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This was the nineteenth session of my Heavenly Fragrance Campaign, a living adventure for Wandering Heroes of Ogre Gate, 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.
Jade Peony Guan Hua/Little Guan Hua: The daughter of Guan Shisu and the disciple of Guan Nuan. Little Guan Hua is cowardly and feeble, but intelligent.
Fu Yao: The newest member of the party. Not much is known about his past but he specializes in Qinggong.
Campaign Note: Due to learning an evil technique, Bao Long's eyes changed, so that his whites became black and his pupils white. And due to the acquisition of another evil technique he has gained the Lust for Divinity Flaw.
TO THE PHOENIX STAR REALM
Once they were rested and ready, the party was given a celestial lantern, a vessel to take them to the Phoenix Star Realm. Everyone had trained and improved their skills. Jade Peony Guan Hua finally mastered her Tender Repose technique, allowing her to paralyze people with the strands of her fly whisk.
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| Art by Jackie Musto |
They flew through the sky for days, and eventually reached the their destination. A large orb emanating soft blue light and encased in a forest of orange-leafed trees, came into view. The light spilled out in shafts between the dense canopy of trees and they drifted over its surface to get a view. Beneath the trees they saw shapes of large creatures, like beastly elephants with long tongues and bear-like bodies. Searching for a spot that was clear they descend to find the source of the light. All they found was a blanket of radiant blue mist upon the forest ground.
Jade Peony Guan Hua gathered sap and nuts, then bottled some of the mist. Fu Yao sifted through the mist and heard a voice in his mind "Turn back. Leave here and never return. Return and let your master die."
They went back to their lantern ship and steered towards one of the large shafts of blue light. Jade Peony Guan Hua approached and bowed respectfully.
"Heavenly Queen Bao, we ask humbly that you let us enter the Jade Heart Pagoda to retrieve moss that will heal our master from the wound inflicted by The Immortals of the Nine Suns. We only seek the moss."
In her mind, Jade Peony Guan Hua heard: "Since he was poisoned by the Immortals of the Nine Suns and you seek to cure your master, I will allow you to retrieve the moss if you can survive. Be warned: the guardians are still active and you face a certain calamity here."
"Thank you Heavenly Queen Bao," Said Jade Peony Guan Hua. "We are most grateful, and yes we are aware of our impending calamity."
"To find the Jade Heart, turn inward, rather than outward."
They descended to the forest floor and began to meditate. Slowly the landscape began to change around them. Soon they were deep in the forest. Some had more trouble than others, and they were nearly caught by the beasts roaming the forests but eventually an ocean of ice and frigid water opened before them, revealing an expanse of towering pagodas. With time their meditation took them to the base of the Pagoda of the Jade Heart. At the foundation was an entrance, in which they could see flames. At its peak, another entrance, which looked frozen. They chose to enter from the top.
They landed their vessel on an outcropping of stone and made their way into the corridors of the pagoda. Going in Fu Yao found the cold overwhelming, affecting his ability to move and act. He flew down to the base and made a torch from the flames at the entrance there. With the torch, they fended off the cold enough to remain unaffected by it.
Going into he pagoda the walls of ice on either side were like mirrors and as they descended a figure emerged who appeared identical to Jade Peony Guan Hua. She attacked and the party found themselves in a violent struggle.
After a quick exchange of blows, the false Jade Peony Guan Hua was rendered paralyzed by by the true Jade Peony's Tender Repose technique. With this, she lashed her fly whisk into the sky, and caused the strands to unfurl in all directions to strike her enemy's vital acupoints. They left the body on the ground and moved on.
They made their way down through several levels without incident*. When they reached the center of the pagoda they saw glowing blue moss and a pillar radiating a cold blue light.
"That pillar must contain the Jade Heart of the Enlightened Goddess," Said Jade Peony Guan Hua. "Let's gather as much moss as we can and leave quickly.
They wasted no time and gathered the moss. Then they made their way to the exit unharmed. However when they reached the open air, an immortal dressed in armor and holding a parasol stood between them and their magic lantern.
"Drop the moss and leave this place," He said.
Jade Peony Guan Hua spoke from the rear of the group. "Greetings, I am Jade Peony Guan Hua, may we ask who we have the honor of speaking with?"
"Jade Peony Guan Hua, I am The Conquest Immortal of the Nine Suns," He said. "I will let you all live if you get in your lamp and go, leaving behind the moss."
"May I ask why?"
"Anyone I poison must die. So you cannot interfere with the death of Sandstone Abbot."
Jade Peony nodded, "Well I am afraid I can't do that."
Fu Yao ran behind Conquest Immortal and sent a scintillating strike with his spear. The immortal cut the sky with his parasol and a dome of light shielded him from the attack, causing a shower of sparks to rain down on Fu Yao.
They heard a rumbling from deep inside the pagoda.
The party clashed with the immortal but all their attacks were rebounded back upon them. Jade Peony Guan Hua used Scream of the Phoenix but again Conquest Immortal cut the air with his parasol and send the raging wind back at them. They flew through the air and landed with heavy thuds leaving some terribly wounded. Jade Peony Guan Hua tried to use her Tender Repose attack but all the fly whisk strands rebounded on the party. Dancing Corpse Queen Wan Mei and Fu Yao were paralyzed.
"Leave the moss and you can all live," Said Conquest Immortal.
An explosive jolt shook the pagoda. Then stillness.
Knowing that her companions would be in this state for some time, Jade Peony Guan Hua dropped her sack of moss to the ground and said "Conquest Immortal, may I just gather up my friends?"
"Yes, but leave their moss behind as well."
Undeterred that he had seen through her deception, Jade Peony Guan Hua used her Scream of the Phoenix to lift her companions into the lantern and fled with great speed.
"Jade Peony Guan Hua, I curse you for your treachery!"
A blackness overwhelmed Jade Peony Guan Hua's vision, plunging her into permanent darkness. She was blind.
"Let me go back, I think I can beat him," Said Fu Yao.
"I have no intention of returning. We have the moss and can bring it to the abbot."
"But it seemed he may have been planning to steal the Jade Heart, let me go," Fu Yao turned to Dancing Corpse Wan Mei. "Please come with me, together we can defeat him if we follow my plan."
They debated the matter, and Dancing Corpse Queen agreed to follow from a distance in case his plan didn't work.
Back at the Pagoda, Fu Yao saw Conquest Immortal standing before its entrance.
"You're brave my friend."
"What have you done with the Jade Heart?"
"It is safe among my people. Far from here," Conquest Immortal didn't seem intent on attacking.
"Why do you want the Jade Heart?" Asked Fu Yao.
"So we can overthrow the Enlightened Goddess. You should join us, we need people with your bravery."
"What do you intend to do once you are on the celestial throne?"
"I haven't decided yet," Conquest Immortal said. "Return to your abbot, consider my offer."
Realizing there was little point in risking himself further, Fu Yao returned with Dancing Corpse Queen to the flying lantern and they discussed what to do.
*Each level has a 3 in 10 chance of an encounter with an Ice Guardian
