CELESTIAL PLUME MASTERS SESSIONS FIVE AND SIX

This was the fifth and sixth sessions of my Celestial Plume Masters campaign using the Sons of Lady 87 book. You can see the first session HERE. You can see the fourth session HERE. 

PLAYER CHARACTERS 

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

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

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

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

THE ENMITY AND DEATH OF SUN SHAONAN 

The party was awakened by an angry shouting in the entrance of Lucky Mountain Gambling Hall. They came down to see a man, Sun Shaonan, the brother of Sun Shuxin, a woman killed by Wang Haoyang. He clutched a wooden pillar in his hands, and around him were strewn the slumped figures of Iron God Meng's guards. He demanded to face the Celestial Plume Masters so he could avenge his sister's death. 

Wei Ziying came down and lied, saying that the Celestial Plume Masters had left days ago to the west. Sun Shaonan was persuaded and left the city, but Wang Haoyang used Stealth of the Spider Demon to follow. When Sun Shaonan took rest by a stream he surprised him and killed him. He searched the body and some money and the Bone Rattling Sabre (the prized sword of Master Xiong Sheng).

NEWS OF THE MARTIAL WORLD* 

Hei Ling's plume-addled informant, Leng Ziying reported a number of interesting developments. The first news was that Boorish Drunken Sword of the 87 Killers decided to go forth and deal with the Jade Owl Bandits (a group who were recently in conflict with the 87 Killers), but mistakenly attacked the Heavenly Wind Cult, creating a new front in an expanding sect war. He then reported that Demonic Venom Sect had taken action in Mai Cun, sending disciples on a suicide mission to massacre people near Lady 87's residents. 

FUNDS FOR THE WEDDING

Hei Ling realized he needed to pay Iron God Meng to make arrangements for the wedding and gave him what money they had then set out with his men to make some easy cash getting the bounties of wanted criminals. They learned about a group of bandits led by a woman named Rong E'hua, noted for her many facial scars. 

They tracked her and her men down near Zha. Wei Ziying was able to poison them all. Rong E'hua agreed to go willingly with them and give Hei Ling 120,000 spades gained from their latest bank robbery, in exchange for her men to be spared. On the way to turn her in, Hei Ling decided to give her half the money back and form an agreement to free her if she agreed to work with him in the future. She assented and they went back to Tung-On. 

THE ARRIVAL OF IRON TIGER 

Iron Tiger arrived in Tung-On and went to the Wood Chip Teahouse to meet the party. He had been sent by Night Thorn to help with the expanding Celestial Plume operation. While he waited for them, he started robbing deliveries of food shipments to the Chattering Gourd, hoping to drive them to ruin so he could swoop in and buy the place. 

The party returned and took Iron Tiger with them back to the Lucky Mountain Gambling Hall to finish making arrangements for the wedding. As they waited for the wedding date, Wang Haoyang trained Iron God Meng's elite guards, Iron Tiger continued robbing the food shipments and Hei Ling continued making preparations. 

They all agreed to a plan to take over the Chattering Gourd by contracting them for an elaborate meal (the Chattering Gourd is known for its expensive alligator dishes and prized wines). Shortly before the wedding Wang Haoyang and Wei Ziying broke into the storeroom at the Chattering Gourd and stole all the food, ingredients and wine, bringing them to a wagon outside manned by Iron Tiger. As Wei Ziying was bringing the last stack of goods through the back door of the kitchen a waiter spotted him and charged with a knife. Wei Ziying used a complex technique that failed, and the result of the failure made him vulnerable as the waiter plunged a kitchen knife into his back. He was seriously wounded but Wang Haoyang quickly dispatched the attacker, beheading him. 

They put the last of the food into the wagon and fled, while Iron Tiger drove the wagon through the streets. Unfortunately he drove too slow and on his way he was stopped by a sheriff and some constables. The Sheriff said "Looks like I have finally caught you."

Iron Tiger replied with a bribe of 3,000 spades which the sheriff took**. 

MORE NEWS OF THE MARTIAL WORLD 

Leng Ziying reported important news. The 87 Killers had sent 40 of their top men to fight with the Jade Owl Bandits and surprisingly all forty were killed***. He also reported that Lady 87 had sent assassins to kill Northern Wind King of Demonic Venom Sect and had succeeded. Hei Ling determined that despite this one victory, their defeat at the hands of the Jade Owl Bandits was severe, and with 40 less men, they were quite weak. 

DUELS AT A WEDDING 

The wedding went as planned with a procession that led to the Lucky Mountain Gambling Hall. There Fan Zhen'er and Wang Haoyang, now husband and wife, received gifts from attendees. Wang Haoyang also received his promised Dawn Sabre of the Yao Yun Sea. 

As festivities were underway, Pei Ye, Wang Haoyang's good friend, and one of Fan Zhen'er's fellow Vermillion Stars, saw Iron Tiger and demanded he draw his weapon and face her so she could deliver justice for Golden Cobra, a victim of Iron Tiger and one of her good friends. The two squared off as guests and the couple watched on. Pei Ye launched ten blades at Iron Tiger with her Storming Daggers technique but he used a counter that hardened his body and made it impervious to the attack. Iron Tiger, not wanting to cause a problem with Wang Haoyang, attempted a choke hold and was able to knock her out (though she struck at him with her heel several times). 

Hua Yin 
Art by Jackie Musto

Though Wang Haoyang could not discern it, a look of pleasure crossed Fan Zhen'er's face. 

To that point, the couple had not agreed upon living arrangements, nor had it been decided if Fan Zhen'er would continue at the Vermillion Bird Teahouse. She expressed her wish to reside with him and leave the teahouse, which would require payment to Hua Yin. 

Hei Ling decided to deal with the matter and asked for an audience with Hua Yin, who was at the gambling hall for the wedding where she had private chambers provided to her. He spoke with her and offered payment and/or service. She sized him up and said she doubted he could afford the 400,000 spades she wanted, so she would accept a smaller payment and two years service beginning with a task she already had in mind. Eventually he talked her down to one year, and she told him his first task was to find her son. She didn't know what he looked like, as she hadn't seen him since he was a baby, but he had a birthmark on his foot in the shape of a spider. 

Taking this information to the couple, Wang Haoyan said he had heard that Night Thorn was her son, but over the course of conversation it became apparent that he regularly visited the Vermillion Bird Teahouse (so Hua Yin knew him) and he didn't have a birth mark in the shape of a spider. So they decided to table it and investigate further. 

The next morning Hei Ling's daughter, Li Liang went to him (for she had been at the wedding) and gave him a gift of a spear that once belonged to a powerful Kushen King. Hei Ling had not yet revealed to her that he was her father, but she knew he had a background with her mother. What he didn't know was she had already found out who he was from the Temple of Ageless Wisdom. But before she said anything he said she was his daughter and that he would acknowledge her as such. He also explained the circumstances that led to him being her father and how much he hated her mother. She was very happy to hear this from him and eagerly called him father. 

He also told her he wanted her to stop practicing her toad kung fu as it seemed to be destroying her body, and reminded him too much of her mother. She told him she could not give up her kung fu as her abilities had reached new heights. He then said "very well, if you are confident in your abilities you can demonstrate them to me". 

The two went into the main reception hall and fought while Wang Haoyang, Wei Ziying and Iron Tiger all watched from the terrace. She very loudly said "Show me your skills father," so everyone would know who she was. It was an even exchange at first, with her countering one of his neigong abilities and causing it to deflect back on him with her Bloat of the Toad ability (this worked by expelling Dragon Energy from her body and forcing the energy he sent at her to redirect back at him). However he also managed to wound her. But the contest was ended when she squatted down like a toad and leapt into his with her head, knocking him back and bringing him to the brink of consciousness. 

She laughed and said her Kung Fu was clearly as good as she believed and he should let her continue her training. Hei Ling countered saying he still had trouble accepting it and wanted to duel with her in one year. If she lost she would promise to stop training. 

At first she was angry and felt she had already fairly defeated him. But after a moment of thought she said she would accept if he agreed to become her disciple if he lost the duel. He was surprised by this suggestion, and that outcome would certainly be humiliating. But he felt he had no choice and agreed to her terms. They decided to hold the contest on Boulder Hill. She said she would leave but return in a month to visit. 

THE TAKING OF THE CHATTERING GOURD 

Later the party went to the Chattering Gourd to enact the rest of their plan. They put the contract on the table before the head chef, Chang Bai, and pointed to a clause stating that if he failed to fulfill their order for the wedding then he would owe them ten times the amount they had promised to pay. Chang Bai was enraged but it became clear he had little room to maneuver, for it was also obvious the men before him would kill over the amount owed. He tried to explain that he had been robbed and his waiter murdered, but they said that was his problem. They offered to give him more time but at exorbitant interest, which would mean he would owe them one million spades by the end of the month. He couldn't' possibly afford this, so they offered to take the restaurant but keep him on staff. He reluctantly agreed provided they agreed to never change the menu. They agreed to never change the menu so long as he was head chef. 

*These events were the result of the regular pre-session rolls on the Sect War Shake-up Table.

**I rolled a d10 to see if he was amenable to the bribe (high he would be, low he would not be). Prior to that, the player had failed a Ride Skill roll which resulted in him driving so slowly. 

***This was a result of a sect battle roll  

MAPPING IN THE MOMENT

I am recovering from Covid, which is why I only just started blogging again. So forgive me if I'm still regaining some clarity. Slowly getting back into my usual writing habits. 

I want to talk about how I approach entries in my own books. In particular I want to talk about how I handle entries that are short and offer bare bones details. Some entries are more robust, with extensive maps and so forth, while some are more like a broad idea meant as a launching pad. When these come up in play I have two ways of handling them. The first is to plan ahead when I know something is likely to come up, and map out an area over the week between sessions. That is good when you have time, but if something comes up suddenly during play or if, like me this past week, you are too ill or pre-occupied to do the prep, you have to map and plan under the time crunch of live play. This blog post is about the latter. 

This past session my players went to Zikang Grotto in our Celestial Plume Masters campaign, for which I am using the Sons of Lady 87 book. The entry for Zikang Grotto in the book is quite short: 

The entry goes on to provide stats for the couple, gives two paragraphs on the Chamber of the Calamity Star (which includes a description of the Calamity Star Manual) and one short paragraph on exploring the Grotto further. 

I found myself at the start of the session, knowing the players were going to the Grotto but only having this paragraph to work with. I have run the grotto in the past but lost all my expanded notes. And I didn't want to replicate the prior version because I couldn't recall if the players in this campaign had been there or not, so I wanted it to feel fresh. 

I basically had to map out something fast that would engage the players, but do so while they were traveling to the Grotto. This meant I had maybe 10-30 minutes to put something down on paper, possibly less if they were very efficient, plus I had to do so while multi-tasking because I needed to facilitate play (which meant managing the players survival roll attempts for the journey and handling any special tasks or requests). 

Knowing all that I decided to go with a very simple approach. I figured I could just map out a few chambers, and focus on traps as the main threat. Traps would be easy because I could take traps from the WHOG rulebook and reskin them, maybe rework them a little. What I came up with was this: 

This was very manageable in the time I had available, but it ensured there would be some interesting challenges for the players to engage. I also added a slight puzzle element where the way to reach the Calamity Star Chamber would be to trigger one of the traps. The first trap was one of my favorites to rely on: Spear Trap. Here I decided to have it come up from the ground which I thought would be a bit more interesting and challenging. I also added a little twist to the body of Master Wang Fei by having the sword be special (it adds to a person's Command rank). I then decided to have a passage that collapsed, basing it on the Fragile Bridge Trap in WHOG. This would also be the trap that led to the Calamity Star Chamber. Further in I placed a trap of Hen-Shi statues that sent out jets of flame at anyone who approached. For the Calamity Star Manual Chamber, I just decided it would be in an alcove and coated in poison (so I wrote down quick stats for the effects).

My quick rationale for the traps was that Master Wang Fei had built them to protect the bodies of his two disciples (Master Wang is the skeleton in the upper left chamber and was responsible for their fate and riddled with guilt so this made some amount of sense to me). There is a whole tragic backstory that is part of the stat block entry for the couple: 

With more time, this obviously could be much more extensive and greater logic could be applied to its construction. However for the purpose of running a session this worked perfectly well. It gave the first half of our evening plenty for the players to engage. It probably took up about an hour or hour and half of our time. And the sword was a nice touch that worked well later in the game. 

When you are mapping under a live play time crunch, it can be tricky at first. A glance of my writing, which is never particularly good, shows it can be hard to get every letter onto the page so developing a short hand can be helpful. It is also not essential to get your best ideas out. Obviously you want good ideas, and you would like for them to be as close to the best you can do, but working under such tight time constraints you need to shift your focus from making it the best to just making it. Just get something on the page. 

And once you have an idea, just keep going with that idea. You will have plenty of opportunities for more well thought out dungeons and locations. In this kind of situation there isn't time to get overly precious about it. And sometimes that is a good thing because forcing yourself to make an instant choice, sometimes leads to places you wouldn't otherwise go. For instance I would rarely make an all trap location like this. But it turned out to be good because it gave it character and made it distinct from other places they had been. Plus it gave me an extreme focus, which made improvising the details before hand easier. 

I would say it is also useful to lean on the basics and what you know works. That is why I chose traps. I knew I could basically set up about a trap a room, give or take and that would keep things fun. And I kept it very simple. This is little more than three rooms. 

CELESTIAL PLUME MASTERS SESSION FOUR

This was the fourth session of my Celestial Plume Masters campaign using the Sons of Lady 87 book. You can see the first session HERE. You can see the third session HERE. 

PLAYER CHARACTERS 

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

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

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

THE CAVERNS OF ZIKANG 

The part traveled to Zikang Grotto in search of the Calamity Star Manual. They found it after some searching and wandered inside. There Wang Haoyang accidentally triggered a spear trap but was not harmed. They moved forward more cautiously, finding a skeleton with a precious but rusty sword spearing its ribs. Hei Ling took the sword, and instantly Wang Haoyang and Wei Ziying saw this was a good weapon for their leader. Shaking off the rust repealed a handle with lapis lazuli inlays and a perfectly crafted blade. 

They then ventured down a corridor but noticed the entire passageway looked a slightly different color from the surrounding stone. Using an alchemical process, Wei Ziying was able to determine this was not a natural rock formation but a cunning processed material that merely resembled real stones. They thew a rock down the passage and the entire section collapsed 40-feet into chamber intersected by a river. 

Wang Haoyang used his crawling tiger ability to reach the other side and secure a rope. However, Hei Ling fell as he crossed the rope and crashed to the ground. He was hurt, but not badly. When he opened his eyes he saw an entry way flanked by two desiccated bodies. The others came down and Wei Ziying was able to determine that the figures were still alive, but holding their final breaths. They seemed to be two lovers locked in an embrace. 

The party tried to movie by the figures without disturbing them (this involved Athletics rolls). They were able to do so and found a chamber containing the Calamity Star Manual. Hei Ling grabbed the manual. It was coated in a poison and he immediately felt the effects. Wei Ziying couldn't identify the poison because it was unique but he was able to determine the cure was a mixture of basic herbs and ground up snake bones. This would be feasible to produce if they could reach a town, but the nearest one was two days away. So they set out, with Hei Ling growing sicker each day. They also removed the coating from the manual and took that as well. 

Reaching He Yun, they procured ingredients and provided Hei Ling with an elixir to treat the poison. He felt better within hours and they set off for Tung-On to meet with Iron God Meng. 

THE BANQUET 

The players met with Iron God Meng, inviting him to the Wood Chip Teahouse, a place they had set up for customers to indulge in celestial plume. Their aim was two-fold: convince Iron God Meng to replicate their Wood Chip Teahouse model in order to create a bigger market for celestial plume (which they felt would benefit their organization, the Temple of Jade Mercies and Iron God Meng's Golden Way). 

They held a banquet in his honor, but things started to go poorly shortly after they explained their business plan to him. Iron God Meng was impressed initially then asked why he should invest all the effort in creating celestial plume houses, suggesting they need to also share in some of the investment costs. 

Two heroes using plume 

Hei Ling offered a 100 spade discount on his shipments from the Temple of Jade Mercies (after conferring with Gu San), but Iron God Meng demanded a 500 spade discount. Hei Ling told Iron God Meng he didn't think he honestly believed that was a feasible amount. This angered Iron God Meng who felt he had been accused of lying. 

Things began to escalate with words, so Hei Ling suggested they put that aside and hold a sparring contest between his men and Iron God Meng's, to show they are serious. Meng would select two champions to go up against each of Hei Ling's disciples. The matches would be only to first blood. 

The first match was Wang Haoyang against one of Iron God Meng's supreme guards. In the initial exchange, Haoyang launched into a spinning attack but the guard used blade pinch and shattered his sword. This infuriated Haoyang, who made an unrestrained attack wounding the guard well beyond first blood. This angered Iron God Meng. 

In response Meng sent his only female guard and his most skilled, Feng Shi to spar Wei Ziying. Though she was more advanced than Wei Ziying, she was beaten in the first round. But Wei Ziying respected the first blood rule and things didn't escalate further. 

Still Iron God Meng was clearly upset but was placated when Hei Ling asked for a private conversation and bestowed the gift of the Calamity Star Manual to him. To this point, Iron God Meng had been contemplating a way to retaliate for the humiliations he endured that evening. but the gift moved him and erased any bad feelings. He offered to to become sworn brothers with Hei Ling and put aside any ill feelings. 

After, Iron God Meng was enthusiastic and heard the second request. Hei Ling asked if Iron God Meng could host the wedding of Fan Zhen'er and Wang Haoyang. Iron God Meng agreed and this is where the session ended. 

STRANGE TALES ONLINE RULES REFERENCE

Adam, the editor of Strange Tales of Songling, has put together this marvelous rules reference document. I think people will find it helpful during play and during character creation. You can see the reference document HERE. 

If you haven't checked out Strange Tales of Songling, it is monster-of-the-week RPG inspired by Strange Tales from the Chinese Studio by Pu Songling and similar sources. If you like movies like A Chinese Ghost Story, this is the game for you. It takes the core mechanics of Wandering Heroes of Ogre Gate, but simplifies and streamlines them for a more old school experience. I think it is a sleek game. 

The reference is a really great tool for understanding the system and for tracking character abilities. 

It is a handy way to find the Skill and Defenses descriptions. 

You can also select from the four paths available and get a full description of each one. 

When you click on the individual path you can see the Skill rank allotments and their path abilities. 

If you click on the individual path abilities or any of the skills or defenses, it provides a description. 

The reference also has details on weapons, poisons, substances, etc. If you click on those you can see the relevant information. 

This should make the game easier to run and be a great way to walk players through character creation. 

STRANGE TALES NEW ENGLAND: THE BRIDGEWATER TRIANGLE

A year ago, around October I started working on a game tentatively titled Strange Tales New England. It was based on some rough ideas I had been fine tuning the previous two years or so. I had a lot of material but wasn't really sure what direction to go until I visited a number of local historical sites with macabre origins. That and a combination of the books I was reading and movies I was viewing, lead to a clearer picture of something gameable that I felt enthusiastic about writing. I designed the core rules in a few weeks and we started playtesting right away. 

We've been playtesting the game for the past year now, usually once or twice a week. With each playtest I've made adjustments to the rules, revised some of the concepts, and streamlined the material. I've also begun many of the preproduction steps of publishing the rulebook. For example the maps are all done. 

It uses the same core system as Strange Tales of Songling, but updated for a modern setting. I also revised a few bits here and there, but the games are essentially compatible. 

THE KEYS OF HADES CAMPAIGN 

This weekend I started a new longterm campaign. The rules are largely made for shorter campaigns, like Strange Tales of Songling, or for one shots. But I am testing a 30 adventure campaign structure as well. This will be about 33 adventures, each one in a monster-of-the-week format. 

There were four player characters for the Keys of Hades Campaign: Noah (an Expert), Terri (a combatant), Milton (a Spirit Medium) and Alex (A Charlatan). Like Strange Tales of Songling, this game is based around character paths. The only Path not represented in this party is the Exorcist. 

The party is centered around Alex, a wealthy backpacker whose parents have hired the other players as his friends and bodyguards to keep him out of trouble in his travels. Alex is somewhat arrogant and clueless, and needs other people around to protect him. In session zero, it was decided they had gone to the Blood Forest of Lancaster and had an encounter with the ghost of Old Man Blood. This piqued their curiosity in the supernatural so they decided to venture to The Bridgewater Triangle for his next hiking trip. 

The Bridgewater Triangle

The way this setting works is I populate the New England map with a number of sites, giving each one a short entry. So I have the basics of the Bridgewater Triangle, including some supernatural threats in the area. But about ten minutes before we start play, I quickly assemble details to give the location more of an adventure structure tailored to the particular party of characters we are using. I usually rely on methods like scanning local papers for ideas and names, and will often rely on things like a series of murders having just occurred, so there is something for the players to investigate if they want. A lot of it though is very freeform. I react to what the players do, and will lean in that direction. 

So for this session I decided that the Witches of Freetown had committed three ritual murders prior to the players arrival in the area. I then scanned papers for names and businesses and used those to put together a list of murders, locations, and members of the Freetown coven. Details were just rough sketch but three murders, one person bashed in the head with a golf club, the others stabbed. A car had been filmed by security footage leaving one of the locations, a tape deck at another. This is basically what I do minutes before each adventure once I know where the players are going to go:

My chicken scratch pre-game notes

Alex and his 'friends' were not intending to investigate the murders, but they had a passing curiosity in them. So this was more like a day trip to explore the Hockomock Swamp and maybe ask people about the recent killings. Not an investigation, but entertainment. They were tourists passing through. 

The party drove first to the Raynham (pronounced "rā-num") Police Station. Alex asked for information about the murders, in particular he wanted to know the license number of the car that had been on the scene and the song playing on the tape player found at another. He was initially rebuffed but pulled a 'do you know who I am!?' and was allowed to speak with the chief of police. Again he was told that information was part of an ongoing investigation, but Alex persisted and even threatened the chief with political fallout because of his parents high standing (again he is a charlatan). Convinced his job was in jeopardy the chief shared the details. 

He told the chief he planned to do a day of hiking in the swamp, and was advised against doing so because the killers might still be active in the area. Alex ignored the warning and took his group to the Hockomock Swamp. 

They noticed a police car trailing them as they headed up route 138, but decided to pay it no attention. Their journey into the swamp was uneventful at first, but after about an hour they saw a person approaching them through the trees. The individual did not respond to their calls when they asked who was approaching. Instead the person groaned and ambled towards them. A figure, rotting, soon appeared, dressed in tattered attire from the 1890s, but shoeless. Assuming it was a zombie they began firing gunshots at its head, but this had no effect. Terri cut off its arm but she was soon grabbed and squeezed suffering an internal injury. Soon two police officers appears (from the car that had been following them) and told them they had to use fire to kill it. One of the cops was armed with a blowtorch and began using it on the creature. 

The fight went on a for a bit, resulting in the cop with the blowtorch being bitten in the leg and bleeding to death (they tried to save him but failed their medicine rolls). The other cop called an ambulance for Terri, who was brought to an area hospital, but told the group he had to arrest them, saying they had been instructed not to enter the swamp and that they were responsible for the death of the other officer. 

Alex objected and asked if he could call his lawyer, which he was allowed to do. His lawyer said he would be at the station in fifteen minutes and that Alex should just do what they asked until he arrived. So the rest of the group was placed under arrest and brought to the station. 

His lawyer got him out, though Alex was warned to go back to the North Shore by the chief. That night they picked up Terri at the hospital who told them a nurse had clipped her toenails. This detail troubled Noah and Milton, who were beginning to suspect many of the locals. They had been researching the clues they found as well and discovered that one of the victims was killed by a putter and that the license number of the car at the scene of the other murder was owned by the son-in-law of James Cleary (who owned a local mini-golf course). 

The next day they discovered Terri had visibly aged, by 12 years, and it seemed was continuing to age with every hour. Convinced it was connected to the hospital and the toenails, they were able to identify the nurse who clipped Terri's toenails, a woman named Myrna, and find her address by going to the hospital website and showing Terri the pictures of personnel until she could identify her. That night they went to Myrna's house. 

They found Myrna sleeping with her husband, awakened them at gunpoint and demanded that Myrna end the effects of the spell. She brought them down to her basement where she showed them a satanic pentagram made from seashells, and the nail clippings in a bowline shell in the center. They were able to end the spell but Myrna said the aging could not be reversed. 

Alex told her a lie, in order to extract more information willingly, that he was the head of a powerful coven who used magic based on computer algorithms (he described them as using the algorithm to find magic that worked). He then used his Chicanery ability to make it seem that Terri's aging had been reversed. The Chicanery ability is basically just a way for the charlatan to deceive people and act like they are performing real feats of magic. But there is always a small chance that they accidentally tap into powers they don't understand and cause real effect. In this case, he caused her aging to reverse because he inadvertently cast a real spell. 

The result was that Myrna believed him and she showed him her grimoire, John Selee's Book of Spells. She then told him that she belonged to a group of witches who served the spirit of John Selee and his two children, Thankful and Nathan, as a kind of perverted trinity. John Selee was an 18th century miller and wizard who used magic to summon imps to power his mill at night. She claimed he haunted the Hockomock but after being told about Alex's superior magic she begged to enter his coven. 

This is where the session ended. 

CELESTIAL PLUME MASTERS SESSION THREE

This was the third session of my Celestial Plume Masters campaign using the Sons of Lady 87 book. You can see the first session HERE. You can see the second session HERE. 

PLAYER CHARACTERS 

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

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

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

IRON LU LOSES SOMETHING IMPORTANT

At the end of last session, they had confronted Iron Lu about his attack on the Zun Escort Company's caravan. Wang Haoyang rained down an attack with his Whirling Blade Technique, only for Iron Lu to deflect it with his spinning parasol. Then Iron Lu stabbed the parasol towards Wang Haoyang, who lept upon it with his Weapon Stride. They briefly disengaged, Iron Lu asking if there was another way to resolve the matter but Hei Ling commanded "Blood for Blood!" so the fight resumed. 

Wang Haoyang charged with his Whirling Blade once again, slicing Iron Lu and cutting off his head in a crude, uneven chop. This unsettled Iron Lu's men, who begged to be spared*. Hei Ling told them they could go, but said they should instruct their organization never to attack the Zun Escort company again. He kept the head but gave them the body. 

Heading back to Tung-On, Hei Ling gifted the head to Gu San, who was grateful. She had succeeded in getting the proprietor of the Wood Chip Teahouse addicted to celestial plume. Hei Ling told her to turn the teahouse into a place to use and buy plume so that Iron God Meng would see its value and see that there was a market in Tung-on for the substance. 

Gu San informed him that the Seven Demons had encroached on the Eighty Seven Killers territory with some caravan robberies near Daoxu. This was a problem because it was the area that the Zun Escort and Celestial Plume Masters were themselves encroaching on. Hei Ling and his men went to investigate the matter. 

ONE BIRD, SEVEN DEMONS, AND A SWORD

As they searched the woods near Daoxu, Hei Ling tracked the Seven Demons. They were nearly an hour in the group's reach when a song familiar to Wang Haoyang began to float through the trees. It was a melody played by Fan Zhen'er, a courtesan at the Vermillion Bird Teahouse who was romantically interested in him (a person he was seeking to avoid). Haoyang disappeared into the forest so he would not be seen, and the group was soon greeted by Lu Fu, Fan Zhen'er's maidservant. She told Hei Ling that they had prepared food and tents for them to stay nearby, that her mistress had something very important to tell them. 

In clearing they found Fan Zhen'er seated at a banquet table, surrounded by servants and all the comforts of the teahouse. She motioned them to sit and asked where Wang Haoyang was. Hei Ling told her that he was performing an important mission and could not attend. He then asked what she wanted. 

Fan Zhen'er said she had a tremendous gift for Wang Haoyang. Something she wanted to give to him personally. Hei Ling said he could convey the message and asked what was the reason for the gift. 

They talked and slowly in the course of conversation she revealed that she had the Dawn Sabre of the Yao Yun Sea, which she was willing to give to Wang Haoyang as a dowry. Though reluctant at first, Hei Ling realized the weapon's power and told Fan Zhen'er that as Wang Haoyang's master the decision was his to make. He said he would agree but only if Wang Haoyang was willing. 

At this point Wang Haoyang reappeared and greeted Fan Zhen'er. After a bit of discussion he accepted her offer. They were given tents for the night and in the morning Fan Zhen'er departed to the Vermillion Teahouse to have Hua Yin procure them a matchmaker and set a date. Wei Ziying noticed a similarity between some of Fan Zhen'er's servants and members of the Relentless Corpse Sect. 

That morning they continued to search for the Seven Demons. It took them several days. They had a run-in with merchants who informed them of a rumor that a manual with the ability to turn Yao into normal men could be found in Zikang Grotto. They also bought wine from the merchants. Again it took them time but they found the Seven Demons in a clearing, all of them it seemed. It appeared that the one wearing the mask of Fubai was their leader. Wei Ziying leapt in and poisoned them as he had the Demonic Venom Sect. This was followed by Wang Haoyang who quickly dispatched the leader of the Seven Demons. Immediately the remaining members pleaded for mercy and claimed to have only just joined the organization. They slaughtered them, then Wei Ziying wrote calligraphy in the trees reading "The corruption of the Seven Demons has ended". 

As they were departing they encountered Lu Fu again who said that Hua Yin had decided to have the wedding on the 8th day of the Phoenix Moon (the beginning of the Phoenix Festival). She asked where Hei Ling intended to host the wedding and he said Lucky Mountain Gambling Hall. This pleased Lu Fu who said she would bring the news to Fan Zhen'er and Hua Yin. 

Hei Ling then decided they would head to Zikang Grotto to retrieve the manual they learned about, hoping to use it as a gift to bring to Iron God Meng when they asked to use his hall for the wedding. 

*I called for a Command roll from Hei Ling to determine how much he was impacting the enemy morale: because Hei Ling was giving orders, I assumed his Command mattered most, as Wang Haoyang was obeying him.