GAMING STRANGE TALES FROM A CHINESE STUDIO 45: GENEROSITY

I have been making NPCs, monsters and scenarios inspired by Pu Songling's Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio. For each entry I take two or more stories from the Penguin Edition translated by John Minford and make gameable material. You can see my previous entry HERE. 

Generosity is about a wealthy man named Ding Qianxi  who goes to an inn run by the Yang family. He is well treated but discovers they are cutting corners because they are impoverished. When he offers money to Mrs. Yang, she refuses it and he is impressed with her character. Later when he hears that the family has fallen on hard times due to famine and hunger he sends them money, a servant, silk, and clothes as a reward for her past actions. Obviously this is a little hard to game as written. There is a hint of the supernatural to the tale as the reward seems to have been sent before the man would even have received news, but otherwise it is all pretty free of conflict and challenge. I figured a good way to approach it is to consider what would happen if the man never came to the inn in the first place, and as a result the Yang family perished during the famine. This allowed me to have Mrs. Yang rise as a Bone Demon. She is a variant of the Bone Demon entry from the upcoming Ogre Gate Inn book. 

MRS. YANG'S RAGE

This scenario describes the Yang Family Inn, a modest place found along any road. Mrs. Yang can transport her inn at will, and does so to test the generosity of wandering travelers. Those who display true generosity are rewarded. Those who do not she kills. For Mrs. Yang is really a bone demon who died many years ago from a famine that ravaged the countryside and wiped out her entire family. 

THE YANG FAMILY INN

Menu: Rice Porridge (2 spades), Full Meal (6 Spades), Sorghum Wine (2 spades per cup), Room (8 Spades), Tea (3 spades per cup)

Proprietor: Mr. Yang

This thatched roofed inn looks humble but the food is quite excellent. They also offer plentiful beans for peoples' horses free of charge. It is operated by the Yangs who are all spirits created by fragments of bone, and controlled by Mrs. Yang a Bone Demon. Those coming see an inn that appears to have guests and a kindly proprietor (the guests are also spirits created from bone fragments). Those who ask to be seated are treated to a generous meal at an affordable price. Anything they ask for is brought to them, expertly prepared. However the inn comes and goes at the will of Mrs. Yang, and all the food is a product of her magic. 

In the evenings Uncle Guo runs gambling games in the back. These are rigged and people are sure to lose money, but he happily returns it to them after. 

If the players speak with Nephew Bai he may show them the granary in back where the remains of Mrs. Yang's victims can be found. 

The Rumors: During their stay the players will hear from patrons that the Yang's have fallen on hard luck. The food is from their own supply so that guests can enjoy a good meal. 

The Clues: The Yang family all seem to have patchwork and worn clothing (Detect TN 6). They look like they haven't eaten well in months (Medicine TN 4). 

The Lies: If the players ask the Yang's they will tell the party that things have been hard due to a local famine and hard economic times. They confess that much of what the players see is just a veneer, that they struggle to keep appearances at the inn. 

The Cook: Mrs. Yang is the cook at the inn and occasionally comes out to deliver food to tables when Bai is too busy. She usually makes a point of appearing frail and tired. 

The Granary: In the back is an overgrown granary, which is completely empty. Inside are the remains of Mrs. Yang's victims. These are a great pile of bone fragments lined against the wall (these are all the rest of the Yang Family and the guests who have been murdered by Mrs. Yang). 

The Reward: If the players hear the woes of the Yang family and donate a generous amount (all of their money if they are poor and a silver tael if they have sufficient wealth) then Mrs. Yang rewards them in the morning with a box filled with riches (see Reward below). These are the treasures she has stolen from other victims at the inn. When the players awake the inn is empty and the Yang Family is gone. When they leave the inn, if they try to go back to it, they find it has vanished. 

The Punishment: If the players do not give any donation to the Yang family, Mrs. Yang vents her rage upon them. She uses her powers to seal the doors and close in the nearby forest to make escape difficult (see her powers entry for details). Then she tries to drain them of life and karma. If they are useless to her karmically, she merely kills them. 

THE YANG FAMILY

Mr. Yang: This is Mrs. Yang's Husband. He runs the inn and is its public face. He looks weary and concerned. 

Uncle Guo: Uncle Guo was the accountant at the inn, the brother of Mrs. Yang and the father of nephew Bai. In the evenings he made extra money running gambling games in the back of the inn. He continues to do this (the games are rigged and anyone playing suffers a -1d10 on relevant Skill rolls). 

Nephew Bai: Nephew Bai is kindly and in charge of bringing food to the guests. He is prohibited from telling anyone the truth about the inn. But if he has an opportunity he may warn guests by showing them the granary and lying to them that the bones belong to the former proprietor (hoping this will scare them on their way). 

MRS. YANG

Mrs. Yang is a Bone Demon but looks like a woman in her mid-50s, her joints worn down from years of work. She died years ago during a famine. At that time she had pleaded with many wealthy men to spare money for her and her family, but no one gave any aid. Her husband died, followed by her nephew and brother. She was the last to go and vowed she would expose the hypocrisy of righteous men. Now she burns with a grudge against those claiming to be virtuous. She tests everyone who comes to her inn, making it clear that her family needs assistance. Anyone who fails to give generously, she feeds upon. 

At the inn Mrs. Yang does most of the cooking and occasionally brings out food when Nephew Bai is overworked. When she does, she walks as if in great pain, appearing ill for many years toiling at the stove. If anyone comments she tells the family has no choice, as they are quite poor. 

Defenses: Hardiness 8, Evade 6, Parry 6, Stealth 9, Wits 7, Resolve 9

Key Skills: Bite: 5d10 (6d10 Open Damage plus Karma drain), Bone Strike: 5d10, Arm Strike: 3d10, Fly: 4d10 (70 feet), Speed: 6d10 (90 feet), Detect: 2d10, Muscle: 3d10, Empathy: 3d10, Persuade: 1d10, Meditation: 2d10, Creatures (Humans): 3d10, Survival (Wilderness): 3d10, Trade (Wood): 2d10, Talent (Cooking): 3d10

Max Wounds: 19 (+1 for every negative Karma consumed)

POWERS:

Wisps of Life: If Mrs. Yang has a fragment of bone from a person, such as a finger tip, she can cause that individual to appear again for several hours at a time as if alive. The person has all their memories but is under Mrs. Yang's supervision. She can destroy them forever by grinding their bones, so most follow her rules. 

Control Environment: Mrs. Yang can summon rain, sleet and snow at will to encourage people to stay at her inn. She can also alter and move the surrounding trees and growth, making escape from the inn itself difficult. When she does this, anyone trying to get away from the inn has to make a Survival (Wilderness) Roll TN 8 every 50 feet or find themselves re-routed back to the inn. This can be overcome by causing a fire (but that would have consequences for the local forest). 

Bite and Karmic Feeding: The bite of a Bone Demon inflicts 6d10 Open Damage and drains 1 point of bad Karma. Every point of bad Karma the Bone Demon drains increases its max Wounds by 1 permanently. If Mrs. Yang consumes a person with with 1- to -9 Karma in a single sitting, she extends her life by 1 month . If she consumes someone who is truly villainous (a person with -10 Karma) in a single sitting, it extends her life by 200 years. Devouring a person with good Karma gives her a mere week of life. Devouring a person with 10 Karma, instantly destroys her. 

Bone Spear: The ribs and other bones of a Bone Demon can shoot out suddenly and impale foes (striking everyone within a ten-foot area). Roll Bone Strike against Parry. On a Success this inflicts 4d10 plus 2 Wounds. On a Total Success it inflicts 4d10 Open Damage plus 3 Wounds (and an Extra Wound for each additional Total Success).

Illusions: A Bone Demon can weave a very convincing illusion to make it appear like a normal human. This can be any type of human it wishes (old, young, beautiful, ugly, tall, short, and so forth). However, the illusionary transformation inflicts a single Wound on the Bone Demon. It lasts for as long as the Bone Demon wishes or until someone magically forces it to end. This illusion cannot be detected by normal means. Only the most powerful magic can see through it. 

Illusory Foodstuff: Mrs. Yang's illusions can also be used to make water seem like tea or wine, to change earth into rice or hay into noodles. In short, she can use this to create the sense of any cuisine she wishes. Like her other illusion ability, the true nature of her illusions can only be seen through magical means. 

Waste Away: Mrs. Yang is on the brink of death and must consume the flesh of the wicked to survive.  A normal person can extend her life by a month, a person with bad karma person can extend its life by 200 years. Without eating the flesh and extending her life in this way, she must make a Meditation roll TN 7 every week or die.

Impaling Heart Strike: The skeletal fingers of a Bone Demon are sharp and long. They are capable of impaling the chest and clutching a person’s heart in an instant. If a Bone Demon scores 2 Total Successes on an Arm Strike Roll and succeeds on its subsequent Damage roll, it can (if it chooses) rip out a person’s heart. 

THE REWARD

Those who are generous to the Yang Family are rewarded the next day with a box of treasure, taken from previous guests that she has devoured. If the objects are too large for the box, she may instead place them beside it. Roll on the Reward Table to see what she gives. 

REWARD TABLE

Roll (d100)      Result

1-3                   15 Silver Taels and a golden hairpin (450 spades)

4-5                   10 Silver Taels, Dragon Pot (200 spades), Tea Bowl (100 spades)

6-7                   4 Silver Taels

8-10                 1 Golden Tael, 2 Silver Taels, Stone Rooster Statue (100 spades)

11-12               Dagger of Chen (+1d10 Accuracy)

13-15               2 Silver Taels, Jade and Granite Inkstone (14,000 spades)

16-20               3 Silver Taels, 200 spades, pearls (1200 spades)

21-25               Jade Hairpin (8,000 spades), 3 Silver Taels, 300 Spades

26-30               3 bolts silk (6,000 spades), Smoke Powder (3 duos), 4 Silver Taels

31-35               2 Silver Taels

36-40               700 Spades, Diamond (11,000 spades), 1 Silver Tael

41-45               Porcelain dog statue (500 spades), jade beads (5,000 spades)

46-50               7 Silver Taels

51-55               2 Silver Taels, Gecko Cinnabar (5 ounces), 1 Golden Tael 

56-60               High-Minded Phoenix Tea (3 Nuggets), 2 Silver Taels

61-65              700 Liang, 6 Silver Taels 

66-70              400 Liang, 900 spades, 4 Silver Taels

71-75              40 Imperials, 400 Spades, 1 Silver Tael, 1 Ruby (2,000 spades)

76-80              5 Silver Taels 

81-85              Porcelain Camel with gold inlay (2,000 spades), 3 Golden Taels, 250 spades

86-90              2 Silver Taels, Shoes of the Beggar (in bad shape but +2d10 to Endurance)

91-92             Jade and Bronze Mirror (10,000 spades), 2 Silver Taels

93-94             10 Silver Spades, 4 Bolts Silk, Porcelain Tea Bowl (400 spades)

95-96             Ornamental Headcloth (Lei Jin) of Archer Zhu Fei (+1d10 Small Ranged and Detect)

97-98             Longzhi Bone Powder, 5 Silver taels 

99                  High-Minded Phoenix Tea (Brick)

00                  Roll on table twice (if this result comes up again, roll three times, then four, etc)

BLOOD IN DAOXU

The other day I posted a Strange Tales entry on a story called The Magic Sword and the Magic Bag. In it I included an adventure with a map and mentioned that I would be following up with a city description and another related scenario. This entry provides details on the village of Daoxu but also gives you an adventure I ran in one of my campaigns. This adventure may need to be tweaked or altered to suit your needs, but it it is a fairly complete mystery adventure set in Daoxu and connected to the Yaksha-Demon scenario in the Magic Sword entry. In the coming days I should have another entry related to this region. The Blood of Daoxu is ripped from my campaign book with some minor modifications but is quite rough so feel free to ask any questions about unclear elements (or obvious mistakes) in the comments. 

THE BLOOD OF DAOXU

In Blood of Daoxu, the players are invited or catch wind of a small tournament that has attracted many martial heroes but discover a series of murders when they arrive. The murders lead to a strange box possessed by Wei Chengsi and a number of Yaksha Demons. 

CHARACTERS

Scholar Han Jiayin: A ladies man and handsome reveler who has recently passed the Imperial Exams and is enjoying himself before being sent for his first appointment. The Han family owns much of the agricultural land in Daoxu. However owes much of his influence to a women named Ms. Liu who lives in a nearby city. The village’s innovative water system was designed by Jiayin’s great grandfather, Zhen’e.

Wei Chengsi: Scholar Han’s servant. An incredibly ugly man filled with jealousy for his master's good looks. He has been secretly learning rituals from a Yen-li priest of Plum Tree Temple to help improve his life.

Left Handed Dragon (Sun Yin): A student of Master Chen. He recently saw Scholar Han flirting with Master Chen's daughter in the market and has taken exception.

Master Chen: The head of Master Chen's Spinning Dragon School. He recently announced that he possessed the Wind Sabre of Sunan (this is not true) and would hand it to anyone who can beat his top student, Sun Yin. 

Pei E’hua: The wife of Tofu Merchant Pei Chisi and daughter in law of tofu maker Pei Bao. She is a spirit who used to devour human life essence but was helped by Chisi (who returned her bones to Daoxu) and has since begin to cultivate mercy and compassion. 

Martial Heroes Present:

Note: NPC entry in Wandering Heroes of Ogre Gate page number in bold)

1: Reckless Storm (Ro-Fish Inn) WHOG 335

2: Headmaster Mu (Ro-Fish Inn) WHOG 317

3: Princess Sarnai (camped in Plum Blossom Orchard) WHOG 333

4: Firelance Brothers (Ro-Fish Inn) WHOG 311

5: Iron Clawed Lion (Headman Shan Residence) WHOG 319

THE VILLAIN'S PLAN

My campaign folder map of Daoxu
(apologies for the shadow)

Wei Chengsi is the servant of Scholar Han, a man who recently passed the imperial exams. Ugly and discontent, Chengsi wants what his master has and learned two deadly rituals from a priest of Plum Tree Temple. He was also given a lacquered box filled with Yaksha Demons. The first ritual allows him to harvest Qi energy into a jade receptacle. The second enables him to use that Qi to exchange skin with another person. He intends to harvest enough Qi to perform the Skin Transference Ritual on Scholar Han. Then he will kill Scholar Han to make the exchange permanent, taking his place.

In order to drain the Qi, he needs martial heroes. Recenlty Master Chen invited martial heroes from across the land to participate in a tournament to win the Wind Sabre of Sunan (it is a fake). He has promised the sword to anyone who can beat his best disciple, Left-handed Dragon. Chengsi plans to use this opportunity to find victims for his Qi Harvesting Rituals. He sends out his Yaksha’s at night to take the Qi energy (they pierce veins in the foot and drain blood, then bring it to the Jade receptacle). This kills each hero and results in a series of murders for the PCs to investigate.

ADVENTURE

The players either pass through Daoxu or hear about the wind saber and investigate. When they arrive, there are many other martial heroes who have come for the prize. However, once they are in the village, murders begin.  Each night one or two are killed. The players may do nothing, they could investigate and learn that Wei Chengsi is behind the killings, or they could end up fighting for the Wind Sabre while fending off Yaksha attacks in the evening. This is meant to be played loose, with events unfolding but the players doing what they want. 

AN DISTRICT

District Magistrate: Jixuan Sunan (Mai Cun)

Inspector: Iron Wan (Mai Cun)

Daoxu Village is set within An District, which is Governed by District Magistrate Jixuan Sunan. He is helped by Inspector Wan, who has two junior Inspectors under his authority (Ling and Unzi). Ling and Unzi do regular patrols of the settlements.

DAOXU VILLAGE

Leader: Headman Ruang Shan

Resources: Wheat, Sesame, Tea

This old village produces wheat, sesame and tea. There are five major clans here: Ban, Pei, Ruang, Chen and Han. The Han’s are the most recent arrivals but highly respected because, Han Zhen’e, a scholar-official, innovated the water system 60 years ago when he first arrived. An engineer, he re-organized sections of the community and built a system of water trenches from Ro-Fish Lake (an artificial body of water) that brings fresh water to every home and helps irrigate the fields. A master geomancer as well, he improved the flow of Qi energy to the village, bringing it good fortune (high yields, increase in traffic which benefited the local inns and restaurants). 

Dao River Academy: This is a small state run school managed by Headmaster Zhu. Many of the children and young men of the village study here.

Han Residence: This is the luxurious courtyard house of the Han family. Presently Han Li (the most senior member), Han Jiayin or Scholar Han (his son), Han Shanhu (Li’s wife and Jiayin’s mother), and Han Feiyan (Han Li’s mother) live on the grounds with their many servants (15 in all). Wei Chengsi lives here as well as Scholar Han’s personal servant (he is behind the killings and has a magic box that contains Yaksha Demons). His masters have no knowledge of his crimes. 

Master Chen’s Spinning Dragon School: This is a Kung Fu school and private residence. Master Chen Buwei has 13 students, called Spinning Dragons, who specialize in a kind of dancing blade style that utilizes rope darts and ox tail dao. Its principles are primarily Dehuan. His daughter, Xiannang, is also a student of the school. Spinning Dragons are a frequent source of frustration in the village as Master Chen likes to let his students test their skills in town against other martial heroes. Recently he put out a reward for anyone who can beat his number one student: Sun Yin (also known as Left-handed Dragon). The reward is a sword Master Chen claims to be the Wind Saber of Sunan, but anyone with passing knowledge on the subject can clearly see it is a forgery (any relevant knowledge Skill TN 7).

Pei Bao Tofu: This is a tofu shop run by the Pei merchant family. Bao is the family matriarch, a woman in her mid-60s who knows how to make excellent tofu (she claims her’s is ideal for frying). While she sells tofu at the shop (10 Spades a pound), most of their revenue comes from selling to larger cities like Tung-on. Her son, Chisi handles this side of the business. There is a golden mercy of Hen-shi placed at the entrance to the shop.

Recently, about four months ago, Chisi met a woman named E’hua while in Kongju. He discovered she was a spirit after she made several attempts to seduce him and drain his life energy. However he took pity on her and asked why she would do harm to anyone. She explained that her bones were scattered in the nearby swamps and this caused her great suffering because a Yaksha demon had control of her. He offered to find her bones and bury them in her homeland. As fate would have it, she was from Daoxu, so he brought the bones and buried them in a spot of her choosing. Since then, E’hua has refrained from killing or stealing life essence and devoted herself to Hen-Shi. They have since married and she works with his mother at the Tofu shop. However she still has demonic essence so any devices or rituals that detect demons would be triggered by her presence. She can also be useful to the party as she knows about Yaksha Demons and can easily identify their work in the killings. She can tell the PCs anything they need to know about the creatures. The Yaksha who controlled here is described HERE. 

Pig Iron An: A local smith who earned his nickname because people suspect he uses inferior iron out of cheapness. His sons, nephews and in-laws assist with the metal workshop. Actually Pig Iron An is quite skilled despite his cheapness. He cuts corners where he can on raw materials, but otherwise his wares are fine.

Qui’s Noodle Shop: Operated by Ban Qui and her husband, Fu, the Qui Noodle Shop offers an array of noodle dishes with rich broths and sauces. The flavor ingredients are secret but most agree the results are astounding (people come from all over the prefecture to enjoy Qui Noodles). Usually noodles are served with pork or fish.

Menu: Pork Noodle Bowl (22 Spades), Fish Noodle Bowl (20 Spades), Ban Duck (130 spades), Yellow Wine (13 Spades), Plum Blossom Wine (40 spades).

Ro-Fish Inn: This Inn is in the style of a courtyard house with a picture of a Ro-Fish on the door. It is operated by Ban Miaohui, a cousin of the Ban family who run the Noodle Shop. She is the best source of information in the village, knowing about most disputes, secrets, etc. Miaohui is kind to everyone and willing to talk to everyone. She is assisted by her niece Min.  

A room at the Ro-Fish Inn costs 40 Spades but is free for any members of the Ban clan. She also serves Dongpo Tofu (15 Spades) which is quite good. She refuses to serve wine or tea to guests (believing this makes them rowdy). She makes a point of serving no noodle dishes in order not to compete with the Qui Noodle Shop.

THE MURDERS AND EVENTS

These happen each night. The first evening the Fight and the murder both occur as the players come into town. Each time the players may hear the howls of their victims. Following the sounds requires a Detect TN 8 Roll. The Yaksha’s are very quick, and it takes them approximately 5 minutes to finish their task each time. They might also follow the creatures back to the Han Residence.

THE DEMON TRAIL

Anyone with demon detection devices will find them behaving very wildly here. If they can they will always point toward Pei Bao’s tofu or residence. But they will spin periodically and point toward the Yakshas when they leave their lacquered boxes and commit murder. The Yaksha's are only detectable though when outside their box. 

THE FIGHT

This is an incident that occurs in the evening and the players may hear about it before hand or hear it while it is happening. It is up to them if they want to engage it. 

Scholar Han and Left-Handed Dragon have an ongoing dispute over an incident at the market two days ago. Scholar Han was flirting and teasing the daughter of Master Chen, Xiannang. Left-Handed Dragon was offended by the behavior and called Scholar Han a love-mad dog and questioned the accomplishments of his grandfather (Han Zhen’e). They started to fight but it was broken up by Master Chen and Headman Shan. Scholar Han and Left-handed Dragon agreed to meet late in the evening at Plum Tree Orchard.

When they fight in the orchard they are quite loud (giving anyone on the eastern side of the village a chance to hear it on a Detect TN 8 Roll). Villagers know about the dispute so leave them to their fight. Eventually the battle moves to Ro-Fish Lake and Left-handed Dragon defeats Scholar Han by kicking him into a wall (unless someone interferes and changes the outcome). When they reach Ro-Fish Lake, anyone in the village can hear the fight on a successful Detect TN 6 Roll. Victorious, Left-handed Dragon laughs and walks back to the Master Chen’s school. Scholar Han summons Chengsi and walks to Qui’s noodle shop where he berates them to open the door and sell him some wine (this is well past closing time). Again anyone in the area can hear the disruption at Qui’s noodle shop on a successful Detect roll TN 6.

The players may or may not hear and investigate this situation. If they do, it will serve as a good introduction to Scholar Han, and it might also result in them growing suspicious of him later. Despite being ragged from fighting, and nursing a hurt leg, should any strangers approach him, he does his best to appear dashing and speaks as charmingly as possible.

Note that the above fight is a pre-rolled outcome, you can always play it live and roll their attacks against each other to see who wins (it isn't essential for Left-Handed Dragon to be victorious). 

THE MURDERS

These are the murders that happen each night. Obviously all of these can play out very differently if players take specific actions (like staying at the Ro-Fish Inn and observing everyone all the time). In some instances, they may be present for the attacks themselves. Note that each time the Yaksha's kill they hold the blood in their mouths and run to Chengsi at the Han Residence (or Ruang Tea Fields in the final case) to spit it in the jade receptacle. 

MURDER ONE: RECKLESS STORM

Location: Ro-Fish Inn Room

A scream is heard late at night at the Ro-Fish Inn in when Min (niece of the inn’s proprietor) discovers Reckless Storm dead in his bed (he had asked them to bring him food during the night). 

He is drained of blood and there is a small puncture wound on his foot. This is what can be seen by inspecting the chamber:

•       Medicine Roll (TN 6): He died unaware (probably while sleeping) of blood loss from the puncture wound on the top of his foot.
•       There is a small hole in the paper window, looked to have been made by a creature the size of a small dog. 
•       There is shaggy red hair in the screen as well.
•       With Shaggy Red Hair, anyone with two ranks in Creatures (Demon) knows this to be that of a Yaksha (otherwise TN 8).
•       Detect (TN 7): There is a blood trail leading from the Inn but it stops at Ro River.

If the players ask people at the inn for information the following can be learned:

•       Reckless Storm was bragging to all the other martial heroes that he would win the Wind Saber of Sunan. He kept walking table to table, laughing and saying “Do you truly believe you have any hope against me?”
•       He even went around town seeking the other martial heroes to tell them how he would win .
•       Headmaster Mu and the Firelance Brothers are staying at the inn as well. The Firelance Bothers express relief that the 'loudmouth Reckless Storm" is dead. Headmaster Mu seems more concerned. He leaves the next day to stay at Pig Iron An's instead. 
•       Min heard singing coming from Reckless Storm’s room earlier, so waited before bringing the food. It sounded gentle like the voice of a eunuch or woman.

What happened is a Yaksha snuck into his room, pierced his foot and killed him (using its singing to lull him). Then it fled out the window and ran for scholar Han's Residence. 

MURDER TWO: FIRELANCE BROTHERS

Location: Ro-Fish Inn Room

The next night, the firelance brothers are found in similar circumstances to Reckless Storm. They are drained of blood with holes in their feet. However the Yaksha in question burrows through the walls and floor boards to gain entrance and escape.  The Supreme Judge Yu Cart activates during this time, then fades when it returns to box.

The path of the fleeing Yaksha

The following evidence can be gathered at the scene:

•       Medicine Roll (TN 6): They died unaware (probably while sleeping) of blood loss from the puncture wound on the top of their feet.
•       Detect (TN 6): A blood trail leads to the floorboards. If they inspect this hole, a line of blood goes from it to Headmaster Mu’s room (this is a deliberate attempt by the Yaksha to frame Headmaster Mu—since it knows his voice would match theirs quite closely and has a poor reputation).
•       If they inspect Headmaster Mu’s room, on a Detect TN 8 they find a further trail from the hole out the open window and into the street. This leads across the Zhen’e bridge to the Han Residence.

MURDER THREE: IRON CLAWED LION KING

Iron Clawed Lion King is found dead at Headman Shan’s house. He was killed in a manner different to the previous victims. He is dead on the ground, but covered in blood, boils and burns. This time before Iron Clawed Lion King died, he woke up then cornered the creature and nearly killed it. It used its spiteful burst to kill him. 

Investigating can reveal the following: 

• The room is covered in blood. 
• Medicine (TN 6): Iron Clawed Lion King died from burns, but he also has a piercing wound on his foot similar to the other victims. 
• Anyone with Creatures (Demons) Rank 3 knows this was a Yaksha trying to defend itself by exploding. Otherwise this knowledge requires a TN 10 roll. 

MURDER FOUR: HEADMASTER MU

Head Master Mu does not trust the safety of the inn and sneaks out, quietly staying at Pig Iron An’s (who is an old friend). However Pig Iron An finds him dead in the morning. His body is completely shredded and was found by the outside the house in tatters. 

Investigating the are can yield the following information:

•  Medicine (TN 5): Flesh was shredded from bone by claw and or teeth.
•   Creature: Demon (rank 3 or more) it was clearly a Yaksha.
•   Pig Master An’s son, Yun, heard singing then Headmaster Mu saying “get away from me”. He then heard sounds of someone or something in the courtyard but didn’t think anything of it.
•   There is a trail of blood (Detect TN 6) leading to Pei Bao's Tofu. If they follow it, they find that the creature broke in and ate some wet tofu. However a fainter trail (TN 9) begins here and leads the Han Residence. 
•   According to Pig Iron An, Headmaster Mu had just come from the Han Residence, having gone there earlier to look into a matter.
•   If anyone investigates the Han Residence, they learn that Headmaster Mu did come, and that he accused Scholar Han of harvesting Qi through magic.

MURDER FIVE: PRINCESS SARNAI

Princes Sarnai has her face eaten off and runs into town from the Plum Tree Orchard (where she and her men were camped), a trail of blood coming from her foot. 

There is a scream and a gathering of people (the PCs might even witness her death). She comes running toward Ro-Fish lake and collapses. Her face is eaten off and a trial of blood leads from her wound. She can be healed with the right Kung Fu technique. She can also be saved if someone makes a Medicine Roll to stop her bleeding before she dies. 

The following clues can be found:

•       Detect TN 5 (Trail leads to the Plum Tree Orchard). From there, Detect TN 6, the trail leads to the ritual site where Chengsi is preparing for his ritual. 
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THE HAN RESIDENCE AND THE MURDERSThis is the residence of the Han family. See Scholar Han's entry below for more information. The jade receptacle is in Scholar Han’s room (placed there by Chengsi). It is a blue cup and there are traces of blood on the rim. Anyone able to detect magic or Qi energy can see this object radiates it. 

In Chengsi’s room is a lacquered box containing the Yaksha demons. 

RUANG TEA FIELDS: RITUAL SITE AND PERFORMANCE
If all goes according to plan, Chengsi kills Sarnai in concert with his performance of the ritual in the Tea Fields. If the players arrive within ten minutes, then they find Chengsi performing the ritual, surrounded by Yaksha and Scholar Han bound in rope. They may even witness the transference.

If they arrive after ten minutes, they see Chengsi bound and gagged and Scholar Han holding a lacquered box. He explains that he gagged him to prevent him from performing his ritual. This is actually Chengsi after the transference has taken place. He will try to convince the party of Chengsi’s guilt and show the lacquered box as proof. He claims Chengsi was trying to destroy the village with a dark ritual, and he can point to the jade receptacle as well.

Things players can learn:

•       The receptacle shows no sign of having any Qi energy, so the the ritual has been cast (they will need the means to detect this).
•       Detect TN 10: something is not right with Chengsi and Scholar Han’s skin. Seems a little loose.
•       Chengsi claims that Scholar Han stole his skin if he gets a chance to speak.

Chengsi (in the skin of Scholar Han) will try to kill Scholar Han within the next five hours to make the change permanent.

THE PEOPLE AND MONSTERS

SCHOLAR HAN

Scholar Han is a wealthy son of a line of Scholar-Officials who recently passed his Imperial Exams. He will soon be appointed to his first post, but in the months before then he intends to enjoy himself and find a good bride. A lover of music, drinking and beautiful women, Scholar Han is a notorious flirt and lover. He is a bit bold by the local standards but affectionate, witty and kind in his approach to courtship. His love however is ephemeral.

Unusually handsome, Scholar Han is vain and takes great care to keep his appearance. He frequently brushes aside stray hairs from his temple as an affectation, in a gesture and expression that appears arrogant to many.

Despite many of his shortcomings, and his tendency to look down on others, Scholar Han does care for other people and wouldn’t deliberately harm anyone. This is not at all apparent however on first impression.

He lives with his father and family at the Han Residence.

Defenses: Hardiness 4, Evade 6, Parry 7, Stealth 7, Wits 8, Resolve 8

Key Skills: Arm Strike: 2d10, Leg Strike: 2d10, Grapple: 2d10, Throw: 1d10, Light Melee: 3d10, Medium Melee: 2d10, Heavy Melee: 0d10, Athletics: 2d10, Speed: 3d10, Muscle: 1d10, Endurance: 2d10, Classics (All): 3d10, Institutions (Imperial Bureaucracy): 2d10, Rituals (Ancestor Veneration): 2d10, Talent (Poetry): 3d10, Talent (Guqin): 2d10, Talent (Caligraphy): 3d10, Talent (Painting): 3d10, Survival (Wilderness): 2d10, Persuade: 3d10, Empathy: 2d10, Deception: 2d10, Detect: 2d10

Qi: 4

Max Wounds: 9

Weapon: Fan or Jian

Flaw: Hedonism

Techniques (Waijia 2, Neigong 1, Qingong 1): Gust of the Fan Blade, Flight of the Hawk, Breath of Fury, Hands of the Hawk Beak, Drift of the Butterfly Fish, Blasting Blade, Ringing Strike of the Hand, Horizontal Sidestep

LEFT-HANDED DRAGON

Left-handed Dragon is Master Chen’s top disciple at the Spinning Dragon School. He is devoted to his Master and highly protective of Xiannang, Master Chen’s daughter. He is stubborn and strictly abides by the Dehuan regulations of the school.

Defenses: Hardiness 5, Evade 7, Parry 7, Stealth 6, Wits 6, Resolve 7

Key Skills: Grapple: 1d10, Throw: 0d10, Arm Strike: 2d10, Leg Strike: 3d10, Light Melee: 2d10, Medium Melee: 3d10 (2d10 with Ox Tail Dao), Heavy Melee: 2d10, Speed: 2d10, Muscle: 3d10, Detect: 1d10

Qi: 5

Max Wounds: 11

Weapon: Ox Tail Dao (5d10 Damage)

Techniques (Waijia 2, Qingong 2): Blasting Blade, Whirling Blade, Spinning Back Kick, Slicing Blade of the Swan Taming Strike, Sword Whipping Strike, Whirling Dodge (counter), Graceful Retreat (counter)

WEI CHENGSI

Wei Chengsi is a bitter and lonely man. Ugly and a mere servant in the Han household he is jealous of his master (Scholar Han). He wants to be adored like him and wants to be good looking like him. He also wants money, titles, etc. He started making visits to Plum Tree temple not long ago and a priest there instructed him in the Harvest Qi by Blood Ritual and Skin Transference Ritual. With these he intends to swap places with his master, kill him, then take his position. He doesn’t realize how poorly prepared he is for such responsibility. In order to achieve this goal he will need to Harvest 12 levels of Qi from local martial heroes. As Master Chen has recently called for a tournament, the time is ideal to strike.

Defenses

Hardiness 3, Evade 3, Parry 3, Stealth 9, Wits 7, Resolve 6

Key Skills

Grapple: 0d10, Throw: 0d10, Arm Strike: 0d10, Leg Strike: 0d10, Light Melee: 0d10, Medium Melee: 0d10, Heavy Melee: 1d10, Small Ranged: 1d10, Speed: 0d10, Muscle: 2d10, Ritual (Harvest Qi by Blood): 3d10, Qi Ritual (Skin Transference): 2d10, Trade (Wood): 2d10, Trade (Metal): 2d10, Survival (Wilderness): 3d10, Talent (Brewing): 2d10, Talent (Cooking): 2d10

Max Wounds: 1

Equipment: Stick (0d10 Damage)

Skin Transference of Plum Tree Temple (TN 8)

This terrifying ritual is painful for both the caster and target. You utter a series of words long forgotten and a great wind arises. Immediately your skin peels off and the skin of one other person also peels off (provided they are within seeing distance). The flesh hovers in the air and swaps bodies, making you look exactly like the person and vice versa. This effect lasts for five hours, then painfully reverses when it is done. Each time skin swaps causes 1 wound. However if one of the individuals involved in the ritual dies, the exchange is permanent. Using this ability drains 12 Qi Ranks.

YAKSHA DEMONS

These are small demons Red, blood-colored hair and black skin. They feed on human blood and flesh.

Defenses

Hardiness 8, Evade 5, Parry 4, Stealth 9, Wits 7, Resolve 6

Key Skills

Bite: 2d10 (5d10 Open), Claw: 2d10 (3d10 and special), Speed: 8d10 (110 feet), Detect: 2d10, Muscle: 3d10, Deception: 2d10, Language (Any): 3d10, Talent (Singing): 3d10

Max Wounds: 6

Powers:

Devour: The teeth and mouths of Yaksha Demons are exceptionally large and lethal. They deliver 5d10 Open Damage on a successful bite.

Blood Nail: The finger nails of Yaksha are narrow and sharp, ideal for puncturing veins. When they hit with their claws, on a Total Success, they cause the target to bleed profusely (1 Extra Wound a round until the bleeding is stopped). They can also use this to help feed on sleeping victims at night.

Singing Whisper: The Yaksha can sing a gentle melody that lulls people to sleep. Roll their Talent (Singing) against Resolve. On a success the person falls asleep for an hour. On a Total Success they fall asleep for 8 hours.

Immunities: Yaksha are only harmed by energy attacks and cold. Peach Tree wood is particularly harmful to them (any weapon made of Peach Tree Wood will hurt them normally).

Spiteful Burst: Yaksha do not like being captured and would rather die than be forced to cultivate or reform. They can explode themselves in a blast of burning blood. Roll 4d10 against the Evade of everyone in the area. Those affected take 5d10 Fire Damage (no need for Total Success to function).

  

THE LAQUERED PLUM TREE BOX

This box made from Plum Tree Wood originates from Plum Tree Temple. Inside are 15 Yaksha Demons who do the bidding of the owner. When the lid is opened, the owner states a number and this brings forth the amount of Yaksha’s he wishes to perform a task. They can remain out of the box for about an hour (each hour after that they take 1 wound). While in the box they are undetectable. One Yaksha escaped some time ago and now controls spirits and ghosts in the region (you can learn about him HERE).