PATHS FROM NOWHERE SESSION NINE

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.   

THE ROAD TO HEIPING 

Guiying fashioned a sheath for the Wind Sabre to disguise it during their journey, hoping it would not stand out among Pan Ju's other weapons. Once that was done they set off and the first day of travel was uneventful*. On the 20th of the Butterfly Moon they were accosted by two women, identical twins dressed in nondescript brown robes and wielding a variety of weapons. One woman, Ying, stepped out from behind them, while the other, Rong, approached directly from the front. 

"Draw your weapons," They said in unison. 

"Who are you?" Zheng Bao demanded.

"We are the Double Killing Squall and today is your day alive" they continued to speak in unison. 

"Why do you want to kill us?" Asked Zheng Bao. 

"We were assigned a contract."

Guiying asked "Who assigned this contract, was it Lady Yang?"

"We are not at liberty to discuss who, and we have never heard of a Lady Yang" Said Rong, the twin who stood before them. 

Zheng Bao pressed for more information, "Well, how much are they paying you?"

"We cannot share that information with you either," Said Rong. 

With a shrill and irritated voice Ying, the sister who stood behind them, shouted "You are not taking your last day on earth very seriously!" 

Bao immediately attacked her, but his strikes were fruitless against the woman's Iron Body defense. 

Pan Ju attacked the other sister and his strikes also slammed with futility against her impervious flesh. 

Guiying then sent a fierce sword whipping strike at both ladies, only to also have her attacks deflected by their impenetrable iron body. 

Ying threw 12 daggers in formations resembling flowers at the party, cutting both Zheng Bao and Pan Ju. Guiying was able to whirling dodge out of the way of the deadly blades. 

While the party was already seriously injured, Rong sliced her sword across the air sending a shimmering blue attack at the entire party, which sent them back 60 feet. 

At this moment 7 figures, one wearing a mask, leapt from the trees and formed a line between the party and the twins. The one wearing a mask, who appeared to be a Flying Phantom of Mystic Sword Sect, shouted at the party "Run away, we will hold them for you!"

Zheng Bao stood and shouted "No my friends, we will fight along side you. We are not cowards!"

"We have orders," Shouted the masked man. 

Zheng Bao and the rest of the party refused to flee and joined in the fight. Zheng Bao once again felt his spear deflect uselessly against Ying's Iron Body. Pan Ju, however, sent a slew of daggers at both twins and managed to hurt them. 

The Mystic Sword members were mostly junior disciples, save the Flying Phantom. One of them succeeded in grappling with Ying, who put her palm to the junior disciple's face, which sizzled leaving a blackened print as he fell dead in the woods.

The Flying Phantom, Guo, sliced Ying in retaliation. 

Pan Ju once again unleashed Storming Daggers but the twins both deflected with their Iron Body defenses. 

Ying used Nock of Countless Stars, sending arrow after arrow into Ju and Bao. Her arrows also took down another Mystic Sword Disciple.  

Soon the tide started to turn against the twins, and Rong attempted to flee to the north east. Pan Ju leapt forward and cut down Ying with Blade of the Dancing Fox. Guiying intercepted her with a great stride. Rong then unleashed a flurry of daggers on Guiying, but she was able to whirl away from the attack. 

In a blaze of steel, Guiying dropped Rong with her Sword Whipping Strike. 

When the battle was over, Guo explained that Lady White Blade had commanded them to follow and protect the disciple of Jade Swallow**, as a show of respect to the great hero. He told them he would leave the remaining junior disciples with the party but go to get reinforcements. 

The party found 8 Golden Taels on the twin's bodies, which they split between themselves and Guo. 

They spent the next day resting and meditating. Before they left, a group of Heiping Nuns passed by. 

Zheng Bao introduced himself and displayed his Jade Swallow medallion, explaining his teacher had asked him to go to Heiping to train with Queen Lu Zhi. They agreed to escort him to Heiping sect and introduce him to their leader. Because Pan Ju was under strict command from his mother not to bring the Wind Sabre to Heiping, he and Guiying declined to joint them, but would instead go north and meet up with Zheng Bao after. 

*Here the players failed an important Detect roll to see if they had been followed

**This is Zheng Bao