THE SECRET OF ZHE VALLEY SESSION 24: BONE KINGDOM BREAKS THE BRONZE MASTER

This campaign is set ten years after a previous set of adventures (HERE). This is the twenty-fourth session of the current campaign (Session 23 can be found HERE). 


Characters*:
Xue Lingsu (Purple Cavern Sect)
Xi Kang(Affiliated with Mr. Red Claw)
Baku (Kushen Tribesmen)
Zhi Zhu (No Sect)
Long Shu (Purple Cavern Sect)
Min (Purple Cavern Sect)
Rong (Tree-Dwelling Nun Sect)
Nuan (Xi Kang's Disciple and a former Flying Phantom)
Ku: Kang's Wife

The party took Sixth Brother’s floating ship to reach Northern Twin Mountain and make their way to First Temple. They were in Infinite Sky Realm, a vast expanse of blue sky, floating mountains and heaven bound river ways. 

The captain of the ship, Dao, answered many questions for them about Infinite Sky Realm (yes there are people inhabiting the land, yes it is a prison for demons Iron Sky Maiden wishes to reform,etc). When asked about his own history, he revealed that he was once a Rabbit Demon, something he seemed embarrassed about. According to Dao, it is hard to impress people with tales of your youthful days as an evil bunny. 

When they reached Northern Twin Mountain, he dropped a rope at its edge and they set off through the woods. On their first night, the camped and Kang had first watch. Before they left the ship, Dao had given Kang a bottle with a fly in it, saying it would alert them to the presence of demons. As Kang kept watch, the fly in the bottle began to glow and the ground started to rumble. 

A massive head burrowed from the earth into the center of their camp. A lion demon with orange fur and purple streaks leapt out to attach. The group scattered, with Lingsu and Min taking to the air. It roared and the sound quaked in their bones, causing everyone to suffer previously. 

Lingsu let himself fall from the sky and used The Impact of the Falling Star to crash into the head of the lion, causing it to slide back into its burrow. Min followed suit with the same technique, also doing tremendous damage to the creature. Kang rushed in with Dog Bashing Stick Technique, clubbing the lion’s head and Baku followed up with a similar sky crashing technique to Min and Lingsu. Zhi Zhu retreated and used Storming Daggers on it. As the daggers sliced its flesh, its blood sprayed out and hit Min, burning her skin. 

Eventually they were able to do it in, but not before another spray of blood burned both Min and Lingsu. 

They were badly wounded after this encounter and stumbled to First Temple, where they were met by Mei, a disciple of First Brother. Lingsu insisted on meeting her master, but she informed him that First Brother was away, battling Ogre Demons. Instead she would take him to see Mu Guan, who was in charge of the temple in First Bother’s absence. 

It took some time, but Mu Guan agreed to take them to see Iron Sky Maiden. He threw back his hair, asked them to grab hold and flew into the sky, taking them to The Palace of Endless Splendor. There they presented before Iron Sky Maiden, who was cold and somewhat formal. She still wore her hair in the fashion of the Kailin, but otherwise behaved as someone from the Empire. 

Kang gave her the Jade Turtle which she handed to her servant and asked to have placed by Feixu. They began to take turns asking her questions, and she answered to the best of her ability. They learned that Wind Bone was an enemy of Hen-Shi, and worshipped a god named Gushan. They learned that she wanted them to be merciful. She also demanded they give her the Talisman of the Demon Emperor. However as she asked this question, Kang proposed marriage to Iron Sky Maiden. 

Taken aback, she told him his face was drenched in blood and she could never marry someone so weak and compassionless. Kang persisted, saying his righteous anger was a compliment to her mercy. But she said this was not so. However she wanted to be fair and said she would give his proposal serious consideration if he redeemed himself and became a powerful hero. Kang assented and she presented him with a rusty Jian sword, telling him that the rust would flake away as he redeemed himself, when the sword glowed brightly, he could approach her once again and ask for her hand. 

“How do I reach you again,” Kang asked her and she told him to restore the Face of Vaagu after the sword glowed bright, then use it as a gate to reach her. 

Baku asked more about the Face of Vaagu, and she was clear that it should only be restored once the sword glowed. 

Iron Sky Maiden then said she would send them to the world of man and they were engulfed in a blaze of red energy that transported them back to the base of Golden Roc Peak. 

They could tell by the weather that more than a month had passed. Also the men they left behind were gone. 

Kang began drinking some Supreme Dragon Wine that he acquired in Infinite Sky Realm, as he and Baku argued over what to do about Bronze Master. Baku was insistent that Kang reform (because his people depended on it). But Kang was less interested in heeding Iron Sky Maiden’s advice and felt that killing Bronze Master was justified. Baku shot the gourd of wine from his hand with an arrow, causing it to shatter against a tree. This prompted a nearly physical confrontation that the rest of the party had to put a halt to. Things were tense for a bit, but slowly calmed down. 

Bronze Master

They headed north for Bone Kingdom. On the way, they passed through Jin and Kang spoke with his father-in-law, who gave them a guide and some camels. When they reached Bone Kingdom the disciples lined up and Nuan and Qin greeted Kang as the new sect leader. He was informed that there had been a battle when Qinwen Master of the Seven Talismans had tried to take the fortress. They killed 200 of his men, but lost 75. 

Nuan also informed him that Dawa wanted to greet him and that they received word that Lady Sapphire of Golden Dragon Sect was coming to bring a message. 

The party went to the central hall and met with Dawa who acknowledged Kang as the new leader and suggested that she could help fend off Qinwen if he gave her the third Phoenix Talisman (which he did). 

Two days later Lady Sapphire arrived and informed him that the Golden Dragons acknowledged him as the leader of Bone Breaking Sect. She said that Bronze Master wanted to form a peace among the sects. 

Kang was reluctant, saying that Bronze Master was guilty of many crimes and needed to be punished. She said that Bronze Master was willing to recommend Kang as the new leader of the Martial World. Kang said he would consider it if Bronze Master came to Bone Kingdom personally to stand trial for his crimes. 

Lady Sapphire then presented letters from all the other sect leaders (excluding Lady Plum Blossom and Lu Zhi of Heiping) expressing their acknowledgement of Kang as the chief of the Wulin. She also told him that Queen Lu Zhi refused to join unless she were given the Wind Saber of Sunan. Kang said he would meet with her on the matter. 

Lady Sapphire left to retrieve Bronze Master and to send word to Queen Lu Zhi. The party discussed its options. They agreed it would be okay to give Queen Lu Zhi the sword and they devised a way to punish Bronze Master but not lose the support of the martial sect he helped to galvanize. 

Before Bronze Master arrived, a group of Kushen came, led by Chief Mongettu. He gave a box to Baku and told Kang that they were late because their leader, Ganbaatar, had executed Togu (the Kushen who had left to get reinforcements for the party some time ago). They apologized, said that Togu’s head was in the box, but that Ganbaatar was willing to work with them on matters in the future, particularly if they had enemies to the north. 

At first Kang insisted that Ganbaatar swear an oath of fealty to him, but Chief Mongettu dissuaded him of this course. In the end, it was agreed that they would work together in the future for the glory of both groups. 

Kang spoke with Dawa and asked her if she had any method for forcing someone to tell the truth. She retrieved a bottle of wine and said that he should give it the person he intended to be truthful and that it would prevent them from lying. 

When Bronze Master and Lady Sapphire arrived, several days later, they were given quarters then Bronze Master was to appear before Kang with Lady Sapphire and Queen Lu Zhi as witnesses. 

That night Zhi Zhu spied on Lady Sapphire and Bronze Master. They discussed the matter of the alliance and the trial. Lady Sapphire was concerned that Bronze Master was putting himself in danger, but he insisted that his role in the alliance would protect him (though he acknowledged the risk). He also said he had additional information he could use to barter for his life if it came to that. 

Queen Lu Zhi

Kang asked Bronze Master a series of questions (ones the party had discussed in advance): Are you a righteous man, are you a truthful man, what was your role in the death of Lady Tao, did you have a hand in the massacre of the Flying Guillotines, etc. Bit by bit he was forced to confess his many crimes, and he also confessed his continuing love for Lady Plum Blossom. 

They interrogated him about the piece of information he had which he felt could save his life. He informed them he had knowledge of Zhi Zhu’s family that was important. Zhi Zhu called him a liar, and the matter was dropped. 

Kang looked to Queen Lu Zhi and asked what punishment was appropriate. “Death” she said. 

He strode toward Bronze Master and gave a speech about mercy. He told Bronze Master he would spare him but there would be a price...a hand, a foot, something. They debated what Bronze Master should give to pay for his misdeeds. 

When they asked Queen Lu Zhi what she would prefer, she recommended branding his face so everyone could see his crimes. All agreed to this and the trial was nearly concluded. 

Zhi Zhu insisted on knowing what information Bronze Master had on her family. Kang dismissed everyone from the hall except the party and Bronze Master. 

Again Zhi Zhu insisted on the information. Bronze Master told her that he knew her father, that he was still alive and a great hero. 

Zhi Zhu didn’t believe him and said that her brother had killed her father. Bronze Master said this was partly true, that The Bear had nearly killed Marauding Dragon (Zhi Zhu’s father) but something was done to ensure his survival. The Bear, in his rage and grief, was unaware of this fact. 

Bronze Master said that while he didn’t know the exact whereabouts of her father, since he was a wanderer who went out on his own ages ago, he did know that he was alive. 

This is where the session ended. 

BLOOD OF THE DEMON MOON CULT SESSION 24: FALL OF PURE MIND TEMPLE

This is the campaign log for the Twenty Fourth session of a google+run Wandering Heroes of Ogre Gate campaign. The previous session is described HERE. 

I am running two campaigns in the same setting and treating them as occurring in different realities with some vague similarities. Characters in one may appear in the other, but there are no direct causal effects from one campaign to the next. Partly this is to playtest, but this is also partly due to the multi-dimensional aspect of the universe I run all my games in. It would theoretically be possible for the party from the Blood of the Demon Moon cult campaign to dimension travel to the Secret of Je Valley Campaign, in which case direct interactions could occur (and they could even meet their counterparts in the alternate dimension).  

CHARACTERS

Player Characters

Zhang Wan (Bone Breaker): An unpredictable and violent martial expert who is the brother of Zhang San. First chief of Qui Pan Bandits. Married to Huo Ju (Little Venom)

Zhang San: A wandering hero and sister of Zhang Wan, more calm than her brother

Chen: A poisoner and healer known for his lazy ways.

Key NPCs

Jade Priestess: Bone Breaker's Sifu and former member of the Demon Moon Cult

Witch of Zhaoze Zhou: San's Sifu
Senior Grand Councilor Cai Yuanyu: Highest ranked official in the Empire below the emperor; plotting to 'invert heaven' and has recruited Bone Breaker into his plans

Ho'elen: Kushen Tribesman and daughter of important chief. Bone Breaker's Disciple. 

Iron Spear Tip: A magic weapon with a mind of its own, the bride of Zhang Kang.
Little Venom (Huo Ju): Bone Breaker's Wife
The Venom of Zhaoze (Huo Si): Leader of Zhaoze sect, father of Huo Ju (Little Venom) and Sifu to Chen
Badai: Kushen Tribesman and Disciple of Bone Breaker. 

Bone Breaker sent messages to his people summoning them to the Banyan so he could approach Red Mountain Villa and take the Phoenix Crown from the Five Immortals. Having put out word previously that he wanted the Turquoise Necklace of Li Fan, a man finally arrived with the object in his possession. He met with Bone Breaker at the former Mystic Sword Temple Grounds (where Bone Breaker was establishing a new outpost). 

The man's name was Jade Faced Uncle and he offered to give the necklace to Bone Breaker for 200,000 spades (100,000 more than was offered). They negotiated and settled on 180,000 spades. Bone Breaker asked Jade Faced Uncle to work for him, but he refused, however he left the door open for future transactions. 

Before leaving for Chen to await the arrival of his people, he ordered his men to bring tigers to the Mystic Sword Temple grounds. Then he went to Chen and secured an entire floor of the Menglao Tea House. 

Chen and San received the message but decided to take a retinue of 10 heroes and 20 laborers for their planned trip to the South. Chen had been cursed with an eye on his chest after destroying a statue of Hen-Shi and believed the solution was a vast deposit of Diamond in Dhamma. However he still didn't know its exact location. 

It took them some time but they reached Chen. On their way to Menglao Tea House, Chen stopped at Master Wong's Noodle Shop in the Ghost Market and discovered the best tasting lamb noodles he'd ever eaten. He tried to buy the recipe, but Wong refused to give it. He then tried to hire Wong as his personal chef, but the price was too steep. He nearly threatened to destroy the wine shop, but changed his mind at the last minute and told Wong he would think on the matter. 

At the Menglao Tea House, Bone Breaker noticed that Badai, his disciple, was showing romantic interest in Ho'elen, his other disciple. He called Badai into a private room and demanded he stop pursuing Ho'elen. Badai said it was none of the Sifu's business what he did. Bone Breaker slapped Badai, who then kicked him to the ground in retaliation. Bone Breaker used Kick of the Golden Elephant to smash Badai against the wall, knocking him senseless. As he came to, Bone Breaker once again issued his command, but Badai spit at him. 

This enraged Bone Breaker, who kicked him out of the sect. He then wrote twenty copies of a formal letter declaring that Badai was no longer his student and had them sent to the reputable sect leaders in the area. 

When Lady Plum Blossom learned of Bone Breaker's misfortune, she offered to exchange one of her disciples with one his men. Bone Breaker agreed to take Xiu, a personal pupil of Plum Blossom, as his new disciple. Xiu and Ho'elen didn't get along, but they both mastered the techniques he showed them. 

When it became clear to Bone Breaker that Chen and San didn't have the Immortal Killing Sword, he used Dreams of the Infinite Sky Realm to enter the dream of One-Armed Fiery Demon, instructing her to go to Dawa and bring the sword. 

They awaited One-Armed Fiery Demon, who arrived with the blade days later. While waiting, Bone Breaker had gone to Celestial Spirit Temple and spoken with the head priest, Wu Yong. He hired Yong to travel with them and help them capture and control a demon. 

Chen meditated on the matter of the diamond and after several days had a vision of Ice Mountain. Bone Breaker agreed to put off going to Red Mountain Villa so Chen could attend to the diamond. 

The party then departed south with an enormous retinue: 20 Laborers, 10 Kushen Heroes, One-Armed Fiery Demon, Abbot Firebrand, Ho'elen, Lady Plum Blossom, and more. They traveled through Dhamma and eventually reached the base of Ice Mountain. Climbing they noticed strange white apes crawling on the peak. Irritated by their presence, Chen used Blast of the Dragon to knock one off the mountain. It fell to its death but this provoked a group of three ahead of them. The apes launched an attack, but the party managed to evade them and hurl them off the cliffs as well. When they reached the peak, they found a strange temple, encircling the entire peak like an Iron Cylinder. 

Chen broke the door with Stone Shattering Finger and they walked in. Eventually they came to a monk resting in a chamber. The whole structure was like three rings encircling the central peak, with the inner ring being a series of gardens and stairways with nine terrace levels. The monk brought in an Abbot, who introduced himself as Abbot Song. He told them that there was in fact a diamond here, that it was the peak itself, and the temple was dedicated to protecting it and unlocking its insights. 

He explained that they could freely explore the nine-level terrace encircling the diamond peak,but that it was warded and only those who meditated and gained insights could physically enter each level. 

Chen decided to go and inspect the inner ring, and a monk was sent to help him. He sat down to meditate and had a vision of a chalice falling from heaven. He knew it to be the diamond, and found he could walk easily to the next level. There he found a fresco depicting the fall of a chalice from heaven, and near it was  figure he knew to be Abbot Song. He meditated once again and found he could physically enter the next level after he he realized that Abbot Song was a god in charge of wine and chalices for the Enlightened Goddess. On the next level he saw the chalice as the peak, and the temple surrounding it. Abbot Song reclined and was surrounded by wealth, women and food. 

Bone Breaker continued to talk with Abbot Song, but then the abbot departed and the group nosed around the different halls. Priest Wu Yong informed Bone Breaker that his demon bottle was glowing (an object in his possession that glowed in the presence of demons). 

Bone Breaker asked to speak with Abbot Song again. When he arrived, he told him that he knew they were demons. 

Abbot Song changed shape, increasing in size to 12 feet as his skin turned azure and his features became more wild. His monks splintered into 70 copies of themselves and he Abbot said they were going to feast on the party. 

Bone Breaker offered to work out an arrangement and Abbot Song seemed agreeable. He promised to bring the Abbot more people to eat. However negotiations broke down and Abbot Song attacked. There was an enormous melee. Once they started concentrating all their attacks on Abbot Song, he began to weaken and eventually disappeared in a burst of golden light. Wu Yong believed that the Abbot was still alive somewhere but recuperating. 

Chen decided to take the diamond as quickly as possible, and used Stone Shattering Finger to crack it. This caused the whole temple to become unstable and collapse off the side of the mountain as the peak fell. 

Many were trapped inside but most managed to jump out to safety. However Abbot Firebrand, Yang Tuo and two others were trapped inside. Chen used the Time Stop Medallion to Freeze time get them to safety. 

They then went to the bottom of the mountain and secured the diamond, dragging it through Dhamma to the north. They were stopped by soldiers of the king who insisted the group pay a tax. Chen once again tried to use the Time Stop Medallion but it didn't work and he aged ten years. Bone Breaker agreed to pay a smaller fee and they were able to leave freely. 

They retuned to Chen and started work on re-organizing the sect as they prepared to make an approach to Red Mountain Villa. 

THE SECRET OF ZHE VALLEY SESSION 23: INFINITE SKY REALM

This campaign is set ten years after a previous set of adventures (HERE). This is the twenty-third session of the current campaign (Session 22 can be found HERE). 


Characters*:
Xue Lingsu (Purple Cavern Sect)
Xi Kang(Affiliated with Mr. Red Claw)
Baku (Kushen Tribesmen)
Zhi Zhu (No Sect)
Long Shu (Purple Cavern Sect)
Min (Purple Cavern Sect)
Rong (Tree-Dwelling Nun Sect)
Nuan (Xi Kang's Disciple and a former Flying Phantom)
Ku: Kang's Wife

The party had split into three groups after last session, in an effort to get to the bottom of the Flying Guillotine situation. Following a number of strange beheadings the party had been lured into a trap at the Fragrant Petal and attacked by soldiers with a new weapon (the Flying Guillotine). They uncovered a conspiracy of revenge against them that lead to Master Ta and Bronze Master. Kang and Zhi Zhu returned to the Bone Breaker encampment to get reinforcements; Rong, Min and Lingsu went to Zun Forest to speak with Ferocious Flower (the head Abbess of Tree Dwelling Nun Sect); and Baku had gone in search of Bronze Master. 

At the Encampment Zhi Zhu and Kang rejoined with Bing (a Nun of Hen-Shi) and Ku (Kang's wife). Last session Kang became the new leader of Bone Breaking Sect after the party defeated Fearless Cat (the former leader). He assembled his new men, nearly 400 in all, and prepared them to march South to Master Ta's Villa .Kang then ordered ten scouts to go to Bone Fortress to makes sure the Face of Vaagu was safe. 

As they marched south they passed through a small village and a statue of Hen-Shi collapsed near Kang, its arms pointing North and South. Bing attempted to read the portent and concluded that it had to do with Kang's fate, that he may be at a crossroads. She asked him what was significant about the North and South. Doing his own reading by spraying wine on the statue, Kang concluded that the arms possibly referred to Bone Kingdom in the North and to Kwam Metta (or Master Ta) in the south. Still unsure what it meant, Bing suggested that he may have read to face the crucial moment. They decided to continue on to Master Ta's. 

In Zun Forest, Lingsu and Rong found Tree Dwelling Nuns (Rong's Sect) and were granted an audience with Ferocious Flower. Lingsu explained that they learned who had been beheading Tree Dwelling Nuns: Master Ta. He promised to bring Master Ta to her so she could deal with him herself, but asked for some assistance in the matter. She gave them ten disciples to take with them, but declined to go herself. 

They went to the base of the mountain on which Master Ta's Villa was found and waited for their allies to join them. When Kang and Zhi Zhu arrived with their army of 400, they approached the Villa. 

At the door they demanded to speak to Master Ta. A woman in a yellow dress named Little Frog came out and asked who they were. They insisted on speaking with Master Ta. Initially she offered to grant them an audience inside, but they made clear that he was to come out and speak. When Master Ta left the grounds he was escorted by four men in colorful robes. Kang and Lingsu convinced him to go with them peacefully so that there would be no bloodshed. Then they told Little Frog and her men to leave, that they had no quarrel with her. She agreed and left. 

In the villa itself they found nearly 15,000,000 spades worth of goods and artifacts. They also found Su Long (the engineer they had saved the previous year in Chen). Integrating him they learned that he helped Master Ta construct the Flying Guillotines by consulting a manual that Bronze Master had stolen from Bone Kingdom. He didn't seem to recognize them at first and they reprimanded him for colluding with Master Ta. Kang threatened to take Su Long's hands, but Lingsu suggested he make amends by devising a defense against the Flying Guilotines. Su Long agreed and they offered to pay him a stipend for his efforts. He was sent back to Chen with one of Lingsu's Purple Cavern Disciples. 

Before they left Lingsu released Cui, telling her to spread word that he was kind to her. Cui was one of the leaders of the conspiracy who had attacked them at the Fragrant Petal. She assented and fled quickly on foot. 

They searched the rest of the villa but found no sign of Bronze Master (only information that he had left). After they looted Master Ta's residence,the party went in search of Baku (who had been sent to scout for Bronze Master and prevent his escape). 

They were able to pick up a trail that led to Zun City. There Zhi Zhu went in and went to Hen-Shi Tea House, where there were known to be many Golden Dragons. She didn't find Baku or Bronze Master but someone handed her a note. Unable to read, she brought it to the party. It said "Bronze Master went to Golden Roc Peak to get protection from Wind Bone. I went with him.". 

It was clearly from Baku, so they decided to go to Golden Roc Peak. First however Kang sent his 400 men North (taking only a small group of them to go with them). They traveled through dense forest on their way to the peak and encountered a group of Majestic Lion Cultists. They passed each other uneasily. Words were exchanged and Kang demanded wine from them. When they threw him a gourd, he poured the contents on the ground. A man in the group approached Kang aggressively, and Kang licked his face. This prompted a quick exchange of blows but Lingsu was able to tone things down. The Majestic Lion Cultist was brought into line by a woman in their group, and they departed. 

Reaching the mountain they climbed up, leaving behind Bing, Rong and Ku. When they reached the base of the peak they saw massive birds encircling it. One descended and attacked. It clawed at Kang but he took to the air with it and made his own attack. The party was able to wound it enough that, after a while, it fled. They then resumed their ascent and came to the cave where Wind Bone was said to reside. They called but he did not answer. 

Zhi Zhu climbed up the cliffs above the cave and came face to face with an old man who asked her name. As she fled back down, he floated to land behind the party and asked who they were. Guessing he was Wind Bone, they told him they had come to kill Bronze Master for his many crimes. 

Wind Bone told them that Bronze Master was under his protection. They tried to persuade him that Bronze Master's crimes were so serious that it voided any such agreement between them. However when they explained his crimes, Wind Bone stated they were merely worldly offenses and of no concern to him. Taking another approach they told him they could give him a Phoenix Talisman in exchange. He was open to this, but ultimately the party decided it was best to leave Bronze Master for the time being and go tend to the Face of Vaagu. They figured it was too much of a risk to give Wind Bone a Phoenix Talisman. 

Returning back to the base of the mountain, Kang consulted with Bing about the Jade Turtle he recovered from Kwam Metta. She believed it needed to be brought to Iron Sky Maiden. The question was how to get there. Normally the Face of Vaagu would serve as a gate but it had been cut by Bone Breaking Sect. Emptying his pockets, Kang went through the items he acquired: The Heart of Yao Feng, the Talisman of the Demon Emperor, the Medallion of Xian Nu Shen, etc. He was aware that the Talisman of the Demon Emperor could be used to teleport between realms, but had been told that this would incur the wrath of Supreme Judge Yu. However when she saw the Medallion of Xian Nu Shen, Bing said that they could travel freely so long as they possessed it (the Medallion was a kind of divine order, granting permission to transgress the realms). 

With this knowledge, Kang activated the Talisman and transported the entire party to Infinite Sky realm. They found themselves in a dense jungle and traveled north, where they found a seaside village. Beyond the village was a sea that poured into an infinite expanse of sky and cloud. Beyond the rim of the sea were floating mountain islands. The villagers informed them that to speak with Iron Sky Maiden they would need to go to one of those mountains and first get permission from Sixth Brother, head of Superior Wisdom Temple. A fisherman offered to take them across the sea to the mountain where they could speak with  Sixth Brother. 

They crossed the sea and reached a beach. There the fisherman said he would await them. They then followed a trail through forest toward the temple. On their way they were attacked by a tree demon. Lingsu tried to use his Willow technique to drain the tree's energy, but it caused his own skin to turn white and his veins to blacken as the tree infected him with its demon essence. Everyone fled, but Kang was struck by the tree's lashing roots and suffered a similar effect to what Lingsu experienced (as well as losing some of his Qi energy). They managed to outrun the creature and made it to the temple, where a monk gave them pills to suppress the demon essence and help restore them. They were informed that Infinite Sky Realm was dangerous to mortals. Demons captured by deities, immortals and others were brought here to undergo cultivation under their guidance. However not all demons were responsive, so many could be found roaming freely and doing harm. 

They secured a meeting with Sixth Brother. Kang showed him the Jade Turtle and Sixth Brother said he had a floating ship that could take them to meet Iron Sky Maiden. First however, he would need a favor. He had a minor conflict with First Brother of Northern Twin Mountain. He wanted them to sneak into the temple on Northern Twin Mountain and take the Starlit Inkstone so he could use its powers briefly. Kang agreed. 

This is where the session ended. 


Majestic Lion Cult

THE MEDDLER SKETCHES

I haven't been posting as much on the blog page lately because we are prepping Wandering Heroes of Ogre Gate for release and it is taking most of my focus. However I am also still working on The Meddlers project in-between. Recently I went over some sketches with the artist. These are mostly rough, but they can give you an idea of some of the things we are thinking of doing. 

The Meddlers is a bit different than how I've done projects in the past. While the game is pretty much done, I am adding to it and reshaping it slowly as I get the art. The art is really molding the game at this point because with each sketch and final image, I get a clearer picture of what the setting is about. Normally we work the other way around, so this has been interesting. 

Here are the sketches from our last meeting. 

Above was something the artist just decided to go with and I have some ideas of how that might be incorporated into the setting. 

This is a Redcap. They are like Brownies but wicked and blood thirsty. It is just a rough sketch. 

This is a Mermaid and an example of the art shaping the setting. They were were not part of it before, but once I saw this I began to think of some possibilities and a going to include a new city where Mermaids are a thing. 

WORLDS WITHOUT END

Lately I've been interested in being able to switch quickly from one type of campaign to another and been thinking a lot of games like TORG where you many different types of setting and genre were present in a single game. This is why Sertorius and Wandering Heroes of Ogre Gate are connected via a potential portal (and in theory pretty much all my campaigns are accessible through this means). But these portals are highly exceptional and I've been toying with a mega-setting that has more fluid transition from one setting to the next. It is something I'm considering using when I run 5E (I may use it for Network as well but right now it is just something I'm thinking of doing when I run 5E in a couple of months or so). 

It isn't terribly original but I think it would give me a lot of flexibility. And again, this is just for my personal campaign, not something I have any intention of publishing. The concept is an endless world, a campaign setting that is literally without end. Because it is an infinite surface, pretty much every possibility could play out in different places (even real world history could be repeated in certain corners). So you might have primitive cave men living in one distant region, but millions of miles away, there exists a society with advanced technology and time travel capabilities (obviously an infinite and presumably flat world, might mean some significant differences should space travel be possible as well). 

There would be countless fantasy settings, allowing me to run Ravenloft in one spot, Gamandria in another. It would have modern settings, historical settings, etc. In order to justify strikingly different physics in genres, I may incorporate some kind of belief based physics (whatever the predominant world view in a given place is governs what is possible and impossible). Alternatively I may get more specific and have the genre physics be the product of local gods. 

While the more advanced societies might have quick means of travel allowing easy shifting from one campaign setting to the next, I am thinking of using portal gates for the less advanced ones. However I want to play around with them more, making them crucial sources of power. If they are two-way portals, they might also pose a danger to those near them. But I could see a potentate establishing control of a gate, fortifying it and using it to acquire knowledge, resources, etc. Whole trade system could be oriented around these gates depending on where they lead. 

I think in order to allow for the most possible genres and settings there would need to be a pretty flexible and open cosmology (which is why I initially leaned toward physics and reality being somewhat governed by beliefs). It would be difficult to have an overarching cosmology that gave me the ability to have both Ravenloft and 2001. But I do like consistent and thorough cosmologies so I plan to think about this aspect a bit before reaching a final decision. 

These are my early thoughts on the subject at least. 

BLOOD OF THE DEMON MOON CULT SESSION 23: INTO THE HAWK BEAK

This is the campaign log for the Twenty Third session of a google+run Wandering Heroes of Ogre Gate campaign. The previous session is described HERE. 

I am running two campaigns in the same setting and treating them as occurring in different realities with some vague similarities. Characters in one may appear in the other, but there are no direct causal effects from one campaign to the next. Partly this is to playtest, but this is also partly due to the multi-dimensional aspect of the universe I run all my games in. It would theoretically be possible for the party from the Blood of the Demon Moon cult campaign to dimension travel to the Secret of Je Valley Campaign, in which case direct interactions could occur (and they could even meet their counterparts in the alternate dimension).  

CHARACTERS

Player Characters

Zhang Wan (Bone Breaker): An unpredictable and violent martial expert who is the brother of Zhang San. First chief of Qui Pan Bandits. Married to Huo Ju (Little Venom)

Zhang San: A wandering hero and sister of Zhang Wan, more calm than her brother

Chen: A poisoner and healer known for his lazy ways.

Key NPCs

Jade Priestess: Bone Breaker's Sifu and former member of the Demon Moon Cult

Jade Butterfly: San's Sifu
Senior Grand Councilor Cai Yuanyu: Highest ranked official in the Empire below the emperor; plotting to 'invert heaven' and has recruited Bone Breaker into his plans

Prince Yuan: Son of the King of Li Fan, controls the eastern territories. 

General Dee: An important military commander in Hu Qin who pays Bone Breaker for services 

Iron Spear Tip: A magic weapon with a mind of its own, the bride of Zhang Kang.
Little Venom (Huo Ju): Bone Breaker's Wife
The Venom of Zhaoze (Huo Si): Leader of Zhaoze sect, father of Huo Ju (Little Venom) and Sifu to Chen

After meeting with Xinyu on Snake Peak, Bone Breaker went to the Kushen encampment. 

Speaking with Ganbaatar, he asked for a good musician to infiltrate the House of Paper Shadows. Ganbaatar recommended, Galsuren, his nephew. Galsuren agreed to help and secretly join the House of Paper Shadows to infiltrate them. However he plead with Bone Breaker to convince Chief Cheren not to marry his daughter Ho’elun to an outsider (saying he was in love wth her). 

Bone Breaker looked into the matter, meeting with Cheren and offering to pay an enormous dowry on behalf of Galsuren. Cheren was okay with such an arrangement but said his daughter would need to consent (and he suspected she wouldn’t). 

Meeting with Ho’elun, she said she might agree to it if her father insisted but she found Galsuren unimpressive. Over the course of the conversation, she asked Bone Breaker to take her with him and teach her Kung Fu. 

Bone Breaker asked her to demonstrate her skills in a duel with Little Frog. While Ho’elun failed to defeat Little Frog she demonstrated enough talent with her cudgel to impress Bone Breaker and he agreed to take her on if her father allowed it. 

He again spoke with Cheren who agreed to the arrangement if Bone Breaker became her Sifu. Bone Breaker took her on and asked her if there were any other comparable heroes in the camp who could join them (as he wanted to train two disciples to master Thunder Kick of Zhang Twins). 

Ho’elun suggested he speak with Badai. After she had kowtowed and gathered her things, they went to Badai’s tent. It took time to rouse him and when he emerged he was disheveled and belligerent. Bone Breaker and Badai nearly came to blows as Badai continued to show a lack of respect, but he was eventually convinced to take Bone Breaker as a Sifu and join them. Gathering up his belongings and some wine gourds he left with Bone Breaker and his retinue for the south. 

They set out for the south to meet with Master Ta and find a powerful Ritual Master to help them contend with the House of Paper Shadows. Their trek was largely uneventful (except for a few run-ins with friendly sects and allies). On the way his people brought him news that a Ritual Master named Wind Bone, who resided near the Great Golden Roc Nest, was rumored to be the greatest sorcerer in the land. 

When they arrived at Master Ta’s he informed him that Master Shan had been given his land in Hai’an and would no longer be an issue (the two had been feeding over land west of Master Ta’s villa). Little Frog rejoined Master Ta who gave Bone Breaker a red token in thanks. He informed him that the token would give him access to the assassination services of the Fragrant Petal. Before leaving Bone Breaker sent out a message to Lady Plum Blossom and the Fire Lance Brothers to meet him at Mystic Sword Temple. 

On his way to the Golden Roc Nest Bone Breaker stopped at the Fragrant Petal and spoke with Madame Hamaya. They worked out an arrangement where he would retain her services. 

They hired a mountain guide and traveled up the cliffs, mountainsides ad to the peak where Wind Bone’s cave was said to be. When they reach the peak, only Bone Breaker, Jade Priestess and Abbot Firebrand scaled it. As they climbed, both Bone Breaker and Abbot slipped and fell into a Roc nest. Bone Breaker crashed into a great egg, which cracked and spilled its contents. As he cleaned himself off, a staggeringly large beak and glowering eyes appeared before them. He commanded Abbot to attack, so the monk leapt up and struck it hard with his spade. Jade Priestess leapt down and used her Ice Claw technique to slash its breast. The creature then dove and bit Bone Breaker in the chest, nearly killing him. Again Abbot beat the thing with his spade and Bone Breaker used Kick of the Golden Elephant to send it back and kill it. 

Bone Breaker called the rest of his men to join them and secure ropes for a safer climb. At the peak they found a cave and called Wind Bone. Slowly an old man emerged carrying a flute carved from bone. 

Bone Breaker asked what kind of magic Wind Bone could perform. In response he told Bone Breaker’s men to retrieve the body of the Roc they had killed and bring it to him. When they had done so, he played his flute and coughed up some blood. The Roc then rose and flew away. 

Impressed they asked Wind Bone to provide his services against the House of Paper Shadows. Bone Breaker offered him many things in exchange for his magic. Wind Bone asked who Bone Breaker really was. what was his true nature. Bone Breaker replied that he was both cruel and capable of mercy and loyalty. Wind Bone pressed demanding to know which it was. Bone Breaker asserted that he was now Merciful despite a violent past. 

Wind Bone cracked Bone Breaker in the arm with his flute (doing a wound) and asked again what his nature was. Bone Breaker insisted he was merciful but swore he wouldn’t stand still for punishment. 

Wind Bone said he would help, but that Bone Breaker must learn to play the flute. He also said it would take to time attack the House of Paper Shadows, but once they did, it would be the end of the organization. 

They continued east to Mystic Sword Temple. ON the way they were threatened by men hiding in the trees with bows drawn demanding payment for passage. Bone Breaker told them to get lost and they let lose eight shots directly at Abbot Firebrand, hitting him in the belly and cousin him to collapse. Bone Breaker told everyone to attack and within moments they had subdued the group and were dragging its leader before him. 

The man wore a metal mask and said his name was Lord Iron Face. Instead of killing him, Bone Breaker offered an alliance, saying he would help the bandits find better targets if they could work out an arrangement where the group served Bone Breaker’s interest. Lord Iron Face agreed to the terms and the group went on its way. 

They reached Mystic sword Temple, where Lady Plum Blossom was arguing with the Fire Lance Brothers. Bone Breaker spoke with Lady Plum Blossom about acquiring the Heavenly Pills from Compassionate Monkey. First he asked her to join him as he tended to some matters in Hai’an and elsewhere. She agreed and they continued east to Mount Bao, to find a great martial hero named Flying Snake. 

When they reached the mountain, they found a village. Flying Snake’s followed ran out and said “Who comes to stand before the greatness of the supreme earthly god, Flying Snake”. 

“Bone Breaker and his men come to seek Flying Snake’s assistance” said Bone Breaker. 

The men returned to the village and came out carrying a man in a sedan chair covered in a canopy. His hand appeared through the curtains and he asked what Bone Breaker wanted. 

Bone Breaker said he heard that Flying Snake was powerful and wanted to know if the rumors were true. 

Flying Snake said he was a god and that there was none more powerful than himself. That Bone Breaker and his men should worship him and do his bidding. 

Bone Breaker expressed doubt and asked for a demonstration. Enraged Flying Snake levitated up out of the sedan, revealing himself to be stout and heavy framed. He threw out his hands and several bolts of lightning flew from them toward Bone Breaker, who used Whirling Dodge to escape the lethal attack. Bone Breaker bowed and said he believed in Flying Snake’s powers. 

Bone Breaker agreed to acknowledge Flying Snakes divinity and asked for help dealing with the House of Paper Shadows. Flying Snake said Bone Breaker could take 100 of his followers for this task, if he spread word of his powers. 

Bone Breaker was pleased and said he would meet the followers soon, but that he first had to go to Red Mountain Villa. 

This is where the session ended. 

 

BLOOD OF THE DEMON MOON CULT SESSION 22: AN EYE FOR DIAMONDS

This is the campaign log for the Twenty Second session of a google+run Wandering Heroes of Ogre Gate campaign. The previous session is described HERE. 

I am running two campaigns in the same setting and treating them as occurring in different realities with some vague similarities. Characters in one may appear in the other, but there are no direct causal effects from one campaign to the next. Partly this is to playtest, but this is also partly due to the multi-dimensional aspect of the universe I run all my games in. It would theoretically be possible for the party from the Blood of the Demon Moon cult campaign to dimension travel to the Secret of Je Valley Campaign, in which case direct interactions could occur (and they could even meet their counterparts in the alternate dimension).  

CHARACTERS

Player Characters

Zhang Wan (Bone Breaker): An unpredictable and violent martial expert who is the brother of Zhang San. First chief of Qui Pan Bandits. Married to Huo Ju (Little Venom)

Zhang San: A wandering hero and sister of Zhang Wan, more calm than her brother

Chen: A poisoner and healer known for his lazy ways.

Key NPCs

Jade Priestess: Bone Breaker's Sifu and former member of the Demon Moon Cult

Jade Butterfly: San's Sifu
Senior Grand Councilor Cai Yuanyu: Highest ranked official in the Empire below the emperor; plotting to 'invert heaven' and has recruited Bone Breaker into his plans

Prince Yuan: Son of the King of Li Fan, controls the eastern territories. 

General Dee: An important military commander in Hu Qin who pays Bone Breaker for services 

Iron Spear Tip: A magic weapon with a mind of its own, the bride of Zhang Kang.
Little Venom (Huo Ju): Bone Breaker's Wife
The Venom of Zhaoze (Huo Si): Leader of Zhaoze sect, father of Huo Ju (Little Venom) and Sifu to Chen

This session resumes the efforts of Chen and San to trade the Immortal Killing Swords for the Phoenix Talismans from the Temple of Supreme Righteousness. 

Chen and San had come to a peak in the Banyan mountains and scaled it to reach The Temple of Supreme Righteousness. They brought Nergui (the Kushen King's chief adviser) and Princess Sarnai (the King's daughter) along for the journey. Previously Chen was made a commander of 10,000 in the Kushen Army, giving him a great deal of influence among the invading tribesmen. 

They found narrow stairs carved into the peak and began to climb them. As they did, Negui and Chen began to feel heavy and slow, as if some supernatural force was weighing them down. A voice boomed "Leave the Immortal Killing Sword and turn back."

Hesitantly they continued forward, and Nergui was lifted into the air by an unseen force, he disappeared around a bend and moments later came crashing down the steps before them, dead. Chen grabbed Nergui's Meteor Hammer and the party fled back down the mountain but were pursued by three disciples of the temple. 

They managed to defeat them quickly, taking one prisoner, and continue on into the desert. As they traveled they became lost and found themselves in the middle of a sandy maelstrom that swirled like a whirlpool. Princess Sarnai was sucked below, disappearing into the sand. Chen and San managed to leap out of the way. Taking the chain of the Meteor Hammer, Chen lowered it down and dropped himself into the sands to rescue Princess Sarnai. However he slipped through the sands and fell thirty feet to a cavern floor. Above him he saw swirling sands and beside him was Princess Sarnai. 

San lowered the chain again, and they were able to leap onto it, then climb out. When they reached the surface, Princess Sarnai saw a nearby outcropping of red stone. Chen inspected it and saw that it had a likeness of Hen-Shi with script written at its base reading: No man shall enter. 

Enraged by the incident, Chen used Stone Shattering Finger Technique to destroy the statue. It immediately shattered into thousands of fragments and a burst of red energy flowed from the stone into his chest leaving him irritated and itchy. When he opened his shirt, there was an eye peering from his own flesh near his breastbone. 

They decided to travel to Heaven Palace Sect and speak with Dawa on the matter. It took them a couple of days and when they arrived Chen informed her about what had happened. He also gave her the prisoner they'd taken from Temple of Supreme Righteousness (which delighted her). She told him that they might not be powerful enough to confront the Temple yet. She would look into the matter and try to find a solution. In the meantime she told him that she could use her talismans to remove the eye but it would come at the cost of one of his own eyes. Chen thanked her and said he would use that option as a last resort but would investigate the matter himself for a while before making a decision. As they left they saw that Qinwen was still strapped to the wall and serving as a source of amusement for Dawa. 

They went back to their fortress in their newly acquired land between Snake Peak and the Hill of Opulent Fruits. When they arrived, Chen went to speak with Miss Hai*. He asked her about the eye and she said it appeared to be an Eye of Hen-Shi, which was a kind of curse used by Hen-Shi sect to help them track and understand their enemies. She believed the could sense everything he saw or heard. Chen thanked her and went to meditate on the matter. 

The Witch of Zhaoze Zhou

San went to pay her respected to her Sifu, the Witch of Zhaoze Zhou. She found her in a new hut, about half a mile away from the fortress. There were animal skulls on posts along the approach to the hut. When she arrived her Sifu was pleased to see her but appeared concerned. She gave her a coin necklace that had the characters: Phoenix-Dragon-Spirit-Enduring written on it. She told San to wear it at all times and never to take it off (under any circumstances). 

San asked if there was a solution to Chen's problem and the Witch of Zhaoze Zhou told her that with a couple of well selected human sacrifices she believed she could eliminate the eye. San left to bring this news to Chen. 

In his meditation, Chen saw a vision of a great diamond statue in the shape of the one he'd destroyed. He had a sense that it was in a region far to the south, and saw it being erected near maelstrom. He told his second in command to organize an expedition. They debated the numbers but settled on taking 10 Heroes and 20 laborers. His commander informed him that the men were nervous about the Witch of Zhaoze Zhou, that several of their number had gone missing and most believed she was responsible. Chen said he would take care of the matter and went to visit the Witch himself. 

On his way he bumped into San who told him about the witch's solution (and about her necklace). Together they went back to her hut and he asked her about the missing people. She confessed to killing them, as part of a ritual to make a special neckless for San. Chen demanded to know the nature of the necklace and she informed him that it would protect her spirit, making it possible to resurrect her should she be killed. She then reprimanded him for taking her disciple on dangerous missions to face powerful sects. 

Eventually they worked out an arrangement where, if she needed sacrifices, she would go through Mr. Kwan (their contact among the villagers) to find suitable people. She would no longer kill any of his Kushen soldiers or his bandits. He also said he would seek his own solution to the eye problem. 

Before going south they went to pay their respects to Ganbaatar (leader of the Kushen). On their way they noticed many of the farmers in their land glaring at them. Chen went up to one of them, a man named Zhongong and asked what the problem was. Zhongong called him a traitor to the Daoyun people and scolded him for allying with the Kushen. He said the farmers were angry because their land had been taken and they were forced to pay a heavy tax to the Kushen. Chen was unaware this arrangement was all that different from their previous one and asked for more information. Zhonggong informed him that many of the people owned the land themselves or worked the land owned by landlords (and in many cases had an agreement where they worked the land occasionally). Since the Kushen came, they'd lost many of their rights and were forced to work land now handed out to individual Kushen leaders. 

Chen told Zhongong he didn't want to be unreasonable. That he would allow Zhongong to speak with the other famers and find out what sort of arrangement would be acceptable (within reason). Zhongong accepted this and said he would begin speaking with everyone. 

They then continued on their way and reached Ganbaatar's encampment. When Chen arrived he gave him a white steed named Lightning, saying it was one of his best horses. Chen told him about Nergui's death. Ganbaatar was not angry with Chen and did not blame him (he only asked how Nergui died) but he announced Nergui's death to his men and promised that they would settle their grudge with the Temple of Supreme Righteousness within the year. 

Chen and San then headed back to the fortress and prepared for their journey south. 

This is where the session ended. 

*Miss Hai is a living head they found in the Emerald Empire. She is an old aunty of Zhang Kang (the Bandit King) and a great storyteller.