PATHS FROM NOWHERE SESSION FIVE

This is a sandbox campaign for Wandering Heroes of Ogre Gate, operating in "Condor Heroes Mode". I used a lot of the procedures described in the wuxia sandbox posts. This is a campaign with three players. Before the campaign started we spent time establishing their family connections, rolling randomly for both their mothers and fathers (normally only one parent is randomly rolled, but in this case we wanted characters with potentially scandalous backgrounds). These characters each started play with just one Kung Fu Technique. 

CHARACTERS

XIANG GUIYING: The daughter of Jade Fist of Twin Fisted Eagle sect and Pale Fox, a notorious bandit. She is seeking pelts from Pearl Tigers. She is beautiful but wears a disguise to hide this from others. 

ZHENG BAO: Short and burly, he is the son of Zhang San of Bone Breaking Sect and of Reckless Storm. However San is married to Chen and has maintained the presence that Bao is Chen's son. Unfortunately due to crucial background information, Chen knows that Bao cannot be his son so is distant. Zheng Bao's uncle, Bone Breaker, is fond of him. He is seeking the Thousand Painful Deaths Flower to please his uncle. 

PAN JU (MOGHA): The son of the Witch of Zhaoze Zhou and Nergui Mogha, Pan Ju grew up in the Kushen Basin but has returned to the Banyan and Hai'an, where he knows his mother resides. 

I KILL THEREFORE I AM 

Zheng Bao sent a pigeon to his uncle Bone Breaker with a brick of tea and a description of his exploits, as well as a request for training. Later that day, while he was doing line drills at the Silver Spear School, Spear Immortal Xiang Di called him aside and spoke away from prying ears. 

"There is an official snooping in town and staying at the Drunken Monk Inn, asking about robberies of merchant caravans in the area. People are saying the official is Jade Swallow, a relative of the king. I want you to take Qing and Jiayin with you, eliminate this problem."

"Yes Master," said Zheng Bao. "How do you want it handled."

"I don't want to know the details, but ensure whatever has been discovered by this official never makes it back to the capital." 

Zheng Bao scoped out the area and planned an ambush. He had Qian Qing follow Jade Swallow and find a spot to stage a surprise attack. An alley near the Drunken Monk Inn was chosen. Zheng Bao and Qian Qing, who was armed with a parasol, hid themselves in crates near the inn's back entrance, while Feng Jiayin waited with a cross bow to attack when she rounded the corner. 

Art by Jackie Musto 

However their attempt failed when she spotted the crossbowman and hesitated. They attacked anyways, but she easily deflected them and countered. Though Feng Jiayin managed to hit her with his bolts a couple of times, she fended off Zheng Bao's spear strike with her axe, sliding the blades down the shaft and wounding him. She quickly dispatched Qian Qing then blasted Zheng Bao with a Qi attack that sent him flying into the ground. Feng Jiayin ducked around a corner and continued to let ricocheting arrows fly at Jade Swallow. 

"I will let you both live if you agree to come with me and face justice. If you do so, I will plead for the magistrate to be merciful."

Zheng Bao let out a roaring refusal and attacked again with his spear. Once again, Jade Swallow trapped his spear with her Axe and slid the blades into him. Zheng Bao was passed out from the blood loss and awakened inside a cage somewhere far from Hening, near a water mill. Jade Swallow prepared a meal nearby. 

 **

In the Autumn Inn, Xiang Guiying was summoned to meet with Mrs. Wu in the restaurant dining area before dawn. 

"I have a task for you," She said. "There is a murderous man, a tattoo artist who gets his victims drunk before performing his services, kills, then robs them. His name is Yin Zhi and he is presently staying at the The Peaceful Wind Wine Shop. I want you to go there and kill him." 

"Can you tell me anything more about him?"

"He is known to carry a firelance." 

"Thank you for this opportunity Teacher," Said Guiying. "May I take Pan Ju with me on this mission?"

"Yes," Mrs. Wu slid a tray of silver taels across the table, worth 1,000 spades. "This is your upfront payment. You will receive another tray upon your return. Your cut of the contract."

Guiying thanked Mrs. Wu and set out for The Peaceful Wind Wine Shop. Along the way they met some beggars who helped them find their destination. Upon arrival, they went were given seats in a dining area and ordered wine. Looking around they saw someone who met Ying Zhi's description, fretting in a corner. After about an hour he went upstairs and Guiying moved outside near the courtyard to observe him through a window. 

Guiying climbed into position and saw him painting on the wall. He was drawing a figure, a tall woman with a puzzling expression and intelligent eyes, leaning on a long stick and an ox tail thrown over her shoulder with the other hand. Guiying recognized her as Towering Beauty Ouyang Li. 

Climbing quietly through the window, Guiying surprised Ying Zhi with a deadly slash of her blade. Another stroke and he was dead on the floor, his blood sprayed over the painting of Towering Beauty. 

Guiying took Ying Zhi's black axe, and then put his head in a box constructed by Pan Ju. 

After the murder, Guiying and Pan Ju headed south to return to The Autumn Inn. On the way they saw a woman heading from the opposite direction. She was tall and looked like the lady Yin Zhi's painting. 

She paused and greeted them then asked where they were going. They told her they were headed to Dee and she said she was meeting someone at the Peaceful Wind Wine Shop. 

Towering Beauty pointed at the box carried by Guiying. "What is in that box?"

At that moment both realized there was blood dripping from the corner. 

"Oh that," Said Guiying. "It is a tiger's heart. We are hoping it will have some value in Dee."

"May I buy it from you? I am late for a meeting and a gift might help smooth things over."

"Actually," Guiying said. "I lied. It isn't a tiger's heart, but a tiger's penis. I procured it for my father who is said that he never had a son. I thought this might be beneficial to him."

Towering Beauty seemed impressed and asked if she could buy the tiger's penis for a large sum, as it would make a good gift. Guiying said he could not part with it but Pan Ju offered to make her a scripture from nearby wood and sell that if she needed a gift. 

Towering beauty Ouyang Li agreed and Pan Ju set out to sculpt. 

"What would you like me to make for you?" Pan Ju asked. 

"Something ferocious," said Towering Beauty Ouyang Li. 

Pan Ju began working on the wood and produced an unrivaled sculpture of a crocodile open jaws*

Towering Beauty was so impressed she paid 8,000 spades for the sculpture and went on her way to the Peaceful Wind Wine shop. Guiying and Pan Ju continued walking to the Autumn Inn. 

*The player rolled a 10 on their Trade (Wood) skill