DISTANT REALMS: AN INTERVIEW WITH STEPHANIE MCALEA

Over the past year or so I’ve gotten to know Stephanie McAlea through her design work on one Wandering Heroes of Ogre Gate project. Miss McAlea now has a Kickstarter project out called Distant Realms and it looks very interesting. She was kind enough to do a brief interview with me about it.

The Distant Realms Kickstarter can be found HERE.  

Brendan Davis: Can you tell us a little about yourself and your experience with RPGs?

Stephanie McAlea: I've been drawing maps since the age of 7 when my aunt bought me a copy of RISK and I became fascinated with places I could hardly pronounce like 'Kamchatka'. I discovered D&D with my friends about 1980 (I was 12) and we then moved to RuneQuest and Call of Cthulhu (primarily because of its grown up content and dark horror). I worked in numerous jobs including design studios but started drawing maps professionally again (taking a leap from my gaming table to my work station) about 10 years ago. Since then my art has vastly improved and I have worked for Miskatonic River Press, Golden Goblin Press, Chaosium, Mongoose, Cubicle7, Cakebread & Walton, and others.

Just over a year ago I came out as a transwoman and I've found the gaming community to be overwhelmingly supportive. Don't believe all the negative hype about the gamer community. It is the internet that can seem like its full of meanness, not gamers in particular. Currently, I'm drawing a fantasy map for client, drawing for my patrons on Patreon (who have been awesome!), running Delta Green at my local club in the daytime and then switching to playing Pathfinder in the evening.

BD: What is Distant Realms?

SM: Distant Realms is the gazetteer for my own fantasy world of Atuannu, but most people refer to it as Leviathan, the name of the main continent. I’ve been running games of RuneQuest in the setting for 20+ years and it has evolved somewhat from what was originally the world of Orb from the Avenger books (the map started me off, it’s amazing) and is now a fully fledged setting with some of the most popular races but also some new ones and some twists on the usual tropes. I decided to release the gazetteer before any core book to gauge desire for the setting and also to give GMs the chance to use the setting without being tied to a core rules system they might not want.

BD: What is the aim of the kickstarter?

SM: The aim is really to get an initial product out there for the setting. If it does well we'll move onto the core book, adventures, sourcebooks, and campaigns. If it just clears the target or fails then we'll end it with the gazetteer. Kickstarter is a great way to get your product out there but we'll see if there's a desire for it.

BD: This is a systemless setting but it sounds like there will be guidelines for scaling NPCs and other details to peoples’ preferred systems. How is this achieved?

SM: I chose systemless because I can never decide between RQ6 or BRP when I run it! Also, many gamers are at the point in their hobby where they have enough rules. They know and trust 1 or 2 rules sets and don’t need another... Setting fluff however, that’s another matter. Of course, no sooner had I launched the KS than backers started asking if there was going to be a rules system attached. With that in mind, we have a stretch goal that attaches 5 of the most respected rules settings out there; Pathfinder, Legend (D100), D&D5e, Fate, and Chivalry & Sorcery. It's looking like we'll keep the setting book separate (due to the sheer number of pages required to support 5 systems) and we'll release a free PDF booklet with all the stats etc in. The PDF will be available to everyone, even if they didn’t back the kickstarter, but only 3 months after the backers have theirs.

BD: The setting has connections to our own world and history. I like that it’s fantasy but has gates that can bring in modern characters from our world. What impact does this have on the game?

SM: Not as much as you think. The initial scenario is a camera crew that gets lost while looking for Bigfoot for a trashy TV show. They stumble through a gate and are captured (that's all I'm saying on that!). Yes, they have camera flashes, technical equipment, spectacles, but they soon find that batteries run dry, and things break. A week or two after arriving they're no different than the average Leviathan except without the knowledge to farm, fish, or support themselves (unless they generate a Bear Grylls type character, of course). A small marine squad could, conceivably, take over a town but 5.56 ammo is great against a sword but isn't that good against magic. And ammo runs out of course.

Leviathans seem to have a much better time coping with our world where everything is on tap as long you don’t mind all the flashy lights. Take a good long look at your postal worker next time he calls...

BD: What literary and film influences helped inspire Distant Realms?

SM: I'm a life long Arthuriana enthusiast. I live a few miles from the worlds biggest Arthurian collection, situated in Mold (Yr Wyddgrug in Welsh) in Flintshire, UK. I grew up reading not the tales of knights in shining armour (a French subversion of the stories) but of Percival/Peredur, Gawain/Gwalchmai, Arddur/Owain, Mordred/Medrod, Myrddin/Emrys/Merlin and others from Welsh history. Sword battles against an enemy just seemed natural to me. Tolkien and roleplaying just seemed to cement that. I'd say my most direct influences are King Arthur, Tolkien (particularly the Silmarillion), RuneQuest, The history of the Twentieth legion Valeria Victrix (based in my home town of Chester/Caer), and Tacitus.

BD: What RPGs most influenced you and this project?

SM: Definitely RuneQuest (thank you Glorantha-daddy Greg Stafford!). Glorantha is an extremely rich world and more detailed than middle earth. It’s only a matter of time before someone wants to set a television show there, surely. Leviathan as a concept is more based in fiction than RPGs but Glorantha showed me Leviathan was possible, D&D gave me the key to the door, and Call of Cthulhu gave me the atmosphere. I'm hoping that visitors to Leviathan can experience lighter moments that remind them of D&D, nasty combat, terrible choices that need to be made, and the loss of friends that remind them of RuneQuest, and, very rarely, the dark and sickening horror they might encounter reminds them of Call of Cthulhu.

BD: The video preview is amazing. How was that put together?

SM: Ah, it was stock footage, Adobe After Effects templates, and a lot of sweat and tears. :)

About Stephanie McAlea

Stephanie McAlea is a Welsh cartographer and has been involved in the RPG hobby as a gamer for 35 years and as a professional in the industry for 10. Her previous work includes commissions for Chaosium, Mongoose, Golden Goblin Press and many more with her maps in titles such as The Horror on the Orient Express, Call of Cthulhu 7th edition, 2300AD, The Legacy of Arrius Lurco, World War Cthulhu, and Cthulhu by Gaslight (many under her pre-transition name of Steffon Worthington). Being from North Wales she has rainwater for blood, slate for bones,and the heart of a dragon forged in the mountains of the north (yet is surprisingly approachable).

WUXIA CHESS III

Still been fiddling with Wuxia Chess. Trying to make minor changes each time I play. This isn't meant to be an expansive game, though I have thought of doing a variation that uses cards and has many more Wuxia Techniques in each category. For now I am taking a simple approach to make it surprising and fun, but not too crazy. There is a bit of a Stratego element with the Secret Hero rule that has worked very well (it just makes the game more exciting and unpredictable). To enhance this a bit, we enhanced them. Now Pawn Techniques can be used against the Queen (but not the King). This makes for a very different game. There is also a new optional rule that allows the Rook to move through its own pieces on a Blazing Charge. We want to playtest this more and see how much the game changes as we increase its efficacy (now you can only do it if you don't capture, but my intent is to move it in that direction eventually after we've used the rule enough). 

WUXIA CHESS

Here are some rules to spice up a regular game of chess with wuxia flavor. These are loosely inspired by techniques from our game Wandering Heroes of Ogre Gate. 

What you will need:

•        A chess board and pieces
•        Poker Chips (or similar marker)

The rules for wuxia chess are the same as regular chess with one big difference. All Rooks, Knights and Bishops have special Wuxia Techniques they can use once during play (once used, they become normal Bishops, Rooks and Knights). In addition, a single pawn of your choice is designated as a Secret Hero and also has a special ability.

Poker Chips are better
but these worked just fine

Wuxia Techniques are assigned to pieces by their type and indicated by the placement of a poker chip beneath the piece. Rooks, Bishops and Knights all have Wuxia Techniques. Secret Hero Pawns can use one of four abilities listed in the Pawn Techniques section. When the ability is used, simply remove the poker chip so you know that the piece can no longer draw on its wuxia technique. 

To conceal your Secret Hero, take out some white poker chips and write an S on the bottom of one of them. Then take all the white poker chips and place them beneath your pawns (putting the one with the S under your Secret Hero).

Wuxia Techniques do not work on Kings or Queens. They are immune to these abilities. Pawn Techniques are an exception to this rule. They work against the Queen but not the King.

WUXIA TECHNIQUES

Every Rook, Bishop and Knight has the following Wuxia Technique. These are represented by placing a Poker Chip beneath the piece. Once the Wuxia Technique is used, the poker chip is removed and the Technique cannot be used again by that piece. 

Blazing Charge (Rook): You blast your foes in a blinding charge, leaving a trail of bodies in your wake. You may continue moving and capture one extra piece in your path. For example this allows a Rook to move forward two spaces, capture a piece, then continue forward until it captures another piece. Optional Rule: The Rook may move through its own pieces if it does not capture on a Blazing Charge. 

Qinggong Master (Knight): Your Lightness Kung Fu is profound and you may make an additional move this turn. The second move is your full movement. You can capture a piece on your first or second move, but not on both. 

Ricocheting Strike (Bishop): Your attack ricochets or sends fragments flying at another piece on the board. When you capture a piece, the nearest enemy piece is also captured.

PAWN TECHNIQUES

Pawns designated as Secret Heroes can use any of the four abilities listed below. Again, you may only select one pawn to be your Secret Hero. If your secret hero reaches the end of the board and becomes a Queen, it retains its Pawn Techniques. 

As with the other pieces, Pawn Techniques are represented by Poker Chips. Use the white poker chips and write an S on one of them (placing this piece beneath your Secret Hero and giving the others blank chips). When the Pawn Technique is used, it should be removed as the pawn can no longer use it. 

Suicidal Qi Blast: You unleash all your internal energy in a powerful wash of light that strikes surrounding enemies. You can use this ability when you are captured to take two adjacent pieces.

Three-Point Strike: You use your knowledge of pressure points to quickly tap your foe three times in the chest area, causing them to freeze. This can be used on any foe in an adjacent square. The affected piece cannot move for 2 turns. 

Swift Rebuttal: You sidestep and counter your foe’s attack, using their momentum against them. When any piece, except the kind or queen, tries to capture you from two or more spaces away, you counter and capture them instead

Grace of the Tiger: You effortless evade attacks and are difficult to capture. First attempt to capture you always fails. The piece that attempted the capture returns to its original position. This still counts as your opponent's move and ends their turn.

BLOOD OF THE DEMON MOON CULT SESSION 18: THE COMPASSIONATE SISTER AND THE LAZY KING

This is the campaign log for the Eighteenth session of a google+run Wandering Heroes of Ogre Gate campaign. The previous session is described HERE. 

I am running two campaigns in the same setting and treating them as occurring in different realities with some vague similarities. Characters in one may appear in the other, but there are no direct causal effects from one campaign to the next. Partly this is to playtest, but this is also partly due to the multi-dimensional aspect of the universe I run all my games in. It would theoretically be possible for the party from the Blood of the Demon Moon cult campaign to dimension travel to the Secret of Je Valley Campaign, in which case direct interactions could occur (and they could even meet their counterparts in the alternate dimension).  

CHARACTERS

Player Characters

Zhang Wan (Bone Breaker): An unpredictable and violent martial expert who is the brother of Zhang San. First chief of Qui Pan Bandits. Married to Huo Ju (Little Venom)

Zhang San: A wandering hero and sister of Zhang Wan, more calm than her brother

Chen: A poisoner and healer known for his lazy ways.

Key NPCs

Jade Priestess: Bone Breaker's Sifu and former member of the Demon Moon Cult

Jade Butterfly: San's Sifu
Senior Grand Councilor Cai Yuanyu: Highest ranked official in the Empire below the emperor; plotting to 'invert heaven' and has recruited Bone Breaker into his plans

Prince Yuan: Son of the King of Li Fan, controls the eastern territories. 

General Dee: An important military commander in Hu Qin who pays Bone Breaker for services 

Iron Spear Tip: A magic weapon with a mind of its own, the bride of Zhang Kang.
Little Venom (Huo Ju): Bone Breaker's Wife
The Venom of Zhaoze (Huo Si): Leader of Zhaoze sect, father of Huo Ju (Little Venom) and Sifu to Chen

Note that this session the party was split geographically by considerable distance, so the session log notes this with headers to make things easier. A map of the setting is provided to the right and can be enhanced by clicking on it. 

The Banyan
Bone Breaker continued his path to Hai'an but stopped at small mountain peak to find Master Ta's villa. At the villa he saw soldiers and martial heroes roaming the grounds. They found a woman named Little Frog who brought them to meet Master Ta in the courtyard. 

The Master was playing Go as Bone Breaker asked him to join his cause to unite the sects. Master Ta asked what he would get in return and Bone Breaker said indicated he could provide whatever he needed most. Ta pointed his finger to a neighboring peak and said he wanted Master Shan dead. He explained that Shan had stolen his family lands, including valuable mines. Bone Breaker negotiated this down to removing Master Shan from the region and Master Ta agreed.

Going to Master Shan, Bone Breaker and his retinue made a similar offer to him. Shan told Bone Breaker he had heard rumors of his cruelty and was greatly impressed, but he'd also gathered news that Bone Breaker was changing his ways. Bone Breaker indicated that the change was a matter of necessity and not a reflection of a changed nature. At first Master Shan said he would only join Bone Breaker's cause if he could help him destroy Master Ta. But Bone Breaker insisted that he needed Master Ta alive and compliant. Master Shan eventually agreed to join Bone Breaker and even leave the lands he stole from Master Ta, if Bone Breaker secured him better lands in Hai'an. To make sure things went smoothly, Master Shan personally joined Bone Breaker for the Journey to Hai'an. They left, but Bone Breaker spoke one last time to Master Ta and secured Little Frog to go with him as a representative. While they were at Ta's, Master Shan went to Zun City and prepared his ship. 

Li Fan
Chen had gone back to the Ogre Gate Inn after meeting with Liling, one of the three sisters living in the caves of Bone Kingdom. Each sister controlled one of three phoenix talismans, objects imbued with destructive powers. Liling agreed to help Chen destroy Qinwen if he stole her sisters' talismans and gave them to her. The moment Chen saw Liling, he fell instantly in love.  

Chen gathered San, Sand Demon, The Venom of Zhaoze, One-Armed Fiery Demon and Fearless Cat then returned with them to Bone Kingdom. 

They decided to try the middle cave entrance. This led them to a chamber with a wall of cages filled with Owl Monkeys (creatures that resemble a blend of owls and monkeys with human faces and a bony point on their head. As they entered they saw a shriveled old woman feeding creatures in one of the cages. This was Dawa, the middle sister. She turned and faced the Party, demanding they leave at once.

Chen refused to leave and tried negotiating over the Talisman with her. She refused and the two exchanged heated words. Finally Dawa stepped forward and gently brushed Chen and Venom of Zhaoze with her hand as five of her Owl Monkeys flew from their cages and attacked. She whirled around and informed Chen that he was dying, demanding he listen to her if he wanted to live. Soon a crushing force moved through his body. Chen shook his head and told San to attack her as he dropped into meditation to fend off the effects of her touch.

San used Kick of the Swan to kill the Flying Monkeys, leaping from one to the  next, delivering a lethal kick with each step. Fearless Cat uses the all Encompassing Emerald to imprison Dawa. As Fearless Cat held Dawa, Chen and Venom continued their meditation until her touch no longer had any effect. The Venom was fine, but Chen nearly died (note: he was one failed Meditation roll away from dying). Eventually San and Sand Demon killed the Demon Monkeys and the Emerald crushed Dawa, not killing her, but leaving her on the brink of consciousness. San commanded Sand Demon to kill the remaining Owl Monkeys. 

The Banyan and Hai'an
Bone Breaker went with his retinue on Master Shan's ship to Hai'an. They disembarked at Huising and headed North to the capital, Xuanlu, through the Skinless Forest. At the grand palace they spoke with an official and asked for an audience with the King. They were told the soonest they could have an audience was in four months. This was unacceptable to Bone Breaker who threatened to torture the official if he didn't make better arrangements. The official refused but when Bone Breaker used his reputation to threaten the man's family, the official paused and suggested an audience with the Queen instead. 

They spoke with Queen Ai Nu through a partition and she expressed interest in Bone Breaker's services. Bone Breaker said he needed the land around Whispering Lake. The Queen seemed reluctant and said it would take considerable support from him for her to arrange such a thing. They danced around the subject for a while before the Queen said she would be willing to grant the land to him if he could help her son conquer Hu Qin (General Dee's territory). Bone Breaker agreed and Queen Ai Nu said he would have to convince her son first. She gave him a seal and told him to travel south to Harmony Sustaining Palace where the king could be found. 

Li Fan
With Chen so heavily injured, the party sent Sand Demon to scout the rest of the cave. They found Dawa's room and the talisman of Li Huang. San went with Sand Demon, taking a bronze mirror and jade comb from her room. Then they returned to Ogre Gate with Dawa and the Talisman. 

At the inn they brought Dawa into The Venom of Zhaoze's quarters (where the State of the Emerald Monk had been concealed behind a partition. Then they gathered the House of Paper Shadows musicians. There they awakened Dawa and forced her to promise not to harm anyone at the inn, to which she agreed. Then they made the musicians make a similar promise (which they also made). Because the state was present, there would be consequences if either tried to violate their promise. 

Chen and San spoke with Dawa. At first she was hostile but she became interested in them once she realized the Chen was in love with her Sister, Liling. Even though they stole her Talisman, she offered to help them take the second one from Binying (her eldest sister). However she wanted things from them in exchange as well. In particular she wanted their aid in securing Qinwen's Talismans. 

Chen asked Dawa if she liked human meat in her duck. She expressed enthusiasm for such a dish and went to the dining area for two orders of Longevity Duck. 

They planned to go back to Bone Kingdom, but before they left Chen received word from their information network that the King of Li Fan was planning to march against them with 75,000 soldiers in fifteen days. They already knew the attack was coming but didn't know when. This placed added pressure on them to move quickly with the Talismans. 

Hai'an
Bone Breaker went to Harmony Sustaining Palace, a retreat on a large lake. There he found the king enjoying music and dancing. His reception area was informal but he seemed to have low regard for Bone Breaker due to his social class (Bone Breaker is a merchant). However when presented with his mother's seal, he began to listen. 

Bone Breaker was impatient to invade Hu Qin and said he could deal with General Dee and give aid to his army. The king expressed reluctance, saying he had too many things to do and would be unable to invade for at least a month. Bone Breaker spoke with him some more, learning that the king was more interested in music than governance. He suggested that the King allow him and his heroes to lead the attack. At this point it should be noted that Bone Breaker was traveling with a retinue of highly regarded heroes and had plenty more back at his inn. 

The King agreed and warmed up considerably to Bone Breaker when he made the suggestion. The attack could be mobilized in ten days. The king would work on a way to get his generals to follow Bone Breaker. 

Li Fan
On the way to Bone Kingdom Dawa warmed up a bit to Chen and called him Lover Boy. She then informed him that if he wanted to marry Liling, this could be arranged and she would help. But he would have to be truthful to her and not go back on his word. She also insisted that he treat her as a Sister. On the way to Bone Kingdom she informed them that Liling was the youngest sister and the most beautiful. Dawa and Binying had aged in the last several hundred years but Liling was strangely resilient to time. While both her sisters were wicked in her estimation, Binying was by far the cruelest. Liling was the most deceitful but not as quick to kill. When asked what that made her, Dawa said "I am the most compassionate sister. My compassion is boundless."

Dawa also suggested that the mesa at Bone Kingdom would make a more strategic location for their stand against the king. 

When they reached the caves of Bone Kingdom, Dawa led San and Sand Demon into Binying's cave. She suggested an attack while her sister slept, since she tended to sleep deeply for some reason. She also warned that their were many dangerous servants they should avoid, particularly a man named Chef Guo. 

They found Binying sleeping and attacked her using stealth Kung Fu. San delivered a deadly strike with Kick of the Golden Elephant, while Dawa used her Gentle Touch, and Sand Demon impaled her throat with his stinger. This was enough to quickly do her in. She wore the Talisman on her neck and both San and Dawa tried to grab it. Dawa was faster. Once she had it, Dawa dangled it before San and made her promise not to go against her word. When she agreed, Dawa handed it to her. 

Searching the room, they found that the bed was made of a blue milky stone that resembled jade but was cold and swirling with golden energy. 

This is where the session ended. 

MUTLIPLE TOTAL SUCCESSES FOR TRULY DIFFICULT TASKS

As a GM I am a big believer in tools. And we like to give GMs tools in our books that they can use or ignore. The Network System is geared for rapid play and therefore favors success. But sometimes you need to set the bar a little higher. This is an optional rule I've put together for myself for unusual circumstances where a TN 10 just won't cut it. 


This will appear as a sidebar or optional tool in the Wandering Heroes of Ogre Gate rulebook. 

USING TOTAL SUCCESSES AS AN IMPEDIMENT TO TRULY DIFFICULT TASKS

Some things in life are nearly impossible. The GM always has the ability to say a skill roll can’t apply to a truly impossible situation (for example, attempting to breath water). But sometimes the GM needs to set a higher difficulty than a mere TN 10 affords. In such cases, requiring multiple Total Successes is an option. The GM can decide how many are required for a given task (and can also decide if they need to be achieved in a single roll or in a series of rolls). This tool is meant to give the GM flexibility during play to deal with edge cases. 

BLOOD OF THE DEMON MOON CULT SESSION 17: A PLAGUE OF TREES

This is the campaign log for the Seventeenth session of a google+run Wandering Heroes of Ogre Gate campaign. The previous session is described HERE. 

Note: I am running two campaigns in the same setting and treating them as occurring in different realities with some vague similarities. Characters in one may appear in the other, but there are no direct causal effects from one campaign to the next. Partly this is to playtest, but this is also partly due to the multi-dimensional aspect of the universe I run all my games in. It would theoretically be possible for the party from the Blood of the Demon Moon cult campaign to dimension travel to the Secret of Je Valley Campaign, in which case direct interactions could occur (and they could even meet their counterparts in the alternate dimension). 

Note: This session focus on the actions of San and Chen at the Ogre Gate Inn. 

CHARACTERS

Player Characters

Zhang Wan (Bone Breaker): An unpredictable and violent martial expert who is the brother of Zhang San. First chief of Qui Pan Bandits. Married to Huo Ju (Little Venom)

Zhang San: A wandering hero and sister of Zhang Wan, more calm than her brother

Chen: A poisoner and healer known for his lazy ways.

Key NPCs

Jade Priestess: Bone Breaker's Sifu and former member of the Demon Moon Cult

Jade Butterfly: San's Sifu
Senior Grand Councilor Cai Yuanyu: Highest ranked official in the Empire below the emperor; plotting to 'invert heaven' and has recruited Bone Breaker into his plans

Prince Yuan: Son of the King of Li Fan, controls the eastern territories. 

General Dee: An important military commander in Hu Qin who pays Bone Breaker for services 

Iron Spear Tip: A magic weapon with a mind of its own, the bride of Zhang Kang.
Little Venom (Huo Ju): Bone Breaker's Wife
The Venom of Zhaoze (Huo Si): Leader of Zhaoze sect, father of Huo Ju (Little Venom) and Sifu to Chen

Last session Chen had overseen defense of the Ogre Gate Inn against the attack of General Dee and Prince Yuan. With the help of their Kailin riders, he was able to defeat the general, kill him and take Prince Yuan prisoner. San soon arrived to aid him in his efforts. 

After killing General Dee they sent Bronze Master to replace him, using Shift of the Chameleon. He sent them word that the King of Li Fan was going to advance south against them with an army of over 70,000 men. That morning Chen noticed small shrubs growing all around the inn. Examining the shrub he saw their branches looked liked human muscle tissue. By evening the entire region was engulfed in a sea of trees, except their branches were like fleshless arms and their trunks, warped faces. The trees screamed and attacked the Kailin encampment, forcing them to retreat to the inn. 

Chen approached one of the trees and tried speaking to it. It told him they had appeared as punishment for their betrayal from Qinwen Master of the Seven Talismans. It told him that the trees would bring their doom, but Chen ordered his men to burn a path through the trees (which seemed to work). They found they could keep areas clear if they continuously burned the trees down. 

Chen then went to speak with Zhang Kang the creature living in the tunnels below the Inn. He asked Zhang Kang about Qinwen and the Talismans, if there was any way to defeat them. Zhang Kang told him that Qinwen possessed seven out of ten Dragon and Phoenix Talismans (pairs of two). The Talismans were physical manifestations of the fundamental elements of creations, a sort of primitive expression of the Enlightened Goddesses creative and destructive will. The Dragon Talismans could create provided a sacrifice was made, the Phoenix Talismans could destroy provided someone paid the cost by creating something new or performing an important deed. Having a pair gave one more control of that cost. Qinwen killed the original owners of the seven Talismans, member of an ancient sect called Pure Phoenix. Now only three members of Pure Phoenix Remained, each guarding one of three Phoenix Talismans. According to Zhang Kang the three sisters were crazed and violent, living unnaturally long lives and descending into wickedness over the centuries. However he suggested that Chen could steal the Talismans from them or work with the sisters. That might give him some chance against Qinwen. Retreat was also a viable option at this point in Zhang Kang's view. 

Chen asked Zhang Kang where the sisters were and he told him they resided in caves at the base of a Mesa in a land called Bone Kingdom, about two days to the west deep in the badlands of Yao. Chen took the Venom of Zhaoze with him to go scout the region. He also brought forty Kailin Soldiers. 

On their way to the mesa they found an endless field of bones in the surrounding flatlands. On their approach, a giant creature with the spine of a colossal snake and head of huge Markhor rise from the rubble attacking the Kailin. With its tail it smashed dozens of them against the ground, leaving a trail of broken bodies. It also gored the Venom of Zhaoze in the shoulder. The remaining Kailin moved away from the creature, while the Venom of Zhaoze leapt on its neck and began to pound its head with his fist. Chen used Blast of the Dragon to move the snake away form his men. It made several more attacks but the Venom of Zhaoze eventually shattered its skull and it collapsed. 

Chen tended to his men. In the end they twenty three of the original forty remained. They moved on, heading toward the mesa. Examining the entrance they saw two caves and a balcony. Chen went to the balcony and used his lightness kung fu to leap upon it. Venom of Zhaoze followed. The balcony lead into a cave but was guarded by scaled dogs that barked and growled at them. Chen stepped forward and said he would like to speak to the master, that he knew where the other talismans were and could help them retrieve them. Within seconds a beautiful woman with a butterfly hair pin appeared (the butterfly was notable because it was the Butterfly Moon). 

Upon seeing her, Chen fell in love, clearly enchanted by some kind of magic. She agreed to speak with them in her library telling them her name was Liling. 

Chen said he needed her help against Qinwen and that he would work with her to help her recover the remaining Talismans. She agreed to the suggestion on the condition that he stole the other two talismans from her sisters first (she explained that her sisters lived in different sections of the caves, were hideously withered and evil). If he succeeded, she would tap their power to help him and they could work out an arrangement. 

Chen agreed but said he needed a few days. He wanted to go back to the inn and get some help. 

This is where the session ended. 

THE SECRET OF ZHE VALLEY SESSION 20: JOURNEY TO BONE KINGDOM

This campaign is set ten years after a previous set of adventures (HERE). This is the nineteenth session of the current campaign (Session 19 can be found HERE). 


Characters*:
Xue Lingsu (Purple Cavern Sect)
Xi Kang(Affiliated with Mr. Red Claw)
Zhi Zhu (No Sect)
Long Shu (Purple Cavern Sect)
Min (Purple Cavern Sect)
Rong (Tree-Dwelling Nun Sect)
Nuan (Xi Kang's Disciple and a former Flying Phantom)
Niang the Demon Hunter (A martial hero who knows how to kill the Yao)

After they killed the emperor and fled to a temporary haven, the party restored Niang the Demon Hunter's husband (he had been turned into a Yao servant). Heading further south they eventually heard news that Empress Xiaolongu selected Chun, her five year old nephew, as the next emperor. 

They agreed to split into three groups: Niang the Demon Hunter and her husband would go to Hu Qin and await any instructions from the party (she had pledged lifelong loyalty for their aid), the Purple Cavern Trio (Min, Long Shu and Lingsu) would go south to Purple Cavern Sect Headquarters to discuss the possibility of arranging a future marriage between Emperor Chun and Water Lily, while the remaining party members (Rong, Kang and Zhi Zhu) would return to Fan and investigate the matter of Bone Breaking Sect. 

On their way to fan they were stopped by soldiers searching for the emperor's assassins. The soldiers had wanted posters with their likenesses on them so they (the party) used their kung fu take them out. They then went to Fan where Zhi Zhu spied on the Senior Grand Councilor's residence. There she saw him interrogating a prisoner and asking about a message from Abbot Firebrand. 

Near the residence, at the statue of the Bold King, there was also a funeral for the King of Li Fan (who had died the same night as the emperor) and his son, Prince Yuan, vowed to march his army north against the capital, with the help of General Dee. Zhi Zhu saw the Senior Grand Councilor leave his residence and head north on a sedan chair (he didn't appear to make any attempt to attend the funeral). 

The party followed the senior grand councilor (who was traveling with 16 soldiers and two martial experts) then ambushed him outside the city. They managed to take out most of his soldiers quickly, but he burst from the sedan chair, creating a blast that wounded both his own men and the party. He put up a good fight, but they had the advantage due to the ambush and managed to kill him. Then they interrogated one of the martial heroes about the message. He told them that the Senior Grand Councilor had it on his person. Inspecting him they found a letter (presumably from Abbot Firebrand) warning that Lady Xiang (Bone Breaker's wife) had gone to Heaven Palace Sect and that her people were well on the way to the Face of Vaagu*. 

Zhi Zhu went back to the Senior Grand Councilor's residence and stole papers from one of his chambers. She also found the prisoner, whose feet had been cut off, and offered to help him. The man was persuaded of Zhi Zhu's good intentions. She asked about the message and who it was for. He simply told her that if she met a man named Kang that he should track down the Senior Grand Councilor because he had a message for him. He asked for his wine gourd and when he drank from it, he died (it seemed he had willingly poisoned himself). Zhi Zhu then returned to the party just outside of town at their boat. 

Knowing they needed to get to the Kushen Basin quickly to stop Bone Breaking Sect, they had Zhi Zhu go into town and look for a Kushen or Kailin Tribesman. She found a Kushen gambling for hands over a game of Go. The tribesman won and his opponent's hand was cut off. As he enjoyed a victory drink and feast, Zhi Zhu offered to pay him if he took her party across the mountains to the Face of Vaagu. He agreed to meet the rest of the party and Kang negotiated a rate of 1 silver tael per day or 1 gold tael on any days they run into trouble and he lends a hand. The Kushen agreed and told them his name was Togu. 

They made their way west through Li Fan but came upon some headless ghosts in a forest. The fight was actually quite grueling as many of their Kung Fu techniques didn't seem to work well against them. Only the Wind Saber and Bone Breaking Stick (as well as Togu's Rope Dart) appeared to have any impact on the ghosts. When they dispatched the ghosts they continued west through the mountains and found there way to the Face of Vaagu (Togu remained on the periphery of the area, not wanting to enter Kailin territory). 

The Face of Vaagu is a great stone head that appeared on a tall narrow spire of rock in the middle of the Kushen Basin. When they got there, there was shattered stone all around the base and the face was gone. Going to the nearby cave city of Khazel (the seat of Prince Gol and Princess Samga). Because they know her and because he had sent Nuan  (his disciple) to aid the Kailin, Kang asked the locals how to reach the prince. He found the people were all afflicted with a terrible plague, and that the heaviest losses were among the tribes' warriors. 

At the palace of Prince Gol he learned that Princess Samga was also ill from the plague and he found Nuan heavily scarred and wounded from battle. She told him they had missed the Bone Breaking Sect by eight days, and that she was one of the few people able to fight. When Bone Breaking Sect arrived they ushered in a plague that immediately affected all their warriors. 

She mentioned that they had a great martial expert named Hu Gao, whose power was unlike anything she had seen. Kang thanked Nuan and managed to speak with Princess Samga in private. She was gracious and appreciated Nuan's help. She gave Kang the Belt of Hooshal, an important relic of their tribe to aid him in recovering the Face of Vaagu. 

Taking Nuan with them, the party returned to Togu and headed back through he mountains. Togu was able to find the trail of Bone Breaking Sect and agreed to help them retake the face. The trail led to a place called Bone Kingdom, a vast expanse of bone surrounding a stony mesa with caves and a fortress on top. This was apparently the headquarters of Bone Breaking Sect as well as the dwelling place of the Sisters of Pure Phoenix Sect (who lived in caves at the base of the mesa). 

Zhi Zhu scouted and found signs that the statue had been taken up to the fortress. She also saw strange birdlike creatures leaving one of the caves in flocks, at regular intervals. They would circle the area and return. 

The party decided to approach the fortress. 

This is the where the session ended. 

*Bone Breaking Sect was involved in a plot to "Invert Heaven" by restoring the Demon Emperor and dethrone the Enlightened Goddess. Part of this plan required the Face of Vaagu (a gate to Infinite Sky Realm) so its powers could be used to help the open the seal that imprisons the Demon Emperor in Yao Gong. They also needed the Heart of Yao Feng (which Kang possessed) and the Key of Yao Feng (which was located at Red Mountain Villa under the protection of the Five Immortals).

SOMETIMES THE WORLD'S A STORM

When I run a game, I focus on giving the player characters (and players) a sense of agency and creating the sense of an open world that isn't forcing them down one direction or another. This means I player initiative drives a lot of the developments in the campaign. There are other forces at work as well, but the players can always choose to go left when the world goes right. Like real people they can up and quit a given course and take another. There may be consequences for doing so, but they always have that option. But sometimes the world comes crashing down on them like a storm. Maybe it was something they unleashed, maybe it was something fated to happen from the dawn of time, but either way when these rare events occur I play the impending disaster to its fullest. In these moments there is often little they can do except brace for impact or find something even more powerful that is capable of matching the threat.