HEAVENLY FRAGRANCE SESSION FOUR

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

CHARACTERS

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

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

THE LONG LASH OF LADY PLUM BLOSSOM 

Bao Long and Little Guan Hua took a carriage to Tung-On. On the road they were forced to stop when an ugly woman holding a pipa, stepped into their path about 100 paces ahead. 

Map by Francesca Baerald

The woman strummed a dissonant chord and said "Bao Long and Little Guan Hua, I am Invincible Pipa and am taking you into custody on behalf of Lady Plum Blossom."

"On what grounds?" Asked Little Guan Hua.

"You have been accused of killing her disciples through sabotage. South Wind Manor has agreed to hear the case and will give you a fair trial."

Little Guan Hua attempted to negotiate, offering to go with her if she first came with them to Tung-On. However she refused so Bao Long lunged forward and stabbed at her leaving a terrible wound. In the course of striking Invincible Pipa, he saw that she was wearing a disguise*. 

Invincible Pipa struck another chord sending a blast at Bao Long who dodged as it sliced off the top of their carriage. Little Guan Hua leapt into the air and delivered a flutter of kicks, sending Invincible Pipa against the ground. Bao Long finished her off but chose to let her live. Removing her mask they saw that she was actually quite beautiful. 

They tied her to a tree and waited for her to awaken. When she awoke she was in no position to negotiate. Little Guan Hua said they were going to take her to Tung-On but she would go with Invincible Pipa to South Wind Manor after. 

THE TALL WALL OF WAN MEI 

They put her bound in the carriage and continued on to Tung-On. As they approached the city, a messenger reached them and said their master was waiting for them and told him to inform them to meet her at a 'bloody and disused homestead."

They followed his directions and found an abandoned stone building on the outskirts of town. Little Guan Hua went in first and explained everything to her master, including that they had Invincible Pipa captive. 

Delighted, Dancing Corpse said "Do you know how to work stone?"

"Yes teacher."

"Good, we will build a wall, and seal her inside, and you will learn to play her pipa. It will be a tortuous and gruesome death. She has mastered the Passionless Heart Technique and shall die if anyone can play a song that moves her."

Dancing Corpse went with Little Guan Hua to retrieve Invincible Pipa.

"Greetings Invincible Pipa," She said. "My student has told me you are to take her to a fair trial. I think this is marvelous news. To show our gratitude we have prepared a room for you for the night. In the morning you have my permission to take Little Guan Hua to South Wind Manor for the hearing." 

Invincible Pipa went into the building and they knocked her out. Then they placed her in a stone hall and began building a wall from floor to ceiling, leaving only enough room for her to wiggle her fingers and only a small opening so she might see and be given food. 

Taking her disciples into the courtyard she informed them that she intended to train them both so they could all go and kill Lady Plum Blossom. But first she wanted Little Guan Hua to master the Pipa and use it to kill Invincible Pipa. When these tasks were complete she would go into seclusion in order to achieve a breakthrough in her training, so she would be strong enough to face Fan Batu with them by her side. 

For two months she trained them teaching the Unfurling Hand of Bing and improving their conditioning**

*This was the product of a Detect roll in which the player rolled a Total Success

**In this campaign I am using free form advancement. Here they learned the Unfurling Hand of Bing and each gained 1 rank in Arm Strike. Their Qi Ranks increased to Qi Rank 4. Little Guan Hua also learned Lash of the Fly Whisk and gained 1 rank in Light Melee. Bao Long learned Clutch of the Hawk and improved his Grapple by 2 ranks.