eccentricities: Seeking Defeat and Grim Collector 

Occupation: Assassin 

Grudges/Rivalries: He Tian

Allies: Eunuch Zhang 

Minions: Guo the Tiny Mouse (198; sent by Eunuch Zhang), Hua Yan (202; sent by Eunuch Zhang), He Tian (200; sent by Eunuch), 3 Bureau Four Agents (176)

Equipment: The Dragon Missiles x2, Messenger Pigeons, 80,000 coins in taels 

Signature Ability: Dragon Missile Master, Flashing Moon Sabre Style (44), Fearless Boxer Style (43)

Counters: Defence of Sun Bin (64), Spinning Block (68)

NEW WEAPON 

THE DRAGON MISSILE
The Dragon Missile is a large, crescent blade that is thrown like a boomerang. It returns to the wielder a full round after its attack. For this reason it comes in a pair. It is primarily designed for throwing, and has a range of 90 feet. When using in this way if you get a Total Success you can either roll on the Death and Maiming Chart for the target, or you can opt to attack them again.The Dragon Missile does Speed+2d10 Damage plus 2 Extra Wounds. If used as a melee weapon, it does Muscle +2d10 plus 2 Extra wounds (but has no additional effect on a total success). Without the Dragon Missile Master Signature Ability, anyone using this weapon suffers a -2d10 penalty to all their rolls. 

NEW SIGNATURE ABILITY

DRAGON MISSILE MASTER
You understand how to use the Dragon Missile, and can do so without a -2d10 Penalty. You can also throw both at 1 target imposing a -1d10 to any counter attempt, and you can throw two at two separate targets at once. In addition you can strike up to two targets with each attack as it flies at length through the air (or 4 if you throw both at once). 

NEW POISONS

GOLDEN VIPER VENOM 
The Golden Viper is a very rare snake, believed to dwell in hot climates of the southern empire. However the snake is so rare, some believe there is only one of its kind. Its venom is extremely lethal and can only be cured by the Longevity Rattan. Roll 3d10 against Hardiness. On a Success the person dies in 2d10 months, experiencing excruciating pain and boils all over their body. Each week the person suffers in this way, they take a cumulative -1d10 penalty to their skills. 

THE LONGEVITY RATTAN
This ancient dried vine, is unique. It was created by a skilled physicians hundreds of years ago. If consumed it extends the person's life by 50 years. However it can also be consumed to cure the Golden Viper Venom. There is only enough longevity rattan for one dose, for one person. Identitying the Longevity Rattan on sight is a TN 10 Medicine and Alchemy Roll.

HEAVENLY FRAGRANCE SESSION 21

This was the twenty first session of my Heavenly Fragrance Campaign, a living adventure for Wandering Heroes of Ogre Gate, prepared using tools and procedures discussed in the Wuxia Sandbox blog posts. This campaign is intended to play as a sandbox but with more dramatic elements. It is a two player campaign where run in what I call "Condor Heroes Mode", where characters begin with only one Kung Fu technique, their family background established and connected to the setting, and using a level advancement system based on encounters with higher level masters who train them. It also makes use of a campaign Shake-Up table, rolled once each session, to manage an unfolding background situation (see STATE OF THE MARTIAL WORLD). I will include footnotes to explain what procedures were invoked during play. The campaign is set in Fan Xu, largely using the Sons of Lady 87 book. 

CHARACTERS

Art by Jackie Musto 

Bao Long: An orphaned street urchin who was adopted by Lady Eighty-Seven's son, Guan Shisu after he came to the aid of Guan Shisu's daughter, Little Guan Hua. All he knows about his background is that his mother died when he was young. Bao Long has been taught some martial arts by Lady Eighty-Four, Yuhuan. Bao Long is a bit dim-witted but tough. 

Jade Peony Guan Hua/Little Guan Hua: The daughter of Guan Shisu and the disciple of Guan Nuan. Little Guan Hua is cowardly and feeble, but intelligent.

Fu Yao: The newest member of the party. Not much is known about his past but he specializes in Qinggong. 

Campaign Note: Due to learning an evil technique, Bao Long's eyes changed, so that his whites became black and his pupils white. And due to the acquisition of another evil technique he has gained the Lust for Divinity Flaw. 

*    *    *

The party returned to Mai Cun where Jade Peony Guan Hu paid her respects to Lady 87. Her grandmother seemed somewhat displeased that Jade Peony Guan Hua was not using her new-found powers and connections to help the 87 Killers organization directly but was permitted to return to Mai Cun. Jade Peony Guan Hua smoothed things over by offering her grandmother Lavender Moss. From there they went to their new headquarters a long the canal where Guan Nuan helped them manage their affairs. 

Guan Nuan informed them that Third Minister of the Rites, Xue Ren was at their headquarters with inspectors and wanted to speak with them. 

Third Minister explained that he had concerns about statues on their premises. They had erected a statue to Jade Peony Guan Hua and Obsidian Dragon Bao Long. 

Jade Peony Guan Hua explained that these were mere statues of themselves because they wanted the people who worked for them to recognize who they were. 

"But will these be for veneration?" Third Minister asked. 

"We will neither tell our people to venerate us or not to venerate us. After all, my brother has recently become an immortal." She pointed to her bother, Bao Long, whose body was now layered in magnificent black scales since his transfiguration. 

"The problem is," Third Minister said. "These are not officially registered deities of Imperial Dehua. Congratulations to your brother by the way."

Bao Long nodded in approval and Jade Peony Guan Hua spoke "What need we do to abide by Imperial Dehuan regulations."

"Well," Said Third Minister. "Given that your brother has attained immortality, if you were willing to be flexible on certain matters and adhere to the emperor's orthodoxy, he would be more than happy to enter both of you as officially worthy of veneration. The emperor would certainly appreciate allies like yourselves." 

"Tell the emperor we are happy to work with him and look forward to having a fruitful relationship. I hope he will consider the arrangement acceptable. And please take these bath beans as a gift."

She gave him some of their highest quality bath beans.

"We only manufacture a small quantity of these but I believe you will appreciate their quality."

Third Minister was grateful for the beans and promised to put in a good word. And Jade Peony Guan Hua asked their ritual master to contact Conquest Immortal because she wished to speak to him. 

Later that night there was a loud knocking at the door. Conquest Immortal had arrived with a retinue. 

Jade Peony Guan Hua made a production of Conquest Immortal's presence and offered him accommodations. He wanted to know why she had summoned him. 

"This may sound unusual Conquest Immortal of the Nine Suns, but since you blinded me, I have not been able to see anything in my mind's eye but you. You have conquered my heart and I wanted to talk seriously with you about marriage."

"This is an unorthodox approach," Said Conquest Immortal.

"Please I am sincere," Said Jade Peony Guan Hua. "I will do whatever you ask if you agree to marry me, and you need not heal my vision till after we are wed."

"If I marry you," Conquest Immortal said. "I would not heal your vision. It would be misperceived were I to do so."

"Understood," Said Jade Peony Guan Hua. "I would of course send a master to train you to fight without your sight, so you need not worry."

Conquest Immortal paced and considered her offer. "I need an alliance with with King An-Naqi of the Majestic Hosts."

"If I helped you secure this alliance, would you agree to marriage?"

"Yes," Said Conquest Immortal. "His powers of resurrection would be most useful and he has a vast army. He resides at the Gates of Paradise, said to be accessible by an icy stairway deep in the deserts of the Kushen Basin and only visible to believers. Do this and I will marry you."

Jade Peony agreed and immediately put out word that she needed a true believer of the Majestic Lion cult. 

The party then reorganized their company, clarifying different positions in the organization. They also trained their disciples. Bao Long and Jade Peony each had a small group of disciples at the headquarters and worked to improve their skills. They asked Guan Nuan to function as an official liaison between themselves and the 87 Killers, which she agreed to. 

Fu Yao spent time with Dancing Corpse Queen Wan Mei, who taught him the First Breathe Technique, in preparation for becoming an immortal. 

A blind master, named Meng Anzhi arrived. At first Jade Peony Guan Hua refused to work with him, because he was filthy and refused to bathe. When she realized he was the master sent by Conquest Immortal, she begrudgingly took his tutelage provided he trained her outside. 

Soon Third Minister returned and brought a chained prisoner with him and a golden plaque. The Plaque read "The Endurant Obsidian Dragon Bao Long" and was a gift from the Emperor. 

"This prisoner, is Priest Li Lian," Said Third Minister. "Another gift from the emperor as word reached us you were in need of a believer. Do with this man what you wish." 

The prisoner spat at Little Guan Hua and Third Minister threatened to have him beaten, but she assured him it was okay. 

"Thank you Third Minister of Rites Xue Ren," She said. "Give our thanks to the emperor and please accept these bath beans as a gift." She offered him a large quantity of high quality bath beans for the emperor. 

When Third Minister left they spoke with Priest Li. He agreed to take them to the Kushen Basin and guide them to the Gates of Paradise, if they promised to release him and allowed him to preach along the way. Then they secured 1000 grade A bath beans and 10,000 grade B bath beans to present to King An-Naqi as a gift.