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Pinechild
Sep 14, 2011
Joey

As Ming is being ushered off to bed, Joey says to her, "Thank you both for sharing your excellent home with me for the evening, and to Miss Xia especially for such fine conversation over breakfast. I hope that if my companions and I should have occasion to return to Gongfang, that I should be so lucky as to share a meal with you again." She bows, respectfully, and goes to meet with the rest of the crew.

Hopefully someone will have some more information about what's going on in this town, since from what she heard, she's got a really bad feeling about that monastery.

code:
Joey
Endurance, Night, Fire

HP: 10/10 	 AC: 1	
Effort: [][][]
Inf: 2/2	 Dom: 0 
Attack: +4 1d10 Fire damage (magic) or 1d8 mace (physical)

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Ryuujin
Sep 26, 2007
Dragon God
Tam "the Boulder" Tsang

Tam easily keeps pace with Xiang as they drink the morning away, and once Xiang is good and sauced he takes his leave. "That was a good time, perhaps we can do it again sometime." Then he makes his way to meet up with the others.

code:
Tam "the Boulder" Tsang
Might, Earth, Passion

HP: 11/11 	 AC: 0	
Effort: [][][]
Inf: 2/2	 Dom: 0 
Attack: +5 1d10(12)+4 Magical Damage

Ryuujin fucked around with this message at 18:59 on May 29, 2017

DeTosh
Jan 14, 2010
Slippery Tilde
Roth

Roth cringes, feeling like an idiot. But the old priest was clearly upset even before he asked the question. Worse still, Roth knew he was going to have to pry further if he was going to help Wan in any way. As if to drive that point home, the man slowly becomes more...obvious in his vision, somehow standing out from the rest of the room. Roth's gaze shoots down to his plate. "I am sorry. May I ask what happened?"

Not using Read the Signs so much as foreshadowing that Roth has the Gift.

code:
Lionel Reese
Fate, Sword, Alacrity

HP: 8/8
AC: 1
Effort: [ ][ ]
Influence: 2/2
Dominion: 0
Attack: +3
Weapon: 1d10+1, Magical

DeTosh fucked around with this message at 10:42 on May 17, 2017

Quornes
Jun 23, 2011
Johnny
Still lounging around and enjoying very much his relaxing vacation here in the rustic countryside, Johnny has decided this is his vacation. And as such he will enjoy it to its full extent. To further this, he says to the kind old lady, "Is there anywhere good to eat around here. Or any sights worth seeing?"


code:
Johnny
Death, Luck, Time

HP: 9/9 	 AC: 0	
Effort: [][][]
Inf: 2/2	 Dom: 0 
Attack: +4 1d10 Magical Damage

wtsnaename
Dec 20, 2005

And their legs get
stuck in my teeth!
EM

Enno and Johnny spend time conversing, with some members reconvening throughout their repose. They perhaps come to a decision throughout their sharing, though it would take Roth finding his way back to the group.

In a conjunction with his theotechnics, and his impressive workmanship, Enno begins work on a small miniaturized drone prototype, in the intent of getting a better lay of the land, while waiting for a decision, and Roth to return. The drone's shell appears as small bird fashioned of tea bush leaves held together on a scaffolding of a wooden body; but would require much more intricate work and dedicated time to be useful in any capacity.

Intending to get some automaton eyes-in-the-sky to do some scouting using the artifice intrinsic.
Will commit effort to build them faster if necessary, or to emulate the "Eyes in the Sky" gift (pg. 50), if
this plan doesn't actually work as I think it should.


code:
EM, 
Artifice, Command, and Sky

HP: 9/9 	 AC: -1	
Effort: [][][]
Inf: 2/2	 Dom: 0 
Attack: +4 1d6 Physical Damage

wtsnaename fucked around with this message at 20:33 on May 17, 2017

Megazver
Jan 13, 2006
Your Diesel GM Locomotive

Roth:

Word by word, you manage to extract the priest's sob story out of him. There was a daughter. She went to the monastery as a 'volunteer'. He hasn't heard of her since. He is desperate to get her back or at least to find out what happened to her. After he finishes sharing this with you, he excuses himself and locks himself in another room.

Presumably you reunite with the group.


Y'all:

You reunite under the peach tree near the Inn and share your many findings, Enno taking the opportunity to lay out his plans to go full Colonel Kurtz to you. You all nervously giggle, exchanging awkward glances. Some of you feel extremely hampered by your inability to express your emotions on this with a witty, highly appropriate meme. Then, as you're just about done exchanging information, you notice something.

The street that you are currently on proceeds a bit further and ends in, what those of you who are familiar with Ren culture, recognize as the public square in front of the town yamen, the yamen, of course, being a Ren town's combination town hall slash courthouse slash prison. And now you see people gathering on said square, which you totally decide to go and check out because this poo poo is on rails, yo.

-------------------------------

The man talking is clearly the Magistrate Li himself. He looks the picture of a proper junzi, a scholar-official, stout as befits a man of his stature, dressed in a fine-embroidered silk robe and in a possession of a magnificent black beard. There is a group of bored-looking constables standing behind him.

He slowly paces back and forth in front of a small group of about a half-dozen young men and women, dressed in white robes and black hats, all of them looking various degrees of miserable. Behind them, and the group which you quietly join to observe the scene, is a larger crowd of what appear to be their parents and extended family; the men stone-faced and grim, many women quietly weeping. Whatever bystanders there are on the plaza studiously avoid even looking at this gathering.

The Magistrate, in a rich, eloquent baritone, commends the youngsters on their filial devotion to their parents. Indeed, Dulimbai is safe as long as there are such as they in it. Their noble choice to devote the best years of their life to study under the famed sage and scholar Real Man Xiao will doubtlessly bring them much spiritual merit, even as it liberates their parents from the regrettable burden of overdue taxes. He clucks his tongue in disappointment that it has come to this and shakes his head, then continues. Of course, he adds, any of them who think better of their choice and no longer wish to study at the Red Crow Monastery are free to do so and are welcome to say so now.

No one speaks. The silence is an uneasy one.



Then the cries of terror begin. As you turn around, on the opposite side of the plaza, you see a robed woman, wreathed in billowing plumes of shimmering black mist, descending from the sky. She is screaming something in a voice that is both sound and smoke somehow, the transformation makes it impossible to discern the meaning, and waving the long sleeves of her white robe in a mixture of frustration and desperation, as she attempts to communicate.

The bystanders scream and scatter all around. The Magistrate is ushered inside the yamen by his constables.

What do you do?

Pinechild
Sep 14, 2011
Joey

While the magistrate is addressing the crowd, Joey is quietly translating for the parts of the crew that don't speak Ren. As the speech goes on, she's starting to get visibly disturbed, and mutters, "This is so hosed up, why would selling these kids to the monastery even get their families out of a tax duty anyway?"

As the woman descends, Joey moves through the fleeing crowd like a boat moving upstream, assuming that her friends are beside her. She asks them, "Can anybody tell what she's saying? Also, what the gently caress?" Hopefully whatever gift Enno was using to talk to Chin the Fish Guy can decipher what she's screaming about, but just in case, Joey starts talking as soon as she's within reasonable earshot (i.e. not shouting across the entire yamen square).

"Please, madam, calm down. We are travelers here, but we want to help you if we can. What's wrong?"

code:
Joey
Endurance, Night, Fire

HP: 10/10 	 AC: 1	
Effort: [][][]
Inf: 2/2	 Dom: 0 
Attack: +4 1d10 Fire damage (magic) or 1d8 mace (physical)

Megazver
Jan 13, 2006
Johnny, being a nerd magical expert realizes that the woman is billowing, and perhaps transforming, into a cloud of tainted yin qi-energy. By the looks of it, she is not long from going 'poof!'. Enno, although he does not understand the terminology, feels this as well with his mastery over Sky.

Quornes
Jun 23, 2011
Johnny

"It seems the lady is not far off from dying in an exploding could of tainted yin qi-energy. Unless we do something shes going to die" Johnny says as he keeps snacking on some nuts he bought from a vendor.


code:
Johnny
Death, Luck, Time

HP: 9/9 	 AC: 0	
Effort: [][][]
Inf: 2/2	 Dom: 0 
Attack: +4 1d10 Magical Damage

DeTosh
Jan 14, 2010
Slippery Tilde
Roth

Roth's gaze darts between Johnny and the woman. "Any ideas on how to stop that from happening, professor?!"

code:
Lionel Reese
Fate, Sword, Alacrity

HP: 8/8
AC: 1
Effort: [ ][ ]
Influence: 2/2
Dominion: 0
Attack: +3
Weapon: 1d10+1, Magical

wtsnaename
Dec 20, 2005

And their legs get
stuck in my teeth!
EM

By way of the fledgling spark of divinity, Enno instinctively reacts. Not dissimilar to the clouds in the sky, he takes to re-condensing the woman by way of his will. Winds adjust around her, adding atmospheric pressure to her billowing form, and the airspace she occupies becoming visibly cold. Even if merely as an exercise in the depth of his control rather than any sort of emotional concern, EM does his best to shape the word of sky to maintain her stability. Something in this situation speaks to the conversation he had with the Taoist priest who hosted him, and he makes a mental note to relate this happening to Red Cap Hong as soon as he can.

"Woman, speak with purpose, I am unsure how long I can keep this- you- together!"

Committing Effort to Sky-Miracle this chick into sticking around.

code:
EM, 
Artifice, Command, and Sky

HP: 9/9 	 AC: -1	
Effort: [D][][]
Inf: 2/2	 Dom: 0 
Attack: +4 1d6 Physical Damage

wtsnaename fucked around with this message at 09:47 on May 18, 2017

Megazver
Jan 13, 2006
Your fearsomely fragrant GM

Enno reluctantly goes against his first instincts and actually attempts to save the woman. As Enno's miracle-magic takes hold of her, she drops to all fours on the smooth paving stones, smoke-screaming in pain, but, as Enno keeps shaping the energies that are consuming her, she burns less and less until, finally, her qi-immolation subsides and she crumples onto the ground, unconscious but alive, and out of harm's way.

Yay! Enno has done something a not-bad-person would do! I mean, I apologize and I will make sure the circumstances that led to something like this happening will not reoccur.

As the excitement dies down and the woman doesn't die at all, the spectators slowly begin to emerge from cover. They stare at you with a mixture of wariness and awe, muttering among themselves, getting closer, but keeping a respectful distance from you.

Then, one of the braver ones, who get close enough to check if the woman is alright, suddenly exclaims, <Hey, isn't that Fei Lun? It's her! She's back!> The others start shouting with excitement. A relative is found in the crowd. She is gathered up and rushed to her family's house.

I could just put in the next scene with you tagging along and interrogating her at her home as well, but I need to take a break, so it'd take me a little while to write that, so might as well post this for now, maybe you'll have some other ideas.

Megazver
Jan 13, 2006
Your Genetically Modified GM

You follow the crowd, with the intention of talking to the woman when she comes round and no one stops you. Fei Lun's family's house is nothing fancy, but it's not a hovel either. The parents are first stunned to see their daughter back, then grateful to you to the point of obsequiousness. After Fei Lun has been put to bed, you get to hear their story. They, too, had been forced to 'volunteer' one of their children to the monastery study in exchange for a wipe of their sizeable tax debts - the father's eyes harden and jaw muscles twitch when the mother relays this - the Magistrate is as bad as Big Feet Zu and his gangsters, and they were fearing the worst, which, as it turns out, was barely averted. Are you, too, Taoist sages or perhaps arcanists of the Black Academies? Which would be totally fine, of course. Always thought they were amazing, isn't that right? In fact-

That's when Fei Lun comes to. She is incredibly weak and not exactly lucid, but you do manage to gently pry some information out of her:

She doesn't remember much about her days at the monastery, but it wasn't pleasant. Real Man Xiao is conducting experiments in immortality and he is not picky about his methods. She herself fell victim of one of the experiments and was trying go back to town to warn the others, but would have doubtlessly failed to do so if it weren't for you. As a group. Definitely not Enno alone. You can't get much else out of her and she soon falls back into unconsciousness. The parents don't dare say anything to you, but you can tell by their faces that they'd rather you leave now.

Which is when a messenger, a short, bald man in a clerk's robes, walks in, respectfully bows to the family, bows much lower to you and hands you a message from Magistrate. It seems he would be honored to talk to the brave heroes of the town at their earliest convenience about an important matter which concerns the town's security.

Pinechild
Sep 14, 2011
Joey

As Fei Lun's story is told, Joey gets quietly angrier at the blatant injustice of it all. Clearly Real Man Xiao and the monastery need to be... dissuaded from further experimentation before any more lives are uselessly sacrificed, and it seems like the magistrate is in it up to his eyeballs.

When the messenger from the magistrate arrives, she smiles at the man, fate handing her a perfect opportunity. "I would be delighted to speak to the honorable Magistrate about any dangers to this fine town, although I of course cannot speak for my companions." The expression on her face makes it extremely clear that she wants all of them to go with her; however, she'd understand if you have a good reason to do otherwise. You'll be missing the fireworks if you do, though!

If there's anybody in the party who doesn't speak Ren, assume Joey's either summarized or quickly translated the important bits for you.

code:
Joey
Endurance, Night, Fire

HP: 10/10 	 AC: 1	
Effort: [][][]
Inf: 2/2	 Dom: 0 
Attack: +4 1d10 Fire damage (magic) or 1d8 mace (physical)

Ryuujin
Sep 26, 2007
Dragon God
Tam "the Boulder" Tsang

As Tam comes along with the others he does what he can to calm the parents down, reassuring them that their daughter will be okay. He listens carefully when the girl wakes up, and he is ready to leave when she falls back asleep. He begins to make his way out when the messenger arrives. He stops to listen. The usual perpetual smile upon his face now long gone.

He looks to Joey when she speaks up. He nods. "Yes. We will meet with the Magistrate. There are clearly things wrong with this land." Again Tam is unusually serious during this conversation.

code:
Tam "the Boulder" Tsang
Might, Earth, Passion

HP: 11/11 	 AC: 0	
Effort: [][][]
Inf: 2/2	 Dom: 0 
Attack: +5 1d10(12)+4 Magical Damage

Ryuujin fucked around with this message at 18:59 on May 29, 2017

Quornes
Jun 23, 2011
Johnny

Johnny just rolls his eyes at how the group has fallen into this problem and blindly dashing in to solve it. Its like one of those monster of the week animes he watches. "Fine fine, since we're all going lets just get this over with."


code:
Johnny
Death, Luck, Time

HP: 9/9 	 AC: 0	
Effort: [][][]
Inf: 2/2	 Dom: 0 
Attack: +4 1d10 Magical Damage

wtsnaename
Dec 20, 2005

And their legs get
stuck in my teeth!
EM

The venerable artificer doesn't interfere in the more delicate matter of conversing with the family, or the girl as she stirs. He had done enough in saving her. However, he does have the foresight to record her waking words in a video captured on his smartphone. Of course, this bit of evidence against the Magistrate and Monastery was going to be difficult to explain to the residents of Gongfang; but the content of its record would be wisely kept for swaying detractors or bolstering the team's cause, should they need it. It could also be useful for blackmail against the powers of the city; but that thought was brief.

When the clerk enters, Enno's attention is much more rapt upon the idea of actually meeting this man, who at the moment seems fashioned of pure evil.

"Of course, Joey; Tam," he cuts a glance at Johnny and his coerced attendance, "Anyone decent would gladly see to your company."

As they leave with the clerk, EM pays a young courier to advise Red Cap Hong to the address of the family; perhaps he could provide them some solace or magics to their aid if he saw fit.

code:
EM, 
Artifice, Command, and Sky

HP: 9/9 	 AC: -1	
Effort: [][][]
Inf: 2/2	 Dom: 0 
Attack: +4 1d6 Physical Damage

Megazver
Jan 13, 2006
Your enthusiastically beatboxing GM

The clerk, dismissed, hurries out of the house and around the corner as fast as he can.

You step out of the house, the pretend camera doing a Michael Bay shot around you. Is Man With A Harmonica playing? Sure. At least in my head-canon it is.

You make your way back to the yamen square to some GM-hummed Morricone. Nothing here reminds you of the dramatic events that took place here a short while ago. Note to Enno: Perhaps toss off a quick life-size memorial to yourself during the lunch break? As you approach the yamen gate, there is a number of bored-looking constables there on guard duty, who nod to you, and open it to let you through. One of them breaks off from the group to serve as your guide.

Inside it's the typical hustle and bustle of a bureaucracy, instantly recognizable as such even if the costumes are all different. As you walk through the yamen corridors, you see a lot of constables inside rooms, sitting in small groups, following your passage with wary gazes, most of them seemingly having their midday noodles in-between the patrols.

Your guide leads you to a set of heavy double doors, redwood and carved in, pushes them open with some difficulty and ushers you inside. It's an audience hall, small, but tastefully decorated - wallpaper with sparse, delicate floral patterns, a few urns and paintings of forested landscaped arranged in a pattern that is, presumably, feng shui as gently caress.

And right now, there are also three tables in middle of the hall, with steaming bowls of food being hurriedly put on them by frantic servants. The Magistrate sit at the head of the smallest table, which is set on the small dais at the far end of the hall, a bunch of scrolls in front of him and a pair of antique round glasses on his face. There is also an honor guard of constables lined up next to the walls of the hall; they look distinctly uncomfortable, sullen and slouching.

The Magistrate looks at you over his glasses and offers you a genial smile, then takes the glasses off, pushes them aside with the scrolls and greets you in fluent, lightly accented Pelagic:

"Ah, the heroes of the day! Welcome, welcome." He groans as he straightens his back, then slumps back in his chair with a disarming grin. "I have to say, I still can't believe the luck of you arriving at the moment you did to save that poor girl. You were like... superheroes, yes? Bang, kapow, snikt!"

He chuckles at his joke, then sighs, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"I had my suspicions about that place, but I didn't realize it was this bad. With the forest cultists and the brigands I'd say you were the only good thing to happen to me in the last few years." He smiles again. "But come. Sit down. Let's have the customary celebratory banquet."

He gestures at the other two tables, where five chairs await you.

Megazver fucked around with this message at 22:53 on May 19, 2017

DeTosh
Jan 14, 2010
Slippery Tilde
Roth

Roth is feeling pretty uncomfortable himself. Not to mention, distrustful of the magistrate. Still, they wouldn't have a better chance to learn more about...whatever was going on in this village, nor an easier way. Well, maybe he would. "Thank you," Roth says to the magistrate. This time, he allows whatever was happening with Wan to play out in full.

Using Read the Signs to get an impression of Xiao's past and future.

code:
Lionel Reese
Fate, Sword, Alacrity

HP: 8/8
AC: 1
Effort: [ ][ ]
Influence: 2/2
Dominion: 0
Attack: +3
Weapon: 1d10+1, Magical

Megazver
Jan 13, 2006
You take in a broad picture of the Magistrate Li.

He is in his thirties. Shrewd, competent, not exactly a pillar of morality. He got demoted to this lovely little frontier town after an ill-received poem about the Regent and has spent the last two years trying to curry favor with his superior, Governor Jiang of Yizhao, to get his support for a transfer to somewhere more civilized. He's really had to hustle for this. He has an older wife and a hot young Raktian concubine, whom he adores. The former isn't exactly thrilled about the latter.

His future is in flux, you being the chief factor. You can barely see a thread of the future that was likely to happen without you entering the picture; he'd succeed at getting the tranfer and get the gently caress outta town.

He is more or less a 3HD commoner. Most of you could probably kill him with a dismissive fillip.

Quornes
Jun 23, 2011
Johnny

Johnny looks a bit upset at the use of the word superhero. "The proper term is sentai, good sir. And we know what caused the girls misfortune. Real man...really his name is real man xiao? Real Man Xiao and his experiments are to blame."

He waves his arm around the room. "You obviously wish you were somewhere more...advanced yes? You can send us in his directions, report you gathered worthy sentai who promptly disposed of him in the name of justice, and be back on your way to the capital."


code:
Johnny
Death, Luck, Time

HP: 9/9 	 AC: 0	
Effort: [][][]
Inf: 2/2	 Dom: 0 
Attack: +4 1d10 Magical Damage

Pinechild
Sep 14, 2011
Joey

The magistrate is definitely not what Joey expected. (Granted, what she was expecting was pretty much something out of those awful operas her parents liked, with the beard-stroking obviously evil villains, but still). This... might require more subtlety and less open flame than she had planned.

She addresses the magistrate. "Honorable magistrate, my friend is correct in that we would prefer to deal with the problem of the monastery as soon as possible, before anything else Master Xiao may have... unintentionally released can come back to haunt your town, and as such time is of the essence and we must most regretfully decline your most generous offer of hospitality." She's trying very hard to be circumspect and polite--hopefully, if she gives him enough rope, he'll have the good sense to hang himself in front of witnesses. Also, her grandparents would probably slap her for being rude to a real, official junzi in the flesh, even if he was an evil dick. "However, if we might ask a few simple questions of you before we depart, it would help us immensely--as the magistrate, you must of course be aware of the comings and goings of this town, and any information you might have regarding the troubles that have been occurring would be greatly appreciated. Miss Fei told us something about Xiao's methods, but if you know anything of his history and skills, we would have the advantage in any confrontation."

And just in case that load of bullshit doesn't work, she adds, "Also, may I be the first to say that your Pelagic is amazingly good. Where did you learn it from?" Flattery might not get you everywhere, but it might be a start.

Obviously anyone who wants to stay for the banquet and/or pump the guests for more information is welcome to do so, but Joey sees a lot more benefit in getting on top of the monastery problem ASAP. Problems that aren't literally killing people can wait.

code:
Joey
Endurance, Night, Fire

HP: 10/10 	 AC: 1	
Effort: [][][]
Inf: 2/2	 Dom: 0 
Attack: +4 1d10 Fire damage (magic) or 1d8 mace (physical)

Megazver
Jan 13, 2006
Your fluently pelagophone GM

Annoyance flickers on his face as Johnny casually mentions his private shame and his innermost ambitions, but it's immediately replaced again by attentive concern.

"Report?" He bursts into genuine laughter. "Report that I've sent, nay, ordered someone to dispose of the sage installed here on the order of the Reg- the Governor, to research immortality for the benefit of the," he makes an emphatic pause, "Governor, reporting it to said Governor?" He is too cultured to follow on that with a sarcastic quip, so he elegantly sips from a tea bowl instead, then plainly states: "I don't think that would be to anyone's benefit."

He sips from the cup again and stares at one of the paintings on the wall.

"You have, of course, seen the mountain to the east? The one closest to the town, shrouded in mist? It is well-known to the scholars in the field for the peculiar red-plumed crows which give it its name - not that you can go there to study them these days. The monastery is on this mountain, near the summit, rebuilt two years ago with the government-stamped money Real Man Xiao brought with him when he arrived to this town."

He frowns at the memory.

"Either way, these days the monastery is impossible to reach by regular means. The wards, for that is what the mists are, confuse you, crush your spirit, make you walk in circles until you stumble out of the mists at the foot of the mountain, having made no progress. I am not privy to any means of passing through them."

"When the time comes to send more... students," he grimaces at the word, "his apprentice, a woman by the name of Perfected Woman Wen comes down from the mountain to lead them back up. I do not know her methodology in this matter. I've discussed this with the guards that are sent to escort them and they haven't noticed her do anything other than just... walk. She was going to come down to lead the current batch back up, but I suspect that is no longer going to happen."

He gestures for a constable to refill his tea bowl and strokes his beard in thought, before continuing:

"If the noble heroes are open to hearing a few idle thoughts of mine, may I suggest a potential course of action? There is a man in Gongfang by the name of Big Feet Zu, who is the big rice broker in the region." He scowls with distaste. "He is also a villain and a tattooed dog, a brigand-leader, one that I've been forced to co-exist with, because I lack the strength to deal with him."

"I have no solid evidence for this, but I have reason to believe he's had his own dealings with Real Man Xiao. He is on the death's door himself, you see, and desperate for any means of delaying the inevitable. I am sure if you were to go to his estate outside of town and... hurry him along, you would find something useful to your cause there and, at the very least, deprive Real Man Xiao of a useful ally. Perhaps even force his hand somehow."

He seems extremely pleased to hear praise of his Pelagic. "Thank you. We here in Dulimbai, of course, do not have access to all the pre-War luxuries that you in the Republic take for granted, but we are not entirely cut off from your culture. Those of us lucky enough to serve in the capital have a certain degree of access to some of your," he carefully forms the unusual word in his mouth, "media. Printed books, recordings of music... even motion pictures." He smiles at some private memory.

wtsnaename
Dec 20, 2005

And their legs get
stuck in my teeth!
EM

"Our 'noble' dealings in this shanty-town would be much more facile with a certain degree of political flexibility, sir." Enno says, taking a sip of this dirty-flower-water and wishing, deeply, it was coffee. "I assume you know what I mean. Some manner of deputizing, that we can thereby avoid any of those who might intend to harangue us; like your slack-eyed constables or offensive pork-bun vendors."

code:
EM, 
Artifice, Command, and Sky

HP: 9/9 	 AC: -1	
Effort: [D][C][]
Inf: 2/2	 Dom: 0 
Attack: +4 1d10 Magic Damage

wtsnaename fucked around with this message at 14:59 on May 20, 2017

Megazver
Jan 13, 2006
Your GM, from the depths of a trenchcoat

The Magistrate quirks an eyebrow.

"Actually, it might be best for everyone involved if we kept any of our arrangements strictly unofficial. You don't strike as someone who needs deputizing to accomplish these things, anyway."

"I will, of course, order my constables to not interfere in any of your activies."

Megazver fucked around with this message at 19:36 on May 20, 2017

Pinechild
Sep 14, 2011
Joey

"Thank you for the information, Magistrate. If you think Big Feet Zu might have information on how to pass the mists, we can certainly go investigate him." She's heard enough about the bandits to make her willing to go on this detour, especially if she can get recorded evidence of the Magistrate being actively complicit in whatever experiments are going on. If she heard what he was trying to cover up correctly, the Dulimbai Regent might be directly involved in this, which makes everything more complicated. If the Regent is directly ordering this, the Magistrate might not have a lot of choice in the matter.

"We appreciate your discretion regarding our involvement in this matter, especially if the... Governor is the one who sent Master Xiao to Gongfang. Of course, if Xiao is overstepping his bounds we would provide you evidence to take to the Governor--certainly he can't have meant for any experiments to harm your people." Or, any evidence that implicates the Magistrate can be used against him with the people. Either way, she wants recordings.

code:
Joey
Endurance, Night, Fire

HP: 10/10 	 AC: 1	
Effort: [][][]
Inf: 2/2	 Dom: 0 
Attack: +4 1d10 Fire damage (magic) or 1d8 mace (physical)

DeTosh
Jan 14, 2010
Slippery Tilde
Roth

"Do you have any advice on how to approach Zu? I mean, I'm not expecting to resolve your issues with him peacefully, but it'd probably be helpful for us if he wasn't ready for trouble. Might keep the area from becoming a battlefield." At least for a while.

code:
Lionel Reese
Fate, Sword, Alacrity

HP: 8/8
AC: 1
Effort: [ ][ ]
Influence: 2/2
Dominion: 0
Attack: +3
Weapon: 1d10+1, Magical

DeTosh fucked around with this message at 06:51 on May 22, 2017

Megazver
Jan 13, 2006
Your glorious Spielfuhrer

"Advice?" Magistrate Li lightly shrugs. "Just do whatever it is you do. I am sure whatever his rabble can do against you is no match for your considerable talents."

He mimes looking at a wristwatch, offers you a wry smile and rises from the table.

"Now, if you will excuse me. Paperwork is, how you would say, a bitch without a word processor." He pauses. "Whatever that even is. Feel free to finish the meal to your satisfaction. The dumplings, in particular, are usually the highlight of my day."

"May your ancestors guide you."

He walks out of the hall, followed by most of the constables.

-------------------------------

The constable who first led you around explains the way to Zu's estate - apparently it's about a mile to the east, can't miss it, good luuuuck - then hurriedly disappears back in the yamen. The gate closes shut with a neat clunk. The constables guarding it studiously avoid looking in your direction. It's quiet. The sky is bright blue, not a single cloud in it. The air is still. You look at each other, put on your choo-choo wheels and mount the rails thoughtfully provided by your kind, benevolent GM.

-------------------------------

On your way to the east gate, you pass by Enno's nemesis, the pork bun vendor. He gives Enno the evil eye, then notices the rest of you and, deciding this is an opportunity not to be passed by, wheels his cart closer to you.

"Honorable heroes, you look like you could use a pork bun!" He pats the cart. "Pork bun make you strong, strong like pork bun! Why live life without pork bun in hand?" For a moment he is sincerely lost in sheer bafflement at the concept. "Why? Take pork bun now! Take five each, become whole man!" He bows to Joey. "Or woman!"

------------------------------

As you approach the gate you come upon the other book-detailed opening hook scene. *cracks his copy-pasting fingers*

Two burly, tattooed hooligans are brawling in the middle of an empty side-street, their shirtless torsoes slick with sweat. They grapple, punch and kick at each other with enthusiastic shouts, but neither of them reaches for the knives that are hanging on their belts. The match seems to be an uneven one, with one of the brawlers obviously doing better than the other.

The few bystanders that are still there are very busy pretending they aren't seeing anything and getting the hell away from there. An old lady pulls window shutters shut just as one of the hooligans slams the other into them. You see a constable appear from around the corner, mid-bite into a pork bun, pause staring at what's going on and, without even turning around, step back, back, back and out of sight.

What do you do?

Pinechild
Sep 14, 2011
Joey

Joey might have to catch up to the group a little, because she definitely spent 5 minutes convincing the meat bun guy that her pocket change was a) real money and b) enough to buy a bun. gently caress yeah, questionable meat bun, just like Mama used to make.

However, she's back with everybody else by the time they roll up on the... street wrestlers? What's even going on there? She asks everybody, "Okay, who wants to break up the sweaty shoving match over there so we can find out where Zu is?"

code:
Joey
Endurance, Night, Fire

HP: 10/10 	 AC: 1	
Effort: [][][]
Inf: 2/2	 Dom: 0 
Attack: +4 1d10 Fire damage (magic) or 1d8 mace (physical)

Ryuujin
Sep 26, 2007
Dragon God
Tam "the Boulder" Tsang

Tam stops with the others, taking a few moments to watch the match. He easily notices the difference in strength, but it isn't till Joey talks about separating them that he really notices the trouble they seem to be causing for others.

"Well it is a shame to break up such youthful enthusiasm, but they do seem to be causing a bit of a commotion for the local populace." He confidently and bombastically strides forth toward the battle, casually slipping between the two combatants and grabbing a swinging fist from each, twisting and turning to switch their positions and then casually putting their hands together into a shake.

"Now now, I am all for a good match, but this is causing problems for your neighbors. So why don't you calm down, shake it out, and explain why you are fighting!" And he beams through the whole thing, smiling upon the hooligans as if he fully expects them to do as he asks.

code:
Tam "the Boulder" Tsang
Might, Earth, Passion

HP: 11/11 	 AC: 0	
Effort: [][][]
Inf: 2/2	 Dom: 0 
Attack: +5 1d10(12)+4 Magical Damage

Ryuujin fucked around with this message at 19:00 on May 29, 2017

Megazver
Jan 13, 2006
Master of Games, I'm Pulling Your Strings

The pork buns are great. You buy some and move on, enthusiastically chewing. Enno is deffo missing out. Om nom nom.

Roth, who is right there with you the whole time, as he always is, why wouldn't he be, has been even more characteristically quiet after doing a quick practice Fate read on the Pork Bun Guy. Whatever he saw there has left him in an amazed stupor and he's spent the remainder of your walk a few steps behind you, shaking his head and muttering under breath.

He snaps out of it, though, when Tam breaks up the fight. The two hoodlums stare at the giant man in disbelief, vainly trying to pull their hands out of his grip. One of them falls to his knees for extra leverage and puts all he has into an effort to first loosen Tam's grip, then just try to uncurl Tam's pinky. He pants, his eyes bulging with effort, but he gets nowhere.

The other's hand briefly goes to the knife at his belt, but then, realizing the sheer inhuman strength of the man before him and the fact that with companions, Tam outnumbers them as well, and reconsiders, making a show of slowly dropping the knife and raising his empty hand in a conciliatory gesture.

Roth scans them.

The gentlemen before you are Ji Number Three (2HD, formerly fated to win the brawl, currently knifeless) and Oxhead Po (1HD, kneeling). Former is an ex-farmer, the latter a disgraced constable, both now thugs in employ of Big Feet Zu. They were fighting over who gets to stand guard over the slave pens back in Zu's estate until the time comes for another chattel run up the mountain, something as trifling as this not being something you bother Zu over, so they were working it out between the two. Their future, as ever the case for mortals whose paths directly cross yours, is in chaotic flux right now, directly depending on your actions.

Pinechild
Sep 14, 2011
Joey

Well, this was kind of funny right up until they said "slave pens," but now she's angry. "We have business with Mr. Zu, so if you bring us to him and then kindly gently caress off, I might forget that I want my friend Mr. Boulder to break your arms." loving slavery, what the gently caress. Now she knows why her grandparents left.

note: if Roth didn't actually share that info with the group, I will edit this post.

code:
Joey
Endurance, Night, Fire

HP: 10/10 	 AC: 1	
Effort: [][][]
Inf: 2/2	 Dom: 0 
Attack: +4 1d10 Fire damage (magic) or 1d8 mace (physical)

Pinechild fucked around with this message at 13:21 on May 23, 2017

wtsnaename
Dec 20, 2005

And their legs get
stuck in my teeth!
EM

"Joey," Enno trails after her obvious misunderstanding of her own native culture, and mentions to her quietly, "If dossiers on the nature of this place are to be believed, slavery is a major part of this culture. A large portion of the inhabitants here consider themselves as such. It may be wise not to take such umbridge with their ways... I am surprised you did not know."

He considers this for a moment, perhaps seeing it as a means to his own ends.

"Of course if you should so deem it necessary. We could put an end to the practice with some time here."

code:
EM, 
Artifice, Command, and Sky

HP: 9/9 	 AC: -1	
Effort: [][][]
Inf: 2/2	 Dom: 0 
Attack: +4 1d6 Physical Damage

Quornes
Jun 23, 2011
Johnny

Johnny brings up the rear of the group. He's impressed with how Tam handles the group, but the man has always been imposing even before their new powers.

"So what are we actually going to do to this guy to get him to talk? I don't think he'll just roll over" Johnny says in Pelagic, their native tongue. He doubts these thugs know it.


code:
Johnny
Death, Luck, Time

HP: 9/9 	 AC: 0	
Effort: [][][]
Inf: 2/2	 Dom: 0 
Attack: +4 1d10 Magical Damage

wtsnaename
Dec 20, 2005

And their legs get
stuck in my teeth!
EM

"You must not have heard." EM says, gesturing toward Joey, " She has threatened to have these men's arms broken if they withhold any information, or lead us astray."

Enno makes no effort to conceal his words with a foreign tongue.

code:
EM, 
Artifice, Command, and Sky

HP: 9/9 	 AC: -1	
Effort: [][][]
Inf: 2/2	 Dom: 0 
Attack: +4 1d6 Physical Damage

DeTosh
Jan 14, 2010
Slippery Tilde
Roth

Roth isn't in much of a better mood than Joey. "One thing at a time," he mutters to EM. "But there's going to be plenty of umbridge in the near future." And he didn't need his strange new vision to tell that much. Roth turns his regard to the men, suppressing a snarl as he asks, "Do either of you know how to get to the monastery?"

code:
Lionel Reese
Fate, Sword, Alacrity

HP: 8/8
AC: 1
Effort: [ ][ ]
Influence: 2/2
Dominion: 0
Attack: +3
Weapon: 1d10+1, Magical

Megazver
Jan 13, 2006
Your Perfect August GM

The two thugs frown at you in confusion. Po, still on his knees, speaks up:

<What? Listen, Lady, you don't want any business with Big Fee- Ow! Just follow the east road outta town, there's signs and poo poo.>

Ji scowls at Tam, then spits at the ground and replies to Joey:

<Yeah, we're not loving with Zu, arms or no arms. Broken arms is better than being worked over with a kitchen cleaver." He half-heartedly kicks at Po, who easily dodges it. "You should break this oval office's arms, though. He loving deserves it.>

<Hey, gently caress you!>

<No, no, gently caress you.>

They exchange insults a while longer, before Tam makes his displeasure known. Finally, Ji sighs:

<Hey, why the gently caress are you trying to find Zu anyway?>

----------------------------------------

They stare in confusion at Roth:

<Why the gently caress would we know how to get to the monastery?>

wtsnaename
Dec 20, 2005

And their legs get
stuck in my teeth!
EM

Enno sighs, annoyed more that one of his number indulged that pork bun vendor than at the two idiots in Tam's clutches.

Enno's tilts his head at Ji, the stronger looking of the two, and raises a hand. Clouds briefly coalesce around him, still in the Boulders grasp. The man convulses with excrutiating pain as the cloud fires lightning within itself, passing through him; enough to kill a lesser man; not unlike being clamped to a car battery.

"I do not know the language you speak, and I do not much care for being left in the dark. As I recall, my young friend here asked you to bring us to Big Feet Zu. I emplore you to acquiesce to her demand. You are welcomed not to, I would very much like to leave your smoking husk of a corpse on the ground like a forgotten dog." With the words, EM looks to Johnny, "As my friend here would appreciate, I believe."


How shocking!: 1d6 1 using the rain of lightning action to shock every desired target (just Ji) within 100 feet.


code:
EM, 
Artifice, Command, and Sky

HP: 9/9 	 AC: -1	
Effort: [][][]
Inf: 2/2	 Dom: 0 
Attack: +4 1d6 Physical Damage

wtsnaename fucked around with this message at 01:19 on May 24, 2017

Ryuujin
Sep 26, 2007
Dragon God
Tam "the Boulder" Tsang

Tam periodically shakes the two by the iron grip upon their arms when they act up. But otherwise doesn't go out of his way to hurt them. Then clouds coalesce around one of the two in his grasp, shocking the man badly. Perhaps even fatally.

Tam frowns, looks to Enno, and speaks. "That was unnecessary. They would have helped us without hurting, or killing, them."

He then turns to the men in his grasp, or at least any still alive and conscious. <You do not need to mess with Zu. You must simply let us meet him, so we may speak with him and find how he gets to the monastery. We wish to speak with Real Man Xiao about a few matters and this Big Feet Zu apparently knows how to get there. >

He looks at Enno again, then continues. <I must apologize for my companion's actions. I did not feel that was necessary. Still we just ask for your cooperation, then you will be released to return to your normal upright citizen lives, rather than following a questionable man like Zu.>

code:
Tam "the Boulder" Tsang
Might, Earth, Passion

HP: 11/11 	 AC: 0	
Effort: [][][]
Inf: 2/2	 Dom: 0 
Attack: +5 1d10(12)+4 Magical Damage

Ryuujin fucked around with this message at 19:00 on May 29, 2017

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Pinechild
Sep 14, 2011
Joey

Joey scowls at Enno, and snaps at him in Pelagic. "Okay, first off, xiaoren aren't slaves and they don't think of themselves as such; slaves can't take the exams. Yeah, there are some, but not 'a large portion.' Second off, slavery is still bullshit regardless of cultural background." There's actually a strong streak of ex-slaves in the Dulimbai refugee community, for obvious reasons, and as such there's a corresponding strong streak of anti-slavery sentiment, even moreso than you'd usually see in the Bright Republic.

When the two guys start to bicker among themselves, she rolls her eyes, and is about to step in when Enno lights them up. Her eyes widen, and she resists the urge to run over and check to make sure the guy is still alive--she figures Tam would have a better handle on that than she would due to sheer proximity. She nods at his speech, and follows up: <"All we want is to know where Zu is. Nobody but us even knows that we're having this conversation. As far as I'm concerned, if you tell us where he is, Zu never even has to know how we found him--we knew the general area from the magistrate down in Gongfang, we just wanted more specific directions. And after we talk to him, Zu might not even be in a position to take offense even if he did find out."> One good thing about Enno's hair trigger is they're probably pretty sure we're serious now.

<"Have you ever heard of the phrase, 'good cop, bad cop'? It's a saying from our home country. Right now, you're talking to good cop--"> she gestures toward herself <"--and good cop doesn't want to hurt you any more than you've already been hurt. However, if you'd rather talk to bad cop...."> She gestures towards Enno, and whispers at him while her face is away from the thugs, "Don't hit them with lightning anymore unless you know exactly what's going on, or this is going to badly."

code:
Joey
Endurance, Night, Fire

HP: 10/10 	 AC: 1	
Effort: [][][]
Inf: 2/2	 Dom: 0 
Attack: +4 1d10 Fire damage (magic) or 1d8 mace (physical)

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