WAR OF SWARMING BEGGARS: MONKEY ENTRY

This is the entry for the monkeys that dwell near the River of Swarming Beggars, they are the creatures from which the river gets its name. 

HAI'ANESE MONKEY

These are small long tailed monkeys who dwell by the river of Swarming Beggars. There are legends that they turn into demons during the Demon moon, but this isn't true (though there was once a monkey who dwelled here that turned into something monstrous during this time). These creatures are curious and social. They eat fruit and fresh-water crabs from the rivers. Their mouths have pouches which swell when they use them to carry food. They move in groups of 20-30, typically with a male functioning as the leader and with a strong sense of social hierarchy from top to bottom in the group. 

Defenses: Hardiness 4, Evade 8, Parry 4, Stealth 9, Wits 4, Resolve 4

Skills: Bite: 1d10 (damage 1d10), Grapple: 2d10, Muscle: 1d10, Speed: 2d10, Detect: 3d10, Athletics: 3d10, Empathy: 1d10, Talent (trained only): 2d10

Max Wounds: 1

Abilities

Climb: Monkeys can climb trees and craggy surfaces using their athletics at their normal speed. 

Talent: When trained, monkeys can take up to 2 ranks in individual talents. 

PATHS FROM NOWHERE SESSION SEVEN

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. It 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.  

BAI CHUAN INN AND THE MANY BANDED KRAIT  

The party left Southern Hill Sect, and Xiang Guiying took her new monkey companion, Peach, with her for the journey. Along the way they spotted an approaching group of 14 Perfect Heaven Lineage nuns and priests. They had passed the same group a while back, and the interaction was negative but non-violent. The party bowed to the passing priests and nuns, but this was not reciprocated. Deciding it wasn't worth risking their lives over, they ignored the insult and continued on their way*. 

At the Bai Chun Inn they saw a place filled with scholars playing games and drinking tea. The waiter brought them to a table on the second floor where Jade Swallow was already waiting. She instructed them not to eat or drink anything at the inn, as the scholars often played deadly games with poison to see who could kill someone first. 

As they told her about their journey, they noticed a man slump over at one of the other tables, but the patrons largely ignored this. Bao Long then observed three hulking men wearing golden elephant bands and dressed in silver robes glowering at them. He looked at Jade Swallow and she told him to go ask the them if there was a problem. 

Bao Long made pleasantries and politely asked if they were looking at his master. 

"Oh, so you are the student of that fetid piece of trash?" Said the leader. 

"I am her student and she is no piece of trash, what gives you the right to insult her in this way?"

"She killed our sworn brother."

"You must be mistaken sirs, anyone my master has killed would have been guilty of terrible crimes themselves. But I will go let her answer the accusation properly." Turning to leave and ask his master about the matter, Bao Long sensed movement behind him and turned around just as one of the men launched a mighty kick from high in the sky down upon his head. 

The blow was devastating, and left Bao Long shaken. Within seconds a massive melee ensued. Pan Ju unleashed the Many Indignities of Yellow Mantis upon one of them, and Bao Long shed their blood with Spear of the Immortal. The men came at them with furious kicks, an endless variety of spinning leg strikes that left Bao Long quite debilitated and near death. Jade Swallow sent her axes flying at the men, slicing through them in one swift attack. The first man to die fell from Pan Ju's butterfly swords and Bao Long finished them off with his spear technique. 

They took the bodies to Jade Swallow's room there she instructed Bao Long to rest and heal, and told Xiang Guiying to bury the bodies outside. 

Guiying carried the bodies, but noticed a jangle of money. Searching them when she was safe from view, she found 14 silver taels and a letter in an envelop embossed with fish motifs. She read the letter. 

To our dear friends, the Three Elephants. I am saddened to inform you that my father, Spear Immortal Xiang Di, was killed by the ruthless axes of Jade Swallow. I have written to you because I know my father valued your loyalty. 

Lady Yang 

The group was amused to learn that Bao Long had killed the men with their sworn brother's famous technique. They spent time resting at the Inn and Jade Swallow began training Bao Long in a new technique. Guiying snuck out and made her way to the Many Banded Krait in Qing Lu. There she waited till nightfall and crept to the windows of the brothel, where she saw Hero Feng asleep in the arms of a woman, the lady's snake skin robe hanging from the nearby wall. 

Using her leg taking strike she siezed the opportunity, leaping in and slicing off Hero Feng's leg. He awoke screaming and appearing greatly confused. The woman flew into the air, wrapping herself in her robe and making several unusual attacks with her fingers reared up like snakes. Guiying whirled out of the way and lied "This is punishment for those women you raped in Hening Hero Feng!" then used her great stride ability to disappear through the window. 

While Guiying was away, Jade Swallow finished teaching Bao Long the Thunder Fist technique and Pan Ju studied more about medicine. Jade Swallow asked Bao Long what he was planning to do, and he told her he still needed to find the Many Painful Deaths Flower. She told him to meet her in Dee when he was done and gave him a medallion with her insignia. 

*This is an example of how I handle encounters that come up more than once in a campaign. In session two I made a roll after they failed their Survival skill on the encounter table for the Swarming Beggars region of Hai'an. The result was Perfect Heaven Lineage Disciples. So they had an encounter that turned negative (I had decided one member was a little favorable to them but one of the nuns was not after she made a skill check for Sects). This session I got that same result on the random encounter table so decided it was the same group, which explains the disrespect they showed the party. In my campaign file I have a note on this group of Perfect Heaven Lineage Disciples and why they are in the area. I also have a stat block on the nun who is particularly hostile to them, as she is slightly different Qi rank than the rest of the group and has personal details explaining her hostility. 

HEAVENLY FRAGRANCE SESSIONS FIVE THROUGH SEVEN

These were the fifth through seventh sessions 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 RETURN OF LADY PLUM BLOSSOM 

With the help of their Sifu, Dancing Corpse Wan Mei, they arranged to meet Lady Plum Blossom to settle the disagreement at an appointed location and time outside the Yaogui Forest. Sending a message, they had told her that Invincible Pipa was captured and buried alive; if she did not meet them alone, Invincible Pipa would die. After discussion Dancing Coprse agreed they should defeat Lady Plum Blossom but hang her from a Plum Blossom Tree after. 

When the party arrived, Lady Plum Blossom was there and agreed to face them in a duel. Both Lady Plum Blossom and Dancing Corpse lashed at one another with their fly whisks but neither could hit their target. Bao Long shifted the tide with his Biting Blade technique, impaling Lady Plum Blossom with his sword. Lady Plum Blossom unleashed a plague of sharp blossoms on Dancing Corpse. The fight ended when Bao Long struck Lady Plum Blossom again with his blade. 

Art by Jackie Musto 

"Stand back," Said Dancing Corpse Wan Mei,"I have an idea." Before the party could react she gripped Lady Plum Blossom's head with her palm and began draining her life energy.

Lady Plum Blossom dropped to the ground, a husk of flesh. 

"She will rise in 10 days or so," Said Dancing Corpse. "Then she will be my slave."

"Sifu, I thought we were going to hang her from a tree."

"I changed my mind."

"Why did you change your mind Master?" 

"Because I am fickle," Dancing Corpse heaved the body of Lady Plum Blossom and they began their track back to the homestead. 

WAN MEI SEEKS WAN MEI 

After they returned, their Sifu said she would travel, taking the walking corpse of Lady Plum Blossom with her for protection, to go into seclusion and strive for a breakthrough in her martial arts, so she would be powerful enough to face Fan Batu with their assistance. She instructed them to travel the world and seek out new martial arts in her absence. She gave Little Guan Hua specific instructions to Master the Pipa so she could kill Invincible Pipa (who was still imprisoned in a stone wall of their construction). She forbade her to leave the homestead and travel until she had complete this assignment. 

Bao Long decided to gather information about potential manuals and masters. Before leaving, Little Guan Hua suggested he consult with Iron God Meng in Tung-On at the Lucky Mountain Gambling Hall, a powerful master who commanded respect from the rest of the martial world. 

Making his way to Tung-On, Bao Long rented a luxury room at the Ox Tail Inn. There while he bathed in a basin, a man with two axes entered the chamber and sat down. He told Bao Long to continue, that he simply had a matter to discuss with him about South Wind Manor. Bao Long recognized him as Razor-Handed General, an important member of South Wind Manor. 

He informed Bao Long that he wanted to resolve their problem diplomatically. He wanted to know what happened to Lady Plum Blossom and where Invincible Pipa was. 

"I am not permitted by my Master to discuss this matter with you."

"Yes, I understand you are merely her disciple," He said. "Relay this message to Dancing Corpse Wan Mei: if she returns Invincible Pipa and Lady Plum Blossom to South Wind Manor, this conflict can come to a peaceful end."

Bao Long agreed to bring his master the message, and Razor-handed General departed. 

Later Bao Long headed to The Lucky Mountain Gambling Hall. On his way out of the inn he saw a Pipa player and took note. 

At Lucky Mountain Gambling Hall, Bao Long was brought before Iron God Meng, who was reclining in a room with many tall woven baskets and a balcony overlooking the city. 

"Greetings Iron God Meng," Bao Long said. "I am Bao Long of Heavenly Fragrance, and the grandson of 87th Lady of the Guan Family. I have come in hopes of learning from you."

Iron God Meng was intrigued and sat up. He asked for a demonstration of Bao Long's talents and what his specialties were. Bao Long told him everything he knew and he mentioned his sister, Little Guan Hua, was adept at the Fly Whisk. 

"Very Good," Said Iron God Meng. "I will take you as a student, if you put your hand in one of these baskets and don't die."

Without much thought, Bao Long picked a basket and put his hand deep inside, feeling nothing. 

Iron God Meng laughed and took Bao Long as his student. He spent time sparring with him and showing Iron Belly defense. He did not teach Bao Long this technique as he wasn't ready, but instead taught him Spearing Blade and Flesh Ripping Fingers.*

They spoke about Little Guan Hua and the need to find a suitable manual or master for her. Iron God Meng thought and said "My old teacher knew of a manual that was lost twenty years ago when she perished, The Manual of Master Gu Ruan. It related to fly whisks. Perhaps we can find this and I can settle an old grievance."

While Bao Long trained with Iron God Meng, Little Guan Hua mastered the pipa and was able to play a chord so beautiful, it moved Invincible Pipa to tears while she was still imprisoned in their stone wall. Because of her Passionless Heart martial arts, any emotion could shatter her internal organs. The chord resonated in her heart chamber, causing it to explode inside her chest. 

SNAKES AND TIGERS 

Little Guan Hua went to join her brother at the Lucky Mountain Gambling Hall and spoke with Iron God Meng. She tried to interest him in their bath beads but he was initially disdainful. When Little Guan Hua learned the background of the manual, that it was lost when Wan Mei Temple was destroyed, she suggested they go to then temple to seek information on Iron God Meng's behalf. Iron God Meng agreed to this and gave Bao Long a basket with a snake in it, telling him to learn the ways of snake charming during his travels. 

Sensing that the snake was venomous, Little Guan Hua gave a look and Iron God Meng seemed to remember. "Here" he said, giving Bao Long a gourd bottle with antidote "Use this if you are bitten." 

On their way to the temple they found a Snake Charmer in Tung-On and hired him to teach Bao Long. He brought to green snakes with him and informed them that the snake given by Iron God Meng was a King Cobra. He suggested feeding it other snakes and gave Bao Long a double-reeded flute and stick with a small hook on the end. 

Their trip to Wan Mei Temple was uneventful. Along the way the Snake Charmer gave instructions on snake handling to Bao Long**. They also took the time to scavenge for rats and snakes to feed to their own snakes. 

When they arrived, they saw smoke, as if from a camp fire coming from inside. They called and a monk came out introducing himself as Yun Wan. He told them his disciple was training inside the temple grounds. 

They explained why they were there and he told them their purposes were aligned, that he too was looking into this matter, but seeking the one responsible, Saffron Tigress, for the destruction of the temple. He could help and if they found the manual, he would let them have provided they assisted him in bringing the guilty party to justice. 

"I have an informal disciple named Nie Ping who is in Zha at the Chrysanthemum Rabbit. She is looking into the matter for me. Join her and work with her to find the manual."

They agreed and spent another four days heading to Zha. There they had a splendid meal of rabbit and discovered that Nie Ping was their waitress. They speak about Yun Wan and she tells them that she has a lead on Saffron Tigress. Someone told her that she is living under an assumed name in Daoxu village. However when they explained that their purpose was to bring her to justice, Nie Ping seemed confused, saying she was under the impression Saffron Tigress was a righteous hero. 

"We will need to be cautious in forming conclusions," Said Little Guan Hua. "Your teacher may have had his reasons for not revealing everything to you about Saffron Tigress. We must investigate this further." 

They went to Daoxu Village. They found a local inn and on the way into the place noticed women playing a game at a table. Little Guan Hua discerned that one of them moved too precisely, and seemed to have a mastery of martial arts, even though she was clearly trying to hide the fact. 

Going to their room they convinced Nie Ping to go down and ask the lady to come speak with them. 

There was a knock at their door and when they opened it they saw Nie Ping clutched by the lady, who had a hand readied to deliver a death blow. 

They told her that they knew who she was and explained what they were looking for. She informed them that she possessed the manual but that it wasn't her who burned down the temple, it was Yun Wan. She then left and returned with the manual to prove she had it. 

"Why should we believe you," Asked Bao Long. 

"Go to Iron God Meng at the Lucky Mountain Gambling Hall. He is a man of his word and he has personal knowledge of this matter." 

They agreed to go, and promised not to reveal her location to anyone. When they spoke with Iron God Meng he told them that Yun Wan destroyed the temple and murdered Saffron Tigress twenty years prior. When they told him that Yun Wan was at the temple, he insisted they all go so he could settle his grudge. 

Little Guan Hua told Iron God Meng that she knew where Saffron Tigress was. He grabbed her and screamed that Saffron Tigress was dead. But Little Guan Hua informed him she was alive. He demanded to be taken to her. She refused, so he struck her with a great slap across the face. 

Little Guan Hua rebuked him, and said she was disappointed to see him behave this way, that Saffron Tigress would not approve either. 

Eventually they agreed to take him to the general area where Saffron Tigress was, but not to her specific location. 

*This training took place over weeks, during which the player gained these techniques and +1d10 to Muscle and +1d10 to Throw. 

**This ultimately resulted in Bao Long gaining +1d10 Talent (Snake Charming) and +1d10 Talent (Flute)

PATHS FROM NOWHERE SESSION SIX

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. It 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. 

GUIYING COMPLETES HER TRAINING

Guiying finished her training with Mrs. Wu and learned the Leg Taking Sword technique. Mrs. Wu then handed a medallion with a mantis on it to Pan Ju and instructed him to go to Southern Hill sect where Yellow Mantis would teach give him martial arts training. 

Meanwhile Zheng Bao was still held captive by Jade Swallow, who gave him a choice: work with her in bringing Spear Immortal Xiang Di to justice or face justice himself. He agreed to kill Spear Immortal and bring his body to the Autumn Inn. 

Jade Swallow fed him a fried omelet, then knocked him out. He awakened near a stream and went to the Autumn Inn and explained his situation to Guiying and Ju. They discussed all possible strategies and agreed to help by setting a trap. 

Zheng Bao went back to the Silver Spear School and told Spear Immortal Xiang Di about his fight with Jade Swallow and how she held him captive. He then told his master that Jade Swallow wished to have a one-on-one duel with him at a nearby bridge. Bao pleaded with Spear Immortal to take men with him but he insisted on facing her alone, with Zheng Bao as his witness. 

At the bridge, Guying stood in disguise as Jade Swallow while Pan Ju hid laid in hiding. 

"So Jade Swallow, you dare to offend me with you...." his words were instantly cut off as Zheng Bao impaled him from behind with his own spear technique. Pan Ju quickly finished him with a hail of daggers. 

They brought his body to the Autumn Inn where Mrs. Wu told them to place it in a shed. 

That night they infiltrated the Silver Spear School and raided the treasury with a key taken from Spear Immortal's body. They stole his Silver Spear Manual, 16 silver taels and took a red dress with a note that said "To my daughter". 

When they were done, Zheng Bao gave the key to the most selfish and rude student, Kang,  at the school and told the others he was departing as there was no point in remaining with Spear Immortal dead. But he instructed Kang to fairly distributed the contents of the treasury in the morning. 

Jade Swallow arrived to take the body, and also took Zheng Bao as her student, teaching him to work with axes over the course of a week, then teaching him Yin Yuan's Axe Trap. When they were finished she instructed him to meet her at the Bai Chuan Inn in a month. 

With that Zheng Bao, Pan Ju and Xiang Guiying headed south to seek Southern Hill Sect so Pan Ju could learn from Yellow Mantis. 

THE DEATH OF TOWERING BEAUTY 

On the way to Southern Hill Fortress, they were blocked by a tall figure on a bridge. Towering Beauty Ouyang Li. Her face coated in a flaking red hand print. 

"We have unsettled business Xiang Guiying!"

"Let us pass, we have no quarrel."

"You killed Yin Zhi and will pay the price."

"He was a cruel murderer, killing him was just."

Towering Beauty prepared drew back her sword preparing to strike. Pan Ju unleashed a swarm of daggers on Towering Beauty, which riddling her torso. Then Zheng Bao used his Immortal Spear technique and sliced her but without lethal intent, she fell in a spray of blood. 

Pan Ju tended to her wounds and Guiying addressed her when she awoke. 

"Your friend was wicked person, would you seek justice for every evil that is extinguished in Hai'an. Are you prepared to fight person after person over for ignoble filth?"

Towering Beauty stared at her with som confusion. 

"I will spare you," Said Guiying. "Consider this grudge settled."

After a moment Towering Beauty said, "Yes, you have won."

"Go live your life," said Guiying. And she and the rest of the party continued on the road towards Southern Hill Fortress. 

"Sister, if you come by Hening, I would like to buy more of your statues soon!" Towering Beauty shouted as they departed. 

THE PEARL TIGER 

As they moved through the southern bamboo forest, Pan Ju was attacked by a Pearl Tiger that leapt from the darkness. However its claws failed to land and Pan Ju killed it with his kick of the golden elephant technique. They took the pelt and butchered the meat then Zheng Bao and Xiang Guiying once again at a Pearl Tiger heart and fell into a deep sleep. 

YELLOW MANTIS AND THE SWARMING BEGGARS 

The Next Day they made their way to Southern Hill Fortress where they met with Yellow Mantis and explained that Mrs. Wu had given them the mantis medallion hoping her would train Pan Ju. 

Old but with the vigor of a much younger man, Yellow Mantis took Pan Ju to his hall and demonstrated a rapid hand strike without verbal instruction. They remained there for two weeks while Pan Ju observed and tried to understand, eventually mastering the basics of The Many Indignities of Yellow Mantis. Because Pan Ju did not ask to learn more after he finished his instruction and bid them farewell, Yellow Mantis asked them to stay longer so he could teach Pan Ju Clasp of the Mantis. 

While she was waiting for Pan Ju to finish his training, Guiying travelled along the river with Green Mantis who instructed her in the finer arts of wilderness survival. She noticed that the monkeys that crowded the banks of the river revered him and almost treated him as a sifu, even imitating his martial arts. Noticing this, he encouraged her to work with one of his monkeys and slowly it started to imitate Xiang Guiyang's movements as she learned to handle and care for it. 

Before they left there was a modest New Years celebration and they departed to meet Jade Swallow at the appointed time. 

Note: For this campaign I am using a freeform approach to progression where players simply increase skills or gain techniques as they learn them, with each skill simply requiring an amount of time that seems right for their level of skill and what they are learning. This means they advance in level when they learn a technique of that Qi Rank.