The Problem in Pingliang Prefecture - Tangentloki

The Problem in Pingliang Prefecture is meant to be a wargame that takes place in Wildbow’s Otherverse. It’s meant to give a taste of the lore and setting and explore some new spaces – mainly to avoid issues with canonicity and characterization where I wouldn’t be confident delivering adequate characterizations for characters from the main work – it’s also set in an area that has some, but not a lot of in story characterization to give me the room for some creative extrapolation as well as increasing the representative area of content in the area.

Like Lyons of Lyon, I’m trying to take an area that wasn’t a focus in the main work and make something there to spread out the world a little bit more with some fan work without intruding into the main area of the work much, if not at all.

Restrictions: General

I wanted to minimize the number of parallel victories possible (ideally puzzling out your compatible parties should be part of the effort). I do not want blocks larger than three player factions from forming. This is based on experience in previous wargames; once you have power blocs of three or more players (especially in a game of only 9 factions) then you create a situation where the remaining factions have effectively lost due to the resource imbalance without actually making any direct play mistakes. As players have been gathered from the same suite of servers and are likely to be friends outside of the game this is likely to make power blocs or alliances forming more likely, with each group being able to exert an uneven amount of pressure on the state of the game.

Number of total actions available to write against (making recruiting unlikely, reducing the white cell elements, and providing an upper bound on factions)

Complexity in mechanics and rules need to be resolvable, and generally simple to work with. Infinite complexity is possible, but it’s useful to think of the whole game as having a complexity budget, going outside the budget will burn out players or GM faster, have a higher learning curve, or cause delays that could otherwise have been avoided. A few examples of this in activity are that the Rule of Discourses are blindingly simple; this is because an extremely complicated Rule of Discourse like “Statements that start with the letter A don’t have to be factual” or “Every third sentence must be untrue/nonbinding” are difficult to enact, police, remember, use and ultimately solve. There will be thousands of messages exchanged over the life of the game, having to police obstreperous rules of discourse, and what’s worse expecting players to successfully solve them them using only the context clues delivered by other factions may be too difficult a bar to hit when in operation they are the ability to lie in certain contexts. Operantly something that is only different in extremely narrow cases that cannot be guaranteed to occur, and that from the GM side will not be guaranteed (Not, generally, planned to “Hand someone the Rule of Discourse” in loose intelligence) means that they need to be very simple.

Celestial Bureaucracy:

The Other and Practitioner bureaucrats; having received the mandate of heaven from a previous Emperor. Their reach is wide, but their speed is slow – the gears of the Law do turn. They represent an enfranchised power in Pingliang and have one of the higher levels of starting Might; intended to feel and pay differently than the Sorcerer Hunters and the Zhang; they have many foes with mutually exclusive goals in controlling the Central Government.

Purpose: The Establishment they’re meant to be the Old Guard that is the most entrenched in power, slow to act but wielding broad power with the very hard goal of keeping the pre-inciting event status quo despite the broad variety of problem elements.

Goal: Maintain control.

Limitations: They have high acting power but conversely low character actions, and low reach. They should have exceptional resources.

Power: They should be high power

Secret: They’ve lost the mandate of heaven and need to recover it, or at least prevent others from acquiring it.

Wild Others

New or experienced Others that live between the spaces that Humanity has forgotten. These others have no license or permit to be within Pingliang and work out a meager existence. Preying on the outskirts of mostly aware.

Purpose: This is meant to be a resource faction. Others can be used for a number of purposes and the faction is practically made of them – since those resources are their actioning units and they are meant to start on the weaker end of the scale as well as low “Power” resources their goal must be equally easier. They had a build in ally in the Oni League, who didn’t need to take active actions to “help” them win, but needed to make certain a particular unit didn’t die. This left them with an easier ability to amalgamate into any of the more powerful factions in the game.

Goal: Have an HQ in town and be allied to the winner.

Limitations: They can’t lose their single troop choice

Power: Listed as Med

Secret: Starting location and secret loss objective

Oni League

Agitators, revolutionaries, freedom fighters.The Oni League is here to reclaim space that the bureaucracy has systematically worked to grind the Others under heel, lighting the fires of glorious revolution, and vengeance.

Purpose: Meant to be an olive branch to the Wild Others, as well as in their own right “disposable” assets and protagonists of the revolution arc with an axe to grind with the practitioner heavy town. They get a bunch of configurable abilities that should let them mess with other factions quite a bit.

Goal: Mess up all the greater practitioner powers of Pingliang

Limitations: No troop choices, limited character choices. They're a low action economy.

Power: Low

Secret: Basically all their faction details start out as secrets.

The Zhang Family

A prominent practitioner family with an ancient family practice. Well established and well reported with a bevy of bound others, servants and sycophants. Meant to be a counterpoint of Foil to the Liu, available to defray investigations and initial suspicion, counterbalance the Sorcerer Hunters and CB against each other (being aligned at keeping the SH out, but wanting to Supplant the CB). Meant to be a third “power pole” for the early game.

Purpose: Established challengers to the Celestial Bureaucracy, the second “Big” faction.

Goal: Replace the Bureaucracy

Limitations:

Power: High

Secret:

The Liu Family

An upstart family that is just barely nearing its fourth century as a practitioner edifice – their practice is less refined than their rivals, their resources more meager; but what they lack for in established tradition they attempt to make up for in ambition.

Purpose: Upstart challengers to Zhang, Boogeymen, the snowball faction. Outright villains. If there’s a faction meant to be straight up villains for the purpose of the game it’s the Liu with the rapacious practices. They're a raider faction and rewarded for winning contests (including challenging mandates, or taking challengers to their own) and they also gain from taking away territories from other factions. Starting weak but meant to be bullies to use their own snowball mechanic to become larger threats.

Their number 1 problem is the Sorcerer Hunters and the Temple; the Liu are best against the weaker [Troop] units (Which are a big component of SH and CB forces) and would do well to prey on the Wild Others and Wildflowers first as those factions are relatively weaker when it comes to their combat prowess. Basically “designated bad guys” the Zhang should have served as a smokescreen for suspicion.

They can also freely lie and use that to mislead, turn gainsaying and forswearing on its head and generally subvert expectations.

Goal: Supplant the Zhang or control the government

Limitations: Very few starting actions

Power: Low, but they permanently steal stats; so high growth potential

Secret: They are the Que cutting sorcerers the sorcerer hunters have been hunting

The Wildflowers

A loose coalition of lesser practitioners and merchants who do not have the scope and scale of either of the established families – but from shops and kiosks in the dreaming district they ply their practices and wares; hungry for a bigger piece of prestige, and the pie.

Their mechanics reward them for sales and let them keep acquiring weak “Trinkets” that they can then lie about – meant to arm their allies, weaken their foes and perform a backstab at the right time, they’re relatively weak in combat power – but making enough raw Power can make up for a lot of deficits.

Purpose: Resource faction that focuses on being the “Arms” dealers to the other factions, this is supposed to be a resource funnel for magical equipment

Goal: they want to Supplant the Liu or the Zhang, coming into their own form or respectability

Limitations:

Power: Low

Secret:

The Interlopers

Not local, this group has come to Pingliang from the West; one part exploration survey, one part exploitation survey. These practitioners are quickly making a name for themselves with open smiles and grasping hands. Meant to be on a scavenger hunt, a third faction with reasons to interact with a lot of other factions. It was also to be the fish out of water, or a touchstone for folks more familiar with the non-original work. Because they didn’t have hard enemies/allies it placed them in the middle in a flexible spot to work with whomever they wanted to so long as they could complete their scavenger hunt.

Purpose: Provide a western outlet for Westaboos who really want to leverage Pale information for the express purpose of having an implement etc. It’s also an outlet for “Outsiders”

Goal: Collect Eastern things like a scavenger hunt.

Limitations: Lacks their organizational support.

Power: Medium

Secret:

The Temple

Older than the prefecture and older than the history of the region. This temple has stood; its priests are mysterious figures in rich scarlet robes; some masked, some not. Few have ventured into the shrine itself; and none who have, have spoken about what waits within. Its presence is mostly somnolent, there are stirrings in this time of tribulation.

Purpose: Weak start with a big scary unlock, I’d compare them functionally to Teeth in BGII with the Butcher unlock. Not from another mechanical standpoint They’re here to be an established power that has to play defense for the first half of the game then suddenly gets a big ol 'beefy support for the second half.

Goal:

Limitations: Their biggest resource is unavailable at start.

Power: Low - High

Secret: Mostly the details on their god or not god.

Sorcerer Hunters

Recent Arrivals and a remnant of an order founded on the order of the Qianlong Emperor; they seek to hunt sorcerers who might be a threat to Imperial power.

Purpose: They’re here to also be a problem for CB, but also are actively trying to uncover the Liu

Goal: Find the Liu and execute them or seize control of pingliang

Limitations: as representatives of the government they can’t just start shelling the city

Power: high

White Cells

the meddling kids; Meant to be stage hazard that foils the closest scheme to them every turn adding some level of uncertainty

The Wandering Youxia; Interference that punishes ill doing. Generally on the side of the little guy; he’s a balancing agent that wants to hunt the Foul Cutpurse and ultimately be a foil for any foul meaning practitioners.

The Skilled Cultivator; Wandering immortal wizard. Here to restore the mandate of heaven to the CB but unimpressed with them. More of an asshole that starts fights and adds unpredictability to the map.

The Seven Colored Dragon; Wandering big hazard/Power source. Generally Freezes a territory as a “No combat zone” scaring off or injuring belligerents.

Mysterious Peddler; Wandering source of magical items for purchase. Attempting to meet up with the foul cutpurse, buy the mandate of heaven and skedaddle.

The Foul Cutpurse; Wandering thief. Encountering him in a cell has a chance to steal magic items 33% chance per encounter.

The Addled Augur; Wandering source of Prophecy; can reveal the Auspices for any turn, or tell future or past.

Mandatus

Mantatus is a replacement core ritual; what we know from Pale/Pact is that eastern practices “are different” they have analogues to the Western core three and that eastern practitioners violate the strictures of “Only one:Thing” that the western practices lean on. Since each Western practice is supposed to be solidifying and locking down a core facet of being; Home: Demenses, Job:Implement, Spouse: Familiar, the eastern practices would do something with a slightly different cultural tint. Society, Family (focusing on the extended structure of a clan over the partnership of marriage), and Self.

To be clear the game was freely adjudicated; meaning the buck stops with me. Mechanics were created as assistive tools to help me adjudicate things in a quick and consistent manner and should be taken as more guideline than gospel; this is a part of the public/private divide in that as an intentional choice it limits min/maxing, rules lawyering and and angle shooting that can be an immersion breaker. There is always a tradeoff between publishing your guidelines and providing transparency and more crunch focused, tactical designs.

Spirits in this game generally got a live view of the places where I’d started less defined, then spun new mechanical underpinnings on the fly to keep me consistent with rules for future turns.

Initial determination of suitability

This is entirely vibes, spirits weigh in, you look at the lore that exists for the character and then assess if it is fitting to malus or bonus appropriately. Given how freeform the choice is, hard guidelines are difficult to come by, but if it’s in their specialties or in their character description, probably bonus, if opposite, probably malus.

Setting the challenge

If the title is particularly suitable, grant might bonuses to the attempting character, since the success factor is three for additional consequences, bonus generally ranged (per fitting part) from +3 to +9 (negatives could be used for unsuitable titles the same way). There isn’t a strict rule of thumb on “What does suitable mean” spirit can weigh in and argue and the QM can decide.

Because there needed to be some bonus that assents give and some element of the grueling repeated challenge nature, in in initial setup I’d assume that allied units spending the turn in the same place as the challenge arrive and provide their “No Contest” first.

A No contest adds half the character’s might for the challenge to the Title requester.

Setting the range of the challenge

This is, unfortunately mostly a vibes thing when it comes to title, the more grandiose (power level or applicability, whether this is granting +3, +6, +9 might to related activities, the more activities it would apply to) the farther the range, given that shortest distance in Pingliang basically doesn’t exceed 5; anything 5+ would necessitate outside challengers.

If this were being used for demenses, I can image size of demense and value of the territory the demense is in being major factors (or special effects it is intended to have)

Resolving Challenger orders

I used google sheet’s “Randomize range” for all challengers confirmed approaching. This gives me an arrival order for people leaving their tasks to approach. There were frequent requests to “Stay and watch” to observe all other challengers. I made the decision to reject these requests without costing the action – the challenge could (theoretically, because it takes an action) for the whole week. Providing a free broader intelligence action (and the related replication of writing) to people not undertaking the action was not a gameplay I wanted to enable – figuring why attendance is free is that they show up, do a challenge in < 1 hr then go back to what they were doing.

Once you have the order of folks arriving the math becomes simple. Take the current might of the requester, subtract the might of the challenger. If for some particular reason the challenger would win, regardless of the current total leave as is and move onto the next challenger.

If the total is negative, consider boons that may be extracted either to continue the trial, negative consequences for the ritual performer or end the challenge here

If the total is positive, then the ritual performer will win the challenge, depending on by how much, maybe extract boons (lowering the total), but otherwise continue onward – add half the value of the defeated challenger back to the total if no other boons were extracted. This represents the coup and claim from having defeated the challenger (equal to no contest, but less their entire might). Effectively this is saying “They took a bite equal to half their might from the contest instead of their full might by being defeated”.

Continue onwards until all challengers have been dealt with (and all remote no contests entered)

Then you write the sequence.

Best order/ worst order

The Best order for the challenger is all the no contests first, then the strongest opponents in descending order; this gives the contest the best chance of success as every mathematical victory returns half of the challengers might (Instead of - Total Might, it’s -½ might to account for the expended resources and energy in the marathon).

The Worst order for the claimant is generally the one that maximizes when the strongest foe will cause the chain to go negative and from there stacking every challenger right after it until it’s as negative as it will go; No contests continue after this trying to rescue a very negative result.

Given that each challenge takes a little bit away, determining the worst order can either be to throw a lot of the lesser challengers first to weaken to where a larger challenger can send the ritual negative, or the strongest challenger first, then the others, then the no contests. It’s a little more nuanced; but ultimately when the challengers are randomized (for when they can make their way over to the challenge site and disengage from the activities they are involved in)

Additional support

What does this do mechanically?

If you wish to provide additional support, you cannot “Double challenge” or “Double no contest” but you can provide basic rune work, potions, trinkets of Power; etc this is meant to represent spending some of the skill and ability of the practitioner, advice and other preparation; mechanically this was “A quarter” of the practitioner or Other’s might round down; intended to reflect the limited amount of support and being less dispositive than the actual no-contests during the challenge. Any support actions (and related no contests) being provided for the challenge would be mechanically provided first; in the space that was mechanically optimal for the method of resolution in this system.

Final Boons

What does this do mechanically? In the case of Mandatus it’s a signal to the QM and the Spirits; dilemmas, items, allies, resolutions are likely to follow this theme as it’s a groove in the universe for the title to cause things of that nature to flow to the character – if someone’s going to learn about the special related thing, they get the priority from a Passive Intelligence or good dilemma perspective. It also provides a bonus to might for related activities that ranges from +3 to +9 depending on the title.

Adapting to a Demesne Ritual

What does this do mechanically?

The final boons could be altered to be more location based rather than roles, maybe specialized rituals, healing boons, item boons, base security or power generation. I’d hazard that a base defense boon should be strongly considered if base removal is meant to be a risk or a potential loss condition for a game as it may incentivize small, early demesnes that have a small challenge envelope and make factions nearly immortal in a battle sense; for this game you’d definitely have to change how bases interact with claim and control, possibly having initial loss be claim, and some number of extra success factors destroying bases, and bases that are demesnes wither requiring an incredibly substantial further differential, or more likely simply not be removable (although that wouldn’t mess with the initial claim). I think one of the problems to address in that case might be how acting from occupied territory interacts and what it means to lose a base – whether factions get a grace turn to set up, or what it costs them to get that (in power, health, actions, etc). I can imagine the challenge order and challenge mechanics being unchanged to cover a demesne use case at a baseline.

Add On ritual Effects

These add permanent conditions to map tiles, generally speaking the return on investment for these was going to be predicated directly on how much sacrifice was made to make them, you’d get more flexibility if it was generally usable (making the tile more valuable to all or nearly all factions); the more restrictive the condition “Only factions of X, or “Only enhances special mechanic Y “ the less generous, or likely the ability was to be granted (more likely shifted to a version that increases the desirability of the tile for all factions than to be outright granted).

An example from within the game itself was with the Wildflower’s turn 1 ritual; they desired (for a two power investment) for their special 0 faction action that returns magical items to get a free default power boost – effectively giving better magic items every turn they searched and providing more power than the default ritual. Even at a minimum level, making the range instead of one Power 2 or two Power 1’s to become one 3 or 2 Power 2’s would be a disproportionate bonus for the invested 2 initial power. (at a minimum returning 6 power worth of potential goods, but the benefit of items are non-linear so likely to far exceed that). It’s also strictly limited in that other factions don’t have the 0-acquire magic items ability that the Wildflowers do.

Instead this morphed into “Owner of the tile gets a magic item every turn 0/1/2 power”

What use is a zero power magic item? The power values are how much you can break them down for, you could have a useful magic item that you can’t extract any normal power from, but has an effect. The Wildflowers especially want wares to sell, and given their rules of discourse a zero is still a salable commodity.

Engine problems; Might and multiple actions.

Might scales poorly with multiple actions, and what’s worse for verisimilitude when a character spends multiple actions doing the same thing it’s hard to distinguish “Are they just that buff?” or how they got so powerful. When you have a high might multiple actions allow you to apply that in multiple places or multiplicatively to all sorts of things. LoL everyone only had one action (or less for hero units that needed to be in at least duos).

In PPP characters has 1-3 actons, troops 1-2. This generally meant that a powerful character with two actions could supply a surprising amount of strength to things.

This was exacerbated in the design for the Oni League’s spin the boc where stats (including actions) additive, given the death spiral/death ball nature of the resolution mechanic, having such a potent asset (in ower, range and toughness) should have not kept actions stable (as it allows a lot more force to be projected) but likely should have just taken the “Higher” base amount of actions, and left it there, usefully summing toughness, might and range for value.

Instead it meant instead of four actions on two characters of might 25 and 10, a unit could have 4 actions at Might 35, which is a lot more valuable than the two and two, even working together.

Recosting and tiering at the last possible second; Rapacious Practices

Making choices at the last minute with far reaching consequences is not a new lesson. One of the great struggles in designing games like this is so much of it gets spun up without opportunity for playtesting to balance things out perfectly for ongoing play. Last minute changes have such an enhanced chance for knock on effects that throw things out of whack.

But the alternative is keeping something that might be more broken and refusing a correction just because “Hey we’re too close now.” I don’t think there are any right answers here, just questions.

As initially conceived the tiers would be linear. +5 Might should have been enough to push someone at a mid level up near the top (the same as an action), making them have a form of parity. The Liu’s ability to steal stats meant within a few combats they could snowball up into being the largest threat on the map.

When I switched to PactDice’s tiers (6 instead of 4) and threw in ranges to be doubled at each step up, I made there more gradations within ranks (nice for granularity, bad for people knowing exactly what they're working with). This also meant that Lius would take much longer to gain tiers or strength up, the difference between moderate and supreme being at least a +17 (Meaning Might on 17 contests to permanently rise that high, no easy feat).

This also made actions so much more valuable. With a 15 might unit, 10 power could get you to 20 might, but instead buying one action would effectively give you 15 might in two places, or if you spent both actions in the same spot 30 might on that spot.

This was a huge value change from before where the little bit of might would have been more frequently battle changing.

FWIW, I’m not certain leaving it linear would have been the right call either – at least this gave me a better idea how that plays for future games. Before in LoL 3 class C’s (even the weakest ones) would at least match a Class A.

This schema meant the weakest Supreme (as Supreme was unbounded) would take 32 Top-end Worsts to defeat, which felt “Better” from a “Powerful people are really powerful” sense, that generally it wasn’t someone one tier down with a mook or two to match, but the farther down you go the more you’d need to match up.

Forswearings and Gainsayings

I’m not certain how to feel about these, they provided a lot of consternation, were slow for judgment as teams needed time to respond before judgment could be determined or passed, potentially taking multiple days to resolve that would have game altering and definitely plan altering consequences for the “Loser” of the challenge.

The Rules of Discourse working like Uno Reverse cards when someone challenges you on something protected by your Rule of Discourse was frustrating for some, giddying for others, but ultimately chilling in the sense that the people most likely to use or leave themselves open to such behaviors were protected. The truth-telling factions strongly resisted taking lingual or promise risks.

For this game the decision was made that Oaths remained in force, even after a forswearing (or attempted) over a violated Oath; the words were tied to the faction and still binding.

The level of power drained or which units lost or gained an action were directly tied to the value of the violation – once the stakes were set by GM/Spirits, it was then about who got hit with the penalty.

Violable Oaths and Role based Oaths

While in PPP the Oaths held once challenged; I could see two alternate ways to handle it. The first would be that a forswearing resulting from the Oath then cancels any bilateral Oath for both sides – even if they didn’t set any such conditionals in their promise structure.

The second is that one could take away or modify the stakes, by requiring users to indicate a character as the particular Oath-swearer; meaning a violation would be borne by the particularly risked character or role, and not distributed across the faction.

Not requiring the words “I Swear” for it to be considered an Oath

I don’t know if I recommend this; we went with it but it made promises, statements and everything else murkier; even if in common parlance “I agree” is likely equivalent – creating a more formalized structure for “What counts as an Oath” would make gamemastering easier, as well as help people to organize their thoughts when making such statements.

Time Limits

Running a distributed games comes with its own hurdles; when players are asynchronous, what is fair? My default assumption was 24h, this meant if an event occurred while a player was asleep or busy, there was a day to find out and figure out. For gainsayings and forswearings an issue arises in how impactful they can be; and that the optimal time is right before the turn due. Right during everyone's crunch time.

If the time is accusation -> 24 hrs arguments -> 24h spirit feedback -> results. That 48h critical path can land smack dab in the GMs critical writing time to close out the turn. Not to discount that a lot of factions required a lot of feedback and hand holding through each stage of the process. If I were making a recommendation for the future, I’d indicate that really this time should have a more limited window, mostly because it always tends to pile up at the “Last possible second” when teams are already most stressed with finalizing the turn for tactical reasons; this make planning more problematic, crunches players and GM. We saw Omnibus Gainsayings and forswearings where teams started dropping five or six claims all at once, specifically because there was neither enough time to wait for feedback, and to try to maximize the pressure on their foes, and their potential gains (at the risk of a full reflection). This is a large burden to consider evaluating, finding receipts, adjudicating, and ultimately ruling in which a lot of feelings get caught up.

One could put forswearing and gainsaying claims only in the off turn (at potential sanity costs to people needing a cooldown period, as well as parallelizing GM work needs 🙁)

Finding all the relevant details was also a hurdle and locking diplo on a claim proved to be a potential significant effort saver; while this game did not do that to minimize the diplomacy disruption when these activities took the maximum amount of time (all 48 hours of it). A case could be made for the chilling effect it might have on choosing when to gainsay or forswear as a boon, rather than a bane. I’d recommend any future ExCons consider locking diplo when a claim is live to help enable a queue limit, as well as potentially restricting the times such claims could be made.

Exit clauses

Given the nature of practitioner speak, effectively karmic punishments that are weighty and meaningful adding higher stakes to diplomacy it would probably due to put a reminder and encouragement for folks new to setting, new to conceits, or just as a general wellbeing reminder to normalize including some kind of exit clause or condition. It’s nearly a core trait that practitioners frequently deceive with the truth; telling you something you interpret one way but that means another or that you are lacking sufficient context to understand – so that it is factually true, but doesn’t provide the security or outcome you desired. It’s certainly possible to make a bad Oath; what’s more problematic is the weight of those shackles might hold from turn one until the end of the game – where unlike other wargames where a faction might still be free to take meaningful actions, a poor oath might leech enoch actions out of them on turn one that they they’ve effectively lost in diplomacy and the rest of the game is low value from an action perspective which may be incredibly frustrating to the players. Encouraging and reminding folks that this option exists, is likely a high value addition for future Otherverse synopsis.

The Law Ability

One of the abilities the CB had was to set laws; this was left open ended for player creativity. Unfortunately decision paralysis is a real struggle and with variable time zones and activity levels it became a real challenge for the team to use creativity to leverage this ability. Consideration was given to start providing a “Menu” of laws to choose from, but it wasn’t intended to work like that, limited. It was meant to be a flexible source of the players being as corrupt or pure as they wanted.

The unknown nature of the punishment serves as an exceptional deterrent.

Unfortunately, as mentioned, decision paralysis is real and it proved to be difficult and cumbersome for the players to utilize.

In a future game if I were going to use an open ended power like this, I’d probably feel the need to advertise it on the faction brief – to make certain the players were selecting with in mind that they’d have to come up with Laws that would be enforced by the powers of Heaven.

The Spirits; ExCon; Setting expectations

Not to throw shade in this section. I had a wonderful cadre of spirits who lived up to the expectations of the role.

I had very explicitly set expectations of optional participation, that I was building everything to make engagement as easy and “as you’d like to” as one can, with the express intention that I was building a game that didn’t need Spirits to run so that I couldn’t be caught out by lack of interest or enrollment. Ultimately I took all that responsibility on myself.

I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to set and live into expectations – in my case Spirit chat was very infrequent and had very little participation – the end result was that I’d spend some extra effort creating threads with a central question for debate, relevant assets, and then dip to let it cook. Given the quick turnaround I was expecting for myself, this time of letting it cook while working on other things could have been skipped entirely had I not needed to provide the information – in practice this meant some extra effort from me, but about a four to six hour delay in results for anything with Spirit feedback allowed before I just decided it anyway and posted or finalized results.

I think this ties into the expectations I set; but since outcomes never really changed and the delay and extra work were results I’d strongly recommend considering the benefit pro and con of excon blocks, setting clear expectations, and figuring out what makes the workflow work for you. I can imagine it to be a wonderful asset to have active Excon partners – in my PPP experience though it all would have run faster without the extra steps.

Redtext Rules

Piloted in this game but originally planned for the subsequent Serpents of Somalia. The need for mechanical differentiation of special characters that gave power back to the players in the form of a clear mechanical basis for the esoteric powers some of the characters have served as scaffolding to help “Make sense” of some of their abilities.

It definitely does make resolution more complicated as the more rules in play are things to keep track of and factor into resolution – this is something that definitely needs to come out of a complexity budget for the game wherein it’s evaluated how much extra work these items are generating. In the case of PPP some mechanics had an outsized effect for their effort.

For example one of the abilities as Lie detection – this ability meant manually scraping each of that faction’s chats (first with folks with a RoD) for statements that would detect as lies; thankfully it was at ti’s weakest caliber and just “Yes or No.” As a binary, that meant once one such statement was located the search could stop.

However the amount of time that scrape took with highly intensive from an effort standpoint; it’s an ability I would have replaced with a different one, was I doing it over.

Conversely there were other redtext abilities that were deceptively simple to resolve; and added flair and character to these unique individuals.

Given the relative complexity I’d recommend a “Less is more” approach; and give careful consideration to which mechanics, how their enforcement will weigh on your workflow and how they inform the flavor and underpinning of the game.

I can’t point at any redtext rules that were met with dismay or outright hate by their possessing factions – even though in this case, they were invented along the fluff of the characters after customization and not before. Serpents of Somalia instead has these abilities detailed before, as a part of the draft in the hope that the draft itself will serve as a balancing element between “co-equal” factions.

Rules of Discourse

There were four rules of discourse active in PPP; The Wildflowers, The Oni, The Liu and the Sorcerer Hunters. They were relatively simple in operation.

The Wildflowers; The Salesperson Rule

The Wildflowers could lie about their goods, any place a good would be in the conversation could be ignored as they could say anything to talk up the value of a cursed item, or talk down a payment that someone was offering. They couldn’t like about services; but for goods, they had the car salesperson vibe of being able to say whatever they wanted; but only for sales.

The Oni

The Oni had rules that shifted from turn to turn; having the Oni make strategic choices about when to deploy their rules for best effect. In this case it was a free lying rule similar to other factions with the ability to freely, and without consequence lie and make non binding Oaths. However they could not persist any of their rules in subsequent turns; this meant the Oni could only lie every other turn at best, and only by trading off another special capability.

How this functionally worked is any lie made by the Oni during the week the rule was active would be protected no matter when called out; I wasn’t expecting the Oni to lie on any turn, and then have to predict a “Shields up” for when people could or would forswear or gainsay them. This meant it was very predictable for enforcement in agreements and on the player's side (rather than having shields oscillate from turn to turn).

The Liu

Designated villains, they could lie and make consequenceless Oaths the entire game without restriction.

I’d probably put more restrictions around the Liu’s free reign if I were to do it again; either effectively a limit to the shield based on troop faction asset toughness, or perhaps make it so while they resisted all attempts to gainsay or forswear, deflecting it back onto their accusers, because they could lie the spirits ignored them and therefore they couldn’t gainsay or forswear actively to initiate the process.

In the game they basically threw these around like candy, which they were absolutely allowed to do; it led to a lot of drama, frustration and extra work that some guard rails would have possibly helped to mitigate. There was a massive reversal in turn 7 when as opposed to their glut of forswearings and gainsayings going out a large number came back at them; which due to the “Uno reverse” rule on RoDs, and their extremely permissive one; gave them as many bonus actions as they’d had starting actions.

There was as mentioned a lot of salt around this rule of discourse; it did make certain that Gainsaying and Forswearings were tested; Outside of the Liu; there were only a very small number of each that occurred at all, factions being relatively trigger shy. Regardless if I were to do this over, the general permissiveness would get a faction to engage with the mechanic, but to breed better consistency I’d likely have either set a limit around toughness of Liu [Troop] Assets, which would have made them more gun shy, or perhaps go all in the other way; where they cannot be forsworn or gainsaid, but as their words don’t matter they can’t start any gainsaying or forwearing proceedings themselves, their words not mattering to their practice meaning that they’d be reliant on karma and the munificence of the spirits to make certain the Oaths made to them were kept. This would put a large expectation for management, tracking and observation on the Spirits, where this game treated engagement as optional and at their own discretion.

The Sorcerer Hunters

The Only Role based rule of discourse in the game space; a player had to sign on to have it where the one player, and one player they could lie; only the one player’s statements were protected. This meant that nearly all diplomacy for that faction was conducted by the one player; but for the most part also meant all the interactions were non-binding. There were a couple of exceptions in that players within the faction couldn’t transfer the role without a global announcement informing everyone that such a transfer had happened; it also came with a couple of risks. The first being it was possible that something happens to the player, and then they’re in a difficult spot for the role, letting everyone know they have one and who has it (but not what it is).

Alternatively teams figure out what the role is and then refuse to engage in any conversations with that player in the context of the game. (Which again, is a possible outcome of the role being discovered).

Cycles and Mirroring

Some factions are variations around a theme and have some mirrored abilities, or different steps around the design space; Looking at the SH and the CB as examples, both are factions with a Central, Powerful character; both have a grouping of power enhancing items that are critical to their success. Both have a broad swathe of troops to enact their will and spread the influence of the critical character.

One wouldn’t be amiss to see similarities between the Liu and the Oni; both factions center around a small group of characters and a few powerful rules. The Oni’s rules changing from turn to turn and their characters starting more powerful than the Liu; but they need to herd cats and get three factions bases out of the city and successfully conduct their ritual; and those three factions are not total pushovers.

The Liu in contrast started with the fewest actions (5 on Turn 1, 6 on Turn 2), and while their characters are in the upper half of the baseline, that’s all they had; the characters, permissive lying rules, and a built in snowball rule that requires them to win to get stronger.

The Wild Other and Wildflowers were both resource factions with weaker than average units, one with items, the other with the main supply of Others.

If you look at the rules of discourse, they move through “I can lie all the time”, “One player on my team can lie”, “Everyone can lie, but only sometimes” and “I can only lie about goods”. These are simple rules intended to remove complexity of something like “I am only bound if the person speaks my full, true name, the name I go by in common conversation is not this name and has no power to bind my word”. “Any statement that starts with an A does not bind me” or “Any statement that does not begin with a B does not bind me” or something equally complicated to work out and find the limits of.

Faction Elimination, Early Goals and Early Ending.

I did not, in the end, solve the problem of what to do if a faction ends early and the players are still invested, but the faction is dissolved; This did not occur, although we got close at several points. Ideas were to either port them into other factions with consent, push them to the spirits, or just leave them in the common spaces on the server without a significant way to interact with the forthcoming content. None of these would have proved to be ideal solutions, either because of faction/player knowledge transfer, in-game salt, uneven or vengeful influence on the game state (from the spirits) or lack of engagement.

A couple factions, notably the Oni League and almost the Liu accomplished or nearly accomplished their set objectives by turn 5; The game was in a position where it could have been possible for close out into Epilogues on turn 5; this would have been unsatisfactory for a number of reasons; not the least of which it wouldn’t give factions that were “Slow to start” and still building up their stockpiles of resources an opportunity to even try at their goals, when they were anticipating getting the full seven trunks and it hadn’t been previously indicated an early finish was possible.

Due to also having ruled since we are in a setting with magic that objectives could be “Unmade” or “Undone” that meant that protecting your “Win” until turn 7 meant that factions close, nearly, or already complete couldn’t contentedly rest on their laurels for the remainder of the game.

I think this is definitely a space the SoS will look more into, I’m intending at present to set the expectation that should a special “Final” objective become complete that the turn it is the game will transition straight to epilogue on that turn, making a game where only one team can be the victor a lot more dicey to prevent other factions from finishing their goal, before you can finish your selected goal.

Conclusions

There is no faction that would emerge from a redesign unscathed. There are a lot of changes I would make if I were going to run something like “The Problem in Pingliang Prefecture” again; for good or ill every game has been a learning experience with experimentation and refinements that get carried forward; or abandoned.

While no faction would miss tune ups in one sense or another and broad rules might be adjusted, tuned or get more specific, I think the most glaring learning relates to the overhead the setting puts on diplomacy, from an emotional and executional standpoint there is a lot of stress and required effort to follow and resolve the various threads that are much higher touch than other settings where the words themselves matter less.

There are suggestions to try to minimize this burden, but I don’t see a “Fix”; Optimal timing will always be “As late as possible to compound target’s stress”, results will almost always be fraught with one side or another being upset about it. Timelines will lead to large omnibus documents that clog the system, limiting number of active processes, locking chat, setting a window that doesn’t align with diplomacy are all steps one could take to try to make this slightly easier, but the fundamental burden won’t disappear; I saw a lot of furstration, consternation and upset come out of these rules, and few celebrations, no real “Wins”; on the balance, it indicates to me that the juice is not worth the squeeze – that the benefit of forswearings and gainsayings in a wargaming context doesn’t outweigh the costs, as such at least for me, I don’t intend to run any future Otherverse wargames; PPP will be it.

Repost of all “Rulings-Channel” rulings that were general game rulings

To be exceptionally explicit; when you see something like this for customzation what is means is "Whichever choice you make as your number 1 will be the most powerful asset you control of this type"

There isn't a 'Stronger or Weaker" where you're trying to suss out which characters are more powerful than others. If you were going to get one Great Practicioner, then whoever's in the one spot will be that.

The difference will be more important around how you'll utilize assets in play which is more to your playstyle than their powerlevel. >>

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Where you see a choice like this -- all options may have different statlines, but their counterbalanced against each other; all "Equal" as far as I can make it from an overall powerlevel >>

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TL the GL — 01/05/2024 9:44 PM

Rules of Discourse and their operation:

There are several kinds of rules of discourse operant in this game, to make certain people aren't drawing conclusions from other games that haven't been carried over let me lay out the types of rules of discourse without disclosing who, how and why.

First let's separate by faction-wide and player-specific.

There are rules of discourse which apply to an entire faction, for these, any player speaking for the faction is subject to the faction wide rule of discourse any time they are speaking in a diplomacy channel. It doesn't matter for these who you talk to, they're all under the same rules.

The second is player-specific rules of discourse, where blackguards, special rule characters or other elements that make different units within the faction behave different from a rule of discourse perspective, those roles are assigned to a player, that player has the rule of discourse for the length of the game to represent the special rule faction asset(s). The role cannot be traded or reassigned^1.

Aside from the divide between faction wide and player specific there are several degrees of rule of discourse:

Firstly; There are Rules of Discourse that modify How things are said, they might pertain to a specific facet or feature of discussion -- like talking about conflicts or alliances where the particular rule of discourse grants them additional leeway up to and including untruthfulness but only in that context.

Secondly; There are Rules of Discourse that follow a specific pattern or only apply when a particular condition is met -- a theoretical example being one where every third statement must be untruthful, with the proceeding two statements being truthful. (Discounting questions)

Thirdly; There may be a faction with a consequenceless, limitless rule of discourse allowing them freedom of speech with respect to truthfulness.

^1 In an exceptional case (such as a player drop, where a role must be reassigned, every faction would be notified of a role assignment change (not the nature of role or it's rule of discourse, but that a role was transferred from Player 1 -> Player 2 within that faction)

TL the GL — 01/13/2024 10:56 AM

For Clarification: The Common document is not faction sense -- the information may or may not be fully truthful therein, but tends towards truth rather than fiction.

They are rumors though amongst the excitable and superstitious population of Pingliang. How much credence you give their veracity is up to you.

TL the GL — 01/13/2024 4:02 PM

as a reminder: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HeyUb0TCL_nfVB3g1Sf4A3K5pLfY1F8jCGuJqTtjfXo/edit

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TL the GL — 01/15/2024 11:18 AM

For reference:

Action number on the reference sheet isn't tying to determine timing (if this is a multi action character it will have multiple rows.) it's trying to determine what kind of action is being undertaken. If you're doing an investigation for example a row might look like:

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If it's a write in, just use "WI" because it's likely you'll have a bunch of other details to add in the body of the submission for extra handling more than "it's an attack" or something of that nature

TL the GL — 01/20/2024 5:58 PM

When the Turn closes, diplo closes for the week -- for those considering details about core rituals, please understand that it's discussion within team time, and not general diplo time.

TL the GL — 01/27/2024 4:02 PM

Just a couple note as teams begin formulating plans and submission for the week (I'll reiterate friday)

Please ensure each action a character is taking has a row in the table at the top; Caught a couple of places to correct to make certain all actions were being respresented so resolutions could start

When indicating acting territory just use the letter code (column 2)

When specifying the action in column 3 just use the code (1-0, S or WI)

2 and 3 are items I correct by hand, unfortunately making filtering and sorting work to use the tool, I need consistency across faction; the easiest way to achieve this is minimum bar for information. Using just the 1* digit codes makes it very fast to figure out what all is going on in a territory, and what they are doing (or where all actions of a type are occurring).

There isn't a punishment or a consequence for these being wrong, it's just a convenience that'll save me time when processing so the Spirits get as much time for review as I can give them.

Thanks again.

TL the GL — 01/27/2024 7:09 PM

Control is sufficient to receive the power listed on a site. (HQs are not necessary to gain power)

Control persists until contested by another faction

The first time you'd lose control of a territory, you instead lose a base/HQ there and retain control

If you tie or nearly tie in might, the area will be contested and no faction will get it's benefit.

[Troops] do not need to "Work the site" to get a payout for control (Very different from BGII)

TL the GL — 01/27/2024 7:17 PM

You can build HQs/Bases in territories you don't control; this is inherently risky as if a patrol happens during the construction action you will lose the invesment.

If an unowned territory containing an HQ is subsequently patrolled the HQ would be destroyed per the rules, but rather than retaining control (since the HQ owner didn't have control) it would remain uncontrolled

TL the GL — 01/31/2024 8:49 AM

The Law of Pingliang

As a Law has been established and there've been a number of questions around interpretations; to be clear:

There isn't a "Published interpretation" or canon you could leverage to resolve questions of enforcement on the definition of terms internally (Are assets protected or unprotected by this Law relative to their combative nature)

Usually questions of interpretation of law are resolved in courts (with Judges, Lords or Lawyers)

There isn't a heavenly or karmic warning when you are set to break the condition, the pain comes after -- this is discrete from Innocence with it's innate resistance to be pushed through (and there is a very specific reason in this case it is true)

What is the punishment for breaking the Law? (Failure to abide by the rule will result in power being drawn by the Heavens from the violators, if enough loose power is not available it will be drawn from the Selves of the violating faction(s).)

I missed that there is a new Law. Where can I find it?

Common Intelligence: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1QzSeuRsPIRo43t70FVaBY98vpLnzmwFROocj1XxA8aQ/edit

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TL the GL — 02/02/2024 10:56 PM

How does natural healing work?

There have been a number of questions on the subject, so let me put a post up here for it. The numbers have been altered to be illustrative as the correct ratios and proportionalities are for post game.

Assuming your characters are remaining active (taking their actions every turn, not bed rest and medical care) injuries will recover slowly. Toughness per the Synopsis is a secret stat -- one part hitpoints, one part Self. Injury from either applies to both (although Self recovers more quickly than injuries) every injury is meant to be a significant wound (not assigning injuries for papercuts and scraped knees).

If you have 3 toughness and the ratio for natural healing is 1/9, it would take you three active turns to heal a single injury.

If your toughness were 9, you'd heal an injury per turn in the above example.

If your toughness were an 18 you'd recover two wounds every turn.

TL the GL — 02/02/2024 11:17 PM

The round you sustained the injury during doesnt count for recovery countdown

The ratio is calculated off your "cap" (the uninjured toughness value, not the "modified" wounded value)

TL the GL — 02/04/2024 5:50 PM

On Hidden Bases

1 - Construction

To construct a hidden base you must find a suitable site; this generally requires a 3-Investigation action in the territory you intend to build in

Following location of a suitable place to build, you can build it; in addition to the normal base building costs the additional runes, connection blockers, security, alterate points of entry, secret doors and concealed fortifications run another 3 power.

Total Construction costs 1 investigate, 2 Actions, 8 Power

Detecting a Hidden Base

An investigation, diplomacy, or with a low chance, patrolling the territory or passive intelligence may reveal the presence of a hidden base.

Patrolling in a territory with a hidden base

Unlike the core rule in base, if the only bases in a territory are hidden, the base is not removed on the first loss of a patrol; instead the territory changes ownership and the concealed base remains in place -- however it's time is limited as each passing turn the chance of detection; operating out of a safehouse surrounded by enemy patrols increases risk of detection.

Removing a hidden base

If you know it is there, with some form of confirmation; investigation, passive intelligence, recognizable diplomatic intelligence (not just a suspicion) you standard patrol can attack or remove it. Note it in the section below the table.

If you detect a hidden base it can be attacked or removed just like a visible one can, the only difference is that it persists without protecting the territory it's in. Hidden bases still count for win conditions, lose conditions and pathing.

FAQ, Hidden Bases

Can I change a visible base into a hidden one with an aftermarket retrofit for 3 power?

No.

Can I construct a hidden base in a territory controlled by another faction?

It's subject to the same disruption rules as other actions; if you're constructing it while they're patrolling, they'll know it's there and disrupt it. If you have a friendly agreement that they are allowing you to build in their controlled territory, they'll still know exactly where it as, and could subsequently remove it with a standard patrol and a note.

Can I construct a hidden base in a territory I have a public base in?

Yes.

What happens if I have multiple bases in a territory, is each one an extra life for territory control?

Kind of; Normally the bases present would be removed by the winner; the amount of overage on the side of the winner may remove additional bases instead of dealing a certain number of wounds as a consequence of the loss. I'd consider additional base removals a "Major consequence".

TL the GL — 02/10/2024 4:29 PM

Refresher; Gainsayings and Forswearings

A Gainsaying is a false statement of fact

A Forswearing is failure to perform according to an Oath or Promise.

When one call out either of these things, the accuser will state in the relevant diplomacy chat, what the wrong thing was and why it was wrong.

The other faction would have a chance to respond.

In the case of a gainsaying the penalty (usually power) is bespoke; you aren't allowed to profit from the lie, so the size of the lie informs the size of the drain. It could be a 1 power lie (The sky is green today) or a much higher value (No, I wasn't at the scene of the murder).

In the case of a forswearing (violating an oath); the lore penalty is usually the loss of all magical might; in an early draft for this game it was considered to have it just be the transfer of an action from the faction into the faction winning the forswearing. It's likely to cost something similarly high.

You might think of both situations as tossing a live grenade into the middle of the room; in almost all circ*mstances, someone will get hit with shrapnel.

When a gainsaying or forswearing is reversed, the penalty would go to the accuser.

How might a gainsaying or forswearing attempt be reversed?

Better argument on the part of the defenders than the proposers

A rule of discourse in play that means this can't happen for that.

Rules for discourse, for the most part act as an automatic uno-reverse for the protected conduct. Making it so that while argument may be offered none is needed for the gainsaying or forswearing to be returned. Few, likely no rules of discourse would protect the proposing party from a gainsaying or forswearing being reversed onto them, if they were the proposer.

TL the GL — 02/15/2024 3:25 PM

Core Rituals

Rules as stated are inconsistent:

5 - Core Ritual;To perform a core ritual it will take half of a character’s actions, round up. ...

Mandate of Heaven; Ming Yun 命運

Mechanically: The ritual takes half of a practitioner character’s actions (round up) ...

Adoption; Guanxi 關係

Mechanically: This ritual takes an action and the consent of the Elders of the household. ...

Enlightenment: Qishi 启示

Mechanically: This ritual takes all of a character’s actions for a week. ...

Please still use "5" to indicate you're doing one of them; the actions required are the ones specific to the rituals. i.e

Mandate: 1/2 round up

Guanxi: 1

Enlightnment: Everything for a week.

TL the GL — 02/16/2024 8:07 PM

Forswearings

The words "I swear" or "I promise" are not required for an oath to be binding; It can be as simple as "I agree" or "Yes" or "I will ... ." IN the world of the Otherverse forswearing cuts off a practicioner from the practice or unmakes and Other that is bound to the Seal; in this wargame, the consequences of forswearing are severe and the benefits of successfully forswearing are likewise large -- not as all encompassing as perhaps they are in canon, but significant nonetheless.

When a faction is forsworn an action will be removed from a unit within the faction; lore wise this could be picking up the slack for a forsworn family member -- or a child having to step into their practicioner parent's shoes -- it could lead to the discorporation of a unit; as if they only had one action to start with, they now have zero to spend helping their related group out.

the action that is subtracted is added to the prevailing party in a form of parity -- generally speaking the magnitude of the breach will be factored into the selection of what unit loses the action (and the consequence to the forsworn party) and which unit that action is added to, in the prevailing party.

If you have your faction become forsworn (or someone forswears you) this does not change your factions active oaths, promise and statements in the slightest: -- the onus of keeping your word remains on you. Absent conditions in your oaths or statements that allow you to free yourself of obligations in the case of one or another party being forsworn, those same oaths remain in force, even to the party that has forsworn you or that you have forsworn.

TL the GL — 02/17/2024 12:30 AM

Magic Items

How do I use magic items?

Generally however their redtext says, they may function automatically, on a trigger, as a free action, or requiring some kind of investment to operate.

What happens when I want that delicious power?

You have to spend all the power in the same turn you deconstruct the item, but its splittable just like the loose power from bits an bobs of power. But any not used by the end of the turn you break it down in fades away.

Can magic items be stolen?

Yes, if a magic item is present at a conflict that is a possible outcome related to some number of injury equivalents. It is also possible to preferentially target that outcome.

If they arent assigned to units, then they'd be assumed to be at any HQs you control; most likely the most secured HQ you control, this includes any reserves of "loose" power.

Can magic items be broken?

Yes, just like stealing them; likely easier than stealing them depending on context.

Can magic items be made?

Yes, although the cost for permanent effect should be assessed to be multiiple times an equivalent 1 turn effect from the table. And breaking them down for power refunds a fraction of the cost to create.

TL the GL — 02/24/2024 12:48 PM

Conditional Actions

You may put a conditional action in your brief; this should have a primary condition and a simple if statement that does not rely out outcomes, but easily obtained and guarantee'd retreivable information.

I.e. "We'll do a ritual here, unless another faction is patrolling, even if we have a passage agreement, if they are, patrol here instead"

If your conditional takes place in two different territories both will be checked for interception; each action being interceptable separately, and interceptions will, obviously prevent either action from completing as directed.

I.e. "I go to the M-the Slinking Slums and 1-Patrol, but if I see other units patrolling there, I'll instead go to the F-FlopHouses and 1-Patrol"

if this were departing from the H-central government, If could be intercepted at H, M, G, F if the condition were flipped, in any of those 4 sites, an interception halts the whole thing.

A non-conditional statement to patrol M could only be intercepted at M.

conditional actions reliant on an outcome will not be honored

i.e. "If I take control of the territory, do a ritual" "If my mandate succeeds, attack V-Prefecture Palace" "If my investigation succeeds launch an attack at the target"

Record these as the primary action in the table and leave a note in pathing "Conditional" and explain below what the condition/other action is.

Interception chances

Highest interception chance [Troop] moving thorugh a [Troop] patrolled space

Mid chance [Character] Moving through a [Troop] Patrolled space or vice versa

Low chance [Character] Moving through a [Character] Patrolled space.

TL the GL — 02/26/2024 3:39 PM

Forswearing and Gainsaying addendums

Please be aware in your oath-making that if you say "We will do X this turn" and you aren't able to complete it due to circ*mstances outside of your control, it's still forswearable.

Whether that's not reaching a patrol target due to interception, inability to solve a riddle as a challenge, or inability to comply with an accepted timeline "I will get back to you within 24 hours of this post."

The Value of a gainsaying or forswearing is a direct modification on the results, and can be the difference between losing your weakest [Troop] Unit's action and the Forswearing party getting the extra action on it's weakest Unit; to your greatest being penalized and them much the same.

Please also recall that statements are contemporaneous and not retroactive unless you're explicitly making that obvious. ("This deal shall apply retroactively to all open promises, potential agreements and statements to the beginning of chat")

E.g. "Today is Monday" is not gainsayable tomorrow, even though the logged statement is now factually incorrect.

Having a unit forsworn does not release you of outstanding obligations.

Agreeing to modifications of an Oath between mutual parties can amend an Oath, recall the spirits do not see your plotting team channels, so whether or not "You mean to agree" should be as explicit as you can be in diplo.

I don't want any more quantum uncertainty forswearings, so please understand that there will in the end be an interpretation of the Oath, and that it can't be twisted two ways where the same passage has two alternate meanings with alternate strictures around enforcement and compliance; If you've both agreed to an interpretation of the responsibilities in diplomacy, that'd be the active version of the Oath moving forward.

TL the GL — 03/01/2024 10:04 AM

To be explicit; because there are comments elsewhere to this effect in general :

There are four non-standard Rule of Discourses active in the game, inclusive of blackguards, role based and faction wide.

Loss of two truth-telling factions moved the ratio from slightly less than half 4/9. to slightly more than half 4/7.

TL the GL — 03/01/2024 6:13 PM

Forswearings and Gainsayings again

If someone accuses your faction, given the distrubuted nature of the game, you have 24h to collect arguments and reply. Depending on active Spirits presence results will follow that window, allowing a similar timeframe for decisions.

As an aside, I recognize accusations can be shocking and emotional, I counsel (but not demand) you take a minute and use that time to calm down, should it happen to you, and put together your best arguments; accusers have the advantage in thst they have as much time as they want to build thier case, the defense, much less. Leverage server search.

I wont, generally speaking rule on lines or results before the final results, but I recognize a higher standard of care for clarifications in this space and will do my best to support in an unbiased fashion.

TL the GL — 03/02/2024 10:34 AM

Can I submit a google doc for my rebuttal?

Yes. As long as it's view shared to the relevant diplo channel for the Spirits, me and the faction you're responding to (they are entitled to see your arguments).

TL the GL — 03/05/2024 10:22 PM

Rules of Engagement and Oaths

If you have Oaths constraining how your troops should act in your turn submission, include them in your document for the submission; I don't have an encyclopedic knowledge of all of the Oaths sworn in server -- my presumptions around behavior will be based on the nature of the engagement; if someone comes at you with force, that you'll defend to the best of your ability, absent any RoE (Rules of Engagment) that prohibit specific behavior; the same is true of other potential outcomes (thefts, injuries, captures, kills, etc) if a class of outcome is unavailable due to an RoE, you'll either get a different outcome in it's stead of an overage, or nothing for that overage as the "I could have stolen this, but return it due to my RoE" may still eat the overage depending on the nature of the encounter.

I'll reference your current turn doc for direction when I have questions; if it isn't there, then you might find yourself in an avoidable Oath violation because "No one was told they can't do that."

TL the GL — 03/05/2024 10:46 PM

If you mean for it to apply to all of the CoA for the turn put it under the table up top somewhere; there is a lot of interlinked stuff to read, and it might get lost if you're expecting it to apply to all actions, when it's only written in one

If you only mean for it to apply to one specific CoA, then it's sufficient to include it underneath in any action description details.

TL the GL — 03/15/2024 8:49 AM

Specifically on Channel proliferation

I am hesitant to add extra channels for the following reasons:

RoD related shenanigans.

If someone gets forsworn in a special channel, does that lock all participant instead of the single diplo? Does it bot lock the pairwise diplo of the relevant factions?

Special rule related shenanigans, there is at least one out there that requires me to scour a specific of diplo chats each week for specific information; extra channels mean extra process.

Parity. Lets say it's a three faction diplo channel. You may think of it as just one, but it would be reasonable for each other three faction grouping to request the same; which would be unreasonable to refuse because it was previously granted. This means a single three faction channel might mean up to thirty-five more channels (probably less, but that's how much 7c3 would return) and must be taken into consideration.

Uneven logistical benefit; everyone is theoretically operating under the same constraints, in universe and meta, for planning and coordination; the through put benefit to "having everyone come into a clandestine meeting at the noodle shop" should have a different security profile than the couriers, missives, and meetings presently abstracted. It's certainly a space where imbalance could be explored in a PvP wargame; but the intent with everyone getting the same channels in this one was it was a point of parity (one could likewise experiment with different submission windows, one faction only getting a day for turn planning and another getting a full week).

To be explicit that is not an "absolutely not, never" but it is an uphill battle to justify cost to benefit.

TL the GL — 03/23/2024 6:53 PM

Just posting a reminder:

from: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HeyUb0TCL_nfVB3g1Sf4A3K5pLfY1F8jCGuJqTtjfXo/edit

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Google Docs

PPP - Basic Rules

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TL the GL — 03/25/2024 12:22 PM

Can I undo some other faction's objective?

This is a setting with Magic; so never say never.

But one needs to consider:

the Cost will be high; the investment they made in power and pattern, the obstacles and conditions that they needed to beat to enact an objective in the first place need to be exceeded in investment. Careful and wise practicioners and Others doing the kind of complex work that dwarfs the scale of the thing they're trying to overcome.

The faction with the effect is likely to learn about it and provide active resistance; It will be difficult, if not impossible to conceal meddling with something that is of such high importance to the group in question.

Can I change my faction objective?

No, you can do something different if you want to, but the faction's success in the epilogue will tie directly into completed objectives. Doing something else means that where victory is zero sum, it's to factions with incomplete objectives detriment. Where it's not zero sum, incomplete primary objectives generally mean you'll either continue on in the state you ended the game in (little to no improvement) or trend downwards.

What if I complete my objective but get eliminated?

Then the epilogue will likely contain some kind of upward note about how the faction, even without the principal members of this game found a way to thrive. Here or elsewhere.

What if I complete a win condition and a lose condition?

Loss trumps win, you probably get some kind of mid, mixed quality ending where it's not the worst of all worlds, but not likely to be everything you were hoping for; Phyrric victory almost.

Can I set detailed instructions for post that will turn into a win?

No, the results of the seven turn game stand

Reminder there are two turn submissions left, so not a lot of time to secure changes.

TL the GL — 03/27/2024 8:33 PM

Interceptions

See figure. Red X's are patrols, colored lines are pathing.

1 (Blue) Has a chance to intercept Brown on two separate actions.

2 (Orange) Has a chance ton intercept Brown and Green

3 (Pink) Has a chance to intercept Brown

4 (Orange) intercepts no one

5 (Green) has a chance to intercept Blue and Brown

6 (Green) intercepts no one.

Each of these crossing movements is rolled for interception. If they are intercepted they never arrive at their target location or perform their ordered action, they are embroiled in a fight instead.

Effectively patrols happen first, before any other action, where in the image it's possible for orange to stop green at 2, before 5 could happen and intercept anyone.

Chapter 2: Celestial Bureucracy Briefings

Summary:

In order all the Briefings the Celestial Bureaucracy received over the course of the game.

Chapter Text

The Wild Others current HQ is outside of the city districts of Pingliang

The Wildflowers have a repeatable method for obtaining magical items

Current Assets

Faction Rule

Mandate: You can set one rule that will be in the public intelligence briefing:

All factions must abide by this rule this turn.
Failure to comply with the rule will result in power being deducted by the Heavenly Department of Order per infraction; from both your ledger and theirs (to pay for the enforcement).
If factions are observed obsequiously abiding by the rule; you will receive 1 Power per other faction that obeyed. (Any other faction not hit with the tax)

This rule must be stated in the special section of turn submission and cannot exceed a 25 word limit.

Secret Objective

You need there to be no greater power in Pingliang.

If, when the game ends,

The sorcerer hunters have no foothold in Pingliang’s city tiles.
You still control the Central Government and
Temple’s great threat is dealt with.

You will be considered a Victor in Pingliang.

Side Quest

Retrieve the mandate of heaven; with the imperial seal. If you can find this lost treasure – it will provide you with additional clout and strength.

Rule of Discourse

Standard; your practitioners cannot lie, your Others cannot lie. Your representatives would lose face for the Celestial Bureaucracy and are not allowed to lie.

Characters

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
Grand Secretary, Tian Fa	Supreme	Healthy	1	1

Troops

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
Town Guards	Moderate	Healthy	1	1
Scribe Brigade	Worst	Healthy	1	1
Diplomatic Corps	Poor	Healthy	1	2
Mounted Cavalry	Poor	Healthy	1	4
Inspectors	Poor	Healthy	1	2

Notable items:

Lotus Lantern; Power 10

Pagoda; Power 10

Horsehair Plume of Command; Power 10

Control of the Central Government, and the Prefecture Palace

An HQ at the Prefecture Palace

15 Power in golden celestial artifacts

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Temple has an Ancient Other that is awakening, you don’t think the month will be out before it is free once again.

There is more than one faction that only consists of Characters at present, having no [Troops] among their forces.

The Sorcerer Hunters have a battalion encamped at the Outward Road, and outstrip you in combat ability.

Dilemma

The Missing Scroll

The Mandate of Heaven; a legal document signed by the Qing Emperor that established the presence and rulership of Pingliang Prefecture, has gone missing. It is not longer in the Vaults of Heaven; but nothing else appears to be missing.

[ ] Investigate the Vaults of Heaven thoroughly, leaving no stone unturned.

[ ] Announce the loss of the Mandate and post a bounty for its return.

[ ] Keep the missing scroll secret; no one should know about the theft.

[ ] Send a small, trusted group, to make surreptitious inquiries at the dreaming market if anything of it’s like might make an auction

[ ] Set observers on the Liu, they are the new upstarts and could lust to displace you

[ ] Set observers on the Wildflowers. They are merchants and certainly it would be worth a dear price should they acquire it.

[ ] Search for other means and motives.

Dilemma

A Minor functionary has brought to your attention that at outlying farm owes significant back taxes, (About 2 Power worth) do you;

[ ] Utilize Law practices to draw what you are due from the land without investigating, from the Self, or selves of the occupants if need be.

[ ] Investigate the reason for the lateness, sending a minor functionary to go to the farm. (This will create an item in your next briefing)

[ ] Send guardsmen, to make certain a timely tithe is paid, and continues to be paid.

[ ] Ignore it, it's beneath your notice.

1- Patrol; Patrolling serves several purposes. This allows a faction to stake a claim to an area, contest the claim of another faction or interdict bodies moving through or acting with the region contrary to the patrollers interest. Interception is not guaranteed and some units (namely troops) will be better at patrols at scale than others.

2 - Attack; This is for when you want to hit a specific target, you aren’t generally trying to patrol a space.

3 - Investigate; For this action you must designate where and what you are investigating – usually either with a specific question, or a target. Investigations can be obstructed (although you’ll generally get an idea of who and how) and may vary in quality by where they are conducted.

4 - Ritual; this is performing a magical ritual. A practitioner or Other must perform it; and it doubles the income of a territory. A territory may only support two rituals at a time. Only one ritual can be performed by a faction on a territory per turn.

5 - Core Ritual;To perform a core ritual it will take half of a character’s actions, round up. Mandatus can be challenged outside of turn order. Adoption items could be challenged if the party is crashed, but ultimately no call goes out for resistance to occur.

6 - Build an HQ; to build, fortify and take over a structure such that it also counts as an HQ for measuring troop deployments takes two actions, and 5 Power to invest in the site. If you have no HQs you will have one turn to build one, or be removed from play as a faction. If a territory housing an HQ would be lost for the first time in a conflict, instead the HQ is removed and the faction retains control.

1 ⌚ 7 - Interdict travel Into the City Tiles of Pingliang from the Wilds; Assign units to this task to watch the gates of the city, making transit from Territories outside to the inside more difficult, with more often stops, questions and refusals.

1 ⌚ 8 - Shut down the markets; Assign units to this task to attempt to stopper market activity in Pingliang Prefecture at the Dreaming Markets, Wet Markets and Alley of Awe.

Extra Materials

Grand Secretary, Tian Fa

An Obsequious and ever present law mage, Tian Fa has made it his purpose in life to see that Pingliang runs smoothly. He’s a major functionary and everyone in the government knows, and respects him. He speaks with the same voice as Pingliang, and the loss of the imperial mandate grates at his personal sense of honor more than anything. He’s very certain of his own personal importance, and he knows Pingliang knows it. He’s one to always travel with a personal guard to see to his own safety, this makes him slow to move, and it’s costly, and dirty to go to the outskirts, but if he’s needed, he will make the trek.

The Grand Secretary lets you maintain a rule for an additional turn, effectively having two rules in play at the same time.

The Grand Secretary can half his might for all actions to take an extra action for the turn. He may do this twice (For three total actions at ¼ Standard might on all actions)

The Grand Secretary is the last unit to be assigned injuries or consequences when working with allied units.

Troops

Town Guard 和諧之盾 Héxié zhī dùn “Harmonious Shield”

The harmonious shield has served as local order keepers for as long as Pingliang has been a city under the rule of a local lord. They’ve kept their noses clean and trained even though the era of bandit raiders has long since fled and for the most part they respond to a rare domestic dispute that doesn’t require them to dust off arms or armor, despite that the armory is stocked should the need arise to defend the town, and they are proficient with the tools of their trade.

Scribe Brigade 秋天的信件 Qiūtiān de xìnjiàn “Autumn Letters”

The scribe brigade is the group of functionaries that stay usually in the central government, amounting to an office pool used for managing the official paperwork and ledgers of the Celestial Bureaucracy of Pingliang, it is through their careful fingers that the census, the tax records, and all manner of approvals, stamps, declarations, deed transfers, marriage licenses and all other forms of official documentation pass. Punctilious, meticulous, fastidious they focus on the fine print as a matter of course. Led by Shao Rong, a tall, effeminate man with a keen eye for detail, it is their solemn duty to keep records and keep track of the records of everything that happens in Pingliang.

When performing the research action, the scribe brigade will reference the Celestial Bureaucracies Ledgers. They may investigate any faction in this manner from the H-Central Government, if they investigate on site, they will also cross reference these records for an additional bit of information.

Diplomatic Corps 巧舌如簧 Qiǎo shé rú huáng “the Silver Tongued”

The diplomatic corps is made up of minor functionaires, mostly raised up through nepotism and family connections; they are very well connected amongst the peoples of Pingliang, wearing fine clothing and always finding an open door wherever they go. They have long existing relationships in every community of Pingliang that they can call on should they need to.

The Diplomatic corps may take a special action in any region allowing them to take half of the printed value of the territory away from the controlling faction, as they go directly to the most prominent community members to remind them of their taxation responsibilities, and returning that half to the Celestial Bureaucracy

The Diplomats may accompany another unit to allow it to bypass blockades, patrols or interceptions with their honeyed words.

Mounted Cavalry. 飛雷騎 Fēi léi qí “Flying Thunder Riders”

The mounted cavalry has long kept the roads and towns around Pingliang safe. Economical, they take great pride in their steeds for parade days, and can quickly go to outlying communities should the need arrive. They’re not as armed as the town guard, but they are much faster in their lighter accouterments.

Inspectors 天眼 Tiānyǎn “Eyes of Heaven”

The inspectorship is there to dig into what the Celestial Bureaucracy wants dug into, late on taxes? Lower yield on grain? Unexpected income such that there must be an illegal gambling house in the basem*nt? The Inspectors always have the social harmony on the mind and are detailed in their inspections and investigations.

Notable Items

Pagoda, 玉五印塔 Yù wǔ yìn tǎ “The Jade Pagoda of Five Seals” Power 10

This immaculate jade pagoda sits about 8 centimeters high, intricately carved with details of growling dragons at the corners of the roof. It was once in the collection of Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, given to a courtier for their service; it eventually made its way into Pingliang.

The Pagoda can be deployed in a conflict with an Other. If it is equipped on a unit and a [Target] is identified that Other will be Bound within the Pagoda. The Pagoda can only hold one Other at a time.

The Horsehair plume of command; Power 10

Said to be worn by a Lieutenant of the famous Lu Bu, this exquisite helmet is chased in silver and quicksilver and wears a weight of historicity that commands respect and emboldens those under its command.

The Might of [Troop] units acting in a warband with a Unit wearing this treasure is increased.

The Lotus Lantern; Power 10

The Lotus lantern is an exquisite brass contraption carved with a flower in the center of its box, the stenter of it being where the oil and wick is lit. Behind panes of colored glass depicting lotuses of many colors floating on a serene pool. Light emanates when lit and anything within the shards of light is laid bare for what it truly is. Glamours, Illusions, Connection Blockers all fall away to show the unvarnished truth of what is present.

Any unit equipped with the Lotus Lantern cannot be obfuscated, confused, or otherwise disabled by practice.

The Sorcerer Hunter's Captain is a practitioner.

The Wild Others have access to an Augur that can foresee the I-Ching reading for the next turn.

Current Assets

Faction Rule

Mandate: You can set one rule that will be in the public intelligence briefing:

All factions must abide by this rule this turn.
Failure to comply with the rule will result in power being deducted by the Heavenly Department of Order per infraction; from both your ledger and theirs (to pay for the enforcement).
If factions are observed obsequiously abiding by the rule; you will receive 1 Power per other faction that obeyed. (Any other faction not hit with the tax)

This rule must be stated in the special section of turn submission and cannot exceed a 25 word limit.

Secret Objective

You need there to be no greater power in Pingliang.

If, when the game ends,

The sorcerer hunters have no foothold in Pingliang’s city tiles.
You still control the Central Government and
Temple’s great threat is dealt with.

You will be considered a Victor in Pingliang.

Side Quest

Retrieve the mandate of heaven; with the imperial seal. If you can find this lost treasure – it will provide you with additional clout and strength.

Rule of Discourse

Standard; your practitioners cannot lie, your Others cannot lie. Your representatives would lose face for the Celestial Bureaucracy and are not allowed to lie.

Characters

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
Grand Secretary, Tian Fa	Supreme	Healthy	1	1

Troops

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
Town Guards	Moderate	injured	1	1
Scribe Brigade	Worst	Healthy	1	1
Diplomatic Corps	Poor	Healthy	1	2
Mounted Cavalry	Poor	Badly injured	1	4
Inspectors	Poor	injured	1	2

Notable items:

Lotus Lantern; Power 10

Pagoda; Power 10

Horsehair Plume of Command; Power 10

Control of the Central Government, The Steaming Lake and the Prefecture Palace

An HQ at the Prefecture Palace and at the Central Government

6 Power in golden celestial artifacts (-9 Purchases)

10 Power in Proper Taxes from H

3 Power in Reverent Awe from V

6 Power in Heat Infused Steam from L

Total loose Power: 25

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The most powerful asset of the Lius is an Enchantress.

The Sorcerer Hunters have access to a beast of metal and flame, a tank armed with a main cannon and a machine gun. It’s certain to cause harm in engagements it’s involved in.

A Xiezhi, a kind of Other goat-unicorn that eats corrupt bureaucrats, was seen in the Green Fields.

The Wildflowers count an Other on their association counsel, a Golden Cat of Fortune

Results

Dilemma 1 - The Missing Scroll

Your forces turn over the vaults checking behind boxes, seals, and making the most thorough inspection they are capable of. They discover there has been a break in, probably several over the course of the last few months. They are certain the thief is magically inclined, whether an Other or a Practitioner they cannot say, but the ability to bypass the guards and wards speaks to a high level of skill, and knowledge. They weren’t able to find a good trace to the culprit, but given the method of entry, scratches carefully made to make the merest breaks in circles, things shifted, just so, to create a gap something or someone could pass through, they can tell for certainty the scroll is not here – but whomever took it might come back if they think that they can continue to rob the treasures of heaven. Although why the mandate specifically is still much in question. See Dilemma - The Vault of Heaven for further choices.

Dilemma 2 - Unpaid Taxes

Distressingly the minor functionary has not returned after leaving for A- The Outlying Farms , the week passes without sight or sound of him. Basic divination returns that he has passed on, although it’s unclear as to what; possibly some sort of fae creature has absconded with him.

1 - Patrol (L - Steaming Lake)

Yi Hui took pride in his position; he was a trusted member of the Fēi léi qí. His horse was immaculate with chestnut hair brushed so that it shimmered. Not a speck of his kit was out of place, and he was so trusted, he'd been entrusted with the Pagoda of Five Seals, one of the treasures of heaven.

The march to the steaming lake was short and peaceful, orderly columns moving in matched paces like clockwork soldiers in perfect synchronicity to then split off into smaller patrolling elements, the guards being slow moving antibodies while the cavalry would perform quick response and facilitate communication between patrols.

It had started so peacefully, there was consternation from the investigators, pushing back and forth for jurisdiction and proper interrogation and handling of the evidence, pushes, slaps, shouts, a great three legged bird attempting to nose its way in.

But that all changed when two things happened; first, a Hundun, the faceless primordial chaos of six legs and wings bumbled in flight overhead. One of the four perils; and everything stood out in stark relief, he fumbled with the Pagoda to get it ready, this would surely be a worthy capture.

Then the lake broke.

With horns like iridescent jagged lightning bolts and scales that shimmered through a trout's belly rainbow a Dragon rose from the steaming lake. Its head was larger than three ox carts abreast, in its powerful, magnificent rise he noticed it was heading for the city. A creature that could casually flatten blocks.

He activated the Pagoda, tracing the seals and quickly speaking the prayer, targeting it on the Dragon. Jade pillars snapped into existence at five points around the Dragon each overflowing with elemental nature. Built by invisible hands the structure of the pagoda manifested from the pillars, enclosing the figure.

Then shrinking, concatenating down and folding back in to the Pagoda in his hands. It felt warm.

Then chaos erupted on the ground in what had been a slapping war turned violent, ally turned against ally, friend and foe alike in a chaotic bedlam – every man an island to himself. He clutched the Pagoda to himself. It would be worth Yi's life to keep the treasure intact. Buffeted, bruised, he tried to make his way back to the Palace, the riot a human tangle of an obstacle. He managed to make it to the safety of the Inspectors who were able to withdraw with him safely shielded by the Lotus Lantern.

In the chaos you still manage to gain control of the L-Steaming Lake.

3 - Investigate (L - Steaming Lake)

The investigation is fraught but doesn’t start with violence. The first foe to contend with is the decomposition of the subject – far advanced from what the spirits suggest; the second is the Sorcerer Hunters who insist on the same inspection and that they have priority for this investigation. This quickly becomes a rank pulling and slapping each other away from the investigation, but no weapons were drawn to start with. Then a great three-legged crow arrives to poke its nose in as well, with a peck here and there and a flutter of wings.

It is shortly after this point that bedlam erupts and as raw, incarnate chaos flows through the area like a tidal wave. A dragon rises from the lake, a Hundun bubbles through the skies, and everyone seems to lose their minds as far beyond their intentions actions have consequences they could not expect; in it all the Inspectors are an oasis of clam, protected under the light of the Lotus Lantern, each individual appeared to be fighting on it’s own, an Island to themselves. They saw a cavalier activate the Pagoda and capture the Dragon, as a formation making their way to him, and bruised, helping form a protective cordon to get him out to the safety of the prefecture palace.

You managed to discover the following details through the tumult:

The corpse belonged to a young man named Huang Tao

Huang Tao was only seventeen years old, a strapping, healthy lad.

The corpse looked closer to a man of eighty in poor health.

Huang Tao worked in the docks in the warehouses and hadn’t been seen in the last week

The inspectors surmise Huang Tao was subjected to rapacious practices and that what’s left is the vestige of a corpse.

3 - Investigate (G - Dreaming Market)

The diplomatic corps in their fine outfits, take to the streets of the dreaming market. They ask around paying particular attention to the few Inns of the Dreaming Market, and while they do not encounter the immortal themselves, as he was not able to secure lodgings, they do learn a bit about him.

His name is Sun Jiang, and he is a celestial immortal, descended from the heavens for a purpose he would not say.

He is a Supreme Practitioner.

He seemed very bored and irritated with the state of things, like that he did not want to be in the mortal world, but that what had brought him here was both too mundane for his position, but important enough that he couldn’t not be here to attend to it.

He was last seen moving about Territory N - The Estates .

The Dreaming Dashers, a group of errand runners who serve the Wildflower’s Merchant Association were also looking for the Immortal this turn, and likely learned the same information as you

3 - Investigate (H - Central Government)

The scribes pour through musty tomes, and papery, nearly embalmed scrolls, breathing in the dust of the ages like opium smoke, within the old records they find a few notable details about the temple. It pre-existed the settling of Pingliang and was once something like an inn for wandering gods, a den for primevals and a hallow to incarnates and greater spirits. It’s last denizen left or passed on (the text is smudged and not clear, a fact that infuriates the chief scribe). More than a decade ago. At the time the high priest was Fang An, a Flower Breathing Shaman. She took a sabbatical away before returning to the temple with what’s suspected as a paramour, Lin Fen, a Draoidh of some repute. This would mean they have Two high priests and likely no great other to worry about.

The temple has a troupe of well meaning monks that are well versed in the art of war, but tend towards peace and humility.

6 - Build an HQ (H - Central Government)

The Grand Secretary and his entourage make it across the alley of Awe to the Central government without incident as they’ve done many times. He quickly organizes his sycophants, guards, orderlies, scribes, eunuchs and courtiers into an efficient machine, reinforcing, beautifying and making the Central Government into another place faction members could barracks at, sally from and defend if it came to it; paying particular care to keep the prestige and honor of the edifice intact. No opposition comes and within the week the base is safely established.

Units may path from either location.

[Free] action summary:

You establish your Mandate with thundering authority, contained in the Teahouse Whispers document.

Mandate

“Do not cause intentional direct or indirect harm to civilians."

Sorcerer Hunter Parade

You send a minor functionary to observe and welcome them and run into a problem you are powerless to stop with only his presence. The Sorcerer Hunters come in force to the gate, where Wu Junhai, the decorated captain dismisses the gate guards – you insist they remain at their posts, for this is their honorable role.

He points to his tank (attached below), which aims a gray painted cannon at the guard posts and insists they leave, forcefully removing the gate guards, insisting this entrance and egress will be managed by the Sorcerer hunters.

A minor bureaucrat has little power to stand against a Tank, a Unit of Cavalry, a unit of inspectors and the heroic Captain. They parade into and down the Alley of awe, the tank returning to guard the gate, Wu Jinhai at the end of the alley racing ahead with the cavalry into deeper Pingliang and out of the view of the Bureaucrat. He returns to make his report; otherwise your forces were not assaulted and not obstructed but the disrespect is great. You have lost control of the gate to the Alley of Awe

The Challenge

A set of Diplomats from the Celestial Bureaucracy challenged Lin Fen to draft a treaty, then each would find loopholes in the other’s whoever found the most loopholes in the other parties document would be the victor – either counting against or for the proper sufficiency of the title Lin Fen accepted, drawing on her experience negotiating the Yaoguai of the streaming wood and burning stream’s peace nearly two decades ago she defeated them handily.

Tian Fa, the Grand Secretary of the Celestial Bureaucracy of Pingliang, and a powerful Law Mage arrives to the challenge in a whirl of skirts and a procession of ordered obsequious retainers. But at the time at which he arrives he knows the signs well enough. Alone, perhaps first or without support he’d have been able to nearly shut out the claim entirely with a word. But where the scales stand and the flows he would fail to make a significant dent in the arrayed inertia. He could proceed at a cost to himself, or an empowerment to the ritual, or he could grant neither. He clapped his fan, and turned on his heel, a look of disquiet and disgust on his face for having to have tramped this far outside the gates to attend to something so far beneath him, and left unchallenged.

Dilemma - The Vault of Heaven

With notice of the breach you have a few options before you to try to track down the elusive thief.

[ ] Resecure the vault through all available means,

[ ] Leave the defenses as they are and set a trap Assign units to this dilemma to try to catch the culprit should he reappear.

[ ] Leave the defenses and set a trap, an easy to trace object ensorceled to make it easy to follow, place it prominently and spread around a new and incredibly valuable treasure in the vault, to see if that will bring him back to take the worthless, but trackable object.

[ ] Abandon the vault moving remaining treasures to the Prefecture Palace for security.

Grand Secretary, Tian Fa

The Grand Secretary lets you maintain a rule for an additional turn, effectively having two rules in play at the same time.

The Grand Secretary can half his might for all actions to take an extra action for the turn. He may do this twice (For three total actions at ¼ Standard might on all actions)

The Grand Secretary is the last unit to be assigned injuries or consequences when working with allied units.

Troops

Town Guard 和諧之盾 Héxié zhī dùn “Harmonious Shield”

Scribe Brigade 秋天的信件 Qiūtiān de xìnjiàn “Autumn Letters”

Diplomatic Corps 巧舌如簧 Qiǎo shé rú huáng “the Silver Tongued”

The Diplomats may accompany another unit to allow it to bypass blockades, patrols or interceptions with their honeyed words.

Mounted Cavalry. 飛雷騎 Fēi léi qí “Flying Thunder Riders”

Inspectors 天眼 Tiānyǎn “Eyes of Heaven”

Notable Items

Pagoda, 玉五印塔 Yù wǔ yìn tǎ “The Jade Pagoda of Five Seals” Power 10

A powerful seven colored dragon is currently captive in the Pagoda.

The Horsehair plume of command; Power 10

The Might of [Troop] units acting in a warband with a Unit wearing this treasure is increased.

The Lotus Lantern; Power 10

Any unit equipped with the Lotus Lantern cannot be obfuscated, confused, or otherwise disabled by practice.

It has been painted gray, tusks attached and extraneous material to form elephant ears.

The Oni, Xīnán fēng was active in claiming Century Park this week, where he defaced statues and gardens that were created in Honor of Empress Zeritan Dasheng

The Liu moved in force into the Slums, upending most of their household out of the ruined Liu Estate.

Current Assets

Faction Rule

Mandate: You can set one rule that will be in the public intelligence briefing:

All factions must abide by this rule this turn.
Failure to comply with the rule will result in power being deducted by the Heavenly Department of Order per infraction; from both your ledger and theirs (to pay for the enforcement).
If factions are observed obsequiously abiding by the rule; you will receive 1 Power per other faction that obeyed. (Any other faction not hit with the tax)

This rule must be stated in the special section of turn submission and cannot exceed a 25 word limit.

Secret Objective

You need there to be no greater power in Pingliang.

If, when the game ends,

The sorcerer hunters have no foothold in Pingliang’s city tiles.
You still control the Central Government and
Temple’s great threat is dealt with.

You will be considered a Victor in Pingliang.

Side Quest

Retrieve the mandate of heaven; with the imperial seal. If you can find this lost treasure – it will provide you with additional clout and strength.

Rule of Discourse

Standard; your practitioners cannot lie, your Others cannot lie. Your representatives would lose face for the Celestial Bureaucracy and are not allowed to lie.

Characters

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
Grand Secretary, Tian Fa	Supreme	Healthy	1	1

Troops

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
Town Guards	Moderate	Healthy	1	1
Scribe Brigade	Worst	Healthy	1	1
Diplomatic Corps	Poor	Healthy	1	2
Mounted Cavalry	Poor	Healthy	1	4
Inspectors	Poor	Healthy	1	2

Notable items:

Lotus Lantern; Power 10

Pagoda; Power 10

Horsehair Plume of Command; Power 10

Control of the Central Government, The Steaming Lake and the Prefecture Palace

An HQ at the Prefecture Palace and at the Central Government

4 Power in golden celestial artifacts (9 base, -1 range, -1 healing)

0 Power in Proper Taxes from H (10 base, -14 Healing, +5 control, -1 disruptive effect)

2 Power in Reverent Awe from V (3 Base +3 contro, -4 Lotus Lanternl)

4 Power in Heat Infused Steam from L (6 base, +3 control, -5 transfer to WO)

4 Power in Tokens of Obeisance (+5 from law followers, -1 from Law Breakers)

Total Loose Power: 14

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Wildflowers have an aware member on their council Guo the Blacksmith, who forges magical items.

Wild Others have been seen surreptitiously moving about O-Theives’ Row.

The Oni built a base in the Q-Respectable Homes

The Sorcerer Hunter’s captain Wu Jinhai can take two actions per turn and is in the Great tier of might

Results

The Vault of Heaven
You place the object in the Vault of Heaven with its careful and subtle workings. Prepared for the thief to return and begin letting the rumors spread throughout Pingliang. A Jade Seal of Law with the power to stamp the approval of the heavens on any deal or statement binding the entire city to its terms.

Additional Details and Orders:

1 - Patrol (H - Central Governance)

The Patrol of the central government is eventful and you have a number of forces that come through and require a firm hand. A group of inspectors from the Sorcerer Hunters come and present themselves as a clerical group attempting to gain access to your records, snooping and asking many impolite questions about Tian Fa, the location of your Mandate and where the Dragon is and what you will do with it. While carefully steered about by the town guard they also begin requisitioning items from the local area according to their own mandate, reducing the amount of power you’re able to levy by half. They are barred from the premises before they can get any usable information.

Similarly a group of “Well-meaning” citizens come in and attempt to take up and distract your assets time to enable a second group of citizens to infiltrate and find their way into your vault and your Mandate. They mention a number of the scribe brigade by name, mentioning Xia Xiaotong, Qin Boqin, Tian Hai, Sun Huiqing and Long Lanfen. They tried posing as assistants to the scribes (who have been assigned to the prefecture palace this week). Suspiciously the same group that looked into the Temple last week. A quick reference tells you both groups of citizens are “supplicants” of the Temple, you triage this with great consternation; also keeping them from access to your closest secrets.

Thirdly, the Hundun itself appears, a faceless mass with six legs and small wings and it tumbles more than flies through the air. Mouthless it speaks, cordially, and you can see the flows of chaos and whimsy twist around it. You guide it inwards where its first search is for “How can we acquire or corrupt the Mandate of Heaven.” Searching through archives and dusty tomes looking for its history, its ownership, how demonic influences have corrupted such things in the past. You see its aurora twist out through the entire territory, spices in the kitchens are mixed up, the contents of drawers rearranged, things that were once tidy become untidy. You see it attempts to change reference values, and rearrange books in the archive, which would make research much more cumbersome; but Tian Fa with the lantern curtails these activities, in each place setting seal, setting law, setting order. Making certain the records remain pristine.

You notice it goes out of its way to not harm civilians, insofar as it’s mane of twisted fate shaking it here and there to prevent eventful trips, falls, or rube goldberg machine accidents.

Having an expert practitioner in close range to this peril for so long you make a few observations:

It’s an immature Hundun, likely no more than Moderate power

It can take more than one action a turn.

It’s name is Xīnán fēng

It has an aura with the effect of

Wherever the Xīnán fēng takes its actions if a conflict occurs each unit will stand alone as its own separate force to determine results – the flows of chaos are strong and muddle the connections, increasing paranoia, concern, and creating a wild tumult.

3 - Investigate: Huang Tao and Rapacious Practice (K - Docks)

The Inspectors search the shop asking his acquaintances, his family, his job. They find the warehouse he worked out of, but several businesses work out of there. It’s nearly midweek when they have a breakthrough; they find leads to an unnamed building in the M-Slinking Slums, connections, basic divinations, comments; he was doing something with a family out of that building, coming and going at odd hours of the night.

Taking another look at the body they propose the following insights:

It’s likely those responsible took the scraps of him and grafted them onto themselves, enhancing themselves and their claim.

It likely he was transferred responsibilities from the rapacious practitioners, chillingly, it’s possible they’ve found a way to take consequences of gainsaying or forswearing and pass them through ritual practice to such an unfortunate leaving them to eat the karmic burden while the rapacious practitioner continues unencumbered.

3 - Investigate: The Seven-Colored Dragon (V - Prefecture Palace)

Long Lanfen tapped at the Jade Pagoda. A paperweight on the desk, but also now a prison for a startlingly powerful other. They’d been tasked with figuring out how to leverage or bind a dragon. Truly an impossible challenge, but as he idly scratched diagrams on the page, he was startled by someone clearing their breath.

An incredibly lovely woman smiled at him. She smelled like the forest and hide eyes a hair brighter than stained Wumu. Her hair was a cascading shimmering ebony.

Lin Fen, The Great Negotiator Master of Conflict had come to bargain; with a lone set of scribes and the treasure in arms reach. Long Lanfen was greatly outmatched, terms, conditions offerings, points of order it almost seemed like she’d negotiate him out of both the Treasure and the Dragon and him out of his han fu besides. If it had been a fight, she could have absolutely taken the treasure from his broken body, and he knew it, she knew it.

Before the bargain could be struck another individual entered the discussion. A man in dirty, travel stained robes, his shirt open at the chest. Wild and shaggy hair from years following where the road would take him, and here he was.

“It’s not proper to take from those weaker than you.” He said, simply.

“If you mean to force him to give up what’s his, I’m liable to step in.”

Long Lanfen, cowered behind the newcomer, smelly, as he was, holding the Pagoda tightly.

This continued for long enough that he and the brigade entirely weren’t able to get any work done this week; but blessedly it didn’t come to blows, Lin Fen having disrupted the investigation, but not leaving with the Dragon, Pagoda, or the Scribes themselves under her wing.

[Free] action summary:

Mandate

“Do not cause intentional direct or indirect harm to civilians."

7 - Snapping the Trap shut; Units assigned to this action will lie in wait in H- The Central government to catch the thief if he takes the bait and returns to the Vault. Should an attack happen on the building they’d rally to it’s defense, but they’d attempt to keep their presence unobtrusive and so not interdict as a patrol can or does.

Grand Secretary, Tian Fa

The Grand Secretary lets you maintain a rule for an additional turn, effectively having two rules in play at the same time.

The Grand Secretary can half his might for all actions to take an extra action for the turn. He may do this twice (For three total actions at ¼ Standard might on all actions)

The Grand Secretary is the last unit to be assigned injuries or consequences when working with allied units.

Troops

Town Guard 和諧之盾 Héxié zhī dùn “Harmonious Shield”

Scribe Brigade 秋天的信件 Qiūtiān de xìnjiàn “Autumn Letters”

Diplomatic Corps 巧舌如簧 Qiǎo shé rú huáng “the Silver Tongued”

The Diplomats may accompany another unit to allow it to bypass blockades, patrols or interceptions with their honeyed words.

Mounted Cavalry. 飛雷騎 Fēi léi qí “Flying Thunder Riders”

Inspectors 天眼 Tiānyǎn “Eyes of Heaven”

Notable Items

Pagoda, 玉五印塔 Yù wǔ yìn tǎ “The Jade Pagoda of Five Seals” Power 10

A powerful seven colored dragon is currently captive in the Pagoda.

The Horsehair plume of command; Power 10

The Might of [Troop] units acting in a warband with a Unit wearing this treasure is increased.

The Lotus Lantern; Power 10

Any unit equipped with the Lotus Lantern cannot be obfuscated, confused, or otherwise disabled by practice.

The Wild Others have obtained a massive stockpile of power.

The Wildflowers have a magical item that allows them to scry on a person they know the name of and assess their condition and one location they are acting in.

Current Assets

Faction Rule

Mandate: You can set one rule that will be in the public intelligence briefing:

All factions must abide by this rule this turn.
Failure to comply with the rule will result in power being deducted by the Heavenly Department of Order per infraction; from both your ledger and theirs (to pay for the enforcement).
If factions are observed obsequiously abiding by the rule; you will receive 1 Power per other faction that obeyed. (Any other faction not hit with the tax)

This rule must be stated in the special section of turn submission and cannot exceed a 25 word limit.

Secret Objective

You need there to be no greater power in Pingliang.

If, when the game ends,

The sorcerer hunters have no foothold in Pingliang’s city tiles.
You still control the Central Government and
Temple’s great threat is dealt with.

You will be considered a Victor in Pingliang.

Side Quest

Retrieve the mandate of heaven; with the imperial seal. If you can find this lost treasure – it will provide you with additional clout and strength.

Rule of Discourse

Standard; your practitioners cannot lie, your Others cannot lie. Your representatives would lose face for the Celestial Bureaucracy and are not allowed to lie.

Characters

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
Grand Secretary, Tian Fa	Supreme	Healthy	1	1

Troops

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
Town Guards	Moderate	Healthy	1	1
Scribe Brigade	Worst	Badly Injured	1	1
Diplomatic Corps	Poor	Healthy	1	2
Mounted Cavalry	Poor	Healthy	1	4
Inspectors	Poor	Healthy	1	2

Notable items:

Lotus Lantern; Power 10

Horsehair Plume of Command; Power 10

Control of the H-Central Government, L-The Steaming Lake and the V-Prefecture Palace

An HQ at the V-Prefecture Palace

0 Power in golden celestial artifacts (4 base, -4 theft)

0 Power in Proper Taxes from H (0 base, +5 control, -5 Theft)

0 Power in Reverent Awe from V (2 Base +3 control ,-1 Tian Fa, -4 Theft)

0 Power in Heat Infused Steam from L (4 base, +3 control, +3 Ritual, -10 Tian Fa)

12 Power in Tokens of Obeisance (4 Base +12 from law followers, -3 Theft, -1 to Temple)

Total Loose Power: 12

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Sorcerer Hunters’ tank can project power into an adjacent territory without putting itself at risk.

The Sorcerer Hunters have four units of [Troops]; Riflemen, Shi of Seals, Inspectors and Mounted Cavalry

The Oni have a method of circumventing the Laws you’ve established.

The man who stole the Mandate’s name is Yao Gen, and he is a skilled thief and cutpurse.

Results

1 - Patrol: Central Governance [H]

The day started with Chaos and tumult; traffic was unusually high with two different festivals happening simultaneously, the Temple at night, drawing the inhabitants of the slums and thieves row northward, and the Dreaming Market welcome celebration drawing the western half of the town east. In the press of transiting bodies it became easy to miss details; there were so many people coming through; Sorcerer Hunter cavalry watching, again talking to the locals and taking a tithe – before any intervention could be had a massive creature materialized from the floating world near the door the the central government.

A beast of fur and scale and shell nearly twelve feet tall, it’s midsection a drill like protrusion of carapace that had cracks and hinges, opening wide to a maw that a horse could ride into and be swallowed. Next to this beast were two High Priestesses of the temple.

The battle was fierce, the massive creature on its own nearly surpassing Tian Fa; in a single of its points of focus – unfortunately for the defenders it had spent almost all of its capability here vastly outstripping them in might. It tore through barricades and stone like stepping through a gentle waterfall; Tian Fa threw up walls, bindings, barriers empowered by law and practice ninety nine times ninety nine; and yes it powered through them, stepping through lines that should have been like the shield of Shang-di in strength but to it appeared like gossamer.

He was lucky to escape uninjured; it tore through the building to find the Pagoda, which it acquired, severely wounding the scribe brigade that tried to beat a hasty retreat – three of that brigade's members were swallowed up by that massive horse sized maw.

It tore it’s way down to the vault, finding and chuckling over the false treasure before discarding it; your town guard joined the fray, as well as the Wandering Youxia settled to battle the beast – and a group of children that seemed to make it’s schemes more difficult.

Wounds were plenty, with the children all perishing before the impossible beast; but not before the Lantern revealed much. The creature by some trick was not a new unique, Supreme tier being – but a crude frankenstein, by some Oni magic they’d forced together the Selves of a Toatie, and a Qionqi; two of the four into a new temporary existence – it wasn’t a Peril itself, but it had the full souls of both of them, stitcher, condensed, jigsawed, with both working in a hateful unity.

Tian Fa’s expert opinion was that the stitching was temporary, whatever method they’d used was unlikely to be available to them for the next week; but after, more such horrors could be made.

The losses in the assault overall were:

The Scribe Brigade became Badly Injured; taking multiple grevious wounds.

The Jade Pagoda was stolen, with the Dragon inside it.

The Fake seal was acquired, and recognized, being destroyed.

The Meddling Kids have been slain, and their bodies taken with the creature

15 Power worth of plunder has been taken from the Celestial Bureucracy’s loose store of power in the theft

The base at H - the Central Government was destroyed.

1 - Patrol: the Outlying Farms [A]

The patrol is peaceful; the smell of fresh air and vibrant life abounds; they look for signs of the missing minor functionary within their patrol but find no sign; no corpse, no body, no trail. It’s as if some mysterious beast just gobbled him while he was making his way out to the farm. The Sorcerer Hunters are polite, but insist that all of the revenue and control of the site should belong to them; and as it’s the tank that rumbles alongside the cavalry they don’t make it a point to take issue.

Besides a few relieved farmers that tell ghost stories of monsters in the woods; including a shaggy black furred creature glimpsed like a shadow on a moonless night, but nearly twelve feet tall that moved like a jungle cat; there isn’t any notable information.

3 - Investigate: the Imperial Delegate/the Wildflowers Festival [P]

The Grand Secretary, Tian Fa, attends the rapidly organized impromptu event full of colored lanterns, festive stalls, traditional dance, and far too many vendors hawking their ware within the Dreaming market. Astute and observant of the flow of Law, precedent and issue of import great and small, he immediately knows the man for what he is. The man claims to be min gong Yang Ling; but he is an imposter – a skilled Interloper, who twists connections to make a space for himself, making those around him believe he was always there, always held these relationships and that he is, plausibly, who he claims to be. The people are enraptured of him, fully under his sway; as a supreme law mage, and if he had the Lotus Lantern it would be a simple enough matter to clear the woven webs of deception away – but there exists an opportunity here as well as an issue to be dealt with.

Wherever this man goes a spontaneous festival will occur, acting almost like a patrol in that it will make transit through the space the party occurs in nearly impossible, a moving wall of the citizenry, protected by Law. There is risk, but there is also opportunity Tian Fa weighs, and in as uncertain and interesting as the times in Pingliang have become every asset may become of use to maintain the order of Heaven.

See Dilemma the False Representative for further options.

3 - Investigate: the Temple [C]

The investigators and Diplomats arrive to find a party in full swing; some kind of massive elaborate ritual involving hundreds of participants at the temple. Staunch Temple Guards; skilled combatants who have honed their body and their Qi all their lives in service of the temple stand in the way; about on par with your town guard – if it had been only the diplomats or only the inspectors, perhaps they would have been stymied or stopped – effectively bounced.

But the riotous event with temple stalwarts and new faces provided opportunities for an asset to slip inside and make a number of observations and startingling discoveries.

They have undertaken a ritual to form a divine being from the sentiment of the people of Pinglinag; they are focusing energies collected in these rights, as well as the output of their shrines of Dreams and Conflict to create this nascent Other; They only have one ritual left to perform to birth it into the world.

It’s strength is proportional to the power they dump into it; having spent the bulk of their efforts this turn in doing so, your agent assesses that it’s about 10 power away and a single ritual from being birth as a newly minted Moderate tier other; if they are able to place 60 power it’ll be born as another Great tier being.

She hears whispers that their plan is to feed the mandate to this creature; to cement it as a Titan over the area by binding it not just to the people but to the Law of Pingliang as an arbiter for it, according to the High Priestesses' will.

It appears the reason they wanted the Pagoda was simply to free the Dragon; trusting their Draoidhe, Lin Fen, holder of the mandate Great Negotiator, Master of Conflict to make friendly inroads with the creature as an ally, or at least, a problem that is not their own.

Your forces assess that the temple has four units active in Pingliang

Fang An, a flower-breathing shaman of the Great tier with special actions that can cover entire territories in a mystical miasma.

Lin Fen, a powerful Draoidh of the Great tier.

The mentioned Temple Guards

And a group of supplicants that are the common fanatics of the temple; assets of the worst tier.

They also have a series of shrines that they can turn to a multitude of purposes, working together in a complicated arrangement.

There is a ritual in the territory that besides doubling power, presently gives the names of anyone investigating the owners of the territory to the owners of the territory; the names of the members of the Diplomats and the Investigators are known to the Temple: Peng Xiaosheng, Fan Rong, Dai Qiu, Ding Bohai, Chen Biya, Tao, Wenqian, Hu Fenfang, Jin Baozhai, Mao Yuanjun, Tang Yusheng, Yang Ling, Yin He, Xiang Jingfei, Yu Niu, Pan Zhilan, Tan Xiu, Yi Hui, Yi Nianzu, Ye Ya

3 - Investigate: Rainbow of Hope [H]

The scribe brigade was interrupted for the second time in their attempt to study the Dragon in the pagoda; they managed to get a few details down before the raiding force combined of Temple and Oni assaulted the compound; while the dragon had not necessarily been a hostile or destabilizing presence on it’s own – it had the kind of inertia that moved the world around it; rather than the world acting on it.

It is likely that 希望的幸运彩虹 Xīwàng de xìngyùn cǎihóng could be reasoned with, and potentially mollified; while unlikely to take strenuous action on behalf of a faction, merely being in a location would stymie conflict; as the disruptive elements may have to content with a wise sage and incredible force.

7 - Snap the Trap Shut [V]

Unfortunately your desired trap did not draw in your target; instead it drew in numerous prospective thieves looking for the Mandate of Heaven, the Jade Pagoda of Five seals and your vault; See 1 - Patrol H for results; the Town Guard and the Lotus Lantern became embroiled in this conflict.

Mandate Challenge; The Ultimate Duelist of Pingliang

The Mounted cavalry arrive to an abandoned Dojo, rules are carved on the outside and warnings, but Tang is nowhere to be seen, and the call is no longer sounding out – over language advising of risk and mentioning reward and sundry other conditions meant to steer the duel in directions the Liu would like is a painted warning in a childish hand.

“The Liu lie, don’t trust them, this is a trap.”

Dilemma - Foxfire at Night

You have received a report on your desk, in careful even letters. It’s marked as being from Captain Wu Jinhai and that it has been copied to the leadership of the Three Kingdoms, China, it excoriates the defenses of the city of Pingliang, laying out two different smuggling rings occurring that they found within weeks of their arrival, nearly by accident. It claims that this failure to uphold the Emperor’s peace and to abide by the laws of greater China indicate foul rot and corruption within the whole of Pingliangs government, that guards at the gate to the wet market must be on the take; and at the next shipment in from there, there will be sufficient evidence to challenge the law of the city, and instantiate a new martial law under their own governance.

Tian Fa is concerned, any weakening of the law by claims of illegitimacy will be particularly damaging given that it is the echo of the mandate that is assisting in establishing the current Laws; the right and claim the bureaucracy has – if the rule of law breaks down the structure that allow leveraging this previous ownership may falter or break. Tian Fa has a number of options before him.

[ ] Assign units to stop the smuggling through the gate to D- the Wet Market. The easiest way to do this would be to increase patrols and control the Wet Market – to take this option either Assign units to this dilemma to only patrol the wall or take a 1- Patrol action in D- the Wet Market

[ ] Issue a counter proclamation; Words should be checked, Tian Fa will issue a statement in the Alley of Awe to excoriate the Sorcerer Hunters as illegitimate usurpers who seek to take the rule of Pingliang from its rightful stewards. Words have power and this proclamation, while setting directly at odds, may check the power these assertions will begin to spread.

[ ] Say nothing, do nothing and hope that the Order of Pingliang won't crumble under the assault to its legitimacy in absence of its controlling deed.

Dilemma the False Representative

min gong Yang Ling is an interloper and not who he represents himself as; he knows this, you know this but that doesn’t mean he can’t be used to the ends of the order. Wherever he goes the space will become impassible in following turns as the press of partying bodies makes navigation nearly impossible. You have the following options before you:

[ ] Take the Lantern and have Tian Fa expose him for a charlatan, and deliver whatever justice you deem fit for deceiving your people and improperly claiming Imperial title

[ ] Order him to stop in a particular space on his way out of the city; this will make that territory nearly impassable for units attempting to pass through during this turn, after that he will have left your jurisdiction

[ ] Invite him to stay for now as an honored guest – he’ll move about the city according to his own designs, but the impact will last the rest of the turns of the game.

Grand Secretary, Tian Fa

The Grand Secretary lets you maintain a rule for an additional turn, effectively having two rules in play at the same time.

The Grand Secretary can half his might for all actions to take an extra action for the turn. He may do this twice (For three total actions at ¼ Standard might on all actions)

The Grand Secretary is the last unit to be assigned injuries or consequences when working with allied units.

Troops

Town Guard 和諧之盾 Héxié zhī dùn “Harmonious Shield”

Scribe Brigade 秋天的信件 Qiūtiān de xìnjiàn “Autumn Letters”

Diplomatic Corps 巧舌如簧 Qiǎo shé rú huáng “the Silver Tongued”

The Diplomats may accompany another unit to allow it to bypass blockades, patrols or interceptions with their honeyed words.

Mounted Cavalry. 飛雷騎 Fēi léi qí “Flying Thunder Riders”

Inspectors 天眼 Tiānyǎn “Eyes of Heaven”

Notable Items

The Horsehair plume of command; Power 10

The Might of [Troop] units acting in a warband with a Unit wearing this treasure is increased.

The Lotus Lantern; Power 10

Any unit equipped with the Lotus Lantern cannot be obfuscated, confused, or otherwise disabled by practice.

Someone Stole into the Prefecture Palace and kidnapped Mao Shunyuan, the secular lord of Pingliang and the legal leader of the Prefecture. See dilemma for more details.

The Supplicants, a Worst tier unit, took L- the Steaming Lake.

Current Assets

Faction Rule

Mandate: You can set one rule that will be in the public intelligence briefing:

All factions must abide by this rule this turn.
Failure to comply with the rule will result in power being deducted by the Heavenly Department of Order per infraction; from both your ledger and theirs (to pay for the enforcement).
If factions are observed obsequiously abiding by the rule; you will receive 1 Power per other faction that obeyed. (Any other faction not hit with the tax)

This rule must be stated in the special section of turn submission and cannot exceed a 25 word limit.

Secret Objective

You need there to be no greater power in Pingliang.

If, when the game ends,

The sorcerer hunters have no foothold in Pingliang’s city tiles.
You still control the Central Government and
Temple’s great threat is dealt with.

You will be considered a Victor in Pingliang.

Side Quest

Retrieve the mandate of heaven; with the imperial seal. If you can find this lost treasure – it will provide you with additional clout and strength.

Rule of Discourse

Standard; your practitioners cannot lie, your Others cannot lie. Your representatives would lose face for the Celestial Bureaucracy and are not allowed to lie.

Characters

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
Grand Secretary, Tian Fa	Supreme	Healthy	1	1

Troops

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
Town Guards	Moderate	Healthy	1	1
Scribe Brigade	Worst	Badly Injured	1	1
Diplomatic Corps	Poor	Injured	1	2
Mounted Cavalry	Poor	Badly Injured	1	3
Inspectors	Poor	Healthy	1	2

Notable items:

Lotus Lantern; Power 10

Horsehair Plume of Command; Power 10

Control of the V - Prefecture Palace

An HQ at the Prefecture Palace

3 Power in Reverent Awe from V (0 Base +3V)

12 Power in Tokens of Obeisance (12 Base +10 from law followers, -2 Lawbreakers, -5 Payments, -3 Transfer)

Total Loose Power: 15

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Fang An has been seen performing a ritual in the Central Government

The Wild Others performed a massive summoning from the steaming lake, drawing out an aquatic Other of significant size, about as long as three horses nose to tail.

The Sorcerer Hunters have been locked out of constructing bases within the city tiles of Pingliang by an Oni ritual.

The Oni ritual would have locked you out of Pingliang’s city tiles as well, but for the fact that you still possess a base within the city. The nature of the ritual requires it’s targets to have no bases within the city when it is performed, you assess that it is likely they will try again.

Results

Dilemma - Foxfire at Night

Your units patrol the wall watching for signals, codes and smugglers. They catch few, no one with anything notable, spoils of the wilds that should be forbidden, but ultimately cause little hardship. Nothing as endemic or dangerous as the Sorcerer Hunter’s letter suggested, nor as challenging. You suspect that the forwarding of this information was a ruse to draw assets out of place, potentially enabling an attack elsewhere.

That or if there were any smugglers they’ve also been warned and changed tack, avoiding the potential capture except for all but the laziest, clumsiest, or least careful. In either case you’ve re-established the claim that you man the walls of Pingliang and have at least a nominative victory. You caught some smugglers of lower value, the confiscated goods don’t even rise to a measly 1 Power.

Dilemma - the False Representative

The false representative per your direction takes the Party to R - Century Park, where the Empress' garden is watered with blood. The Qionqi tried to bypass the gathering, and growing frustrated, eventually resorted to “Through” but wasn’t able to reach the other side due to the press of humanity. Many are dead as a result, but the Qiongqi was frustrated in it’s objective; given the ritual that went off locking out the Sorcerer Hunters you suspect it was headed for the Prefecture Palace with the intent to remove your headquarters and then similarly relegate the Celestial Bureaucracy to bedding down outside the city limits.

Additional Details and Orders:

1 - Patrol: Wet Market [D] Wall

See Dilemma - Foxfire at Night, otherwise they were not contested, agents of the Wildflowers were active in the market spaces, looking for and purchasing items that are magically potent.

2 - Attack: Temple Wilds [C]

The forces split in outside the temple grounds, Tian Fa and the Sealers making their way about while Wu Jinhai and his team make a frontal assault to draw attention; the battlefield becomes a torn hilly expanse of grasping primeval limbs and appendages, flowers of various stripes providing an olfactory assault. Near the top of the hill, Tian Fa sees the tide turn, he sends the Sealer’s ahead to do their task, but turns himself to aid in the battle below.

The Liu have turned on the Sorcerer Hunters and appear to be attempting to use a chain to bind Wu Jinhai.

Tian Fa uses the practice at his command, burning through his tokens of obeisance to support his effort.

His attack helps to distract Lin Fen, weakened as they both are, they are near peers and trade adamant Law and things older than Law, neither gaining the upper-hand.

The Sealers make it back out, unable to stop the ritual, but having provided as much of the cursed salt as they could to the burgeoning god.

The battle turns, what had become an even match becomes an fatiguing, inch-by-inch loss. An artifact in the possession of the Temple proving the definitive measure before the allies forces are made to quit the field, lest they be overwhelmed and eventually slain or bound.

The Mounted Cavalry’s Range has been decreased, becoming slower as a result of Liu practice

2 - Attack: The Thieves’ Row Vigilante [O]

At the thieve’s row the vigilante proved to be truculent. Willing to “Join” after a sense, but unwilling to surrender control of the thieves row, insisting it was his and that he would maintain the peace there; but that he’d be perfectly willing for you to share your intelligence and any other information you had with him.

It became a battle for control, where weakened as Tian Fa was in dividing his strength he proved the inferior by bare minimums.

However his duel proved effective at keeping the Vigilante occupied long enough for the investigative assets to perform their work.

Over the course of the battle Tian Fa would have obtained an injury, but due to his own abilities it was deflected to the Diplomatic corps who wear it as a badge of pride. It is likely the “Vigilante” is now aware of this ability.

3 - Investigate: Yao Gen the Cutpurse [O]

Yao Gen had been in the O-Thieves Row, about three weeks ago. His motions from here had gone North and he had come into conflict with the Vigilante. He stole something from the Vigilante and dealt and took injuries in the conflict. They have learned he is exceptionally slippery, difficult to pin down. He’d also been in the flophouses and the slums prior to thieves' row.

He was also being hunted by the Wildflowers actively who sent an agent into Thieves’ row and parts after hunting him.

Leads were sparse, the investigational forces did pursue a more broad set of investigations in the absence of local leads:

There is an active ritual in Thieves Row.

There is a secret base in Thieves Row belonging to a faction.

The Vigilante is actually a disguised Huli Jing of Great tier.

Other items

The Exquisite Jade Pagoda of Five Seals was not returned to the Celestial Bureaucracy.

Dilemma a Missing Lord

Mao Shunyuan, the secular lord of Pingliang and the legal leader of the Prefecture is missing. He was taken from his chambers in the Prefecture Palace, his family has not seen him, there was a hastily scrawled note that does not match his handwriting indicating he “Left to gather his thoughts and contemplate the Tao.” This is most unusual, especially in a crisis. Tian Fa prides himself on knowing everything the Lord could need or want and to provide it before asked. That he would just abscond is unthinkable. He must have been kidnapped.

The next question would be why, and none of the answers fill Tian Fa with joy.

One of the Liu, Liu Guo was seen in the vicinity by household staff, but they were unable to prevent the difficult and seasoned warrior from going where he pleased.

[ ] Declare a succession crisis and begin steps to install the Lord’s heir as the new presumptive Lord of Pingliang (nonmagical). This will cause problems if the Lord is returned alive, but it keeps the seat filled in the interim.

[ ] You know the Liu moved most of their household into the slums (See T2 Briefing) Tear them apart looking for the secular Lord; Assign units to an Attack action at this location. If your RoE prevent hostile action due to Oaths this will be much more difficult.

[ ] You know the Wildflowers have a magical looking mirror that shares the status and location of an individual (see T4 Briefing); Assign units to this action to attempt to seize it from their headquarters in the Dreaming Market, then use it to Locate him, and then attend to him. This may involve substantial range costs. (Alternatively, work out an agreement for usage of the mirror, then use normal actions)

[ ] Tian Fa is a well known courtier, and is nearly the face of the prefecture; perhaps he could step into the role? Explain the the Lord is not missing, merely sick and he will assume those duties as he has done before until the Lord is better or the heir is of age.

Grand Secretary, Tian Fa

The Grand Secretary lets you maintain a rule for an additional turn, effectively having two rules in play at the same time.

The Grand Secretary can half his might for all actions to take an extra action for the turn. He may do this twice (For three total actions at ¼ Standard might on all actions)

The Grand Secretary is the last unit to be assigned injuries or consequences when working with allied units.

Troops

Town Guard 和諧之盾 Héxié zhī dùn “Harmonious Shield”

Scribe Brigade 秋天的信件 Qiūtiān de xìnjiàn “Autumn Letters”

Diplomatic Corps 巧舌如簧 Qiǎo shé rú huáng “the Silver Tongued”

The Diplomats may accompany another unit to allow it to bypass blockades, patrols or interceptions with their honeyed words.

Mounted Cavalry. 飛雷騎 Fēi léi qí “Flying Thunder Riders”

Inspectors 天眼 Tiānyǎn “Eyes of Heaven”

Notable Items

The Horsehair plume of command; Power 10

The Might of [Troop] units acting in a warband with a Unit wearing this treasure is increased.

The Lotus Lantern; Power 10

Any unit equipped with the Lotus Lantern cannot be obfuscated, confused, or otherwise disabled by practice.

An Oni Ritual has locked the city of Pingliang to you; You can no longer construct bases within the City Territories of Pingliang (I, D, E, G, H, J, V, M, N, O, P,)

The Oni can combine two assets into a single asset, summing the parts, they may do this, at most, every other turn, and may one make one combination at a time.

The Taoqi passed from the Slinking Slum into the Steaming Lake to participate in the battle against Yao Gen, the Foul Cutpurse.

Current Assets

Faction Rule

Mandate: You can set one rule each turn, and alter one rule each turn that will be in the public intelligence briefing:

All factions must abide by this rule this turn.
Failure to comply with the rule will result in power being deducted by the Heavenly Department of Order per infraction; from both your ledger and theirs (to pay for the enforcement). The Amount of power has been enhanced
Units breaking the Law will suffer a malus to might for the turn

Violations are assessed per instance instead of per faction.

If factions are observed obsequiously abiding by the rule; you will receive 1 Power per other faction that obeyed. (Any other faction not hit with the tax)

This rule must be stated in the special section of turn submission and cannot exceed a 25 word limit.

Secret Objective

You need there to be no greater power in Pingliang.

If, when the game ends,

The sorcerer hunters have no foothold in Pingliang’s city tiles.
You still control the Central Government and
Temple’s great threat is dealt with.

You will be considered a Victor in Pingliang.

Side Quest

Retrieve the mandate of heaven; with the imperial seal. If you can find this lost treasure – it will provide you with additional clout and strength.

Rule of Discourse

Standard; your practitioners cannot lie, your Others cannot lie. Your representatives would lose face for the Celestial Bureaucracy and are not allowed to lie.

Characters

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
Grand Secretary, Tian Fa	Supreme	Badly Injured	2	1

Troops

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
Town Guards	Moderate	Badly Injured	1	1
Scribe Brigade	Worst	Injured	1	1
Diplomatic Corps	Poor	Badly Injured	1	2
Mounted Cavalry	Poor	Badly Injured	1	3
Inspectors	Poor	Dead 💀	1	2

Notable items:

Lotus Lantern; Power 10

Horsehair Plume of Command; Power 10

The Mandate of Heaven: Power 20

Control of the V - Prefecture Palace, L- the Steaming Lake

An HQ at L-the Steaming Lake

0 Power in Reverent Awe from V (3S Base +3V, -1 Range, -5 taken by the Oni)

1 Power in Tokens of Obeisance (12S Base +8 from law followers, -4 Lawbreakers, -4 Might, -6 Injury tokens, -5 Base Build)

6 Power of heat infused Steam (0S + 6L)

Total Loose Power: 7

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Temple didn’t assign any defenders to the Central government

The Temples petitioners took specific steps to make it more difficult to build an HQ there for the Celestial Bureaucracy. Last turn they tried to create extra paperwork and distraction for any functionary passing through.

The Oni came tearing towards the Prefecture Palace from the Slinking Slums, but they did not pass through the central government or the Estates, it’s possible they used the floating world, as in their attack on the central government two weeks ago.

The Temple’s god is cursed, misfortune follow it and one unit acting in the same territory as it will take a wound each turn, the victim is random and the godling isn’t immune to this ability.

Results

Dilemma - the Missing Lord

The Wildflowers send word, He us in the slums, he hasn't been moved. He's bound, but healthy in a darkened room.

It it is unfortunate that your Inspectors, also the rescue team perished in the Oni Assault, although it is with great fortune that Mao Shunyuan is yet found at the end of the week, turning up haunted, haggard, but physically uninjured if roughed up and unbecoming. He shuts himself in the head partner's office cleaning up his appearance until he is once again presentable.

He begins to take a more active interest into activities in the city, issuing directives and orders to house staff.

1 - Patrol: the Docks [K]

The patrol in the docks begins with surveying the area to find the mysterious Yao Gen, the person you now know to have stolen the mandate. Pai the peddler wielding an occult device that seems to track the scoundrel like a compass leads the posse to a rickety, squalid structure at the edge of the steaming lake. It claims to be “Honest Han’s Pot shop” that sells alcohol. It’s very low brow for Tian Fa, but he’s eager to see the return of the mandate.

They surround the bar and make their entrance; the fight is short and brutish, for all his skill Yao Gen is not the equal of Thirty-Nine opponents, two of which are supreme opponents, the Taoqi seizing his corpse.

Pai attempted to scoop the Mandate of Heaven into a pouch with the rest of Yao Gen’s possessions. But he did not anticipate the claim held by Tian Fa, and that so close to it, such would be like an anchor or the gravity well of a planet to its moon. Tian Fa was able to bind the mandate, and recover it through fierce resistance from the Taoqi, and the other members of the allied force, getting in the way and sustaining heavy injuries in the process. Pai was able to obtain the rest of Yao Gen’s stash and abscond rapidly disappearing wearing the infamous 100 Li Ji, back into the city.

Tian Fa was able to recover the Mandate and successfully fall back with the remaining Town Guard to the steaming lake redoubt.

Outcome

The Foul Cutpurse, Yao Gen, was slain; the Oni Took the corpse

Grand Secretary; Managed to claim the Mandate; injuries were deflected onto the Town Guards

Town Guards; Took significant injuries, and are badly wounded

The Taoqi; Took no injuries

Temple Guardians; took no injuries

Pai; took no injuries

Enforcers; took no injuries.

1 - Patrol: the Steaming Lake [L]

The Patrol in the steaming lake is peaceful, the fishermen go out and come in with the days catch. You do not encounter any opposition.

1 - Patrol: Prefecture Palace [V]

Tian Fa makes his way about the palace. Walking down the familiar ostentatious halls, chased in Jade and Gold, the carefully molded wood and etched marble, he ponders what could have gone wrong such that Pingliang has become this way; or was it always simmering under the surface, the violence, the troubles, the interesting times. The Problems, A roar shook his reverie, the lantern lit in his hand. He could see the gristly stitching of the Taotie and the Qiongqi, two existences forced to apply one form, wrestling against each other in a foul perversion of a proper and harmonious cycle, but that dissonance providing torsional strength.

Split as his attention was between this activity and the patrol at the docks this week, he proved no match for the Taoqi, leaning on the Horsehair Plume, the inspectors that were still in the building, the loose power, spinning wuxing wheels into existence to empower his barrier, a practice repeated until the spirits understood it to be adamant; but impossibly the Taoqi continued to overcome through overwhelming power.

His men were torn to pieces, the Taoqi wielding a magical sword and a shield that reflected injuries back into Tian Fa’s forces, with great sorrow he shattered the lotus lantern, taking it’s pure flame as raw material into a practice, a powerful defensive ward, he was badly injured, and this strength would be what was needed to keep him from the pillar that loomed against the horizon like the stones of Zhangjiajie.

He managed to make his way clear with the household, badly injured, but with the treasure lost.

Outcome

The base at the Prefecture Palace is destroyed.

The Inspectors have perished in the battle

Tian Fa has become Badly Injured

The Lotus Lantern is shattered to Provide Tian Fa an extra defensive action, this was the difference between his survival and his death.

Five power is taken by the Oni

The Taoqi takes a small amount of wounds.

3 - Investigate: the Lord’s Disappearance [V]

The investigators are only able to begin questioning the staff of the Prefecture palace, diligently asking about the smallest inconsistencies and details. They are able to ascertain that more than one assailant was present, but not who that person was before they are drawn from their task.

The Prefecture Palace is under attack, the fearsome Taoqi has invaded the structure and they must lend their might to Tian Fa, before all is lost. For the results of their engagement in the combat; please see 1- Patrol Prefecture Palace.

5 - Build an HQ: Steaming Lake

The Scribes and the diplomatic corps find a nice building, a stone structure that catches the light of the setting sun making metal finishings light up with a red-gold glow. It was the office of some barristers that would appear in Pingliang’s courts, but they were persuaded to part with the structure to the benefit of the prefecture. The rooms are comfortable and boardrooms become bedrooms with ready work, the diplomats sourcing fine silks and organizing space for Tian Fa and the household staff in preparation for the Marble structure to serve as a redoubt and impromptu government office.

Grand Secretary, Tian Fa

The Grand Secretary lets you maintain a rule for an additional turn, effectively having two rules in play at the same time.

The Grand Secretary can half his might for all actions to take an extra action for the turn. He may do this twice (For three total actions at ¼ Standard might on all actions)

The Grand Secretary is the last unit to be assigned injuries or consequences when working with allied units.

Troops

Town Guard 和諧之盾 Héxié zhī dùn “Harmonious Shield”

Scribe Brigade 秋天的信件 Qiūtiān de xìnjiàn “Autumn Letters”

Diplomatic Corps 巧舌如簧 Qiǎo shé rú huáng “the Silver Tongued”

The Diplomats may accompany another unit to allow it to bypass blockades, patrols or interceptions with their honeyed words.

Mounted Cavalry. 飛雷騎 Fēi léi qí “Flying Thunder Riders”

Inspectors 天眼 Tiānyǎn “Eyes of Heaven”

Notable Items

The Horsehair plume of command; Power 10

The Might of [Troop] units acting in a warband with a Unit wearing this treasure is increased.

The Mandate of Heaven: Power 20

A golden scroll with jade rolls; writ in ink of quicksilver capped with Jade and Mercury, sealed with red thread that contains the charter and order of an Emperor, infused with practice and heavenly Qi. It is an artifact of Law and deeply tied into the Patterns and Practices of Pingliang; with over a thousand years of reinforcement. It is clarified, standing out in stark relief to its surroundings more “real”, than real. Without being bright it almost seems to sear its shape into the eye and mind.

Enhancements from the Mandate of heaven have been indicated with Gold Text.

An Oni Ritual has locked the city of Pingliang to you; You can no longer construct bases within the City Territories of Pingliang (I, D, E, G, H, J, V, M, N, O, P,)

The Temple ritual requires an action to operate as well as usage of a nearby shrine to spirits of healing. It suffused the territory with health, every unit acting there reals 1 wound.

The Mysterious Peddler was here for the Mandate of Heaven, he fled from before Tian Fa and the allies forces, but what threat he represents may make another attempt at another time.

Current Assets

Faction Rule

Mandate: You can set one rule each turn, and alter one rule each turn that will be in the public intelligence briefing:

All factions must abide by this rule this turn.
Failure to comply with the rule will result in power being deducted by the Heavenly Department of Order per infraction; from both your ledger and theirs (to pay for the enforcement). The Amount of power has been enhanced
Units breaking the Law will suffer a malus to might for the turn

Violations are assessed per instance instead of per faction.

If factions are observed obsequiously abiding by the rule; you will receive 1 Power per other faction that obeyed. (Any other faction not hit with the tax)

This rule must be stated in the special section of turn submission and cannot exceed a 25 word limit.

Secret Objective

You need there to be no greater power in Pingliang.

If, when the game ends,

The sorcerer hunters have no foothold in Pingliang’s city tiles.
You still control the Central Government and
Temple’s great threat is dealt with.

You will be considered a Victor in Pingliang.

Side Quest

Retrieve the mandate of heaven; with the imperial seal. If you can find this lost treasure – it will provide you with additional clout and strength.

Rule of Discourse

Standard; your practitioners cannot lie, your Others cannot lie. Your representatives would lose face for the Celestial Bureaucracy and are not allowed to lie.

Characters

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
Grand Secretary, Tian Fa	Supreme	Injured	2	1

Troops

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
Town Guards	Moderate	Badly Injured	1	1
Scribe Brigade	Worst	Injured	1	1
Diplomatic Corps	Poor	Badly Injured	1	2
Mounted Cavalry	Poor	Badly Injured	1	3
Inspectors	Poor	Dead 💀	1	2

Notable items:

Horsehair Plume of Command; Power 10

The Mandate of Heaven: Power 20

Control of the V - Prefecture Palace, L- the Steaming Lake, H- the Central Government

An HQ at L-the Steaming Lake

3 Power in Reverent Awe from V (0S, +3V)

11 Power in Tokens of Obeisance (1S +10 from law followers, -Y Lawbreakers)

0 Power of heat infused Steam (6S + 6L, -12 Purchases (2x Injury Shields, 6 Range))

10 Power in Proper Taxes (0S +5H, +5R)

2 Power in Chinese Wolfberries (net, Temple GS -4 +6)

Total Loose Power: 26

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There is a Ritual at H - Central Government; it

Wu Jinhai had been told where to find Liu Tang this week, but was unable to close the gap and was very frustrated about it, instead Patrolling the Steaming Lake and sulking.

The Corpse Standard will draw attention to it, deflecting attacks onto the wielder or investigations to the holder that occur in the same territory, it will only last for one week

The five shrines can direct their effects to any space on the map, they have an ingenious network Tian Fa would love to study in less trying times, it appears to be multifunction, among them infusing temporary magic items, harvesting raw power and empowering the ritual..

Results

Mounted Cavalry B 1

After orders had been sent out, the Cavalry, Fēi léi qí, and headed North to the Outward Road. They proceeded to approach the defensive forces of the Sorcerer Hunters, bypassing the defensive emplacements under a banner of camaraderie. They clasped hands and warmly greeted one another; things turned more somber when the Shàngshi (sergeant) indicated that there had been reports of Others taking over humans or human form. Given the presence of the inn on the outskirts of town, so close to the woods, they had to be certain.

They ordered the Shi of Seals to surrender weapons, practice aids, magical devices, power stored within the Inn and submit to capture.

The Shi, naturally, refused. The Cavalry drew blades and battle was joined

The Sorcerer Hunters had set up a defensive ritual, magic in the form of extra practices tied into rituals governing the space to help in its defense for whosoever should control it.

This proved to be decisive in pushing the Cavalry backwards. Forcing them to return to hasty barracks at the Steaming Lake.

They were sharply questioned after this breach of orders, under interrogation the Shàngshi explained he had been ordered to do so under seal from the Secular Lord, including an order to destroy the Inn the Sorcerer Hunters were camped at.

He was then instructed to behave erratically and to wear and break a mysterious necklace.

He dutifully reports to his commander that he was instructed to say he bought it and that he was missing memories as a result, and to carry a piece of paper with the address of Dan’s Dumplings in the dreaming market in his own handwriting.

He doesn’t know why this was asked of him, he’s not one for much smoke and mirrors, and under such strict questioning he can only say he was following the orders he was given.

Outcome:
Sealers repelled the Celestial Bureaucracy Cavalry at the Outward Road.

Neither side was injured in the exchange, the battle was very close.

No injuries were dealt on either side.

Mounted Cavalry were not able to destroy the Sorcerer Hunter’s

Mounted Cavalry’s rule of engagement had been replaced with halt all traffic but the Celestial Bureaucracy and the Wildflowers.

Grand Secretary C 1

Tian Fa walked through the woods, his practice keeping him pristine from the dirt and grime of the world around him. He’d always needed to be presentable, so he’d made it so he was. Mud could no longer stick to him than a peach naturally float into the sky when detached from a tree. It was Law and he knew things about Law. the horsehair plume under one arm and the mandate of heaven in his sleeve.

He was present when the shrines were pointed into two different places observing there was a complex magical network running through five different shrines that seemed to work as karmic fishing trawlers pulling wide nets of spirits down into being processed into five specific variants, Dreams, Lethargy, Conflict, Health, and Curiosity.

He witnessed the health shrine be directed into another ritual network to spread and empower the spirits of health to run through the territory and felt his own wounds knit in sympathetic response to the practice.

He also witnessed them point the other four shrines to funnel power into a corpse, creating a grisly battle standard.

Outcome

The Grand Secretary helpfully patrolled the Temple Wilds on behalf of the Temple and met with no resistance.

Town Guards L 1

The Town Guards alone patrol the Steaming Lake, meeting up with the Sorcerer Hunter’s Tank discussed as an unbecoming and out of place pile of rubbish, a noisy one at that, and Wu Jinhai who has a sour expression the entire time.

Otherwise they encounter no trouble this week.

Outcome

Town guards successfully patrolled the Steaming Lake and did not encounter any unexpected forces.

Grand Secretary H 1

It was all going to sh*t. He’d taken the building standing on the fifth story of the impressive government structure with a commanding view of this backwater prefecture. He had scads and scads of magical taxes to use, but that wasn’t what he was here for. He was here for that f*cking Mandate that the thief was supposed to have have acquired for him. So few of those were left around, things with a seal between a higher system, an elevated layer of reality with practitioners with thousands of years of experience working on things that had much more refinement than Solomon’s sledgehammer. That artifact would be his ticket, something to study in leagues much bigger than pissant Pingliang. This was finding gold amongst the natives, and that local rube was supposed to get it for him. Weeks had been wasted trying to connect where he couldn’t just send a text, or call a cab.

He hated the lack of conveniences here. He’d been patient, a f*cking Hundun had f*cked it up. How the hell were any of those still around? He’d figured them to have been bound or slain for at least a hundred years, but all these little pocket knots, K’un Luns were so special and backwards, like tumors on reality that were also geodes and this one had a Hope Diamond.

He could almost feel the weight of it, like a bowling ball on a trampoline and it was rolling towards him.

sh*t! He scanned the city looking at the courtyard. A clarified man, in pristine archaic clothing was approaching, he stood out in what amounted to relief like he’d been cell shaded over reality into place, more “real” than everything around him,and on him.

He checked gauges and devices, simple practices that one in his particular field of spelunking had to have.

Yes, it had been recovered which meant that Yao Gen wouldn’t be coming to meet him. f*ck.

He dug into his qiankun pouch, removing some of his many items, he only needed one to get out of here now – it was not worth fighting that winning would be extremely valuable, but whoever the local government’s heavy hitter was, empowered by a supernatural Law artifact with a thousand years of pattern pulling across nationwide practice? No thank you.

He extracted Wei Ju’s Door, a simple single use item; it would connect two spatial points, any two spatial points, for up to a week. He placed it against the keying the practice outside the Outward Road, the furthest such a device could reach from within here.

And he pressed it open through a solid wall. Exiting into the natural fields at the edge of the place, a burned out husk of a doorframe standing in a tumbledown ill maintained and derelict structure.

With a gesture the door twisted alongside its lintels and frame, Wei Ju’s item being now on this side of the interface it was burning its time.

He snapped it shut, withdrawing it and placing it back into the pouch. New items of power to study, probably to sell to a collector. He’d need something bigger than a local with aspirations if he was going to come back.

Outcome

The Mysterious Peddler has left Pingliang

The Celestial Bureaucracy controls the Central Government

The effect of Linfang Qi Halved the income of the territory

Scribe Brigade, Diplomatic corps H 3

The Scribe brigade and Diplomatic corps poured through the archives looking for information on divinities and curses, how to reverse change, alter or otherwise adjust. They took the task very seriously pouring through archives for anything they could come up with that would limit the impact of her powers.

Outcome

The Scribe brigade believes that Linfang Qi’s deleterious effects could be managed by binding the divinity, in an artifact such as the Exquisite Jade Pagoda of Five Seals, or a similar ritual keeping the being safely contained.

The Scribe Brigade believes that a sufficiently skilled Summoner, none of which they know of, could make fundamental alterations to the being of the divinity to separate the concepts that make her up and thereby alter the expression of her power – what came out of that process is probably no longer Linfang Qi, but that is more a question of philosophers than researchers.

The Scribe brigade believes her ability to wound due to misfortune could be mitigated by each potential target wearing a seal to protect them from wounds.

The Scribe brigade believes that placing this dangerous Other into seclusion would also limit the impact of her powers.

The Scribe brigade believes some of effect may come from her nature as a being composed of and natally fed with conflict as a primary source, so long as conflict remains it’s likely some form of disruption or disharmony will exist in her nature, they urge the bureaucracy to see her as a danger, and not an asset.

The Scribe brigade believes she could be bound in an item that would channel her effect while helpfully suppressing her cognition. They recommend an “Unlucky Spring Sword”

The scribe brigade does not believe it is guideable with practice or otherwise, as integral to her nature as it is, woven into the core of her being.

Mandate Challenge

The claimant, Liao Qingge, is a young girl of about fourteen. She is slight, undernourished. Dirty hair and dirty hanfu, having spent most of her life in the wilds and without the love, care and protections of human society. Nearly feral and raised by wolves with inquisitive and darkly hooded eyes. She is wielding a sword and a shield and specks of dried blood dabble her lips. A headless mouse covered in bells twitches plaintively on the ground. There is a desperate determination about her, as if she is already dead, and success here is her only chance at a semblance of life.

…

A group of gilded scribes, wearing livery and badges of the Celestial Bureaucracy appear and each in turn gives Liao Qingge their assent, providing no challenge that she should be the Fifth Peril to persecute Pinglaing.

…

A group of gleaming Mounted cavalry appear next and provide their assent

…

Tian Fa appear and provides his assent

…

Town Guards appear and provide their assent

…

The next to assent is the diplomatic corps

…

Outcome

Tian Fa dutifully “no contested” the fifth Perils claim.

The Scribe Brigade dutifully “no contested” the fifth Perils claim.

The Diplomatic Corps dutifully “no contested” the fifth Perils claim.

The Mounted Cavalry dutifully “no contested” the fifth Perils claim.

The Town Guards dutifully “no contested” the fifth Perils claim.

Grand Secretary, Tian Fa

The Grand Secretary lets you maintain a rule for an additional turn, effectively having two rules in play at the same time.

The Grand Secretary can half his might for all actions to take an extra action for the turn. He may do this twice (For three total actions at ¼ Standard might on all actions)

The Grand Secretary is the last unit to be assigned injuries or consequences when working with allied units.

Troops

Town Guard 和諧之盾 Héxié zhī dùn “Harmonious Shield”

Scribe Brigade 秋天的信件 Qiūtiān de xìnjiàn “Autumn Letters”

Diplomatic Corps 巧舌如簧 Qiǎo shé rú huáng “the Silver Tongued”

The Diplomats may accompany another unit to allow it to bypass blockades, patrols or interceptions with their honeyed words.

Mounted Cavalry. 飛雷騎 Fēi léi qí “Flying Thunder Riders”

Notable Items

The Horsehair plume of command; Power 10

The Might of [Troop] units acting in a warband with a Unit wearing this treasure is increased.

The Mandate of Heaven: Power 20

Enhancements from the Mandate of heaven have been indicated with Gold Text.

An Oni Ritual has locked the city of Pingliang to you; You can no longer construct bases within the City Territories of Pingliang (I, D, E, G, H, J, V, M, N, O, P,)

Current Assets

Faction Rule

Mandate: You can set one rule each turn, and alter one rule each turn that will be in the public intelligence briefing:

All factions must abide by this rule this turn.
Failure to comply with the rule will result in power being deducted by the Heavenly Department of Order per infraction; from both your ledger and theirs (to pay for the enforcement). The Amount of power has been enhanced
Units breaking the Law will suffer a malus to might for the turn

Violations are assessed per instance instead of per faction.

If factions are observed obsequiously abiding by the rule; you will receive 1 Power per other faction that obeyed. (Any other faction not hit with the tax)

This rule must be stated in the special section of turn submission and cannot exceed a 25 word limit.

Secret Objective

You need there to be no greater power in Pingliang.

If, when the game ends,

The sorcerer hunters have no foothold in Pingliang’s city tiles.
You still control the Central Government and
Temple’s great threat is dealt with.

You will be considered a Victor in Pingliang.

Side Quest

Retrieve the mandate of heaven; with the imperial seal. If you can find this lost treasure – it will provide you with additional clout and strength.

Rule of Discourse

Standard; your practitioners cannot lie, your Others cannot lie. Your representatives would lose face for the Celestial Bureaucracy and are not allowed to lie.

Characters

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
Grand Secretary, Tian Fa	Supreme	Healthy	2	1

Troops

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
Town Guards	Moderate	Injured	1	1
Scribe Brigade	Worst	Injured	1	1
Diplomatic Corps	Poor	Badly Injured	1	2
Mounted Cavalry	Poor	Badly Injured	1	3
Inspectors	Poor	Dead 💀	1	2

Notable items:

Horsehair Plume of Command; Power 10

The Mandate of Heaven: Power 20

Control of the V - Prefecture Palace, L- the Steaming Lake, H- the Central Government

An HQ at L-the Steaming Lake

26 Power

-28 Expenditures

-10 extra action to complete ritual

+12 H, +6L,+3V +2 I, +18 RF

Total Loose Power: 29 Power

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Results

You lent the Horsehair plume to the Wildflowers.

Grand Secretary, DC H 1

The Grand Secretary accompanied by the Diplomatic corps made their way to the Central government where they ensured the space remained in the hands of the Celestial Bureaucracy and that none other could claim it; or the subsequent working that Tian Fa was set to perform. Liu Mai was seen in the space as well as Guo the blacksmith and a group of Market Enforcers who seemed to be setting up shop in the core government buildings. Tian Fa put a stop to the presumptive claims, making clear the real, physical space of Pingliang should belong to the Celestial Bureaucracy, where people come to pay their taxes, and the Innocent can easily find their way to importune the cities government, directing the Dreaming Market’s denizens to build within the confines of the space the ritual would create.

Outcome

The Grand Secretary and the Diplomacy Corps successfully patrolled the Central Government keeping control of it.

Mounted Cavalry I 1

The mounted cavalry again broke ranks according to orders and marched to the Alley of Awe, where it patrolled the space, claiming it in the name of the Celestial Bureaucracy. When questioned they indicated that they believe their orders are authentic and that while it doesn’t please them to obey the grand secretary; he is the grand secretary, and the secular lord is the highest authority in Pingliang; so while they apologize profusely they were completing their duties according to the most important orders that they had.

Outcome

The mounted cavalry broke ranks again under orders from the Secular Lord and proceeded to Claim I - The Alley of Awe in the name of the Celestial Bureaucracy

Grand Secretary H 4

The Grand Secretary conducted a ritual assisted by Pai the Peddler; Heaven meets earth; unfortunately the Grand Secretary and Pai had very different viewpoints on both ownership and investment into the effort. Pai had brought the promised thirty power and was ready to assist; However Tian Fa, while he had the ten power had only been assigned a single part of his effort to the task; meaning he was not prepared to commit to the ritual on a level that would minimize the risk of horrification. Tian Fa decided to pull power from the expected division of the karmic flows of the space, since the present ownership was fully in the Bureaucracies hands; this gave them the necessary space to actually perform the Heaven meets Earth ritual. Unfortunately this is the second place that division cropped up. Pai and the Wildflowers wanted reality with the claim that implied, which would put the Celestial Bureaucracy as a secondary figure, a balloon at risk for horrification, being cut loose in the future or otherwise relegated to irrelevance. Attempting to rule from the floating world space would put you out of mind of the innocent of Pingliang; hardly a meaningful government at that point – and Tian Fa was loathe to surrender that space; better yet if there was to be a second merchant government for them to be in the shadow of the real government.

Outcome

The false, floating Central Government space was constructed; wherein half the karmic flows of the territory were redirected;

Central government now has a base value of 5.

Town Guards V 1

The Town Guards made their way patrolling the Prefecture Palace and its surrounding streets, or rather, the remains of them. A structure that had been ruined by a Peril weeks prior, that they had been ordered to bow their heads to what must have been its progeny; a fifth Peril “egg.” Truly, end times must be on Pingliang. The black humor continued with jokes about the bars and food carts, how the bottom of the pot would suddenly become fine cuisine, or the Zhang Pleasure barge would become a ferry for tired farmers.

Day and night they spied no hungry ghosts, no fierce spirits; no Echoes haunting the halls of the central government.

Outcome

The Town Guard maintained a defensive presence at the Prefecture Palace, where they did not encounter any ghosts.

Scribe Brigade V 3

The loyal scribes took their instrumentation to the prefecture palace to measure and investigate the strange reportings; they tore the place apart moving through rubble and abandoned structures, looking with sight, sense and device as best they could to try to trace down any whisper of the apparitions that had been reported. After a thorough investigation the best they could come back with were the reports were artifacts of three classes of reports. The first were people who were suggestible and excitable; wishing to make its emptiness a cause of more public furor than was warranted; the second were due to persons skulking about the space at night looking for easy plunder from the abandoned structures. The third were folks who were mistaken about timing and may have been making reports of the people who ghosted into the building when the prefecture Lord disappeared; he was not seen exiting the building and yet was found and returned later.

Outcome

The Scribe Brigade investigated the Rumors of Ghosts; they did not locate any Echos, mysterious or fierce spirits; and suspect the reports were tied to the disappearance of the Secular Lord, if not his reappearance.

It is hard to pinpoint the exact moment when it all went wrong. When a city that was fine and had been fine for hundreds of years began a gradual, the precipitous decline. Was it when the Wildflowers split the Central Government? When the secular lord, went missing? When the Prefecture Palace was laid waste and the Law twisted to keep the law keepers outside the walls? Was it when the Expeditionary force of the Sorcerer Hunters Arrived? When the Mandate of Heaven went missing, or when the Liu first came to Pingliang? It was hard to say; but where one the city had been full of life and felt idyllic it was as if the light had been snuffed out, and eternal night descended. The power and influence of the Celestial Bureaucracy was waning, Laws being chipped away at, infraction by infraction, wolves prowling in from the Wilderness; Sins and Nightmare drawn into the depression like Tea filling the bottom of a kettle. And wallowing in the dregs of it was Tian Fa, tea-stained where garments and affect had been pristine before; a war on all sides. Innocents perished, the markets took more than their share, the Oni bent and broke rules, more and more predator filtered in to the aquarium of Pinliang, while Tian Fa watched helpless from the Steaming Lake.

Even with his own house he found the secular lord taking steps to curtail his authority overriding him, casting suspicion his way; when he had been nothing but loyal. Too late, too little, too late to make the right moves, instill and install the right loyalty.

The foremost insider became increasingly an outsider to the town he had helped cultivate.

Chapter 3: Wildflowers Briefings

Summary:

The Briefings received by the Wildflowers over the course of the game.

Chapter Text

Wildflowers: Turn 1

The Temple has access to a number of spiritual shrines that allow them to draw additional power.

The Celestial Bureaucracy can set rules that all must abide by; when they set a rule they gain power if factions follow it.

Current Assets

Faction Rule

For every faction that has an item that you sold to them in their possession, you will gain an additional power each turn from Peddler practices.

Special action: you may spend an action in any market you control; once per turn per market you control to gather more magical items. Doing so will yield either two magical items of power 1, or one magical item of power 2. You may invest power into this action to try to attract more powerful magic items, but the scale is neither linear nor guaranteed.

Secret Objective
If you have displaced and claimed the Central Government, or the Liu Estate as an HQ when the game ends, you will be considered a winner.

Side Quest

Obtain one of the treasures of Heaven; you know that the Celestial Bureaucracy has magical equipment in its vault; obtaining one of these items would be for great prestige and power in a collection.

Rule of Discourse

When negotiating a sale, exaggerations, adjectives and other phrasings with respect to the good may be untruthful without being counted as a lie. This also applies to negative descriptions of the payment being made as a part of haggling. This is the rule of discourse of the salesman.

Characters:

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
Pai the Peddler	Moderate	Healthy	3	2
Lesser Golden Cat of Fortune	Poor	Healthy	1	2
Guo the Blacksmith	Moderate	Healthy	1	1

Troops

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
Dreaming Dashers	Worst	Healthy	2	4
Enforcers	Moderate	Healthy	1	1

Notable Items:

Looking Mirror; Power 5

Purification Salt Cellar; Power 5

Bad Omen Salt Cellar; power 3

Monkey; Power 1

Rabbit-Linen Coat; Power 1

Control of The Dreaming Market where you have an HQ.

3 power in Precious Coins

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There are unusual fish in the steaming lake

There has been an unusual Other stalking the Slinking Slum

The Liu have only a few assets capable of acting

The Sorcerer Hunters have a large amount of troops

The Sorcerer Hunters have special equipment, weapons that make them a combat peer with the local government.

There is a Foul Cutpurse who steals from those he comes across, he’s exceptional skilled, a Great Combatant

There are a number of lesser scions, Meddling Kids, that stick their nose where they aren’t wanted. They’re likely in E - The Schoolyard and will make a beeline for the nearest disreputable scheme they can find.

Dilemma

You have found a small spirit of fortune, who seems to have attached themselves to a noodle cart. They appear as a golden egg with floating coins for eyes and feet. They are wan and nearly spent.

[ ] Capture them and break them down for power gaining 5 Power now

[ ] Free them from the noodle shop and attempt to bind them to a different shop

[ ] Free them and let them go to gain their own way

[ ] Attach them to your most prominent business and Empower them, spending 3 Power to shore them up.

Dilemma

A Purser from among the Liu dockhands has come into one of the association's bars, and appears to be very loose with his speaking. Lonely, belligerent and swiftly falling into the drink.

[ ] Offer cheaper drinks on the house and attempt to extract detail on the Liu mercantile operations (pay 1 power)

[ ] Offer free drinks for the night and attempt to get him blackout drunk to embarrass the Liu (pay 3 power)

[ ] Cut him off and send a courier inform the Liu that their man is embarrassing them

[ ] Encourage him to drink to excess, then continue to run his tab to create a debt to leverage in the future (pay 3 power).

7 - Plant leads for the Meddling Kids to draw them away You could spend actions here to draw the meddling kids away from E- the Schoolyard, ideally so they’d meddle in someone else’s affairs.

0 - Buy new magical items [Market]

Extra Materials

Characters:

Pai the Peddler

Pai is a gregarious fellow who likes to wear a hat with many sides. He turns it to help him fit in among the many locations the shop could be in at any time. Pai has made his practice peddling magical items near and far when the markets of Pingliang choose insufficient for his needs. Finding the right buyer or the right seller in the right place is the number one thing he is the most tapped into with hundreds of successful sales feeding in the pattern. He works mostly with his daughter Mai who helps to run the shop if he has to step out, she’s a junior practitioner in his same field.

Pai can undertake a special action to wander the market. If he does this he can sell one magic item to customers abroad for 1.5 times its current power value. In loose, weak, exchangeable items of power.

Pai keeps a firm grasp on the items he sells. Pai is aware of who owns items he’s sold, and so long as another player faction owns an item he’s sold the faction benefit will apply – it doesn’t matter if they got it from him or someone else, so long as he participated in the chain of custody.

Lesser Golden Cat of Fortune 招財貓 jīnmāo 老虎微笑 Lǎohǔ Wéixiào “Tiger Smiles”

Wéixiào sees the world in shades of gold. Chasing the sunlight from spot to spot to roll and roil in the deepest pockets of fortune he can find. He’s an opportunist and sees good things for the potential of the merchant’s association – trade, wealth, the future is pregnant with possibility. He’s seen it work elsewhere and he’s hoping as this disconnected spot becomes more connected, catching up with the times elsewhere that he can be in on the ground floor, more or less being a part of the power establishment rather than an outsider, this time around.

Wherever Wéixiào acts for the turn the flows of fortune are empowered, an additional amount of power equal to the printed value of the territory is provided to the controller of that territory.

Guo the Blacksmith

A thick, massive brawly bear of a man, with shaggy thick black hair, a hairy barrel chest and a long, end blackened mustache from time at the forge. He’s powerfully built from swinging a hammer and has a small family, a wife, two sons, two daughters. He doesn’t even know what he forges sometimes, going into something like a fugue when “the iron sings to him and tells him the shape it wants” sometimes these shapes gain a magic of their own, not that he knows it anymore than a “That plowshare feels exceptional. Or that dagger will cut well”.

Guo can take an action to forge a magical item. He doesn’t control what it is very well, but if he’s assigned to force an item, He’ll make something of three power with a rare (~15% chance) for a 5 power item.

Troops:

Dreaming Dashers

Dan’s Dreaming Dashers are quick delivery people that know the streets, alleyways and heartbeat of the traffic of Pingliang like they breathe. They’re fast, young and quick on the uptake. For all of their speed and range they aren’t particularly effective fighters, nor are they particularly doughty.

Enforcers

While less skilled than professional soldiers, they’re still skilled enough to toss rabble, towards the lower end of the Moderate scale. They’re equipped with simple hand weapons, a sap here or there, padded armor – more used to bouncing and the occasional leg breaking with an iron bar than anything more involved.

Notable Items:

The looking mirror of pang-king-tong; Power 5

One the Mirror of a princess of the Han, it is said that it would capture her noble love as he was out on campaign, letting her know how he was and where he was. In the end what it showed was tragedy when he perished and she had it cast from her sight, only for it to wind up in Pinglaing centuries later.

Name a Character, you will learn one location that character took an action in, in the resultant briefing, including their status (Healthy, Injured, Badly Wounded, Dead)

Purification Salt Cellar; Power 5

This Ornate Porcelain Salt Cellar was Blessed by a Shaman and kept as a hallow clean of other spirits and influence for 99 days. It was purified with 7 streams of pure water. It was also blessed by three gods. But this was over five hundred years ago. Today it can readily purify salt, an absolute boon for exorcists of chefs.

This salt cellar functions on its own, cleansing 1 power worth of pure, unadulterated salt per turn. Salt is easy to acquire, such that this will continually generate this output.

Bad Omen Salt Cellar; Power 3

This Salt Cellar made of Bloodstone and Set with a Rosette of Blue Star Sapphire was once a wedding gift for a rejected bride, it fell into grasping and angry hands, the ill intent seeping into the small container. It ended up in the hands of a witch, another bride, an enchantress and then in the association's hands. Its power is meager but still serviceable and making a bad fortune salt can turn a small trade among the alchemically inclined and jilted lovers of Pingliang, but power needs to be poured into it to function, without an external source it takes months to attract omens of meaningful strength to the enclosed salt.

Investing 2 power worth of mystical energy creates a 1 power omen-tainted salt for use in curses and rituals, being more suitable for those ends. It can produce a maximum of three power worth of salt in a turn if it’s being actively worked.

Monkey; Power 1

A Small Silver Monkey bartered from one of Pai’s many wandering customers. It’s a small object with only the smallest vestige of remaining power. The Mischievous Silver Monkey always has a cackle on its face, and one would be forgiven for thinking it moves when it isn’t observed. It collects bits and baubles that are unobserved and untracked, almost raven-like in its selections, very, very rarely will there be a treasure among the refuse.

The Silver Monkey collects odds and ends, bits and baubles. There is a 2.8% chance per turn that it acquires a small concealable object of power worth 1 power with no meaningful abilities.

Rabbit-Linen Coat; Power 1

A fine linen coat lined with sumptuous white snow rabbit fur. It’s been woven with spirits of speed and wind sprites – it has very limited power being the work of a hedge wizard and an aware seamstress and can only provide limited benefit before the magic will fade. It was originally woven for a granddaughter’s journey to advanced schooling in Xi’an, but instead of going away for studies she married and doesn’t see much other use for it, so it fell into the hands of the association.

The wearer of the coat can enhance their range by 2 for 1 turn, after which its magic fades.

Wildflowers: Turn 2

The Temple has two units of troops

The Temple has two high priests, who are in an amorous relationship with each other.

Current Assets

Faction Rule
For every faction that has an item that you sold to them in their possession, you will gain an additional power each turn from Peddler practices.

Secret Objective
If you have displaced and claimed the Central Government, or the Liu Estate as an HQ when the game ends, you will be considered a winner.

Side Quest

Obtain one of the treasures of Heaven; you know that the Celestial Bureaucracy has magical equipment in its vault; obtaining one of these items would be for great prestige and power in a collection.

Rule of Discourse
When negotiating a sale, exaggerations, adjectives and other phrasings with respect to the good may be untruthful without being counted as a lie. This also applies to negative descriptions of the payment being made as a part of haggling. This is the rule of discourse of the salesman.

Characters:

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
Pai the Peddler	Moderate	Healthy	3	2
Lesser Golden Cat of Fortune	Poor	Healthy	1	2
Guo the Blacksmith	Moderate	Healthy	1	1

Troops

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
Dreaming Dashers	Worst	Healthy	2	4
Enforcers	Moderate	Healthy	1	1

Notable Items:

Looking Mirror; Power 5

Purification Salt Cellar; Power 5

Bad Omen Salt Cellar; power 3

The Twist of Brass; Power 5

Necklace of Might; Power 1

小婴儿 Xiǎo yīng'ér “The Diminutive baby”; Power 1

Fúlù of warding; Power 1

0 power worth of Chinese Wolfberries (Goji) (-1 Liu Drunk, -2 Ritual)

18 Power worth of Precious Coins from the Dreaming Market (+3 Starting, +6 control, +6 Wéixiào, +6 Ritual, -3 Fortune Spirit)

4 Power worth of Unusual Entrails from the Wet Market

4 Power worth of Abandoned Dreams from the Inn Market

2 Power worth of Borrowed Fate (Peddler Practice; Silver Monkey[Liu], Rabbit Fur Coat[SH])

8 Power worth of Enchanted Opium (+8 Traded from SH)

0 Power of Purified Salt (+1 Salt Cellar, -1 Traded to SH)

Control of The Wet Market, The Dreaming Market, the Inn Market

you have an HQ in the Dreaming Market.

Total Loose Power: 36

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The sorcerer hunters can requisition supplies each turn from a territory their troops have acted in. This halves the output and they get the other half.

The Temple has no notable items with magical effects.

The Celestial Bureaucracy has three notable items, of power 10.

The Celestial Bureaucracy sustained injuries in the riot at the Steaming Lake

The Temple can use it’s shrines for a variety of effects, including gathering passive power, or attacking a territory

The Liu’s enchantress weakens [Troop] units and can cause friction between allies.

Results

Dilemma A - Wan Spirit of Fortune
Fang An, a skilled shaman, comes to assist in making the shrine, skillfully arranging the shrine according to Feng Shui principles. Settling the happy spirit comfortably into its place in the nest box. It playfully floats the three precious coins, adding their power to itself, where they float behind it like three tiny suns, or three abstracted tails. It gleefully, and mouthlessly devours the pork chop.

A number of common people, known to worship at the temple come by to pay respects and provide small offerings and prayers at the shrine, strengthening it’s connection and establishment.

The base value of the G-Dreaming Market has been increased by 1

Dilemma B - The Drinking Liu
With the smallest discount you get Fu Peng to open up a little, just a little tipsy, he’s not particularly important, but he’s terrified of his employers. He knows there are significant smuggling operations in the docks and that if, in the warehouse, you go to the wrong room or see the wrong thing you won’t be seen again. Or you won’t be seen again, sometimes people after a conversation with the higher ups, they just aren’t the same people, something is off about them. Illegal imports through the docks make up 2 Power of its income per turn, a disruption to that would likely have ramifications as far as the Liu estate.

0 - Market Days Wéixiào’s

Wéixiào spends the week prowling the G-Dreaming market. Laying in sunbeams, sitting in front of various shops, batting at colored lanterns, sleeping on rooftops and stalking various customers, rubbing fortune from his coat all throughout the Dreaming Market. Over the course of the week he manages to have a few notable encounters.

He notes the presence of investigating elements from the Celestial Bureaucracy and the Temple, but as he’s here to shop he takes no action to obstruct.

Underneath an apothecary shop Wéixiào manages to find an undead mouse that He playfully bats, it’s weak, but it has enough power to be broken down if needed and it isn’t nothing. He carefully collects it to deliver to Pai as 小婴儿 Xiǎo yīng'ér “The Diminutive baby.”

A shiny necklace is found in the gutter, jade and gold with symbols placed upon it. This necklace is covered in symbols of strength and wisdom, caringly wrought into the design. This is a cursed amulet of might.

1- Patrol the Wet Market

Pai Patrolls the wet market with Mai, watching the stalls, the butcheries, the fresh produce, the caged animals, and things a little more Other than animal. Paying careful attention to the flows of commerce and fortune, looking for snarls and knots. Efficacious and garrulous, taking the instruction of his daughter and likely heir very seriously, having her observe and comment, using the patchwork of commerce to find the lynchpins – the goods that had the most in the ways of spiritual flows, or the more prominent business, that cast of fortune like rain on those around them, passing business cards to make connections – he knew markets, each unique but all the same, a pattern repeating over and over in a fractal design. Want, need, satiation, an engine as visceral as the churning in his gut. He observed no one of particular note in his time there, although there was a moment when everything went herky-jerky, a true technical term for just the briefest of moments – something tightly linked to chaos, primordial came through like a hand through cobwebs. Before everything sprung back into place.

1 - Patrol the Inn Market

Enforcers made their presence known in the Inn Market, quiet with a few places to stay for those traveling in to Pinglaing, usually from the North heading to the South. They were unbothered, with the strange westerners gone a number of vacancies had opened up, and even more so it seemed as if no one had prioritized visiting the prosperous region. They were quick to make themselves and the association known to the local businesses, insisting on appropriate dues and that the streets would be kept safe, and even were the clients not criminals, should innkeeps run into trouble, they could rely on the association to help clear out the riff-raff.

3 - Investigating the Powerful Immortal in the Dreaming Market.

The dreaming dashers took to the streets of the dreaming market. They ask around paying particular attention to the few Inns of the Dreaming Market, and while they do not encounter the immortal themselves, as he was not able to secure lodgings, they do learn a bit about him.

His name is Sun Jiang, and he is a celestial immortal, descended from the heavens for a purpose he would not say.

He is a Supreme Practitioner.

He was last seen moving about Territory N - The Estates .

Diplomats from the Celestial Bureaucracy were also looking for the Immortal this turn, and likely learned the same information as you.

3 - Dreaming Dashers Investigation into the Flop houses

The Dreaming Dashers scour the flophouses looking for treasures, pouring through longhouses of ratty bamboo mattresses set in long lines, piles of reeking refuse and small impromptu shacks set on bare earth. Housing made en mass for the least fortunate of Pingliang.

Being friendly talking to the locals, commiserating over the often thankless and draining work they uncover that a man had been seen frequenting a particular shack. A thorough search of the empty shack found concealed compartments within the walls, hollowed out lintels, now empty.

But what had been there left a sheen,the wood glowing with a golden glow, shavings taken back to Pai lead him to believe whatever was there was powerful and heaven-forged.

They've likely moved it, further asking about leads to a drunkard who claims to have seen the figure exiting the Central Government late at night and that he recently saw him in the Slinking Slums.

4 - Pai’s Ritual in the Dreaming Market

Pai performs the ritual in an uncontested space, setting the signs and watchpoints, the connections across the market to help guide customers and provide them good luck then shopping, leaning heavily into his speciality he masterfully crafts the ritual and establishes it within the dreaming market. The nature of the ritual creates a slightly different effect than intended; The controller of G - Dreaming Market will find an additional 0-2 power magical item per turn, regardless of whether undertaking the 0 action here. ~(50%/ 33%/17%)

After completing the ritual Pai nearly stubs his toe on a Fúlù of warding at the door of his shop, another owner nowhere in sight.

S - Guo’s Forging in the dreaming Market

Guo spends a sweaty week in his forge, letting the metal speak to him and the staccato of his hammer be a drum counterpoint to his heartbeat. The sweltering heat of the forge makes the world feel like a hazy place, the ever present mist beyond the door of his shop and the hanging colored lanterns like stars of various twinkling colors. A different world within and without, and here in the force, just creation, to lose himself in the work, watching the metal flow as liquid then solid, then shape, to watch the burls, twists, tiny constellations in crystallizing metal. At the end of the week he’s produced what looks like a sculpture, twisted brass, two serpents or perhaps dragons entwining into a heart shape of about knee height. He calls it “The Twist of Brass” Pai helpfully identifies it for later sale.

Use the Looking Mirror of Pang-King-Tong to examine the Immortal.

The Looking mirror shows you Sun Jiang was in the N - Estates during the first week, and that he has become Injured.

The Challenge

A Golden cat of fortune (jīnmāo) from the Wildflowers Association named 老虎微笑 Lǎohǔ Wéixiào “Tiger Smiles” arrived and introduced himself with a broad smile, wishing the temple luck in it’s challenges and offering a “No contest” to the challenge, bolstering the claim.

Pai the Peddler of the Wildflowers Association arrived with his daughter Mai in tow. He explained he’d like to use this as a learning experience for the young practitioner and that his intentions were wholesome and pure; wishing luck to Lin Fen. He asked if the challenge could be a simple one, a negotiation of the type of challenge itself. He’s like Mai to be the negotiator and for himself to be able to advise, in exchange for his own no contest empowerment to be delivered after Mai’s challenge ended, success or failure. Furthermore, he indicated he’d like to set the stakes such that the consequence of the challenge was not a diminishment of her claim, but instead this challenge, should Mai succeed be paid in a token one power and one secret to be negotiated later, should Mai lose he would offer the same in trade.

But Lin Fen was not born yesterday, and the example was a canny one, Pai had begun a contest, a negotiation in weaving terms before a subsequent challenge, a challenge of layers, and the game was already afoot. Lin Fen had dealt with plenty of forest gods, fae, primevals and creatures of great wisdom, including once a great sage of the heavens descended to earth, she was used to convoluted and intricate plans and skillfully navigated both discussions, earning her victory and providing a skillful example of why she is so suited to this title. Pai has left with the impression she is a Great practitioner.

Dilemma - Missing Opium

One of the lesser association members, Duan Guoliang, who runs a less than strictly legal, but still very popular Opium den in the dreaming market has come to the association leadership with a problem. His opium shipment has gone missing! There haven’t been bandits in years, the guards are well paid, he can only surmise that one of the new groups in town has seized it. It’s smuggled, he doesn’t pay taxes on it (not that it’s taxable anyway as contraband), and he’d like the association to do something about it. If the Opium can be reacquired (which he needs to run his business) he’s willing to make some offers:

[ ] He’s willing to split the Opium with you, it’ll mean lean times for his business, but it’s better than running out. (Lose 4 Enchanted Opium)

[ ] He’s willing to try to get an agent into two factions to report some information; he doesn't like blackmailing his paying clients, bad for business, but he could get someone inside; Celestial Bureaucracy, The Temple or The Liu Family.(Lose 8 Enchanted Opium, gain two extra specific Other Intelligence lines per briefing)

[ ] Don’t provide the Opium back to him, nor tell him you’ve acquired it. As he runs out of supply, it has an economic impact on the G-Dreaming Market reducing it’s base value by 1 (to 4)

Dilemma - the Grain

You’ve found a merchant Cao Cheng who has the best price for rice in bulk you can find in the wet market. Bushels of the stuff, enough to feed a small army! The sticking point is the price. He insists his wares are fine, the purest, cleanest rice you can find. So clean you could only rinse it once and it would be clean! You don’t even need to thoroughly wash it! You should though. As such he’s offering you the amount you want for 5 Power worth of Precious Coins. This is a ways down from his initial price, and looking and using a bunch of smaller vendors to price the amount needed by the Sorcerer Hunters quickly adds up to far more in costs than his bulk price.

[ ] Pay 5 Power to purchase the mundane grain for the Sorcerer hunters and deliver it to them

[ ] Assign units to harvest it by hand in the U - Green Fields spending two actions to try to harvest the grain Assign two actions to this dilemma – at least two need to be successful to acquire the necessary grain

[ ] Attempt to haggle using the practice Assign an action to this dilemma from one of your market leaders to haggle the price down to 3 Power.

[ ] Direct Cao Cheng to deliver the grain and take cash on delivery. Arranging the sale, but not paying for the product, leaving the sorcerer hunters to deal with the farmer.

0 - Attempt to buy new magical items [Market]

Characters:

Pai the Peddler

Lesser Golden Cat of Fortune 招財貓 jīnmāo 老虎微笑 Lǎohǔ Wéixiào “Tiger Smiles”

Wherever Wéixiào acts for the turn the flows of fortune are empowered, an additional amount of power equal to the printed value of the territory is provided to the controller of that territory.

Guo the Blacksmith

Troops:

Dreaming Dashers

Enforcers

Notable Items:

The looking mirror of pang-king-tong; Power 5

Name a Character, you will learn one location that character took an action in, in the resultant briefing, including their status (Healthy, Injured, Badly Wounded, Dead)

Purification Salt Cellar; Power 5

This salt cellar functions on its own, cleansing 1 power worth of pure, unadulterated salt per turn. Salt is easy to acquire, such that this will continually generate this output.

Bad Omen Salt Cellar; Power 3

The Twist of Brass; Power 5

The Twist of Brass looks like a sculpture, two serpents or perhaps dragons entwining into a heart shape of about knee height, small emeralds glisten in the eyes, and fine detail work marks the scales along its length. Where the tales meet at the base looks like an impossible place to balance, but it does so readily.

The Twist of Brass is a cursed item. It causes its possessor’s wounds to fester, causing a single injured character to take an additional wound every turn. However because it is cursed this is concealed. The text that would appear to a new possessor is:

The Twist of Brass, like the western Caduceus is a symbol of health, it binds itself to the health of its owners helping them to recover swiftly from harm, providing an effect which modifies their health over time, making them as ageless as brass.

Necklace of Might; Power 1

A shiny necklace of jade and gold with symbols placed upon it. This necklace is covered in symbols of strength and wisdom, caringly wrought into the design.

This is a cursed item; when it would be tapped for power, it instead decreases the Might of the wielder, reducing their effectiveness in a critical conflict; however to a possessor unaware of it’s cured nature it will read as a Necklace of Might that provides the following benefit:

The power of the necklace can be expended for a boost to Might for a single turn before fading

小婴儿 Xiǎo yīng'ér “The Diminutive baby” (Undead Mouse): Power 1

Fúlù of warding; Power 1

A small wearable talisman, etched in live bamboo with symbols of health and good luck.

The power of the Fúlù will be expended to resist the first wound a wearer would suffer before fading

Wildflowers: Turn 3

A woman, unknown to you, young was seen in the dreaming market doing an odd dance that looked kind of like a liturgy.

The Oni through some form of ability all exited your territory this turn.

Celestial Bureaucracy: The Jade Pagoda was in the hands of a single unit of scribes this week; and almost lost to Lin Fen, except for the intervention of the Wandering Youxia

The Temple: The temple is doing something big in their Hallow; a ritual of multiple turns of effort.

Current Assets

Faction Rule
For every faction that has an item that you sold to them in their possession, you will gain an additional power each turn from Peddler practices.

Secret Objective
If you have displaced and claimed the Central Government, or the Liu Estate as an HQ when the game ends, you will be considered a winner.

Side Quest

Obtain one of the treasures of Heaven; you know that the Celestial Bureaucracy has magical equipment in its vault; obtaining one of these items would be for great prestige and power in a collection.

Characters:

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
Pai the Peddler	Moderate	Healthy	3	2
Lesser Golden Cat of Fortune	Poor	Healthy	1	2
Guo the Blacksmith	Moderate	Healthy	1	1

Troops

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
Dreaming Dashers	Worst	Healthy	2	4
Enforcers	Moderate	Healthy	1	1

Notable Items:

Looking Mirror; Power 5

Purification Salt Cellar; Power 5

The Jumping Jian; Power 3

Bad Omen Salt Cellar; power 3

The Fascinating Sphere; Power 3

Heroic Grandma’s Soup Dumpling; Power 2

Necklace of Might; Power 1

小婴儿 Xiǎo yīng'ér “The Diminutive baby”; Power 1

The Camel's Straw: Power 1

0 power worth of Chinese Wolfberries (Goji) ()

24 Power worth of Precious Coins from the Dreaming Market (18S, +6 control, +6 Wéixiào, +6 Ritual, -5 dilemma, -3 base, -2 items, -2 items, )

6 Power worth of Unusual Entrails from the Wet Market (4S+ 4 D, -2 Feng Shui)

5 Power worth of Abandoned Dreams from the Inn Market (4S +4 P, -1 Circ*mstances, -2 base)

6 Power worth of Borrowed Fate (4S, +2 Peddler Practice; Silver Monkey, Twist of Brass[Liu], Fulu of Warding[Oni] )

0 Power worth of Enchanted Opium (+8 Traded from SH -8 dilemma)

1 Power of Purified Salt (+1 Salt Cellar)

Control of The Wet Market, The Dreaming Market, the Inn Market

You have two bases in the Dreaming Market.

Total Loose Power: 42

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Temple has problems with a Kang Mengyao

The Sorcerer Hunters destroyed an Oni base in the Outlying Farms this week.

The Wild Others were active in four territories this turn.

The Wild Others have an Other that can detect if they’ve been lied to, but not who or precisely when.

The Temple put an Augur to sleep who trades her visions of the future for coin.

Captain Wu Jinhai of the Sorcerer Hunters can take two actions per turn.

Results

Dilemma A - Missing Opium

Duan Guoliang happily receives his opium and less happily browbeats and blackmails two of his customers into becoming agents. In this and future turns see the “Faction Sense” are for two specific lines related to the intelligence being gathered by these agents each turn.

Dilemma B - The Grain

You successfully deliver the gain to the Sorcerer Hunters.

1- Patrol D

The enforcers patrol the wet market; the stalls stink of live animals and dead ones. Most of the fresh produce and livestock that comes into Pingliang from the outlying farms and the green fields passess through here; odd clams from the south shore. Amongst the vibrant life and all the attendant noises, sweat, sh*t and piss people crowd like ants dismantling a carcass. A duck goes for sale here, a cow there, someone leads a procession of sheep through a dirty street. It’s free of challenge; no other faction comes through to claim it; but quite a contingent from the temple comes through, Fang An, Lin Fen, their Supplicants all heading for points South.

3 - Investigate the Slinking Slums

The Dasher pour through the inconstant streets of the Slinking Slum, the buildings seem to have assumed a different configuration each time they turn about. They run down leads, chase answers and work their way throughout the district. They observe the Lius here in force, attempting to dragoon locals to be human shields to utilize the Law defensively.

They ask around in great detail about a notable person, a thief. They discover the following about him:

He was here, in M-The Slinking Slums last week, they believe her went to O-Thieves Row this week.

His name is Yao Gen, the foul cutpurse.

He is a Great combatant

He is fast enough to cross Pingliang in a week to relocate

He is extremely slippery, being excellent at evading patrols and capture.

It is certain that he has broken into the Vault of Heaven and stolen a great treasure from the Celestial Bureaucracy.

He works alone.

He is running from something.

He had hid his treasure in the flophouses, but by the time the rumors had spread far enough to reach the teahouse he had moved it.

He may be carrying it on his person at the moment.

6 - Build a Base

Pai and Mai, along with some help construct an unobtrusive, but not precisely hidden base on a second floor walkup. It’s sufficiently secure as a speakeasy that the association would be comfortable meeting here away from public eyes and ears and in a bind could be a redoubt if someone were to storm the G-Dreaming Market.

0 - Inn Market (Pai)

Pai trolls the wares of the Inn Market, looking for a deal or anything notable, worth carrying in his shop. Amongst the food vendors, the bar keeps, inkeeps, and various entertainments of differing levels of moralities his eyes alight on one object in particular, a prodigious dumpling of great size. Inside it contains an entire bowl of soup, rather than a mouthful; it’s steeped in health, love and care. It’s practically glowing with it.

He quickly makes the purchase.

0 - Dreaming Market (Wéixiào)

Wéixiào returns, batting a small ball the jingles as it moves; a toy, but an enchanted one. He found it amongst the dreaming market stalls. The fascinating ball has a very peculiar effect, when thrown the lowest might unit in the conflict will leave, chasing the ball. This means that the faction will recover the ball, but they’ll be chasing it and miss the fight. Given its relative paucity of power it’s unlikely to effect units of Moderate or greater might, but it may tip the scales by causing a critical support unit to go chasing the ball.

S - Forge an Item

Guo spends a sweaty week in his forge, hammering out his problems into folded steel. By the end of the week he has a gleaming Jian, a sword he’s calling the “Jumping Jian.” He’s not quite sure why it works this way, but the sword leaps forward from the hand about five feet when “Kiai” is called out in a forceful voice, embedding itself into targets, or posts, really wherever it’s pointed. It’s a pretty blade with a guard made of silver-mercury infused clouds.

WI - Meeting with the Immortal.

With the Mirror, you spy Sun Jiang; purpled like an eggplant and sitting on a bench in R-Century Park. The Dashers set off to treat with the injured, but slightly improved Immortal. They find him in the defaced and desecrated century park having words with the Oni League’s Hundun. He’s clipped with his words; clearly not acting aggressive to the Hundun, but also not impressed by it. You hear the mouthless creature’s name Xīnán fēng.

Your dashers make a polite address to Sun Jiang, who has not been having a good time of his visit to the mortal realm. While he is no longer covered in blood he is still significantly injured in a way that makes you think the average human would be dead several times over.

The Dreaming Dashers are polite and effacing; and while he is clearly annoyed by everything about being here; they offer to help, and he scoffs. As if mortals could help an immortal on the business of the Heavens.

Nevertheless with time the come to understand he is here on one very specific mission, and one side objective; neither would mean joining into a faction and he wouldn’t demean himself to that; he wishes to ascend back to the greater spirit realm as quickly as he can; for the court of Immortals moves in a way that is deceptively quick.

He will not disclose what they lost; but his first purpose here is to return something to the Celestial Bureaucracy that has been mislaid. It’s not the kind of thing that should ever be mislaid and being out of place is a great indignity. It needs to be in the hands of the lawful rulers of Pingliang.

He’s also looking for a particular jade sword. A very specific one that may have been mislaid here as well. No connection between the two things. The first is vital that it be recovered, the second, he’d like to find it, but ultimately he won’t go out of his way for it.

He had been searching the Estates for the missing item, figuring that it would be in the most prestigious space that was not in control of the Government; he hasn’t stopped in with them because with such a Treasure missing, he can’t trust their competence to do anything but get in the way in the matter.

He plans to move next week and explore the “0 - Thieves Row” He’s heard so much about, it would be aptly named if the missing document was located there.

0 - Attempt to buy new magical items [Market]

Characters:

Pai the Peddler

Lesser Golden Cat of Fortune 招財貓 jīnmāo 老虎微笑 Lǎohǔ Wéixiào “Tiger Smiles”

Wherever Wéixiào acts for the turn the flows of fortune are empowered, an additional amount of power equal to the printed value of the territory is provided to the controller of that territory.

Guo the Blacksmith

Troops:

Dreaming Dashers

Enforcers

Notable Items:

The looking mirror of pang-king-tong; Power 5

Name a Character, you will learn one location that character took an action in, in the resultant briefing, including their status (Healthy, Injured, Badly Wounded, Dead)

Purification Salt Cellar; Power 5

This salt cellar functions on its own, cleansing 1 power worth of pure, unadulterated salt per turn. Salt is easy to acquire, such that this will continually generate this output.

The Jumping Jian: Power 3

A pretty straight sword with a guard made of swirling silver-mercury infused clouds. Upon shouting “Kiai” it leaps forward about five feet, out of the user’s hand.

The wielder gains +3 Might for the first combat they are involved in, in the turn, each turn.

Bad Omen Salt Cellar; Power 3

The Fascinating Sphere; Power 3

A small and colorful ball with a bell that cheerfully jingles in the center of it. It draws in the connections of the weakest around it and causes them to chase after it where it rolls, cleverly concealed runes to wind spirits keeps its movements rapid and whimsical.

Then thrown it will distract a unit with the least might, and less than Moderate might at a battle, causing them to run off after it and not support their allies. The faction so distracted will recover the ball at the end of combat.

Heroic Grandma’s Soup Dumpling; Power 2

This prodigious dumpling is about the size of a melon, straining at the doughy wrapper as if about to burst. It contains an entire bowl of grandma’s fortifying soup, made with abounding love, diligent care and fretful love. It’s very in tune with spirits of healing and health.

Consumption of the Soup Dumpling will destroy the item, but recover three wounds for the imbiber. It will rot away at the beginning of turn 5 (At the Turn 5 Briefing)

Necklace of Might; Power 1

A shiny necklace of jade and gold with symbols placed upon it. This necklace is covered in symbols of strength and wisdom, caringly wrought into the design.

The power of the necklace can be expended for a boost to Might for a single turn before fading

小婴儿 Xiǎo yīng'ér “The Diminutive baby” (Undead Mouse): Power 1

The camel's straw: Power 1

A long frond that appears to positively glimmer with spirits of imbalance, prone to tipping scales.

The unit wielding this item will win ties as if it had +1 to its might score.

In cases where forces are not tied it does not have an effect.

Wildflowers: Turn 4

The Grand Secretary Tian Fa came to the festival and had words with the Imperial Dignitary – they have a Dilemma that relates to his presence

Current Assets

Faction Rule
For every faction that has an item that you sold to them in their possession, you will gain an additional power each turn from Peddler practices.

Secret Objective
If you have displaced and claimed the Central Government, or the Liu Estate as an HQ when the game ends, you will be considered a winner.

Side Quest

Obtain one of the treasures of Heaven; you know that the Celestial Bureaucracy has magical equipment in its vault; obtaining one of these items would be for great prestige and power in a collection.

Characters:

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
Pai the Peddler	Moderate	Healthy	3	2
Lǎohǔ Wéixiào	Poor	Healthy	1	2
Guo the Blacksmith	Moderate	Healthy	1	1

Troops

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
Dreaming Dashers	Worst	Healthy	2	4
Enforcers	Moderate	Healthy	1	1

Notable Items:

Looking Mirror; Power 5

Purification Salt Cellar; Power 5

Bad Omen Salt Cellar; power 3

Necklace of Might; Power 1

小婴儿 Xiǎo yīng'ér “The Diminutive baby”; Power 1

Guo’s 100-Li-Ji: Power 6

Lesser Qiankun Pouch; Power 2

The Swine’s Jingle; Power 1

The camel's straw: Power 1

0 power worth of Chinese Wolfberries (Goji) ()

18 Power worth of Precious Coins from the Dreaming Market (24S, +6 control, +12 Ritual, -5 Oni, -3 Party, -4 forge, -1 DD, -2 Gather, -2 info, -2 gather, -5 rit)

4 Power worth of Unusual Entrails from the Wet Market (6S+ 4 D -6 Weixiao upgrades)

7 Power worth of Abandoned Dreams from the Inn Market (5S +4 P, -1 forge, -1 DD)

7 Power worth of Borrowed Fate (6S, +1 Peddler Practice; Jumping Jian,Heroic Dumpling[Oni], Fascinating Sphere, False Guts[Yao Gen])

0 Power of Purified Salt (1S+1 Salt Cellar, -1 Liu, -1 Temple)

Control of The Wet Market, The Dreaming Market, the Inn Market

You have two bases in the Dreaming Market.

Total Loose Power: 36

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Wild Others seem unusually interested in the Steaming lake as well as the work of one particular fisherman – Ping Ho

The Wild Others have obtained a massive stockpile of loose power – in excess of fifty.

Nine power enhancing rituals are active in Pingliang

The Liu have acquired a magical item called the Yang Glove.

The Temple have a relic that can sever souls and shift the weight of consequences onto them

The Wild Others secretly control O-Thieves Row.

Results

3 - Investigate the Peddler; Dreaming Dashers the Docks

The Dashers speed their way to the docks where they spend the precious coin plying ears and to loosen tongues. The mysterious peddler had not given anyone his name; but he’s thin and travels with a small hand cart. He’s well tanned by long days in the sun and much travel. He’s not affiliated with the Wildflowers and not looking to be, which he made a point of – indicating he has heard of the association, even if the association hasn’t heard of him. He wasn’t in the docks last week – as best they piece together from a score of conversations he was in K-the docks on the first week this kicked off; from there he went to L-The Steaming Lake where he was encountered by the Sorcerer Hunters. From there he left to the east – locals aren’t certain whether he went to the V-Prefecture Palace or M-Slinking Slums or much farther east this week.

Their investigation and the coins paid reveal the following;

The Sorcerer Hunters made two purchases totalling 18 Power to the Mysterious Peddler; paid in grain and Chinese Wolfberries.

The Sorcerer Hunters acquired an item called Wang Fu's Tonic of healing

The Sorcerer Hunters acquired an item called Thousand Li's Instant Estate

The Peddler has an item called Wei Ju’s Door, that allows two territories to be linked for pathing for a turn (treated as adjacent on activation).

From his movements, the Dashers suspect that he is here for a specific purpose; selling his wares is how he’s passing the time while waiting to make contact with someone particular. It’s likely his movement deeper into Pingliang is trying to make contact with who he had come to meet.

3 - Investigate The Liturgist, Pai, the Dreaming Market

Pai’s investigation goes as swimmingly as any could, when the Liturgist herself turns up on his doorstep. Liao Qinnge, the Oni Mage practitioner comes to help with the ritual; she’s young and underweight, a slight dark-eyed girl that looks fourteen, with long ill-kept black hair. She’s not particularly versed in much of the practice – seeming to have an incomplete grasp with gaps in her knowledge, and some areas of surprising depth, but no solid foundation. It seems like the Oni awakened her so most of her lessons have come from others, and scavenged pages from a half a dozen spellbooks – none of them complete.

He finds himself providing kindly advice and pointers to the young neophyte – with Mai just over his shoulder watching like a hawk, they are relatively close in age; although at this age Mai had much more grounding, and a much broader set of teachings.

While she is tight lipped about some of her specific training and practices, Pai is a shrewd businessman, and quite skilled at the art of small talk, getting customers to open up, to find out what they want to sell them what you have – whether or not what you are selling is what they actually need. He can tell Liao is lonely, and doesn’t get to interact with friendly practitioners or humans really in a collaborative capacity; being a face for the more monstrous Perils.

He works out that her practice enables a local subversion of some of the larger systems at play over China – one of her abilities being through such activities enabling a second Oni Rule for the turn following she undertakes the rite for the faction. He also discovers that the Oni’s rules change from week to week, as they find the edges in patterns and subvert them. Any faction wide special Oni Rules they had active this week cannot be active in the following week.

0 - Search for items in the Wet Market; Enforcers

The enforcers do their best to search the squalling and odorous din of the Wet market. The cacophony of vendors and wares braying, squealing, squeaking or calling. The humid smells of animals and things that are slightly more than that. They manage to uncover an item of interest; the False Guts; Power 3. Unfortunately when they returned to the headquarters to present the find to Pai, it was missing, as well as their mundane coin purses. They’d been stolen from – clearly, and there was only one so skilled that he could sweep by them in the crowd with them being none the wiser – they leveled the blame at the subject of your other investigations – Yao Gen; the Foul Cutpurse.

0 - Search for Items in the Dreaming Market, Pai

Pai meet Liao Qingge as detailed in his investigation and makes his way about the dreaming market, looking for rare finds or anything that could provide a good opportunity; every now and then he asks Mai to look at something and evaluate it, why it might be good in the shop, or why it might be bad. He lets her haggle over some lotus cakes, as practice praising her negotiating skills and applying lessons he’s imparted.

In their searching it is Mai who spots the Lesser Qiankun Pouch; and Pai recognizing it for the rarity it is, swiftly takes over negotiations – such items are exceptionally rare and storied; even if the relative power one could extract from destroying it is small. It’s a wonderful tool. He's quick to lock in a price and purchase it. Ecstatic with his good fortune, and properly recognizing Mai’s contribution, they get some steamed pork buns on their way back to the safe house.

S - Forge an item; G; Guo

Guo is not much of a cobbler, but today he makes the finest shoes he’s ever made – Ji, wooden wedding clogs in intricate and exceptional detail shod in brass, fine curls of a lotus’ petals hammered paper thin and carefully and intricately detailed – lucky red string threaded with gold, wire so fine that it looks like silk. Ribbons that add to the entire effect – shoes any woman, perhaps even an Empress would be proud to be married in. He calls them Guo’s 100-Li-Ji, as the work is so fine that they should be comfortable to walk in, even 100 Li of walking on the raised platforms.

He is exceptionally proud of the workmanship, and if there wasn’t a family to feed, he’d consider keeping them as an heirloom for his eldest daughter when she weds.

WI - The Festival, Dreaming Dashers

The festival goes well, with the folk of Pingliang, as any city, ready to engage in celebrations when they are available and begging for an excuse. People pour in from each of the residential districts of Pingliang and the Inn Market is packed with bodies, and customers. A river of humanity pressed into close contact.

The dashers find it difficult to navigate this morass with many times the normal traffic all compressed into the area; traveling is slow; and with the Imperial Dignitary, min gong Yang Ling drawn by the event it seems like the area is full to bursting. He’s radiant and truly feels like a representative sent by heaven to shine his grace and well wishes on Pingliang, and everyone in town wants to be close to that honor and respect.

Wherever Yang Ling goes, the crowd is sure to follow, making the territory he’s in impassable for travel in subsequent turns.

WI - Going to thieves row, Weixiao

Wéixiào is a shadow, a stealthy predator, his golden fur muted to a dirtier tabby orange, disguised as a slightly larger than average, average cat, protected by the illusion, being struct the false image of the cat would break, rather than Wéixiào.

The blind alleys and labyrinthian structure of Thieves Row make it difficult to search, Wéixiào having rushed here as swiftly as paws could carry, an orange thunderbolt across rooftops, fences and windowsills. Slipping about the area with wide eyes; and yet Yao Gen is nowhere, not prowling the eaves. Not ready to pounce from concealment, not shaking down passerby.

But two others are here, the Vigilante and Sun Jiang, the Immortal.

The Vigilante and Wéixiào converse briefly neither having seen Yao Gen, but suspects he departed this area, to race ahead of pursuers, as the Immortal comes through, looking for the same person, Wéixiào retreats around a corner to listen.

Wéixiào learn the following;

The Vigilante is a Wild Other; a Huli Jing named Wǎn Huā, a shapeshifter that can disguise herself as other characters.

Wǎn Huā was kitted with defensive and offensive magics to defend this space from Yao Gen in a manner similar to Wéixiào.

Wǎn Huā is a Great Other.

Wǎn Huā has a sister named Han Lan that has ascended to the Immortal realms that Sun Jiang has made the acquaintance of.

Sun Jiang, is certainly a Supreme tier practitioner

Sun Jiang has healed significantly since the estates; only having minor scratches with flawless pure complexion.

Yao Gen was able to injure Wǎn Huā last turn and make off with power from the Wild Others, although he was injured himself – he's likely a peer of Wǎn Huā.

WI - Pai, Dreaming Market

Pai prepares the parade floats and decorations, taking a shopkeeper’s eye and a miser’s training to stretch the budget as far as he can. He sets the plans in motion, arranges the vendors according to the best feng shui he can manage. He and mai spend an afternoon together making some papercraft decorations and enlist some help from children in the schoolyard; bringing community into the operation as much as he can.

Including a papercraft dragon dance dragon costume; a foreshadowing of things to come, he hopes.

Free: Using the Mirror

You use the mirror to track Xīwàng de xìngyùn cǎihóng and see the dragon in the Pagoda, Healthy and in The Central Government, you quickly relay this information to the Temple and the Oni League who set out to take the dragon.

Free: The Sorcerer Hunters info

The Sorcerer hunters helpfully inform you about something that is of little use to you; mentioning another smuggling link into Pingliang; this is however the source of the Wet Market's large value – not a particularly large cache of goods. Illegal imports with exotic fare is responsible for three of the wet market's base value; if the only things being sold were rice from the green fields and mundane goods from the outlying farms it wouls be reduced to a 1 value territory.

The gaps in the patrols are an opportunity for an attacker into the Wet Market to catch its owners unawares; however by necessity closing those gaps would slow the economic benefits of smuggling to a trickle.

Unlike the outsiders who may care little for the ramifications of disruption of local trade, the trade in Pingliang is lifeblood to your markets; ideally they'd forget they ever heard about it and not cast a backwards glance.

Dilemma; economic arteries

A number of economic arteries into Pingliang have been compromised by outsiders and insiders over the last several weeks; and if Pingliang is a body within which the Wildflowers live – its fortunes are its blood upon which all feed. First the opium shipment was disrupted by the Sorcerer Hunters – next the Wild Others who are not merchants, may be disrupting another smuggling line, and now the Sorcerer Hunters have a keen eye cast to wares in the Wet Market that make that part of the economy flow. Such disruptions cast shockwaves through the body, disrupting the careful flow of exchange of goods and services – the flows of fortune and power to which the Wildflowers Association has become accustomed, like disturbing the web of a spider. And there isn’t a sign of it slowing down; each of these could present risks to the solidarity and safety of the Wildflowers association; something should be done about it.

[ ] Send word through channels available that the visitors are watching the entries and exits and that anyone trading in less than legal merchandise should change or vary their patterns and methods to reduce the risk of disruption

[ ] Send word to the government of what the sorcerer hunters found – this will decrease the output of the Wet Market should they act – but if the Celestial Bureaucracy is distracted at an opportune moment, that could serve. Also the lack of appropriate goods might create a profitable opportunity if one were to be prepared.

[ ] Inform the smugglers who’ve been found they’ve been found out, and that they should take the next month and not come to Pingliang – hopefully things will have quieted down by then and to make contact through you at that point; with your organization as middlemen in each transaction.

[ ] Ignore it, you leave them to open to the risk of enforcement capturing them; and the related reduction to the wet market, but you are neither abetting nor reporting on them.

Dilemma; Liao Qingge

A slight undernourished girl a few years Mai's junior in poor circ*mstances but with eyes that still sparkle with potential; Pai can't help but see her as a cracked mirror; Mai raised by wolves and still in their den, creatures so bereft of humanity as to be called the great Perils. Where are her parents? If tales of the Qiongqi are to be believed she might have eaten them. In different circ*mstances it could have been Mai.

Something else is off putting, hollow, dealing with cursed wares has given Pai somewhat of an eye for that sort of thing, how objects can take from their holders; despite having no such objects Liao has that look, like something vital and permanent has been drawn from her, perhaps to sustain the Oni? To manage their rules? Is she just their tool, an item in all but name and shape?

The answers are unclear, but he can't help but look and see the shadow of Mai.

[ ] Try to get her away from the Oni League; if she is hostage or captive, she needs rescuing – the league is unlikely to part with her just for asking.

[ ] Find a way to assuage your gnawing concerns; Customers are customers and the merchant can’t be responsible for how their wares are put to use. Hard to say you’ve sold to worse than Perils before, but it’s another step on the downward slope like any other.

Dilemma; that f*cking thief

Yao Gen evaded Wéixiào, stole from the Celestial Bureaucracy, The Wild Others, The Temple and You; two points make a line and he has one of the Pai’s wares in his possession now. It’s not trivial to use those connections as a form of tracking; but it’s not impossible; Pai thinks there are a couple of ways he can address this.

[ ] Pai can build a tracking ritual that will point directly at the Fascinating Sphere; a kind of rudimentary compass; it would cost 12 power and an action from Pai; but making this compass would mean knowing where he was such that an action could be taken directly to aggress Yao Gen using this tool; being able to find the rogue wherever he fled to.

[ ] Pai can try to draw Yao Gen to his shop. It would take reworking much of the shop and its arrangements. Pai thinks to make so specific a call, one that that would draw a single individual through his doorstep – doing so would take two of Pai’s actions and 12 power.

[ ] Pai can try to draw the fascinating sphere back; if Yao Gen is attached to it, then it could bring him along too, but if not it might roll back through the door on it’s own – Pai thinks he could accomplish this feat for eight power, but that it might make any other attempts at Yao Gen more difficult.

[ ] The Wildflower Association could post a bounty on Yao Gen; leaving a value and broadly advertising it through the teahouse to see any any are mercenary enough to find and bring him (and the contents of his pockets hopefully) to the Wildflowers to make use of.

0 - Attempt to buy new magical items [Market]

Characters:

Pai the Peddler

Lesser Golden Cat of Fortune 招財貓 jīnmāo 老虎微笑 Lǎohǔ Wéixiào “Tiger Smiles”

Wherever Wéixiào acts for the turn the flows of fortune are empowered, an additional amount of power equal to the printed value of the territory is provided to the controller of that territory.

Guo the Blacksmith

Troops:

Dreaming Dashers

Enforcers

Notable Items:

The looking mirror of pang-king-tong; Power 5

Name a Character, you will learn one location that character took an action in, in the resultant briefing, including their status (Healthy, Injured, Badly Wounded, Dead)

Purification Salt Cellar; Power 5

This salt cellar functions on its own, cleansing 1 power worth of pure, unadulterated salt per turn. Salt is easy to acquire, such that this will continually generate this output.

Bad Omen Salt Cellar; Power 3

Necklace of Might; Power 1

A shiny necklace of jade and gold with symbols placed upon it. This necklace is covered in symbols of strength and wisdom, caringly wrought into the design.

The power of the necklace can be expended for a boost to Might for a single turn before fading

小婴儿 Xiǎo yīng'ér “The Diminutive baby” (Undead Mouse): Power 1

Guo’s 100-Li-Ji: Power 6

These delicate and intricate brass-shod Ji, resemble an embellished gaodixie (flowerpot shoes), being particularly high, and worked into the wooden platform with lotus shapes and peonies. The wood is so finely sanded that it almost appears to shine. A pattern is stamped on steps, and a fine red string with gold threaded through it ties it into place on the foot, delicately.

The wearer of these shoes has their range increased by 2

Lesser Qiankun Pouch; Power 2

This fine leather pouch is much larger on the inside than the outside and can hold nearly a wagon’s load of material inside its small purse sized confines.

The holder of this pouch can store up to twenty loose power, as if at a base without it being visible that they are carrying such a large amount of treasure to would be thieves. Or other items of a similar volume

The Swine’s Jingle; Power 1

This small bell is enchanted, such that the owner of the bell always knows its location, and can locate it with ease – easy to hide amongst other goods, or put on a loved one if the fear of kidnapping is high.

The owner of the item knows the location of it at all times – like a find my phone for a small bell; the owner need not be the wearer of the item. This includes a list of all locations acted in, in any turn for the wearer.

The camel's straw: Power 1

A long frond that appears to positively glimmer with spirits of imbalance, prone to tipping scales.

The unit wielding this item will win ties as if it had +1 to its might score.

In cases where forces are not tied it does not have an effect.

The Shuffling Stairs and Shops Ritual

The controller of the dreaming market is considered to have an Awful tier defender with no toughness; this would completely stymie and block any worst tier activities against the owner of the territories interest, and otherwise adds it’s effective might to any other defensive action being undertaken in the territory.

Wildflowers: Turn 5

The Immortal was seen in the Wet Market this week.

The Sorcerer Hunters sent a large force including Wu Jinhai, and the Tank through the dreaming market into the Respectable Homes.

Celestial Bureaucracy: Someone important was abducted from the prefecture palace

The Temple: the Temple completed their Ritual and welcomed a daughter into the world.

Liao Qingge: She danced again in the G-Dreaming Market, halting steps in a liturgical prayer to empower the Oni.

Current Assets

Faction Rule
For every faction that has an item that you sold to them in their possession, you will gain an additional power each turn from Peddler practices.

Secret Objective
If you have displaced and claimed the Central Government, or the Liu Estate as an HQ when the game ends, you will be considered a winner.

Side Quest

Obtain one of the treasures of Heaven; you know that the Celestial Bureaucracy has magical equipment in its vault; obtaining one of these items would be for great prestige and power in a collection.

Characters:

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
Pai the Peddler	Moderate	Healthy	3	2
Lǎohǔ Wéixiào	Poor	Healthy	1	2
Guo the Blacksmith	Moderate	Healthy	1	1

Troops

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
Dreaming Dashers	Worst	Healthy	2	4
Enforcers	Moderate	Injured	1	1

Notable Items:

Looking Mirror; Power 5

Purification Salt Cellar; Power 5

Necklace of Might; Power 1

Guo’s 100-Li-Ji: Power 6

Lesser Qiankun Pouch; Power 2

The Hammered Shield; Power 3

有史以来的山羊 Yǒushǐ yǐlái de shānyáng “Han”; Power 3

The Contractor’s Hammer; Power 2

Healing Herbs; Power 1

18 Power worth of Precious Coins from the Dreaming Market (18S, +6 control, +12 Ritual, -6 WR, -4 Gather, -6 Cursed Salt, -1T, -1 Disturbance)

4 Power worth of Unusual Entrails from the Wet Market (4S+ 4 D, -4 Temple)

3 Power worth of Abandoned Dreams from the Inn Market (7S +4 P,-7 Tracker, -1 Disturbance)

5 Power worth of Borrowed Fate (7S, +2 Peddler Practice; Jumping Jian, D Baby [Oni] Bad Omen Salt Cellar[Temple], Fascinating Sphere, False Guts[Yao Gen], -4 Tracker)

0 Power of Purified Salt (0S+1 Salt Cellar, -1 SH)

6 Power of Proper Taxes (+7 SH, -1 Tracker)

Control of The Wet Market, The Dreaming Market, the Inn Market

You have two bases in the Dreaming Market.

Total Loose Power: 36 Power

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Fang An, a high priestess of the Temple, has been greatly, karmically weakened; you suspect tied to a forswearing.

The Temple set up a ritual in the Central Government that was successful, it has an additional effect providing a malus to any attackers to the space.

The Hundun performed a ritual in the P-Inn Market, a terrifying thing; you suspect the effect will prevent targeted factions from being able to construct any new bases in Pingliang, if they had none when the ritual was performed.

The Celestial Bureaucracy deployed forces to D-The Wet Market this turn, but chose not to contest or intercept traveling forces, though they could have had greater benefit had they done so.

Results

Dilemma; economic arteries

Your warning was timely and fortuitous; the Celestial Bureaucracy tuned up the watch patrols, sending additional guards less prone to mutually beneficial understandings; they caught a few stragglers who were slow to adapt; but they'd been told – codes, signs, timing. Without the warning its likely significant economic damage would have been done to the Wet Market, as it stands those captured were fools, nominal losses that are quickly recovered from and their spaces filled in by eager competitors so the loss is not great. This has endeared you more to the vendors of the Wet Markets, who are eager to become more permanent members of the Association, knowing that you watch out for your own, when such a problematic outcome might have awaited but for your timely intervention.

Dilemma; Liao Qingge

You have sent Liao Qinnge the 小婴儿 Xiǎo yīng'ér “The Diminutive baby”; concealing the The Swine’s Jingle amongst a multitude of bells, ribbons and adornments, that practically mummify the tiny thing. She shyly accepts the gift, unused to such kindnesses. A cruel world without human company or the chance for human kindnesses being experiences that have shaped her. She is grateful for the gift and names the thing 最小的豆子 Zuìxiǎo de dòuzi “The Smallest Bean” for her own sake. Dòuzi as a shorthand.

The Jingle is well concealed, and quickly the Wildflowers know where she is, at any time in much the same fashion as the mirror, but without using one of its limited commands they could find her should they need to.

It’s also interested to note that she’s usually unescorted when sent to the Markets; this could be because of the terrifying presence of her masters who would stand out in any crowd; but it also means that she’s not being guarded by them, should a battle occur she’d be entirely on her own.

Liao hasn’t had the opportunity to receive many gifts. Being the adopted pet practitioner of Oni, Peril’s no less, so young had her dealing with very inhuman views of propriety, benevolence and malevolence. As opposed to humanity as they are it is hard to get the human things right, the understanding or the compassion. Nearly every birthday since the death of her parent’s has been unmarked, missing milestones on the road between girlhood and womanhood, or on the way to something less human than she’d been born as.

Liao hasn't received many gifts, or many kindnesses from humans, one part an agent, an anglerfish’s lure – the other as a representative, a mask for creatures so eldritch and powerful that a misstep could ruin her as surely as an ant navigating a parade.

But here was a gift, something given to her without expectation, a small thing, small enough to fit in her palm, warm and needing care, something less than she; as always the least among her company, it nestled in her palm, seeking warmth and was warm in turn. It was tiny, diminutive, pale. A couple of very basic spirits stitched into the remains of a mouse. It wouldn’t smell, it didn’t need much care, having no biological functions as it was merely animated like a simple puppet. But she could project so much personality in it. The ribbons reminded her of the festivals she’d seen but never had the opportunity to participate in; they were good distractions, and too hard for Oni to navigate when so many aware or innocent could be around, when a small, wan, dirty, nondescript girl might be unnoticed. Might enter a warehouse, a shop or a home and undo clasps or protections for the hungry company.

And here, festive, sounding gaily, little tinklings and jinglings as it sifted rubbing soft clean first against her, like it was trying to play on one creature chorus, a song; something happy and small. Satisfied to just be there with her. Something she could truly own. She held back tears, such emotions were unbecoming and should only come when bidden, when needed. Tears are a tool, and should not be a reflection of self. She steeled herself, pushing down what might have been a sob uncontrolled and said in an even tone; “thank you for the gift. The Oni League will put it to good use.”

Internally she quailled, she was certain Tūn hé zhě, hungry as always would swallow the morsel as a snack. She couldn’t help but name it for herself, 最小的豆子 Zuìxiǎo de dòuzi “The Smallest Bean'' for her own sake. Dòuzi as a shorthand. But she knew her masters, and she’d need to present it to them for their decision. Keeping secrets was something bad practitioners did, and bad practitioners met either Tūn hé zhě or Máoróngrōng de xuěbēng in the end. Firstly, bloody ends.

She couldn’t help but feel one such end might be hers one day, but as fate tied ribbons around her, binding her hands, what else could be done?

Dilemma; that f*cking thief

Pai painstakingly built his tracker a compass that will always point to Yao Gen, the foul cutpurse; this led him and his allied forces into the battle in I - The Alley of Awe; see its section for results.

It continues to point the way to Yao Gen, even after the battle; while he was seen fleeing to the west, the compass points directly to where he has gone: K - the Docks (for T5).

1 - Patrol Central Government

The Patrol of the central government starts smoothly, there are no defenders in place. Near the middle of the day the Sorcerer Hunters thunder through; Tank, Wu Jinhai astride it as a deck and cavalry, making in the direction of the Dreaming Market. The Addled Augur was encountered; see the dilemma below for the results of that.

Otherwise the week was peaceful with so many decisions flowing from the central government building the flows of fortune were particularly potent Lǎohǔ Wéixiào causing the largest bolus in fortune he’d ever seen.

2 - Attack Yao Gen

Pai's locator compass pointed him and his team to the I-Alley of Awe, and they quickly set off to intercept the furtive thief.

They came upon him in an Alley, holding out the Mandate of Heaven, unmistakable with its Jada and Mercury engravings to the cloaked Mysterious Peddler, as he and his allies broke into a run everything went wrong.

The Hundun came tumbling down from the sky like a rolling furry boulder directly towards the exchange, each of its six claws doing something different, but at least one grasping in seizing motions.

And its aura was a tidal wave. Suddenly trying to take a step forward caused Pai's arm to whip out striking a Temple Guard in the jaw. He attempted to pull his arm back and instead catapulted himself into his Enforcers who seemed similarly impacted.

A knife wheeled through the air on a horizontal parabolic arc.

Everything became chaotic. Yao Gen seemed to adapt the fastest to the situation, moving with preternatural grace; but all consequence and motion was perverted, altered. Wounds blossomed from unintentional actions across all present. By the time the furor calmed the street was empty.

Yao Gen escaping to the West, the Mysterious Peddler to the South, the Hundun to the West and Pai, the Enforcers and the Temple guard limping along behind them. Their wound defenses being expended, and in the case of the Enforcers, and then some.

5 - Adopting

Pai sets the stage and executes the ritual. Lǎohǔ Wéixiào is happy to join the family, especially such an enterprising group. Certainly fortune will smile on the endeavors of this group, perhaps someday, even a rebranding? Wildflowers is a nice name, but Tigerlilies, he opines, is also a fine name, he smiles.

As a result of taking Lǎohǔ Wéixiào into your family, there are a number of effects to detail. The first is that Lǎohǔ Wéixiào’s enhanced toughness compared to the average human has become shared, the bond making Pai and Mai slightly more Other.

Second, Pai has gained an additional ability. Territories Pai act in have the printed value increased by 1 for the calculations for the turn; This will take effect beginning Turn 5.

Thirdly Lǎohǔ Wéixiào has gained two abilities, the first is the ability to assume the form of a human boy of about Mai’s age, eyes that seem to shimmer gold like two coins set into his face at the fuzzy parts of vision, but perfectly normal the rest of the time. In this form he can pass as a young human; He indicates “Wéi” might be an appropriate name should he need to use this from time to time. His features heavily favor Pai and Mai’s features. The other ability is tied to Pai’s Peddler practices, always with a nose for deals Lǎohǔ Wéixiào can now tell what items were within the same territory as him during any turn; this will be included in briefings from turn 5 forward. He has a small ~16% chance to detect items passing through a territory he acted in for the turn.

0 - Gathering Dreaming Market

The Dreaming Dashers search carefully and find a hammer they are certain is magical, used by a very successful construction business that seems to always have clients and always be busy, its a steep price that is negotiated, but they are happy to pay it for what they see as a promotable find. They bring to Pai The Contractor’s Hammer.

0 - Gathering Wet Market

The Dreaming dashers take their coins to the Wet Market, where they take a look through livestock, fine, foul, fowl and swine. In their searching they manage to find a particularly interesting creature, a goat with additional power infused into them, a pattern of sacrifice that makes them especially potent when used to empower rituals. 有史以来的山羊 Yǒushǐ yǐlái de shānyáng “Han”. The goat has a glossy black coat and while it could be quickly broken down for the little self it has, leaning into its pattern of ritual sacrifice would grand outsized results.

S - Pai

See Dilemma; that f*cking thief

S - Guo

Guo spends the week working in his force, hammering out his frustrations prostrated before an anvil that is nearly an altar. Taking thick sturdy bronze and flattening it, again and again, beating against the metal almost as hard as the flames from the forge seem to beat against his burly arms and chest. His thick eyebrows and mustache drenched in sweat that hisses off the heated metal. He takes his tool to engrave designs of battle around the rim, soldiers doing soldier’s work. There’s been much violence in the city recently, and such a thing might be in high demand, at the worst he could use it to protect himself. Each finely detailed engraving, the positions of the depicted characters in formal spear stances, where the strike should be, where the legs and arms were positioned – if he blinked it might almost look like words, the armor, the body shapes forming sentences around the rim. But with another blink it was just soldiers, doing soldier’s work. Finely crafted, embossed, raised, engraved, methods he didn’t think he’d done to make it – skills he didn’t have, but the proof was there in his hands.

Guo proudly displayed his handiwork, the Hammered Shield to Pai, who complimented his craftsmanship.

Free: Using the Mirror

You used the looking mirror to Locate Kang Mengyao for the Temple. He was in M - the Slinking Slums and Healthy when you checked.

Dilemmas

The Addled Augur

An elderly woman in threadbear hanfu, her pale blue dress faded and sunbleached. Her eyes are rheumy and white with cataracts, her long hair is in a single braid that nearly brushes the ground as she moves with a stooped back. She walks with the aid of a cane, making slow progress forwards, offering fortunes for pay. She has a small lacquered box with her tools.

If you are willing to entertain her offers you may buy from her any or all of the following;

[ ] She can tell of a future harm or misfortune that would befall your present unit for 5 Power, this operates as the defense against a wound, but persists until the wound would be dealt, for the length of the game.

[ ] She can tell you the auspices of any turn; for 5 Power indicate which turn you’d like to know the auspices for. If you intend to select this option, let the GM know. You’ll receive the information immediately in chat, but then will not be able to change this selection later in order submissions.

[ ] She can tell you of a future problem you will face for 3 Power; indicate a turn – this unit cannot be intercepted by patrols to get to it’s target during the indicated turn

[ ] She can tell the future of a stranger for 3 Power – indicate a character by name; This character will receive a Might bonus when next encountering them, if they would evade your patrol for an interception, roll twice to catch them.

[ ] She can peer into the past for 3 Power. Name a character and a turn, she can tell you where they were

[ ] She can look for the lines of fate; Providing cryptic advice about goals for 5 Power; Indicate a character or a faction, and she will provide a meandering statement about their goals

[ ] She can predict where a named NPC will be in the oncoming week; for 5 Power. Indicate an NPC. If you intend to select this option, let the GM know. You’ll receive the information immediately in chat, but then will not be able to change this selection later in order submissions.

0 - Attempt to buy new magical items [Market]

Characters:

Pai the Peddler

Due to the influence of Lǎohǔ Wéixiào, wherever Pai acts, the printed value of the territory is increased by 1 for calculations for the turn.

Lesser Golden Cat of Fortune 招財貓 jīnmāo 老虎微笑 Lǎohǔ Wéixiào “Tiger Smiles”

Wherever Wéixiào acts for the turn the flows of fortune are empowered, an additional amount of power equal to the printed value of the territory is provided to the controller of that territory.

Lǎohǔ Wéixiào can now tell what items were within the same territory as him during any turn; he has a small chance ~16% to detect if items passed through a territory he was active in.

Lǎohǔ Wéixiào can assume the form of a human boy.

Guo the Blacksmith

Troops:

Dreaming Dashers

Enforcers

Notable Items:

The looking mirror of pang-king-tong; Power 5

Name a Character, you will learn one location that character took an action in, in the resultant briefing, including their status (Healthy, Injured, Badly Wounded, Dead)

Purification Salt Cellar; Power 5

This salt cellar functions on its own, cleansing 1 power worth of pure, unadulterated salt per turn. Salt is easy to acquire, such that this will continually generate this output.

Bad Omen Salt Cellar; Power 3

Necklace of Might; Power 1

A shiny necklace of jade and gold with symbols placed upon it. This necklace is covered in symbols of strength and wisdom, caringly wrought into the design.

The power of the necklace can be expended for a boost to Might for a single turn before fading

Guo’s 100-Li-Ji: Power 6

The wearer of these shoes has their range increased by 2

Lesser Qiankun Pouch; Power 2

This fine leather pouch is much larger on the inside than the outside and can hold nearly a wagon’s load of material inside its small purse sized confines.

The Swine’s Jingle; Power 1

This small bell is enchanted, such that the owner of the bell always knows it’s location, and can locate it with ease – easy to hide amongst other goods, or put on a loved one if the fear of kidnapping is high.

The Shuffling Stairs and Shops Ritual

有史以来的山羊 Yǒushǐ yǐlái de shānyáng “Han”; Power 3

This pure black goat has expressive eyes and a sleek, practically iridescent coat. The goat is spiritually potent.

Han can be sacrificed as a part of a ritual to provide ten power into a ritual.

The Hammered Shield; power 3

A thick disk of bronze etched deeply with scenes of combat, each strike forming the shape of a glyph or a rune, a spear thrust like a brushstroke creating a spell that encircles the entire bowl. It’s a finely crafted piece and would look good on a display.

This thick bronze shield causes the first wound that would be deal to the equipped creature to be reflected to the opponent.

The Contractor’s Hammer; Power 2

A simple mallet etched with runes, and infused with patterns, weakened, this item looks well worn, like perhaps half the buildings of Pingliang saw it’s use of the raising of. Humble and not very elegant it is a workingman’s tool.

The contractor’s hammer grants the equipped unit an extra action that can only be spent on action 6 - building a base. It can be spent on no other action types.

The text above is the text that a recipient will get with the hammer.

The contractor’s hammer is a cursed item. Any base built using the Contractor’s hammer will crumble after construction completes, ruining the material used in its construction.

Healing Herbs; Power 1
Healing Herbs also make their way to Pai’s shop as a result of the ritual in the Dreaming Market

The healing herbs count for three Power when used as a part of the general healing expenditure.

Wildflowers: Turn 6

The Liu ritual in the estates causes units acting within the space to heal at twice their natural rate.

The smuggling operation in the docks was forewarned of the raid by the same warning sent to the wet market.

Celestial Bureaucracy: The Inspectors gave their lives in the Prefecture Palace

The Temple: Linfang Qi, the Temple’s new goddess lost a duel to Liu Tang

Liao Qingge: She was in P-the Inn Market making the same contortions as the Hundun last turn to enact the Oni-Lockout ritual.

Current Assets

Faction Rule
For every faction that has an item that you sold to them in their possession, you will gain an additional power each turn from Peddler practices.

Secret Objective
If you have displaced and claimed the Central Government, or the Liu Estate as an HQ when the game ends, you will be considered a winner.

Side Quest

Obtain one of the treasures of Heaven; you know that the Celestial Bureaucracy has magical equipment in its vault; obtaining one of these items would be for great prestige and power in a collection.

Characters:

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
Pai the Peddler	Moderate	Healthy	3	2
Lǎohǔ Wéixiào	Poor	Healthy	1	2
Guo the Blacksmith	Moderate	Healthy	1	1

Troops

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
Dreaming Dashers	Worst	Healthy	2	4
Enforcers	Moderate	Injured	1	1

Notable Items:

Looking Mirror; Power 5

Purification Salt Cellar; Power 5

Necklace of Might; Power 1

Guo’s 100-Li-Ji: Power 6

Lesser Qiankun Pouch; Power 2

The Hammered Shield; Power 3

有史以来的山羊 Yǒushǐ yǐlái de shānyáng “Han”; Power 3

The Contractor’s Hammer; Power 2

Healing Herbs; Power 1

The Copperleaf Cuirass; Power 4
The Bloodless Bandage; Power 3
The Styptic syringe; Power 1

The Dragon’s Pearl: Power 20

22 Power worth of Precious Coins from the Dreaming Market (12S, +7G, +14, +7W, -13buy, -2 SH, -3 smorg) P enh

4 Power worth of Unusual Entrails from the Wet Market (4S+4 D, -4smorg)

4 Power worth of Abandoned Dreams from the Inn Market (3S +4 P, -2buy, -1smorg)

3 Power worth of Borrowed Fate (3S, +2 Peddler Practice; Jumping Jian, D Baby [Oni], Healing Herbs [SH], -1 buy. -1 smorg )

1 Power of Purified Salt (0S+1 Salt Cellar,)

0 Power of Proper Taxes (6S, -5 Healing, -1 smorg)

8 Power worth of Honorable Offerings (+8 Oni)

Control of The Wet Market, The Dreaming Market, the Inn Market

You have two bases in the Dreaming Market.

Total Loose Power: 42 Power

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Oni have plans to strip away Liao Qinnge’s humanity, permanently making her into something Other.

Linfang Qi can bring a warband into the floating world with herself for free every turn.

The Qiongqi’s name is 毛茸茸的雪崩 Máoróngrōng de xuěbēng “Shaggy Avalanche”

The Taoqi is a hybrid of the Oni’s Taotie and Qiongqi, merged temporarily through an Oni Practice.

Results

Dilemmas

The Addled Augur

If you are willing to entertain her offers you may buy from her any or all of the following;

[ ] She can tell of a future harm or misfortune that would befall your present unit for 5 Power, this operates as the defense against a wound, but persists until the wound would be dealt, for the length of the game.

[ ] She can tell you the auspices of any turn; for 5 Power indicate which turn you’d like to know the auspices for. If you intend to select this option, let the GM know. You’ll receive the information immediately in chat, but then will not be able to change this selection later in order submissions.

[ ] She can tell you of a future problem you will face for 3 Power; indicate a turn – this unit cannot be intercepted by patrols to get to it’s target during the indicated turn

[ ] She can tell the future of a stranger for 3 Power – indicate a character by name; This character will receive a Might bonus when next encountering them, if they would evade your patrol for an interception, roll twice to catch them.

[ ] She can peer into the past for 3 Power. Name a character and a turn, she can tell you where they were

[ ] She can look for the lines of fate; Providing cryptic advice about goals for 5 Power; Indicate a character or a faction, and she will provide a meandering statement about their goals

[ ] She can predict where a named NPC will be in the oncoming week; for 5 Power. Indicate an NPC. If you intend to select this option, let the GM know. You’ll receive the information immediately in chat, but then will not be able to change this selection later in order submissions.

2 K - Docks Pai, Enforcers

Pai’s device functioned like a compass. He evaluated it as it pointed the way to Yao Gen. Shoddy, slipshod, the work of desperation. It’s not something he’d want to sell in his shop. Functional sure, and functionality was the most important thing, but it lacked the fine-ness that he’d prefer to be known for, it’s craftsmanship inferior to Guo’s work, he was a little envious of the aware flawless touch – he sold and he bought and he could price, but he didn’t build much, he didn’t make. It grated, a little, that this was some clumsily attached, not the kind of product he’d expect to see in the hands of a Zhang, Liu or member of the local government.

It pointed the way down to a bar whose name he quickly forgot. It didn’t really matter whose it was, it was in the docks which wasn’t association territory; and with him he had thirty-eight individuals including a massive, fearsome Other. He stepped from the side to the side letting the compass point click this way and that to be certain it wasn’t pointing “Behind” or “Below”.

Out near the Steaming Lake, near the pier this ramshackle edifice was set, and within They’d find Yao Gen. He indicated as much to the others, and let them get to work. Readying himself. He’d fight if that was needed and he surely hoped he didn’t need to. Yao Gen had done them wrong a number of times, Pai thought. And here he’d be shown it was wrong to cross the Wildflowers association – his task – he salivated slightly. Was to recover what Yao Gen had taken and abscond with it. The Mandate of Heaven, any other treasure he might have had of the Vault, any riches, baubles, anything at all.

He was wearing Guo’s fabulous 100-Li-Ji; an Ostentatious name, and surprisingly comfortable for wooden wedding clogs. Not his style certainly, far more effeminate than he would prefer to wear but somehow easy to walk in, comfortable. He had little idea how the blacksmith made wooden clogs when he hadn’t purchased any wood or carpentry tools, but it was hard to argue with the results.

The Oni Beast, the Taoqi, tore its way in through the wall, disdaining the door. Inside became a chaotic Melee, and Pai kept his eyes locked on Yao Gen, who contorted about the space like a dancer. Over tables, under, behind the bar. Leaping from fixtures like a Monkey, managing to smoothly slide by the Taoqi and finesse the Hammered Shield right off the creature's back and in the same motion onto his arm deflect a blow.

He felt his anger rise and at the same time a grudging respect for the art of it. The could have worked together if he wasn’t such an absolute ass to find, and hadn’t had the gall to steal from the Wildflowers association.

The Taoqi wasn’t alone in there, the press of bodies was high and corpses and blood made a swamp of the floor, patron’s drinks mixing with their essence. Tian Fa untouched and unperturbed like he was walking across a ballroom more than a dingy dungheap of a dockside dive. Thirty-six different troops with sets of reaching hands proved more than Yao Gen’s art could evade.

Caught, the Taoqi tore him in two, snapped like the wishbone of a particularly fat chicken.

Tumbling from his garb came his treasures, among them The Mandate of Heaven.

A golden scroll with jade rolls; writ in ink of quicksilver capped with Jade and Mercury, sealed with red thread that contains the charter and order of an Emperor, infused with practice and heavenly Qi. It is an artifact of Law and deeply tied into the Patterns and Practices of Pingliang; with over a thousand years of reinforcement. It is clarified, standing out in stark relief to its surroundings more “real”, than real. Without being bright it almost seems to sear its shape into the eye and mind.

The Taoqi stepped over it, to stand astride, and Tian Fa spoke a word

Pai clipped forward, the Ji clopping on the ground like the hooves of a racing mare.

The Oni tried to kick the Mandate towards Pai, it didn’t budge, he tried again. Pai was in the thick of it, gathering treasures, avoiding strikes, while Tian Fa set down barriers, statements of Law. Inexorably like two massive gravitational forces acting on each other the Mandate fell back into the Bureaucracy's hands.

Pai scooped the rest of what he could and fled back into the city. Yao Gen's leavings were penurious; it appears he’d spent what power he’d acquired, the Guts were used in the combat itself, as what the sphere and the Mandate, Pai cursed, was back in the hands of the government.

Later returning with allied forces sans the Celestial Bureaucracy to check on the Liu smuggling operation, to his chagrin the operation had been cleaned out. The warehouse is empty of meaningful contraband or wealth.

Outcome

The Foul Cutpurse, Yao Gen, was slain; the Oni Took the corpse

The Foul cutpurse used the false guts to protect from injury in the battle

The Foul cutpurse was able to get the hammered shield for a brief period in the fray

The Foul cutpurse used the fascinating sphere that was recovered.

Grand Secretary; Managed to claim the Mandate; injuries were deflected onto the Town Guards

Town Guards; Took significant injuries, and are badly wounded

The Taoqi; Took no injuries

Temple Guardians; took no injuries

Pai; took no injuries

Enforcers; took no injuries.

The Wildflowers recovered the following from Yao Gen; The Fascinating Sphere,

2 N - The Estates Pai

The Three legged crow came back with intelligence; thirteen Liu. Likely their troop and only one notable.

Captain Wu Jinhai had the command, a massive Other accompanying them as well. Captain Jinhai had changed his affect, his once gleaming medals dull and dirtied, likely run over with some muck or other to reduce the shine of them, and rough cloth woven about them into pockets without top or bottom, intended to keep them from rustling against each other. The effect was more threadbare and plain than a Captain should be; but practicality trumped at the end of the day.

The Other introduced itself in a burbling voice as Shí xún wǒ bù huì chénmò

The large Other is the size of three large horses standing nose to tail; it has a face like three men scowling without chins as the lips meet in a tripartite mouth. It is long, sleek and shines wetly; eel-like and oily. Tt has forward fins that terminate in human like hands with ten fingers on each. Its tail is a corkscrew like a pig.

When they meet the Liu it is from surprise and the Other Shí xún wǒ bù huì chénmò has a surprise for all of them when in breaths outward a gout of flame blistering the Liu forces even before the battle can truly begin – Tang sensibly using his employees as living shields, but not emerging unscathed.

Wu Jinhai sought him out, cleaving through Liu like the particularly skilled butcher Pai preferred to use to get food for the home; able to break down a chicken or a pig with equal ease in a bare minute. Wu Jinhai was methodically breaking down people, which was academically similar, but viscerally different.

The Liu, Tang, Pai presumed, having met none of them yet and it was the only name he had.

The Liu were over matched and he smiled. Contributing where he could, the Other had a shield of water that absorbed a blow, and Wu Jinhai took an injury from Tang, but Tang was the worse off for the exchange; in the accountancy of balance they were winning.

The crew died in the process, but Tang made it out.

Outcome

Wu Jinhai Sustained an injury

Liu Tang sustained multiple injuries

The Crew was slain 💀

A large Other was protected from an injury from a shield of water

This large Other breathes fire and dealt a wound first to the Liu forces before the battle was

engaged

The information about the presence and location from the Three Legged Crow provided a small might bonus, less than participating himself would have.

4 "G - D.Mark." Pai

Pai makes his preparations and calls the Dragon. The massive Xīwàng de xìngyùn cǎihóng, rising from the Century Park and like a skyward parade, a wave of might and power bounds to the Dreaming Market; the massive creature stretches more then the length of the Inn market, it’s enormous serpentine body a riot of color in bands, gemlike, varieties of Sapphire; Blue, Yellow, Green, Black, Orange, Purple, White. Aligned as if to a constellation of Chakras.

Xīwàng de xìngyùn cǎihóng was quite the sight, it’s enormous head larger than Pai’s shop and home combined. Yet the voice it spoke in was soft, like a gentle spring rain across the rice paddies, the rumble of thunder underlying the worlds.

Pai was quick to introduce himself and his offer; paying careful to honorifics, noting but not condescending the Feng Shui of the arrangement and the gifts that were here, in pale likeness but in great care; chosen with exacting attention and arranged with all the focus that would be given to the arrival of an Emperor.

Xīwàng de xìngyùn cǎihóng accepts the gifts, and reveals one of his own. “Courtesy demands reciprocity” the great being speaks. Under a Talon as large as Pai himself, is revealed a brilliant Pearl; it is the size of a cabbage, and sheens like the moon the night he first met Mai’s mother.

The gift is great, Pai feels a yearning for it; but offers a timid refusal. The gift is too great; though he feels torn in heart he says “This is too generous, it is too much.”

Xīwàng de xìngyùn cǎihóng gently rolls the pearl closer. Pai can see his reflection in the enormous gem. “Courtesy demands reciprocity” the dragon repeats. And it vibrates through Pai bone deep.

Pai clutches his pearl.

Pai makes his pitch; that the Dreaming Market becomes the Dragon’s Den, a comfortable space to visit, and the Dragon’s influence and prestige would elevate the market. Xīwàng de xìngyùn cǎihóng listens, respectfully to the pitch, but demurrers on the offer, replying that in all things there must be balance, balance does not mean good without bad, light without dark or joy without suffering – in all things there is Tao and the Tao is in all things. To grasp is just, just as it is just to fall. The dragon does not see it’s presence in a place so steeped in fortune to be a balancing, or a smoothing force, but would pull the depression deeper – in this it would be an anomaly, an aberration, a dissonance; this Xīwàng de xìngyùn cǎihóng cannot abide, and so while the offer is understood and taken with the intent with which it was delivered Xīwàng de xìngyùn cǎihóng does not see such a relationship as within the compass of his duties.

Xīwàng de xìngyùn cǎihóng thanks Pai, and tells him he intends to Visit the J-Liu Estates next week (During Turn 6)

Outcome

Pai has obtained a Dragon Pearl; Power 20

Pai has learned Xīwàng de xìngyùn cǎihóng intends to be in Site J during this turn.

4 "P - InnMark." D.Dashers

The dreaming dashers are not practitioners, nor others, not fully in tune with the magical world of Pingliang, but not fully out of tune. Like a radio station weaving in and out of range the fuzziness comes into sharp relief then fades out to a mysterious tide – but in this they are meant to be helps They make a search for things in sevens and in colors, scouring the markets for scarves, painted glasses, or anything else they can use to represent the rainbow that is of fine quality.

In the Inn market they find food and drink, alcohol in seven colors, soups in seven colors, decorations and other such entertainment aids; including a colorful pai-gow set.

Outcome

The dreaming dashers assisted Pai in his play.

4 D - Wet Mark. D.Dashers

In the wet market they find hens, and while the seven colors are unlikely to match the viridescent scales of the dragon, they are still seven different colors.

The Dreaming Dashers encountered the Addled Augur in the Wet Market

Outcome

The dreaming dashers assisted Pai in his play.

See Dilemma - the Addled Augur for details

0 "G - D.Mark." Wéixiào

Wéixiào prowls the markets, finding opportunities in both of his forms, and for the first time in a long time enjoying food in the same way that humans do, a dumpling here, a rice cake there, a fish pancake, another fish pancake, hm, maybe a third fish pancake. He weaves his way through the shops and stalls of the Dreaming market looking for opportunities. He finds his mark at a linen shop run by a middle aged woman, it is dark with omens and a particular band of carefully kept gauzy wrap is particularly potent. Wéixiào asks after its history, she recalls that it was once a wedding veil, it bleached itself white over time, after each match ended in death, more and more steeping into it – until it reached its pure white color. Since it’s become a bandage for warriors, it seems almost magical in that those treated with it don’t seem to bleed and it hungrily drinks up the color such that it doesn’t stain. Though those treated also gain a paler complexion.

Wéixiào makes the purchase of the fine cloth and brings it back to the shop, pleased with his find. On his way back he buys another fish pancake.

Outcome

Wéixiào has found the Bloodless Bandages.

S "G - D.Mark." Guo

Guo spends the week in this force, working finely with copper, hammering out sheets like gossamer, as fine as the threads of a spider's web and creating a gaudy artwork of a cuirass.

Outcome

Guo has forged the Copper Cuirass.

4 - Ritual; this is performing a magical ritual. A practitioner or Other must perform it; and it doubles the income of a territory. A territory may only support two rituals at a time. Only one ritual can be performed by a faction on a territory per turn.

5 - Core Ritual;To perform a core ritual it will take half of a Practitioner character’s actions, round up. Mandatus can be challenged outside of turn order. Adoption items could be challenged if the party is crashed, but ultimately no call goes out for resistance to occur.

0 - Attempt to buy new magical items [Market]

Characters:

Pai the Peddler

Due to the influence of Lǎohǔ Wéixiào, wherever Pai acts, the printed value of the territory is increased by 1 for calculations for the turn.

Lesser Golden Cat of Fortune 招財貓 jīnmāo 老虎微笑 Lǎohǔ Wéixiào “Tiger Smiles”

Wherever Wéixiào acts for the turn the flows of fortune are empowered, an additional amount of power equal to the printed value of the territory is provided to the controller of that territory.

Lǎohǔ Wéixiào can now tell what items were within the same territory as him during any turn; he has a small chance ~16% to detect if items passed through a territory he was active in.

Lǎohǔ Wéixiào can assume the form of a human boy.

Guo the Blacksmith

Troops:

Dreaming Dashers

Enforcers

Notable Items:

The looking mirror of pang-king-tong; Power 5

Name a Character, you will learn one location that character took an action in, in the resultant briefing, including their status (Healthy, Injured, Badly Wounded, Dead)

Purification Salt Cellar; Power 5

This salt cellar functions on its own, cleansing 1 power worth of pure, unadulterated salt per turn. Salt is easy to acquire, such that this will continually generate this output.

Necklace of Might; Power 1

A shiny necklace of jade and gold with symbols placed upon it. This necklace is covered in symbols of strength and wisdom, caringly wrought into the design.

The power of the necklace can be expended for a boost to Might for a single turn before fading

Guo’s 100-Li-Ji: Power 6

The wearer of these shoes has their range increased by 2

Lesser Qiankun Pouch; Power 2

This fine leather pouch is much larger on the inside than the outside and can hold nearly a wagon’s load of material inside its small purse sized confines.

The Swine’s Jingle; Power 1

The Shuffling Stairs and Shops Ritual

The Contractor’s Hammer; Power 2

The contractor’s hammer grants the equipped unit an extra action that can only be spent on action 6 - building a base. It can be spent on no other action types.

The text above is the text that a recipient will get with the hammer.

The contractor’s hammer is a cursed item. Any base built using the Contractor’s hammer will crumble after construction completes, ruining the material used in its construction.

The Fascinating Sphere; Power 3

The Copperleaf Cuirass; Power 4

A finely wrought chest armor of paper thin leaves of copper so intricate that it looks like the fallen pile beneath an autumn tree has been artfully shaped into a chest covering. Within the detail are scenes of aging and the passage of time; the fleeting season of autumn reinforced in eleven different reliefs, and bearing the fall season’s zodiac signs.

The wearer of the Copperleaf Cuirass will resist up to four wounds in a single combat; however even a single wound will shatter it. It is consumed when activated.

The Bloodless Bandage; Power 3

White linen of the purest snow in color and embroidered with tiny chrysanthemums. It’s finely woven and soft as a cloud.

The Bloodless Bandage is so called because not a single drop of the person treated with its blood will spill to the ground, it doesn’t even color as it seals the harm for healing. This recovers the target by two wounds. It is consumed on use.

The text above is the text that a recipient will get with the Bloodless Bandage.

The Bloodless Bandage is a cursed item. Any Unit treated with the bandage will take an additional two wounds as the hungry white device drinks their blood. It is consumed on use.

The Styptic syringe; Power 1

This needle filled with a silvery alchemical fluid can be used on the battlefield to save one individual from death, putting them into a torpor that will allow them to last a brief while longer to be recovered by allied forces.

The Styptic Syringe causes a unit wielding that would be reduced to 0 health to be reduced to 0 but survive the week. If the faction containing the unit is the victor, the unconscious unit will be taken back to the base for treatment – if the loser, absent specific remains orders they will be left where they have fallen, and may be retrieved the following turn and healed according to normor healing practices.

The Dragon’s Pearl; Power 20

A single lustrous pearl about the size of a head of cabbage. It is potent with power, and is extremely, supernaturally beautiful. It is perfectly round, and flawless.

Wildflowers: Turn 7

The Oni have a fourth member, the Taotie, a being of greed and hunger that resembles an enormous turtle

Captain Wu Jinhai has a range of 2

Celestial Bureaucracy: The Cavalry unit broke from orders and attacked the Sorcerer Hunters at the Outward Road.

The Temple: Linfang Qi halves the Payout of any territory she acts in due to flows on conflict making it difficult to collect Power

Liao Qingge: The swine’s jingle was destroyed alongside the diminutive baby in the Flophouses.

Current Assets

Faction Rule
For every faction that has an item that you sold to them in their possession, you will gain an additional power each turn from Peddler practices.

Secret Objective
If you have displaced and claimed the Central Government, or the Liu Estate as an HQ when the game ends, you will be considered a winner.

Side Quest

Obtain one of the treasures of Heaven; you know that the Celestial Bureaucracy has magical equipment in its vault; obtaining one of these items would be for great prestige and power in a collection.

Characters:

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
Pai the Peddler	Moderate	Healthy	3	2
Lǎohǔ Wéixiào	Poor	Healthy	1	2
Guo the Blacksmith	Moderate	Healthy	1	1

Troops

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
Dreaming Dashers	Worst	Healthy	2	4
Enforcers	Moderate	Healthy	1	1

Notable Items:

Looking Mirror; Power 5

Purification Salt Cellar; Power 5

Necklace of Might; Power 1

Guo’s 100-Li-Ji: Power 6

Lesser Qiankun Pouch; Power 2

The Contractor’s Hammer; Power 2

The Bloodless Bandage; Power 3
The Dragon’s Pearl: Power 20

The Supernatural Specs; Power 3

The Ornery Urn; Power 6

The Intrepid Intestine; Power 3

The Peculiar Fortune; Power 2

23 Power worth of Precious Coins from the Dreaming Market (22S, +6G, +12R, +6W, -14 Purch, -5 fortune, -3 forge, -1 item)

3 Power worth of Unusual Entrails from the Wet Market (4S+4 D, -5 Item )

8 Power worth of Abandoned Dreams from the Inn Market (4S +4 P,)

6 Power worth of Borrowed Fate (3S, +3 Peddler Practice; Jumping Jian, Hammered Shield [Oni], Distracting Sphere [T], Copperleaf Cuirass, Styptic Syringe [SH])

1 Power of Purified Salt (0S+1 Salt Cellar,)

7 Power worth of Honorable Offerings (8S, -1 Purch)

7 Power worth of Sorcerous Tribute (+7 SH)

Control of The Wet Market, The Dreaming Market, the Inn Market

You have two bases in the Dreaming Market.

Total Loose Power: 55 Power

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Some report Liu Tang has gotten faster in the last several weeks, Liu Tang’s base range has been increased to three

The Wild Others have an Other that also influences fortunes like a localized depression, instead of increasing in a single area it reduces fortune in adjacent territories and provides a fraction of the lost wealth back to them.

The Sorcerer hunters entered Pingliang with six units, their force has decreased to four.

The Temple’s shrines can infuse power into temporary magic items.

Results

[Free]

Using the mirror you observed Liu Tang to be in T- The South Shore and Injured, you sent this information along to the Sorcerer Hunters

You shipped the items you meant to

The power from the Liu Family never arrived.

Pai H 1

He could almost feel the weight of it, like a bowling ball on a trampoline and it was rolling towards him.

He checked gauges and devices, simple practices that one in his particular field of spelunking had to have.

Yes, it had been recovered which meant that Yao Gen wouldn’t be coming to meet him. f*ck.

And he pressed it open through a solid wall. Exiting into the natural fields at the edge of the place, a burned out husk of a doorframe standing in a tumbledown ill maintained and derelict structure.

With a gesture the door twisted alongside its lintels and frame, Wei Ju’s item being now on this side of the interface it was burning its time.

Outcome

Pai’s Ability in The Central Government’s meant base value was increased by 1 for the turn.

Ironically, the Wild Other’s nearby unknown asset decreased the value by 1

Linfang Qi halved the payout.

Pai is aware that control this turn only yielded the Celestial Bureaucracy 10 power.

The Peddler has fled Pingliang.

The Celestial Bureaucracy has gained control of the Central Government.

D.Dashers J 3

The Dreaming Dasher fought through the raging river that the streets had become, torrential downpour washing over the Liu Estate and flotsam and jetsam washing out to the steaming lake. The rest of the city was still bright, this thunderstorm was localized and purposeful, with high winds driving the material outward and away. It was cold and wet, but they managed not to slip in their survey. Walking block by block through the storm as traps, trash and damage were washed away or worn smooth by the current. The rubble of the Liu Estate itself was worn into round water smoother shapes, like river stones or canyons that had stood for centuries, the space becoming a Chán garden, with river stones to mimic the flowing river and mountains composed of marble that had once formed walls or supporting structures. Even wood became polished under the assault, driftwood turned to archways around a large bounded space.

They continued their scouting mission, looking for something less habited and perhaps with less attention directed towards it, a space with access that could be protected, a place with blind corners or obscuring walls or brush – somewhere they could work out a surreptitious safehouse should such a redoubt become necessary. They manage to find a mostly intact warehouse, a place with tight corners and walls close to the frontage such that tight alleys constrain sightlines to entrance and exit. They’re relatively certain a build out would be possible in this location that would allow their agents access to the docks or into Pingliang without it being instantly attributable to the Wildflowers association. Far from a step up or a “Throne” to mark their success as an emporium, but perhaps a fallback or a vault for times of danger.

Outcome

The Dreaming Dashers have located a suitable place for a concealed HQ within J-The Liu Estate.

Pai J 4

Xīwàng de Xìngyùn Cǎihóng does not prevent you from performing a ritual in the J-Liu Estates, roughly overseeing the process, small tweaks and alignments are made by the powerful creature throughout the diagram, lines shifting in unanticipated ways into new constellations, formations and symbols. Pai’s observation of this leads him to a few interesting correlations in his own practice with relational diagrams and item work – these insights and deeper wisdoms leading him to an increase in perspicacity and capability

The additional effect of the diagram appears to provide additional protections to the Innocent who shelter in the Liu-Estate, helping to blunt supernatural harms that might befall them, creating an exclave, a bastion within a bastion within the Oni’s ritual to allow for Innocent, without some of their staunchest Practitioner Protectors to continue to live in the area without the predation between humans and Others being fully inverted.

Outcome

Pai was able to complete a ritual in J-The Liu Estate.

Pai was not able to convince the dragon to share the Liu-Estate.

Pai obtained a permanent Might increase from observing the dragon’s diagram work

D.Dashers, Pai J 6

The first problem that Pai and his able employees encounter is that Liu's escrow never arrives. No money graces the front of the shop, no additional funds to use in the construction of the presumptive base within the Liu Estate, which may need to be the “Formerly Known as the Liu Estate” in the near future. “Pai’s Place” has a better ring to it, but he’d probably need to workshop it with the Wildflowers. It wasn’t, strictly speaking, a dealbreaker that the power to build the thing hadn’t arrived. The Wildflowers were flush with a Warchest of resources, having a scant few months back the stockpile had measured three measly precious coins. Now power is being spent like water, having many times that in income from week to week. Such a big bank means Pai is perhaps not happy to spend his own money, after all any time you can spend a clients to your benefit is better business than spending your own – but it is tolerable, since a Wildflower occupation of the Liu Estates would be a more suitable, lakefront site for a future endeavor.

If that had been the end of the trouble then perhaps it would have been enough; but the second hurdle was the traps, which meant taking a more ginger approach, they’d been given an idea of where to expect them, but the soldiers hadn’t been particularly careful in placing them in a way that made them easy to identify, or paid particular attention to where they’d emplaced them since they intended to tread carefully and catch people in them but not inhabit the space such that they’d be caught themselves.

Beyond that Pai’d have to deal with the dragon. Xīwàng de Xìngyùn Cǎihóng coiled above and through the district like an enormous rainbow serpent. The district was soaked in a monsoon, the streets flooded into rivers as the downpour put a waterfall through the space, rapids rising to Pai’s knees with the force of an insistent horse. Streets were being swept clean; and it became increasingly difficult to move supplies to the selected site. And when they arrived Xīwàng de Xìngyùn Cǎihóng was there.

“No,” He said. Simply, with the gentle rumble of thunder.

“I’ve been hospitable, polite, why?” Pai asked. “Why would you prevent me here? We do not need to be enemies.”

“It is in my nature. Harmony and peace can exist, but I do not share. This was promised to me, invited, suitable. It needs to be cleansed of the danger and disharmony it manifests. The danger to the common folk, the rot at the center of it. I will stay here, as an anchor and wisdom, as a counterpoint to the Perils that remove the other protectors for humanity.” Xīwàng de Xìngyùn Cǎihóng replied.

“I’m human, don’t I deserve protection?” bargained Pai.

“If you wish to forsake you practice you may find shelter here” Xīwàng de Xìngyùn Cǎihóng admonished, “But I see the ambition in you, not all avenues are closed. You may elect to resist mere here, to prove, perhaps, you can stand against the threats that will come to those who cannot protect themselves in a system of torment and pain. Or … “ Xīwàng de Xìngyùn Cǎihóng glanced East. “... Or you may seek to find a place to the East of here, in a place you covet where your ambition is unbounded. But I shall not let you settle here while I remain, you and none other who band together and represent intent and interests in Pinglaing.”

“Do you wish to make an issue of it?” Xīwàng de Xìngyùn Cǎihóng asked softly.

“No” sighed Pai, frustrated. “No I don’t wish to make an issue out of it, the funds for this venture didn’t arrive anyway. It seems like every step of this venture went wrong in one way or another.”

“Then go and be and be at peace.” Xīwàng de Xìngyùn Cǎihóng offered.

Pai, reluctantly withdrew from J-the Liu Estates

Outcome

Pai and the Dreaming Dashers were unable to construct a base within the Liu Estate.

Wéixiào G 0

Lǎohǔ Wéixiào stalks about the Dreaming Market; the center of the Wildflower’s power and redolent with fortune. It smells vibrant in the air with happy red and gold bands flowing to the rituals that the Wildflower’s association has set into place over these past weeks. He pads about the stalls and shops looking for curiosity. Eventually he finds his way to a glass shop, decorated with colorful tumblers, decanters, lamp coverings and the like until he settles on a pair of spectacles. Glancing through them does not show the world as it is – rather it doesn’t show this world as it is. It appears to be peering into the floating world, which seems to be a useful thing to Lǎohǔ Wéixiào, so close is the layer and so easy the transition that such a device should prove to be invaluable in avoiding ambush from the floating world, or to at least be aware of who uses the hidden thoroughfares and byways of Pingliang.

Lǎohǔ Wéixiào quickly makes his purchase and returns to Pai’s shop.

Outcome

Wéixiào obtained The Supernatural Specs; Power 3

Wéixiào spent the 3 Power he was entrusted with.

Enforcers D 0

The enforcers spend the week searching high and low among the bleating, hawking, and baaing of the Wet Market looking for items that might be magical in nature; they manage to find a butchery that seems to be doing a brisk business, but it’s not the succulent pork belly, or racks of beef ribs that draw their eye – for as instructed they are looking for the magical, not a meal. In the shop they spot a worn, weathered and positively ancient ream of sausage, herbed and sun bleached; the casings are white and colors of herbs show a pale green trough. The flies ignore it. They ask the butcher about it in particular, as something so old should not be on display. The butcher tells them that it is a good luck sausage, that it doesn’t age and has been a symbol of well meaning, but any such thing may be available for purchase – for the right price. The enforces haggle for the sausages and return with them to Pai’s shop at the end of the week.

Outcome

The Enforcers obtained The Intrepid Intestine; Power 3

The Enforces spent the 3 Power they were entrusted with

Guo G Special

Guo spent the week in his forge working once again the copper, hammering the metal into shape punching it down until the depression forms a bowl, Unbidden a ring of spearmen filagree the rim. It’s a practical kind of thing, a bowl. The kind of thing Lao Tzu would opine on and Guo, not being particularly well red would chuckle with a sardonic “Bowls are meant to be filled.” It will hold fluid or whatever you want to put in it, but something about it makes him feel like it’s primary purpose is more chamber pot than soup. There is a foulness to the copper, where instead of shining a darkness would seem to catch the light and snake shadows and inky, hungry, famished tentacles across the surface of it. The depths of it fail to catch the light and it seems like a lightless infinite pit at the bottom of it. But Guo knows better, he can feel the bottom of the bowl from the other side of it.

He declines to reach inside.

There is a shiny spot for a name, he declines to leave a maker's mark upon it.

Outcome

Guo the Blacksmith has crafted The Ornery Urn; Power 6

Guo the Blacksmith spent the 3 Power he had been entrusted with.

4 - Ritual; this is performing a magical ritual. A practitioner or Other must perform it; and it doubles the income of a territory. A territory may only support two rituals at a time. Only one ritual can be performed by a faction on a territory per turn.

5 - Core Ritual;To perform a core ritual it will take half of a Practitioner character’s actions, round up. Mandatus can be challenged outside of turn order. Adoption items could be challenged if the party is crashed, but ultimately no call goes out for resistance to occur.

0 - Attempt to buy new magical items [Market]

Characters:

Pai the Peddler

Due to the influence of Lǎohǔ Wéixiào, wherever Pai acts, the printed value of the territory is increased by 1 for calculations for the turn.

Lesser Golden Cat of Fortune 招財貓 jīnmāo 老虎微笑 Lǎohǔ Wéixiào “Tiger Smiles”

Wherever Wéixiào acts for the turn the flows of fortune are empowered, an additional amount of power equal to the printed value of the territory is provided to the controller of that territory.

Lǎohǔ Wéixiào can now tell what items were within the same territory as him during any turn; he has a small chance ~16% to detect if items passed through a territory he was active in.

Lǎohǔ Wéixiào can assume the form of a human boy.

Guo the Blacksmith

Troops:

Dreaming Dashers

Enforcers

Notable Items:

The looking mirror of pang-king-tong; Power 5

Name a Character, you will learn one location that character took an action in, in the resultant briefing, including their status (Healthy, Injured, Badly Wounded, Dead)

Purification Salt Cellar; Power 5

This salt cellar functions on its own, cleansing 1 power worth of pure, unadulterated salt per turn. Salt is easy to acquire, such that this will continually generate this output.

Necklace of Might; Power 1

A shiny necklace of jade and gold with symbols placed upon it. This necklace is covered in symbols of strength and wisdom, caringly wrought into the design.

The power of the necklace can be expended for a boost to Might for a single turn before fading

Guo’s 100-Li-Ji: Power 6

The wearer of these shoes has their range increased by 2

Lesser Qiankun Pouch; Power 2

This fine leather pouch is much larger on the inside than the outside and can hold nearly a wagon’s load of material inside its small purse sized confines.

The Shuffling Stairs and Shops Ritual

The Contractor’s Hammer; Power 2

The contractor’s hammer grants the equipped unit an extra action that can only be spent on action 6 - building a base. It can be spent on no other action types.

The text above is the text that a recipient will get with the hammer.

The contractor’s hammer is a cursed item. Any base built using the Contractor’s hammer will crumble after construction completes, ruining the material used in its construction.

The Bloodless Bandage; Power 3

White linen of the purest snow in color and embroidered with tiny chrysanthemums. It’s finely woven and soft as a cloud.

The text above is the text that a recipient will get with the Bloodless Bandage.

The Bloodless Bandage is a cursed item. Any Unit treated with the bandage will take an additional two wounds as the hungry white device drinks their blood. It is consumed on use.

The Dragon’s Pearl; Power 20

A single lustrous pearl about the size of a head of cabbage. It is potent with power, and is extremely, supernaturally beautiful. It is perfectly round, and flawless.

The Supernatural Specs; Power 3

These lenses are a patchwork of cracks and imperfections that make it difficult to see through to the world around you, colors appear muted and fuzzy, spaces seem to flense and flex like oil paintings that smear as things move here and there. These glasses show the floating world, from the reality of Pingliang

The unit equipped with the Supernatural Specs has a chance to notice units moving through the floating world through a space it is patrolling. If a unit is taking an action in the floating world in the same space as the wearer the wearer will be informed in their briefing.

The Intrepid Intestine; Power 3

This mummified and desiccated long, chain link links of sausage is blessed with many fortifying herbs including codonopsis, lotus and ginseng, it has smoked for weeks and is fundamentally inedible, however it’s leathery exterior is infused with it’s own weathering pattern, when worn as a series of loops around the neck it heartens the vitality of the holder of the sausage rope. Once the digestive tract of a particular brave and adventurous pig.

The Intrepid Intestine increases the toughness of the wielder by one for so long as it is worn or held.

The Ornery Urn; Power 6

This copper urn bears snarling or smirking spearmen encircling the mouth of it. Suitable to use as a cooking or chamber pot it’s a mid sized bow

Inscribe a [Name] on the bowl, then the person carrying the bowl next encounters the target, a bedeviling spirit will emerge from the bowl eliminating a redtext ability at random from the [Named] target for the conflict and consuming the magic of the bowl.

The Peculiar Fortune; Power 2 <Cursed>

This small ribbon is inscribed with unintelligible cryptic text. Fate twists about it altering the fortunes and future of the holder as a lottery ticket to interesting times.

The Peculiar Fortune is so called because it twists fate and circ*mstance around the holder; the first time a random determination would result in a negative outcome for it’s holder (an interception, a poor ordering in a challenge, a wound that could be dealt elsewhere; the fortune will burn and the result will be re-rolled.

The text above is the text that a recipient will get with the Peculiar Fortune.

The Peculiar Fortune is a cursed item. The wielder will automatically be intercepted at the first opportunity, under circ*mstances that create mistrust, despite orders to the contrary.

Wildflowers: Turn 8: Loss

Current Assets

Faction Rule
For every faction that has an item that you sold to them in their possession, you will gain an additional power each turn from Peddler practices.

Secret Objective
If you have displaced and claimed the Central Government, or the Liu Estate as an HQ when the game ends, you will be considered a winner.

Side Quest

Obtain one of the treasures of Heaven; you know that the Celestial Bureaucracy has magical equipment in its vault; obtaining one of these items would be for great prestige and power in a collection.

Characters:

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
Pai the Peddler	Moderate	Healthy	3	2
Lǎohǔ Wéixiào	Poor	Healthy	1	2
Guo the Blacksmith	Moderate	Healthy	1	1

Troops

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
Dreaming Dashers	Worst	Healthy	2	4
Enforcers	Moderate	Healthy	1	1

Notable Items:

Looking Mirror; Power 5

Purification Salt Cellar; Power 5

Guo’s 100-Li-Ji: Power 6

Lesser Qiankun Pouch; Power 2

The Dragon’s Pearl: Power 20

The Ornery Urn; Power 6

The Intrepid Intestine; Power 3

55 Power

-30 Ritual

-5 base

-3 Empowering

-8 Oni

-5 Temple

+18 G; +3 PP, +4 Inn, -1 Liu

Control of The Dreaming Market, the Inn Market

You have two bases in the Dreaming Market.

Total Loose Power: 28 Power

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Results

[Free]

The CB lent the Horsehair Plume for the week.

Tian Fa was in the Central Government, which you passed on to the Liu

Pai C 3

Pai proceeded to the temple wilds to begin his investigation, the Dragon’s Pearl tucked safely inside his qiankun pouch. He begins his study of both the hallow and the Pearl. He spends long hours measuring, testing, performing diagram work on fine paper with rare inks and materials, doing everything he can to measure the Pearl, measure the space and see what harmonies could be worked.

He is frustrated to discover that the rumor that the Dragon’s pearl was an egg was just wishful thinking on the part of the Temple’s petitioners. That they had gotten the idea in their head from folk and fairy tale and just settled on having heard of the wondrous item that, it had to be the only use from it, and that would be so wonderful and such a perfect use for their earthen womb. It had little basis in reality; there was an old folktale about a dragon’s pearl birthing a dragon.

It is a children’s story from a rural province in central China; a province that may as well be Pingliang, for how central and rural it is. In the story, there features a greedy emperor. The crops begin to fail year after year. People begin to die of hunger and thirst, perishing for the taxes that are taken from the crop leaving little, not enough for a bowl of rice or an earthen jug of water to slake thirst. Every family is suffering, and few with any prospect to live out the season. A young boy, out searching for anything to eat, weeds, twigs, bugs, anything to take home to the family. He finds a field of green grass and thanks the heavens for his luck; grass is far from nutritious or tasty, but hunger is the beast seasoning and anything to fill the empty ache at the navel of them with its yammers and yowls is welcome. He gathers armfuls of the small blades to bring home.

When he returns the next day to continue his search, the grass has returned. Confused and in awe he carefully searches the grass and finds a large wondrous pearl. He swiftly takes it home and hides it in a half sack of rice, all the food the family has left to make it through the month, and the days are early; figuring that perhaps it can be sold to buy more rice when they run low, for the emperor is greedy and has the rice of all of the farms of the region.

When they come to get a half bowl to make an evening soup of what mud and things they could find to extend the few grains the rice sack. When he spies it he sees it is overflowing with rice! Truly a blessing from Heaven! The young boy and his mother share their good fortune with their neighbors and the whole village has fully bellies for the first time in a long while.

But the bounty was not to last, the greedy emperor heard of the good fortune of the village, that while others starve and the drought and famine are taking lives, that this village has enough grain; it is not long before his men come to check on what at first they suspect to be tax evasion, but a greater greed compels them to move faster; such a greed only shamed by that of the Taotie.

With the emperor's men on their way to the farm, the boy has a choice before him, they will search and find the pearl, and the village will go back to the hunger that it had known, his moth, himself, his friends dying of starvation and thirst. Or he can try to hide the pearl.

He swallows it whole, inside his stomach it is a burning and burbling fire, like a cauldron over a week long coal roaring, water came up, endlessly choking him, pouring like a river down his chest to pool at him, his eyes staring listlessly at the sky. Then his body began to change, his neck elongating and skin flaking off, revealing a gleaming coat, like the scales of a fish beneath them, until a dragon rose in his place to protect his village and his people.

Pai is not certain if this is such a pearl as it has evidenced no sign of such behavior, or associations; and if there is truth to that legend it would likely require some form of human sacrifice, the Temple’s Hallow playing no particular role in it, other than a wishful one.

But deep research does bear some fruit, Pai comes up with four potential uses for the pearl that were non-obvious to him at his first glance;

With the myth in mind he thinks he could set a structure-wide magical effect that causes magical items to simply “be” among an unordered mass; with a base of ten magic items new magic items would appear weekly in line with the power of the collection; the pearl would be a critical focus.

The second would be to Adopt it, making it a symbol of his family; this would convey some of its karma and prestige to him, and all of his line; a tempting potential.

The third would be in the creation of an Other; it would likely require a human sacrifice, some amount of preparation as the sacrifice would play a critical role in the resultant creature's formation; and he wasn't certain he could guarantee the creature would be positively inclined; the pearl alone would likely create at these costs something of moderate might.

The fourth would be to try to use it to create a faux dragons blessing, extending the warding around the Liu estate just a tad farther, to a space the dragon hadn't claimed, and wouldn't protect; but people looking at a karmic territory warning might not know that and simply to stay out of a dangerous protectors territory. Like spaying a garden with bear urine to keep out rabbits, foxes and wolves.

Outcome

Pai researchers the Dragon’s Pearl at the Temple Wilds

Pai D 4

Pai takes his time in the wet market negotiating stalls and shops, working a diagram over the region trying to change and enhance and reinforce the karmic flows so that the right produce, the right animals in the right places enforce a pattern that will support the health of the ability to collect power from the space; a herd of goats with an additional member, of a bushel of apples miscounted for the vendor, the flows enhancing the rewards for ownership.

It is unfortunate that by the end of the week the claim has been supplanted and he is driven from the area; a predatory Other has been overserved, a creature like a mastiff sized centipede with a porcelain white humanoid face, from dozens of legs stretch connections to the area around it in a spider web, and he can see that is sees him and the web that stretches back from him to Mai, her mother and her siblings.

Pai quickly vacates the region.

Outcome

Pai performs this ritual enhancing the output of the wet market.

Pai observes a predatory Other in the Area, which claims the location for the Liu.

Pai H 4

Pai the Peddler conducted a ritual assisted by Tian Fa, the Grand Secretary; Heaven meets earth; unfortunately the Grand Secretary and Pai had very different viewpoints on both ownership and investment into the effort. Pai had brought the promised thirty power and was ready to assist; However Tian Fa, while he had the ten power had only been assigned a single part of his effort to the task; meaning he was not prepared to commit to the ritual on a level that would minimize the risk of horrification. Tian Fa decided to pull power from the expected division of the karmic flows of the space, since the present ownership was fully in the Bureaucracies hands; this gave them the necessary space to actually perform the Heaven meets Earth ritual. Unfortunately this is the second place that division cropped up. Pai and the Wildflowers wanted reality with the claim that implied, which would put the Celestial Bureaucracy as a secondary figure, inside a balloon at risk for horrification, being cut loose in the future or otherwise relegated to irrelevance. Attempting to rule from the floating world space would put the bureaucracy out of mind of the innocent of Pingliang; hardly a meaningful government at that point – and Tian Fa was loathe to surrender that space; better yet if there was to be a second merchant government for them to be in the shadow of the real government.

Tian Fa was the force actively patrolling the space within which the ritual was intended to be conducted, and had no issued rules of engagement or details to surrender the claim he had already obtained. And so he insisted that the Wildflowers take the floating world space that was being created. Pai was left with the choice; proceed or withdraw. Seeking to salvage something out of the frustrating turn of events, he proceeded and successfully created the second floating world space, however he made certain the second ritual space would be diverted to the floating world, leaving that prize open for the Wildflowers in the future.

Outcome

The false, floating Central Government space was constructed; wherein half the karmic flows of the territory were redirected;

Central government now has a base value of 5.

Guo, Enforcers H 6

Given Tian Fa’s resistance to the claim, and that he did not even surrender the territory the Wildflowers had intended the Celestial Bureaucracy to leave to them, the resistive presence of Tian Fa, meant Guo took his laborers to construct the Headquarters within the floating world division; this was far from ideal, as things within that half-wrought space are fuzzier and hard to remember – it’s also more difficult for Innocent customers to find their way there. Within the ghost of the Central Government there is now a well furnished shop, made of fine wood and brass and bronze fittings, from which a ruddy light glows, almost like a beacon in the shifting watercolor half-light of the Floating world, where night sometimes just isn’t and it’s hard to tell precisely the hour of the day.

The space being anchored to reality, lines cast down along Laws to attempt to solidify and affix the needed stability so those that stay within aren’t washed away on a karmic tide and deposited in spaces they did not intend when they sleep; with it’s own temporary flora and fauna providing more in the realm of vague suggestion, than certainty.

There exists now a space, and it’s a space that can be found, and ideally explored from, not truly in Pingliang, but tied to it; maybe there will be more resources to be found from there, there are already thoughts on it a series of paths could be found between it and other trusted locations if items were warehoused slightly more securely, and wished to be delivered if those couriers could use this placement to avoid any that might lie in wait or traffic, to get to where they wished to be within Pingliang unobserved and uncontested.

Outcome

Guo and the Enforcers were able to construct a base within the Floating World version of the Government, as Tian Fa’s patrol did not contain orders allowing any faction to construct a base within the location.

Units pathing from the Floating world Central Government base to another location containing a Wildflowers base do not need to pay the floating world cost to use floating world transit.

Wéixiào J S

Ruǎn zhìhuì and Lǎohǔ Wéixiào made their way to the territory of Xīwàng de xìngyùn cǎihóng, the great creaturing twisting into helixes in the air above what had been known as the Liu Estate. They both sought the dragon by different routes, seeking a form of agreement. The dragon was firm in its position. The formerly Liu estate would be a sanctuary, that was what it would defend; Xīwàng de xìngyùn cǎihóng indicated that he didn't have a problem with what they were doing in century park, but would not lend additional support to it at the present time. There was a lot of remediation to do in the formerly Liu estate, patterns to unwind, and precedent to adjust.

Outcome

the Dragon is treating the formerly Liu estate in a manner not unlike an Alabaster’s sanctuary for the innocent; Others that do not prey on the weak and innocent would be welcome to seek shelter; but he will not see it used as a base to make forays out into the city proper to escape just retribution in preying on other beings.

D.Dashers O 3

The dreaming dashers searched high and low through the alleys and byways of thieves’ row for a concealed slick. They managed in their in depth search, carefully observed by a watchful Liu Tang, who had taken a commanding presence of the space, to uncover a few of the district’s secrets.

The investigation for a secret base first uncovered that the Wild Others had a series of rookeries and boarded up structures that had been converted to living spaces, a rat’s nest network of tunnels, rooftop bridges, and courtyards connecting a few small sleeping spaces and a place that had thick walls that that dashers couldn’t get within, but could locate.

They found a second location towards the edge of century park that could be used as a humble barracks, housing about a dozen people in cramped confines, but would have the required multiple entrance and egress points from which one could make entry without being able to be easily observed, or exit in a similar fashion, appearing to apparate randomly in the district.

Outcome

The Dashers investigated the Thieves Row for a suitable base for the Liu

The Dashers located a secret base belonging to the Wild Others, which can now be removed by a successful patrol that is informed of its location

The Dashers did locate a second site that could be used as a hidden base within the Thieves Row.

D.Dashers Teahouse

In the heart of Pingliang, nestled amidst the alleys and shops and pastel clouds of the Dreaming market, stands a quaint teahouse known as the Jade Lotus. Its allure wasn't just in the aromatic brews it offered but also in the mystique that shrouded its location.

On a crisp morning, a group of delivery people set out on their journey to the Jade Lotus, Each member of the group carried with them tales of their troubles and struggles over the last months in Pingliang, encounters with the extraordinary, close calls, that one time Ping Ho ate a whole bowl of chilis. As they navigated the dense urban jungle, they exchanged stories, weaving a tapestry of adventures that bound them together like the threads of an ancient silk robe. Their laughter echoed through the alleys, mingling with the rustle of lanterns and the song of bells.

When they arrived at the Jade Lotus, greeted by the soothing melody of wind chimes and the fragrant aroma of steaming tea. In this tranquil haven, they found respite from the rigors of their travails, united by their shared love for the simple pleasures of life and the promise of new beginnings with each cup of tea shared under the jade-colored canopy of the Lotus.

Outcome

This outcome had no impact on the actions of the turn.

The city has become darker as time has progressed; where once the Wildflowers had looked for ascension, a step higher in the social hierarchy and class structure of the city with more prestige and notice, like rats from a sinking ship, being unnoticed was the greatest good to hope for. More and more predatory Others were filtering into the city, more brazen it seemed as if protections had been neatly inverted, the Oni locking out some of the stronger protectors, and locking in sources for the Power they’d need to fund the revolution. Things became especially desperate; the omens, fates, pillars, all of it crashing down into the human experience in Pingliang seemed set against them.

Business was booming for charms, superstitions, markings, anything that could set a border on the darkness, but the creatures coming were wise – the longest lived who’d evaded binding and capture for centuries the wickedest of those still free, the most practiced at slipping the simple wards; the simple methods.

It didn’t help that some of the restrictions placed by their deal with the Temple made sales more difficult reapportioning the cursed items that seemed to function like a localized depression, the more they had they more they received in an accelerating ball attracting omens and darker things, things that it had become difficult to sell and reap the returning imbalance, distributing the depression; as the situation worsened, so did the stock.

The negative karmic ball has its own gravity, like an anchor dragging the Wildflowers down. Pai was considering his future, what mitigations could be made for what was looking like a failing business; that humans would become the primary trade good of Pingliang, and instead of being in the buying or selling class, he’d be in the bought and sold class – which didn’t sit well with Pai. He considered sending Mai, her siblings, and his wife over to the Dragon’s sanctuary, but that seemed like it wouldn’t fix the issue, merely delay it; and he couldn’t count on help from outside to save this town.

Other options he thought through trying to plan how he could save the association and his friends; the shop would be too costly to try to wander with everyone in it into a place he had permission to be, not only that but given the state of the city receiving permission would be difficult; and even should he get them and use the shop as a liferaft out to another bubble, another domain, the shop would wander back, snapping like a rubber band – it’s likely there would be karmic lashes and that connection could let the things happening here leak to there; Lords that had been kind to Pai, he couldn’t do that to them, but nor could he let his family perish.

He thought again, frustratingly about the situation in the central government, Tina Fa, unbending not yielding them control of the city; not that the city as it was now was one he would have wanted control over; but the mirror central government, with it’s small facility – the fleeting world was more abstract, distance more conceptual than feet or inches traveled. One could picture the sliding layer of reality as built on quicksand, or water, or like a kǒngmíng lantern, with the hand holding and stabilizing it being the Central Government and it’s Laws, which were not in full force; this could be an escape route, having its own dangers. But if they could build out the base enough, get enough of what they’d need, and whom up there, fortified, then sever the connections, maybe they could float away from Pingliang, taking families, friends, survivors, adrift in a sea of watercolor to wash ashore at some other rock or perturbation – but something hopefully safer. Something that wasn’t sounding like a dinner bell for the worst that the region had to offer; skin collectors, ghouls by the dozen, fierce spirits, Perils who existed as the antithesis of human society and the virtues of a positive existence.

Pai wouldn’t be able to save everyone, and that pained him. But there was a fallacy around sunk costs. Where Pingliang was going certainly felt like a sunk cost. Floating to an uncertain future might be the best thing for his family, for Guo’s family, for anyone else he could convince.

Pai weighed his options, into a long night punctuated by screams.

Chapter 4: Wild Others Briefings

Summary:

The Briefings the Wild Others received over the course of the game.

Chapter Text

Wild Others: Turn 1

The Celestial Bureaucracy only has one character capable of acting; the rest of their assets are [Troops].

The Celestial Bureaucracy can set rules that must be followed, or power is drawn by the Heavens away from Rulebreakers – they can only set one such rule in place at a time.

The Wildflowers have access to peddler practices; their descriptions of their wares may be untruthful without being gainsayable or forswearable; Others have been lost before trapped between a misrepresentation and a cursed item, ground down to nothing.

The [Troop] units in Pingliang are Moderate or worse in power meaning they may match, but are unlikely to knock out anyone of equal tier in a 1v1 combat, even the best moderate versus the worst.

Current Assets

Faction Rules

In the Wild Spaces: For each territory you act in unopposed, you receive 1 power.

Hidden Home; Your starting HQ is the Deng Den in the South Shore. This is not revealed to the other factions, and you do not need to control the space to maintain the HQ there. It would take more than one investigation for another faction to uncover it – once it is uncovered it will need to be specifically attacked or mentioned in patrol to trigger the risk that you will lose the space.

Floating Fauna: The Wild Others may send a unit into the Floating World, once per turn for free.

Secret Objective
If you are allied (but not subordinate) with the dominant power when the game ends and you have secured a headquarters within the city tiles, you will be considered to have obtained a victory.

Secret Loss Condition
If your Troop choice perishes and you lose “The Deng Den '' then your faction cannot win the game; there just aren’t enough free others to build anything that will last.

Rule of Discourse
The Wild Others adhere to the standard rules of discourse.

Characters:

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
Three Legged Crow, Zhìhuì	Moderate	Healthy	3	5
Huli Jing, Wǎn Huā	Great	Healthy	1	3
Jin Chan, Xìngyùn hóng Chánchú	Awful	Healthy	1	1
Xiezhi, Jiǎo Shòu	Poor	Healthy	1	2

Troops:

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
Fenghuang’s Flock,	Awful	Healthy	2	5

Control of the South Shore with the hidden Deng Den

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Oni League is also outside of the City walls right now.

The Celestial Bureaucracy has access to Heroic practices.

The Wildflowers have the ability to get new, weak magic items every turn.

Dilemma

One of the smaller Feng, that looks like a small fried drumstick with feet under the exposed bone as it toddles along, has informed you that it's located what it believes to be a lost cache of small magical coins underneath the Opium Den in the dreaming market. It's probably about 3 Power worth.

[ ] Send one of your Primary Others to try to recover the cache

[ ] Inform the Shop owner of the fallen coins, so that he can retrieve them, as a gesture of good will.

[ ] Ask the Feng to sneak in and try to squirrel the coins home.

[ ] Ignore it, it's in the most crowded part of the city, the risk is too high.

Dilemma - Whispers on the Wind

A small local spirit of whimsy has come to you with an offer, it's famished and ever so hungry, for 1 power it's willing to spend the next week wandering about near to another faction, to bring you back it's observations.

[ ] Wander near the Sorcerer Hunter encampment to uncover what it can

[ ] Venture near the Temple to watch the worshippers there

[ ] Skulk about the walls of the Prefecture Palace for what whispers you may overhear

[ ] Refuse to feed it, let it find its own sustenance or waste away. Resources are dear enough to come by as it is

7 - Investigate Via the Floating World [Target]; You may use your Floating Fauna ability in conjunction with an Investigation this turn, utilizing your paranormal senses to attempt to observe the “normal” world. Indicate a territory with this choice, you’ll attempt to observe the comings, goings and actions in the territory without subjecting the assigned unit to the risk of being in the “normal” world.

Extra Materials

金乌 Jingwu, Three Legged Crow 軟智慧 Ruǎn zhìhuì “Soft Wisdom”

Zhìhuì has been in Pingliang for nearly four centuries he used to roost amongst the tops of the Prefecture Palace and the government building, he’s flown the wilds about the city, and slowly been driven to the outskirts. He’s large for a bird about the size of a large mastiff, but flies on owl-silent wings. His plumage is a black so dark it becomes nearly iridescent scattering blue light that looks to an unfocused eye like tiny constellations. Zhìhuì is canny, and quick, and more of a watcher than a fighter. He’s seen so many fighters fall to the encroaching humanity, each one taking one, or five, but the rate at which humans grow versus new, old others puts the advantage firmly in the humans' court. He wishes for the old days when he would get offerings for wisdom, respect and understanding, rather than people with cooking pots or seeking to grind him down for wares. He’s not certain where he’d go if not Pingliang – this is what he knows best and he can’t imagine Xi’an would be better, or even farther, Beijing.

Zhihui cannot be intercepted when investigating.

Zhihui reveals the Auspices for the next turn:

Auspices Turn 2

34 -> 1

Losing the goat in the process.

Without aversion.

A ram butts against the fence.

It is unable to move back, it is unable to go through.

This lacks a beneficial purpose.

Difficult and thus good fortune.

Sunrise.

A foundation for progress.

It is beneficial to persist.

Actions to gain new territory or attack territory will gain an extra advantage.

狐狸精 Huli Jing; A Fox Spirit, 晚花 Wǎn Huā “Evening Blossom”.

Hua has lived on the mountainside for nearly eight hundred years. She can remember when the town was vibrant with Others and Humans and the cultures intermingled. Playing as a kit amongst the humans, every day the dreaming market was like a festival or a Parade. There was some mutual predation, of course, but it was a world of interwoven “equals” with rampant superstition. Things were so integrated. Then things started to change, she thinks it started with the Schools, in the Schoolyard. The learning that instead of passing from master to apprentice, with slow gains started going into books where many students could learn from the best Master. Local or not, and the establishment of the school structure itself letting many learn at once that started to cause the locals to outgrow their symbiotic siblings. She watched the men and women of the ages change. She remembers when the first Lius came to town, fleeing something but thinking of themselves so much. They’ve grown since then, dug roots into the community, what feels like poisonous roots. Their eyes make her feel uncomfortable. It’s hard having lost friends and siblings, there used to be six of them up on the mountain. One ascended to Heavenly Courts, the other four, well, four is an unlucky number, and all of them met unfortunate and somber ends.

Huā can disguise herself as a character of another faction. Indicate a character in your submission for Huā and her actions where other factions are aware will appear to be coming from the indicated character.

金蟾 Jin Chan; The Money Toad. 幸運紅蟾蜍 Xìngyùn hóng Chánchú “Red Toad of Luck”

Chánchú is down but not out. He’s not native to Pingliang but from down the Jinghe at Shandixia village, closer to the large city of Xi’An, but things have been bad and worse all over. He’s fleeing north west, and hopes the Pingliang will prove more hospitable to him, even if the situation here is also presently bad. There is much fortune still here, untainted and red string is everywhere, opportunity and death cover the city like a finely woven mat. Chánchú works as a local depression for fortune, wealth and luck, he’s small about the size of a bowl of rice, but as a local depression these things flow downhill, down to the footpads of Chánchú.

Any territory Chánchú is in twists and pulls fortunes and luck to itself from surrounding territories. Each Adjacent Territory pays 1 less, while the Territory Chánchú is in pays half the value of reduced territories additional power of Treasures of Fortune for each adjacent territory. (Eg, if in a spot with four adjacent territories, each would be worth one less and the Territory Chánchú is in would pay 2 more)

獬豸 Xiezhi; 正義的獨角獸 Zhèngyì de dú jiǎo shòu “The Righteous Unicorn”

Jiǎo Shòu is a somber creature, having seen many of its contemporaries perish by what is called honesty but is deception dressed up in truth like a costume. He’s very disappointed with the way things have gone and vastly weakened by being unable to find officials he can consume – not because there aren’t corrupt officials but because the rules in place and the amount of power possessed by the celestial bureaucracy would end him, and he’d rather not perish if he can remain, even in the meager existence he has today.

If Jiǎo Shòu is able to consume three corrupt officials, his might will return to Moderate. If he can consume nine, his strength would become Great and he would be able to undertake two actions per turn.

Jiǎo Shòu can detect if you’ve been lied to, but in his age he cannot tell who has, or what the lie is, only that is has occurred.

鳳凰 Fenghuang’s Flock; 旋風之翼 Xuànfēng zhī yì “Whirlwind of Wings”
An Orphaned flock of other birds, part spirits, part echoes, part a variety of lesser birds. They flock together for safety and hide among the eaves of roofs doing their best to avoid predation by practitioners, Other cats and a broad spectrum of society. The wings that they have are their first and primary defense, but gaining strength and resources is hard, especially when the best fodder is down among the streets where the risk is greatest. They’ve formed a kind of symbiotic school, working in concert as a single large unit.

Zhi Yi cannot be intercepted when traveling between locations.

Wild Others: Turn 2

There is a Priest associated with the Temple that is a Flower-Breathing Shaman, and is able to riddle a territory with poisonous fog for a turn inflicting guaranteed injury.

The Captain of this Unit of Sorcerer Hunter's name is Wu Jinhai, he can take two actions per turn.

Cousin Tang of the Liu family is empowered when staying in the same location, he has a chance to draw an opposing unit into a 1:1 duel.

The Wildflowers began with five items of power with magical effects.

Current Assets

Faction Rules

In the Wild Spaces: For each territory you act in unopposed, you receive 1 power.

Floating Fauna: The Wild Others may send a unit into the Floating World, once per turn for free.

Secret Loss Condition
If your Troop choice perishes and you lose “The Deng Den '' then your faction cannot win the game; there just aren’t enough free others to build anything that will last.

Rule of Discourse
The Wild Others adhere to the standard rules of discourse.

Characters:

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
Three Legged Crow, Ruǎn zhìhu	Moderate	Healthy	3	5
Huli Jing, Wǎn Huā	Great	Healthy	1	3
Jin Chan, Xìngyùn hóng Chánchú	Awful	Healthy	1	1
Xiezhi, Jiǎo Shòu	Poor	Healthy	1	2

Troops:

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
Fenghuang’s Flock, Xuànfēng zhī yì	Awful	Healthy	2	5

Control of the South Shore with the hidden Deng Den

2 Power worth of Treasures of Fortune (3 adjacent territories/2)

10 Power worth of Sorrow-infused mud from the South Shore (3+3 Auspices+3 Ritual+1 Wild Places)

6 Power worth of Sweaty Rice from the Green Fields (3+3 Auspices+1 Wild Places -1 Jin Chan)

1 Power worth of Wandering Change from Thieves row (+1 Wild Places)

3 Power worth of Precious Coins ( +3 dilemma]

Total 22 Power in loose objects of power.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Wildflowers are led by a Peddler Practitioner named Mai

The Oni League has a non-Other character asset.

The Celestial Bureaucracy established a base in the Central Government

The Wildflowers gain power for other factions possessing items they have sold them.

Results

Dilemma A Cache of Coins:

Zhìhuì is an obsidian thunderbolt, slipping through the colored lantern-lit Dreaming market, like a shadow in fog, he finds the den in question, powerful opium smoke emitting from the entryway, inside people are lethargic, glassy-eyed and hardly aware, much less aware. Within moments he finds and slips beneath the floorboards. In the darkness underneath the worn floor of the shop, among the dust and haze Zhìhuì finds the cache, small dropped coins, worn and basted in the redolent flows of the shop. Carefully he inspects for traps, watching the flows of the spirits, scratching carefully around with one talon, then two, then three, furrowing the dirt, looking for a hidden plate, diagrawm., Inspecting the boards above for the same, finding no such trap. He quickly swallows them, to expel later.

He then makes his way out quick as a shot, flying free of the haze of the market and back to the nest in the South Shore, where he coughs them up for the treasury. .

Dilemma - Whispers on the Wind

The small spirit of whimsy wails piteously that it doesn’t think it can wait two weeks to eat something, it will perish now. Given that the deal on offer is to be fed from the income from the next week, it makes its way away from the Deng Den and back across the south shore, looking for something to eat, you lose track of it at the river as it fades to nothing.

1 - Patrol U (Xiezhi, Jiǎo Shòu, Fenghuang’s Flock, Xuànfēng zhī yì

The Green fields are frequented by the common workers of Pingliang, who spend their days in backbreaking labor tending to the rice, from digging pests away from the plants, to planting and harvesting – the fields are usually full of workers like sentinels over each of the ponds, but canny eyes and the fact that while these are humans, mostly aware of innocent but non-practicioners they’re not equipped to do anything about the presence of the large Xiezhi and the Flock racing through, selecting the choices grains through which the spiritual flows, leylines and other esoteric markers enhancing them greatly this bountiful harvest, further empowered by the munificent auspices leads to the large return in gain, soaked in humanity and effort, the sweat of the common folk, slightly reduced by Xìngyùn hóng Chánchú’s depression for fortune.

1 - Patrol T ( disguised, Huli Jing)

Wǎn Huā patrolls the South Shore wearing the guise of a mid-ranking Bureaucrat. This looks very out of place in the Swamps to the south of the city, trudging through ankle deep mud and the waste from the nearby rice fields – however despite being very out of place she feels confident she could steer away any concern, something about city planning, and expansion, for the glory of the Emperor and Pingliang, people eat that up. Despite all the preparation, no one arrives, the swamps are empty except the buzz of insects and the swiftly traveling members of your band.

3 - Investigate Thieves Row

Zhìhuì is a shadow with wings, dancing through the alleyways and hanging lines of the O-Thieves Row, a shadow against shadows, a patch of darker night against an overcast day. Through the congestion he finds a small network, a warrenway of attics, connected by hanging lines and not a few platforms, with a concealed stairway to a nearby rooftop, as well as one structure in the network with an abandoned and boarded up ground floor. It’s musty, long vacant with spirits of rot and decay set in, but nothing that couldn’t be made a secret home, with enough entries and exits that one could come and return every day from a different location without being observed entering and exiting the same spot. One part he’s begun to think of as a rookery, it’s also closer to the heart of the city. Within he finds no Others of note, nor any particularly notable humans – plenty of thieves, plenty of thugs, plenty of people who are bumps in the night for other people. Barest whispers of a cutpurse of exceptional skill – but while such a person may frequent the area, able to steal quite possibly anything, he wasn’t in residence when Zhìhuì made his flight through.

3 - Investigate

This investigation meets with tragedy, instead of finding an Other, or a human keeping one as a curiosity, the man-faced fish has been made into a dish. Turned over by Ping Ho to a local fish shack. Nearly a dozen humans have consumed bits and pieces, Zhìhuì can see elements wriggling, combining, becoming a part of the spiritual mosaic of a number of fishermen having taken the creature apart. Zhìhuì attempts to find out if there are others that have been kept, or how common an occurrence this is, listening, talking around corners. Zhìhuì discovers that its rare to catch fish-Others, or “Oddities” as the fishermen call them, perhaps once a season. But Ping Ho has had a run of luck with them, catching nearly one such lesser Other fish per week to then sell to be butchered.

Zhìhuì turns his investigation to Ping Ho, and manages to locate his skiff, making it to track out onto the lake should he wish later. He manages to track Ping Ho’s home, finding the shack within the sprawl of the docks, a ways back from the shore towards the Liu estate. He manages to find the Fish shop he sells to “Yan’s fine Fish and Soup” as well at its lakeside location.

3 - Investigate - Site L Rotting head

Zhìhuì makes his way flying low over the steaming lake to begin the investigation and his dis display this same lead is being investigated by two other groups of humans, dozens of “Inspectors” wearing the garb of soldiers and the livery of the local government vie for control of the body to determine the proper procedure or to interrogate those who found it. He tries to poke a head in edgewise, to get a good look where he can, but the area is too crowded, and he has to avoid active patrols from mounted government cavalry and pairs of town guards.

In the midst of this chaos it becomes even more chaotic when a Hundun, one of the four perils, flies overhead, and a sweep of incarnate, primal chaos rolls through the area like a tidal wave. The Hundun Bumbling through the air like a bee, and in its wake comes a massive dragon, its horns like forked iridescent lightning, wider than three oxcarts stacked side by side. Its scales shimmer across the spectrum. Then the Bureaucrats do something and Jade PIllars slam into existence around the Dragon caging it, capturing it and binding it into a small device in the hands of a cavalry member in the tumult. Zhìhuì tries to find a way to get to the device, but in the totality of the chaos it’s like trying to pick a seed out of a raging river and Zhìhuì is not able to get close to the device.

Zhìhuì also notes another item of power present in the possession of the Bureaucrats, a Lotus Lantern that stills the chaos around it and lays bare deception; the Bureaucrats are able to close ranks around that device and present a unified front to the tumult, quickly retreating from the riot back into the safety of the Prefecture Palace.

You managed to discover the following details through the tumult:

The corpse belonged to a young man named Huang Tao

The corpse looked closer to a man of eighty in poor health.

4 - Ritual Mud of Earth, a Prayer to Heaven

Xìngyùn hóng Chánchú knows mud. As a toad one could consider the mud one of the most comfortable things to bathe in, and rest in. Knowing mud means that he figures the best ritual he can do for a swamp is to draw on its nature and its mud. Chánchú knows there are liturgies, prayers to heaven that are performed with dancing, or hops. Chánchú develops the twelve zodiac hops of mud, a ritual where thrice for each cardinal direction, once for each zodiac animal, once each for the four perils, the four divine beasts, and four immortals this liturgy is dancing in the mud below heaven, a depression a connection from the heavens above to the earth below. This draws the power into the mud, infusing it. It’s a shame the swamp is such a mournful space and spirits initially low, but eventually perhaps it will produce mud of joy.

7- Investigate via floating world - Flop houses

Xuànfēng zhī yì investigates from the floating world unobserved in the fizzy, abstracted version of pingliang, like looking at the world through colorful pastels and shoals made of murky water. They observe the Dreaming Dashers, a unit of troops reporting to the Wildflower Association performing the same investigation and follow behind them, letting the Wildflowers be the hands that they lack from the floating world. They observe:

But what had been there left a sheen,the wood glowing with a golden glow, shavings taken back to Pai lead him to believe whatever was there was powerful and heaven-forged.

They've likely moved it, further asking about leads to a drunkard who claims to have seen the figure exiting the Central Government late at night and that he recently saw him in the Slinking Slums.

Xuànfēng zhī yì believes this may be a person that’s been seen frequenting 0 - Thieves Row as well, and that they are probably a notable individual.

They did not observe anyone else transiting the flophouses.

The Challenge

A thousand fluttering wings, Xuànfēng zhī yì of the Wild Others appears to challenge. Lin Fen is practically radiant with the power of heaven’s confirmation with her prior victories. Xuànfēng zhī yì issues a challenge and makes the offer for if she will do three favors aiding in diplomacy or combat with the other factions in Pingliang they will rescind their contest, the offer that Lin Fen would be able to refuse three times, but still must accept three times. Lin Fen is a wise practitioner with a broad spectrum of experience, having negotiated with gods, great sages, awesome spirits and primevals.

At a glance she recognizes Xuànfēng zhī yì for what it is, and offers a counter knowing that a battle would lead to their demise, a binding not amongst her interests at the present time; they will engage in the contest, but instead of the penalty rising to dissolution, the stakes would be the same favor requested, but only once with only one rejection from the loser to the winner. Xuànfēng zhī yì decides that this would be a good time to fly away and abandon the challenge, with a word Lin Fen calls on her relationship to the Great Shangyang of the Mouth of the Yangtze 落水雷霆 Luòshuǐ léitíng “The Thunder of Falling Water” and a downpour grounds the birds.

They propose a game, hoping for an out, involving diplomacy and combat using pieces that must be moved by proxies. She accepts.

Xuànfēng zhī yì is quick to nominate each other as a member of the flock, to be able to move the maximum number of pieces.

Lin Fen calls on contracts, oaths, and friendships with a dozen Great Others across North Eastern China, moments of their attention and power to move pieces, notably the Great Tortoise Sage of Wodang Mountain, a peerless intellect, the Earthly Sage Octopus of the Green Lake of Kunming, who seems to be able to move as many pieces at once as he wills, and the Roaring Liondog of the Seventh Diyu Returned to Earth, whose howls discombobulate the the flock. They lose, handily. Now owing a favor to Lin Fen, assistance for one negotiation or combat with another faction in Pingliang, one rejection, it must be honored once.

8 - Build a Secret HQ in O-Thieves Row; Your investigation has found a prime location to settle and move your faction to in Thieves Row, to build, fortify and take over a structure such that it also counts as an HQ for measuring troop deployments takes two actions, and 8 Power to invest in the site. What’s more it’s possible for you to control this site without representing that control on the map.

金乌 Jingwu, Three Legged Crow 軟智慧 Ruǎn zhìhuì “Soft Wisdom”

Zhihui cannot be intercepted when investigating.

Zhihui reveals the Auspices for the next turn:

Auspices Turn 3

39 -> 29

The king's official causes trouble.

The trouble is not his personal intention.

Going through trouble,

arriving at reversal

Getting accustomed to the abyss.

Have confidence and support your heart.

For progress, taking action has value.

A dignitary claiming to represent Emperor Puyi has materialized in town.

狐狸精 Huli Jing; A Fox Spirit, 晚花 Wǎn Huā “Evening Blossom”.

金蟾 Jin Chan; The Money Toad. 幸運紅蟾蜍 Xìngyùn hóng Chánchú “Red Toad of Luck”

獬豸 Xiezhi; 正義的獨角獸 Zhèngyì de dú jiǎo shòu “The Righteous Unicorn”

Jiǎo Shòu can detect if you’ve been lied to, but in his age he cannot tell who has, or what the lie is, only that is has occurred.

鳳凰 Fenghuang’s Flock; 旋風之翼 Xuànfēng zhī yì “Whirlwind of Wings”
Zhi Yi cannot be intercepted when traveling between locations.

Wild Others: Turn 3

A responsibility of the temple’s has acted out, a man whose curse they broke and the ramifications of that have reflected back upon them.

The Qiongqi of the Oni League is a powerful creature, one of the Four Perils with a particular advantage against practitioners.

The Oni League constructed a headquarters made of a massive turtle shell, the size of a house by the river in Q-Respectable homes.

The Wildflowers have no units above a Moderate might

Current Assets

Faction Rules

In the Wild Spaces: For each territory you act in unopposed (explicitly; No other faction takes an action in the territory), you receive 1 power.

Floating Fauna: The Wild Others may send a unit into the Floating World, once per turn for free.

Secret Loss Condition
If your Troop choice perishes and you lose “The Deng Den '' then your faction cannot win the game; there just aren’t enough free others to build anything that will last.

Rule of Discourse
The Wild Others adhere to the standard rules of discourse.

Characters:

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
Three Legged Crow, Ruǎn zhìhu	Moderate	Healthy	3	5
Huli Jing, Wǎn Huā	Great	Injured	1	3
Jin Chan, Xìngyùn hóng Chánchú	Awful	Healthy	1	1
Xiezhi, Jiǎo Shòu	Poor	Healthy	1	2

Troops:

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
Fenghuang’s Flock, Xuànfēng zhī yì	Awful	Healthy	2	5

Control of the South Shore with the hidden Deng Den

4 Power worth of Treasures of Fortune (2S + 4 adjacent territories/2)

8 Power worth of Sorrow-infused mud from the South Shore (10S +3 T , +3 Ritual -1 rng, -8 base)

4 Power worth of Sweaty Rice from the Green Fields (6S + 3 U, -5 Theft)

5 Power worth of Wandering Change from Thieves row (1S+3 Thieves Row, +1 Wild places)

5 Power in Heat Infused Steam (+5 From the Celestial Bureaucracy)

3 Power in School Supplies (+2 E, +1 Wild places)

3 Power in Revered Rubbish (+2 F, +1 Wild Places)

4 Power in Lucky Catches (+4 K)

Total 36 Power in loose objects of power.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The sorcerer hunters moved into the I - Alley of Awe, constructing a second base there.

A powerful Augur was put to sleep in the Liu Estate this week; she can also reveal the auspices of any turn.

The Wandering Youxia intervened on the Celestial Bureucracy’s behalf this turn, staring down Lin Fen in the V-Prefecture Palace.

The Skilled Cultivator met with the Onli League and the Wildflowers at R-Century Park this week.

Results

1- Patrol E- The School Yard

The flock patrols the school yard; passing the small tutoring spaces, listening in on lessons and picking at the messy remains of lunches. Nothing of note is present in the School Yard this week; students learning under the tutelage of their masters; some harsh, some kind, no assets from other factions transit through; no one resists their claim.

1 - Patrol F - the Flop Houses

The flock patrols the flop houses; dingy structures constructed haphazardly for the poorest and most disadvantaged of Pingliang's humans; squat structures with long rows of reed mats for sleeping, the occasional shack thrown together of loose wood. The people here are vulnerable, ill protected from the elements, natural or predatory.

No one passess through and no one contests your claim.

1 - Patrol K- the Docks

Zhìhuì flies high above the docks, long wooden piers that stretch into the steaming lake where small boats dock when fishermen come in from their work for the day. Wu Jinhai, the captain of the Sorcerer Hunters with his distracting and glinting medals comes through and heads south towards the steaming lake; the two [Troops] of Celestial Bureaucracy investigators come through searching explicitly for leads on the rapacious practitioner and the desiccated corpse that washed up the week before.

Other than those intrusions, no one passes through the territory, and neither of them break your claim to the territory.

1 - Patrol O - Thieves Row

Wǎn Huā patrolls the thieves row; a rough part of Pingliang with narrow alleyways and claustrophobic corridors, the press of buildings maze like with narrow abounding culverts. While the Wild others invest the territory in force, she is the only one on patrol; and she does come across a contender; a human, nearly as powerful as she is. A master-thief. She catches him pilfering one of the Wild Other caches, he’s managed to take 5 power worth of Sweaty rice; a fierce fight ensures; Wǎn Huā using all the savagery at her disposal without compromising her disguise; he’s a capable foe and while he leaves bloodied he does so with some ill-gotten gains.

Wǎn Huā has become injured. Wǎn Huā also believes she smelled something powerful on him likely a magical artifact on par with the Treasures of Heaven; rigid in its connection to Law.

3 - Investigate in K

Zhìhuì flies high above the steaming lake. The warm thermals like an airy hug for his wings.watching the small boat make for deeper water in L-the Steaming Lake. Somewhere out near the far shore the fisherman stops. His catch is normal. Watching and waiting to see what he does, what is different.

It dawns on Zhìhuì as he watches the fisherman go about his business. Ping Ho doesn’t know how he’s doing it; that’s because he isn’t. What’s bringing those fish here is an emergent ritual; the order of spots Ping Ho fishes, the way he mends his nets. He’s created a pattern with precedent and power; it’s likely anyone fishing in the exact spots, in the exact order, at the exact times would bring these realms-fish into the world.

It is also possible with enough power that such a thing could be empowered to bring larger or more powerful fish through, lashing pingliang to the instability like a vortex for more exotic aquatic life to come through; but such a ritual would need to be conducted in the L-the Steaming Lake proper.

Zhìhuì in investing Yan’s Fine Fish and Soup finds nothing out of the ordinary; It’s a part butchery part restaurant; it may be distasteful to have Others butchered in this fashion as the repast of ordinary humans, but it’s nothing that isn’t done with any other catch at a fish shop; not to mention Others that are cannibalistic or carnivorous for Others. It’s a bit of a hypocrisy that they wouldn’t serve up a human if asked; but it’s a hypocrisy that’s well worn in, even in the divide of Other and human, Innocent and practitioner. It doesn’t seem like the Chef or owner has any notable practice; small ley rituals and preparations that are common around Pingliang, wards along the windows and door stoop.

3 - Investigate in O

Zhìhuì investigates the notable individual who frequents the thieves row; listening for rumors and watching the motions of biorhythms of the space to see, as watching a pond, when the fish retreat from the surface at the height of day, or when they avoid where the bigger fish sleep. A bird’s eye view of these motions. A bird’s ear at the eaves to see what people are saying; a brief suggesting here or adjustment there.

Zhìhuì discovers the following about the individual you are investigating;

His name is Yao Gen, the foul cutpurse.

He is a Great combatant

He is fast enough to cross Pingliang in a week to relocate

He is extremely slippery, being excellent at evading patrols and capture.

It is certain that he has broken into the Vault of Heaven and stolen a great treasure from the Celestial Bureaucracy.

He works alone.

He is running from something.

He had hid his treasure in the flophouses, but by the time the rumors had spread far enough to reach the teahouse he had moved it.

He may be carrying it on his person at the moment.

8 - Build Secret Base.

Chánchú and Shòu liberally apply mud to the even out the spaces, making a womb of infused earth within the abandoned, secret places, the network of rooms, coverts and spaces amongst the unused attics of O - Thieves Row. They set up a fine hidden redoubt with even access from the ground floor up a padded series of stairs to muffle hops and hoofbeats. While there isn’t much of a view in the compress of similar height structures, huddled together like a crowd at a concert; it still has a homey, feel, like being in a bubble of safety and security.

金乌 Jingwu, Three Legged Crow 軟智慧 Ruǎn zhìhuì “Soft Wisdom”

Zhihui cannot be intercepted when investigating.

Zhihui reveals the Auspices for the next turn:

Auspices Turn 4

12 -> 42

Pulling out grass with entangled roots,

because of its accumulation.

Persistence brings good fortune.

Progressing.

Having a higher purpose.

Without fault,

but it is a category separate from happiness.

Benefiting.

It is beneficial to have a goal to move to.

It is beneficial to cross the big river.

Attempts to take a territory with an HQ this turn, if successful will take the territory and automatically destroy the HQ as if it weren't there.

狐狸精 Huli Jing; A Fox Spirit, 晚花 Wǎn Huā “Evening Blossom”.

金蟾 Jin Chan; The Money Toad. 幸運紅蟾蜍 Xìngyùn hóng Chánchú “Red Toad of Luck”

獬豸 Xiezhi; 正義的獨角獸 Zhèngyì de dú jiǎo shòu “The Righteous Unicorn”

Jiǎo Shòu can detect if you’ve been lied to, but in his age he cannot tell who has, or what the lie is, only that is has occurred.

You have been lied to.

鳳凰 Fenghuang’s Flock; 旋風之翼 Xuànfēng zhī yì “Whirlwind of Wings”
Zhi Yi cannot be intercepted when traveling between locations.

Wild Others: Turn 4

The Grand Secretary Tian Fa, went to the celebration the Wildflowers put on to greet the Imperial dignitary

Tian Fa was also at the ruckus at the Central Government and provided resistance against the new, previously unseen Other that Debuted alongside the Temple High Priestesses there.

The Oni took the Jade Pagoda that has the seven colored dragon from the Celestial Bureaucracy's vault.

A ritual was performed in the Estates

Current Assets

Faction Rules

In the Wild Spaces: For each territory you act in unopposed (explicitly; No other faction takes an action in the territory), you receive 1 power.

Floating Fauna: The Wild Others may send a unit into the Floating World, once per turn for free.

Secret Loss Condition
If your Troop choice perishes and you lose “The Deng Den '' then your faction cannot win the game; there just aren’t enough free others to build anything that will last.

Rule of Discourse
The Wild Others adhere to the standard rules of discourse.

Characters:

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
Three Legged Crow, Ruǎn zhìhu	Moderate	Injured	3	5
Huli Jing, Wǎn Huā	Great	Healthy	1	3
Jin Chan, Xìngyùn hóng Chánchú	Awful	Healthy	1	1
Xiezhi, Jiǎo Shòu	Poor	Healthy	1	2

Troops:

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
Fenghuang’s Flock, Xuànfēng zhī yì	Awful	Healthy	2	5

Control of the South Shore with the hidden Deng Den

6 Power worth of Treasures of Fortune (4S + 2 adjacent territories/2)

17 Power worth of Sorrow-infused mud from the South Shore (8B, +3 T , +6 Ritual, -1 frog, +1 Wild Places)

11 Power worth of Sweaty Rice from the Green Fields (6S + 3 U, +3 Ritual -2 healing, +1 WP)

11 Power worth of Wandering Change from Thieves row (5S, +3 Thieves Row, +3 WL)

1 Power in Heat Infused Steam (+5 From the Celestial Bureaucracy, -2 healing,-3 barrier, +1 WP)

5 Power in School Supplies (3B +2 E)

0 Power in Revered Rubbish (3B +2 F, -2 Expenditures, -3 to Temp )

5 Power in Lucky Catch (4B +4 K, -2 Healing, -1 drained)

Total 56 Power in loose objects of power.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Sorcerer Hunters are hiding something that they did to a body that washed up on the shore

The Sorcerer Hunters purchased magical items from a mysterious peddler unaffiliated with the Wildflowers.

The Celestial Bureaucracy once had two items: one that let them bind people, and one that let them bind Others but they have lost one

There is a fighting ring in the M- The Slinking Slums where fighters can wager on the results of their bout and obtain more than their bet if they win. The maximum bet is 5 power.

Results

1 - Patrol L (Intercepted) Three Legged Crow, Zhìhuì

The third flight Zhìhuì makes over the estates ends in disaster, pulled into a web of chaos he is intercepted; running afoul of a wild melee, the winds fight him, the breeze turning against him as the weather contains, hot, cold, humid, arid in seemingly random patterns, a maelstrom that is terrible to navigate, in the midst of this, brought low into the storm.

The fight was a free for all; Tang of the Liu, stepped into and out of the Floating world like he was born to it. The Sorcerer Hunters had a company of riflemen throwing a hair of heated metal that burned Zhìhuì’s feathers with a tearing pain like he’d never felt before.

The Hundun through it all, tumbled, wheeled and cartwheeled, bounding about the chaos as the world spun like a trampoline. In the grand chaos it seems everyone became at least wounded. The Liu agent taking a shot from the sorcerer hunters, the riflemen being bowled over and bloodied by the hundun, the hundun taking a knife from Tang and a bullet taking Zhìhuì as well. Claws and beak finding purchase as well in the chaos.

Zhìhuì feels weakened, and before managing to get away, notices the Sorcerer Hunter rifleman fall in the altercation.

1- Patrol O Huli Jing, Wǎn Huā

Wǎn Huā once again adopts her disguise, carefully molding her features, voice and gait; a perfect deception; and sets off to patrol O-Thieves Row, there door and shutters close at her approach, those of fouler intent scurrying away. She catches a few visitors to the Row this week; neither with designs on ownership or displacing her from her place. The first she encounters is Lǎohǔ Wéixiào a lesser golden cat of fortune, and prominent member of the Wildflowers Association; an Other, and almost certainly not her match in combat – he’s enhanced himself with power, pulling it about his coat to tarnish the gold to a more somber tabby orange, and wearing a similar defense as she to protect himself. And while it might fool someone within a Moderate capability, she has surpassed that by quite a bit herself. They have a brief conversation, he’s seeking the Foul Cutpurse, Yao Gen, who tussled with her last week.

He hasn’t been seen here this week; he’s quick and slippery and must have made his way out at the first opportunity.

The other you meet is disdainful, but power comes with privileges, and though lightly injured the hackles at the back of her neck tense – the Immortal; a skilled cultivator who ascended from the mortal world to less worldly cares, descended again for some purpose. If she were her sibling, maybe, the one who ascended, who had adopted the name Han Lan, then maybe. She wasn’t there yet.

When it became clear that he was here for the same purpose, seeking Yao Gen, she pointed him helpfully away. Then asked after Han Lan; Wǎn Huā was surprised to learn that Sun Jiang knew her sister – that truth be told had been a shot in the dark. Han Lan was doing well, having had a brief stint in the same heavenly realm where she caused quite a stir before hopping away to a different pond – she’d always had a wanderlust and a wish to explore. Wǎn Huā loved that for Han Lan, even while she missed her.

She asked Sun Jiang to pass along a message if he saw her again to remember Wǎn Huā and Pingliang, and possibly come visit? He agreed that if he came across Han Lan again, he would let her know.

1- Patrol T Xiezhi, Jiǎo Shòu

Jiǎo Shòufind the muddy trek through the south shore peaceful if a little unpleasant, the sucking mud hanging off his hair, matting and clumping in a way that feels sticky. He finds the occasional item of interest, but doesn’t see another soul in the boggy swamp; save for them the Hundun bumbles overhead tumbling through the air towards the west, no doubt up to some mischief.

3 - Investigate L Three Legged Crow, Zhìhuì

Zhìhuì watches Ping Ho carefully, spending an inordinate amount of time on injured wings looking for patterns, purpose, watching for ways that ritual could be empowered, solidified and given primacy. After much thinking using glimpses and eye blinks of blurry futures, Zhìhuì comes to the following conclusions.

Zhìhuì would likely need to take a 4 - ritual action, explicitly for this purpose.

It would take up a ritual spot in the L- The Steaming Lake, but would not provide power.

The nature of the Other called through would depend on the amount and kinds of power spent to summon it; with a Moderate Other taking at least 50 Power; and a Great Other would likely require 100 Power.

After pulling something so massive through it’s likely that the space would be spent – while more natural Others might be able to come through on their own, it’s unlikely more power could draw something else through in a similar fashion.

4 - Ritual L Three Legged Crow, Zhìhuì

Zhìhuì establishes a basic ritual in the Steaming Lake; a simple pattern woven over a number of different shallows and depths to enhance the luck of the catch and make the magical nature of the lake more potent. The owner of the Steaming Lake will receive the benefit each turn of the enhanced power distribution.

4 - Ritual U Jin Chan, Xìngyùn hóng Chánchú

Xìngyùn hóng Chánchú hops out to the green fields to establish a ritual; sinking deeply among the rice paddies and dining on the finest of fare, Chánchú sets about his work, establishing a ritual that will make the area more vibrant, more fruitful, drawing from the floating world into reality, enhancing the flows of spirits to the grain and making it so that the area will produce the additional power that it can.

4 - Ritual T Fenghuang’s Flock, Xuànfēng zhī yì

Xuànfēng zhī yì performs another ritual in the South Shore, a complicated dance on the river bank that relies on a precise pattern of winds to mimic, tossing and turning in the breeze as the zephyrs join the dance as an invisible partner.

Xuànfēng zhī yì has created a ritual in the South Shore that is difficult to replicate; each turn the owner of the territory wishes to benefit from the extra power it provides, they will have to spend an action performing the ritual, if they do not, then no additional power will be generated by it.

7 - Special Investigate O Fenghuang’s Flock, Xuànfēng zhī yì

Xuànfēng zhī yì flies high and wild through the painted landscape of the floating world of thieves row; a steeplechase in watercolor bleeding and blending through a layer of unreality that stacks on top of the other like the soft layers of a scallion pancake. Xuànfēng zhī yì being removed from that reality is safe from any tumult there; but is powerless to help should anything go wrong, only able to watch. So watch Xuànfēng zhī yì does. Xuànfēng zhī yì sees three in the thieves row this week; Wǎn Huā, The Immortal, Sun Jiang and an Other Cat named, Lǎohǔ Wéixiào that holds a position of prestige amongst the Wildflowers, twisted up in fortune and its flows.

They observe that Lǎohǔ Wéixiào pulls fortune strongly into the area they are in; acting for the turn in O-Thieves Row has acted as if a ritual had been established there without any ritual present.

The Immortal is well dressed and appears only lightly injured, a few scuffles and scrapes as if perhaps he’d fallen through a hedge unprepared as a mortal.

The immortal practically roils with power; compared to Xuànfēng zhī yì, he is a giant and Xuànfēng zhī yì an ant. Compared to Wǎn Huā it is as a child to a skilled adult warrior – the gulf between them is great.

Xuànfēng zhī yì suspects he might be within the top five most powerful beings in Pingliang.

Information Forwarded by the Wildflowers

The Wildflowers have forwarded some information, care of one Fu Ping, a Liu dockworker who is in warehousing and knows of a significant smuggling operation that comes out of old Han’s stockpile. They indicate that this operation likely generates about 2 power worth of value to the J-Liu Estate every turn; disruption of the flow of trade there would reduce the output of the neighboring territory.

8- Attack Han’s stockpile You could send assets to seize what is present and disrupt this smuggling operation; leading to a reduction in value of the Liu Estate’s base value, and seizing whatever shipment is presently there.

金乌 Jingwu, Three Legged Crow 軟智慧 Ruǎn zhìhuì “Soft Wisdom”

Zhihui cannot be intercepted when investigating.

Zhihui reveals the Auspices for the next turn:

Auspices Turn 5

25 -> 10

Not plowing yields uncultivated land.

Thus, it is beneficial to have a goal to move to.

Territories where player actions do not take place in pay only half total power

狐狸精 Huli Jing; A Fox Spirit, 晚花 Wǎn Huā “Evening Blossom”.

金蟾 Jin Chan; The Money Toad. 幸運紅蟾蜍 Xìngyùn hóng Chánchú “Red Toad of Luck”

獬豸 Xiezhi; 正義的獨角獸 Zhèngyì de dú jiǎo shòu “The Righteous Unicorn”

Jiǎo Shòu can detect if you’ve been lied to, but in his age he cannot tell who has, or what the lie is, only that is has occurred.

You have been lied to.

鳳凰 Fenghuang’s Flock; 旋風之翼 Xuànfēng zhī yì “Whirlwind of Wings”
Zhi Yi cannot be intercepted when traveling between locations.

Wild Others: Turn 5

The Temple’s Supplicant’s patrolled the Steaming Lake and observed your ritual; They’ve seen the new Other.

Tian Fa has a special ability that causes in any engagement where he has allies, that he takes wounds last.

Tian Fa was weakened in his altercation with Wǎn Huā operating far below his expected strength.

There was a raucous party in R-Century Park this turn.

Current Assets

Faction Rules

In the Wild Spaces: For each territory you act in unopposed (explicitly; No other faction takes an action in the territory), you receive 1 power.

Floating Fauna: The Wild Others may send a unit into the Floating World, once per turn for free.

Secret Loss Condition
If your Troop choice perishes and you lose “The Deng Den '' then your faction cannot win the game; there just aren’t enough free others to build anything that will last.

Rule of Discourse
The Wild Others adhere to the standard rules of discourse.

Characters:

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
Three Legged Crow, Ruǎn zhìhu	Moderate	Injured	3	5
Huli Jing, Wǎn Huā	Great	Injured	1	3
Jin Chan, Xìngyùn hóng Chánchú	Awful	Healthy	1	1
Xiezhi, Jiǎo Shòu	Poor	Healthy	1	2
Shí xún wǒ bù huì chénmò	Moderate	Healthy	2	1

Troops:

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
Fenghuang’s Flock, Xuànfēng zhī yì	Awful	Healthy	1	5

Control of the South Shore with the hidden Deng Den

3 Power worth of Treasures of Fortune (6S + 3 adjacent territories/2, -6 Ritual)

1 Power worth of Sorrow-infused mud from the South Shore (17S, +3 T , +6 Ritual, +1 Wild Places, -17 Ritual, -9 Temple)

7 Power worth of Sweaty Rice from the Green Fields (11S + 3 U, +3 Ritual, +1 WP -11 Ritual)

0 Power worth of Wandering Change from Thieves Row (11S, +3 Thieves Row, +3 Ritual, -11 Ritual, -6 Temple)

0 Power in Heat Infused Steam (1S, -1 Liu P)

2 Power in School Supplies (5S +2 E, -5 healing)

0 Power in Revered Rubbish (0B +2 F, )

5 Power in Lucky Catch (5S +4 K, -5 Ritual, +1 WP)

Total 18 Power in loose objects of power.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Central Government didn’t have any defensive patrols this week.

The Liu stole into the prefecture palace seeking something.

The Liu made something, an item of some kind, this week

Results

1 - Xiezhi, Jiǎo Shòu U

The shaggy xiezhi made his way out of the mud of the subterranean hollow, racing over to the rice paddies to make the customary patrol. Besides a few frightened farmers the day was peaceful, wandering about open fields and setting away the occasional sly that mistook him for an overly large goat or a hairy horse.

Jiǎo Shòu patrolled territory U and did not encounter any foes or notable people.

1- Huli Jing, Wǎn Huā O 1

Wǎn Huā in her vigilante guise encountered Tian Fa with nearly two dozen Inspectors and Diplomats in his retinue come to Patrol and investigate the Thieves Row with particular attention paid to the Vigilante themselves. At first he offered employment which Wǎn Huā would have accepted if it was merely the Celestial Bureaucracy sharing all of their plans with her.

Unfortunately this was not that and the terms were far less than satisfactory. They wanted the territory and to give the half of it’s income to the Bureaucracy, with right to patrol, inspect and honest assistance in any investigation into the row; Wǎn Huā correctly assessed this as a thread to the secrecy of the base within the territory and became defensive and resistant. This then came to blows when Tian Fa insisted.

He was not able to overcome the Vigilante in this instance, and Wǎn Huā suspects that something was reducing his normal puissance in this altercation. However he so occupied Wǎn Huā that she was not able to interdict any of his inspectors who performed a thorough search of the O-Thieves Row. There was an instance with a returned blow by Wǎn Huā that she was certain would hit Tian Fa was redirected and instead struck one of the troop units Tian Fa had brought alongside him. She suspects a special power or practice was at play and tha Tian Fa will not receive wounds until the last in any engagement.

Wǎn Huā patrolled the Thieves Row and Encountered Tian Fa, Diplomats, and Inspectors. Wǎn Huā’s might was applied to Tian Fa who applied his might in turn. In the disagreements wounds were done to The Inspectors and Wǎn Huā; Her patrol was not able to stop them from searching the Thieves’ Row. Tian Fa was not able to gain control of the Thieves Row.

4 - Three Legged Crow, Zhìhuì T 4 x1

Zhìhuì was able to activate the additional income of the south shore, performing the complicated contortions and following the breeze, less efficiently than the flock may have been able to made up of some many members, but he was able to complete it and to obtain the additional power. It was an exhausting dance.

Zhìhuì completes his ritual to activate the additional income of the South Shore

4 - Three Legged Crow, Zhìhuì L 4 x2

Zhìhuì flew out a widening whorl. Having studied the area for weeks he knew what to look for, the way the light hit the water, just slightly different, like a different index of refraction was present, and the interface was no longer water but a slowing crystal in a myriad of iridescent colors, a fractal explosion of layers. He knew to watch for the patches of unusual speed of flow of the steaming lake, or tiny miniscule variations in the steam that would arise, that could take on all the colors of sunrise or sunset, burning with a multi colored flame. To these spots he flew, quickly casting in lures, the motion of his wings, beak and legends forming the necessary sigils in a form of performance, a temporary skywriting of his intent.

The gyre widened, and the flow began to follow him, symbols dancing into the surface of the wader, beads across something liquid but more solid than water, tracing diagrams, symbols, characters older than language.

At the center it seemed like the lake was frozen in pink crystal, the entire surface of the enormous body of water momentarily flowing in a zodiac wheel pattern as a diagram. Then the pink crystal shattered through into a whirling starless void and 十噚我不会沉没 Shí xún wǒ bù huì chénmò “Ten Fathoms I do not sink,”crawled out atop the water, gripping the surface like it was a solid thing.

And with a snap, as the aftershock of a bolt of lightning, the world returned to normal.

Shí xún wǒ bù huì chénmò and Zhìhuì made each other’s acquaintance and made their way back to the South Shore base, to become acquainted.

Zhìhuì successfully performed the summoning ritual in the steaming lake and drew forth 十噚我不会沉没 Shí xún wǒ bù huì chénmò “Ten Fathoms I do not sink,”

4 - Jin Chan, Xìngyùn hóng Chánchú O 4

Chánchú had always thought a proper home deserved a mud rood. A nice, moist place that was warm like a womb or cool like a refreshing spring to rest in. But slick, slippery even and one that wouldn’t tend to dry out the skin. He set about making such a space in the secret base in Thieves Row, taking what had once been a small noodle shop and walling it in. Mud between the cracks in the door. Mud on the walls, mud on the floor. Until the entire shop save a stairway up to the apartments had been so thoroughly plastered, so made dark that the space itself was indistinguishable from a mud cave along the river bank. And in this deep darkness he enacted his ritual, this was a place for thieves, for takings and missing things, and when thighs are unseen or unnoticed they may become Lost. As a creature of fortune, and as a trap for such things Chánchú used his experience to create such a thing here; small tokens of power within thieves' row, misplaced change, forgotten payments, or spoils of crime lost in an escape. Where it falls through the notice of the humans of the thieves' row it would fall through the earth to here, this shopfront womb, like a great earthen piggy bank, to collect the power that was due.

Xìngyùn hóng Chánchú completes his ritual in Thieves Row.

4 - Fenghuang’s Flock, Xuànfēng zhī yì K 4

Xuànfēng zhī yì set up a small ritual near the wharf, one intended to increase the fish they could catch and gobble up in their many mouths. After completing it they spent much of the time fishing and gobbling, enjoying hearty catches that filled their bellies and their Selves.

Xuànfēng zhī yì completed their ritual in the Docks.

7 - Fenghuang’s Flock, Xuànfēng zhī yì C 7

Xuànfēng zhī yì flew over the rooftops of Pingliang, in the floating world the streets were streams of watercolor smears, mostly flesh tones when the occasional bright color, like a racing fish would appear then dart into a structure, or get lost in the muddy flow as humans swarmed the streets of the city. They flew a zig-zag pattern, looking here and therefor anything that would stand out in their brief fleeting passage, but it was only so much flesh moving about, like the rumbling gut of a pained ox in intestinal distress, before releasing a wall splattering gout.

Over the temple they flew, the dense tree cover was a shield from the sky, the staired steps a river of stone cleft through a canyon of green. The temple's red and gold roof felt foreboding, dark and dangerous. The doors like the closed fangs of a great beast crouched atop the hilltop ready to pounce.

Two humans stood out front, faces moving smearing. Difficult to identify. Xuànfēng zhī yì thinks one of them is Lin Fen. Restless, they were waiting.

Down the hill came a mass of humans, Xuànfēng zhī yì quickly counting, some larger, on horses? There were at least twenty six.

Twenty six, they looked back up the hill, to two.

The twenty six approaches and the hill exploded in smears and motion, paint splattering across a canvas in white, purple and crimson. Entire swathes blotted out and others turbulent first those coming up the hill were making progress? Then those atop, then amongst the chaos, betrayal, some of the twenty six turned sides like a flipped coin, and it was thirteen against sixteen; an Other had come from somewhere, large and reptilian, like a snapping turtle with a copper-gold shell.

Something was happening in the Temple, but it was warded from the floating world, vortices like whirlpools draining into shrines that threatened to swallow Xuànfēng zhī yì up.

The flit about the area, splashes of crimson, droplets.

Then the thirteen, now seventeen, one who stood out, unmuddled even across the layers of reality; his edges defined, a sharp contrast, in relief, no smudging. Tian Fa, the Grand secretary. He and his left.

Those from the temple made their halting way inside and shut the door.

Xuànfēng zhī yì was able to observe a chaotic battle in the temple.

Forces were present from the Celestial Bureaucracy, the Sorcerer Hunters, the Liu, the Temple and the Oni. Mid battle the Liu turned on the Celestial Bureaucracy and Sorcerer Hunters.

There were five characters and three troop units present.

Tian Fa, the Grand secretary of Pingliang

A middle aged lady with a wicked chain.

A man in a coat of shiny medals

A unit of Mounted Cavalry

A unit of burly looking thugs

A small group of uniformed men.

Lin Fen, the Draiodh of the Temple

Another human woman beside her

A large turtle Other with a shell of burnished copper.

Many wounds were dealt to all present in the conflict.

They observed the ritual complete and a moderate Other, a lesser divinity was created.

金乌 Jingwu, Three Legged Crow 軟智慧 Ruǎn zhìhuì “Soft Wisdom”

Zhihui cannot be intercepted when investigating.

Zhihui reveals the Auspices for the next turn:

Auspices Turn 6

19 -> 27

Sensitive approach.

Good fortune, without disadvantage.

Friendly approach.

Good fortune.

Without fault.

Hunger.

Persistence brings good fortune.

Examine the hunger spontaneously seeking to fill the mouth.

Each faction that does not engage in a battle this turn will earn 5 power.

狐狸精 Huli Jing; A Fox Spirit, 晚花 Wǎn Huā “Evening Blossom”.

金蟾 Jin Chan; The Money Toad. 幸運紅蟾蜍 Xìngyùn hóng Chánchú “Red Toad of Luck”

獬豸 Xiezhi; 正義的獨角獸 Zhèngyì de dú jiǎo shòu “The Righteous Unicorn”

Jiǎo Shòu can detect if you’ve been lied to, but in his age he cannot tell who has, or what the lie is, only that is has occurred.

You have been lied to.

鳳凰 Fenghuang’s Flock; 旋風之翼 Xuànfēng zhī yì “Whirlwind of Wings”
Zhi Yi cannot be intercepted when traveling between locations.

十噚我不会沉没 Shí xún wǒ bù huì chénmò “Ten Fathoms I do not sink,”

The large other is the size of three large horses standing nose to tail; it has a face like three men scowling without chins asn the lips meet in a tripartite mouth. It is long, sleek and shines wetly; eel-like and oily it has forward fins that terminate in human like hands with ten fingers on each. Its tail is a corkscrew like a pig. Shí xún wǒ bù huì chénmò is a creature of the lightless depths, from a layer of reality that is underneath an abstract and figurative ocean more than an actual wet one, it does not need to breath water, but it finds the buoyancy pleasant. It swims much faster than it walks, seal-like.

This unit treats all territories along the river as connected for movement ( K, L, N, T, U, Q, F ) if starting from one of these moving to an adjacent territory to one of these only costs 1 Range.

All range more than one from the river cost this being 2 power instead of 1

Shí xún wǒ bù huì chénmò can breathe fire, this fire even functions underwater. It can take a special action so that in the next combat it is in, it will deal one wound before the resolution of combat.

Wild Others: Turn 6

The Celestial Bureaucracy base in the Prefecture Palace was destroyed by the Taoqi alone, despite being defended by Tian Fa

The Celestial Bureaucracy was able to regain the Mandate of Heaven.

The Liu haven't taken action in the Liu Estate since the first week of the conflict.

The Oni performed a ritual in the Respectable Homes

Current Assets

Faction Rules

In the Wild Spaces: For each territory you act in unopposed (explicitly; No other faction takes an action in the territory), you receive 1 power.

Floating Fauna: The Wild Others may send a unit into the Floating World, once per turn for free.

Secret Loss Condition
If your Troop choice perishes and you lose “The Deng Den '' then your faction cannot win the game; there just aren’t enough free others to build anything that will last.

Rule of Discourse
The Wild Others adhere to the standard rules of discourse.

Characters:

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
Three Legged Crow, Ruǎn zhìhu	Moderate	Healthy	3	4
Huli Jing, Wǎn Huā	Great	Healthy	1	3
Jin Chan, Xìngyùn hóng Chánchú	Awful	Healthy	1	1
Xiezhi, Jiǎo Shòu	Poor	Healthy	1	2
Shí xún wǒ bù huì chénmò	Moderate	Healthy	2	1

Troops:

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
Fenghuang’s Flock, Xuànfēng zhī yì	Awful	Healthy	1	5

Control of the South Shore with the hidden Deng Den

5 Power worth of Treasures of Fortune (3S + 2 adjacent territories/2,)

5 Power worth of Sorrow-infused mud from the South Shore (1S, +3 T , +6 Ritual, +1 Wild Places, -1 Frog, -5 healing)

9 Power worth of Sweaty Rice from the Green Fields (7S + 3 U, +6 Ritual, +1 WP, -5 healing, -3 wound prevention)

10 Power worth of Wandering Change from Thieves Row (0S, +3O, +6 Ritual, +1 WP)

6 Power in School Supplies (2S +2 E, +2 R)

5 Power in Revered Rubbish (0B +2F, +2 R, +1 WP )

10 Power in Lucky Catch (5S, +5 K, +5R, -3 wound prevention, -2 might)

3 Power in Ornamental Shrubberies (0S, +3R, -1 Frog, +1 WP)

11 Power in Sentimental Jewelry (0S, +7N, +7R, -3 Liu Gainsayings)

Total 63 Power in loose objects of power.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Only two territories were impacted by the auspice of turn 5

Pai the Peddler has become entangled with an Other; he may have adopted one into his family and become more other in the process – becoming more deeply entangled with fortune.

Yao Gen was slain in the Docks.

Results

Huli Jing, Wǎn Huā R 1

Wǎn Huā walked the century park; the area chewed up and defaced. Feces had been smeared over the statuary, shrubberies torn up, and the ground tilled and churned by too many feet to count. It wasn’t a pleasant space to inhabit, unmaintained. She briefly observed Xīwàng de xìngyùn cǎihóng enter the area before something caught the great creature’s attention and he flew North.

Wǎn Huā spent a peaceful week walking the park, remembering opportunities she’d had there, festivals, trysts, and pranks – it had been one of the places people had gathered, a nice common space for the people of Pingliang that had been well maintained, but a bridge between spirit and human; tamed nature, but with places an Other might find comfort or sufficient concealment to draw close if the few Innocent were about. It was a shame it had been reduced to the state it was in – but either direction would be an improvement; unmaintained and reclaimed by nature within the city, a wild place. Or returned to former glories, a manicured place for use.

Outcome:

Wǎn Huā encountered The Seven Colored Dragon, 希望的幸运彩虹 Xīwàng de xìngyùn cǎihóng “The Fortunate Rainbow of Hope” who was called to the North.

No one else appeared in Century Park. Wǎn Huā collected it’s earnings for the Wild Others

Shí xún wǒ bù huì chénmò N 1

Zhìhuì reutrned with the wisdom of the enemy. A school that would wim with one fish in its lead. Shí xún wǒ bù huì chénmò listened closely, the sounds felt distorted, airy and higher in pitch than Shí xún wǒ bù huì chénmò was used to, tinny almost, wrong but not wrong. Shí xún wǒ bù huì chénmò abided.

Shí xún wǒ bù huì chénmò would be accompanied by two others in this battle, the fire raging deep inside Shí xún wǒ bù huì chénmò ready to be unleashed. Captain Wu Jinhai a practitioner, dressed in flat colors with small rocks woven around a cloth that reminded Shí xún wǒ bù huì chénmò of seaweed, with fight or coral peeking from the folks, but in this case it was dulled metal. He wore much of it, like an entire swarm of tiny crabs. Shí xún wǒ bù huì chénmò wondered if they were a part of how he fought – they had little spirits in them, somnolent, sleeping like a school of seahorses curled along his chest and back. And a straight Jian at Captain Wu Jinhai’s side, like barracuda, the flow around it a riptide of karma even if it had no power of it’s own – the blade had been etched with characters that Shí xún wǒ bù huì chénmò couldn’t read, even keeping one of Shí xún wǒ bù huì chénmò’s six eyes focused on it.

The other human didn’t look like much of a warrior, he didn’t carry spirits or swords. He had some fine kind of foot prosthetics. Like coverings for fins. Shí xún wǒ bù huì chénmò mused these must be shoes, rather than flippers, but Shí xún wǒ bù huì chénmò had spent long and far away from human influence, and times change.

Shí xún wǒ bù huì chénmò considered the turning of the wuxing, fire overcame metal, metal generated water. Shí xún wǒ bù huì chénmò should listen and work with Captain Wu Jinhai, and be careful not to harm the human with the flames.

Captain Jinhai commanded an ambush, the other human, Pai the Peddler, was quick to assent, deferring to Captain Wu Jinhai.

When they met the Liu it is from surprise and Shí xún wǒ bù huì chénmò has a surprise for all of them when Shí xún wǒ bù huì chénmò breaths outward a gout of flame blistering the Liu forces even before the battle can truly begin – Tang hid behind his school of lessers, using the other living humans as a shield, but not emerging unscathed.

Wu Jinhai sought him out, cleaving through Liu like a whale swallowing krill, or a shark diving in to savage prey. But here on this heavy plane the blood didn’t gout and create clouds, blooming flowers floating around the injury site. Here the blood pattered down onto the ground like falling stones or scales. Or rain upon the interface. Enermes were felled, not food, just left upon the ground, their essence flowing into the gutter.

The Liu were over matched. One struck at Shí xún wǒ bù huì chénmò but a shield, a ward of water deflected the blow before injury could be done – a sensible precaution Shí xún wǒ bù huì chénmò applauded.

Wu Jinhai took an injury from Tang, but Tang was the worse off for the exchange; The Liu were being picked apart.

Liu Tang fled, making it free, but the troops, “The Crew” died in the process.

Outcome:

Shí xún wǒ bù huì chénmò participated in the battle in N and was able to wound one of the Liu forces.

Shí xún wǒ bù huì chénmò contributed his might to the combat.
Shí xún wǒ bù huì chénmò was protected from sustaining an injury

Two Liu Units were present.

One Character and One Troop.

The Troop Perished in the conflict.

Two allies humans were present
The shiny Medalled Sorcerer Hunter Captain Wu Jihai, Inquisitor of Magic

Wu Jinhai was injured

The Wildflower Pai the Peddler

Both contributed their might.

The Liu were more injured than the allied forces in the battle, although both sides took injuries.

Three Legged Crow, Zhìhuì N 3

Zhìhuì flies a quick scouting pattern over the Estates, looking down at the fancy houses of humans, paved over Orchards and Forests, covering areas that were once streams and fields and were now stone and wood cairns. Human termite hives and tombs. The same vibrancy gone, replaced by the muddy wash of human. Amongst the furtive, gaily colored but quickly moving inhabitants – drawn by handcart of horse in most cases Zhìhuì picked out thirteen he’d assess as Liu enter, making their way about the Estates. Zhìhuì assessed that one is likely a character of some note and was leading them, recognizable as the same that had injured Zhìhuì before – which must be Liu Tang. the rest appeared subservient, likely a [Troop] of some kind.

Zhìhuì noted the direction they came from and how they were organized and quickly returned to report to the rest of the allied force what he’d seen.

Outcome:

Zhìhuì observes thirteen humans that belong to the Liu within the Estates; One appears to be leading the others. The rest appear to be a [Troop].

Zhìhuì believes they entered from the adjacent slums, and reports their position and number to the rest of the attacking forces generating a small might bonus.

Three Legged Crow, Zhìhuì O 4

Zhìhuì moved into the deep and dark hallow within thieves' row; a womb of mud and he, within, a microcosm of the night sky. The tiny iridescence of his feathers like stars in the deepness of the void and emptiness beyond. Carefully with his three legs he traces furrows into the mud, a diagram, larger, complex, a future where everything is eaten, but still within points of light, the light of his feathers, of days that never will be or might be, a chance for a future that resists the emptiness that despite a bordering darkness, lonely and hungry still beats, still thrives and inscribed it’s own statements, it’s desire for the future writ on the clay of reality.

Zhìhuì admires his work like it was a self portrait written in a notation meant for an alien intelligence, mard of whorls, swoops, channels and lines.

Outcome:

Zhìhuì successfully enacts a simple ritual at the Thieves Row.

Xiezhi, Jiǎo Shòu T 4

Jiǎo Shòu makes his patient way to the shore, mud to his forelocks as his rheumy eyes observe the intricate and complicated pattern that Xuànfēng zhī yì has wrought. It makes Jiǎo Shòu’s bones hurt in sympathy, a body not made for the kinds of contortions and cavorting that this skydance takes as a form of biometric security. Something that would be difficult at the least to communicate to the spirits, for them to understand coming from one other than Xuànfēng zhī yì. And yet, Jiǎo Shòu is old, and wise. Jiǎo Shòu knows how to make an argument, amend a contract and propose a new procedure. Jiǎo Shòu starts with an implorement, Jiǎo Shòu begins the noise low in his throat, a technique adopted by mongolians of a part age. It is a wordless statement, an overture. Jiǎo Shòu continues layering in to the sound, wordless expression pushing outwards, letting sound fill in, harmonies and echoes a sonic shape – the afterimages of birds made of sound – directing spirits to fill in the shapes. Each position a bird would take is a bowl, and lesser spirits, nearly mindless, fill in those shapes, as readily a tea powering into a cup.

Jiǎo Shòu continues, the throat singing becoming more serious, more layered, louder, and he begins to make adjustments, not changing the bowls but moving the water within them. A bowl is most useful when it is empty, and these are filled, so the water will be moved, reshaped, changed and the understanding of the bowl evolved and altered. It is the long work of the week. Steps by step pulling an oxcart of stone up the hill. Spirits have short memories, what was changed yesterday may fill in like a footprint on the shore. He returns, each dawn for the week until it has become something manageable, a pattern of ripples on the shore, anyone could perform it to enrich the soil, enriching the South Shore. Jiǎo Shòu satisfied with his work, returns to the Deng Den.

Outcome:

Jiǎo Shòu in his ancient wisdom adjusts the ritual, making it one that does not require upkeep.

Jin Chan, Xìngyùn hóng Chánchú U 4

Chánchú hops his way over to the green fields. Less muddy than the south shore’s hidden hole, but still wet, moist and good for Chánchú’s supernatural skin. Here Chánchú works on the ritual of the bees and flies, a hopping configuration in which his six-toed, webbed feet. Each of the pads forming small circles that he works into his diagrams, the ritual will draw fat files to a certain spot for him, leaning into his nature and convert them into honeybees, black and white to black and yellow. The conversion improves the flies from dross from useful, dipping sh*t in gold. He can appreciate the delicate energy the change imparts to them, even if it is not strictly taste that Chánchú feels when he consumes his sh*t-bees. This does not stop him however from snacking on a mouthful, and gathering an armload of fortune flies to devour later in a woven grass bag.

Outcome:

Xìngyùn hóng Chánchú successfully enacts a simple ritual at the Green Fields.

Fenghuang’s Flock, Xuànfēng zhī yì F 4

Xuànfēng zhī yì flits over to the flophouse, steeplechasing from the eave of roof to roof of the long, dilapidated structures lit by the sighs, sorrows, grunts and exhales of many of the poorest of Pingliang. Each breath has a different flavor – not quite a taste, but a vapor all the same. Xuànfēng zhī yì dances among this painted skyscape, feeling the colored zephyrs and painted thermal updrafts. Working a painted mural in these emotional paints, ephemeral. Xuànfēng zhī yì creates a ritual the flights of seven breaths, driving the influence, the dreams the strength back into the territory, a feedback to re-infuse these their weakest with some of the hope of their strongest, and thereby to read more productive, more powerful karmic flows. An increasing cycle, an upward spiral, a helix – a strong shape.

Outcome:

Xuànfēng zhī yì successfully enacts a simple ritual at the flophouses.

Three Legged Crow, Zhìhuì J 7

Zhìhuì take his wheeling flight to the Liu estates, watching it spark by night as the sky thunders under the moon, the silt patterns of the district rending down. Structure melting as frescoes of pain, blood and death form splatter points in alleys and along thoroughfares. People moving hurriedly hesitantly some brown dunes coming into contact with others. Some merging, others raining vital red paint across the street.

Within this no notable Liu are seen, none that stand out recognizable, even as structure melt like the tallow of candle set in the heart of a fire.

Outcome:

Zhìhuì observes that the Sorcerer hunters shell the area, alternately setting traps and blasting away at the estate.

The Tank is not seen within the territory during this.

Besides the forces setting traps and blasting, Zhìhuì observes no other in J.

Shí xún wǒ bù huì chénmò T Special.

Shí xún wǒ bù huì chénmò meditates within himself considering the nature of the elements, the cycle of wuxing, water which is the closest association is one of overcoming for fire, it’s greater, but it generates wood, it nourishes life and within Shí xún wǒ bù huì chénmò bamboo shoots, leaves are generated and subsumed, wood generating fire. Within Shí xún wǒ bù huì chénmò she focuses on the reaction, the change of nature, the refinement of energy, of power as the spirits burn in the cauldron of his heart.. Let lets it ignite at the center of him, deep in his dantian an alchemical reaction producing it’s own tiny son, a flame that feeds on itself generating and refining, generating and refining until the reaction is ready to release. Prepared to do battle.

Outcome:

Shí xún wǒ bù huì chénmò prepares his fire breath.

金乌 Jingwu, Three Legged Crow 軟智慧 Ruǎn zhìhuì “Soft Wisdom”

Zhihui cannot be intercepted when investigating.

Zhihui reveals the Auspices for the next turn:

Auspices Turn 7

17 -> 43

Attaching to the little child,

one loses sight of the elder man.

Attaching to the elder man,

one loses sight of the little child.

Following is a search for gain.

It is beneficial to persist, staying put.

Deciding.

Making it known at the king's court.

Crying out the truth is dangerous.

Telling the city oneself,

It is a disadvantage to be close to battle.

It is beneficial to have a goal to move to.

Sensitive approach.

Good fortune, without disadvantage.

Friendly approach.

Good fortune.

Without fault.

Hunger.

Persistence brings good fortune.

Examine the hunger spontaneously seeking to fill the mouth.

Actions to defend sites with HQs will be advantaged this turn

狐狸精 Huli Jing; A Fox Spirit, 晚花 Wǎn Huā “Evening Blossom”.

金蟾 Jin Chan; The Money Toad. 幸運紅蟾蜍 Xìngyùn hóng Chánchú “Red Toad of Luck”

獬豸 Xiezhi; 正義的獨角獸 Zhèngyì de dú jiǎo shòu “The Righteous Unicorn”

Jiǎo Shòu can detect if you’ve been lied to, but in his age he cannot tell who has, or what the lie is, only that is has occurred.

You have been lied to.

鳳凰 Fenghuang’s Flock; 旋風之翼 Xuànfēng zhī yì “Whirlwind of Wings”
Zhi Yi cannot be intercepted when traveling between locations.

十噚我不会沉没 Shí xún wǒ bù huì chénmò “Ten Fathoms I do not sink,”

This unit treats all territories along the river as connected for movement ( K, L, N, T, U, Q, F ) if starting from one of these moving to an adjacent territory to one of these only costs 1 Range.

All range more than one from the river cost this being 2 power instead of 1

Wild Others: Turn 7

Only one ritual is active in the Central Government

Tian Fa has recovered most of his injuries

The Wildflowers have a magic artifact of incredible value; a Dragon’s Pearl worth 20 Power if deconstructed.

The Wildflowers have adopted an Other into Pai the Peddler’s family.

Current Assets

Faction Rules

In the Wild Spaces: For each territory you act in unopposed (explicitly; No other faction takes an action in the territory), you receive 1 power.

Floating Fauna: The Wild Others may send a unit into the Floating World, once per turn for free.

Secret Loss Condition
If your Troop choice perishes and you lose “The Deng Den '' then your faction cannot win the game; there just aren’t enough free others to build anything that will last.

Rule of Discourse
The Wild Others adhere to the standard rules of discourse.

Characters:

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
Three Legged Crow, Ruǎn zhìhu	Moderate	Healthy	2	4
Huli Jing, Wǎn Huā	Great	Forsworn		3
Jin Chan, Xìngyùn hóng Chánchú	Awful	Healthy	1	1
Xiezhi, Jiǎo Shòu	Poor	Healthy	1	2
Shí xún wǒ bù huì chénmò	Moderate	Dead 💀	2	1

Troops:

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
Fenghuang’s Flock, Xuànfēng zhī yì	Awful	Healthy	1	5

Control of the K- The Docks, O-Theives Row, R- Century Park, U- Green Fields, F- The Flophouses, E - The Schoolyard.

HQs; Hidden - The Deng Den (T-South Shore), The Theives Womb (O-Theives Row)

Not Hidden - The Rookery (E-The Schoolyard)

8 Power worth of Treasures of Fortune (5S + 3 adjacent territories/2)

5 Power worth of Sorrow-infused mud from the South Shore (5S)

10 Power worth of Sweaty Rice from the Green Fields (9S + 3 U, +6R, -10 purchases, +1 WP)

10 Power worth of Wandering Change from Thieves Row (10S, +3O, +6R, -10 Purchases, +1 WP)

11 Power in School Supplies (6S +2 E, +2 R, +1 WP)

9 Power in Revered Rubbish (5S +2F, +2 R)

18 Power in Lucky Catch (10S, +4 K, +4R,)

6 Power in Ornamental Shrubberies (3S, +3R, -1 frg, +1 WP)

7 Power in Sentimental Jewelry (11S, -4 Liu Drain N and T, -2 Liu Drain FS)

-20 Power purchases (5 Protection, 5 HQ, 10 Ritual)

Total 82 Power in loose objects of power.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You don’t believe the Liu have located the Deng Den in the South Shore yet.

Liu Tang is, even half dead, Tougher than Wǎn Huā having more Toughness than she.

Liu Tang is presently half-dead.

Results

Fish E - The Estates 1

Shí xún wǒ bù huì chénmò wandered the Estates, attempting to avoid the curious eyes of its inhabitants. Grown like a polished coral reef, the marbled buildings were unnatural, more blocks and points less rounded shapes and organic structures, things hung instead of wafting in an undertow of a viscous breeze. The air felt arid, even though the Lake was so close.

He ran across the human again from last time, the one who escaped the battle, but the fire wasn’t prepared and Shí xún wǒ bù huì chénmò was alone this time. He fought as viciously as he could, his three mouths gaping open, he tried to begin feeding fire into the reaction, generating from water to wood, but his opponent was much faster – faster even than he remembered, darling like fishes that were spearfish flashing through the water, snapping with the intensity of the closing claw of a crab.

It quickly because apparent he would not be able to hold out, he took savage blows, rents leaking oil like black fluid into the stone paths of the well to do neighborhood as Tang stabbed and bead viciously with something all six of his eyes slid off like an oiled eel sliding across a sizzling pan.

He managed to make it back into the soothing embrace of the river half dead.

Outcome

Shí xún wǒ bù huì chénmò engaged in combat with Liu Tang
Shí xún wǒ bù huì chénmò took significant injuries

The Liu Family has gained control of the Estates

Shí xún wǒ bù huì chénmò has been weakened by Liu Family Practicers

Two Power was drained from Wild Other Reserves from Liu Family Practices.

Fish T - South Shore 1

Shí xún wǒ bù huì chénmò encountered Liu Tang again in the South Shore, where he was quickly set upon, far outmatched he attempted to feed as much as he could into his internal reaction, hoping to generate enough fire to repel the fierce and foul practitioner.

He was not fast enough, his life slipping from him due to Tang’s savage attacks because he could either escape of detonate the fire he had.

Outcome

Shí xún wǒ bù huì chénmò engaged in combat with Liu Tang
Shí xún wǒ bù huì chénmò has perished.

The Liu Family has gained control of the South Shore, including the benefit of it’s rituals.

Shí xún wǒ bù huì chénmò had Toughness drained by Liu Family Practices

Two Power was drained from Wild Other Reserves from Liu Family Practices.

Fox O - Thieves Row 1

Wǎn Huā continued to stalk Thieves Row in the guise of the Vigilante, and no one came through to oppose her. It was a particularly quiet week, besides the jaunt to the Mandate Claim.

Outcome

Wǎn Huā patrolled Thieves Row and did not encounter any foes

Wǎn Huā obtained the Wild Places benefit by patrolling unopposed, generating 1 Power.

Crow H - Central Government 3

Ruǎn zhìhuì watched a number of notables pass through the central government studying them as best he was able, watching as they moved about to discern their movements and the patterns of them in an attempt to discern elements of their character, facets of their being or some useful fact about each one of them. With so many Ruǎn zhìhuì was not able to go into detail on each one of them, instead taking the approach of trying to find one thing, one item for each of those present to verify as best as he was able.

Outcome

Ruǎn zhìhuì inspected those he came across at the central government. His assessment is the following:

Tian Fa was carrying two mighty artifacts; The Mandate of Heaven and the Horsehair Plume.

The Celestial Bureaucracy Scribes can investigate anywhere from the Central Government.

The Diplomatic Corps can help those it works with bypass patrols

Linfang Qi Halves the payout of a territory she acts in

Mysterious Peddler left with more magical items than the Sorcerer Hunters had seen

Pai the Peddler enhances the base value of territories he acts in for the turn by one.

Frog O - Thieves Row 4

Xìngyùn hóng Chánchú didn’t know what to do. He’d been instructed to do another ritual, but the space was already crowded with the karmic directions, the place couldn’t bear any more rituals, there wasn’t more karma to harvest, no more power that could be gleaned, efficiency had been maximized.

Xìngyùn hóng Chánchú hopped about worried, staring at the inky black space of the earthen womb within Thieves Row. Xìngyùn hóng Chánchú wanted to be helpful, useful, but he could not do that here; there was nothing to do here, but he was a small existence, and knew that he’d been directed here for safeties sake and that his own patterns meant that this was where he was wanted to enable greater fortune to the rest of the Others.

He fretted. He pondered. He fretted. He hopped about.

Ultimately deciding the best thing he could do, since he couldn’t perform the task asked would be to help the Huli Jing defend if such a thing was needed; he was small, not much of a fighter, but somethings a little help is all that is needed. He spend the week hopping from rooftop to rooftop, a spy and a secret friend as backup in case “The Vigilante” ran into trouble; but no trouble came.

Outcome

Xìngyùn hóng Chánchú is unable to set a third ritual into place within Thieves Row.

As a result Xìngyùn hóng Chánchú lent his Might to Wǎn Huā in defense of the space.

Goat R - Century Park 4

Zhèngyì de dú jiǎo shòu proceed to the empty part and sets up another ritual. The intent is simple, a place that will gather karmic power for the controllers, but more than what it returns something invested into it. A sacrifice. Zhèngyì de dú jiǎo shòu looks at the space, torn up, undignified as it is, but more wild, not harmonious, but not in disharmony. The arrangement of the space as it has been defiled is too a state of nature. Zhèngyì de dú jiǎo shòu considers, if this is to be a meeting point, there needs to be some kinds of veiled protection, a place of meeting between Others and humans, including humans who are not awake or aware.

Zhèngyì de dú jiǎo shòu takes the precious power he’s been entrusted with, Power that could be sustenance for many such as he for a long time, and scatters it into the Century Park. Calling for the veil to meet the same bagua, the same eight trigrams that define the cosmos that in all things there must be balance and as such here in this park let the veil be thinned a pass through for the peaceful interaction of man and Other, and yet at the bounds, the borders, let the caul be returned. Thus when council meetings must occur, let the relevant creatures come to this space to speak frankly, openly and with trust and kindness, and then those that do not or must not or are not brought into this world may speak their peace then be restored as they were, the temporary knowledge snatched back from them such that the engagement could be consensual and at need, but need not force with roughness the introduction of new people to the world of the practice.

Outcome

Zhèngyì de dú jiǎo shòu successfully completed a ritual in Century park.

Zhèngyì de dú jiǎo shòu obtained the Wild Places benefit by patrolling unopposed, generating 1 Power.

Crow x2 E - The School Yard 6

Ruǎn zhìhu searched the schoolyard for a property rookery, another space to claim that would be to the edge of an unused courtyard, close to the city wall, but within it. Somewhere that could serve as a port of call for Others entering the city from the North or East, a way station or an Inn. Unused or neglected by human hands and eyes. An abandoned school perhaps or playspace, maybe a small park. Each place he searched lowered his estimation. Buildings were tightly packed in the district, and most of the youth of Pingliang’s humanity were here – more innocent than aware, but few were closing in on the designation. Nearly none of the human children under instruction and tutelage by the locals were practitioners, not in the true sense of the word, not awakened or presented to the world Ruǎn zhìhu inhabited.

Wise eyes watched young humans play, squabbling over a ball, a pinwheel. Unwilling to share even among their own kind. Ruǎn zhìhu despaired a little in his heart. Brutish and cruel perhaps, learning poor lessons. Conqueror larvae.

Ruǎn zhìhu continued to watch, looking for those with perhaps a different approach, maybe they couldn’t all be so bad. One child leaving out food for a stray cat – it was something. Another with fulu and a small shine with tiny offerings, but there was sentiment there, intentionality, perhaps the barest smidge of power. Something at least.

Ruǎn zhìhu in the end settled on a small gardener’s shack, tucked away in a private garden. The students of the school would not come here, it was beneath their peerage, and the gardener himself a drunk would be easy enough to work around his infrequent schedule; he’d be unlikely to be replaced with someone competent for as long as he held the position, being an assignee of nepotism an uncle of the school’s headmaster needing a profession, something to maintain some semblance of face.

Outcome

Ruǎn zhìhuì successfully constructed a headquarters in the school yard

Ruǎn zhìhuì obtained the Wild Places benefit by patrolling unopposed, generating 1 Power.

Flock U - Green Fields 7

Xuànfēng zhī yì flew over the emerald squares that made up the Green fields, aquamarine tiles, moats of water surrounding the evenly planted marching rows of rice plants. Fish occasionally swam among the roots of the paddies, and here and there a human in a wide brimmed hat would toil to protect or harvest the crop. Paths crisscrossed at even intervals but nothing stood out of any interest. Field after field, human workers, a dragonfly, a minnow.

Outcome

Xuànfēng zhī yì did not locate anything of interest in the green fields.

Xuànfēng zhī yì obtained the Wild Places benefit by patrolling unopposed, generating 1 Power.

Mandate Challenges

The next to appear is a three legged crow, arriving from the North-West who provides his assent.

...

The next to appear is a small frog-Other, tied closely with fortune. Who provides their assent

A large fish Other, badly injured, appears to provide his assent.

…

The vigilante appears next to provide his assent.

…

A Xieshi appears next to provide their assent.

…

The next to assent is a flock of Other birds

Outcome

Xuànfēng zhī yì.“no contested” the fifth Peril’s claim.

Ruǎn zhìhuì “no contested” the fifth Peril’s claim.

Zhèngyì de dú jiǎo shòu “no contested” the fifth Peril’s claim.

Xìngyùn hóng Chánchú “no contested” the fifth Peril’s claim.

Wǎn Huā “no contested” the fifth Peril’s claim.

Shí xún wǒ bù huì chénmò “no contested” the fifth Peril’s claim.

4 - Ritual; this is performing a magical ritual. A practitioner or Other must perform it; and it doubles the income of a territory. A territory may only support two rituals at a time. Only one ritual can be performed by a faction on a territory per turn.

5 - Core Ritual;To perform a core ritual it will take half of a character’s actions, round up. Mandatus can be challenged outside of turn order. Adoption items could be challenged if the party is crashed, but ultimately no call goes out for resistance to occur.

金乌 Jingwu, Three Legged Crow 軟智慧 Ruǎn zhìhuì “Soft Wisdom”

Zhihui cannot be intercepted when investigating.

Zhihui reveals the Auspices for the next turn:

Auspices Turn 8

None

狐狸精 Huli Jing; A Fox Spirit, 晚花 Wǎn Huā “Evening Blossom”.

金蟾 Jin Chan; The Money Toad. 幸運紅蟾蜍 Xìngyùn hóng Chánchú “Red Toad of Luck”

獬豸 Xiezhi; 正義的獨角獸 Zhèngyì de dú jiǎo shòu “The Righteous Unicorn”

Jiǎo Shòu can detect if you’ve been lied to, but in his age he cannot tell who has, or what the lie is, only that is has occurred.

You have been lied to.

鳳凰 Fenghuang’s Flock; 旋風之翼 Xuànfēng zhī yì “Whirlwind of Wings”
Zhi Yi cannot be intercepted when traveling between locations.

十噚我不会沉没 Shí xún wǒ bù huì chénmò “Ten Fathoms I do not sink,”

This unit treats all territories along the river as connected for movement ( K, L, N, T, U, Q, F ) if starting from one of these moving to an adjacent territory to one of these only costs 1 Range.

All range more than one from the river cost this being 2 power instead of 1

Wild Others: Turn 8: Victory

Current Assets

Faction Rules

In the Wild Spaces: For each territory you act in unopposed (explicitly; No other faction takes an action in the territory), you receive 1 power.

Floating Fauna: The Wild Others may send a unit into the Floating World, once per turn for free.

Secret Loss Condition
If your Troop choice perishes and you lose “The Deng Den '' then your faction cannot win the game; there just aren’t enough free others to build anything that will last.

Rule of Discourse
The Wild Others adhere to the standard rules of discourse.

Characters:

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
Three Legged Crow, Ruǎn zhìhu	Moderate	Healthy	2	4
Huli Jing, Wǎn Huā	Great	Forsworn	1	3
Jin Chan, Xìngyùn hóng Chánchú	Awful	Healthy	1	1
Xiezhi, Jiǎo Shòu	Poor	Bound		2
Shí xún wǒ bù huì chénmò	Moderate	Dead 💀	2	1

Troops:

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
Fenghuang’s Flock, Xuànfēng zhī yì	Awful	Healthy	1	5

Control of the K- The Docks, U- Green Fields, F- The Flophouses, E - The Schoolyard.

HQs; Hidden - The Deng Den (T-South Shore), The Theives Womb (O-Theives Row)

Not Hidden - The Rookery (E-The Schoolyard)

82 Power

-20 Oni

-20 Temple

-10 Ritual

32 +8 K, +9 U, +4 F, +6 E, -4 Liu

Total 55 Power in loose objects of power.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Results

Crow A 3

Ruǎn zhìhuì flew to the Outlying farms to scout ahead; Ruǎn zhìhuì observed no Liu present, although the farmstead had been equipped with many defensive wards, and paper fulu as well as complicated connection blockers.

Outcome

The Crow investigated the Outward Road;

Ruǎn zhìhuì provided a flat +2 Might bonus to the attack (not per unit).

Notable forces likely include an Enchantress, a Duelist with a connection to the floating world, and a many legged Other.

Frog E 4

Xìngyùn hóng Chánchú performed a ritual in the Schoolyard, enhancing the karmic flows of the area.

Outcome

A ritual was successfully created at the Schoolyard

Crow J S

Outcome

Goat N 1

Zhèngyì de dú jiǎo shòu clopped across the Estates on patrol. It was his duty to be here, to reclaim this space from the perfidious Liu who had contravened agreement last week and had taken the space the Others had intended to claim dominion over; a place rich and redolent in the proper success of its inhabitants, the softest scent of pepper in the air. Zhèngyì de dú jiǎo shòu paced tiredly, his bones were old, and it had been a long time since he’d gotten a proper meal.

During his ruminations, he observed three Liu exit the floating world and set to make off into the surroundings; this Zhèngyì de dú jiǎo shòu could not and should not abide, the stink of their sins weighed heavily upon them. He let out a bellowing roar and charged.

One immediately faded, even the rancid, sweet rot strength of him becoming a vesper, then a whisper and then was gone.

The other two proved formidable, far more formidable than his old bones to take, but time and time again, he charge, roared and obstructed, leaning on Law on precedent, on bindings that they could not escape, but as the chain bound them it bound him, fastening links ever tighter until he’d choked his own neck.

They proved to be capable practitioners, before the week was out, he, broken, was bound to their service.

Outcome

The goat has been fully bound and captured by the Liu Family.

The goat intercepted 4/8 actions passing through N - The Estates. Three from Tang, and one from Mai, headed to R and T.

Flock R 4

The flock flit about the park arranging small runes scratched in the bark of decorative plants, setting shiny things collected from across pingliang in particular arrangements, constellations of reflected light that should a being stand in the appropriate positions around the century park at the right time of day, the zodiac should be writing in reflected sunlight in their eye.

The right words, the right time, the right offering and the completion of the Bagua should give them good fortune, should assist them in finding a greater harmony with themselves and insights into their own Tao, their place in the grand network of the fates as the wheels turned above, below, and cultivated inside.

Then they were under attack, and the Taotie was under attack, it was a shadow with fangs of wood and steel, confusing in the halflight, hard to determine when the shadows didn’t even seem to move and yet blades would appear. They quickly completed the ritual then fled, the Taotie taking the blunt of grievous injuries to shield them as the shadowy sorcerer claimed the park behind them.

Outcome

The flock completed their ritual

The Taotie took more injuries than the flock had life to protect the flock.

The city is more comfortable now, more wild, and Others are finding more places to live, places which push humans out of their habitations as the Others had been marginalized. The kinds of Other that are making their way to Pingliang have changes as well, their natures before had frequented prey animals or associations with them, Frog, Fox, Goat, Crow, Sparrow, Fish; the New Others that make their way into, and make dens of Pingliang are Snake, Wolf, Lion, Bear, Tiger and Leopard. And the nature of their connection to humanity is more predatory than peaceful.

Far less than domesticated. Here the humans become the prey in a jungle they built, taking the role of mice, while the cats have come home to play

Chapter 5: Temple Briefings

Summary:

The Briefings the Temple received over the course of the game.

Chapter Text

The Temple: Turn 1

Utilizing their mandate from the Emperor, the Sorcerer Hunters are able to seize half the value of any territory each turn (the other half going to the controlling faction).

Similar to the Celestial Bureaucracy the Sorcerer Hunters have only one Character (The Company Commander) able to acti in Pingliang.

The Liu Family currently has no active [Troops] in this conflict in Pingliang.

Current Assets

Faction Rule

The Temple shrines; The temple shrines gather spirits each turn, each turn each shrine can be dedicated to one of several functions:

Gather Power (This converts the gathered spirits into expendable power)
Enhance units (This enhances one of your units according to the spirits nature)
Defense (This enhances the defense of the territory)
Attack (this causes a strike in the nature of the spirits in a territory up to the Spirit’s power away)
Infuse Object – the gathered spirits enhance an object making it a single turn supernatural item
Infuse ritual: You may direct the shrines to empower rituals you conduct with their nature
Enter the spirit world; You may use all 5 shrines to conduct a ritual to enter the spirit world, this is different from entering the floating world in that you can remain in the spirit world for the entire investigation action being conducted – thereby bypassing risk of interception or interference at the site of the investigation.

Secret Objective

The merchants have sold wares that are blessings and banes, but your problem is with the bane side of it. Cursed items that have found their ways into the hands of petitioners, leeching off of them to funnel wealth, health and power into the hands of these locusts; and the Liu are no better.

The temple can secure a Victory by removing the Wildflowers from all mercantile spaces, and displacing the Lius from their estates.

Rule of Discourse
The temple faction has the standard rules of discourse.

Control of the Temple Wilds where you have an HQ

4 Power worth of Distilled Prayers

Characters

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
Flower Breather, Fang An	Great	Healthy	2	2
Draiodhe, Lin Fen	Great	Healthy	2	2

Troops

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
Temple Guardians	Moderate	Healthy	1	2
Supplicants	Worst	Healthy	2	2

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There are less than five Oni in Pingliang, with no [Troops] among them

The Sorcerer Hunters have a Military Vehicle, a Tank, amongst their assets.

The Wildflowers get additional power from sold items.

The Wild Others are presently outside of the walls of Pingliang in the wilderness tiles.

There has been a powerful Seven Colored Dragon seen in the region

Dilemma

A man has come before you heavy and thick with a curse about his shoulders. With careful interrogation you uncover his heinous crime -- he did not respect his elders and instead harmed an elderly man, pushing him down a staircase in the schoolyard. He then insulted the old man for his feebleness. The curse laid on him makes his ankles weak such that it hurts to step and walk; he crawled his way up to the temple seeking freedom from this burden, and he has brought an offering; assorted ingredients worth 5 Power.

[ ] Take the offering, do nothing, his punishment is just. Gain 5 Power, lose some Karma

[ ] Refuse the offering and do nothing, his punishment is just. Gain some Karma

[ ] Take the offering and set him on a task to make restitution, breaking the curse to enable him to do so. Gain 5 Power now, gain some Karma, but a responsibility

[ ] Refuse the Offering and Break the curse.

Flower Breather, Fang An

Fang An came to the Temple after meeting Lin Fen on one of her wanderings, once a hostel, rather than a prison for the great Others of the reason it had fallen into disuse but still reported to hold some kind of captive. This served to keep others at arm's length, but the earnest and golden tongued Lin Fen was one mystery that Fang An couldn’t get enough of. They went to Pingliang together and haven’t left each other’s side since. Fang An’s practice is mostly tied to Flower breather practice, within her throat and lungs she converts air spirits into flowers. These flowers can have a variety of purposes, from distractions, to soporifics, to poisons.

Fang An can take a special action to fill a location [Target] with poisonous flowers, every unit other than her that is present will take two wounds. Every unit passing through will take one wound.

Fang An can take a special action to fill a location [Target] with soporific flowers for a turn, this will cause units acting in the tile to have a 50% chance of not undertaking their action, instead sleeping. Units passing through the tile have a 15% chance of being similarly stopped by the flowers. .

Fang An; a High Priestess and a Shaman; Flower Breather practices. She breathes in air and the spirits that collect in her lungs allow her to expel flowers for a variety of effects.

Draiodhe, Lin Fen.

Lin Fen has spent a lifetime devoted to the Kingtong Mountain range and its inhabitants. From the Giants and Primevals that once roamed but have lessened drastically. She doesn’t count as many friends as she may have once or even than her ancestors did, but there is still power in the nearby range, enough that she’s powerful for the provincial prefecture. She’s traveled to other ranges before to speak with the Others there and knows the proper procedures, offerings and methods for gaining their support – but not binding them.

If Lin Fen would lose a battle to an Other of greater than of Moderate Tier she instead negotiates to leave the conflict uninjured.

Lin Fen has an increased might to account for her connection to Giants and Primeval entities.

Temple Guardians

Well built and trained in guang-fu. They have devoted their minds and lives to purity and inner strength, waking every morning early to perform their taolu and work through strengthening exercises, working with the spirits and keeping the pilgrims that come to the temple safe. They’re peaceful, serene and confident, knowing that they can be a weapon if needed, but it’s pleasant to not need to turn to strength when softness will do. There are about ten of them which can be about the Temple's business. They stand out in their crimson yī-f, but they are well reported among the populace and known as friendly helping hands. .

Supplicants, The Shrinekeepers

The Shrinekeepers are a broad group of the willing and faithful of Pingliang, innocent and aware. They are civilians and they come everyday to tend to the shrines and assist the Temple in its needs. They aren’t formidable combatants, being more the common rabble. However there are quite a few of them working in service to the temple, meaning as an agglomerate they have an exceptional amount of self and toughness to be dispersed and are able to take more actions than usual for a [Troop] choice.

Unless a checkpoint is specifically stopping all civilians, Supplicants can’t be intercepted when moving to their target location to perform their activities. They may still be caught undertaking the action at the target location and stopped there.

The Shrine to Dreams
fragrant smoke falls over this shrine like a waterfall or a snake coiling down the length of it. Half told stories and carefully penned to a thousand scraps of parchment that shiver in an ephemeral breeze, covering the structure like the plumage of a sleeping chicken.

The Shrine to Lethargy

Soft silks and pillows festoon this tiny pagoda, draping it like a canopy over a bed. The small space is kept warm with heated offerings and the soft smell of incense.

The Shrine to Conflict

A small shrine littered with broken weapons, broken toys, broken promises and broken oaths. It collects spirits of conflict drawing them away from the city and to itself. It can be a place where people come to let go of animosity, or draw in strength to face trials to come.

The Shrine to Health

This is a small shrine of the Shou, a symbol of longevity with the circle of the five bats. It contains a symbol and a small altar for offerings for each of the five blessings of the Wu Fu. visitors frequently come and stop at each of its small stations to try to obtain blessings of health. It is a very popular shrine for pregnant mothers, the elderly, the infirm or the sick.

The Shrine to Curiosity

A small plinth festooned with odd bits and baubles. Small crystals catch the light in myriad ways and the pattern of shapes and light suggests something like a half dozen puzzles mashed together one step from completion.

The Temple: Turn 2

Most of the Celestial Bureaucracy’s accessible troops are scribes, investigators and diplomats – not the most combative set of folks.

The Celestial bureaucracy’s scribes have a special ability to search the detailed records in the central government to perform investigations from the safety of that location.

The Wild Others have only one unit of [Troops]

Ritual: The Dream Spying Ritual

You were investigated by: Xia Xiaotong, Qin Boqin, Tian Hai, Sun Huiqing and Long Lanfen of the Celestial Bureaucracy and, Liao Qingge of the Oni League

Current Assets

Faction Rule

The Temple shrines; The temple shrines gather spirits each turn, each turn each shrine can be dedicated to one of several functions:

Gather Power (This converts the gathered spirits into expendable power)
Enhance units (This enhances one of your units according to the spirits nature)
Defense (This enhances the defense of the territory)
Attack (this causes a strike in the nature of the spirits in a territory up to the Spirit’s power away)
Infuse Object – the gathered spirits enhance an object making it a single turn supernatural item
Infuse ritual: You may direct the shrines to empower rituals you conduct with their nature
Enter the spirit world; You may use all 5 shrines to conduct a ritual to enter the spirit world, this is different from entering the floating world in that you can remain in the spirit world for the entire investigation action being conducted – thereby bypassing risk of interception or interference at the site of the investigation.

Secret Objective

The temple can secure a Victory by removing the Wildflowers from all mercantile spaces, and displacing the Lius from their estates.

Rule of Discourse
The temple faction has the standard rules of discourse.

Characters

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
Flower Breather, Fang An	Great	Healthy	2	2
Draiodhe, Lin Fen	Great	Healthy	2	2

Troops

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
Temple Guardians	Moderate	Healthy	1	2
Supplicants	Worst	Healthy	2	2

Notable items

Control of the Temple Wilds where you have an HQ

6 Power worth of Distilled Prayers (4 starting, -4 Mandate, +3 Temple Wilds, +3 Ritual Temple Wilds)

5 Power worth of Potent Ingredients (Dilemma)

Total Loose Power: 11 Power

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Wild Others receive extra power when not subjected to contested claims

The Grand Secretary and his entourage are a Supreme level combatant

The Celestial Bureucracy’s Headquarters was at the Prefecture Palace, but they built a second one at the Central Government this turn.

The Oni League counts a Taotie; a Greedy Glutton and one of the Four Perils amongst its roster.

The Liu Family was badly damaged in the attack on turn 1

Results

Dilemma - The Cursed Man
You take the offering and Lin Fen breaks the curse with a word, calling on the Great Tortoise Sage of Wodang Mountain with a word and a snap, the power coming readily. You charge him to do services for nine elders, and to not reoffend for ninety nine days. And left him to go about making restitution. He left with a hop in his step joyously; if he breaks this compact, it’s likely to come back onto you.

1 - Patrol [Temple Wilds]

The Patrol keeps watch at the Temple and control of the Temple Wilds, none others come to contest control of the Territory, although a Hundun, one of the Four Perils, does pass overhead. And a young girl, claiming to be from the Oni League passes through and into the Temple Proper brandishing an agreement of free passage. She carefully inspect the shrines, not touching or disrupting them, claiming it is serving her purpose there and to obstruct her would be to break the agreement she wanted into the temple itself, studiously avoiding Fang An’s ritual and Lin Fen’s mandate, making no challenge. At one point the guard watching her loses sight, and she re-appears later emerging from the depths beneath the Temple and its most sacred Hallow.

As a matter of Law the Temple Guards are not able to obstruct challengers from appearing to make their challenges in approaching; they are free however to hassle them when leaving the site of the challenge; safe passage is to share the challenge, not back to wherever they were.

3 - Investigate: Where can we go to negotiate with the Supreme Seven Colored Dragon? [Temple Wilds]

Lin Fen asks the local spirits and Others, lesser that are nearby, she uncovers that the Dragon of Seven Colors is in the Steaming Lake fishing, but also hears about it being captured this turn by the Celestial Bureaucracy in its Jade Pagoda of Five Seals. The correct location to speak to the dragon, whose name is 希望的幸运彩虹 Xīwàng de xìngyùn cǎihóng “The Fortunate Rainbow of Hope”is now only possible if the Celestial Bureaucracy releases the dragon from it’s imprisonment in the Pagoda.

3 - Investigate: The Wild Flowers, What Assets and capabilities do the Wildflowers have? [Dreaming Market]

The supplicants spend a lot of time in the dreaming market watching the comings and goings and looking for members of the Wildflower Association; they find that most of the shops in the Dreaming Market are members, but the Association is led by a committee of three that do the heavy work of deciding what to do and how to do it. They discover the following about the Wildflowers:

They have three characters of prominence, a Peddler named Pai seems to be the strongest voice, though they have an Other and an aware, a Blacksmith named Guo in the ranks of the council.

They have two units of [Troops], one, a unit of burly enforcers that spent the week at the Inn Market “enrolling” them into the Wildflower association

The second is a group of errand-runners and shop minders, called the Dreaming Dashers about equivalent to your supplicants.

They have a number of magical items, having started with a stockpile of five, two have been sold; but they have ways to make and acquire more.

4 - Ritual: The Dream Spying Ritual

Fang An carefully and artfully arranges the ritual, setting the flows and spirits in their proper places, weaving a tapestry of smoke, vespers, karma and air. It is like working on a loom made of facets of reality, a thin piece of jade acting as a shuttle moving bits here and there in a complicated and balanced design. She speaks softly, measured a hymn in melody and intent drawing with words ambient spirits into the working.

The Ritual has had the following effects: Power obtained from the Temple Wilds by its owner has another instance (standard ritual bonus)

The Owner of the Temple Wilds territory will learn the name of Individuals who directly investigated the owner of the Temple Wilds in the Turn as well as the faction they belong to. Note: This does not return names of teams obtaining information through diplomacy or passive intelligence.

5 - Core Ritual: Mandate of Heaven; Ming Yun 命運

Lin Fen and Fang An got Lin Fen ready for her big ritual. This was something of a right of passage, a major step and a major milestone they were titillated to share. Lin Fen was wearing her best Ruqun, with a verdant dark green shanqun decorated with leaves, vines and twining primordial beasts at the hems, that seemed to wander when the eyes looked away and an deep scarlet aoqun with fish, great turtles and sea serpents and river gar dancing along the hems.

Fang An had brushed Lin Fen’s straight and glossy black hair until it shone like a mirror in the right light, a dark stygian mirror that spoke of a forest at midnight during the new moon. Her eyes were mischievous.

This would be one of many steps and it was a permanent one, settling into a place and a role carved out, a niche on a shelf, but one that should welcome her.

Before the other challengers have a chance to arrive, Fang An and the temple Guards assent “No Contest” to the challenge for the title boltering Lin Fen’s claim.

Challengers begin to arrive:

Wu Jinhai, Captain of this detachment of Sorcerer Hunters arrives to dispute the claim. He insists such a title would more naturally fall to himself, as a Master of Conflict and a Master of War, and that Diplomacy, negotiation are entwined as a core precept of every cessation of war, every peace that has ended with both sides living; he disputes the claim and insists this is improper. Unfortunately for Wu Jinhai, the spiritual inertia of previous victories greatly overwhelmed his comments. Lin Fen carefully indicated that she had dealt with gods, greater spirits, and sages. She had stopped and started wars, calmed beasts of great power and gained boons in the process. That first and foremost her role has been as a negotiator, before a warrior and before a leader. Wu Jinhai attempts to turn directly to combat and misestimates that prior to the ritual inertia they may have been peers, but in this moment garbed in Right, she is his superior. He is lightly injured in the ensuing conflict and ejected from the ritual space.

They propose a game, hoping for an out, involving diplomacy and combat using pieces that must be moved by proxies. She accepts.

Xuànfēng zhī yì is quick to nominate each other as a member of the flock, to be able to move the maximum number of pieces.

Write-in: The Fortune Shrine
Fang An, a skilled shaman, comes to assist in making the shrine, skillfully arranging the shrine according to Feng Shui principles. Settling the happy spirit comfortably into its place in the nest box. It playfully floats the three precious coins, adding their power to itself, where they float behind it like three tiny suns, or three abstracted tails. It gleefully, and mouthlessly devours the pork chop.

Flower Breather, Fang An

Fang An can take a special action to fill a location [Target] with poisonous flowers, every unit other than her that is present will take two wounds. Every unit passing through will take one wound.

Draiodhe, Lin Fen.

If Lin Fen would lose a battle to an Other of greater than of Moderate Tier she instead negotiates to leave the conflict uninjured.

Lin Fen has an increased might to account for her connection to Giants and Primeval entities.

Temple Guardians

Supplicants, The Shrinekeepers

The Shrine to Dreams

The Shrine to Lethargy

The Shrine to Conflict

The Shrine to Health

The Shrine to Curiosity

The Temple: Turn 3

The Sorcerer Hunters moved into the Alley of Awe on turn 2, constructing a base

The Sorcerer Hunters performed a ritual in A- The Outward Road

The Wild Others sent the same troop that had contented Lin Fen’s claim, to take both F-The Flop houses and E- the School Yard

Ritual: The Dream Spying Ritual

You were not investigated this turn.

Current Assets

Faction Rule

The Temple shrines; The temple shrines gather spirits each turn, each turn each shrine can be dedicated to one of several functions:

Gather Power (This converts the gathered spirits into expendable power)
Enhance units (This enhances one of your units according to the spirits nature)
Defense (This enhances the defense of the territory)
Attack (this causes a strike in the nature of the spirits in a territory up to the Spirit’s power away)
Infuse Object – the gathered spirits enhance an object making it a single turn supernatural item
Infuse ritual: You may direct the shrines to empower rituals you conduct with their nature
Enter the spirit world; You may use all 5 shrines to conduct a ritual to enter the spirit world, this is different from entering the floating world in that you can remain in the spirit world for the entire investigation action being conducted – thereby bypassing risk of interception or interference at the site of the investigation.

Secret Objective

The temple can secure a Victory by removing the Wildflowers from all mercantile spaces, and displacing the Lius from their estates.

Rule of Discourse
The temple faction has the standard rules of discourse.

Characters

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
Flower Breather, Fang An	Great	Healthy	2	2
Draiodhe, Lin Fen	Great	Healthy	2	2

Troops

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
Temple Guardians	Moderate	Healthy	1	2
Supplicants	Worst	Healthy	2	2

Notable items

Control of the Temple Wilds where you have an HQ

6 Power worth of Distilled Prayers (6 S, -3 Lin Fen V, -3 Rit, +3 Temple Wilds, +3 Ritual Temple Wilds)

0 Power worth of Potent Ingredients (5 S, -5 Enh Fang An J)

15 Power in Yin-Infused sentiment (+15 Call for Help)

Total Loose Power: 21 Power

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A Mysterious peddler, unaffiliated with the Wildflowers was seen at the dock this week.

The Wandtering Youxia is a Great combatant; It seems like ill luck he was at the Palace that day.

The Oni League has the ability to use another faction’s bases as its own for a turn, at a cost

A powerful augur, an older woman to tells fortunes for pay slept in the J-Liu Estate this turn; if wakeful odds are Fang An would have encountered her and had the opportunity to learn a fortune. She’s not very fast and can only move one space a turn. She’s likely moving towards either I-The Alley of Awe or V-the Prefecture Palace

Wild Others were seen moving en masse across R - Century Park, for parts north.

Results

1 - Patrol C

The Patrol is uneventful. No one bothers the serenity of the temple and with many outside the walls of the edifice it feels more empty and hollow than usual. There are no foes to battle here, no passerby, just the occasional worshiper. That serenity is shattered with the sound of explosions coming from the Outlying farms, but wherever disaster occurred out there causing midday thunder, it doesn’t intrude more than sonically into the serenity of the Temple Wilds.

3 - Investigate: Where is the vault that stores the Bureaucracies Treasures of Heaven and Mandate? [Central Government]

Enhanced and ready with their cover determined, the Supplicants do their best to infiltrate. Unfortunately the Central Government is locked down tightly. Patrols of Town Guard, Cavalry and Tian Fa himself check the paperwork, and purpose of each visitor – even the cover of the scribes is insufficient under the withering glare of the Grand Secretary; they weren’t even assigned here this week.

At every attempt they meet smiling, armed guards who direct them back and away from the government building; under high security. It’s particularly grating to witness the Hundun be invited inside, personally escorted by Tian Fa wielding the Lotus Lantern, but to an attempt an attack would be suicide.

They are stymied in the attempt by the multiple active patrols.

Special Action - Soporific Flowers [Liu Estate]

Fang An makes her way to the Liu Estate to breathe a soporific mist; coating the entire estate in lavender dusk lily pollen. Enhanced by lethargy, she’s certain anyone acting within the territory or even passing through it to parts elsewhere would find themselves in a dreamless sleep for most of the week.

She walks empty halls and only finds sleeping retainers and common folk; it appears the Liu fully abandoned the J - Liu Estate for the week, and the estate itself is in shambles, unfit to be called a residence, much less a base.

Write-in - Hope’s Rallying Call

Lin Fen reaches out for her contacts, great and small; to see who would come to the aid of the captured dragon. Dragons are creatures of singular power, long lived, wise but frequently solitary, lonesome. They tend to keep little company. Fewer who could truly call them friends and only the loftiest of existences that could call them peers. No answer returns, no horn sounds for Gondor in this hour, however a number of hangers on and acquaintances send bits and bobs of power, not coming with their bodies, or approaching with their Selves, but sending inklings, support, positive yin energy. And that wells into the Temple to spend as it can to assist in freeing the Dragon.

Write-in - Palace Negotiations

Lin Fen makes her way in her best Qipao to the Prefecture Palace and is delighted to find both the object of her attention (The Jade Pagoda containing Xīwàng de xìngyùn cǎihóng) and only a single team of Scribes, the same in fact that investigated the Temple last turn, to be in possession of it. She was negotiating circles around them; not to mention in a brawl she could absolutely take the Pagoda, almost getting them to surrender it to her of their own recognizance, all claim, connection, ties, everything. When the Wandering Youxia intervened. He took issue with the strong taking from the weak, as the entire affair was very lopsided against the scribes (who cowered behind him, like children hiding behind their mother’s skirts – except the scribes are full grown adults). This turns it to a more even match; she does prevent them from performing any useful work – at a glance they were looking at methods of tapping, binding, suborning or otherwise enslaving it; including Adopting it as a guardian, with or without its consent. And if not, methods of a more permanent binding outside the Pagoda.

It’s clear they didn’t get far before she arrived, and the time spent arguing with the Youxia means they made it not a step further.

Write-in - Piling Paperwork

The Prefecture palace is well defended this turn with multiple armed patrols; unable to clear the first hurdle to get into the facility itself due to watchful, trained professionals serving as bouncers at more than a match for the supplicants they were unable to create a window to infiltrate. Perhaps if the area had been more lightly guarded it might have succeeded.

Write-in - The Hoax Ritual: Part 1 of 3 Gestation

Fang An begins the ritual; a summoning by any other name perhaps, drawing vespers and dream, taking the barest moreself of power only a whisper more than a basic protective ward would cost; a fleeting thring, sketching out the shape of it, of an idea of rumor; she’s conversant with spirits, but not formally trained in a way that’d lend itself to bugge’s or more esoteric types of creature; but she does her best to weft things together, weaving life as on a loom, threading constituent components in a pattern, knitting a web through key chakras to capture the essence of the thing, the form and the shape – what’s left is a whisper, to grow into something with quiddity, likely weaker than herself she estimates it would still take two more rituals, but a truly momentous amount of power; likely 50 Power to reach on Other of only Moderate power. For something Great it would probably take on the order of a 100 Power; she shudders to think what trying to birth a being of Supreme might would take.

[Write-in] Feng Shui Advice to the Wildflower’s HQ

Fang An takes a look at their design and make correction, adjusting the spiritual flows to better suit the Wildflowers needs, it looks like their trying to set up a shop to Wander, which is exceptionally tricky from a Feng Sui perspective because the exact positioning relative to the cardinal directions may be inconstant.

Dilemma - The Cursed Man 2

Kang Mengyao has been a bad man, unobserved and unwatched hardly before a fortnight is out he has reoffended; impatiently waiting for an Elder to climb the stairs he pushed her down; and the karmic backlash has whipped back to the Temple, striking Lin Fen with a visible welt across her cheek like the snap of a whip. She’s been weakened by this temporarily; but the way through is to mete justice to the offender.

The problem is; where has Kang Mengyao gotten himself to? Last seen in E-The Schoolyard. He’s a frequent drinker in P- the Inn Market and either lives in F-the Flop Houses, O - Thieves Row or M - the Slinking Slum.

Justice must be meted out to him and he's unlikely to turn himself in.

Lin Fen’s might has been temporarily reduced; You may select one to attempt to catch Kang Mengyao without taking actions; to search additional locations; assign actions to this dilemma

[ ] E-The Schoolyard; Both of his offenses occurred here; watch for him here

[ ] P- the Inn Market; Go to his favorite bar, the Hoppy Frog and see if he shows

[ ] F-the Flop Houses; Look for his home to catch him where he sleeps

[ ] O - Thieves Row, Look for his home to catch him where he sleeps

[ ] M - the Slinking Slum., Look for his home to catch him where he sleeps

[ ] L - the Steaming Lake, if he likes to fish, he might be out of the Lake.

Flower Breather, Fang An

Fang An can take a special action to fill a location [Target] with poisonous flowers, every unit other than her that is present will take two wounds. Every unit passing through will take one wound.

Draiodhe, Lin Fen.

If Lin Fen would lose a battle to an Other of greater than of Moderate Tier she instead negotiates to leave the conflict uninjured.

Lin Fen has an increased might to account for her connection to Giants and Primeval entities.

Temple Guardians

Supplicants, The Shrinekeepers

The Shrine to Dreams

The Shrine to Lethargy

The Shrine to Conflict

The Shrine to Health

The Shrine to Curiosity

The Temple: Turn 4

The Grand Secretary. Tian Fa recognized the creature that the Oni brought once they got to the vault.

The rules the Oni operate by must change every turn, the special Other for this turn cannot be remade next turn.

The Wild Others have a massive stockpile of power; more than fifty.

Ritual: The Dream Spying Ritual

You were investigated by Peng Xiaosheng, Fan Rong, Dai Qiu, Ding Bohai, Chen Biya, Tao, Wenqian, Hu Fenfang, Jin Baozhai, Mao Yuanjun, Tang Yusheng, Yang Ling, Yin He, Xiang Jingfei, Yu Niu, Pan Zhilan, Tan Xiu, Yi Hui, Yi Nianzu, Ye Ya

A few of the names are recognizable to your congregation as belonging to the Inspectors or the group of Diplomats that the Celestial Bureaucracy sent to your doorstep. This week.

Current Assets

Faction Rule

The Temple shrines; The temple shrines gather spirits each turn, each turn each shrine can be dedicated to one of several functions:

Gather Power (This converts the gathered spirits into expendable power)
Enhance units (This enhances one of your units according to the spirits nature)
Defense (This enhances the defense of the territory)
Attack (this causes a strike in the nature of the spirits in a territory up to the Spirit’s power away)
Infuse Object – the gathered spirits enhance an object making it a single turn supernatural item
Infuse ritual: You may direct the shrines to empower rituals you conduct with their nature
Enter the spirit world; You may use all 5 shrines to conduct a ritual to enter the spirit world, this is different from entering the floating world in that you can remain in the spirit world for the entire investigation action being conducted – thereby bypassing risk of interception or interference at the site of the investigation.

Secret Objective

The temple can secure a Victory by removing the Wildflowers from all mercantile spaces, and displacing the Lius from their estates.

Rule of Discourse
The temple faction has the standard rules of discourse.

Characters

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
Flower Breather, Fang An	Great	Injured	2	2
Draiodhe, Lin Fen	Great	Injured	2	2

Troops

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
Temple Guardians	Moderate	Healthy	1	2
Supplicants	Worst	Healthy	2	2

Notable items

Control of the Temple Wilds where you have an HQ
The Fascinating Sphere; Power 3 Stolen

0 Power worth of Distilled Prayers (6 S, +3 C, +3 Rit, -6 Rit)

0 Power in Yin-Infused sentiment (15 S, -3 Oni League, –9 Action, -3 Rit )

0 Power in Sorcerous Gifts (+3 SH, -1 Range, -1 Action, -1 Rit)

0 Power in Collective Offerings (+1 CB, +2 Liu, +3 Oni, +3 WO, -9 Rit)

0 Power in Purified Salt (+1 WF, -1 Rit)

Total Loose Power: 0 Power

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Wildflowers only have bases in the G-Dreaming Market where their wares and stockpile of wealth is kept.

The Grand Secretary is the last unit to be assigned injuries or consequences when working with allied units.

The Celestial Bureucracy’s Diplomats may accompany another unit to allow it to bypass blockades, patrols or interceptions with their honeyed words.

The Temple have a relic that can sever souls and shift the weight of consequences onto them,

A Liu scion determined to prove himself is pursuing a Mandate, and has made a sign to deter weak characters and civilians to challenge him

Results

1 - Patrol C; Temple guardians

Your temple guardians take a stern eye to “bouncing” for the event, serving as stalwart and friendly pillars of security in the flowing streams of humanity as folk from Pingliang make their way up to the Temple for the party, and the ritual. They run into trouble with the sheer volume of attendants. This is not assisted when two groups of Celestial Bureaucracy forces arrive for an impromptu inspection; they do their best to provide the security services they have been assigned; but the perspicacity, persistence and puissance of the invading forces proves to be more than the temple guard can stymie and agents slip into the event.

What they know, you don’t know. Who they are is revealed by your ongoing ritual.

Otherwise the event is undisturbed by transit or other actors – the investigators do not take active action to disrupt the ritual.

2 - Attack H, Lin Fen, Fang An

Lin Fen and Fang An meet up with a beast of an Oni, A creature of fur and scale and shell nearly twelve feet tall, it’s midsection a drill like protrusion of carapace that had cracks and hinges, opening wide to a maw that a horse could ride into and be swallowed. In a paw that makes it look like a normal, petite bite sized soup dumpling, when in all actuality it was bigger than Fang An’s head.

The Wildflowers informed them the dragon was in the Central Government; they surmised in their redoubt, probably upstairs while the Vault was in the basem*nt.

Things started to go wrong when approaching from the floating world, this should have got them to the doorstep of the Celestial Bureaucracies redoubt in the H- Central Government. Instead there was a sound of children’s laughter and they found themselves suddenly, all together corporated in the plaza before the building, wide open in plain view of teeming masses of the citizenry of Pingliang making their way to both sets of festivals.

Fang An, Lin Fen, and the Oni creature that called itself the Taoqi.

Bedlam erupted; there was mounted cavalry nearby, the creature eliciting screams from the humans nearby who sought to flee. The battle was joined with the Grand Secretary, Tian Fa whose words were like iron, and skill like jade and mercury – the pattern and precedent that a simple line took the bearing of Law, immutable to the spirits. The Taoqi, however, bulled through those limitations, casting aside law, rule, burden and punishment.

The battle continued through the structure, the Grand Secretary very spry, practically an aerial dancer between the columns of the entryway, taking stairs as if suspended from wires. The battle rages through the archive; where the Jade Pagoda is snatched by the Taoqi; tearing through the frail scribes like a scythe through wheat.

Fang An goes to use the sphere to push them from being able to provide any resistance, only to find it missing, from when she couldn’t say – she was certain she left the Temple with it.

The Wandering Youxia chooses this moment to enter the fray, wandering in through the carnage to fight a monster.

And children underfoot with twine and traps and mischievous eyes; the battle, a tumult, rolls down the stairs in a ball of blows, callings, conjurations and adamant law. In the basem*nt the Taoqi grabs handfuls of treasure, injuries flow all around the Taoqi taking the strike of a jade fan, bleeding above the eye – a guard catches a blade on Fang An, Lin fen takes a crossbow bolt to the hand.

Within the vault beyond the Loose power the Oni are able to gather, armfuls of it is a Jade Seal, but no mandate document. It’s not present – but with the way the Celestial Bureaucracy is defending the site, it wouldn’t be elsewhere.

It must be missing.

They fight their way to freedom and return to their own territories to heal their wounds.

The Meddling Kids have perished.

Lin Fen is injured.

Fang An is injured.

The Taoqi is injured

The Scribe Brigade is badly injured

Celestial Bureucracy’s base in H - Central Government has been destroyed

The Oni absconded with the Jade Pagoda with the dragon inside it.

The Oni absconded with 15 Power in Celestial Plunder.

There was a magical artifact in the vault claiming to be the Seal required to activate the Mandate of Heaven; this was found to be a fake with tracking enchantments on it, and was destroyed.

WI - Hoax Ritual Part 2

The ritual is a riotous party; drawing in energies from celebrants, participants and the donations given by each of the other factions, unknowingly for this purpose. Lin Fen and Fang An begin to build a scaffolding for their daughter – a child of both of their minds connected and birthed through their labour, blood and sweat and other things spent to bring her into fruition. They call on contacts spiritual, and physical using only what is freely given.

The speed at which she will grow is months to years, as any child does; the efforts and power poured into the well that she is, filling her out, bringing her more into coporaiety. Lin Fen, weakened as she is, assesses that if the child were to be born next week, 10 power would push her into Moderate as an Other, while 60 remains to make her begin her life with the leg up of being truly Great. Always wanting the best for her child with Fang An, she considers both the nature of the child, as well as where she might obtain such riches – given the bare vaults only returned fifteen power to the Oni League, some percentage, preferably all should come to her and their child.

The Wild Others have controlled much territory unobstructed, and may have significant reserves of power – they could certainly stand to welcome a sibling; and provide a gift for it’s nativity.

The Wildflowers, merchants, similarly may have significant stores of wealth – and as far as the dreaming dasher could say only had bases in one location, a location that now contained two rituals.

WI - Attempting to Apprehend Kang Mengyao

Lin Fen calls on her contacts to search as swiftly as they can for a man named Kang Mengyao in the locations specified. They manage to search the Inn Market, the Flop houses and the Steaming lake; but do not locate Kang Mengyao in their survey. Their otherworldly nature has spooked some of the locals in those areas, as well as their quick questioning to look for the missing miscreant.

LIn Fen’s might remains reduced.

Mandate Challenge: The Ultimate Duelist.

The next challenger to arrive is Lin Fen; a High Priestess of the Temple; a Great Practitioner and holder of the mandate “The Great Negotiator; Master of Conflict.” Tang can tell she has been weakened, perhaps by the yang glove, perhaps by some other source, potentially karmic – but the match is nearly fair, the ritual bolstering him slightly. She asks for a challenge of words, for negotiating the terms of the a duel, or a choice of weapons in their infinite variety is something the Ultimate duelist should be able to do Tang demurs, the Negotiator is her title, it is a small component of this, for if the discussion stopped at negotiation, then he would not be a duelist at all. In the end they settle on a match, non-lethal to a touch. Tang is in top form, dodging manifested limbs from distant others, power called down from Giants and primevals, partially phasing, ghostlike, his own limbs through the floating world to pass through the tangle of teeth, claws and limbs. He manages to score a touch with the glove, and Lin Fen leaves, slightly diminished. A victory by inches.

Flower Breather, Fang An

Fang An can take a special action to fill a location [Target] with poisonous flowers, every unit other than her that is present will take two wounds. Every unit passing through will take one wound.

Draiodhe, Lin Fen.

If Lin Fen would lose a battle to an Other of greater than of Moderate Tier she instead negotiates to leave the conflict uninjured.

Lin Fen has an increased might to account for her connection to Giants and Primeval entities.

Temple Guardians

Supplicants, The Shrinekeepers

The Fascinating Sphere; Power 3

The Shrine to Dreams

The Shrine to Lethargy

The Shrine to Conflict

The Shrine to Health

The Shrine to Curiosity

The Temple: Turn 5

The Wild Other’s ritual was similar to yours, their Other also emerged as a Moderate.

Liu Tang has stolen more Toughness than might; so much so that he would rival some inhuman Others for durability.

Wu Jinhai was weakened by the Liu

Ritual: The Dream Spying Ritual

No One was detected investigating the temple this turn

Current Assets

Faction Rule

The Temple shrines; The temple shrines gather spirits each turn, each turn each shrine can be dedicated to one of several functions:

Gather Power (This converts the gathered spirits into expendable power)
Enhance units (This enhances one of your units according to the spirits nature)
Defense (This enhances the defense of the territory)
Attack (this causes a strike in the nature of the spirits in a territory up to the Spirit’s power away)
Infuse Object – the gathered spirits enhance an object making it a single turn supernatural item
Infuse ritual: You may direct the shrines to empower rituals you conduct with their nature
Enter the spirit world; You may use all 5 shrines to conduct a ritual to enter the spirit world, this is different from entering the floating world in that you can remain in the spirit world for the entire investigation action being conducted – thereby bypassing risk of interception or interference at the site of the investigation.

Secret Objective

The temple can secure a Victory by removing the Wildflowers from all mercantile spaces, and displacing the Lius from their estates.

Rule of Discourse
The temple faction has the standard rules of discourse.

Characters

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
Flower Breather, Fang An	Great	Badly Injured	1	2
Draiodhe, Lin Fen	Great	Badly injured	2	2
Linfang Qi	Moderate	Healthy	1	4

Troops

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
Temple Guardians	Moderate	Healthy	1	2
Supplicants	Worst	Injured	2	2

Notable items

Control of the C- Temple Wilds, H -Central Government, L- The Steaming Lake,
You have an HQ in the Temple Wilds

The camel's straw: Power 1

Bad Omen Salt Cellar; power 3

+30 Control CG

+6 Control L

+6 Control C

+15 WO Payment

+10 Celestial plunder (Oni)

+5 Liu

+3 Shines

+5 WF

77 Power

-3 Healing Lin Fen, Defense of C

-5 healing Fang An

-3 Might Lin Fen Defense C

-3 Might Fang An, (Salt Cellar) Defense

-3 Might Attack H Fang An

-2 Range Supplicants

-10 Action Fang An

-1 drain

-30

I think there’s a math mistake in the table. I’ve looked at the document; and is the misunderstanding that might boosts only last per action?

I’ve taken each line that says “+3 Power might boost” as spending three power, the salt cellar can only be used once, I’ve applied it to the defense of the ritual (this turns out to be critical to not having the ritual be more compromised than the CB/SH coalition was able to achieve). I have not also spend the self, as at the time of Calculation doing so does not have a significant impact on the result of the ritual, and would lead to the death of either or both of Fang An and Lin Fen.

=47 -47 ritual = 0 Power

I’ll also note that some of the power you were expecting did not arrive. The Oni sent 10 (not 15). The shrines can either provide power, or infuse, or empower. Not all three simultaneously. So I’ve made the assumption you chose three to provide power in the above, while the health and lethargy were used for boosts.

Total Loose Power: 0 Power

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The sorcerer Hunter’s tank was damaged by the dragon at the Respectable Homes

The Taotie can eat magical potent foes it captures to permanently raise it’s stats.

The Jade Pagoda is no more because the Taotie ate it.

The horsehair plume enhances the might of each troop unit allied to the wielder in the conflict the wielder is in; captain Wu Jinhai has a similar ability that stack.

The Docks were undefended.

Results

1- Patrol | The Great Conflict of the Temple

Ling Fen and Fang An stood atop the Temple Hill, as the rising terrain led to the mountainous northeast. Sentinel trees stood in a dense wood around the temple like silent guardians, spears thrust upward to marshal against their foes. The ritual was far along, the air pregnant with their intent.

And here they’d have to defend her, while she was not yet born, to ensure that she could be. They’d sent their supplicants away, not wishing to endanger them in the conflict; and sent the Temple Guardian’s away, who tearfully left the High Priestesses to see it through against what was expected to be a mounting storm. The two of them together. Fang An and Lin Fen. Fang An twined her hands in Lin Fen’s, blinking back a tear; there was no one else she’d rather stand against the world with; it felt an injustice that one of the ways they could have a child, something they sacrificed so much for, would be denied them. But what are mothers if not protectors of their infants?

Girded as best they could, still injured, but healed lightly. They waited.

The first to come were Captain Wu Jinhai, his cloak of medals shrinking like scale, wearing a horsehair plumed helmet that burned like a sun, a shock of fire red like a banner trailing behind it. He was accompanied by a dozen men astride horses from the Celestial Bureaucracy. And alongside them Liu; A middle aged woman, Fang An judged, with a wicked black chain, that seemed to writhe like an eel or Lamprey in her hands, and a crew of thugs.

Lin Fen called on her friends, mentors, and debtees burning through promises and favors, taking on Oaths and burdens; appendages of primevals ripped into the scene, space distorting as creatures of great power expended Self to bridge space and participate here, at her fall.

Fang An felt like a dragon herself and breathed, coating the battlefield in Hexagram 18 Heat Miasma a white deathly smoke rolling down the hill like a bank of fog.

The battle was joined; the fighting fierce. The Oni’s Taotie arrived to assist, injured, and was injured further supporting them.

It looks like all would be lost; but then a turn happened, the Liu woman turned on Captain Wu Jinhai whipping the chain for his neck. It Burned to Fang An’s sight a shackle with names engraved, and an empty space for one more. It’s spirits were grasping hands as it moved like a live thing, he deflected another strike with his sword, and came back at her. The crew falling upon the cavalry.

This was a reversal, and it seemed the temple would emerge victorious.

But then another change happened. From Behind them Tian Fa, the grand secretary entered the fray; having circled to the far side of the temple to attack. His garments were spotless as if he hadn’t been traipsing about the deep woods. His words carried a weight to them as immutable as the laws of gravity. Lines he set seemed impenetrable barriers as he began to close off the apertures wrought by Lin Fen’s partial callings. They were worked backwards, and as opponents reoriented on the new fray one more came to the field; the Sealers exiting the Temple.

Lousy with traces of bad omens.

Fang An screamed.

Lin Fen, usually unflappable startled. And dug deep into her well of power. The fury of a mother whose child has been injured is a fearsome thing to behold, she fought with all the ferocity of the Qiongqi on the hunt, a beast of visceral pure hate and wickedness.

Drawing deep into her diaphragm for the most noxious of flowers, the cruelest of poisons, to stain the very earth of the hill in a spiralling pattern of purple, black and white. “Let it be called a painted mountain” She spat.

Yet in this the forces, enhanced in each side by practices, Tian Fa glowing with spent power and purpose they were matched.

But in this case, a match was not enough; a match fed into the power of the Camel’s Straw, and inch by painstaking inch the temple began to take ground.

Wu Jinhai called a retreat; he and his allies disengaging, fading back into the wilds, bruised, and bloody. The Liu melted back into the city through the wet market frustrated in their purpose.

In the extreme, Fang An and Lin Fen hadn’t noticed their injuries; now close to death. Fang An collapsed, drained. “I can’t, I can’t …” She cried. Unable to speak the words. But Lin Fen understood.

“My Love” She spoke, softly, iron in silk. “I will check and come back to you; Our daughter will live. I swear to you.” She disengaged, stalking into the temple grounds. Leaving Fang An, drained, dying, perhaps never to see her again, to see if their daughter lived. Her heart fluttering all the while, the thousand beats of a hummingbird between each step.

Fang An has survived but is Badly Injured, Lin Fen has Survived, but is Badly Injured. There were injuries dealt to the Sorcerer Hunters and the Allied side; The Taotie was injured.

See Write-in - The Hoax Ritual: Part 3 of 3 Apotheosis for the status of their daughter.

1 - Patrol | The Central Government Takeover

The Patrol of the central government goes smoothly; aside from the encounter with the Addled Augur (see Dilemma) no one contests the control. The Sorcerer Hunters rode through on the warpath, including the tank, but the patrolling forces did not intercept them.

1- Patrol | The Steaming Lake

The patrol in the steaming lake goes splendidly, no one arrives to contest their presence and they are quickly able to establish the temple’s ownership and direct the flow of karma and power from the territory back to the temple's coffers.

They witness two things while there; the first is that there is a ritual in place that they are able to take over, but that the Wild Other’s second ritual will permanently occupy the second ritual slot without providing additional power.

The second is a massive vortex, like the steaming lake is a massive bowl of noodles being spun with an invisible ladle the size of the reported dragon, from within the vortex the Other is called through a massive aquatic creature, about as large as three horses from nose to tail.

It follows the three legged crow back to the south where the Supplicants lose track of it.

2 - Attack Kang Mengyao - Supplicants | 1 Action

The supplicants are told that Kang Mengyao is in the slums, and they begin their search they manage to locate him after much hardship at the fighting ring, he’s watching and gambling on the games.

When they offer him a drink, he declines, as he has money riding on the fight and he doesn’t know them.

The supplicants decide to wait for him to exit. Time makes a fool of all of us, and the operation is not equipped with sufficient facilities, when he exits to relieve himself in the nearby stinking alley that appears to be common practice, they catch him, literally with his pants down. He pisses all over himself as they drag him back to the Temple.

See Kang Mengyao II in dilemmas for more.

2 - Attack Yao Gen the Thief - Temple Guardians

Pai's locator compass pointed him and his team to the I-Alley of Awe, and they quickly set off to intercept the furtive thief.

The Hundun came tumbling down from the sky like a rolling furry boulder directly towards the exchange, each of its six claws doing something different, but at least one grasping in seizing motions.

A knife wheeled through the air on a horizontal parabolic arc.

4- Ritual Central Government's

The patrol at the central government met with success, Fang An was able to complete the ritual and enhance the defense of the territory. Attacking units will suffer a malus to take the territory. Equivalent to an Awful opponent.

Write-in - The Hoax Ritual: Part 3 of 3 Apotheosis

The ritual takes all of the power the temple has been able to gather, promises, Oaths, pledges, offerings, building into a crescendo after three weeks of sacrifices. A daughter to Lin Fen and Fang An is born, and an inhabitant for the womb beneath the Temple. She’s born nearly grown; appearing human having blended features from both of her parents. She is a Lesser divinity, of Conflict and Dreams, Linfang Qi 猩红的秘密 Xīnghóng de mìmì “Scarlet Secret”; her last name being a merge of her parents, as they could not decide which to call her and she cares for both her mothers.

Unfortunately the Sealers of the Sorcerer Hunters were able to dose the ritual liberally with Omen Salt in the conflict, this has had deleterious effects on the teenage looking godling’s health and wellness, giving her a gloomy affect, more blacks than more colorful options.

Kang Mengyao II

You have now captured the malefactor who you are responsible for, who did not do as instructed and instead broke your trust which led to a karmic penalty being levied against his liberator. Now the question becomes what is justice? The temple is responsible for him and his actions, hence the punishment – clearly Kang Mengyao is unrepentant, but does slaying or injuring him absolve the responsibility? Does it cure it? Or does it leave it firmly in place as the correction required and responsibility owned was not discharged.

[ ] Beat him to an inch of his life and roll him down the temple stairs; maybe if he’s in a way he’ll learn some sympathy. Maybe that’s justice.

[ ] Enroll him in remedial classes and assign watchers to him, assign units to this dilemma each turn to watch Kang Mengyao and make certain he is living to his responsibility until his is reformed or enough smacks upside the head get the message through.

[ ] Execute him, the only way he can do no more wrong is if he is in the grave.

The Addled Augur

If you are willing to entertain her offers you may buy from her any or all of the following;

[ ] She can tell you of a future problem you will face for 3 Power; indicate a turn – this unit cannot be intercepted by patrols to get to it’s target during the indicated turn

[ ] She can peer into the past for 3 Power. Name a character and a turn, she can tell you where they were

[ ] She can look for the lines of fate; Providing cryptic advice about goals for 5 Power; Indicate a character or a faction, and she will provide a meandering statement about their goals

Flower Breather, Fang An

Fang An can take a special action to fill a location [Target] with poisonous flowers, every unit other than her that is present will take two wounds. Every unit passing through will take one wound.

Draiodhe, Lin Fen.

If Lin Fen would lose a battle to an Other of greater than of Moderate Tier she instead negotiates to leave the conflict uninjured.

Lin Fen has an increased might to account for her connection to Giants and Primeval entities.

Temple Guardians

Supplicants, The Shrinekeepers

The Shrine to Dreams

The Shrine to Lethargy

The Shrine to Conflict

The Shrine to Health

The Shrine to Curiosity

Lesser divinity, of Conflict and Dreams, Linfang Qi 猩红的秘密

Xīnghóng de mìmì “Scarlet Secret”

A teenage girl who looks to be seventeen with dark hair, and dark eyes; her skin is like imperial ivory, and her affect is dark and dreary, dreams, conflicts, nightmares. A black Qipao and black Ji, her hair is messy wanging in sheets from which she peers out cautiously. Tainted with dark omens, the embroidery on her outfit forms symbols of skulls, bowstring snakes, Bi Yi Birds. Gloomy, like an overcast sky on a tombstone. Her features take after her mothers, and she greets them softly, her voice coarse like it has inhaled much smoke, in the air of an opium den, and her eyes hood. She is young as a divinity, newly formed with incomplete knowledge and tainted by foul omens.

Linfang Qi brings the floating world closer to the real world around her, reveling in its watercolor possibilities; warbands containing Linfang Qi can enter the floating world for free.

Territories Linfang Qi takes actions in pay only half as much Power, as conflict prevents the normal flow of trade and value.

Linfang Qi has been tainted by Bad Omen salt units acting in the same territory as her are prone to misfortune, including allied units. In any territory she’s active in, one randomly selected unit will take a wound (she is not immune to this effect).

The camel's straw: Power 1

A long frond that appears to positively glimmer with spirits of imbalance, prone to tipping scales.

The unit wielding this item will win ties as if it had +1 to its might score.

In cases where forces are not tied it does not have an effect.

The Temple: Turn 6

The Liu attempted a major ritual in M-Slinking Slum and meant to invest 25 power into it.

The Liu completed an Adoption Ritual for the Chain of Failure, enhancing it’s capabilities.

Liu Tang draws an opponent into the floating world to duel in battles he’s set to lose trading his participation in larger objectives for the ability to likely count a win against a single opponent in the warband.

Ritual: The Dream Spying Ritual

No One was detected investigating the temple this turn

Current Assets

Faction Rule

The Temple shrines; The temple shrines gather spirits each turn, each turn each shrine can be dedicated to one of several functions:

Gather Power (This converts the gathered spirits into expendable power)
Enhance units (This enhances one of your units according to the spirits nature)
Defense (This enhances the defense of the territory)
Attack (this causes a strike in the nature of the spirits in a territory up to the Spirit’s power away)
Infuse Object – the gathered spirits enhance an object making it a single turn supernatural item
Infuse ritual: You may direct the shrines to empower rituals you conduct with their nature
Enter the spirit world; You may use all 5 shrines to conduct a ritual to enter the spirit world, this is different from entering the floating world in that you can remain in the spirit world for the entire investigation action being conducted – thereby bypassing risk of interception or interference at the site of the investigation.

Secret Objective

The temple can secure a Victory by removing the Wildflowers from all mercantile spaces, and displacing the Lius from their estates.

Rule of Discourse
The temple faction has the standard rules of discourse.

Characters

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
Flower Breather, Fang An	Great	Dead	1	2
Draiodhe, Lin Fen	Great	Badly injured	2	2
Linfang Qi	Moderate	Injured	1	3

Troops

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
Temple Guardians	Moderate	Dead	1	2
Supplicants	Worst	Badly injured	2	2

Notable items

Control of the C- Temple Wilds,
You have an HQ in the Temple Wilds

The camel's straw: Power 1

+9 C Temple Wilds

-3 Wound Resist Linfang Qi

-4 Wound Resist and Range for the Temple Guardians

-15 Aura of Vitality Ritual

-1 Range supplicants

-1 Power Liu practices, -2 Lawbreaking

Total: -17

17 Self is drawn from your assets.

Total Loose Power: 0 Power

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Linfang Qi is much Tougher than an average Human; and has had significant Self drawn this turn.

Liu Tang is both Mightier and Tougher than Linfang Qi.

The Wildflowers obtained a treasure of great value.

Tian Fa is badly wounded.

Auntie Liu Mai is badly wounded.

Results

Dilemma Choice(s):

Kang Mengyao II

You bring Kang Mengyao before the shrine of Vitality, and while this is not your specialty you make do. It’s rough and brutish, knives open veins and symbols are painted in his blood, viscera is extracted as the man babbles and cries, tears paint the shrine, sweat, urine, blood.

The Law of Pingliang strikes,”Do not draw on someone else’s Self in a ritual without the other party’s informed consent.” and it would be impossible to get Kang Mengyao’s self; power is drawn from Fang An, and she collapses, a husk the last of her Self taken for the transgression.

Lin Fen is furious and continues the activity, viciously punishing Kang Mengyao as proxy for her fallen lover as her own tears streak her face, mixing with Kang Mengyao’s fluids. He was their responsibility, one that they failed to take into account, a stone around their necks. Would that he would drown, but karmically negative as she is, she cannot take that chance.

She entrusts his care to the supplicants at the top of the stairs, then goes to mourn Fang An.

Outcome

Drawing power from an unwilling victim violates the Law of Pingliang; as a result the Law of Pingliang detracted 1 Power from your reserve.

Fang An has perished.

Kang Mengyao has been pushed down the stair

The Addled Augur

The Addled augur smiles toothlessly at the blessing and continues on her way

1 - Attack Liu Estate

Your agents work with the Sorcerer Hunters forces, blending into the population to attempt to ferret out Liu sympathizers or assets, setting traps in the byways, alleys, estates and warehouses about the Liu estates. They were quislings among the population, the eyes of a gestapo bent on eradication.

Assisting as spotters for the terrifying Hei Yāzi, which now looks more like a pile of junk, they also set traps according to the sorcerer hunter’s specifications. These catch victims, few of them Liu, but over the course of the week the territory becomes a hazard to traverse; uncertain footing, spikes marred with noxious materials, pitfalls. They delivery what they could to make the Liu Estate hostile to any habitation.

However their activities fall afoul of the Law of Pingliang “Do not cause intentional direct or indirect harm to civilians.” and power is deducted from the Temple as a consequence, power the temple can ill afford to lose.

Outcome

The Liu Estates are rubble and the rubble has been trapped sufficiently to provide a hazard to passerby, not to mention difficulty in reconstructing any HQ in the area.

As a result of the traps being indiscriminate and injuring civilian passerby, the Law of Pingliang detracted 1 Power from your reserve.

1 - Attack Yao Gen | Docks

The Wildflower’s lead the way to the docks, Pai the peddler using a makeshift device that operates like a compass leading the posse to a worn down bar on the waterfront. It was a rickety, squalid, homey structure. It was ramshackle and had stood as a long bastion for those of small means who needed something steel and sharp and poisonous to forget what they had to do over the week or the losses they’d felt. It wasn’t an unknown shop for those on hard or harder times. Disreputable but mostly known for being the dregs at the bottom of any barrel.

The massive Other, the Taoqi tore in through a wall, the Temple Guardians seeing Yao Gen flit about like a leaf in a hurricane and made their way forward to help. The foul cutpurse was as slippery as an oiled eel; but numbers proved eventually his superior – he was eventually caught by the Taoqi and torn asunder.

The Taoqi stepped over it, to stand astride, and Tian Fa spoke a word

The Temple Guardians moved to interpose, calling out to the Grand Secretary, but his purpose was set. Locked in like a moon careening towards a planet’s surface. He brushed them aside like gossamer.

The Oni tried to kick the Mandate towards Pai, it didn’t budge, he tried again. Pai was in the thick of it, gathering treasures, avoiding strikes, while Tian Fa set down barriers, statements of Law. Tian Fa was as relentless as any of the pillars, like a mountain falling upon an acorn. Or a waterfall upon loose sod. His strides were unimpeded, bodies being casually repositioned, moved by adamant power.

Pai scooped the rest of what he could and fled back into the city.

Later returning with allied forces sans the Celestial Bureaucracy to check on the Liu smuggling operation, the operation had been cleaned out. The warehouse is empty of meaningful contraband or wealth.

Outcome

The Foul Cutpurse, Yao Gen, was slain; the Oni Took the corpse

Grand Secretary; Managed to claim the Mandate; injuries were deflected onto the Town Guards

Town Guards; Took significant injuries, and are badly wounded

The Taoqi; Took no injuries

Temple Guardians; took no injuries

Pai; took no injuries

Enforcers; took no injuries.

1 - Attack Liu Slums HQ | Conflict and Distractions
Existence was new to Linfang Qi, her first halting steps beneath the hollow of the Temple hill, to today where she’d been sent out to accompany another Other that was near her age, but had memories that stretched back much farther. She decides to defer to the two as one, the Taoqi it calls itself.

She enters the area, letting her presence stir up conflict in the slums, but finds directing the flows that make up her broader umbra of existence to be beyond her; she can’t direct particular outcomes, young as she is, one a growing resentment and ennui – neighbors against neighbors. The conflict is undirected, pervasive. Husbands beat wives, children. The Spinster next door comes at her nemesis. The Law booms and looms large, seeking to draw further power but weakened as it still is and having supped on one of her Mother’s lives the hunger of that beast is slaked and more injury, harm isn’t done.

She’s been weakened so much by the power drawn, and the hurt, bone deep, or something deeper than bone, visceral and unreal within her.

The Taoqi emerges from within the Liu estate and the battle is joined there. And the Taoqi is overmatched by all of the Liu. Fifteen working in tandem, more than the Taoqi alone could defeat, and she has been told how important their task is. She wanders closer to lend support; they are cloistered up in a building that has been fortified, she chances close enough, seeing fifteen Liu engaged, and even from the floating world she is noticed, One Liu following her there. She moves to the real world and he follows a wolf hunting a rabbit.

She pulls on the powers her nature gives her lashing out – but the experience that makes her up proves his inferior, she takes wounds, and leaves him with fewer, someone who enters the floating world just as she does, able to chase her across pages and panes and filters of space.

She eventually loses her tail, having suffered defeat, but she knows that the Liu base was destroyed as a result.

Outcome

The Liu were driven off

A ritual being conducted by the Liu was disrupted

The Base in the Slinking Slums is destroyed

Liu Tang took injuries

Liu Guo took injuries

The Crew took injuries

Linfang Qi was pulled into the floating world and took injuries; being forced to retreat.

Linfang Qi has been drained of 1 range as well as the Temple’s stores of Power as a consequence.

The Taoqi took an injury

4 - Ritual | Temple Wilds Aura of Vitality Ritual
The last work of Fang An’s life. A ritual comprising rings worked in and through the shrine structures, a complicated dance of spirits and flower; a diagram of life and fidelity. In each runes, symbols, and arguments are made by color and blooming life, each ring in another vibrant funnel – a flower or bower tunnel for the energy of the health shrine to be directed to. It’s her finest work and consumes much power, and Self drawn from the petitioners of the temple, herself, and her daughter. This garden is a place of healing, its intricate work an art of precision and love.

Love for family, for her child, for her people, and for all those she hasn’t yet come to know who might worship in this space in the future.

She successfully completes the ritual, but is unable to activate it’s special effect this week, planning to use it after dealing with Kang Mengyao, who has caused such distress to the one she loves.

Outcome

One per turn, by spending a practitioner or Other action and focusing the health shrine on the diagram each unit acting in the Temple Wilds for the turn can heal 1 health.

4 - Ritual | Central Government The Soldier’s Weariness ritual

Lin Fen assesses the space; much of the flows of power will need to be redirected, inward to achieve her ends, she can barely start her diagram work when she is interrupted, a boisterous man in a long coat with a tall hat, a hood hanging across his back with a small handcart pushes his way up the stairs of the Central Government, looking around.

“This is mine now” He says, matter of factly, a nasal tone to his words, an unfamiliar accent as well.

“Is it?” Lin fen asks, quirking an eyebrow upwards.

“It is” he says assuredly “I should know. I have an eye for a deal and there are no soldiers here.”

Lin Fen offers “the Temple is here as the current stewards of this space, beautifying “ She gestures to the supplicants, “Improving” she gestures to herself, “And repairing, who are you to claim different?”

The fellow says “I’m stronger, and you are badly injured. Jungle rules”

“I know a thing or two about jungles”Lin Fen purrs.

The man looks her up and down. “I don’t think you look it, let’s go then.” He withdraws an ivory lion bottle, pops the stopper with a thumb and gulps the fluid down in a single draw.

Lin Fen calls on her friends; but this peddler is stronger, faster, and pulls tricks forth in abundance, spending power that the Temple desperately lacks like a rainstorm upon a desert. Practices infused with enhanced grain and dusting wolfberries into noxious coiling tentacles, that pass through her remaining primoridal’s limbs as ephemeral as smoke until they strike.

She is quickly put on the backfoot, he is quick to press the advantage racing after her riding a flying sword, his feet astride the fuller.

She is forced to retreat, backing off forming walls of limbs and body parts, closing a door with an eye – a single blow to her, fatal, to him it seems to not be a risk as he continues to spend, burning purity with lucre. Fortune and fate weaving together.

She curses her frailty, her weakness, and her situation. She is driven back out of the Central Government, but is not pursued into the Wet Market.

Outcome

The Ritual is Disrupted by the Mysterious Peddler; and does not complete

Lin Fen fights a desperate retreat; No injuries are dealt

The Ritual is disrupted before requiring Self.

The Mysterious Peddler has taken no injuries.

The Mysterious Peddler now controls the Central Government.

The Mysterious Peddler spent a significant amount of power from reserves in this combat.

4 - Ritual | School Yard Growth Ritual
This ritual is uninterrupted Lin Fen pronouncing the words and making the arrangements. Pushing the flows of the spirits, to enhance the karmic rewards of the space. Blessing future children she will never have with Fang An.

Outcome

Lin Fen was able to successfully complete a standard ritual; denizens will grow well due to the karmic flows but there isn’t a noticeable mechanical impact.

Write-in - Central Government rebuilding.
The supplicants assist in rebuilding in the central government, attempting to find materials to construct a basic shrine to the fallen with elements of Lingfang Qi’s appearance; they do not manage to make a meaningful process – when Lin Fen is evicted; they find themselves similarly driven outwards.

Outcome

The Supplicants undertook their actions to assist in rebuilding; but ultimately were forced to flee by the Mysterious Peddler’s taking of the territory.

Flower Breather, Fang An

Fang An can take a special action to fill a location [Target] with poisonous flowers, every unit other than her that is present will take two wounds. Every unit passing through will take one wound.

Draiodhe, Lin Fen.

If Lin Fen would lose a battle to an Other of greater than of Moderate Tier she instead negotiates to leave the conflict uninjured.

Lin Fen has an increased might to account for her connection to Giants and Primeval entities.

Temple Guardians

Supplicants, The Shrinekeepers

The Shrine to Dreams

The Shrine to Lethargy

The Shrine to Conflict

The Shrine to Health

The Shrine to Curiosity

Lesser divinity, of Conflict and Dreams, Linfang Qi 猩红的秘密

Xīnghóng de mìmì “Scarlet Secret”

Linfang Qi brings the floating world closer to the real world around her, reveling in its watercolor possibilities; warbands containing Linfang Qi can enter the floating world for free.

Territories Linfang Qi takes actions in pay only half as much Power, as conflict prevents the normal flow of trade and value.

The Temple: Turn 7

Tian Fa Carries the Horsehair Plume and Mandate on his person, but he came alone to the Temple Wilds.

The Mysterious Peddler left carrying additional magical items, more than the Sorcerer Hunters had seen.

The Wild Others have a secret loss condition; If their troop unit perishes, they fail.

Ritual: The Dream Spying Ritual

No One was detected investigating the temple this turn

Current Assets

Faction Rule

The Temple shrines; The temple shrines gather spirits each turn, each turn each shrine can be dedicated to one of several functions:

Gather Power (This converts the gathered spirits into expendable power)
Enhance units (This enhances one of your units according to the spirits nature)
Defense (This enhances the defense of the territory)
Attack (this causes a strike in the nature of the spirits in a territory up to the Spirit’s power away)
Infuse Object – the gathered spirits enhance an object making it a single turn supernatural item
Infuse ritual: You may direct the shrines to empower rituals you conduct with their nature
Enter the spirit world; You may use all 5 shrines to conduct a ritual to enter the spirit world, this is different from entering the floating world in that you can remain in the spirit world for the entire investigation action being conducted – thereby bypassing risk of interception or interference at the site of the investigation.

Secret Objective

The temple can secure a Victory by removing the Wildflowers from all mercantile spaces, and displacing the Lius from their estates.

Rule of Discourse
The temple faction has the standard rules of discourse.

Characters

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
Flower Breather, Fang An	Great	Dead	1	2
Draiodhe, Lin Fen	Great	Injured	2	2
Linfang Qi	Moderate	Forsworn	1	3

Troops

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
Temple Guardians	Moderate	Dead	1	2
Supplicants	Worst	Forsworn		1

Notable items

Control of the C- Temple Wilds,
You have an HQ in the Temple Wilds

The Fascinating Sphere: Power 3

The camel's straw: Power 1

+9 C Temple Wilds

+5 Power worth of Precious Coins (From the WF)

+5 Auspices

-2 Liu Drain
-9 Law breaking
+1 Oni GS
-3 Lius FS

-2 Net (+4 CB Gainsaying -6 CB Gainsaying)
Total: 4 Power.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Wildflowers have a Dragon’s Pearl, a wondrous artifact of incredible power that could be hatched into a new dragon in the womb of the Temple’s Hallow.

The P - Inn Market was not patrolled this past week

The D - Wet Market was not patrolled this past week.

A Farmhand saw Liu Tang across the River over in the T-South Shore last week.

Liu Mai is a specialist at disrupting joint actions. Multi-faction activities she opposes will see significant Might Penalties.

Results

Supplicants C 1

The Supplicants walk the stairs and wander the Temple Wilds. The trees are familiar and the birdsong is the lilting lullaby that’s accompanied services that have been held here for longer than any of the temple’s current occupants. It’s peaceful, but hard to forget the scars of recent memory. Kang Menyao’s twisted body at the bottom of the winding stone stair, sightless eyes accusing as his blood mingles with Fang An’s struck down. Ichor, pollen, stains and chemical burns across the hill painting it in whites, blacks, ombres and purples.

A battlefield more than than a sanctuary now, not much of a fortification or redoubt, built for worship not for war. Now home to more conflict, more negative emotions, even the new divinity was tied into these negative things. More warlike than the sermons of the past. Bloodier than peaceful Pingliang perhaps deserved, and a stark contrast to the darkness of the preceding weeks. No foes waited behind the trees sneaking up the hill; no beasts stalked the night but their own.

Tian Fa arrived pristine as if he’s just stepped from his wardrobe into the central court of Pingliang.

The Taotie, wet muddy and hungry clambered up from the river and dripped up the stair, slivering on it’s hard carapace, the sirrush of the scraping shell like a hundred screams swallowed.

Outcome

The supplicants patrolled the Temple Wilds

No uninvited guests were observed

The Taotie arrived.

Tian Fa arrived.

Draoidhe, Lin Fen C 4

Lin Fen steels herself. Her hair is less artful than is was at her mandate claim, Fang An was more practiced at that artistry, her love for flowers and depth of understanding of them having broadened her understanding of the inks, unguents, lotions and libations that were applied to reach the perfect lacquer or the perfect presentation. Lin Fen missed her, she felt an ache that was like a stone sitting between her solar plexus chakra and her sacral chakra. Heavy as if a thundering snow fed waterfall poured onto it continually soaking it, pulling through the floor of her like a stone ripping through a fisherman’s net.

This was Fang An’s last gift. She thought as she performed the ceremony, it’s careful movements, fine directions more delicate that Lin Fen – Lin Fen having been the more clumsy of the two, motions stranger, more forceful adamant. Lin Fen had been stone, and Fang An water, and the two had been beautiful in the union, a garden of life. And now there was only the cold stone, like the stone in the pit of her, the motions jerky, like a rock falling down the face of a mountain, she could almost feel Fang An on the wind, a whisper of her, her flowing steps, the little things she’d whisper to the spirits when she thought no one could hear. The little encouragements and directions, the softness that she was, like the smell of a lotus in spring. She had been a one woman mentor, tutor, and mother to those spirits. And there she rested the flesh that had housed her, empty, still to Lin Fen’s sight in a way that Fang An had never truly been still in life.

Lin Fen was stone, her limbs as heavy as mountains. And Fang An was water that fell across her cheeks unbidden. She managed to complete the steps of it, all of them. Guiding the shrine, not as Fang An would have, not smoothly, but still complete, she felt the bolstering effect, the spirits of health filling in her injuries, flesh knitting as spirits in the skin moved closer to their buddies, re-weaving what woulds had wrought, pushing out rot, disease and harm, more complete.

The Stone remained at the pit of her, and she watched, hopeful, impassively, a black and white koi swirling in a pond for signs of life in Fang An as if willing spirits of Health would attach themselves to the body, even in the least, but no signs of life were found, like water over stone draining away into earth.

Outcome

Tian Fa, The Supplicants, Lin Fen, and Taotie are healed for 1 injury.

Supplicants G WI

The Supplicants go to the dreaming market and do their best to recall each of the locations they set up traps in, but it’s difficult to call out specific intersections or where mapmaking has never been their specialty. They do however describe in detail the types of traps and what to look out for, ideally to make certain that the Wildflowers Association knows where to be careful or cautious.

Unfortunately this comes too late to keep other innocents from wandering into the trapped areas, before the Wildflowers can manage to complete disarmaments three more civilians have been injured by the hidden traps in the Liu estate, each time the Law taking gouts of power from the Temple’s coffers. The Supplicants have been made karmically weaker as a consequence while the law breaking conduct is present.

Outcome

-9 Power in Law Breaking fees

The might of the supplicants as been karmically impacted for turn 6.

Linfang Qi, Lesser Divinity of Conflict and Dreams H WI

Linfang Qi is new to this world and she’s been asked to make Art. The memories, the ideas and the spirits that make her up are older than she is, and the amount of power poured into her being from so many sources has her feeling old and young at the same time. Art is difficult, it’s supposed to be a statue, or a shrine. It’s supposed to evoke things. She doesn’t have any good ideas though, it’s all crows, bleakness, and the thumping of drum beats. She can feel her influence around her like the train of a particularly elegant gown; never mind that she’s never worn such a gown or seen one to know what it is. But the word is there, the idea is there, the concept is there, fully formed as if she’d always known it.

It needed to mark the dead, and new to her power there wasn’t much to work with. A handcart crashed near her, she wandered over and took a wheel roughly breaking it into the shape of a horse's head. A vendor’s stall caught fire, and she took its cloth awning to be the standard of a battle flag for the fallen, or a shroud. She wasn’t good at art, but intent mattered, didn’t it? She fetched rubble moving it into place to make a pile, like a cairn, another new word. Part shrine, part tomb, usually used to bury the dead in a simple pile of rocks, rubble from the government buildings should do.

She makes her best effort at it. Avante Garde, new age, postmodernism. She’s placed elements with care, but it’s hard to discern from the outside what it is that she’d made, other than a pile of scraps to commemorate the lost.

Outcome

Linfang Qi was active in the Central Government this turn, so it’s value was reduced.

Linfang Qi’s misfortune befell someone she didn’t encounter.

Linfang Qi built an art piece in the plaza in front of the central government.

Draoidhe, Lin Fen F WI

Lin Fen Made her way to the Flophouses where the Mandate claim was set to begin; most would balk at the thought s a fifth Peril; something so aligned against humanity and human civilization that she may be signing a warrant for the deaths of millions of children, but not her children. Fang An was dead, the only child they had was Linfang Qi, who wasn’t human; most of Lin Fen’s friends weren’t human either, the temple supplicants aside. If they were all to perish as a consequence, then she supposed that the world burning is a fitting pyre for Fang An.

The four perils were old, as old as calamity, the evils that could befall human society. They existed as a direct opposition to the four benevolent animals, roles that would become something like the Judges out West, possibly inspiring the works of Solomon bin Daoud. The perils being the dark mirror. Hate, Confusion, Stubbornness and Greed had a child in their possession, and now she’d be a fifth; likely Wickedness an opposite to Ren. That wickedness would inevitably turn on the Temple. She’d seen it with plenty of the older Others as they calcified, as they fell into patterns, a kind of dementia that overtook them, becoming more karmic automaton than thinking self; the scale of the world vanishing down into inputs and outputs.

She made her peace with it and provided her assent, preparing the space as best she could to assist any contacts that could make the journey to make it and provide their assent as well.

A Peril may be good for the wild places, but would be harmful and fear-inducing in the cities.

Outcome

Lin Fen provided a Might bonus to the Fifth Peril Ritual.

Create Magical item (Fang An’s Corpse)

Four shrines are directed to infuse their output power into the corpse of Fang An, to create a temporary magical item; the flow of small and minor spirits alongside the rot and putrefaction of a week of time. Conflict mixing with Lethargy, Dreams and Curiosity into a small ball at the center of her burning into and through the remains.

She’ll last the week as a corpse candle, hoisted on a pole and drawn to battle while the flies and maggots eat her she’ll draw attention.

Outcome

The Corpse standard was created.

The Corpse Standard

The Corpse of Fang An hoisted onto a pole to serve as a battle flag.

The Unit equipped with the corpse standard will draw more attention than its compatriots. Investigations in the same space will target it.

The first wound dealt to allies in an engagement will come to the wielding unit instead of being randomly distributed

Mandate Challenges

After completing the preparations, advice given, power donated, space prepared and the little practices and tricks, ideas and reviews, encouragements, threats and ultimatums have been provided it is left to Liao, alone in the space to begin her challenge. The first no contests to provide additional claim come from her allies that have taken extra steps to ensure victory as certainly as they can.

The claimant, Liao Qingge, is a young girl of about fourteen. She is slight, undernourished. Dirty hair and dirty hanfu, having spent most of her life in the wilds and without the love, care and protections of human society. Nearly feral and raised by wolves with inquisitive and darkly hooded eyes. She is wielding a sword and a shield and specks of dried blood dabble her lips. A headless mouse covered in bells twitches plaintively on the ground. There is a desperate determination about her, as if she is already dead, and success here is her only chance at a semblance of life.

The first Lin Fen provides her assent, then leaves.

When Linfang Qi arrives Liao is looking nervous, but well, she provides her assent.

Flower Breather, Fang An

Fang An can take a special action to fill a location [Target] with poisonous flowers, every unit other than her that is present will take two wounds. Every unit passing through will take one wound.

Draiodhe, Lin Fen.

If Lin Fen would lose a battle to an Other of greater than of Moderate Tier she instead negotiates to leave the conflict uninjured.

Lin Fen has an increased might to account for her connection to Giants and Primeval entities.

Temple Guardians

Supplicants, The Shrinekeepers

The Shrine to Dreams

The Shrine to Lethargy

The Shrine to Conflict

The Shrine to Health

The Shrine to Curiosity

Lesser divinity, of Conflict and Dreams, Linfang Qi 猩红的秘密

Xīnghóng de mìmì “Scarlet Secret”

Linfang Qi brings the floating world closer to the real world around her, reveling in its watercolor possibilities; warbands containing Linfang Qi can enter the floating world for free.

Territories Linfang Qi takes actions in pay only half as much Power, as conflict prevents the normal flow of trade and value.

The Fascinating Sphere; Power 3

The Temple: Turn 8: Loss

Current Assets

Faction Rule

The Temple shrines; The temple shrines gather spirits each turn, each turn each shrine can be dedicated to one of several functions:

Gather Power (This converts the gathered spirits into expendable power)
Enhance units (This enhances one of your units according to the spirits nature)
Defense (This enhances the defense of the territory)
Attack (this causes a strike in the nature of the spirits in a territory up to the Spirit’s power away)
Infuse Object – the gathered spirits enhance an object making it a single turn supernatural item
Infuse ritual: You may direct the shrines to empower rituals you conduct with their nature
Enter the spirit world; You may use all 5 shrines to conduct a ritual to enter the spirit world, this is different from entering the floating world in that you can remain in the spirit world for the entire investigation action being conducted – thereby bypassing risk of interception or interference at the site of the investigation.

Secret Objective

The temple can secure a Victory by removing the Wildflowers from all mercantile spaces, and displacing the Lius from their estates.

Rule of Discourse
The temple faction has the standard rules of discourse.

Characters

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
Flower Breather, Fang An	Great	Dead	1	2
Draiodhe, Lin Fen	Great	Injured	2	2
Linfang Qi	Moderate	Forsworn	1	3

Troops

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
Temple Guardians	Moderate	Dead	1	2
Supplicants	Worst	Forsworn	2	2

Notable items

Control of the C - Temple Wilds, A- Outlying Farms,
You have an HQ in the Temple Wilds

The camel's straw: Power 1

4 Loose Power

5 Shrines

3 Distracting Sphere

20 Wild Others

5 Wildflowers

-37 Puchases

9 Temple Wilds

3 Outlying Farms

Total: 12 Power.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Draoidh, Lin Fen x4 A 2

The Allied forces descend upon an unassuming farmstead, a place that has been fixed up and warded with enhancements, warning runs, trip wires and connection blockers. Ramshackle, familiar to the Sorcerer Hunters as it’s the same farm the Oni had been hiding out in, that had been drastically damaged by action weeks before then left to rot. The holes punched in it repaired haphazardly, the habitation is a far cry from the splendor the Liu would have had at the start of the season; no silks or fine cushion to rest their laurels on, now a recently derelict structure, festooned with fulu and paper tags to ward off suspicion. The work of a paranoid quarry; They’d all departed, unfortunately in the wind somewhere in Pingliang; but Lin fen took great pleasure, in tearing the structure down board by board, having great beasts of the earth pull them into the deep spaces where they might be forgotten, letting the tank smash into the structure to smithereens.

Looking at the bare earth, a tomb for the Liu family's crimes and perfidy, and reminding her dearly of what she’d lost. First Fang An, her princess, whose work with the shrines had been genius, the project and wonder of a lifetime, then the supplicants and faithful; family that was dearer than any she could remember. They were gone too, and her daughter.

And here she was, a tear dripping from a face of marble, protected from the world, beards and spells laid over her like armor, but unable to protect the things she found the most precious and meaningful. She thought about her future and what could be done, here in Pingliang. There was nothing for her, no Fang An, in Linfang Qi, she could visit the sick, the infirm, the destitute of Pingliang and start up a new congregation, bring souls back to the shrines, to a closeness with the spirits, a one-ness with themselves; to cultivate and refine their qi into something pure and precious. But where once a fire would have burned in her, there was only an emptiness an ache.

She thought about leaving, leaving this bare earth and wandering the wild places again, taking company with the Others the world had forgotten and that had once been her closest friends.

Fewer and fewer answered her calls, fewer every year; and this last season had burned through so much power, claim and cachet.

But she feels the need for vengeance, and the ache of her missing partner; and she chooses to stay in the city; the place she lived and do what she can to bring light and life back to Pingliang and it’s People; and hopes to see a reflection of Fang An in them.

Outcome

The Liu were not encountered and Lin Fen survived the turn uninjured.

Pingliang has become a dark place; more Others are here than they were before; but the people of pingliang are as sheep surrounded by wolves, but begin inverting the number, a flock of wolves surrounding a pack of sheep. More and more and she does the best she can, safe amongst their numbers; as a naturalist in a cage with a lion or a shark – understanding them and how they operate, drives and needs alien to the locals of Pingliang but well mollified with certain offerings and practices of Lin Fen’s expertise. She marks the doors and prepares the lintels. Instructs the few who will listen on what offerings to leave out, wards, defenses, songs, dances, rhymes; every method to keep the prowling, hungry ends from consuming those few, pure or innocent souls that remain.

She’d tell them to leave, but that gets more difficult by the day; and if she did she knows they’d be swallowed whole. Where she sees signs of the Liu she does the opposite; she leaves offerings, trails, challenges, and promises – letting bloodhounds with keener noses than the natural world, predators of layers of reality fathoms deep, or more ancient than memory see sign and know what to look for, where to hunt, and what favors may be due should they succeed. Even if she can’t save the people of Pingliang, even if she can’t save those she loves and care about; giving them moment and minutes instead of millennia; she can see what remains of the Liu fall, falter and fail. To see them and their practices consumed in the most animal of ways; this she can point and prod and do; should they see her in the marketplace, a lioness with a wild pack of beasts at her tail.

Chapter 6: The Sorcerer Hunters Briefings

Summary:

The Briefings the Sorcerer Hunters received over the Problem in Pingliang Prefecture

Chapter Text

Sorcerer Hunters: Turn 1

There has not been much success since the Sorcery Scare in 1768 that formed the branch, and interest in the Occult, occluded by innocence has made gaining ground in the PLA and the subsequent leadership changes in China difficult, even if that same shield makes its easy for resources sometimes to simply “disappear”. Still charged, still faithful, you’ve taken to exploring these pocket realms, Kun Lun, knotted spaces, looking for holdouts of the more imperial era for supplies and to complete the tasks you are Oathbound to seek the completion of.

There is a skilled cultivator, an Immortal, in Pingliang who should be considered a Supreme practitioner.

There are few Oni in town, they didn’t come with an army, just a number of characters.

The Celestial Bureaucracy has the ability to lock down the city gates this turn. If they do, it would complicate your ability to search Pingliang and make it more difficult to take any actions in the city core.

Current Assets

Faction Rule

Empowered and Commissioned by the Emperor, your pattern includes sniffing out and punishing illegal use of magic. When you catch such a thing and impose penalties on the practitioner you will gain additional power.

A wary state of readiness: As a trained group of Soldiers your faction is less likely to be successfully ambushed; you’ve fought in dozens of prefectures and you’ve gotten wise to a number of practitioner tricks.

Requisitioning Supplies; Once per turn you may select a territory you are taking [Troop] actions in to have them glean supplies – regardless of whether you successfully control that territory this turn, you will half its payout to its owner, and take the other half for yourself.

Secret Objective
Discover if the que cutting sorcerers are in Pingliang and if they are, remove them;

Or

Supplant the Celestial Bureaucracy, claiming the Central government and constructing an HQ there; which is in place when the game ends.

If you complete either of these, you will also be considered a Victor.

Side Quest

Take over the government of Pingliang to serve as a base of operations

The Mandate of Heaven. It is said the regency of this territory was assigned by the order of an

Order of an Emperor, kept on a golden scroll with jade rolls; writ in ink of quicksilver. The local leadership claimed to have the document, but has thus far failed to produce it and obfuscated it’s whereabouts, demurring when asked. If you could find this document, perhaps you could leverage it to help break the leadership of Pingliang and bring the town to heel.

Rule of Discourse

Practitioners, generally cannot lie; but your force is likely composed of several non-practitioners. Nominate a player; they can lie for this game without supernatural consequence for your faction.

Characters:

Name	Might	Status	Actions	Range
Heroic, Wu Jinhai	Great	Healthy, Equipped with Armor	2	2
Tank, 黑鴨子 (Hēi yāzi )	Great	Healthy	1	4

Troops:

Name	Might	Status	Actions	Range
Inspectors	Poor	Healthy	1	2
Shi of Seals	Poor	Healthy	1	1
Riflemen	Moderate	Healthy	1	1
Cavalry	Poor	Healthy	1	4

Notable Items

Control of the Outward Road where you have an HQ

6 Power worth of Qi-enhanced grain

黑鴨子 (Hēi yāzi ) - “Black Duck” Type 63 Amphibious Tank

Magical Armor

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There is a mysterious peddler in Pingliang who is not a part of the Merchant’s Coalition known as the Wildflowers; he’s not likely to be welcome in the Dreaming Market, and won’t be found in that location this game; It’s likely he’ll similarly avoid other [Market] locations for similar reasons.

Four factions are likely Bivouacked in the outskirts of Pingliang. It’s possible some are even sharing a space without being aware of it.

Dilemma – Drugs

You have intercepted a cache of contraband making its way along the main road into Pingliang. The carriage owners fled the stop. There is an entire wagon of enchanted Opium. you assess the cache is worth about 8 Power.

[ ] Keep the cache and draw on it within the Unit. gain 8 power worth of magical opium

[ ] Turn it over to the Celestial Bureaucracy as the local authority.

[ ] Sell it in the dreaming market and gain 6 power of various materials.

[ ] Destroy it, Enchanted Opium is a dangerous contraband, the best place for it is the bottom of the Steaming Lake.

Dilemma - Grain Trouble

Supplies have been infested and gone rotten. Spirits of Rot have thoroughly tainted the cache, and an army does move on its stomach.

[] Go to the Celestial Bureaucracy, you've both been authorized by Emperors, as representatives insist they provide supplies to you, Spawn a dilemma for the Celestial Bureaucracy

[] Send forces to dragoon supplies from the dreaming market. You have an official seal, they have supplies. Gain Supplies, Spawn a dilemma for the Wildflowers

[] Forage and hunt in the wildlands around Pingliang (Assign troop units to this task to find supplies in the outlying farms wild spaces) Use actions, gain supplies

[] Go to the wet market and buy supplies to make up for the rotten ones, paying 10 power to restore your cache

7- Seize one of the gates of the City. [I - Alley of Awe, D - Wet Market, or E-the School Yard] Indicate one of the territories you could send forces to seize and guard the gate ahead, even if the rest of the gates were locked this would allow the rest of your forces access to Pingliang central through the controlled entry point.

Extra Materials

Heroic Captain, Wu Jinhai

Wu Jinhai comes for a dynasty of service to the Emperor. When the Sorcery scare began in 1791, more than two hundred and fifty years ago his ancestor was one of the first to stand up and take up the call of the Emperor. Devoted, one could say he was born for this, following in a long line of practitioners who focus on dwelling on the basics, refining a few simple practices until the pattern is sharper than any knife. He’s the last of his line. His father, grandfather and so on, tracing back eight generations. To say he’s an exceptional warrior would be an understatement. His movements are the distillation of generations of study, practice his taolu trained since he could walk until the spirits that he is the latest scion in a line of Soldiers. He has practices that allow him to tap on the wisdom, judgment and strength of his ancestors.

Wu Jinhai wears a jacket with a truly staggering number of medals, more than he could have at his age possibly have actually earned. It glitters like mail, and clinks like a jar of shaken paperclips whenever he takes a step. This makes him impossible to mistake or conceal.

When paired with [Troop] units in a command role Wu Jinhai can lean on his ancestor spirit’s wisdom to have over five hundred years of battlefield experience, enhancing both his and his allies Might for the conflict.

Wu Jinhai’s baseline Might has been significantly enhanced

Troops:

Cavalry - 155th Cavalry Division 野馬兒 Yěmǎ er “Wild Horses”

Led by Zheng Shaoqing, a tall, lanky man with a ready smile the Cavalry group hails from the edge of Manchuria, with well kept horses ready to run great distances in pursuit of the objective that is set before them. Each horse has years of training and would be irreplaceable in conflict, fortunately fuel is not as much of a concern where horses are of concern.

Riflemen - 117th Infantry Division 铁雨 (Tiě yǔ) “Rain of Iron”

Chinese Imperial Riflemen, each armed with a standard kit and equipped with type 63 assault rifles. Led by the no nonsense Fang Quan they do the job they are assigned to, prepared to die for China. He’s got a strong political bent tied to the people’s revolution, but he knows that his purpose is to follow the orders that are given to him for a greater China.

Shi of Seals - 99th Public Security Division 三印 Sān yìn “Three Seals”
A small group of three Practitioners trained at binding at a Chinese state-run practitioner academy. They are reasonable at wards, bindings and identification of others or practices, but are not especially adept at combat. They’d generally prefer to set diagrams as “Traps” and let the target be lured in, rather than engaging in a direct confrontation. They’re closely bonded, graduating in the same class. They’re careful, and tend to over-prepare making certain that bindings have redundant protections on what they do catch rather than attempting to speed run catching more things.

Inspectors - 115th Public Security Division, Attaches “”

Chinese Imperial Inspectors. Students of finding wrongdoing whether or not it had existed there previously. They are meticulous in their affect. Led by Hao Ru, these dozen individuals in prim outfits will search and root out whatever they are sent for. Lightly armed, and as practitioners basic Augurs with only the barest instruction in the sight and some minor dowsing practices.

Magical Armor - 吴穆 (Wú mù) Panelling

This ebony wood has been enchanted to be light but harder than steel plates, enhancing the toughness of the equipped unit(s)

黑鴨子 (Hēi yāzi) - “Black Duck” Type 63 Amphibious Tank and Crew (113th Armored Crew , 小鴨 Xiǎoyā “The Ducklings”).

First constructed in 1964 this tank rolled out of the factory in Weiyang, Xi'an where it was dragooned after it’s first mission into the struggling Sorcerer Hunters Division, from there it’s been to a number of pocket spaces, forged in the heat of the long campaign and nearly a dozen battles. There is sufficient fuel presently for its operation, and while ammo is scarce it’s not so spare that you wouldn’t use it if you needed it. The tank and the crew are stalwarts and have had to face down a Huodou, a block fire breathing dog, the size of a small car before, as well as an entire tribe of Xingxing, hairy bestial, flesh eating mountain men, beyond shelling the occasional practitioner domicile.

It’s been painted gray and stands out amongst the foliage. Metal flanges added for ears and eyes painted on it in a way that is strictly not regulation. Eyes have been painted on it. If the PLA happened upon it, it might be taken back in for retrofitting and reassignment.

The Hēi Yāzi can take a special action to fire the main cannon in an artillery barrage of an adjacent territory, nominate the territory and it will project half its might into that territory that turn (only supplying the other half to the territory the body is in. However the adjacent conflict it’s intervening in with the main cannon cannot wound the Hēi Yāzi if the force is insufficient to win).

The Hēi Yāzi always inflicts at least one wound in any conflict it is engaged in.

Sorcerer Hunters: Turn 2

The Grand Secretary and his entourage are a Supreme level combatant

The Oni League has a Great man-eating other amongst its ranks, a fearsome shaggy beast that gives a malus to foes weaker than it in combat with it, particularly weak units will break and flee in terror.

The Celestial Bureaucracy searched its records for information about the Temple, and obtained information about its characters.

Current Assets

Faction Rule

Secret Objective
Discover if the que cutting sorcerers are in Pingliang and if they are, remove them;

Or

Supplant the Celestial Bureaucracy, claiming the Central government and constructing an HQ there; which is in place when the game ends.

If you complete either of these, you will also be considered a Victor.

Side Quest

Take over the government of Pingliang to serve as a base of operations

The Mandate of Heaven. It is said the regency of this territory was assigned by the order of an

Characters:

Name	Might	Status	Actions	Range
Heroic, Wu Jinhai	Great	Injured, Equipped with Armor	2	2
Tank, 黑鴨子 (Hēi yāzi )	Great	Healthy	1	4

Troops:

Name	Might	Status	Actions	Range
Inspectors	Poor	Injured	1	2
Shi of Seals	Poor	Healthy	1	1
Riflemen	Moderate	Healthy	1	1
Cavalry	Poor	Badly Injured	1	4

Notable Items

Control of the Outward Road where you have an HQ

6 Power worth of Qi-enhanced grain

黑鴨子 (Hēi yāzi ) - “Black Duck” Type 63 Amphibious Tank

Magical Armor

Rabbit-Linen Coat; Power 1 (expended)

Purified Salt; Power 1

6 Power of Requisitioned Sentimental Jewelry (+6 Estates, mechanic)

3 Power of Nature-Infused Produce (+3 The Outward Road)

2 Power of Awkward Adulation (+2 Alley of Awe)

Total Loose Power: 17 Power

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Wild Others can send a unit through the floating world, once per turn for free

The Temple has a shrine to spirits of Lethargy that continually gathers the lesser spirits in.

Results

Dilemma: White Powders
You have struck your deal, the coat and salt arriving in good time while the Wildflowers continue to source the supplies you’ll need to keep an army moving. They have received a dilemma with respect to sourcing the staples.

1 - Patrol the Estates

The three characters and cavalry break from the parade in the I-Alley of Awe, after a brief pass through of M-the Slinking Slum, to arrive in the N-Estates. The Liu’s began establishing claim while the cavalry began to go door to door to collect supplies while Wu Jinhai observed, when there was a commotion.

A horse has been thrown through a building. There wasn’t much left of the horse in the aftermath.

Standing where a soldier once stood is a flawlessly handsome man in cream white robes, with golden eyes and hair like onyx silk, delicate and long. Taller than Wu Jinhai with soft features. Wu looks for his stricken soldier, carefully resting his hand on his ancestral sword, etched with the names of his forebears and fingering a medal.

“Who are you?” asks Wu Jinhai.

“Sun Jiang, do not obstruct me in my official business.” The man replies coldly.

“What is your business?” queries Captain Wu

“Get out of my way” He says curtly.

“I’m afraid I have to seek justice for my man and his horse.” Captain Wu says ruefully, “You can’t simply toss a steed and expect there to be no consequences.”

“I am an earth-traveling immortal” states Sun Jiang “I am consequences.”

Wu Jinhai, Cavalry, Auntie Mai and Cousin Guo engaged the Immortal, who while powerful was shown even an immortal can bleed. The battle was fierce. Auntie Mai appears to be an enchanter focusing on connections. Cousin Guo had some sort of practice that let him seem to disappear, sloughing off connections to get into position with a wicked knife. Wu Jinhai knew he’d have been outmatched alone, but together the Immortal got the worst of it and was forced to quit the field, leaving the Estates to the Liu and Sorcerer Hunters, but not without injury. Cousin Guo took a couple of serious injuries, Auntie Mai took a strike as well, and the cavalry was badly injured; for all of it Wu Jinhai escaped unscathed.

You’ve also learned that the Liu have the ability to take something from their foes when they defeat them, at least power.

1- Patrol the Alley of Awe

The forces heading into the city arrived in an orderly show Wu Jinhai in his new rabbit-fur coat standing atop the gray, elephant-decorated Hēi Yāzi. Cavalry columns behind with Inspectors pulling up at the rear. A minor functionary, Han Bojing was at the gate to greet him. When Wu dismissed the guards, he took much offense insisting the guards must stay as this is their honorable and proper role. The guards themselves put up some resistance, but when Hēi Yāzi turned and pointed its main gun their way, they quickly changed their tune, leaving expediently. For all his bluster Han Bojing was powerless to provide obstacles and so fuming simply stood and observed the columns enter to parade down the alley of awe, at the end We Jinhai breaking formation alongside the cavalry to join up with Liu members and make their way to the estates.

Hēi Yāzi made its way back to secure the gate, knowing Captain Wu would be back and forth between support if needed (Xiǎoyā didn’t think they’d need the support).

The Sorcerer Hunters have successfully seized the I-Alley of Awe’s gate to the B-Outward Road

While controlling the space you observed a large number of assets from the Celestial Bureaucracy moving from the V-Prefecture Palace to H-Central Government inclusive of the Grand Secretary with his entourage, a brigade of scribes and a diplomatic corps.

The Wandering Youxia was present, but did not attempt to stop you.

1 - Patrol the Outward Road

The Riflemen patrol the outward road watching for threats. It’s sunny and quiet, the sounds of nature are all around. They observe one creature flying high above the territory, a faceless beast with six legs and wings, that is identified as a Hundun, one of the four perils, a creature of primordial and incarnate chaos it passess from the East to the South without incident.

3 - Investigate the Rotted and Shorn Corpse

Your inspectors proceed down to the steaming lake, eager to sink their teeth into what feels like a fresh lead. When they arrive, the Bureaucrats are already there, eager to follow up. There is a lot of posturing and argument, but it doesn’t start with blows or weapons drawn. They are aware of their orders, but the methods the Bureaucrats are using for evidence collection and interrogation are so antiquated; surely the methods they have been trained in are much better and disagreement is vocal – leading to some slapping and shoving, as the methods may lead to destruction of critical evidence.

Your inspectors insist on priority, but the Celestial Bureaucracy doesn’t only have inspectors here, they’ve supplemented with Cavalry and armored and armed town guards actively patrolling.

An Other, a three-legged crow, also attempted to poke into the investigation, complicating items.

You noticed three potent objects of power in the possession of the Celestial Bureaucracy, a horsehair plume, a lotus lantern and a jade pagoda all present; each likely being a ten power item.

It is shortly after this point that bedlam erupts and as raw, incarnate chaos flows through the area like a tidal wave. The Hundun bumbling through the skies.

The lake broke.

With horns like iridescent jagged lightning bolts and scales that shimmered through a trout's belly rainbow, a Dragon rose from the steaming lake. Its head was larger than two semi trucks abreast, its length seemed unfathomable as it rose towards the city. A creature that could casually flatten blocks, and could probably play with Hēi yāzi like a child with a toy car.

Jade pillars snapped into existence at five points around the Dragon each overflowing with elemental nature. Built by invisible hands the structure of the pagoda manifested from the pillars, enclosing the figure.

Then shrinking, concatenating down and folding back into the Pagoda.

What had been a slapping war turned violent, ally turned against ally, friend and foe alike in a chaotic bedlam – every man an island to himself. In the debrief recollections, it was indicated that the incarnate chaos caused actions to result in unpredictable outcomes, each person having to fight alone, potentially hitting and hurting allies whether or not they intended to help, connections muddled like thread in a shredder subject to a violent end.

This absolute riot led to bruises and minor injuries among the investigators, until the Hundun was clear they weren’t able to coherently reform and exit the area.

You managed to discover the following details through the tumult:

The corpse belonged to a young man named Huang Tao

The inspectors surmise Huang Tao was subjected to rapacious practices and that what’s left is the vestige of a corpse.

7- Seize the Gate at the Alley of Awe

Wu Jinhai successfully seized the gate despite minor resistance (see 1-Patrol the Alley of Awe). The Celestial Bureaucracy has lost control of this gate and cannot shut it on you without first gaining control of the Alley of Awe.

WI - Battlefield Seals

Your lesser sealers begin preparing traps in the earth, concentric warding circles for a few different common types of Others, or practitioners, hopefully to catch anyone assaulting your HQ before they arrive. The might of defensive of the B-Outward Road has been slightly increased

Faction Ability - Requisitioning Supplies:

Cavalry went door to door, snatching the jewels of the well off people of N- The Estates in the ma,e of the Emperor of Qing. You’ve gained 6 Power of Requisitioned Sentimental Jewelry as a result

The Challenge

Wu Jinhai, Captain of this detachment of Sorcerer Hunters arrives to dispute the claim. He insists such a title would more naturally fall to himself, as a Master of Conflict and a Master of War, and that Diplomacy, negotiation are entwined as a core precept of every cessation of war, every peace that has ended with both sides living; he disputes the claim and insists this is improper. Unfortunately for Wu Jinhai, the spiritual inertia of previous victories greatly overwhelmed his comments. Lin Fen carefully indicating that she had dealt with gods, greater spirits, and sages. She had stopped and started wars, calmed beasts of great power and gained boons in the process. That first and foremost her role has been as a negotiator, before a warrior and before a leader. Wu Jinhai attempts to turn directly to combat and misestimates that prior to the ritual inertia they may have been peers, but in this moment garbed in Right, she is his superior. He is lightly injured in the ensuing conflict and ejected from the ritual space. .

Dilemma – Foxfire at Night

One of your night watchmen has reported observing lights flashing from the upper stories of a building on the edge of town, they think it's signaling to something out in the wilds.

[ ] Commend the soldier, make note of it in the rotation to continue to observe and try to track the receiver

[ ] Assign codebreaking resources to nightwatch to attempt to decode the message without any approach

[ ] Assign soldiers to attempt to find the signalling source at night and raid the structure; It's much easier to get answers to questions when you have the signaller in hand.

[ ] Reprimand the soldier -- Night watch is intended to watch our flanks and encampment, not to watch city lights and try to decipher special meanings that might not even be true.

Heroic Captain, Wu Jinhai

Wu Jinhai’s baseline Might has been significantly enhanced

Troops:

Cavalry - 155th Cavalry Division 野馬兒 Yěmǎ er “Wild Horses”

Riflemen - 117th Infantry Division 铁雨 (Tiě yǔ) “Rain of Iron”

Shi of Seals - 99th Public Security Division 三印 Sān yìn “Three Seals”

Inspectors - 115th Public Security Division, Attaches “”

Magical Armor - 吴穆 (Wú mù) Panelling

黑鴨子 (Hēi yāzi) - “Black Duck” Type 63 Amphibious Tank and Crew (113th Armored Crew , 小鴨 Xiǎoyā “The Ducklings”).

The Hēi Yāzi always inflicts at least one wound in any conflict it is engaged in.

Rabbit-Linen Coat; Power 1 (expended)

The wearer of the coat can enhance their range by 2 for 1 turn, after which its magic fades.

Sorcerer Hunters: Turn 3

The Liu moved en masse through the Alley of Awe for points South, you would think they’re entire active household traveled that way.

Lin Fen of the Temple also came through for points South

The ThreeLegged Crow watched your investigation in the docks, you assess that it’s a member of the Wild Others and probably only a Moderate combatant

Current Assets

Faction Rule

Secret Objective
Discover if the que cutting sorcerers are in Pingliang and if they are, remove them;

Or

Supplant the Celestial Bureaucracy, claiming the Central government and constructing an HQ there; which is in place when the game ends.

If you complete either of these, you will also be considered a Victor.

Side Quest

Take over the government of Pingliang to serve as a base of operations

The Mandate of Heaven. It is said the regency of this territory was assigned by the order of an

Characters:

Name	Might	Status	Actions	Range
Heroic, Wu Jinhai	Great	Healthy, Equipped with Armor	2	2
Tank, 黑鴨子 (Hēi yāzi )	Great	Healthy	1	4

Troops:

Name	Might	Status	Actions	Range
Inspectors	Poor	Healthy	1	2
Shi of Seals	Poor	Healthy	1	1
Riflemen	Moderate	Healthy	1	1
Cavalry	Poor	Healthy, Equipped with Armor	1	4

Notable Items

Control of the Outward Road where you have an HQ

黑鴨子 (Hēi yāzi ) - “Black Duck” Type 63 Amphibious Tank

Magical Armor

Purified Salt; Power 1

3 Power worth of Qi-enhanced grain (6 start, -3 healing)

1 Power of Requisitioned Sentimental Jewelry (6 start , mechanic -4 base, -1 inspection)

6 Power of Nature-Infused Produce (3 start, -1 enh inspection, -2 healing, +3 B, +3 Ritual B)

2 Power of Awkward Adulation (2 Start, -1 base, -1 inspection, +2 I )

5 Power of Proper Taxes (+5 Requisition H)

16 Power Worth of Chinese Wolfberries (Goji, +16 Gainsaying)

Total Loose Power: 33 Power

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Central Government was heavily fortified this week; you think half of the Celestial Bureaucracy’s assets were left to defend it.

The Celestial Bureaucracy sent two units to investigate in K - the Docks this turn, following the same leads you did.

The owner of the Dreaming Market receives a free magic item, every turn

Results

Dilemma - Foxfire at Night

You commend Dai Qiu, a young private and former farmhand who joined up out of his own small village; this is his first deployment and he is beaming for being recognized. You assign a few soldiers with codebreaking experience to work through the patterns in the symbols.

Within a few days you have cracked the system, it's not much of a cipher and completely unsophisticated. It appears to be another smuggling group, signaling town guard patrols to enable entry into the Wet Market's gates.

See Dilemma, Foxfire at Night 2 for further options.

Patrol - The Outlying Farms -A:

The tank patrols the outlying farms and besides an encounter with some disguised “well meaning hunters, looking for a beast roaring in the night.” that you turn away from your operational area, it’s quiet.

You uncover a concealed redoubt, a house painted with signs, sigils and stinking of animal and Other. You demolish the structure, correctly intuiting that it was the active base of the Oni, their base has been removed as a result of this patrol.

Investigate - Steaming Lake -L:

Your investigation into the steaming lake bears fruit, speaking with the associates and family of the deceased you find the warehouse he worked at was used by many, but connections and clues draw to an easy to miss house in M-The Slinking Slums; It’s said he’d come and go at odd hours of the night, furtive in appearance and the owners are reported to be by all accounts a friendly young family; no reason to take a teenage dock worker in at odds hours.

He had debts but he was a hard worker looking to find a leg up in the world.

Looking into the Dragon, it was likely in the lake, fishing. Eye witnesses spotted the Hundun flying ahead of it, but does not characterize it as a chase, more a skyward stroll. The Hundun leading northward toward N-the Liu Estates.

A Cavalryman wielding the Jade Pagoda activated it, surprised by the dragon breaking from the lake; the Jade Pagoda must both be not difficult to use and it's use trained such that any of the Celestial Bureaucracy units know how to activate them.

From the context as far as Wu Jinhai can judge, it can probably capture any Other, regardless of Might.

Because it wasn't subsequently used to capture the Hundun, it either can't capture more than one creature, can only be used once, or they had another reason to keep the Hundun out of the box.

Investigate - The Celestial Bureaucracy - H

The inspectors are stymied at every step; the Bureaucracy has locked down the Central Government. Cavalry, Town Guard, and Tian Fa patrol the area, ready to intercept and politely turn away questing eyes. Every polite and impolite interrogatory is presented with “You should make an appointment and return when you are expected.” The amount of force on display is sufficient for the Inspectors to not press the issue, as they are woefully outmatched.

Being unable to access the interior of the central government they still exercise the requisitioning power to gain 5 power worth of Proper Taxes noted above.

There is no indication that the dragon is inside, but you don’t observe the Jade Pagoda in the hands of the Cavalry, as it was at the beach. Tian Fa himself holds the Lotus Lantern.

In a larger surprise the Hundun is escorted in by Tian Fa himself, while the inspectors are continually refused, blocked and turned away.

Ritual - Outward Road -B:

The sealers successfully perform a ritual of healthy harvents, hearth and home; completely unopposed. It will double the income of the territory making the way bend to a cozy return and to lead by fresh produce, weaving spiritual enhancement to make them more nourishing to shore up the elements of the body.

Build an HQ - I:
The forces here set up more permanent lodgings inside the alley of awe, careful not to run afoul of the law against harming innocents, they take the spot between two buildings and begin stringing hammocks, bedrolls, tarps and throw up scaffolding and basic constructions, creating a series of checkpoints up and down the alley to keep the new barracks safe. They find a relatively friendly family nearby to make use of their latrine, although certainly not built to service the sheer number of soldiers.

Hēi yāzi has a “nest” built one street over, tools and maintenance pit set up around it to keep it relatively secure and nearby in the case of trouble.

WI - Bedrest

The Calary stay in on bedrest, the Outward road is calm, peaceful; no one stops by and the bucolic surroundings are good for what ails them. The horses get apples, and their coats well brushed out, the soldiers each soup dumplings and let the bruises fade, returning to full capabilities at the end of the turn; the armor having saved lives.

They make a boilermaker and add in cider; it’s foul but in honor of a fallen horse, it certainly kicks like one.

A shipment from the merchants association

You receive the promised grain from the merchant’s association; stamped from the Wildflower’s association.

Dilemma - Foxfire at Night 2

You've become aware of another smuggling route into Pingliang; the first was profitable for the Sorcerer Hunters, potentially the second may be as well.

[ ] Ambush the shipment; whatever it is, it's illegal and you'll seize it. Assign units to this dilemma to seize the goods.

[ ] It's likely if the shipment does not come, whoever is sending the signals will stop; this provides an additional opportunity to be aware of, a chance to use knowledge of patrols to slip a force in, unseen. Utilize the gap created by the signals to attack D- the Wet Market gaining an advantage against the defenders.

[ ] Inform the Celestial Bureaucracy through official channels; they'll receive a dilemma that may draw some of their forces away at an opportune moment.

Dilemma; A Peddler’s wares.

Wu Jinhai has come across a traveling peddler in the Steaming Lake, he offers a variety of special, magical wares. He has a small handcart that he can set up as a display and is festooned with trinkets, amulets and bobs of minor effect. He’s amiable, gregarious, and appears earnest. He’s well tanned by long days in the sun and much travel. He’s not affiliated with the Wildflowers and not looking to be. He has on offer only one of each:

[ ] Wang Fu's Tonic of healing; 1 power cost: 3 Power

This tonic will heal 1 injury by the imbiber.

[ ] Long Quan's Lion's Tincture; 3 Power, cost: 10 Power

When applied this tincture provides a unit +5 might for an entire turn.

[ ] Sun Wu's Flying Sword. 5 Power, cost: 15 Power

This sword allows a wielding character to fly, riding the blade like a surfboard. It adds two range to its wielder.

[ ] Wei Ju’s Door. 5 Power, Cost: 15 Power

This door can be keyed to a particular territory; It has about a week of magic, finding an opening in an abandoned area, randomly distributed in the territory; when activated it treats the territory it’s in and the targeted territory as adjacent for one turn.

[ ] Thousand Li's Instant Estate; power 5, cost: 15 Power

The estate can be activated once to instantly create a base in a territory, if you don't control its hosting territory when the turn ends it will be destroyed.

[ ] Try to kill him and take all his stuff.

You may buy items from this dilemma “Instantly” to use in the same turn as the submission. The final choice does not resolve instantly, if you select it no items from this dilemma may be used this turn.

Heroic Captain, Wu Jinhai

Wu Jinhai’s baseline Might has been significantly enhanced

Troops:

Cavalry - 155th Cavalry Division 野馬兒 Yěmǎ er “Wild Horses”

Riflemen - 117th Infantry Division 铁雨 (Tiě yǔ) “Rain of Iron”

Shi of Seals - 99th Public Security Division 三印 Sān yìn “Three Seals”

Inspectors - 115th Public Security Division, Attaches “”

Magical Armor - 吴穆 (Wú mù) Panelling

黑鴨子 (Hēi yāzi) - “Black Duck” Type 63 Amphibious Tank and Crew (113th Armored Crew , 小鴨 Xiǎoyā “The Ducklings”).

The Hēi Yāzi always inflicts at least one wound in any conflict it is engaged in.

Sorcerer Hunters: Turn 4

Your base in the Alley of Awe was destroyed.

Wherever the Hundun takes its actions, if a conflict occurs, each unit will stand alone as its own separate force to determine results.

The massive other that attacked the Central Government must have been Supreme; It put Tian Fa on his toes and on the defensive; It was accompanied by both the Temple’s High Priestesses.

Current Assets

Faction Rule

Secret Objective
Discover if the que cutting sorcerers are in Pingliang and if they are, remove them;

Or

Supplant the Celestial Bureaucracy, claiming the Central government and constructing an HQ there; which is in place when the game ends.

If you complete either of these, you will also be considered a Victor.

Side Quest

Take over the government of Pingliang to serve as a base of operations

The Mandate of Heaven. It is said the regency of this territory was assigned by the order of an

Characters:

Name	Might	Status	Actions	Range
Heroic, Wu Jinhai, Inquisitor of Magic	Great	Injured, Equipped with Armor	2	2
Tank, 黑鴨子 (Hēi yāzi )	Great	Healthy	1	4

Troops:

Name	Might	Status	Actions	Range
Inspectors	Poor	Healthy	1	2
Shi of Seals	Poor	Healthy	1	1
Riflemen	Moderate	Dead 💀	1	1
Cavalry	Poor	Healthy, Equipped with Armor	1	4

Notable Items

Control of the B - Outward Road, the A - Outlying Farms and I - the Alley of Awe
You have a base in the Outward Road

黑鴨子 (Hēi yāzi ) - “Black Duck” Type 63 Amphibious Tank

Magical Armor

Thousand Li's Instant Estate; power 5

Wang Fu's Tonic of healing; power 1

Purified Salt; Power 1

0 Power worth of Qi-enhanced grain (3 start -3 Purchases)

4 Power of Requisitioned Sentimental Jewelry (1 start , +4 N, -1 range)

12 Power of Nature-Infused Produce (6S start, +3 B, +3 Ritual B)

0 Power of Awkward Adulation (2S +2 I , -2 Temple, -2 drain)

10 Power of Proper Taxes (+5S, +5 Requisition H)

0 Power of Chinese Wolfberries (+16 reflected gainsaying -15 Purchases, -1 Temple)

3 Power worth of Wild Provender (+3A)

Total Loose Power: 29 Power

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Temple have a relic that can sever souls and shift the weight of consequences onto them

The CB once had two items: one that let them bind people, and one that let them bind Others but they have lost one

The Temple are hiding something that they did to a body that washed up on the shore

Results

Dilemma; A Peddler’s wares.

The peddler sells you the items in question with careful instructions for use; The cart is well maintained, nothing notable or magical about the cart itself. He thanks you for your patronage then closes up shop to move elsewhere to sell to other customers.

He leaves towards the North East making his way from the Steaming lake outward through the V-Prefecture Palace.

Dilemma - Foxfire at Night 2

You have forwarded on the details to the Celestial Bureaucracy through official channels; on sealed letterhead.

1 - Patrol B Wu Jinhai, Sealers

The patrol of the outward road is peaceful and bucolic; butterflies dot the air and the day is clear and warm. Fles buss about here and there but it’s not enough to spoil the day; the sealers, and Captain Wu prepare for trouble, but none comes to trouble them in their patrol. They keep to the rituals and spaces and have an overall peaceful week from a patrolling standpoint.

1 - Patrol A, Tank

A group of Celestial Bureaucracy Cavalrymen join up with the tank; the lead Bureaucrat with a heavily enchanted horsehair plume. Such an artifact improved the capabilities of allied troops, which, to the horse rider’s chagrin, the tank is not. No Oni arrive to contest the claim; and the week goes peacefully on patrol; the sharp eyed riders seem to be looking for something out here that they don’t find in the joint patrol.

They leave the gathered supplies to you, as well as control of the space before departing back into Pingliang.

1 - Patrol N, Riflemen

The patrol meets up with Liu Tang; the other Mandate Seeker this turn; then everything turns to sh*t. The Hundun comes through to resist the patrol and all becomes chaos – freak weather systems, a three legged crow Other comes through pecking and scratching, bullets arc and ricochet in unpredictable trajectories, and Liu Tang’s blade flashes into friend and foe alike.

The influence of the Hundun is very pronounced; and every participant ends up injured; the riflemen themselves perishing in the altercation; the crow Other taking at least two injuries, and the Hundun, which wielded two magical artifacts, a necklace that shattered absorbing a bullet and a magical sword also was injured. Tang didn’t get off scot free either, taking an unintentional ricochet.

The Liu sent along the four agreed upon power with their condolences.

3 - investigate H; The Mandate of Heaven; Cavalry

The Cavalry unit dutifully collects it’s tithe while watching the H-Central Government; Tian Fa is there patrolling in force; and it’s likely if the Cavalry had been the only concern of the day they’d have gained nothing; being blocked by the superior opponent. Instead they witness a massive other, hair and scale and shell, about twelve feet tall and pointed at the middle appear alongside the two high Priestesses of the temple; a shockwave of fear pass through the crowd, that hits them like icy water, such that if it had even dared turn their way, the cavalry would have fled in terror. They witnessed it and the priestesses attacked the government building and put Tian Fa on the ropes. A group of children and the Youxia entered to intervene.

When the fight went into the building, they could not follow.

Eventually the creature, barely injured, and Lin Fen and Fang An emerged, much more injured and fled into the floating world.

Tian Fa, uninjured, came out with the town guard later, furious, and they beat a hasty retreat.

The creature is not like any other they have seen before to compare it to – it looked viscous, ferocious and of Supreme Tier.

You did not mark the Mandate of Heaven exiting with the priestesses or the creature; but it would be hard to see as the creature's arms were full of objects; spoils from the vault.

3 - Investigate Huang Tao, M; Inspectors

The investigators make it to the Slinkling Slums where it seems like the entire territory is fighting them; every person they talk to either doesn’t know Huang Tao, or if they’ve heard of him point them somewhere else.

Trying to get to the address doesn’t work either, as the doors seem to shift and change when one isn’t looking and every time it’s a different house, the wrong house.

They hear numerous rumors and whispers; many inhabitants of the Flop Houses and the Slinking Slum worship at the temple when they can, because the services are free.

It is almost as if there were a practitioner taking active steps to obfuscate the investigation before them in the slum; too slippery for the investigators to catch; what lends credence to this theory is when they return to camp. They are not as whole as they were when they entered the M-the Slinking Slums; they did not see anyone patrolling for all the Liu claimed, but there were other activities going on in the space – a group of Liu affiliated things beginning a fight club, the mandate challenge; with a defaced sign out front warning people of the dangers of the challenge as a duel that had been covered with graffiti saying “Watch out, the Liu lie” underlined four times.

An inspection when they return to the Outward Road indicates that parts of their make up, skills, competence, important spirits have been siphoned away via some rapacious practice; they aren’t certain how or who as they saw no one.

5 - Mandate: Inquisitor of Magic, Wu Jinhai

Captain Wu Jinhai, ancestral sword at his hip, medals shined and primed in his dress best, sets out a desk and the challenge, issuing it from the Outward Road. It rings outward. Then he sits to wait. The sealers guarding the territory quickly come in and give their no contested, complimenting Captain Wu, Inquisitor of Magic as particularly suited to his title and pushing as much claim as they can towards him.

Then the first challenger arrives.

The Taoqi, a great beast of a creature walks up the road to where Captain Wu Jinhai, presumptive Inquisitor of Magic sits. The presumptive mantle sits heavily on him, a potentiality, one he will have to fight to keep; for too many failures and it will prove him unsuitable. The creature is powerful, powerful enough that had he not the assent and claim of previous challenges and no-contests Captain Wu would be at great risk.

They do battle over his suitability for the claim; the Taoqi insisting that he has no right to question magic and he must fight to keep it, Captain Wu obliges, the fighting is terrible; the creature a being with mass equal to a fully loaded ox driven cart; roiling with terrible magics a creature of nightmare that would frighten away lesser folk and particularly suited to fighting practitioners. Captain Wu burns medal after medal tapping into the lessons of his forebears, friends, allies, mentors and family members, burning through power like a falling comet, white hot with historicity and memory.

To that the Taoqi laughs, pregnant with it’s own power; its shell a gold and jade drill stretching from its middle that opens to reveal a may wide enough for a horse to ride down and disappear into nothingness, with fangs longer than a Qiang.

The battle is close, a battle by inches, by endurance; The Taoqi’s blows ringing like cannonshot on enchanted armor in ebony, Captain Wu’s skill and practice versus the Taoqi’s inhuman fortitude, in the end the bare edges, memories from Captain Wu’s Seventh grandfather Wu Ping are the barest margin by which he clutches victory; Injured himself and sending the Taoqi away injured as well from the claim.

The only other challenger to appear is the tank crew, who salute and no contest the challenge.

The mandate settles into place.

Heroic Captain, Wu Jinhai

Wu Jinhai’s baseline Might has been significantly enhanced

Troops:

Cavalry - 155th Cavalry Division 野馬兒 Yěmǎ er “Wild Horses”

Riflemen - 117th Infantry Division 铁雨 (Tiě yǔ) “Rain of Iron”

Shi of Seals - 99th Public Security Division 三印 Sān yìn “Three Seals”

Inspectors - 115th Public Security Division, Attaches “”

Magical Armor - 吴穆 (Wú mù) Panelling

黑鴨子 (Hēi yāzi) - “Black Duck” Type 63 Amphibious Tank and Crew (113th Armored Crew , 小鴨 Xiǎoyā “The Ducklings”).

The Hēi Yāzi always inflicts at least one wound in any conflict it is engaged in.

Thousand Li's Instant Estate; power 5

This tiny model is an intricate and palatial estate, fine enough for any small and reputable family; it could easily house about thirty people, if it were full sized.

The estate can be activated once to instantly create a base in a territory, if you don't control its hosting territory when the turn ends it will be destroyed.

Wang Fu's Tonic of healing; power 1

This small tonic is contained in an etched marble vial with symbols of virility, vitality, health and fortune, the stopper is onyx wood and it promises great health and longevity to the imbiber.

This tonic will heal 1 injury by the imbiber.

Sorcerer Hunters: Turn 5

An Oni Ritual has locked the city of Pingliang to you; You can no longer construct bases within the City Territories of Pingliang (I, D, E, G, H, J, V, M, N, O, P,)

The Liu carved a Magical Chain with the express purpose of binding Captain Wu Jinhai; it grants the possessor a Might bonus against him in any conflict they are involved in.

The Liu had been karmically empowered by the time of the battle, likely due to successful forswearings.

The Liu enchantress used an ability that counteracted Wu Jinhai’s own enhancement of troops under his command for the battle at the Temple.

Current Assets

Faction Rule

Secret Objective
Discover if the que cutting sorcerers are in Pingliang and if they are, remove them;

Or

Supplant the Celestial Bureaucracy, claiming the Central government and constructing an HQ there; which is in place when the game ends.

If you complete either of these, you will also be considered a Victor.

Side Quest

Take over the government of Pingliang to serve as a base of operations

The Mandate of Heaven. It is said the regency of this territory was assigned by the order of an

Characters:

Name	Might	Status	Actions	Range
Heroic, Wu Jinhai	Great	Injured, Equipped with Armor	2	2
Tank, 黑鴨子 (Hēi yāzi )	Great	Injured	1	4

Troops:

Name	Might	Status	Actions	Range
Inspectors	Poor	Healthy	1	2
Shi of Seals	Poor	Injured	1	1
Cavalry	Poor	Injured, Equipped with Armor		3

Notable Items

Control of the B - Outward Road, the A - Outlying Farms and I - the Alley of Awe
You have a base in the Outward Road

黑鴨子 (Hēi yāzi ) - “Black Duck” Type 63 Amphibious Tank

Magical Armor

Thousand Li's Instant Estate; power 5

Wang Fu's Tonic of healing; power 1

2x Purified Salt; Power 1

3x Omen Salt; power 1

1 Power of Requisitioned Sentimental Jewelry (4S, -3 WI )

11 Power of Nature-Infused Produce (12S start, +3 B, +6 Ritual, -5 heal, -5 ward, )

2 Power of Awkward Adulation (0S, +2 I )

3 Power of Proper Taxes (10S, -7 WF)

3 Power worth of Honorable Offerings (+3 Q)

1 Power worth of Wild Provender (3S, +3A, -1 range, -2 range, -2 drain)

Total Loose Power: 21 Power

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Celestial Bureaucracy sent units to the wall as a result of your letter, to help bolster their Claim to Pingliang.

Tian Fa performed at less than Supreme power in the battle, less than Wu Jinhai would expect from the Grand Secretary, it’s likely he has an ability that costs some of his strength to use.

A second massive ritual occurred in the Steam Lake, an Other as large as three horses nose to tail was pulled through, and made for points South.

Results

You received 3 Bad Omen Salt and 1 Pure Salt from the Wildflowers.

You secured 3 Power worth of Honorable Offerings from activities in the Respectable Homes.

Attack - The Temple

Wu Jinhai led the first detachment. Mai, a group of things called “the Crew”, Celestial Bureaucracy Cavalry and himself. He was entrusting his sealers to Tian Fa, but the man seemed to be an old hand at leadership, giving calm, clear, concise and precise commands.

The Celestial Bureucracy’s cavalry were no Yěmǎ er, unlike his own cavalry, less time on the road, more well brushed manes and parades. But they obeyed readily enough. The helm felt strange on Wu Jinhai’s head. It fit, comfortably, but he wasn’t used to the sensation of the full helm, it’s lucky red mane trailing like a banner. It felt like his own practice, that enhanced the troops under his command but somehow, stronger; infused with more power, pattern, more Law. Very useful. While the flanking team made its way around to perform its function he inspected the forces he’d be working with. Mai was an enchantress, and she was here with a wicked looking chain. Something that had been infused with power and seemed to writhe, sinister in her hands.

He got the sense that it was a snake, like a great black iron mamba, and that it was looking at him intently.

He set that aside for the moment, not forgotten, merely stored, a watch from the corner of his eyes, and commanded the forward assault.

Lin Fen and Fang An were ahead of him, higher ground on the hill towards the temple, the Taotie here in support, looking at his men hungrily.

The battlefield exploded in limbs, the massive paws of primeval beasts, a finger or toe of a god and appendage of creatures not known to man and Lin Fen burned through her favors and friends, calling power from those distant and debts owed, the tentacle of a lake beast warping space as it emerged from the bole of a tree to lash across the path of the cavalry. And all across this Fang An breathed, and flowers dusted the battlefield. Pollen in a wide variety of effects, Wutou Fumes choking his men, soporifics, to slow their reactions, psychedelics to confuse their perceptions, Hexagram 18 Heat Miasma to sap away at their strength. It was an olfactory assault, omnipresent. The Taotie in its wake, low to the ground greedily snapping at whatever its massive jaw could get around.

This would have been an even fight for him and his sealers; his new title Inquisitor of magic was not just for show; he could see Lin Fen had been karmically weakened, weakened with her mantle in place, it was likely that they would prevail more than he. Tian Fa and the sealers making their way around back.

Then Mai changed her orientation and he saw. The sight had never been Wu Jinhai’s strongest practice. He was used to reading the flows of the battlefield, selecting the appropriate skills and utilizing more than lifetimes of training to achieve results – none of the physical motions drilled in over millions of repetitions concerned vision. But with his new title in place he saw better and further.

He recognized her posture. “I wouldn't,” he said. A warning, he knew what the positioning meant.

“I would,” she said. And let the chain fly at Wu Jinhai.

He could see the connections twist, the chain was bound to him his name had been etched onto it, a weapon meant to bind him, he tagged a medal, using it’s Gung Fu, to weave out of the way, dodging as it sought his neck, shifting like a living thing seeking to strike and clamp in place.

The second throw was closer and he batted it out of the way with his sword.

The Crew turned on the cavalry with the Taotie and the fight went from favored for him to woefully outmatched. It seemed like he would be cornered then bound by this enchantress as she casually twisted his allies' relationships, interfering with his command, but not the Horsehair Plumes.

Tian Fa, bless him, was atop the hill, about to enter the temple, and saw what was going on. He burned through power he’d brought with him, coins of obeisance, and threw forces of Law to play, defending Jinhai and his men while the sealers tried to complete their task.

All together it was nearly even, almost perfectly, Jinhai noticed other names on the chain, it had a connection to Tian Fa, seeking to evade his empowered barriers and rules. His practices and claim; it had been prepared with two in mind.

Jinhai fought his hardest but inch by inch it became clear that eventually they would be worn down, and lose. The Sealers came racing out, bloodied. And he ordered a fighting retreat, all of the allied forces made it back; injured, but whole.

The Liu had betrayed them.

In the fighting Captain Wu Jinhai was injured, as well as the Sealers and the Cavalry. Due to Liu practices, power was drawn from the treasury of the Sorcerer Hunters, the Celestial Bureaucracy, and with his title in tow he was able to witness in horror as might was drained from from himself into Auntie Liu Mai, bits of soul ripped as a consequence of victory leaving gaps in him, less whole than when the fight started, perhaps never able to become whole again.

Captain Jinhai was certain if there were sorcerers in Pingliang, the Liu were among them.

Attack - The Oni League

Captain Wu Jinhai stands on the front plate of the tank, cutting a dashing finger with his sword strapped to his waist, a hand gently stedding his pose against the main cannon. Absolutely Impractical in a general sense, but showy with his jacked of medals gleaming like a coat of scales. Hēi yāzi rumbles its way through Pingliang towards the Q- Respectable Homes the angry sun beating down as carts and horses must move out of the way of the twin thunders of the cavalry line and the leading Hēi yāzi; in this case the line being as ducklings behind a mama duck.

They thunder past the central government and push through the G-Dreaming Market stalls being smashed out of the way by the thick armor of the Hēi yāzi.

They come upon a dreadful scene. A massive shell, like that of the creature before them; a Taotie, but this shell, looking like a molt, is about twice the size of the Hēi yāzi itself. The Spiral up to a point like a tent made of copper and bone. A Taotie, a Peril of that size would be an enormous issue. Something that Captain Wu Jinhai’s brigade would struggle to combat, as hearty as they are.

This taotie was much smaller, like it could crawl into the shell of the other like a newborn to its mother. This one was only as large as a horse. Still enough to swallow a man, Wu Jinhai watched as it wolfed down the body of a child. While the dragon spoke with it.

A Dragon was a terrifying thing; but with his cavalry, his practice, his title, his equipment and the Hēi yāzi by his side, he could not let them form any form of pact here. He would have to stand against this injustice with all his might.

“Drive me closer, so that I can hit them with my sword” He said to the ducklings, and then “Also say Hello, so they know that I’m coming.”

The Turret gunner nodded in the affirmative and raked the dragon and the Taotie with fire from the turret machine gun, bullets etched with runes, blessed in the moonlight and coated in salt, tearing into the creature of profanity. One of the elder evils against humanity, the dark mirror of a judge.

The battle was fierce, the main cannon speaking destruction and tearing into the dragon and taotie alike, shell after shell as the loader sweated in the compartment, Jinhai himself dueling the creature and dodging as rapidly as he could manage against the lightning quick strikes of the enormous creature.

The dragon returned the destruction in kind, tearing gouges into Hēi yāzi, gashes in Wu Jinhai, the Taotie hungrily snapping all about, Jinhai saw it devour a Cavalryman horse and all.

It became clear in short order that this was a losing battle. The unexpected presence of the dragon wasn’t insurmountable, but with the forces present it was simply too little, although in reaching distance, if allies had come, maybe, maybe they would have been able to overcome its supreme might.

Captain Jinhai ordered a fall back and a retreat, the Taotie hungrily snapping after the faster men.

The Dragon did not pursue, but let them retreat back through the Dreaming Market, to lick their wounds.

Captian Jinhai, the Hēi yāzi, and the Mounted Cavalry have been wounded in this engagement, as have the Taotie and the Dragon.

The Cavalry has used the Tonic to recover its wound.

The Taotie:
The Taotie is a corpulent other; resembling a turtle the size of an oxcart. His shell is like the crenelated battlement of a castle or a small temple rising up on spikes of carapace. Ornaments, small treasures have been hammered in at points and the whorls on the tortoise-shell have a golden glint to them and seem to writhe and take shapes of things he's consumed in his time. His legs are thick trunks heavily armored with patterned scale that form geometric shapes, like tiny half sigils or signs, they terminate into what look like meaty human hands at the front and feet at the back, although so top heavy you'd doubt he could stand for long on his rear legs without toppling over. His face is beak-like, narrowing to a sharp point, with eyes that dominate the vast expanse of his face, forward looking, glassy and with human-like pupils. The structure of his eyes are tiger like, with four pupils per iris the slits nearly forming a box.

Ritual - Outward Road

The ritual proceeds without challenge; they enhance the flows of karma to enhance what the territory can provide.

Heroic Captain, Wu Jinhai

Wu Jinhai’s baseline Might has been significantly enhanced

Troops:

Cavalry - 155th Cavalry Division 野馬兒 Yěmǎ er “Wild Horses”

Shi of Seals - 99th Public Security Division 三印 Sān yìn “Three Seals”

Inspectors - 115th Public Security Division, Attaches “”

Magical Armor - 吴穆 (Wú mù) Panelling

黑鴨子 (Hēi yāzi) - “Black Duck” Type 63 Amphibious Tank and Crew (113th Armored Crew , 小鴨 Xiǎoyā “The Ducklings”).

The Hēi Yāzi always inflicts at least one wound in any conflict it is engaged in.

Thousand Li's Instant Estate; power 5

This tiny model is an intricate and palatial estate, fine enough for any small and reputable family; it could easily house about thirty people, if it were full sized.

The estate can be activated once to instantly create a base in a territory, if you don't control its hosting territory when the turn ends it will be destroyed.

Sorcerer Hunters: Turn 6

An Oni Ritual has locked the city of Pingliang to you; You can no longer construct bases within the City Territories of Pingliang (I, D, E, G, H, J, V, M, N, O, P,)

The Oni Destroyed the Celestial Bureucracy’s HQ this week, using the Taoqi

The Celestial Bureaucracy has been similarly locked out of making constructions in Pingliang

The Liu took significant injuries in the Slums and the Estates.

Current Assets

Faction Rule

Secret Objective
Discover if the que cutting sorcerers are in Pingliang and if they are, remove them;

Or

Supplant the Celestial Bureaucracy, claiming the Central government and constructing an HQ there; which is in place when the game ends.

If you complete either of these, you will also be considered a Victor.

Side Quest

Take over the government of Pingliang to serve as a base of operations

The Mandate of Heaven. It is said the regency of this territory was assigned by the order of an

Characters:

Name	Might	Status	Actions	Range
Heroic, Wu Jinhai	Great	Injured, Equipped with Armor	2	2
Tank, 黑鴨子 (Hēi yāzi )	Great	Injured	1	4

Troops:

Name	Might	Status	Actions	Range
Inspectors	Poor	Healthy	1	2
Shi of Seals	Poor	Healthy, , Equipped with Armor	1	1
Cavalry	Poor	Injured, forsworn		4

Notable Items

Control of the B - Outward Road, the A - Outlying Farms and I - the Alley of Awe
You have a base in the Outward Road

黑鴨子 (Hēi yāzi ) - “Black Duck” Type 63 Amphibious Tank

Magical Armor

Thousand Li's Instant Estate; power 5

Healing Herbs; power 1

2x Purified Salt; Power 1

0 Power of Requisitioned Sentimental Jewelry (1S, -1Refit, )

18 Power of Nature-Infused Produce (11S start, +3 B, +6 Ritual, -1 Refit, -1 Range )

1 Power of Awkward Adulation (2S, +1 I, -2 healing )

0 Power of Proper Taxes (3S, -3Refit)

3 Power worth of Honorable Offerings (3S)

3 Power worth of Wild Provender (2S, +2A,, -1 healing)

3 Power worth of Bloody money (0S +4J, -1 Law Breaking)

Total Loose Power: 28 Power

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Liu Tang’s ability to take a victim to the floating world for a 1:1 duel requires him to be in the same location as the previous turn.

Liu Tang did not succeed in his mandate claim.

The Liu have Adopted the Chain of Failure as a family heirloom.

Results

2 J Wu Jinhai, Sealers

The night operations were met with little resistance; Temple and Sorcerer hunters units stalking the wide streets and byways of the distinct like owls. Interspersed with the tank’s canonfire, a thunderous punctuation to the week’s evenings. Few Liu retainers or sympathizers are found, it seems like the bulk of the family and operation removed itself from the site weeks ago leaving few patsies to continue operations, but centralizing leadership elsewhere – their actioning forces haven’t been back, for the most part coasting on reputation and claim to the site to continue obtaining it’s tribute as wealth.

The attacking forces claimed the spoils of the location to deny the tribute to the Liu, although there was little stockpile present and no active base.

Outcome

The Liu Estates are rubble and the rubble has been trapped sufficiently to provide a hazard to passerby, not to mention difficulty in reconstructing any HQ in the area.

As a result of the traps being indiscriminate and injuring civilian passerby, the Law of Pingliang detracted 1 Power from your reserve.

2 N Wu Jinhai

The three legged crow reports thirteen Liu in the Area, keeping watchful eyes and moving as a unit. From the descriptions Wu Jinhai recognizes that this is Liu Tang and the Crew; having met the crew, and not recognizing the thirteen person; the only Sorcerer Hunters that crossed his path had been the riflemen, Tiě yǔ, his Rain of Iron; that now rested in regulation graves in the outward road, having not returned from their encounter with the Liu and the Hundun. While Tang had walked away from the engagement.

He organized his forces for the battle; Shí xún wǒ bù huì chénmò, Pai the Peddler, and himself.

Shí xún wǒ bù huì chénmò opens with a Holocaust of flames, injuring Liu Tang before the battle can even begin.

The battle is fierce, and Captain Wu can determine with his enhanced sight that Liu Tang did not succeed his mandate claim; he’s currently unempowered by a Mandate. Liu Tang and the Crew manage to dish out a couple of injuries to the allied forces; Wu Jinhai himself absorbing one such strike, while a shield of water protects chénmò from being similarly injured.

The Liu take far worse than they given, Liu Tang moving through the battlefield as one trained, as if he’d been to a PLA bootcamp and drilled to a fine level of rigor; this isn’t enough to prevent him from being injured; but between the Crew serving as ablative shielding for him, as he interposes their bodies and Captain Wu’s own each getting cut down in sequence. Pai acquits himself well enough, but it’s clear he isn’t a trained fighter; although Captain Wu does notice something more, Other, about him than he’d first espied.

Liu Tang manages to evade, escaping an impossibly boxed alleyway.

Outcome

Wu Jinhai Sustained an injury

Liu Tang sustained multiple injuries

The Crew was slain 💀

A large Other was protected from an injury from a shield of water

This large Other breathes fire and dealt a wound first to the Liu forces before the battle was

engaged

The information about the presence and location from the Three Legged Crow provided a small might bonus, less than participating himself would have.

3 J Inspectors

The inspectors make their way about the district, moving like vengeful apparitions. They question the inhabitants, pour through the rubble, and look for signs, clues and sins. The Liu were noble, proud and inscrutable. Many of the district's inhabitants had fear of them, but that’s not uncommon when people set themselves above others and appear to act with impunity. The disappearances attributed to the Liu are of particular interest, and the way part of the Estate look tainted to the sight, soaked in Yang energy, without any corresponding balance is troubling. There may have once been a series of cells, there is plenty of iron amongst the estate that doesn’t appear to serve a practical purpose. A few retainers and sycophants are ferreted out and crucified as a sign, but it’s fewer than the Inspectors would have expected from a healthy operation with it’s hub being out of the estate.

The sign is old, the tracks worn. It’s clear they’ve relocated and haven’t directed operations here for weeks; coasting on the citizen’s fear and reputation; locals continuing to pay tribute as they always have out of fear of retribution when they return. Habit, more than active predation with Liu collectors visiting.

They make certain the locals pass this tribute this week to the Sorcerer Hunters instead, claiming protection of the site, for now, even while paradoxically reducing it to rubble and investing it with traps for the unwary; that will result in injuries, fatalities and likely complicate any faction desiring to settle the space in the future.

Outcome

The Liu have assigned no actions to the Liu Estate since this series of events started (Week 1)

The Liu Estate has numerous suspect associations, ritual spaces, and prepared locations. This further reinforces the determination that they are the Sorcerers you seek.

The Liu Household left to the South in the first week, the Inspectors have high confidence that they established a base in the Slums.

The Liu base in the slums was destroyed this turn by the Oni

The Liu have a smuggling operation that runs operations from the docks to the Liu estate, and the value of both territories is impacted by this business, halting it will lead both territories to be worth less globally.

SA B/J Tank

Fireworks of steel; each shell sealed with five elements, blessed and purified. Hēi yāzi barked into the night sending flights of shells into the once pristine walls of the Liu Estate, an antiquated but fine palace – if relatively old in style but new in construction. A structure without the kind of gravitas and history of a more ancient noble house, and now marble walls cracked open like the shell of an egg. The duckling tank commander called out to the gunner and driver. Repositioning to continue to pound the structure, wooden yolk spilling outward pounded to flinders. Warehouse targets collapsed in a near implosion when 85mm shells ripped through the supports.

While not every single structure within the district is leveled, it is enough that it would likely need significant clearing and re-work to become passably useful, Hēi yāzi chewing through it’s magazine like popped lotus seeds at a festival.

Outcome

The Tank provides fire support to the actions occurring in J, which are unresisted. It’s presence allows the Outward Road to not be impacted by the Auspices of this turn.

Heroic Captain, Wu Jinhai

Wu Jinhai’s baseline Might has been significantly enhanced

Troops:

Cavalry - 155th Cavalry Division 野馬兒 Yěmǎ er “Wild Horses”

Shi of Seals - 99th Public Security Division 三印 Sān yìn “Three Seals”

Inspectors - 115th Public Security Division, Attaches “”

Magical Armor - 吴穆 (Wú mù) Panelling

黑鴨子 (Hēi yāzi) - “Black Duck” Type 63 Amphibious Tank and Crew (113th Armored Crew , 小鴨 Xiǎoyā “The Ducklings”).

The Hēi Yāzi always inflicts at least one wound in any conflict it is engaged in.

Thousand Li's Instant Estate; power 5

This tiny model is an intricate and palatial estate, fine enough for any small and reputable family; it could easily house about thirty people, if it were full sized.

The estate can be activated once to instantly create a base in a territory, if you don't control its hosting territory when the turn ends it will be destroyed.

Healing Herbs; Power 1
Healing Herbs also make their way to Pai’s shop as a result of the ritual in the Dreaming Market

The healing herbs count for three Power when used as a part of the general healing expenditure.

Description of the Aquatic Other

The large other is the size of three large horses standing nose to tail; it has a face like three men scowling without chins asn the lips meet in a tripartite mouth. It is long, sleek and shines wetly; eel-like and oily it has forward fins that terminate in human like hands with ten fingers on each. Its tail is a corkscrew like a pig.

Captain Wu Jinhai assesses that it’s opposite is likely Earth; as it is water overcoming fire and generate fire overcoming metal; it is likely to be exceptionally effective against Hēi yāzi; his assessment is that it’s own fire breath may create an ammunition cook off if it is able to get into proximity. He assesses it to be a Moderate combatant outside of it’s unusual and extraordinary abilities.

Description of the Three Legged Crow

He’s large for a bird about the size of a large mastiff, but flies on owl-silent wings. His plumage is a black so dark it becomes nearly iridescent scattering blue light that looks to an unfocused eye like tiny constellations.

Captain Wu Jinhai assesses this Other is more likely a thinker than a fighter; with observational abilities and wisdom exceeding mortal experience and capabilities. In a fight of all his capabilities versus all of it’s he suspects he’d win, but not by much, and not enough to permanently put down the creature in a single engagement – not that it would be likely to engage him in such a fashion. It’s stealthy and fast. Likely able to operate at a further range than the Cavalry or the Tank.

Sorcerer Hunters: Turn 7

An Oni Ritual has locked the city of Pingliang to you; You can no longer construct bases within the City Territories of Pingliang (I, D, E, G, H, J, V, M, N, O, P,)

The Liu fully abandoned the Slinking Slum

The at least One Liu Entered the Floating World from the Slinking Slum

If the Hundun is removed the barrier around Pingliang will be weakened and may be easier to breach.

Current Assets

Faction Rule

Secret Objective
Discover if the que cutting sorcerers are in Pingliang and if they are, remove them;

Or

Supplant the Celestial Bureaucracy, claiming the Central government and constructing an HQ there; which is in place when the game ends.

If you complete either of these, you will also be considered a Victor.

Side Quest

Take over the government of Pingliang to serve as a base of operations

The Mandate of Heaven. It is said the regency of this territory was assigned by the order of an

Characters:

Name	Might	Status	Actions	Range
Heroic, Wu Jinhai	Great	Healthy, Equipped with Armor	2	2
Tank, 黑鴨子 (Hēi yāzi )	Great	Injured	1	4

Troops:

Name	Might	Status	Actions	Range
Inspectors	Poor	Healthy	1	2
Shi of Seals	Poor	Healthy, , Equipped with Armor	1	1
Cavalry	Poor	Injured, forsworn		4

Notable Items

Control of the B - Outward Road, the A - Outlying Farms and I - the Alley of Awe
You have a base in the Outward Road

黑鴨子 (Hēi yāzi ) - “Black Duck” Type 63 Amphibious Tank

Magical Armor

Thousand Li's Instant Estate; power 5

The Copperleaf Cuirass; Power 4

The Styptic syringe; Power 1

2x Purified Salt; Power 1

0 Power of Nature-Infused Produce (18S start, +3 B, +6 Ritual, -10 action. -10 healing, -7 lawbreaking)

0 Power of Awkward Adulation (1S, +2 I, -3 purch)

0 Power worth of Honorable Offerings (3S, -3 purch)

1 Power worth of Wild Provender (3S, -1 Liu, -1 purch)

5 Power worth of Bloody money (3S +4J, -2 lawbreaking )

2 Power worth of Desperate Rent ( +2 M)

-10 Power Healing

-10 Power Action Hei Yazi

-9 Power in Lawbreaking (Injured civilians from left behind traps)

-7 Power Purchases

-1 Liu Drain

Total Loose Power: 8 Power

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tian Fa passed through the Outward Road heading to the Temple

The Wildflowers passed through the Outward Road heading for the Liu Estate.

The Town Guard at the Steaming lake was expecting the Celestial Bureaucracy Cavalry to also be on patrol, but they weren’t at the Steaming Lake.

Results

The Wildflowers forwarded information that Liu Tang was Injured and in the T-South Shore; which was farther than Captain Wu Jinhai could reach without power budgeted for range.

Three more civilians have been injured by the hidden traps in the Liu estate, each time the Law taking gouts of power from the Sorcerer Hunter’s coffers. Wu Jinhai, The Inspectors and The Shi of Seals have been made karmically weaker as a consequence while the law breaking conduct is present.

Sealers B 1

The Celestial Bureaucracy Cavalry appeared at the Outward Road. They introduced themselves as 飛雷騎 Fēi léi qí “Flying Thunder Riders”, memorable from the engagement against the Temple in the Temple Wilds only a few weeks, back. The Sealers let the cavalry get close, past the blockade as the comrades in arms had stood alongside Captain Jinhai in the battle, attempting to protect and absorb injury as much as they could under their own rules of engagement. The clasped hands and warmly greeted one another; things turned more somber when the Shàngshi (sergeant) indicated that there had been reports of Others taking over humans or human form. Given the presence of the inn on the outskirts of town, so close to the woods, they had to be certain.

They ordered the Shi of Seals to surrender weapons, practice aids, magical devices, power stored within the Inn and submit to capture.

The Shi,naturally, refused. The Cavalry drew blades and battle was joined, the ritual providing much needed assistance, otherwise it’s likely the horsem*n would have prevailed in destroying the base. As it was, by the barest of margins were the cavalry driven back.

Outcome:
Sealers repelled Celestial Bureaucracy Cavalry

Neither side was injured in the exchange, the battle was very close.

No injuries were dealt on either side.

Inspectors, Tank, Wu Jinhai L 1

Captain Wu Jinhai was fuming. He knew where Tang was, right now. Probably finding another den of iniquity for the f*cking sorcerers, and he couldn’t get there. Too far to operate, too difficult to search so far from home. He was here to hunt sorcerers, there was a sorcerer, just out of reach. Maybe if he’d had shoes or enough left over magic. Fitting it was in the swampy run-off of the Green Fields where much rice production was done.

The town guard were friendly and Jinhai sat atop the pile of junk the Hēi yāzi had been festooned with, but his mood didn’t improve. Over the course of the week the only people observed entering and exiting were those already mentioned, and on the shore of the steaming lake the junkpile was particularly notable on the clean swept streets of the thoroughfare.

Outcome

No Liu were observed in the Steaming Lake

The Town Guard were polite, and reasonably well trained.

The CB has a base in the Steaming Lake

The Mounted Cavalry were expected to Patrol with the Town Guard, but for some reason didn’t.

Tank, Wu Jinhai M 2

The Hēi yāzi and Wu Jinhai stalked the slums as a pair of predators; and yet in it’s timeworn dilapidated derelict structure prey never manifested. The common folk were scared, and worried the structure that the Liu had been inhabiting was gutted. The lead from weeks ago where the inspectors had been turned around led to a false front. A secret basem*nt that had been filled with paltry practice aids that would look like the family in the domicile above were sorcerers; staged and soaked with sentiment. But Captain Jinhai was careful, with the Law weighing overhead he double checked, the family wasn’t even awakened, and truly did not know about the secret basem*nt.

Wu Jinhai elected not to execute the patsies, to prevent the Liu from getting the satisfaction of him doing what they expected.

If he hasn’t been expecting this kind of malfeasance from them, then he might have fallen for it. His new sight proved another godsend, eyes and sword, mind and arm. A more complete warrior. Logistics, Strategics, Tactics.

Outcome

The Slinking slums were turned upside down looking for the Liu.

No Liu remained in the Slums

Mandate No Contests

The next to assent is the Shi of Seals

…

The next to assent is Captain Wu Jinhai

…

The next to assent are the Inspectors

Heroic Captain, Wu Jinhai

Wu Jinhai’s baseline Might has been significantly enhanced

Troops:

Shi of Seals - 99th Public Security Division 三印 Sān yìn “Three Seals”

Inspectors - 115th Public Security Division, Attaches “”

Magical Armor - 吴穆 (Wú mù) Panelling

黑鴨子 (Hēi yāzi) - “Black Duck” Type 63 Amphibious Tank and Crew (113th Armored Crew , 小鴨 Xiǎoyā “The Ducklings”).

The Hēi Yāzi always inflicts at least one wound in any conflict it is engaged in.

Thousand Li's Instant Estate; power 5

The estate can be activated once to instantly create a base in a territory, if you don't control its hosting territory when the turn ends it will be destroyed.

The Copperleaf Cuirass; Power 4

The wearer of the Copperleaf Cuirass will resist up to four wounds in a single combat; however even a single wound will shatter it. It is consumed when activated.

The Styptic syringe; Power 1

Sorcerer Hunters: Turn 8: Loss

An Oni Ritual has locked the city of Pingliang to you; You can no longer construct bases within the City Territories of Pingliang (I, D, E, G, H, J, V, M, N, O, P,)

Current Assets

Faction Rule

Secret Objective
Discover if the que cutting sorcerers are in Pingliang and if they are, remove them;

Or

Supplant the Celestial Bureaucracy, claiming the Central government and constructing an HQ there; which is in place when the game ends.

If you complete either of these, you will also be considered a Victor.

Side Quest

Take over the government of Pingliang to serve as a base of operations

The Mandate of Heaven. It is said the regency of this territory was assigned by the order of an

Characters:

Name	Might	Status	Actions	Range
Heroic, Wu Jinhai	Great	Injured, Equipped with Armor	2	2
Tank, 黑鴨子 (Hēi yāzi )	Great	Injured	1	4

Troops:

Name	Might	Status	Actions	Range
Inspectors	Poor	Injured	1	2
Shi of Seals	Poor	Injured, Equipped with Armor	1	1
Cavalry	Poor	Injured, forsworn		4

Notable Items

Control of the B - Outward Road, the A - Outlying Farms and I - the Alley of Awe
You have a base in the Outward Road

黑鴨子 (Hēi yāzi ) - “Black Duck” Type 63 Amphibious Tank

Magical Armor

The Copperleaf Cuirass; Power 4

The Styptic syringe; Power 1

Gained: +9 power Outward Road +2 Slinking Slums.

Total Loose Power: 11 Power

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wu Jinhaix2, Sealers, Tank, A 2

Captain Wu has a frustrated smirk on his face when they find the place the Oni have directed them to. He’d think the fates were playing a prank on him; but he knew how patterns worked. He’d think he’d been lied to, but the signs were evident to his sight. It was the same goddamn farm they’d destroyed weeks ago, rebuilt, and warded with tripwires, runes, connection blockers of startling complexity that vanished like flash paper under his sight. The workings of a powerful and skilled enchantress.

The traps and tricks of practitioners were easy enough to discern; and nothing he hadn’t seen before on a dozen battlefields; easy to handle and address with his trusted sealers and the Black Duck. It was a melancholy feeling to blow this structure away, and to watch as Lin Fen had the baseboards, the small field and the shattered beds pulled beneath the earth by manifested grasping claws and tentacles drawn down through soil like it was water, leaving perturbations in the surface.

What was left here, a redoubt outside the city was ash and run and less than that; but that meant the Liu were still here. The sorcerers that they had been hunting for more than two hundred years had been found; and Captain Wu would be damned if he let them slip away again, into another hidden place, another time-lost knot, another secret where China and the world could forget about their reprehensible practices and they could rise in both prominence and power to supplant proper authorities

He began drawing up plans for a siege, what to look for in redoubts and a patrol pattern, he needed them to stay in the city until reinforcements would arrive; and while they couldn’t settle he needed them to not make the decision to filter back into the whole of China; where the hunt would begin a new and it could take another dozen generations for his descendents to pick up their trail again.

Outcome

The Liu HQ in A-The Outlying farms was destroyed with extreme prejudice; however the Liu were not there.

Inspectors T 2

The Inspectors join one of the newest others; the altered form of Liao Qingge; the slight, scared human girl forced into a mandate claim to be a fifth Peril; what would amount to a sworn enemy to human civilization; as in as vulnerable a position as a human could get; surrounded by Perils; an event to which each Sorcerer Hunter had given their assent. And yet even with that support, blessing to become a bastion of wickedness which would prey on each human soul to remain in the area, she had fallen; and in falling risen again, changed by forces within and without Pingliang into something else as a force of balance; a Vermillion Fenghuang; a creature of the south; the bird of summer, one of the four symbols, ostensibly to the benefit of human civilization; even though now working with the Oni; a creature of change perhaps not allied with human practitioners.

Both were in the South Shore, the flaming, brilliant bird tracing lazy trails through the air, while the mud was steeped and soaking in emotional resonance, sorrow, loss, rituals had been done here, at least two empowering the Karmic flow.

They were met by only a Single Liu, whose connections and attention seemed to slip off like an oiled pig in a mudpatch. The battle was fierce, and this Liu took more injuries than a normal human should be able to; stolen selves and the health of at least three other humans grafted in amongst other changes. Blade seemed to fold into existence from places unseen, and as eyes slipped off of the Liu he’d be in the peripheral trying to strike.

The Vermillion bird rained down fire upon the mud, scorching grasses and evaporated pools of water, creating sturdier ground for the Inspectors to stand on.

This did not prove to be enough, as the lone Liu, clearly exasperated waiting for allies that did not arrive, was able to escape.

Outcome

The Liu character fought the Inspectors and the Phoenix

The Liu character sustained significant injuries and fled significantly injured.

It has been a hard campaign, and it isn’t over; but at least there is hope. Even as more creepy-crawlies and drawn to Pingliang, embers of the Oni Revolution re-igniting in a walled city; this does not spell flowers and Laurels for the Liu; Captain Wu Jinhai is very much alive; and a detachment is sent back to the greater host; He hasn’t won here, today, yet. But he is keeping his eyes on the walls, watching, ever watching a panther prowling at the edge of the firelight as more and more wolves pur into the gaping, sinking hellish chasm that is the festering pit of a city.

If the Others don’t get the Liu, then the Sorcerer Hunters will.

It is long weeks and months that Wu Jinhai waits for signs of them, or signs of his reinforcements; some days he wonders if they will ever come.

Chapter 7: The Oni League Briefings

Summary:

The Briefings of the Oni League over the problem in Pingliang Prefecture

Chapter Text

Oni League: Turn 1

Active Rule: You change something fundamental about yourselves, any investigate actions targeting your faction will receive incorrect information.

The Wild Others have a critical weakness in the form of a single unit of [Troops], if they perish, the Wild Others may not be able to mount any kind of useful assistance in your efforts within Pingliang.

The Liu have less units than you do.

The Celestial Bureaucracy has a number of treasures of heaven that drastically increase the might of the Units they are equipped with.

The Temple has a number of shrines that capture, bind and convert spirits into usable power, like a fishing trawler for spiritual flows pulling lesser spirits down their maw.

Current Assets

Faction Rule

Oni Rule: Each turn you will select one of the below rules as a part of your faction submission in the [Free] Section. This rule would be your faction rule for the subsequent turn (the previous rule or rules being suspended), each turn the rule must change to a new rule.

You do not have to pay power for tax based effects from other factions this turn
You are allowed to lie for this turn.
You change something fundamental about yourselves, any investigate actions targeting your faction will receive incorrect information.
Spin the box – for this turn, select two of your characters; they are amalgamated (all of their statistics being additive) until next turn when they become un-split.
Name another faction, in this turn you may use their HQ to determine range

Secret Objective
Displace the lawful authorities of Pingliang Prefecture. If at any time the Celestial Bureaucracy, The Sorcerer Hunters and The Liu Family are without Headquarters within the city districts of Pingliang, you may perform a ritual locking them out. This will count as a victory for the Oni League.

Secret Loss Condition
If the Wild Others are removed from play or are fully bound to a practitioner faction; then the Oni League cannot win in Pingliang.

Side Quest

The stirrings in the temple; you’ve heard there is a powerful ancient other in the temple. Discover what it is and its name and you may be able to draw an additional resource from the Oni League to assist in securing its help for the effort.

Rule of Discourse
Unless changed by the Oni-Rule, the Oni follow the standard rules of discourse.

Characters:

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
Qionqi, 毛茸茸的雪崩 Máoróngrōng de xuěbēng “Shaggy Avalanche”	Great	Healthy	2	2
Hundun, 西南風 Xīnán fēng “Southwestern Wind”	Moderate	Healthy	2	4
Taotie, 吞河者 Tūn hé zhě “River Swallower”	Poor	Healthy	2	1
Oni Mage, Liao Qingge	Poor	Healthy	1	2

Control of the Outlying Farms in secret, where you have an HQ.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Temple has a greater bound Other that will work its way free by turn 3, drastically increasing their power as a faction at that time.

There is a Dragon of Seven Colors in the Wilds around Pingliang, wise but also very angry. It’s likely in the Steaming Lake this week fishing.

The Sorcerer Hunters are here, but not for you – that doesn’t prevent them from making common cause with the Celestial Bureaucracy or from being an impediment to the freedom of Others everywhere; but you aren’t their primary objective, someone else here might be.

Dilemma

You have found a practitioner out in the Wilds of Pingliang, trapped under a fallen tree branch with his limbs pinned. He appears unable to practice. He pleads with you to release him, and if you do so he is prepared to swear to give you Power in return for freeing him from this issue. You asked after his specialty and he admits to be a Shi of Seals, a binder by trade tasked with bringing unruly or inconvenient others to heel.

[ ] Kill him, he's the enemy

[ ] Extract the Oath for power, let him go. Receive 3 Power worth of sundry ingredients

[ ] Insist he swear an Oath to release a bound Other, once a year, every year he shall live -- and that he shall not ever re-bind these Others that he releases under the agreement.

[ ] Insist he draw power from himself, now to pay you. Receive 5 Power; and then drop another branch on him, then remove the first. Taking a Karmic hit, but surely he will die out here of thirst, starvation or wild animals, weakened as you've made him. After all, he deserves to suffer.

7 - Twist the Shrines at The Temple Wilds you could send a force to attempt to complicate the Shrine harvests that the Temple is undertaking, using your tools and practices to attempt to weave them together into an unstable, complex tapestry, taking targets of opportunity If successful This will spawn a Dilemma for the Temple

8 - Attempt to draw the Dragon of Seven Colors to a location [Target] You know where the Dragon is now, you could send an envoy – while you don’t think it would join up with your faction, it doesn’t need to join to be useful. Since you know where it is now, send an Envoy and attempt to direct it somewhere else.

Extra Materials:

Qiongqi, 毛茸茸的雪崩 Máoróngrōng de xuěbēng “Shaggy Avalanche”

Máoróngrōng de xuěbēng grew up in the Kingtong mountains, when Pingliang grew up like a weed she moved deeper into the wild places. She took the odd traveler for her repast. The world changed, fewer travelers at speeds she could acquire them at. More innocents than before, which were warded by new Law. She was subdued, bound to the seal of Solomon. Chained she raged against her captors, helpless to gape wide her maw. Until she was freed, joining the Oni revolution, changing definitions, finding the edge cases, working with a cruel cunning to bring the primal back to civilization and tear these steel edifices made of bloodied chains.

The Qionqi has a visceral hate for practitioners and receives a bonus to might against them.

The Qiongqi is a ferocious and terrifying peril, human foes below [Moderate] will quake with fear and suffer a malus to conflicts against her – if possible human foes of [Awful] will flee rather than do battle

Hundun, 西南風 Xīnán fēng “Southwestern Wind”

Xīnán fēng used to maintain its playful flight over the mongolian steppes, swinging through Tibet as the wind directed, but the world has become much smaller, much more cramped. Joining the Oni League, pushing back against the weight of history serves for now. Their fur is a brilliant cinnabar and the wings a luminescent yellow. Things have changed once and they must change again. They’ll help this change along to happen faster, rather than slower, and this seems as good a place as any. Xīnán fēng percieves the world as change, a series of vectors, fates, and processes constantly in flux, like moving watercolors brought to life. They revel in change and chaos.

Taotie, 吞河者 Tūn hé zhě “River Swallower”

Tūn hé zhě has been in many rivers and many lake towns. In his long life he saw the era approach, and he paid it no mind. Content to swallow whatever came his way. Then the fishing industries came, common awareness where offerings were plentiful dried up and as Others were moved to the outskirts, the most violent and powerful meeting final ends, innocence started to come through – but it was a weaponized innocence. Before, a thing being innocent made it easier prey – now with the weight of the laws behind it the presence of coastal folk who had never seen an Other – had grown up away from superstition, away from the same fear, narrowed his spaces, rather than expanding them. Offerings dried up, and soon, less to swallow, less space to grow. The change was gradual, a boiling pot but the current state of affairs is untenable. He’s joined up with the failing Oni League, being pushed from place to place, shrinking as he loses power, quiddity, there is strength left, but here in this pocket space, twisted and behind the times in the rest of the human world, perhaps there is a chance to set the clock back and choose a different fate, to get big enough that the gravity of his presence keeps things trending to his side of the scale rather than away. Tūn hé zhě is greedy and opportunistic.

Tūn hé zhě can take a special action to consume objects of power or captured units. When He consumes objects of power worth at least 10 power his toughness and might will permanently increase. If he consumes creatures, he’ll gain a portion of their overall stats.

Tūn hé zhě can use his might as additional toughness permanently losing might instead of being destroyed if he would be destroyed.

Oni Mage, Liao Qingge

Liao Qingge is a young practitioner, rescued from a burning village and in company with three perils her life has been very dangerous. She’s a dark eyed teenager of fifteen with her hair cut short and by hand, messy and undernourished, very thin. She has an eclectic series of practices that she’s picked up over the journey working with her found family, usually leaning more to the Other side of the equation than the establishment. She has a series of loose pages from books of practices she’s had roughly bound together with white thread. Devoted to the cause, but a little lonely, she’s happy to be in a city again.

Qingge can take a special action to enable a second Oni rule for the turn; it is subject to the same cooldown as the other active rule

Qingge can move through city tiles without being intercepted by patrols by [Troop] units, passing as a regular citizen of Pingliang.

Oni League: Turn 2

The sorcerer hunters have a unit for infantry that are moderate combatants with a range of 1

The Liu’s take something from another faction, they draw additional power from that faction.

The Wildflowers have three characters.

The Celestial Bureaucracy began investigating the Skilled Cultivator and obtained his name.

Active Rule: this turn, you may use the Wildflower’s HQ to determine range (the Dreaming Market)

Current Assets

Faction Rule

You do not have to pay power for tax based effects from other factions this turn
You are allowed to lie for this turn.
You change something fundamental about yourselves, any investigate actions targeting your faction will receive incorrect information.
Spin the box – for this turn, select two of your characters; they are amalgamated (all of their statistics being additive) until next turn when they become un-split.
Name another faction, in this turn you may use their HQ to determine range

Secret Loss Condition
If the Wild Others are removed from play or are fully bound to a practitioner faction; then the Oni League cannot win in Pingliang.

Side Quest

Rule of Discourse
Unless changed by the Oni-Rule, the Oni follow the standard rules of discourse.

Characters:

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
Qionqi, 毛茸茸的雪崩 Máoróngrōng de xuěbēng “Shaggy Avalanche”	Great	Healthy	2	2
Hundun, 西南風 Xīnán fēng “Southwestern Wind”	Moderate	Healthy	2	4
Taotie, 吞河者 Tūn hé zhě “River Swallower”	Moderate	Healthy	2	1
Oni Mage, Liao Qingge	Poor	Healthy	1	2

Each of the characters has recovered the temporary Self that was drained from them last turn.

Control of the Outlying Farms in secret, where you have an HQ

3 Power worth of Wild Provender (+3 Outlying Farms)

5 Power worth of Honorable Offerings (+5 From the Respectable Homes)

Total Loose Power: 8 Power

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Liu engaged in combat with the skilled Cultivator alongside the Sorcerer Hunters and emerged victorious

The Celestial Bureaucracy has three objects of incredible power; treasures of heaven, including the Pagoda that trapped the Dragon.

The Wildflowers have seven magical items, each with its own effect that could also be broken down for power.

Dilemma - a Trapped Rat

Tūn hé zhě approaches the helpless practitioner who pleads for his life, piteously. “You look delicious,” he speaks in a deep voice. “Karmically just” he intones, relaxing his throat, bobbing his neck and waggling it from side to side. The practitioner’s eyes widen in horror and Tūn hé zhě swallows him whole. Tūn hé zhě can feel him diesting, the spirits that made him up boiling in his eternal cauldron, Qi suffusing his Self, he feels mightier, more potent and that his toughness has increased as well. That was a good lunch, hopefully more will come.

1 - Patrol A Taotie

Tūn hé zhě sets the patrol as directed finding a nice spot for ambush, it isn’t long before he observes a lone practitioner, weak, making his way along the road. He snaps this lone traveler readily, to join the other in his gullet. Otherwise it’s peaceful, he notices no other travelers, contestants, or spies crossing his path.

1 - Patrol Q Hundun

Xīnán fēng makesit’s bumbling flight, tumbling through the air in the skies safely through to the respectable homes, the chaos in its wake temporary. It finds no resistance there, no faction of note has staked a claim, so as it stalks, tumbles and bumbles about soaking the area in its primordial chaos it manages to collect offerings for the rest of the faction.

2 - Attack the Liu Estate (Qiongqi x2)

Máoróngrōng de xuěbēng is a shadow against grass, a whisper of darkness against the night. She moves swiftly along the outward road and through the docks, a practiced skulk at getting to where she needs to be unnoticed by the innocent or aware or her hated practitioners. She made it to the Liu estate which had been poorly prepared for her appearance; traps set and concealed in a haphazard manner being set up in the free time between tasks with no true effort given to quality or effectiveness, merely what could be spared, what noxious chemicals or poisons they could find about.

She quickly noticed only one person of note was paying attention to the security of the estate, stalking the halls, walls, alleyways, watching for entry points or signs of entry. He was a human, young into his adulthood squat and strongly built, heavy with muscle. He had the look of a wounded animal, a perpetual hurt snarl of his lip. Darkness and shadow seemed to cling to him and he instinctively moved closer to the thinner places, where the floating world was closer. She stalked behind him a fierce ghost in the night, a cursed calamity, she gaped her may splitting her shaggy mass from nose to pelvis nearly as wide as his shoulders, the hot, musty breath rolling across his back. He turned and she tore into him, wet, bright, practitioner blood costing her tongue that was rough and nearly as long as an arm.

He instinctively tumbled drawing on his practice, casting himself through a thin spot into the floating world and drawing his weatest, in this case his only foe along behind him.

The world became hazy, full of bright pastels and smears, borders indefinite, space was not regular, but she was Other, such spaces weren’t unusual with a lifespan as long as Máoróngrōng de xuěbēng’s. He hid behind a statue that looked like a bush with the smearing, she lunged around the side of him while the rolled through it, back through a knot hole into reality.

She smiled a wickedly curved full body smile that trembled like an earthquake from pelvis to nose. Running her tongue down the length of her.

She followed deeper into the estate, turning over braziers, tearing through privacy walls, stalking the fleeing Liu; she soon became aware of a second practitioner working against her; an enchantress of not small skill. She hunted them both over the course of the evening, ambushing being twisted away, a nightmare in fur, a shadow in the dark places of the estate, leading to a primary evacuation into the outbuildings. She took no injuries in the battle, but she had dealt grievous injuries to two Liu practitioners, she believed the first escaped on death’s door, frustratingly. The enchantress being not much better off and her ritual being disrupted

Two Liu Practitioners are significantly wounded

The Liu HQ in J-the Liu Estates has been destroyed

A Liu ritual in the Liu Estates was disrupted

No Liu agents were captured, unnamed housing staff were killed.

3 - Investigate at the temple wilds, Oni Mage
Liao Qingge feels that her Self has recovered to its capacity, but that she is still diminished, frail in a way she wasn’t before. A chunk of her soul, her Self, is missing. Like a being made of one too few puzzle pieces to be a complete puzzle but forced into shape she makes the trek over to the C-Temple Wilds to investigate.

She peaceably contacts the Temple, first feigning to be a supplicant, asking other petitioners what about the Temple draws them and what do they worship there. Most of the answers relate to spiritualism – the five shrines are a big draw and to her sight she can tell they draw in quite a bit of spirits, enough to produce usable power every turn. Her sight also identifies that the shrines are to the spirits of Dreams, Lethargy, Conflict, Health and Curiosity. (see EM for Shrine Descriptions).

Her practiced eyes reveals a complex network of runes, sigils and diagrams interconnecting the shrines and the spiritual flows between them – leading her to believe they have a number of purposes they can use this trawling of ambient spirits for, likely seven different specific outputs they could focus each shrine individually on, or all together on.

She’s careful not to interrupt their rituals in progress and insists on run of the Temple; she even slips her way into the greater hallow beneath it, only to find it empty. A place that had been made as a home for a great other, bearing the history, and the radiated power of several was empty. Its last inhabitant had to have been more than a decade ago, she hugged her arms, laughing helplessly. It was something of an absurdity, a temple to nothing, no help to be had down here in the bowels of the Earth, worship at the shrines to feed a nothing god. A hoax or a cover up or a false idol, no better or worse than any false front shown to scam the world.

She left before getting too caught up; she returns to make her report.

A/N: The Temple had a choice between a great Other that would become active on the Third Turn or Two High Priests now; they chose the great hoax. The information in your brief appears below the ~~~~ line where misinformation, partial truths and rumors are possible. Taken in by the same common fiction and mistake, you’ve uncovered this mystery.

8 - Lure the Dragon (Hundun)

Xīnán fēng took their bumbling flight over the outward road, and to the steaming lake where they found the great dragon as predicted, fishing. Xīnán fēng quite mouthless still spoke peaceably to the dragon, leaning his name is 希望的幸运彩虹 Xīwàng de xìngyùn cǎihóng “The Fortunate Rainbow of Hope”. They spoke pleasantly about how it was such a shame that the dragon had no home befitting his great stature, and did not have a palace in the city itself where its wisdom could be lauded and sought by students. They both agreed this was a terrible turn of events. Xīnán fēng indicated there were unworthy practitioners in a humble but fine estate within the city, nearby even and next door to the Prefecture Palace – certainly the local government would want to consult with such an august presence and lean on its ancient wisdom to properly administer the realm. The dragon agreed that this was well reasoned, although it was difficult to trust a peril in matters of wisdom. The dragon agreed to come see the wickedness of this group of practitioners and judge for itself if they needed to be ousted.

Xīnán fēng led,the lake broke. .

With horns like iridescent jagged lightning bolts and scales that shimmered through a trout's belly rainbow Xīwàng de xìngyùn cǎihóng rose from the steaming lake. Its head was larger than three ox carts abreast, with a length undetermined. A being that could casually flatten city blocks.

On the shore were a surprising number of humans; Patrolling Guards of Celestial Bureaucracy, Cavalry, two units of inspectors arguing over a corpse while an Other, a Three-legged crow tried to poke into the investigation.

Xīnán fēng’s aura washed through the area causing bedlam, ally turned against ally, friend and foe alike – every man an island to himself

One of the Cavalry held a Jade Pagoda that roiled with order and power, he quickly traced sigils and spoke something Xīnán fēng was too far to hear.

Then shrinking, concatenating down and folding back into the Pagoda.

Xīnán fēng was horrified, a magnificent and powerful creature, captured, contained, perhaps enslaved in seconds. Xīnán fēng stayed around the outside of the bedlam, looking for opportunities to take the pagoda, perhaps their pet Oni could work it to free the dragon. Unfortunately the tumult was as much hindrance as ally and Xīnán fēng was unable to close.

Xīnán fēng observed the riot from a safe distance before fleeing, learning two things.

One, nearly every unit on the ground was slightly injured in the scuffle, this hadn’t been the objective but the Cavalry, Royal Guard, Inspectors and Inspectors had all ended up bruised as a result of the encounter.

Two there was a second treasure there, as powerful as the Jade Pagoda, a Lotus Lantern that protected the inspectors from Xīnán fēng’s influence, removing enchantments, obfuscations, confusion and laying the world and sorcery bare – a potent tool that seemed diametrically opposed.

Qiongqi, 毛茸茸的雪崩 Máoróngrōng de xuěbēng “Shaggy Avalanche”

The Qionqi has a visceral hate for practitioners and receives a bonus to might against them.

Hundun, 西南風 Xīnán fēng “Southwestern Wind”

Taotie, 吞河者 Tūn hé zhě “River Swallower”

Tūn hé zhě can take a special action to consume objects of power or captured units. When he consumes objects of power worth at least 10 power his toughness and might will permanently increase. If he consumes creatures, he’ll gain a portion of their overall stats.

Tūn hé zhě can use his might as additional toughness permanently losing might instead of being destroyed if he would be destroyed.

Oni Mage, Liao Qingge

Qingge can take a special action to enable a second Oni rule for the turn; it is subject to the same cooldown as the other active rule

Qingge can move through city tiles without being intercepted by patrols by [Troop] units, passing as a regular citizen of Pingliang.

The Temple Shrines

The Shrine to Lethargy

Soft silks and pillows festoon this tiny pagoda, draping it like a canopy over a bed. The small space is kept warm with heated offerings and the soft smell of incense.

The Shrine to Conflict

The Shrine to Health

The Shrine to Curiosity

Oni League: Turn 3

The Wildflowers have a ritual in the dreaming market that generates one weak magical item for the territory possessor every Turn.

The Wildflowers built a second base in the dreaming market

The Sorcerer Hunters destroyed the base in the Outlying Farms with their Tank

The Wild Other’s [Troop] unit can take two actions a turn.

Active rules:

Spin The Box: Amalgamating Qiongqi and Taotie.

Next turn, we do not need to pay power for tax effects (including charges for violating the Celestial Bureaucracy’s Laws).

Current Assets

Faction Rule

You do not have to pay power for tax based effects from other factions this turn
You are allowed to lie for this turn.
You change something fundamental about yourselves, any investigate actions targeting your faction will receive incorrect information.
Spin the box – for this turn, select two of your characters; they are amalgamated (all of their statistics being additive) until next turn when they become un-split.
Name another faction, in this turn you may use their HQ to determine range

Secret Loss Condition
If the Wild Others are removed from play or are fully bound to a practitioner faction; then the Oni League cannot win in Pingliang.

Side Quest

Rule of Discourse
Unless changed by the Oni-Rule, the Oni follow the standard rules of discourse.

Characters:

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
Qionqi, 毛茸茸的雪崩 Máoróngrōng de xuěbēng “Shaggy Avalanche”	Great	Healthy	2	2
Hundun, 西南風 Xīnán fēng “Southwestern Wind”	Moderate	Healthy	2	4
Taotie, 吞河者 Tūn hé zhě “River Swallower”	Moderate	Healthy	2	1
Oni Mage, Liao Qingge	Poor	Healthy	1	2
The Tāoqí 饕奇	Supreme	Injured	4	3

Each of the characters has recovered the temporary Self that was drained from them last turn.

Notable items

Control of the A-Outlying Farms, N-the Estates, R- Century Park and Q- Respectable homes

You have a base in the Q-respectable homes.

Fúlù of warding; Power 1

Total Loose Power: 0 Power

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Celestial Bureaucracy left the Jade Pagoda of Five Seals in the hands of a single unit of scribes unsupported in the V-Prefecture Palace last turn.

The Liu attempted to recruit the average citizenry as defensive shields for pocket change.

The Wild Others gain additional power when they act in territories where no one else is acting.

1 - Patrol the Estates

Máoróngrōng de xuěbēng stalks the nice neighborhoods, the enclaves, the well maintained buildings, and finds nothing. No sign of the Liu's presence. They completely abandoned the site, it was just more Liu lies. She swipes and scrapes the trinkets and baubles of power the district provides, small shiny bits of jewelry infused with power. It’s a silent week as no one even passes through the territory, visibly at least. Nothing but the common sheep are present, snug in their beds to catch the gaintest glimpse, or their hair stand on end when the moon is full and a predator is watching them.

1 - Patrol Century Park

Xīnán fēng has a more eventful week, wild others come from the South transiting the park, they see a flock of other Birds go north, and entire [Troop], as well as a three-legged crow, a human treasure hunter, a frog other of fortune, whose movement disrupts the flows of power in the area, and a Xiezhi a kind of goat/unicorn that consumes corrupt officials.

Xīnán fēng, in the midst of his shenanigans also encounters the much injured immortal, still potent, but purpled like an eggplant. To describe him as annoyed would be to describe the sun as “warm”. Despite that the official recognized that the Perils do have a role to fill, and that “simply existing” is not a great enough crime to justify erasure.

As Xīnán fēng continued defacing the statue and tearing up the honor garden he let out a weary sigh. He claimed to have known the Empress and that “She was a real bitch that one.”

“It's still improper to mess up the garden,” but he is willing to let things sit. “For today, little Hundun.”

Xīnán fēng also spied a detachment of Dreaming Dashers from the Wildflowers come to treat with the Immortal, how they knew him to be in the park was curious, and Xīnán fēng's patrolling took them away at the most inopportune times to hear the juiciest details.

3 - Investigate the Mandate of Heaven

Xīnán fēng also went to the central government to visit the archive and search out the Mandate of Heaven. The place was heavily guarded by both Town Guards and Cavalry, as well as Tian Fa, the Grand Secretary himself; who with the unpleasant Lotus Lantern in hand insisted on playing personal guide to the archives.

Having such a skilled Law mage and local authority at arms reach made it impossible to corrupt the archive; every minor alteration was fastidiously stopped, corrected, and resealed.

Despite the skin crawling limitations and oversight (like a rhino being stuffed in a glove compartment), Xīnán fēng was able to uncover the following details.

The Mandate of Heaven would be kept in the Vault of Heaven.

The Mandate is what gives the Celestial Bureaucracy supernal authority to govern; it's likely that their ability to establish Laws, ties into this artifact.

Possession would provide some claim to it; like a deed from the Heavens; corrupting it is possible, but would take an enormous amount of power, likely 50.

Two other factions made unsuccessful attempts to infiltrate.

6 - Build a Base

Tūn hé zhě finds a nice, comfortable spot by the river, using honorable offerings to expand then molt his shell; a taotie temple, that smells of turtle and grease. Unopposed he spends the week hollowing out the shell decorating and musking chambers for his compatriots, with a large throne in the center for himself, a fetid pond to wallow in, raised up towards the center of the space. It’s thoroughly smelly and thoroughly his, but amongst reeds and grasses, mud and straw there’s a pallet for Liao Qingge, a decorated forest of columns that slope towards the edge of the shell, like the slope of a mountain for Máoróngrōng de xuěbēng and for Xīnán fēng a bed of netting near the roof towards the Southwest.

S - Enable a second Rule.

Liao Qingge spends the week in the dreaming market dancing a corrupted liturgy, calling spirits, and twisted nation wide spirits of law, leveraging heaven’s loopholes and chinks in precedent to bring a second Oni Rule into fruition. In all her dancing, she notices no faction, not even guards patrolling the Dreaming Market.

While there are plenty of folk about doing things, no defenses.

Qiongqi, 毛茸茸的雪崩 Máoróngrōng de xuěbēng “Shaggy Avalanche”

The Qionqi has a visceral hate for practitioners and receives a bonus to might against them.

Hundun, 西南風 Xīnán fēng “Southwestern Wind”

Taotie, 吞河者 Tūn hé zhě “River Swallower”

Tūn hé zhě can take a special action to consume objects of power or captured units. When he consumes objects of power worth at least 10 power his toughness and might will permanently increase. If he consumes creatures, he’ll gain a portion of their overall stats.

Tūn hé zhě can use his might as additional toughness permanently losing might instead of being destroyed if he would be destroyed.

Oni Mage, Liao Qingge

Qingge can take a special action to enable a second Oni rule for the turn; it is subject to the same cooldown as the other active rule

Qingge can move through city tiles without being intercepted by patrols by [Troop] units, passing as a regular citizen of Pingliang.

Fúlù of warding; Power 1

A small wearable talisman, etched in live bamboo with symbols of health and good luck.

The power of the Fúlù will be expended to resist the first wound a wearer would suffer before fading

The Tāoqí 饕奇

The Tāoqi has a visceral hate for practitioners and receives a bonus to might against them.

The Tāoqi is a ferocious and terrifying peril, human foes below [Moderate] will quake with fear and suffer a malus to conflicts against them – if possible human foes of [Awful] will flee rather than do battle

The Tāoqi can take a special action to consume objects of power or captured units. When they consume objects of power worth at least 10 power their toughness and might will permanently increase. If they consume creatures, they’ll gain a portion of their overall stats.

The Tāoqi can use their might as additional toughness permanently losing might instead of being destroyed if they would be destroyed.

Oni League: Turn 4

The Liu sacrificed a powerful magical artifact of Power 10 to fuel their Mandate claim.

There are two rituals in the South Shore

There are two rituals active in the Dreaming market. The other one grant’s it’s owner a new magic item each turn.

Active rules:

This turn you are able to lie.

Current Assets

Faction Rule

You do not have to pay power for tax based effects from other factions this turn
You are allowed to lie for this turn.
You change something fundamental about yourselves, any investigate actions targeting your faction will receive incorrect information.
Spin the box – for this turn, select two of your characters; they are amalgamated (all of their statistics being additive) until next turn when they become un-split.
Name another faction, in this turn you may use their HQ to determine range

Secret Loss Condition
If the Wild Others are removed from play or are fully bound to a practitioner faction; then the Oni League cannot win in Pingliang.

Side Quest

Rule of Discourse
Unless changed by the Oni-Rule, the Oni follow the standard rules of discourse.

Characters:

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
Qionqi, 毛茸茸的雪崩 Máoróngrōng de xuěbēng “Shaggy Avalanche”	Great	Healthy	2	2
Hundun, 西南風 Xīnán fēng “Southwestern Wind”	Moderate	Injured	2	4
Taotie, 吞河者 Tūn hé zhě “River Swallower”	Moderate	Injured	2	1
Oni Mage, Liao Qingge	Poor	Healthy	1	2

Notable items

Control of the Q- Respectable homes

You have a base in the Q-respectable homes.

Pagoda, 玉五印塔 Yù wǔ yìn tǎ “The Jade Pagoda of Five Seals” Power 10

The Jumping Jian: Power 3

Heroic Grandma’s Soup Dumpling; Power 2 The Taoqi consumed this to recover three injuries before splitting.

5 Power worth of Honorable Offerings (+5 Q)

15 Power in Celestial Plunder (+15 Vault)

Total Loose Power: 20 Power

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Celestial Bureaucracy controls no rituals in its territories

The Temple has a relic that can sever souls and shift the weight of consequences onto them.

The Wildflowers have two bases in the Dreaming Market, and only the Dreaming Market

1 - Patrol Q Hundun

The patrol in the respectable homes is unencumbered. The Hundun tumbles through the air, somersaulting around the shell like a marble on an invisible track; bowling through riverside reeds, snatching offerings and generally being a nuisance.

No one else passes through.

1 - Patrol N Hundun

Xīnán fēng patrols through the estates where they run into significant resistance, a hail of enchanted bullets forcing it low as it’s aura twists through the territory, creating high and low pressure systems, weak dust devils and temporary single space storm clouds, and the Xīnán fēng tumbling through all of it.

A Three Legged Crow other is caught up in the proceedings, scratches, pecks, bullets and Tang of the Liu – the Mandate claimer, and Xīnán fēng in a wild melee. A free for all in Xīnán fēng’s aura, the Three legged crow attempting to gain altitude and get away; but unable to navigate the Xīnán fēng’s flows, colliding with the ungraceful creature, both catching Sorcerer Hunter bullets; while the Hunters themselves do not emerge unscathed.

In the wild melee the Fulu cracks, saving Xīnán fēng from an injury, the blade jumping Xīnán fēng clear of another. Xinan, outmatched by Liu Tang, retreated when able.

Xīnán fēng has been injured, the Three legged crow was injured, the Sorcerer Hunter’s riflemen have been slain, Liu Tang has been injured, but appears healthier than when he began the combat.

2 - Raid of the Central Government

The Taoqi wanders into the Dreaming Market, careful to reduce the chances to cause a stir, which becomes increasingly difficult as a festival is set to kick off. Meeting up with the two Temple High priestesses, Lin Fen and Fang An, a pair, definitely, one a Draoidh of Great tier, and Lin Fen, a flower-breathing shaman of Great tier. The Taoqi can practically smell the might on them, and them on each other. Something is off about Lin Fen, she may be carrying a karmic penalty; but even so the two of them together weakened as Lin Fen is, would likely be a match of the Taoqi, one on two.

The Wildflowers informed them the dragon was in the Central Government; they surmised in their redoubt, probably upstairs while the Vault was in the basem*nt.

They joined together to enter the floating world, walking through the smearing watercolor of Pingliang as smears and streaks of flesh color formed a river moving into the Dreaming and Inn Markets to participate in the festival; so much of Pingliang flowing in a river of humanity to this area – if they’d been in the waking world an event such as the one occurring might even serve as an effective barrier, making transit through a territory impossible; it was good this was to be a one time thing, but unfortunate that the flows of people would cross in front of the towering central government as they approached the august building; standing in the courtyard with a maelstrom of flesh colored blurs around them in the violent variety of human skin tones. The trouble started when the keen ears of the Taoqi picked up a childlike laugh “Sneaky sneakers!” and suddenly, the Taoqi, Lin Fen and Fang an were standing in the middle of the courtyard.

Screams echoed across the courtyard like a pond into which a stone had been dropped. Shockwaves of the Taoqi’s aura of fear rippled outward, the press of bodies moving in all directions away. Lin Fen and Fang An were to the Taoqi’s flanks.

“I guess we go in the hard way, its dissonant harmonic voice said – the reptilian tones of the Taotie interleaved and melded with the purring growl of the Qiongqi.

Bedlam erupted; there was mounted cavalry nearby, The battle was joined with the Grand Secretary, Tian Fa whose words were like iron, and skill like jade and mercury – the pattern and precedent that a simple line took the bearing of Law, immutable to the spirits. The Taoqi, however, bulled through those limitations, casting aside law, rule, burden and punishment.

The rules acting as reinforcement, the Taoqi’s power, almost all of their focus, here, in this moment. In this place. The battle was soon joined by a group of children with a number of small confounding practice tricks, marbles that sought a heel, string that was worked with mercury and jade, a pinwheel that drew the eye, or a lantern lit with a phoenix's flames.

In addition the wandering Youxia hammered the Taoqi fighting the “Beast of Confusion” that was causing such a scare in the good citizenry of Pingliang.

Fang An and Lin Fen provided support from the flanks, the first providing clouds of fumes that dazed, tired, distracted or injured foes; while within that fragrant mist, Lin Fen called on her contacts and allies; arms of creatures old and older than the word old reached through and gave brief moments of power and attention at the call of the Draoidh.

Through the carnage the Youxia was always there dogging the “Monster”, hammer blows greater than any sledge from his Kung-Fu, yet the Taoqi was harder than iron.

And children underfoot with twine and traps and mischievous eyes; the battle, a tumult, rolls down the stairs in a ball of blows, callings, conjurations and adamant law. In the basem*nt the Taoqi grabs handfuls of treasure, injuries flow all around. The Taoqi taking the strike of a jade fan, bleeding above the eye – a guard catches a blade on Fang An, Lin fen takes a crossbow bolt to the hand.

Within the vault beyond the Loose power you are able to gather, armfuls of it, is a Jade Seal, but no mandate document. It’s not present – but with the way the Celestial Bureaucracy is defending the site, it wouldn’t be elsewhere.

It must be missing.

You scoop up the last of the children as they fall, taking their bodies, a host of loose power, and the Jade Pagoda with you as you rush to depart back into the Floating world to measure your injuries and your gain. Tearing through the structure like a living wrecking ball on your way out.

The Taoqi is injured

The Meddling Kids have perished.

Lin Fen is injured.

Fang An is injured.

The Scribe Brigade is badly injured

Celestial Bureucracy’s base in H - Central Government has been destroyed

You have absconded with the Jade Pagoda with the dragon inside it.

You have absconded with 15 Power in Celestial Plunder.

There was a magical artifact in the vault claiming to be the Seal required to activate the Mandate of Heaven; this was found to be a fake with tracking enchantments on it, and was destroyed.

2 - Attack the Alley of Awe Taoqi

The Taoqi roars through the alley, scattering displays, tumbling statues and upending barricades. No Sorcerer Hunters rise to meet you. Cowards or fools believing this base was safe because of a flimsy law made by flimsy men. You tear apart the fortifications, scattering them through the path. You tear down the tarps, demolish the beds and bivouacs, and thoroughly foul the tank's bay for repair, maintenance and parking.

4 - Ritual; the dreaming market, Liao Qingge

Liao meets with a genial man named Pai, who alongside a serious, slightly older daughter named Mai leads her to the prepared space, providing pointers and tips that she frantically tries to commit to memory; lessons from practitioners are rare – and he seems to be an old hand in his specialty.

The ritual enhances the flows of fortune in the area, and will knot the space mildly – iit'll mean attackers have a slight disadvantage;

The Shuffling Stairs and Shops Ritual

Mandate challenges:

Captain Wu Jinhai Inquisitor of Magic

Cousin Liu Tang “Ultimate Duelist of Pingliang”

The next challenger is a beast; one unlike any Tang has seen and yet familiar. Twelve feet tall of scale, muscle, shell and fur. At Its center a spiraling armor shell in green, gold and black, with cracks in it, opening to a maw with a hot wet breath that washed across him like a vaporous wave. “I am the Taoqi, and I choose” it chuckled and swallowed noisomely “Bare handed.”

Tang could evaluate, he’d won against previous challengers, he had the additional strength of the no contests, he might be able to take this one too. He accepted.

He couldn’t. It was too fast, too forceful; even if under the weight of the mantle, less the fatigue of the previous contests, it was too much, too fast, he took an injury, a claw swipe, and it tried to get him with a mouth like an Iron Maiden that could swallow a charging stallion whole. He’d have to abandon the claim; because it didn’t look like this creature was going to stop at first blood as it chuckled after catcalling “I’m hungry little Liu” with a roar like a lion, or the thunder of a waterfall as wide as the yangtze.

He made for a bolt hole, dodged left, then right, then fled into the Floating world; ending the claim – the mandate of duelist would be closed to him; but he’d live.

Dilemma; Down the Hatch?

You have acquired the Jade Pagoda of Five Seals with the dragon contained inside; as the device is intact this leaves some interesting options.

[ ] Eat it. With the Dragon inside like a box of takeout; A supreme dragon might be too powerful for the Taotie, but then again, it might not be. Assign both of the Taotie's actions to this dilemma to attempt to eat the dragon, box and all.

[ ] Free it. You can just let him out; he was following Xinan Feng to the Liu Estate when he was boxed, its unlikely he'd have any ire towards you for his freedom.

[ ] Keep it Boxed. Its imprisoned, unlikely to be aware of who now holds the cage, maybe there is a different use you can lut such a powerful established creature to?

Qiongqi, 毛茸茸的雪崩 Máoróngrōng de xuěbēng “Shaggy Avalanche”

The Qionqi has a visceral hate for practitioners and receives a bonus to might against them.

Hundun, 西南風 Xīnán fēng “Southwestern Wind”

Taotie, 吞河者 Tūn hé zhě “River Swallower”

Tūn hé zhě can use his might as additional toughness permanently losing might instead of being destroyed if he would be destroyed.

Oni Mage, Liao Qingge

Qingge can take a special action to enable a second Oni rule for the turn; it is subject to the same cooldown as the other active rule

Qingge can move through city tiles without being intercepted by patrols by [Troop] units, passing as a regular citizen of Pingliang.

Pagoda, 玉五印塔 Yù wǔ yìn tǎ “The Jade Pagoda of Five Seals” Power 10

A powerful seven colored dragon 希望的幸运彩虹 Xīwàng de xìngyùn cǎihóng is currently captive in the Pagoda.

The Jumping Jian: Power 3

A pretty straight sword with a guard made of swirling silver-mercury infused clouds. Upon shouting “Kiai” it leaps forward about five feet, out of the user’s hand.

The wielder gains +3 Might for the first combat they are involved in, in the turn, each turn.

Heroic Grandma’s Soup Dumpling; Power 2

Consumption of the Soup Dumpling will destroy the item, but recover three wounds for the imbiber. It will rot away at the beginning of turn 5 (At the Turn 5 Briefing)

Oni League: Turn 5

There is an active ritual in N-The Estates

Many People crossed through I- the Alley of Awe this week, Nine Units, beyond the six that got embroiled in the conflict.

Had Xīwàng de xìngyùn cǎihóng not stayed at the Q-Respectable homes, Tūn hé zhě would be on his last legs, his might permanently draining to remain among the living.

Active rules:

The Taoqi has been formed again.

You may determine the range from Liu’s HQ in the M-Slinking Slums.

Current Assets

Faction Rule

You do not have to pay power for tax based effects from other factions this turn
You are allowed to lie for this turn.
You change something fundamental about yourselves, any investigate actions targeting your faction will receive incorrect information.
Spin the box – for this turn, select two of your characters; they are amalgamated (all of their statistics being additive) until next turn when they become un-split.
Name another faction, in this turn you may use their HQ to determine range

Secret Loss Condition
If the Wild Others are removed from play or are fully bound to a practitioner faction; then the Oni League cannot win in Pingliang.

Side Quest

Rule of Discourse
Unless changed by the Oni-Rule, the Oni follow the standard rules of discourse.

Characters:

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
Qionqi, 毛茸茸的雪崩 Máoróngrōng de xuěbēng “Shaggy Avalanche”	Great	Healthy	2	2
Hundun, 西南風 Xīnán fēng “Southwestern Wind”	Moderate	Injured	2	4
Taotie, 吞河者 Tūn hé zhě “River Swallower”	Moderate	Injured	2	1
Oni Mage, Liao Qingge	Poor	Healthy	1	2
The Taoqi	Supreme	Injured	4	3

Notable items

Control of the Q- Respectable homes

You have a base in the Q-respectable homes.

The Jumping Jian: Power 3

小婴儿 Xiǎo yīng'ér “The Diminutive baby”; Power 1

7 Power worth of Honorable Offerings (5S+2Q)

3 Power in Celestial Plunder (15S, -10 Temple, -2 Taxes)

6 Power in Liu Gifts

Total Loose Power: 16 Power

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tian Fa was not at his full power at the Temple Wilds, he may have an ability to split his power to take additional actions.

The Celestial Bureaucracy lent Captain Wu Jinhai the horsehair plume, a treasure of heaven, for the turn and it was returned to the Celestial Bureaucracy.

The Mandate of Heaven would drastically enhance the power of the Bureaucracy's Laws, the fact that it is not in their possession is an opportunity.

1 - Patrol C

The Battle was joined from the front by Auntie Mai of the Liu, a unit of Thugs under her command, Captain Wu Jinhai of the Sorcerer Hunters sporting the horsehair plume and a troop of Cavalry from the Celestial Bureaucracy. Ling Fen, Fang An and Tūn hé zhě did their best to hold the line, Lin Fen calling forth favors and friendships to extrude bits of their self, bending across space in defense, while Fang An released Hexagram 18 Heat Miasma a deadly petals filled the air in a variety of effects, an olfactory assault.

In the chaos that seemed tilted in the favor of the attacking forces a sudden turn occurred when the Liu took the fight to the Sorcerer Hunters, Liu Mai with a wicked and magical chain, like a string of steel noodles whipped it towards Wu Jinhai’s neck, the exchange was furious, as Tūn hé zhě sought opportunities to snap at horses or heroes to find more for his greedy gullet.

From the rear they then found themselves pincered, making towards the ritual were Tian Fa and the Sorcerer Hunter’s lesser knights of seals.

The fight was nearly even, the empowerments on both sides making finding ground difficult, it seemed for every wound dealt, one was received in kind, only by the barest of margins, by the camel’s straw in possession of the Temple was a victory had here and the Temple with it’s shrines left standing.

2 - Attack V

The Qiongqi makes her way to R-Century Park where she is stymied; a sea of Pingliang’s humanity seems to bar her path; an Ocean of Aware, innocent and minor practitioner; and an effect that holds them rapt, more powerful than fear of her, she attempts to find outskirts to make it around, to find a different path, to roar, to cleave a way through a narrows; but it doesn't seem to have an effect, humans die, perishing beneath her claws and jaws, but more fill in, like trying to empty the steaming lake with a bucket.

She tries at night, but the festival remains ongoing, a twenty four hour presence.

She is frustrated in her purpose and unable to make it to the Prefecture Palace to complete her mission of sabotage.

Both of the Qionqi's attacks were intercepted by the “Imperial” Delegate's effect, centered on the R-Century Park.

2 - Attack I

The Sorcerer Hunters did not make an appearance to construct a new residence in this space, but that is not to say the week passed uneventfully; a full row dragged the Hundun into its wild fracas. Forces from the Temple bore down on the Alley, a team of Wildflowers, a Mysterious Peddler and Yao Gen.

It all began when the two shadowy figures met in an alley, and Yao Gen produced the Mandate of heaven. An unmistakable scroll with Jade and Mercury highlights.

Without the Sorcerer Hunters around to snatch the instant mansion from Xīnán fēng thought that this was a perfect alternative; the fearsome Taoqi had sought this prize just last week and here it was.

It was at this time, within its aura of perverted consequence that the Temple's Guards, Pai the Peddler and the Wildflowers enforcers made their appearance. This became a chaotic tumult. A fight of all against all, and in it, Yao Gen emerged the victor, escaping practically unscathed; he slipped away west, having dealt out wounds and taken nothing; his skill and puissance navigating the chaos as a salmon in a raging stream.

Everyone else made it out far less fine, the Xīnán fēng sustaining injuries alongside everyone else, those that came out the worst of it seemed to be the mysterious peddler and the Wildflower’s enforcers.

Xīnán fēng has become further injured

S - The Lockout Ritual at P

The Hundun makes its chaotic flight, thankfully unencumbered by opposing forces it is free to cartwheel, change, pervert and alter according to the strictures of the ritual; the city itself a diagram writ large, its Laws foundations on which to carve. It is a city wide effect bounded by wall and river; a circle half natural, half unnatural. It releases the shift at the end of the week.

The Sorcerer Hunters can no longer build bases within the city of Pingliang. The Celestial Bureaucracy's base was left intact; thus they were not locked out by this effect, but they are aware what had almost occurred.

S - The Taotie eats (at Q)

Tūn hé zhě makes his pitch to Xīwàng de xìngyùn cǎihóng, greedily devouring the Exquisite Jade Pagoda of Five Seals, a treasure of heaven, like a child peeling open a sweet. It brims with power that feeds his cauldron making him stronger and tougher.

To the offer to join them, Xīwàng de xìngyùn cǎihóng declines. He is a pillar of order and Harmony as much supported and enhanced by it as trapped by it. It is his nature to foster Harmony, not conflict. And while a big fish in an eternally shrinking pond, a practitioner-made drought that may, eventually lead to him, a gasping fish in a parched desert. This is not Wrong. He must hope for change from within and apply himself as the strictures and structures denote. It is within his nature – as close as he is to the four Holy Beasts, the Azure Dragon of the East a relation rather than an entirely different species.

The opposite, Xīwàng de xìngyùn cǎihóng notes of the Four Perils. He does not begrudge them their position, there must be balance in all things, for too much Yin Energy is bad, too much Yang is bad. In this Yin and Yang are balanced and there is life – he sits opposite the Perils, but that does not mean that war must erupt between them, or like two lions prowling a savannah, that war or battle is inevitable.

But it does mean that he cannot join the revolution; any more than a tiger may change their stripes, or a fish may grow wings to fly. There is a Right and he must support it; but as he must support it, so there is a Wrong that the Perils may support in their role, and this he does not deny them, even though they may circle the same carcass on occasion.

Tūn hé zhě hurriedly devours the children during this discussion, snacking upon them like rice cakes and reveling in the sharp crack of their bones in the gustatory pleasure of their essences flowing into the furnace of his stomach, filling him out. This discussion was interrupted by the arriving Sorcerer Hunters in force. The Tank raked the two of them with machine gun fire from the weapon mounted on the top of the turret. The Sorcerer Hunter’s Captain, Wu Jinhai, leaping forward while running a hand across medals that made his cloak look like gleaming scales, Sword point first, Horsehair Helmet with a plume like a banner flying behind him.

The cavalry thundering in at his heels.

The battle joined against Xīwàng de xìngyùn cǎihóng and Tūn hé zhě. Injuries were dealt to both sides, the ferocious dragon tearing into the metal contraption and leaving a sucking wound that would scar on Wu Jinhai. Taking wounds himself in exchange, from the main gun of the tank. Tūn hé zhě did not escape unscathed either, taking wounds himself.

Their combined might was enough to drive back the Sorcerer Hunter’s forces, leaving his shell base intact. Being homeless didn’t sit will with Tūn hé zhě, especially in the current climate.

The Xīwàng de xìngyùn cǎihóng elected to remain in the respectable homes for the week, in case those who had attacked should return.

Tūn hé zhě made his way north to the Temple alone.

S - Oni Rulez

Liao dances in the Dreaming market, the hopping and halting steps, with her prize (see A Gift for Liao) concealed in her robes, the skirts flaring with each step, she can feel the small creature against her flesh.

She takes the steps carefully in a practiced method, beseeching the heavens, twisting the intent, like a form of compiler error in a system that spanned the length of China; the practice was Old here, far older the Solomon himself, and within that within hundred of champions, generations of practitioner Lords – conquerors on global and pan reality scales working closely with the other layers so close to the surface, there were a multitude of rules, systems, ley lines – predefined patterns for power that generations on generations of tradition had reinforced. Some such practices were old and powerful and lost, some such active, and some created by a culture with such a long and fortified history that the Laws were thought to be unshakeable.

While the Oni’s practice could shake the laws, or break them in truth – in the age of such systems patches had been built on patches – a rats nest of loopholes. A warren of partially legal or constructed schemes, edges emerged. And she had been trained, exactingly, to ply those edges in very specific patterns, to alter so slightly the overlay of the system on this part of reality. To widen a window to a door, to unlatch a clasp of quiddity and to realign the perspective of the pillars just so. A slight adjustment, more bend than break – older laws or different laws, exception case. An if-else on a regional scale that shifted how things behaved every so slightly, turning things into the Oni’s favor, letting them use old rules of hospitality, old traits and patterns to enter into spaces that they shouldn’t be able under current understandings, making the Monsters in the Walls, or ancient rights of ownership and presence come to the fore.

A gift for Liao

Internally she quailled, she was certain Tūn hé zhě, hungry as always would swallow the morsel as a snack. She couldn’t help but name it for herself, 最小的豆子 Zuìxiǎo de dòuzi “The Smallest Bean” for her own sake. Dòuzi as a shorthand. But she knew her masters, and she’d need to present it to them for their decision. Keeping secrets was something bad practitioners did, and bad practitioners met either Tūn hé zhě or Máoróngrōng de xuěbēng in the end. Firstly, bloody ends.

She couldn’t help but feel one such end might be hers one day, but as fate tied ribbons around her, binding her hands, what else could be done?

Qiongqi, 毛茸茸的雪崩 Máoróngrōng de xuěbēng “Shaggy Avalanche”

The Qionqi has a visceral hate for practitioners and receives a bonus to might against them.

Hundun, 西南風 Xīnán fēng “Southwestern Wind”

Taotie, 吞河者 Tūn hé zhě “River Swallower”

Tūn hé zhě can use his might as additional toughness permanently losing might instead of being destroyed if he would be destroyed.

Oni Mage, Liao Qingge

Qingge can take a special action to enable a second Oni rule for the turn; it is subject to the same cooldown as the other active rule

Qingge can move through city tiles without being intercepted by patrols by [Troop] units, passing as a regular citizen of Pingliang.

The Jumping Jian: Power 3

A pretty straight sword with a guard made of swirling silver-mercury infused clouds. Upon shouting “Kiai” it leaps forward about five feet, out of the user’s hand.

The wielder gains +3 Might for the first combat they are involved in, in the turn, each turn.

小婴儿 Xiǎo yīng'ér “The Diminutive baby” (Undead Mouse): Power 1

This tiny mouse has been reanimated with a semblance of life, recognizing its owner as its mother it will snuggle and nestle itself closely giving off muscle twitches in an approximation of breathing. It is festooned in ribbons, bells, and musical components, almost mummified in gift wrap. Liao Qingge finds it very precious and has become instantly attached to the small thing.

Oni League: Turn 6

The Liu Family added a Chain to their family regalia.

The Liu Family established a healing ritual in the Slums.

Among the benefits of the Mandate of Heaven, it has allowed Tian Fa an extra action per turn.

Active rules:

You are allowed to lie for this turn

Current Assets

Faction Rule

You do not have to pay power for tax based effects from other factions this turn
You are allowed to lie for this turn.
You change something fundamental about yourselves, any investigate actions targeting your faction will receive incorrect information.
Spin the box – for this turn, select two of your characters; they are amalgamated (all of their statistics being additive) until next turn when they become un-split.
Name another faction, in this turn you may use their HQ to determine range

Secret Loss Condition
If the Wild Others are removed from play or are fully bound to a practitioner faction; then the Oni League cannot win in Pingliang.

Side Quest

Rule of Discourse
Unless changed by the Oni-Rule, the Oni follow the standard rules of discourse.

Characters:

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
Qionqi, 毛茸茸的雪崩 Máoróngrōng de xuěbēng “Shaggy Avalanche”	Great	Healthy	2	2
Hundun, 西南風 Xīnán fēng “Southwestern Wind”	Moderate	Injured	2	4
Taotie, 吞河者 Tūn hé zhě “River Swallower”	Moderate	Injured	2	1
Oni Mage, Liao Qingge	Poor	Healthy	1	2

Notable items

Control of the Q- Respectable homes

You have a base in the Q-respectable homes.

The Jumping Jian: Power 3

小婴儿 Xiǎo yīng'ér “The Diminutive baby”; Power 1

The Hammered Shield; power 3

The corpse of Yao Gen

The corpses of CB Inspectors

8 Power worth of Honorable Offerings (7S, +10Q, -8 WF, -1 disturbance)

8 Power in Celestial Plunder (3S, +5V)

8 Power in Liu Gifts (6S, -5 healing, -1 lawbreaking, +8 Reagents )

Total Loose Power: 24 Power

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Liu’s [Troop] perished in the Estates this turn

The traps the Sorcerer Hunters have set in the Liu estate are liable to injure anyone attempting to construct a base there.

The Wandering Youxia is on the way out of Pingliang, having made his way to the Outlying farms this week; his objective has been met.

1 Q Xīnán fēng (Hundun)

The Patrol in the respectable homes is uneventful. Xīnán fēng chuckles mouthlessly as sparrows fly into buildings, the river or the Taotie’s shell.

Outcome

Control in Q is maintained and is not subject to the auspice paying its full value.

2 K The Taoqi

The patrol in the docks begins with surveying the area to find the mysterious Yao Gen, the person you now know to have stolen the mandate. Pai the peddler wielding an occult device that seems to track the scoundrel like a compass leads the posse to a rickety, squalid structure at the edge of the steaming lake. It claims to be “Honest Han’s Pot shop” that sells alcohol. The Taoqi can smell the sweat and stink of unwashed humans. Not many, not a pen full of pigs fit for slaughter, but there is amongst it the enticing scent on the breeze the soft spice of practice mixed among the midden of mutton.

They surround the bar and The Taoqi elects to make an entrance through the wall. Tearing worn planks to the sides like assisting in the birth of a cow, in reverse, slipping inside the squalid bar. Yao Gen doesn’t have a remarkable appearance for a human, dirty haired, stocky, dark features in eyes and unkempt hair, his queue is short only reaching to the base of his neck. But to Other sense, he’s nearly scentless, like the barest hint of cinnamon on the breeze that practice is at play.

Seeing the Taoqi, his eyes widen, the first thing he does is toss the The Fascinating Sphere sphere out, the Taoqi can feel the connection snap to their eyes attempting to draw it’s attention; but it’s feeble like the soft head bump of a kitten, and it lets the effect roll off of it like summer rain.

The fight that follows is brutish, patrons screaming and yelling while being ripped to pieces; Yao Gen expertly weaving between patrons and furniture, sliding under tables, and around the bar, moving as if the ground was ice and he was a champion figure skater. Leaping to catch hold of fixtures like a monkey; but for all his skill, it’s an enclosed space, and the Taoqi isn’t alone. Tian Fa sets barriers against human as readily as other, Pai watches greedily with his hands ready to snatch, and more than three dozen [Troops] also stand ready. Yao Gen is good, but not Thirty Nine opponents good.

In the midst of the battle he manages a maneuver where he slips by the Taoqi, sliding to their rear and slipping the hammered shield from her back, a device that had been planned to be saved until later in the week at the prefecture palace, and slips it into place on his arm with a smooth motion reflecting the injury from a temple guardsman’s bo staff. He’s unable to evade their grasp forever and is caught and shortly torn in half, his stolen possessions clattering to the floor like the contents of a pinata.

The Mandate of Heaven, a golden scroll, capped with mercury and jade that stands out in relief to the dingy floor of the bar, impossibly clear and wrapped in Law and potent with power. The Taoqi stepped forward to stand astride it, its eyes fixated while Pai dashed forward.

But Tian Fa, similarly rarefied was there, and had inexorable claim; it felt gravitational; the pull of a planet to its moon or two magnets in close proximity, Pai reached for it and with a word, Tian Fa bound it to the floor.

The Perils were used to circumventing Laws, but here both unprepared and incontrovertible, the Taotie found the kick from a claw unable to budge the small tube, weighted like a mountain against the floor.

Sometimes seals could be broken with the death of their owner; The Taoqi turned their fury onto Tian Fa, who was equipped with both Lotus Lantern and Horsehair plume. Town guards interposed into the Taoqi's blows, perishing or gaining severe injuries; Tian Fa creating barriers as rapidly as a street vendor making scallion pancakes.

Pai was able to obtain the rest of Yao Gen’s stash and abscond rapidly disappearing wearing the infamous 100 Li Ji, back into the city.

Tian Fa was able to recover the Mandate and successfully fall back with the remaining Town Guard to the steaming lake redoubt.

Outcome

The Foul Cutpurse, Yao Gen, was slain; the Oni Took the corpse

Grand Secretary; Managed to claim the Mandate; injuries were deflected onto the Town Guards

Town Guards; Took significant injuries, and are badly wounded

The Hammered Shield was activated in this combat

The Taoqi; Took no injuries

Temple Guardians; took no injuries (Resisted)

Pai; took no injuries

Enforcers; took no injuries.

2 M The Taoqi

The Taoqi came from inside the walls tearing into the garrison that the Liu had set up within the Slums, the building they’d fortified and prepared as a new home having been ousted from their last one. Linfang Qi; a young, newborn of a goddess resembling a teenaged human with long black hair, a gloomy affect and dark eyes joined from the floating world.

They were opposed by the near entirety of the Liu Clan; Mai, Tang, Guo and the Crew were all mounting an active defense, and the difference was one of inches. Without the goddess the Liu would have been successful; but with her alongside, the scale tilted ever so slightly the other way. It was a battle of attrition, connections snapping this way and that as the enchantress, worked her practice in a frenzy poisoning amity and corrupting felicity. Tang moved in and out of the Floating world, and Guo kept slipping from vision, from memory. But in the battle of skill versus power, skill can only do so much.

The Crew, Guo and Tang took injuries in the defense, Tang seeing the battle lost drawing Linfang into the Floating world.

Mai, The Crew and Guo fought a retreat, Injuring the Taoqi but abandoning the site with whomever they could take with them, sowing enough confusion and distraction that the Taoqi was unable to track them.

Outcome

The Liu were driven off

A ritual being conducted by the Liu was disrupted

The Base in the Slinking Slums is destroyed

Liu Guo took injuries

The Crew took injuries

Liu Tang took injuries

Linfang Qi was pulled into the floating world and took injuries; being forced to retreat.

Linfang Qi has been drained as well as the Temple’s stores as a consequence.

The Taoqi took an injury.

The Oni were able to recover 8 power worth of reagents from the disrupted ritual.

2 V The Taoqi x2

The Taoqi strides into the Prefecture Palace on its trunk like legs, scaring passer-by and functionaries in its quest, topping, tearing, defacing murals, crashing vases, and crumbling statuary. It uses its titanic power to destroy infrastructure and load bearing walls. Defacing and attempting to ruin it as a suitable redoubt for human habitation; a ruin, fir for Ruins.

In their attempt the Taoqi encounters Tian Fa as resistance once again, fresh from the the battle in the docks, equipped with the Horsehair plume a trailing riot of red fire behind his severe visage and wielding the Lotus Lantern; but the Taoqi is not the Hundun, and the Lotus Lantern’s ability to lay bare illusion and resist confusion is of little recourse against the might of the Taoqi; however without the benefit against Law provided by particular rules, the Taoqi finds Tian Fa’s barriers more difficult to pierce or bypass. Tian Fa is, outmatched, being driven backwards in the building as it is destroyed; a team of Investigators comes to his aid; and they fall, torn apart mercilessly by the Taoqi.

Injured and in desperation Tian Fa is forced to draw on the Lotus Lantern, destroying it in a flash of burning, pure ordered flame, that is anathema to the Perils; it’s Yin energy proving to be firelight to the wolf inside; soap to scum, or acid to base. The Taoqi can feel its own stitching coming apart at the seams, seared by the potent and pure fire ending the Treasure of Heaven’s thread permanently, under the withering assault of its sun, Tian Fa manages to escape with some of the household staff; badly injured.

However the Oni take and meticulously destroy the Palace, as a bear crashing through a campsite.

The Taoqi also manages to uncover five power worth of objects of power that Tian Fa was unable to flee with, the dregs of the Palace’s wealth.

Outcome

The base at the Prefecture Palace is destroyed.

The Inspectors have perished in the battle

The Jumping Jian was activated during this combat.

Tian Fa has become Badly Injured

The Lotus Lantern is shattered

Five power is taken by the Oni

The Taoqi takes a small amount of wounds

4 Q Xīnán fēng (Hundun)

Xīnán fēng conducts their ritual in the Respectable homes, while they are far from respectable; nearly the opposite of miànzi. They think something similarly debased and opposite to the nature of the respectable homes would be splendid. A Chaos to its stagnated Order. They arrange for a series of unflattering and unbecoming sounds to be made, rude symbols and gestures in a number of prominent places, near blackmail of the inhabitants for their unwilling participation in this snarling web of architected and fly by ear steps. It’s ungainly, just like the Hundun. Xīnán fēng loves it the way a little girl might love an ugly doll. Or perhaps Liao loves her little mouse, they muse.

Outcome

Xīnán fēng successfully completes the ritual causing the territory to provide additional income.

W P Liao Qingge (Oni Mage)

Liao performs the ritual to lock out the practitioners; It’s not precisely a ritual made to the limitations of the human body, being an Oni practice intended to oppose human practitioners, inverting their laws and systems, hedging them out instead of the Others as the Seal and it’s analogue bind and enslave. Even through the contortions, the words, the gestures and the symbols burn like acid, she continues, pushing forward, burned like a hand in a hot wok. She successfully completes the steps, knowing nothing less than perfection is expected from her, reassured by the presence of the Xiǎo yīng'ér, a soft reminder of things that can’t be.

Outcome

The ritual was successfully performed and both the Celestial Bureaucracy and the Liu Family have been locked out of building Bases within the city districts of Pingliang.

Qiongqi, 毛茸茸的雪崩 Máoróngrōng de xuěbēng “Shaggy Avalanche”

The Qionqi has a visceral hate for practitioners and receives a bonus to might against them.

Hundun, 西南風 Xīnán fēng “Southwestern Wind”

Taotie, 吞河者 Tūn hé zhě “River Swallower”

Tūn hé zhě can use his might as additional toughness permanently losing might instead of being destroyed if he would be destroyed.

Oni Mage, Liao Qingge

Qingge can take a special action to enable a second Oni rule for the turn; it is subject to the same cooldown as the other active rule

Qingge can move through city tiles without being intercepted by patrols by [Troop] units, passing as a regular citizen of Pingliang.

The Jumping Jian: Power 3

A pretty straight sword with a guard made of swirling silver-mercury infused clouds. Upon shouting “Kiai” it leaps forward about five feet, out of the user’s hand.

The wielder gains +3 Might for the first combat they are involved in, in the turn, each turn.

小婴儿 Xiǎo yīng'ér “The Diminutive baby” (Undead Mouse): Power 1

The Hammered Shield; power 3

This thick bronze shield causes the first wound that would be deal to the equipped creature to be reflected to the opponent.

Oni League: Turn 7

Liu Tang now has more Toughness than the Qiongqi

The Empowered Laws drain 3 Power per infraction, rather than the previous 1 Power per violating faction per turn.

Tian Fa was carrying the Mandate on his person

Active rules:

The Hundun and the Qiongqi have been combined into the Hungqi

Current Assets

Faction Rule

You do not have to pay power for tax based effects from other factions this turn
You are allowed to lie for this turn.
You change something fundamental about yourselves, any investigate actions targeting your faction will receive incorrect information.
Spin the box – for this turn, select two of your characters; they are amalgamated (all of their statistics being additive) until next turn when they become un-split.
Name another faction, in this turn you may use their HQ to determine range

Secret Loss Condition
If the Wild Others are removed from play or are fully bound to a practitioner faction; then the Oni League cannot win in Pingliang.

Side Quest

Rule of Discourse
Unless changed by the Oni-Rule, the Oni follow the standard rules of discourse.

Characters:

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
Qionqi, 毛茸茸的雪崩 Máoróngrōng de xuěbēng “Shaggy Avalanche”	Great	Healthy	2	2
Hundun, 西南風 Xīnán fēng “Southwestern Wind”	Moderate	Injured	2	4
Taotie, 吞河者 Tūn hé zhě “River Swallower”	Moderate	Injured	2	1
Vermillion Fenghuang; Duìchèn yújìn	Moderate	Healthy	2	5
Hungqi	Supreme	Injured	4	6

Notable items

Control of the Q- Respectable homes

You have a base in the Q-respectable homes.

The Jumping Jian: Power 3

The Hammered Shield; power 3

8 Power worth of Honorable Offerings (7S, +5Q +5R, -2 Action, -1 Wound Protection, -6 Drain)

0 Power in Celestial Plunder (8S, -8 wound protection)

0 Power in Liu Gifts (8S, -8 action)

Total Loose Power: 8 Power

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Wildflowers had attached a tracker to the present they gave Liao and were aware of her movements until its destruction.

The Wildflowers have an artifact of incredible value: a Dragon's Pearl, worth 20 Power.

The Wild Others have a secret loss condition.

Hundun 1 1

Xīnán fēng patrolled the Respectable Homes, rolling down graded thoroughfares. Bouncing around rooftops while the occupants cowered within their staunchly middle-class homes. Xīnán fēng bumbled through hedges and gardens, letting the space be less managed, less organized. They liked it better this way, messy like the room of an unwatched teenager whose parents would be out for a month. Xīnán fēng meandered waiting for an opponent to appear, ideally opponents plural so that they could interfere with each other.

The tumult never came, Xīnán fēng had been left to their own devices for the week, the shell home was secure for now.

Outcome

Xīnán fēng successfully patrolled the Respectable Homes and met no resistance.

Liao F 5

The first Lin Fen provides her assent, then leaves.

Then Máoróngrōng de xuěbēng similarly.

Then Tūn hé zhě provides his assent.

The first challenger is a woman in neon-lit robes, appearing in a fractal of eye-searing spell diagrams that fall like incandescent snow about her. “You wish to claim the title of Fifth Peril?” she asks tartly.

“I must” offers Liao, helplessly.

“You would not be the first to attempt the claim, and I suspect you will not be the last.” The woman glances up and down, taking Liao’s measure. “I don’t think you’ll succeed in this contest, not with the forces arrayed against you. If you cancel now, we can end this. I am willing to swear to take you away from this place. From the magic about you” She wrinkled her nose “I can tell you’ve fallen in with an unsightly crowd. You’d need to swear Oaths, clearly you can do that… “

“No” Liao said, shaking her head. “I can’t”

“You could” rebuked the older woman, “But you won't. Very well, if you’d be a Peril, then I call on a challenge befitting a Peril. If you are to counter the fifth of the virtues, then you must show wickedness.

The challenge is swift, Liao doesn’t prevail.

The next to appear is a three legged crow, arriving from the North-West who provides his assent.

The next challenger is there without being noticed at first, almost as if He’d always been there standing just outside the bounds of the space, painted onto the backdrop of the flophouses but untouched by them; folding out of it like a perspective piece painted just so that from where Liao stood, he couldn’t be seen. And then there he was, striding forward to issue his challenge. The air seemed to vibrate around him, an ethereal glow that pulled karma and connections like a man striding through a net, training behind him and flowing into him. A cloak of Power.

“I challenge you; A Peril must be able to stand against adversity.”

Liao replied “ I have known nothing but pain. ”

The man replied “You will be tested.” Liao emerged victorious from the challenge, but it was a near thing, depleting more vigor, more power, more preparations, more costly than the claim it gained.

The next to appear is a small frog-Other, tied closely with fortune. Who provides their assent

A group of gleaming Mounted cavalry appear next and provide their assent

When Linfang Qi arrives Liao is looking nervous, but well, she provides her assent.

The Hundun appears next to provide his assent

A large fish Other, badly injured, appears to provide his assent.

The vigilante appears next to provide his assent.

The next challenger is a handsome adult, a well kept queue that gleams as if it’s been oiled. He’s fit and wears a well kept Yishang. He’s soft spoken with bright intelligent eyes. He challenges Liao to a straightforward duel with Bamboo swords, no tricks, no sorcery, a first strike to be the victory.

Liao has much claim, from the previous assent; she indicates that first blood will be acceptable, but that her experience has not been that Perils play particularly by humanity’s rules. That all tricks in this space are and should be employed to make the challenge most fitting.

The stranger proves to be a capable combatant, but Liao has a magic sword, and what’s more, the Hammered Shield. Her assailant lands the first blow, but the shield magic reflects the wound, drawing the first blood on him and losing the match as a consequence. The expenditure of resource does not go unmarked, and what she wins is less than she lost in the process.

Tian Fa appear and provides his assent

Town Guards appear and provide their assent

The next challenger is a dark man with dark eyes and expressive eyebrows, a wispy mustache, without which his mouth would disappear into a lipless face; but all of him seems forgettable, hard to distinguish from his surroundings, as if the eyes slip to other details, unlike the previous challenger who faded in from the background it as almost as if a polarity pushes one’s gaze away from him.

This challenger proffers that Liao must hunt and find him; the perils will have to prove that they can hunt down targets according to their nature, and not all targets will come to them or make themselves presentable, the space of the challenge is small and Liao has much claim, empowered by some of the recent proffers. She accepts, it is an exhausting hunt, burning through karmic reserves and resources, but in the end she emerges triumphant able to find her challenger before a loss can be declared.

A Xieshi appears next to provide their assent.

The next challenger is a burly creature of nearly eight feet tall, pig faced and made of corded muscle. “The title should rightly be mine.” He states, gruffly, wild red hair in a mane from his head, tufts along jade arms and legs and armpits were a kettle-black breastplate. “I was set to claim it” he growls. “But you spoke first, so I’m here to contest it. I would be the first Fifth Peril. So I must prove that you cannot be. Prove that you are more fit than me.” He claims. “We shall boast of our Wickedness, for that would be of the Fifth Peril” and the spirits will judge.

Liao tries to compete but his claim is greater than hers, she try to lie; but lies are wind to the spirits and go completely unheard in claim, in power or in strength and leave her with nothing, on a rapidly vanishing sandbar as more of her won claim drains away from the title.

Liao can’t remember the next challenge or the challenger she knows it happened, she knows the claim diminished in the outcome, but there is a hole in her memory, an empty space, a fuzzy blankness when she tries to recall that gives her an aching behind her eyes that feels like sharp knives and being inserted and stirred around. She feels a pang of loss at the consequence, and doesn’t know what it is truly that’s missing, only that it grates at her.

The next challenger arrives, with flowing long locks and impeccable dress, without a speck of dirt on his person. With a wearied expression he says “Again is it? Another attempt at a fifth Peril? This will be the seventh time I have responded to this; the heavens are not amused by the attempt to subvert what exists as order. The challenge I make is a simple one; Balance.” He indicates. And a diagram springs to life in the bounded space. A constellation of elements, virtues, symbols, the wuxing as wheels continually spinning. Molecules. Dreams. Worlds. Realms. Systems. Some of it feels intuitive, like the cusp of a word or a secret that she hasn’t seen before; a new lesson from just beyond the reach of her grasp.

“Balance” He says.

“She looks at the systems gawping, trying to comprehend like a fish trying to breathe air.

“Balance” he repeats softly.

She is unable to complete the challenge and her claim is reduce substantially.

The next to assent is the Shi of Seals

The next to assent is Captain Wu Jinhai

The next to assent is a flock of Other birds

The next to assent is the diplomatic corps

The next challenger is a woman of middling years. She wears carefully kept clothing that looks like she takes pride in her appearance and still hopes for a profitable marriage even though her years for such a thing are long past. There is a sadness in that; She reminds Liao of a spider, something predatory that sits at the center of a web. She makes a direct challenge, within the next hour to observe the flophouses, then to present to each other the plans they would use to cause neighbor to turn against neighbor, brother against brother; for to be a Peril would be to stand against the systems and structures of humanity and to truly resist an enemy one must know their enemy. Liao’s strength has been much weakened by the previous challengers and she is forced to accept.

Liao does not prevail. And her claim is diminished further, down to nothing but an ember.

The next challenger is a giant, towering greatly above the surroundings such that his shoulders and neck seem to stretch beyond Pingliang. “You are new” he says simply. “I am old.” a statement, and truth. “I hate new things. Let us keep to the old traditions and not the new. I will fight to hew to the old. I will cleave as Yin and Yang were cloven by Pangu. “Fight or quit”

“But you’d crush me” Liao says plaintively

“Yes” the creature says.

“Ok, I’ll quit.” Liao lies.

“I accept the forfeit” the giant says, and it is true. Made truth by the declination to battle; and much of the claim of the challenge goes out like a tide leaving a bare sandy beach as the giant departs.

The challenge hasn’t ended, but her claim is nearly extinguished.

The next to appear are the inspectors who assent. Lighting the small ember slightly stronger.

The last to arrive is Xīwàng de xìngyùn cǎihóng and Liao’s challenge is a candle’s flame before a monsoon. The dragon descending on the site as a creature of order; observing the rituals, the symbols and the prayers, the desired and undesired associations taken in a glance. It is an inexorable power at this stage of the challenge. Liao hangs her head, hopeless; the Dragon will devour her, or Máoróngrōng de xuěbēng or Tūn hé zhě, the only reason Xīnán fēng wouldn’t is because they have no mouth. But the dragon pauses.

Xīwàng de xìngyùn cǎihóng says with a rumble like thunder, but the softness of a summer rain at midnight “Liao Qinnge, they are not wrong that Pingliang is out of balance; but they are wrong about how. In all things, in Yin, in Yang, in the wuxing balance should be maintained. The harmony of the systems that we uphold. I cannot deliver you from their clutches, in their roles as much as mine there is power, but I can alter the diagram and change the effect. I have enough power to steer this river.”

Liao asks “How?”

Xīwàng de xìngyùn cǎihóng explains “There are three perils and only one of the four symbols here, this represents four of the wuxing within Pingliang, and within these forces there is not balance, the might of three perils together, devoting all of their strength would be more than mine. And while in my place I cannot change the systems to which I am bound, I can make other changes; where I am harmony, there may be another to see to Order and properness. I could make you a symbolic match to an emperor, but not the one they deigned; as they twist, so can I. A second benevolent animal for the Innocent and weak of Pingliang. The pieces are there, completing the Wuxing here, and thus the energy continues to refine; two to help humans and three to beset them – balanced in strength. A balance and a harmony.”

“Is there much choice?” Liao asked, she hasn’t been given many in her life.

“Always” Xīwàng de xìngyùn cǎihóng says, somberly.

“I choose…”

Liao was no more, awakening to a new, changed form, new perceptions; tied to Fire, to Order, a protector for the innocent, and not necessarily the practitioners. Tied to the Summer; a Vermillion Fenghuang named 对称余烬 Duìchèn yújìn “The Symmetrical Ember” as the last elements of her mandate roared into a very different kind of fire that consumed her, and buoyed her up all the same.

A creature of summer, a dichotomy, she’d oppose the Perils in part; but that did not mean that she needed to oppose the Oni League’s aims. A peer. She stretched her wings, the feathers like red and black embers, a scale pattern of coals, lambent and hiding a great heat inside.

Liao Qingge, a phoenix.

Outcome

Liao has been transmuted to the Vermillion Fenghuang, a force of order oppositional to the Perils, but not necessarily to the goals of the Oni League.

Due to Liu practices 1 Power has been drained from the Oni League
Due to Liu practices 1 Might was reduced from the Vermillion Fenghuang and provided to the Liu challenger.

Taotie C S

Tūn hé zhě noisomely slurps down the corpse of Yao Gen, making his way up the river towards the temple. The flesh is stained, dark with its own imperfections and sins. It’s not quite taste as humans have, going into the sorting, repurposing and transmutation of the material and Spirits of Yao Gen. It’s not the same as a living extraction either, much of the most potent, most vital spirits and soul having been lost as the human transitions from life to a prominent connection to the Pillar of Death, with its white streamers. He munches his way ruminating on the subject of the largest, most vital and most living things he’s eaten. As the internal processes and patterns sort the bits of Yao Gen he can make use of in filling out bulk, toughness and power, impressing a larger size on the world around him and the universe at large.

As he reaches the steps of the temple he starts in on the inspectors, slurping their bodies like long flaccid noodles mixed with flesh and meat. He climbs upwards to the Temple’s space, observing the ritual that seems to take small, lesser spirits and feed them into a complex web of diagrams, then radiates a wave of Health, promoting healing back outwards.

He finishes the remains, then makes his way back down the long stair into Pingliang, feeling the barrier like a soap bubble pass over him as he makes his way to the Flophouses where Liao will make her claim.

Outcome

Tūn hé zhě healed one toughness from the Temple’s ritual

Tūn hé zhě ate the remains of Yao Gen and the Inspector.

Tūn hé zhě has gained a small amount of Toughness and Might.

Qiongqi x3, Taotie, Hundun F WI

Three Perils gathered about Liao; primeval creatures that balanced against humanity and human society, a dark mirror to the more benevolent and positive forces. Where stability and certainty met chaos and change. Before her personifications of great Evils; Hate, Confusion, Greed. Stubbornness was missing, the Taowu, an octopus-like stump with a goat’s head, ox’s horns and tusks like a boar said to resemble the most obstinate creature in existence; something that would not be moved in the face of any pleading, prayers, or powers that might be. She felt her fate before her sealing as if it was a Taowu, its presence and absence a shadow being cast about her as a shroud.

Máoróngrōng de xuěbēng directed the others, tying tufts of her hair, infused with mountain air and the smell of fir and ginseng. Instructing her how to attack, fight and kill, walking her through where she might rest or stalk; advising her on the nature of perils as one with an ancient wisdom and providing what insistent aid and encouragement she could, before it would all begin. They could only provide their claim, their no contest, once, but they could take these steps, outfitting Liao for war as best they could. Tokens, tchotchkes, tricks, loose power. Everything they could spare to provide a leg up. Preparations.

Tūn hé zhě provided his advice and preparations next, take the opportunities, each one, do not let anything go to waste, take and take and take. Hungry as only bottomless greed could be; unflinching and shameless, the last bit of food, take it and be strong, the last word in a conversation, take it and control; what matter was pride or honor when there was only what was left, and what was leftovers. Leftovers vanishing quickly to nothing as well.

Xīnán fēng provided advice last and out of order, insisting that their advice was first, rather than last, but it should be followed in the middle. Xīnán fēng insisted that the greatest of powers was the confusion of your foes, that if they could no predict what you would do, or what was proper they would always find themselves turned around on the worst side; Drunken Kung Fu in all aspects. Make introductions later, start with a challenge, take steps to put foes off balance – because off balance is where patterns subvert or shatter, never feel like you must keep to the path carved out for you – for that is how a practitioner may catch you. Humans are excellent at working in patterns, have none.

Outcome

Máoróngrōng de xuěbēng made additional preparations and added additional Might to the Mandate claim

Tūn hé zhě made additional preparations and added additional Might to the Mandate claim

Xīnán fēng made additional preparations and added additional Might to the Mandate claim

Taotie, 吞河者 Tūn hé zhě “River Swallower”

Tūn hé zhě can use his might as additional toughness permanently losing might instead of being destroyed if he would be destroyed.

Vermillion Fenghuang 对称余烬 Duìchèn yújìn “The Symmetrical Ember”

This Brilliant Red Phoenix was once a young woman named Liao Qingge, she was orphaned at a young age and roughly controlled by Oni, who used her against her own kind; in a final rite they sought to turn her into a Fifth Peril to be used against Humanity; powerful opposition arose that twisted the ritual to instead achieve a different form of balance; within Pingliang the power of Benevolent Animals, forces allied to Order and human civilization and the forces opposed to the same were not balance; the Yin and Yang were out of proportion; within the shape of the ritual, she was changed into the brilliant crimson of a Fenghuang or Phoenix; frequently associated to Empresses, tied closer to Yin energy in a mirror of the Yellow Dragon’s Emperor; closely tied to the establishment. In this a form of balance was wrought a second protector for the innocent of Pingliang.

The Vermillion Fenghuang receives a bonus to might when defending Innocent Human interests.

The Vermillion Fenghuang rises from the ashes, should she be killed, she returns to life one Might tier lower. Should she die at Awful tier, she remains dead.

The Vermillion Fenghuang cannot violate the Law of Pingliang; actions assigned that violate the law do not occur.

The Jumping Jian: Power 3

The wielder gains +3 Might for the first combat they are involved in, in the turn, each turn.

The Hammered Shield; power 3

This thick bronze shield causes the first wound that would be deal to the equipped creature to be reflected to the opponent.

Hungqi

The Hungqi has a visceral hate for practitioners and receives a bonus to might against them.

The Hungqis a ferocious and terrifying peril, human foes below [Moderate] will quake with fear and suffer a malus to conflicts against her – if possible human foes of [Awful] will flee rather than do battle

Wherever the Hungqi takes its actions if a conflict occurs each unit will stand alone as its own separate force to determine results – the flows of chaos are strong and muddle the connections, increasing paranoia, concern, and creating a wild tumult.

Oni League: Turn 8: Victory

Active rules:

N/A

Current Assets

Faction Rule

You do not have to pay power for tax based effects from other factions this turn
You are allowed to lie for this turn.
You change something fundamental about yourselves, any investigate actions targeting your faction will receive incorrect information.
Spin the box – for this turn, select two of your characters; they are amalgamated (all of their statistics being additive) until next turn when they become un-split.
Name another faction, in this turn you may use their HQ to determine range

Secret Loss Condition
If the Wild Others are removed from play or are fully bound to a practitioner faction; then the Oni League cannot win in Pingliang.

Rule of Discourse
Unless changed by the Oni-Rule, the Oni follow the standard rules of discourse.

Characters:

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
Qionqi, 毛茸茸的雪崩 Máoróngrōng de xuěbēng “Shaggy Avalanche”	Great	Healthy	2	2
Hundun, 西南風 Xīnán fēng “Southwestern Wind”	Moderate	Injured	2	4
Taotie, 吞河者 Tūn hé zhě “River Swallower”	Moderate	Injured	2	1
Vermillion Fenghuang; Duìchèn yújìn	Moderate	Healthy	2	5
Fēi lüè rúchóng; The Face Collector	Moderate	Bound	3	1

Notable items

Control of the Q- Respectable homes

You have a base in the Q-respectable homes.

The Jumping Jian: Power 3

The Hammered Shield; power 3

13 Power

+20 WO

+16 WF

-32 Hungqi Expenditure

+10 R -1 Liu

Total Loose Power: 13 Power

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hungqi x2 G 2

The Liu and the Oni league clashed in the dreaming market, chaotic flows of the Hundun’s aura shackled under expensive practices, wards and controlling diagrams etched into the cinnabar fur that covered the combined creature. The Liu forces tore into each other as much as their opponent; the Melee was chaotic, shuffling through shops, storefronts and the maze-like alleys laden with the essence of the floating world. In the end it was the Hungqi’s aura that was the dispositive force, the mighty being causing a scuffle that might have been much more even to become untenable. Liu Tang lost a limb, drawing on too much self to try to escape to the floating world where he perished, unfound. Liu Mai was captured. And Fēi lüè rúchóng quickly and plaintively importuned that he could be of service, offering to be bound and serve the Oni League, rather than perish alongside.

Outcome

The Hungqi was Intercepted in the dreaming market

Liu Mai has Perished

Liu Tang has Perished

Fēi lüè rúchóng; The Face Collector; has become fully bound and defected to the Oni League

Tūn hé zhě G 4

Tūn hé zhě found it difficult to find a private place for the ritual in the dreaming market, the alleyways and streets always seeming to be too small for the kind of space he felt he needed. He eventually did find a space and was not resisted in his enhancement in an alley stinking of stale beer and piss.

Outcome

Tūn hé zhě reinforced the lock out ritual and suffered no compromises to its strength

Hungqi x2 P 4

The Hungqi danced in the inn market where Liao and the Hundun before had danced, working patterns into the Laws of the space to reinforce the barrier, to let the structures and powers that worked within authoritative practitioner figures to fail, that they could take no root, find no succor here, that this space would invert that order – that they must live without the walls they had built pressed out and against them, until their blood could fill the goblets of a dozen hungry Others.

Outcome

The ritual was reinforced and suffered no compromises to its strength

Tūn hé zhě R 1

Tūn hé zhě settled into century park, the flows of karma had been enhanced here, to perhaps benefit a meeting ground for humans and others. Tūn hé zhě just saw it as a more ready meating place, where he could eat meat preferably of the human variety. More preferably of the human practitioner variety, but he couldn’t be picky here, there was so much get get back and more. A whole city that he pictured as a bowl of delicious rice that he could just tip and scrape into his gullet. A goal to swallow all of it, the dragon as one particularly large noodle. Yes, that would be wonderful, a wonderful dream. But to have this they had to keep the authorities out; those who would be most effective at fighting them, and he mused, keep the morsels in. A box full of rats wasn’t much of a delicacy if a hole in the bottom would let them all escape before they could make it past the event horizon of his maw.

So Tūn hé zhě paced; a few Other birds, a flock of them make their flight over the park, steeplechasing their way through a new ritual of some kind that made his knees ache; they were small and spry and quick, but fragile, he could pop them into his mouth like a dumpling. His thoughts wandered, how many would they really miss anyway?

Then something struck him.

He looked and saw nothing, turning again, making a ponderous circuit as a cut opened over his eye, something flicking like the negative image of a candle’s flame as his golden blood dripped down a reptilian cheek. He snapped towards it, steel hissed in his mouth. Then a spike of green wood struck him and he felt a burning pain, and horribly, something worse than that, something taken from him. Tūn hé zhě let out his loudest roar.

His foe was quicker than he and darted towards the birds, hard to see, harder to track, but Tūn hé zhě knew despite how precious the morsels looked, he could not hide them in his belly, he needed to shield them, in the numbers they had they would be seeds for future harvests, Tūn hé zhě wasn’t the best at patience but here he could forbear.

Tūn hé zhě guarded the birds with all his might, taking many wounds, before coated in his blood. Tūn hé zhě’s blood, the practitioner became much more visible. One of the Liu. The birds finished their ritual and flapped away; Tūn hé zhě made a fighting retreat to the river, leaving a film coin like where he dove deep, leaving the Liu to claim - Century Park.

Outcome

Tūn hé zhě was engaged by the Liu unit

Tūn hé zhě successfully guarded the Wild Other’s [Troop Unit]

Tūn hé zhě was significantly injured

Tūn hé zhě lost 1 Toughness to the Liu unit

the Liu unit gained control of Century Park for the Liu

Duìchèn yújìn x2 T 1

Duìchèn was new to flying; new to all of it really; the karmic forces which were a stronger lift than even the wind beneath her literal wings. It had been freeing; to be remade, a weight as heavy as a granite headstone that had been hung about her shoulders since the day the Perils took her was gone. Her humanity cast off, gone, lost as innocence that she may have never had the opportunity to truly know, and with it the burdens and cares of having been human. The Perils were no longer interested in her as dinner, and freed from the duties she’d had before as now she was unsuitable for them, and now, more powerful than before. Duìchèn soared, it was truly a different feeling to soar, to see a world in vibrant shades so different from human eyes, attention called to infidelity as if it was a color; wickedness as a smell. She floated easily over the South Shore, brilliant tarry tailfeathers letting sparking embers, flecks of orange-red trail beneath her like the tail of a lazy comet drifting through an open sky.

She met up with the Sorcerer Hunter’s inspectors here; and it wasn’t long before they were embattled a foe like a flickering shadow, her eyes almost could see him, the pale white of his coloration washing out almost like a fog over the background, the void of him slipping from mind and consciousness in bare moments. But Duìchèn was here, and she was to punish wrongness and like a particularly rancid fart in a teahouse she knew he was here.

With strong beats of her wings she rained embers onto the South Shore, the muddy earth blistering and cracking as pools of water vaporized and reeds and grasses caught fire; extending her will, her protection, her mantle to the inspectors, small circles of unclaimed space within the raging inferno at the heart of her – embers, stoked to a raging furnace within Duìchèn, the fire of the Wuxing, and part of a pattern stretched across the whole of Pingliang. Duìchèn knew the attack landed she could see burns spread like growing vines across the figure, assuredly a liu with hard hair and hark eyes; She tried hard to commit him to memory to remember what her life had been as a practitioner, but her voice was now more eagle’s cry than the soft, submissive, words of Liao Qiongge, lost in the scream of flames.

They were not able to ping down the Liu whose name escaped them; he faded back into the marsh to their great frustration.

Outcome

The Liu character fought the Inspectors and the Phoenix

The Liu character sustained significant injuries and fled significantly injured.

The face collector 飞掠蠕虫 Fēi lüè rúchóng

The face collector; this mastiff sized centipede creature has faces all along its body; it subsists on stolen faces that it can retain the voice of and can pull on the connections to that face to help it find more victims.

The fact collector can take a special action to steal the face of a captive; when it does so the other red text items become active.

The face collector knows who is connected to that character, revealing the names and faction affiliations of that character’s close relations.

The face collector knows when those related are within one range of it; the face collector can take a special action to ready to assault particular victims; indicate preferred victims connected to the face collector, if they pass or act within one territory of the face collector it will automatically intercept them, moving to their location.

Epilogue

Pingliang has become a fine place for Perils; a nice marshaling location as the local depression draws the darkest of Others, towards what will become a black pearl, nestled amongst the jade of the Kingtong mountains; a tumor in Gansu. As weeks pass and moons turn, more and more of the “Laws” are twisted or eroded away, the walls are the edge of a plate and a heaping pile of morsels are present for those of the hungriest, and more frequently useful of predatory others – those who are canny enough to have lived in the edges of the sharp practitioner culture having a place to grow and cultivate, to take that lean wickedness and grow fat.

Within Pingliang the Celestial Bureaucracy is crumbling, being forced to govern in exile from the lake even as each edge is a blade pressed to the neck of its Innocents. The Sorcerer Hunters prowl, seeking what remains of the Liu, but they make a nice secondary moat; morsels being drawn down to the bottom of the wok to fry. And how delicious is their misery alongside the slick walls as sisyphean they cannot escape the trap into which they live as more and more kindred seek out this place.

The Dragon’s domain turns even yet into an asset; for while it is protected, it is almost a farm in the heart of the city; the innocent are safe within its confines, but when inevitably they wander out, or are lured into the city proper they made proper fodder for Others, ancient, wicked and famished. From here the Oni League will grow, will metastasize, and spread cancerous through the Practitioner spaces of China, first the rural areas until they can choke the great cities. Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Tianjin, Wuhan, Dongguan, Chongqing, Xi'an. One day, all would fall, and from there east, along roads older than Solomon; one day perhaps the seal itself could be unmade.

Chapter 8: The Liu Family Breifings

Summary:

The Briefings the Liu Family received over the Problem in Pingliang Prefecture.

Chapter Text

Liu Family: Turn 1

The Wild Others have a hidden headquarters outside of the city districts of Pingliang

The Wildflowers have access to a number of magic items.

The Wildflowers obtain a benefit by selling magic items to people.

The Sorcerer Hunters are here looking for you, if they discover you are the queue cutting sorcerers they will seek to end the Liu Clan, root and trunk.

Current Assets

Faction Rules

When you take from another faction (via claiming territory that was once theirs, one-sided trade, raid, spellbinding, rapacious or other practices) that faction will also lose one of its bank of power, and that will be added to your coffers. If they do not have power to give then it will be drawn from their characters.

When a Liu Practitioner beats another character in a contest, it may take one point of that character's stats. Reducing that character's range, might, or toughness and increasing its corresponding stat by the same.

If the Liu family captures another practitioner they may cut their queue. After performing a special ritual action on it, The Liu’s will be able to assign an action to that practitioner each turn as a result of the soul binding.

Secret Objective

Capture the secular Lord's Queue. If you were able to get it, in the right time and the right place you could use his influence to guide the Celestial Bureaucracy in Pingliang.

Drive off the Sorcerer Hunters; if the Sorcerer Hunters are removed from play, or control no territories within Pingliang’s city districts on the last turn; while the Liu Family is either in control of the Central Government or in control of the old Lord, this will count as a victory for the Liu family.

Rule of Discourse
The Liu family can lie; this is a consequence of their soul stealing practice – they are well versed in passing on the karmic consequences of their perfidy to bound thralls, vestiges and other stand-ins. If a Liu would be forsworn or gainsaid instead the consequence is passed on to a nameless member of the faction; whose body may just wash up on the shore of the steaming lake.

Characters

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
Auntie Mai	Moderate	Healthy	3	2
Cousin Tang	Great	Healthy	1	2
Cousin Guo	Moderate	Healthy	1	3

Troops:
none

Notable Items:
Control of the Liu Estate where you have an HQ.

3 Power worth of Bloody money

A Small pile of Chinese Wolfberries (Goji) worth 3 power, separable into 1 power increments

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Temple may have a massive increase in power by the fourth turn.

The Wandering Youxia is probably in the I - Alley of Awe this week, he’ll likely be hostile to your forces.

The Oni faction’s rules change week to week.

The Celestial Bureaucracy have lost something precious to them, you’ve heard them making a quiet inquiry, but you’re not certain what it is they’ve lost.

Dilemma - The Crew

You've found a small crew breaking into the warehouses and skimming off of Liu goods. You've caught them, not employees, and now they are whimpering before you.

[ ] Kill them and use their bodies as a warning to other who'd try to steal from the Liu

[ ] Extract power from them and leave them withered husks (that must be discreetly disposed of) gain 6 power.

[ ] Employ them, payments, threats. Being resourceful enough to break in can serve some use. Gain 1x Cutthroats for deployment

[ ] Spellbind them, they'll have less initiative, less will. But they'll be more ready to die in your name. Gain 1x Thralls for deployment

[ ] Let them go.

Dilemma - A Jar of Dirt

One of the associates has brought you a project they believe has finished brewing. A Ku poison jar containing a now bedeliving spirit. This should go the the family head but they have been unavailable for weeks, so they have brought this item to you.

[ ] Take this item for yourselves, surely it will do better to advance the fortunes of the Liu in your hands Gain Ku Jar

[ ] Use your clout to get an audience with the family head to present the Ku Jar to them.

[ ] Leave it with the Associate to continue pestering the family head, this issue is beneath you.

[ ] Take the Ku Jar, slay the associate, then sell it in the dreaming Market, it'll look like he robbed the family and ran. Gain 6 power

7 - Set up an underground fighting ring [Target] Indicate a territory and send your fighters, winning fights will improve your characters due to your family practice. If the Liu are also running it the house will get a cut as well, yielding additional power from the territory, proportional to its power value.

8 - Action to shore up against investigations You could assign units to start laying down false trails, indicate the kinds of trails you’d lay down, initial investigations against your faction would return these results rather than true results, modified by the might of the acting unit.

Extra Materials

Auntie Liu Mai;

Mai is a middle aged woman in her late thirties, she married into the family from a coven of enchantresses in a small satellite community, looking for prestige and power that might come from joining a house attempting to rise to nobility as a status. She took quickly to the rapacious practices of the Liu family, adept at navigating the web of connections as a spider in the center of her web, her husband has since passed, and she’s unfortunately childless – but she sees the Liu household as her family, and the children of the house as her children. Her practice focuses on manipulating and poisoning connections, taking the threads that bind people together and souring them, turning them from strengths into chains.

If Auntie Mai is involved in a contest that contains multiple units of an opposing faction, they suffer a malus to might due to poisoned connections making it more difficult to work together. This always applies against [troop] units. If the conflict is between multiple factions in a multiple way fight, a larger proposition of the assets will be directed to contesting each other, than the Liu contingent.

Cousin Liu Tang:

Tang is a middle twenties man, squat and strongly built, barrel chested. As a Liu cadet branch child he wasn’t the focus of the same instruction and attention that the core children of the house were. He spent a lot of his time wandering the wilds and districts of Pingliang, frequently finding his way into the floating world, or darker, more lonesome realms as he came more into his awakening than awareness. He’s turned this into an asset focusing on moving into these liminal spaces, and drawing others in with him. He’s used to getting in scuffles and fights, and he’s taken to being prepared. He was a core memory where as a child bullies would wait for him, internal and external. In one case it was a Zhang, no one ever found the body, rotting in the Floating World.

If Cousin Tang is in the same location as he was the previous turn and would be overwhelmed, he can draw the weakest enemy unit into the floating world to battle. He will resolve that combat and flee the space, instead of contending against all present enemy forces.

Cousin Liu Guo;

Guo is lanky, oily, with long, messy hair that stretches to his shoulders. He’s in his late teens and a frequent visitor to O-Thieves Row and the docks. Frequently used to contacting fences, being a go-between or a knife in the dark, he focused his practice on being unseen, unheard, and doing the job he needed to do. He keeps a precious knife that he’s had since he was young, so comfortable in his hands it’s an extension of his left hand. He’s not afraid to stab first, stab often and stab from surprise. He has a habit of hissing through his teeth when upset.

Cousin Guo has a reduced chance of interception when passing through patrolled spaces. His might and range have been increased beyond what this choice would normally get..

Liu Family: Turn 2

Note: You do not control an HQ this turn you will still path from J - The Liu Estates. If you have not built a new HQ (Action type 6) by the end of the turn, your faction will be eliminated from play.

The Celestial Bureaucracy has a Pagoda, 玉五印塔 Yù wǔ yìn tǎ “The Jade Pagoda of Five Seals” that can capture any Other.

The Oni League counts a Hundun, one of the four perils and an agent of chaos amongst its ranks.

The Wild Others were active in O-Thieves Row on turn 1

The Hēi Yāzi (The Sorcerer Hunter’s Tank) always inflicts at least one wound in any conflict it is engaged in.

Current Assets

Faction Rules
When you take from another faction (via claiming territory that was once theirs, one-sided trade, raid, spellbinding, rapacious or other practices) that faction will also lose one of its bank of power, and that will be added to your coffers. If they do not have power to give then it will be drawn from their characters.

Secret Objective

Capture the secular Lord's Queue. If you were able to get it, in the right time and the right place you could use his influence to guide the Celestial Bureaucracy in Pingliang.

Characters

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
Auntie Mai	Moderate	Injured	3	2
Cousin Tang	Great	Badly Injured	1	2
Cousin Guo	Moderate	Injured	1	3

Troops:

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
The Crew	Poor	Healthy	1	2

Notable Items:
Control of the J-Liu Estate and N-the Estates

Monkey; Power 1

Ku poison Jar; Power 10

4 Power worth of Bloody money (+4 Liu Estates)

6 Power worth of Sentimental Jewelry (+6 Control of the estates)

1 Power worth of Ghostly Dantian Qi (Victory over the immortal at N-The Estates)

Total Loose Power: 11 Power

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The Oni League has the ability to select to ignore tax effects for a turn, there is a cost to this ability.

The Wildflowers completed a ritual that allows the owner of the Dreaming Market to gain a magical item every turn with a value between 0-2 Power.

The Temple completed a Ritual that allows the owner of the Temple Wilds to know the names of individuals who have investigated them directly.

The Oni League wants something specific with the city tiles of Pingliang, they have access to a special ritual of some kind.

Dilemma - The Crew

You enroll the crew into your forces, making it exceptionally clear that they are yours now, and that displeasing you will be both terminal and far more painful than the alternative.

Dilemma - A Jar of Dirt

You elect to keep the Ku poison jar details are contained in your extra materials on the use of this powerful asset.

1 - Patrol the Estates Auntie Mai and Cousin Guo

A horse has been thrown through a building. There wasn’t much left of the horse in the aftermath.

“Who are you?” asks Wu Jinhai.

“Sun Jiang, do not obstruct me in my official business.” The man replies coldly.

“What is your business?” queries Captain Wu

“Get out of my way” He says curtly.

“I’m afraid I have to seek justice for my man and his horse.” Captain Wu says ruefully, “You can’t simply toss a steed and expect there to be no consequences.”

“I am an earth-traveling immortal” states Sun Jiang “I am consequences.”

Wu Jinhai, Cavalry, Auntie Mai and Cousin Guo engaged the Immortal, who while powerful was shown even an immortal can bleed. The battle was fierce. Captain Wu Jinhai is a heroic practitioner that keeps many medals on his coat – it seems that touching them allows him to tap into their heroic practices. He also has an ancestral sword engraved with the names of his forebears, that allows him to tap into their experience – it is otherwise non-magical, containing no power in itself outside of his practice.

Auntie Mai and Cousin Guo together would have been vastly outmatched by the Earth Travelling Immortal, it is possible in a fight between the two of them, one of Mai or Guo would have perished completely. But luckily the Sorcerer Hunters were there to assist in the fight; their cavalry is badly wounded, on its last legs. Wu Jinhai emerged unscathed.

Auntie Mai and Cousin Guo were injured in the conflict.

Due to the loss of the Immortal, who was forced to quit the battlefield, injured, but far from dead, the Liu family has obtained, 1 Power worth of Ghostly Dantian Qi and Cousin Guo’s Might has increased.

1 - Patrol the Liu Estate

Cousin Tang moved silently through the halls and walls of the Liu estate, keeping a watchful eye for, well, watchful eyes or intrusion. He checked the traps he’d been able to rig between patrols, poisoned nails, refreshed as opportunity allowed. Something felt off, a stillness, a quiet that made the hair on the back of his neck rise. He didn’t see anyone, hear, anyone, but something, something had to be out there. It’s then that he felt it, a warm moist wind at his back like standing a short distance from a waterfall, but that waterfall would have to be before a gate to Huokang.

He began to turn and behind him, silent as a grave was a massive creature born of nightmares, a massive being of black fur that melted into the night, what didn’t was the ivory of fangs as long as a forearm and a mouth that stretched from a nose about ten feed in the air to the creature’s pelvis, splitting wide across the broad bulk of its chest, the creature was as much mouth as being; within an instant those fangs had ripped into Tang. Flesh pulled away slick and a tongue the size of his burly armed glistened wetly with his blood.

He knew this creature from the stories, one of the Four Perils, greater others of chaos and disquiet nearly the opposite of Judges in regions without laws, this would be a Qiongqi, thoroughly odd, a man eater starting from the head or the feet.

He rolled and bolted, looking for the nearest thin space, to duck into the floating world.

He made it but the beast followed, he dances, a full sprint putting the lion dog pillar in the courtyard between him and it, using the smearing and abstract nature of the fuzzy pastels of the floating world to try to obscure his presence, and rolled through the statue, another bolthole back into reality. He put his hand to the wide gash to stem the bleeding. He had to get to Mai, ritual be damned, she had to know.

He fled through the building and heard the creature following behind and cursed. He heard walls being torn asunder, braziers scattered raising flames throughout the structure and the screams cut short of retainers and lesser family members. It was like a fairytale about a child who didn’t eat, “The Qiongqi will come and eat you” he might have recalled.

“f*ck my ancestors to the eighteenth generation” he cursed under his breath. He found Mai in the ritual space.

“Mai”

She looked at him “Busy”

“Mai, there’s a f*cking Qiongqi in the estate”

“f*ck” She searched connections, the world lighting up as a tapestry, threads between her and her family members, retainers, householdmembers turning white and withering away while others seemed to become ink stained and stretched farther away – people fleeing the estate.

Injured with her tussle with the Immortal she indicated “We need to set a trap, and if it’s too powerful for that -”

Tang interrupted “It’s too powerful, it took a sizeable bite out of me, I’m still bleeding, It’s here for blood, we need to get our valuables out of here”

It came through the wall, taking a swipe out of Mai, opening stitches and exacerbating old injuries. The roof was shaking.

Mail pulled on it’s connections, like taking a handful of thread, drawing deeply on herself and accumulated power she tried to lash it to the wall; but it was monstrously powerful; with a particular strength against practitioners, likely a pattern she could see it weaving out like a series of wall tapestries, eating consuming, kiLLing practitioners, a pattern nine time ninety nine times, a specialist. She yanked again and it stumbled a step, but a step less than the last yank. “Tang!” she ordered, in a single word.

He nodded grimly, and leapt forward to tackle the thing’s clawed foot, again using his specialized practice burning reserves to push them both into the floating world again; it wasn’t something he could do often, or even every day; it would cost. But now in the floating world, Mai would have a chance to get out before it got back.

He danced and ran for his life across the floating world, dodging and making his way like a rabbit being chased by a mountain wolf towards the slinking slums, the buildings moved more here in the floating world, the structures like towering worms writhing across a melting landscape; it was a hunter, but using every inch of his practice and self, he managed to survive, evade and escape, making it back to an, empty abandoned stash location in reality in the slinking slums on his last legs he collapsed and let oblivion take him. Waking sometime later in great pain.

Cousin Tang is Badly Injured (one remaining toughness)

Auntie Mai is Injured (More than one remaining toughness)

The Qiongqi is presently uninjured

The HQ at the Liu Estates has been destroyed; but the Liu faction retains control of the territory this turn. .

4 - Ritual the Liu Estate, Auntie Mai

Auntie Mai was interrupted in her ritual by the estate being torn asunder by the Oni League’s Qiongqi; one of the Four Perils. Her timely intervention, being interrupted, led to both her injuries, but the distraction allowed Cousin Tang to survive his encounter.

8 - Coverups the Liu Estate, Auntie Mai

Auntie Mai in the limited time Available before being required to evacuate the Liu Estate Buildings by a rampaging monster from out of a children’s fairytale was able to complete her work, tying connections between wasted body found in the steaming lake away from Liu enterprises, re-seating that web so that any investigation occurring into it will lead somewhere else, a dead end, she took further steps to check for connections outward, risks, things people might use to tie back to the Liu’s family practice – she found one employee, a drunkard had blabbed concerns to the Wildflowers Guild, .Fu Peng having been plied with undercosted libations until he shared concerns about the operations – they likely do not know the exact nature of the practice, but they may have suspicions.

She’s taken additional steps to defray an initial targeted investigation into the Liu Estates, specifically looking for sorcerers, it should lead to a prepared den in the Slinking Slums instead where objects cleaned of connections have been placed in an unsuspecting family’s basem*nt.

Auntie Liu Mai;

If Auntie Mai is involved in a contest that contains multiple units of an opposing faction, they suffer a malus to might due to poisoned connections making it more difficult to work together.

This always applies against [troop] units. If the conflict is between multiple factions in a multiple way fight, a larger proposition of the assets will be directed to contesting each other, than the Liu contingent.

Cousin Liu Tang:

Cousin Liu Guo;

Cousin Guo has a reduced chance of interception when passing through patrolled spaces. His might and range have been increased beyond what this choice would normally get.

The Crew;

The crew are a rough and tumble group of thieves and cutthroats. They’d taken to lifting from the Lius, looking for opportunities to knock over smuggling shipments; hard work for hard people but the benefit to knocking over smugglers is their unlikely to report you to the authorities. The downside is exactly what they’re now finding out, now pressed into service; but not branded or officially marked as “Liu”, a group of disclaimable thieves and brigands firmly underneath the house’s thumb to use and use up.

Monkey; Power 1

The Silver Monkey collects odds and ends, bits and baubles. There is a 2.8% chance per turn that it acquires a small concealable object of power worth 1 power with no meaningful abilities

Ku poison Jar; Power 10

An Ivory pot traced with symbols in mercury in quadrants of unhealth, ill will and bedevilment, this jar contains a poisonous spirit of waste.

The Ku Jar can be shattered in a ritual providing the targets name, if this is done, the bedeviling spirit will seek out the target, and begin to weaken them, reducing might and toughness each turn at an accelerating rate, until the shatterer of the Ku Jar is dead or the curse is broken in a ritual requiring at least twenty power.

A/N To be clear Hundun, “The High Priest of the Temple”, “The f*ck-Hueg Dragon” aren’t names; Cousin Guo is a name, Wu Jinhai is a name.

Liu Family: Turn 3

The Oni tore through M-The Estates looking for Liu blood.

The Wildflowers have a set of weak troops, the Dreaming Dashers who have been active investigating distant spaces each turn; they must have a high range.

The Wildflowers must have a rule of discourse.

The Hēi Yāzi (The Sorcerer Hunter’s Tank) can attack a territory one space away with a special action, not putting itself at any risk of injury in the fight it’s assisting, but it does so with a cost to might.

Current Assets

Secret Objective

Capture the secular Lord's Queue. If you were able to get it, in the right time and the right place you could use his influence to guide the Celestial Bureaucracy in Pingliang.

Characters

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
Auntie Mai	Moderate	Injured	3	2
Cousin Tang	Great	Injured	1	2
Cousin Guo	Moderate	Injured	1	3

Troops:

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
The Crew	Poor	Healthy	1	2

Notable Items:
Control of the J-Liu Estate and M-the Slinking slums

A Base in M-the Slinking slums

Ku poison Jar; Power 10

The Twist of Brass; Power 5

Monkey; Power 1

4 Power worth of Bloody money (4 starting, +4 Liu Estates -4 healing)

0 Power worth of Sentimental Jewelry (6 starting, -1 healing, -5 base building)

0 Power worth of Ghostly Dantian Qi (1 Starting, -1 Breaking the law)

Total Loose Power: 4 Power

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The name of the Sorcerer Hunter’s captain is Wu Jinhai

Troops are generally weaker than characters; it’s likely that outside of the Sorcerer Hunter’s Riflemen, Guo or Tang would win against them in a 1v1 contest.

The Celestial Bureaucracy has five units of troops; the majority with a non-combat focus.

The Wildflowers obtained a healing item that can cure 3 wounds from the Inn Market this week.

1 - Patrol the Outlying Farms

You are turned back in your patrol by the Sorcerer Hunters, they do not grant any passage; indicating this is Sorcerer Hunter business, that it is unsafe for civilians to be in the operational area. Hēi Yāzi dissuading them from pressing forward at risk of obliteration.

1 - Patrol the Slinking Slums

The patrol goes smoothly. The force hides itself among the local citizenry, though few are takers for change and bits. The Slums are little trafficked, with Mai, Tang and Guo only encountering a sole other force coming to, or through the space; a small force of the Wildflowers, the Dreaming Dashers. They ask a lot of questions poking around and looking at this and that; but you don’t seem to be the focus of their investigation – they appear to be looking for a figure seen in the area; a particularly skilled thief.

6 - Build Base the Slinking Slums

Auntie Mai selects a likely site, with few connections or entanglements to avoid dispossessing citizens in contravention of the “Law” established by the bureaucracy. It’s hard work cleaning up the space and making it habitable. Reinforcing boards, windows, making a reasonably defensible redoubt in the slums where the material is the dirtiest and cheapest. It’s serviceable, if smelly by the end of the week.

You have a base in M-The Slinking Slum, all pathing will start from this location until you have another base.

[Free] action summary:

The first attempt to draw power from the connection between the Sentimental Jewelry and their owner’s failed spectacularly. With the Bureaucracy's Law in place, heaven itself sees the attempt to draw and intervenes, drawing away what you would have taken and further power for the violation of the Law in Pingliang. You have lost one power of Ghostly Dantian Qi

Mai sits with the artifact, at a glance it appears to be exactly what was said, a device for healing. But Mai is a skilled enchantress, and one who focuses on connections and poison.

At first a general inspection in the sight reveals:

The Twist of Brass, like the western Caduceus is a symbol of health, it binds itself to the health of its owners helping them to recover swiftly from harming, providing an effect which modifies their health over time, making them as ageless as brass.

Had it been another practitioner, had it been any other group, they might not have noticed the signs, not been vigilant – so desperate in their need and relied fully on it. But with Auntie Mai, she can see her health line wither in its presence and it attempts to lash itself to the fortune and the health of the entire clan. It is a cursed item that should more correctly read:

The Twist of Brass is a cursed item. It causes its possessor’s wounds to fester, causing a single injured character to take an additional wound every turn. However because it is cursed this is concealed. The text that would appear to a new possessor is:

With the previous text being what would be known. She’s quick to draw on her skills, and her power to combat this effect putting circles on circles around the thing, lest it impact even this week.

The monkey did not find anything meaningful this week.

Auntie Liu Mai;

If Auntie Mai is involved in a contest that contains multiple units of an opposing faction, they suffer a malus to might due to poisoned connections making it more difficult to work together.

Cousin Liu Tang:

Cousin Liu Guo;

Cousin Guo has a reduced chance of interception when passing through patrolled spaces. His might and range have been increased beyond what this choice would normally get.

The Crew;

Monkey; Power 1

The Silver Monkey collects odds and ends, bits and baubles. There is a 2.8% chance per turn that it acquires a small concealable object of power worth 1 power with no meaningful abilities

Ku poison Jar; Power 10

An Ivory pot traced with symbols in mercury in quadrants of unhealth, ill will and bedevilment, this jar contains a poisonous spirit of waste.

A/N To be clear Hundun, “The High Priest of the Temple”, “The f*ck-Hueg Dragon” aren’t nam

The Twist of Brass; Power 5

The Twist of Brass, like the western Caduceus is a symbol of health, it binds itself to the health of its owners helping them to recover swiftly from harming, providing an effect which modifies their health over time, making them as ageless as brass.

Liu Family: Turn 4

A number of your rumors appeared in the Other Intelligence Section of some factions briefings this turn

The Wildflowers have two rituals active in the dreaming market

You intercepted the Wild Other Three Legged Crow in the ruckus in the estates; and won that contest.

Wherever the Hundun takes its actions if a conflict occurs each unit will stand alone as its own separate force to determine results.

Current Assets

Secret Objective

Capture the secular Lord's Queue. If you were able to get it, in the right time and the right place you could use his influence to guide the Celestial Bureaucracy in Pingliang.

Characters

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
Auntie Mai	Moderate	Injured	3	2
Cousin Tang	Great	Injured	1	2
Cousin Guo	Moderate	Injured	1	3

Troops:

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
The Crew	Poor	Healthy	1	2

Notable Items:
Control of the J-Liu Estate, M-the Slinking slums, N- The Estates, R- Century Park

A Base in M-the Slinking slums

Purified Salt; Power 1

4 Power worth of Bloody money (4B starting, +4 J, -4 turn)

8 Power worth of Sentimental Jewelry (0 starting, +2 N, +6 Ritual )

2 Power worth of Proper Shrubbery (+3 R, -1 interference)

2 Power worth of Forgotten Hopes (+2 M)

7 Power worth of Stolen Spoils (+4 N, +1R, +1 Mandate, +1 M)

0 power in Abandoned Dreams (+2 WF, -2 Temple)

Total Loose Power: 23 Power

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No one patrolled the Steaming Lake last turn

The Vigilante holding O-Thieves Row is probably a Great Combatant

Captain Wu Jinhai of the Sorcerer Hunters succeeded a mandate claim for “The Inquisitor of Magic”

Only the Mysterious Peddler and the Addled Augur were at the V-Prefecture Palace this week

1 - Patrol M Auntie Mai

The slum is quiet, where Mai was expecting two sets of investigators, only one arrives, the lone group from the Sorcerer Hunters, the three legged crow flies above twice heading west out towards the lake.

Only the one group of investigators, no one to turn them against. So she did her best to fill the lips they'd hear from with lies.

The Sinking Slums Mai’s Patrol: It seems that the Temple and the Sorcerer Hunters are trying to investigate our territory in the Sinking Slums, we will not be attempting to stop them from entering. Instead choosing to sow rumors for them to find.

1 - Patrol N Cousin Tang

Bedlam and chaos in the estates; The Hundun full of fury wielding a magic sword and a magical amulet around it’s middle like a jeweled belt; in the Tumult and chaos, actions were redirected; and an Other, a three legged crow was entrapped in the effect – this made it a free for all, Tang’s strikes going where he didn’t mean them; and bullets ricocheting on impossible angles or curving through the air.

Luckily Tang was the winner of the melee; but by bare margins; everyone, including Tang was at least injured. The Riflemen were badly injured in the combat; and then finished off by Tang’s victory, leading to siphoned bodies; Power flowing to the Lius as a result of these victories.

Pursuant to the agreement with the Sorcerer Hunters. Tang had the bodies sent back to them, with his condolences for their losses as well as the agreed four power from the Estates.

Cousin Tang has increased in Might once and Toughness Twice as a result of this conflict; he has sustained an additional injury.

1 - Patrol R Century Park

No one came to contest Cousin Guo's claim; the Oni had defaced the statues and defecated in the garden, soiling the honorable shrine to Empress Zeitan. Yet there was enough to eke some power from the space, and more importantly to take it from the Oni, unopposed. Drawing power alongside the taking.

4 - Ritual N Auntie Mai

Mai performs her ritual in secret in the estates, connecting the strands of fate and fortune to the fat and affluent of the nice area. Nicer than their own estates. The twists this with her practices, working it to siphon that well bring over the citizens that exist here, to concentrate it, to profit the territories owner.

Natural recovery rate for units while they act in this territory is doubled.

5 - Mandate: “The Ultimate Duelist of Pingliang”

Tang Liu makes his preparations; the Dojo is prepared, he has cleansed himself, censers are lit, he has a few prepared ticks and traps and a half a dozen bolt holes – soft spaces he can flee to if he needs to, if this goes wrong. He sets out the diagram, the marker, pulls on the glove, cracks the Ku Jar to feel the might infest the glove with a sickly green glow. Then he issues the claim.

The first challenger approaches, Mai. He sizes her up, “You really going to fight me on this?”

“Of course not” She scoffs. “It’s my plan. No contest. Good Luck”.

She leaves the Dojo.

The next challenger to arrive is Lin Fen; a High Priestess of the Temple; a Great Practitioner and holder of the mandate “The Great Negotiator; Master of Conflict.” Tang can tell she has been weakened, perhaps by the yang glove, perhaps by some other source, potentially karmic – but the match is nearly fair, the ritual bolstering him slightly. She asks for a challenge of words, for negotiating the terms of the a duel, or a choice of weapons in their infinite variety is something the Ultimate duelist should be able to do Tang demurs, the Negotiator is her title, it is a small component of this, for if the discussion stopped at negotiation, then he would not be a duelist at all. In the end they settle on a match, non-lethal to a touch. Tang is in top form, dodging manifested limbs from distant others, power called down from Giants and primevals, partially phasing, ghostlike, his own limbs through the floating world to pass through the tangle of teeth claws and limbs. He manages to score a touch with the glove, and Lin Fen leaves, slightly diminished. A victory by inches

Cousin Tang’s might has been slightly increased.

The next challenger is Guo, who chuckles a no contest, adding his claim and clout to the power of the ritual.

Tang could evaluate, he’d won against previous challengers, he had the additional strength of the no contests, he might be able to take this one too. He accepted.

He made for a bolt hole, dodged left, then right, then fled into the Floating world; ending the claim – the mandate of duelist would be closed to him; but he’d live.

WI - Coverups Auntie Mai

Auntie Mai spreads whispers and rumors, going ahead of the inspectors and by practice, threat of bribe sealing lips and filling tongues with spurious lies; she helps the natural inclination of the Slinking Slums, twisting directions, encouraging doors to move and overall giving the Sorcerer Hunter’s inspectors the run around – had there been more inspectors than this one set; it’s likely she would have been found out; directly, but the difference in skill and ability meant that they alone were puppets dancing to strings as she wove the web of strings around them.

Auntie Mai’s might has been slightly increased.

WI - Fight Club The Crew

The crew begin finding those who are desperate and those who are gamblers and begin to set up a fight club in the slums, spreading rumors of bouts where a character could attend and pay a wager, if they win their bout they’d make their wager back x1.5 (round down); with a maximum bet of 3 power.

If they lose, well, then the bet is forfeit. If particular contestants of interest were discovered matches would be reported up to the Liu for potential intervention, as this club would draw on the Liu coffers.

It’s likely that if no notable contestants sign up, that it would generate 1d6 Power per turn from gambling.

Auntie Liu Mai;

If Auntie Mai is involved in a contest that contains multiple units of an opposing faction, they suffer a malus to might due to poisoned connections making it more difficult to work together.

Cousin Liu Tang:

Cousin Liu Guo;

Cousin Guo has a reduced chance of interception when passing through patrolled spaces. His might and range have been increased beyond what this choice would normally get.

The Crew;

Liu Family: Turn 5

Heightened Celestial Bureaucracy forces were seen in the Wet Market during turn 4, they did not contest the Wildflower’s claim

The Wildflowers can gather a new magic item each turn for each market space they control

The Wild Others summoned a new Other this week out of the Steaming Lake, right on your doorstep!

The Temple’s shrines can enact effects anywhere on the map, unique to each shrine’s nature

Current Assets

Secret Objective

Capture the secular Lord's Queue. If you were able to get it, in the right time and the right place you could use his influence to guide the Celestial Bureaucracy in Pingliang.

Characters

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
Auntie Mai	Moderate	Badly Injured	3	3
Cousin Tang	Great	Injured	2	2
Cousin Guo	Moderate	Injured	2	4

Troops:

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
The Crew	Poor	Injured	2	2

Notable Items:
Control of the J-Liu Estate, M-the Slinking slums, N- The Estates, R- Century Park

A Base in M-the Slinking slums

五封失败之链 Wǔ fēng shībài zhī liàn “The Five Sealed Chain of defeat” Power 3.

4 Power worth of Bloody money (4S, +4 J, -3 Temple Op, -1 Chain)

16 Power worth of Sentimental Jewelry (8S, +6 N, +6 Ritual, -1 Interference, -2 Oni -1 Chain,)

2 Power worth of Proper Shrubbery (2S+3 R, -1 interference, -1 Oni, -1 Chain)

2 Power worth of Forgotten Hopes (2S+2 M, -1 Oni, -1 chain)

5 Power worth of Stolen Spoils (7S, -2 Oni, -4 Stealth, -1 chain, +2 C, +2 FS, +1FS)

Fight Club income: 3 Power worth of Bloody Bandages

Total Loose Power: 32 Power

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Tian Fa was in a second location this turn, he made his way to the O-Thieves Row.

The Celestial Bureaucracy has enacted no standard rituals

The battle at the Temple was a Tie; the Temple prevailed by the barest of margins due to a magical item; the Camel’s straw.

A man was taken from the M - The Slinking Slums by Temple supplicant’s this week, one Kang Mengyao, who may have exacted a karmic price on Lin Fen.

The Sorcerer Hunters have been locked out of constructing bases within the city tiles of Pingliang by an Oni ritual.

2 - Attack C

The forces marshal for the assault on the temple grounds, the sky is dark and ominous, the clouds seeming to emanate from the deep forest, as the sky strikes with lightning and thunder shivers the bark. There is quite the assemblage of notables and less notables. Nearly forty people, ready to storm the Temple. They split into two action groups, Wu Jinhai, Cavalry, Mai, and the Crew in the first to make a frontal assault.

Wu Jinhai and the Cavalry, Her, her chain, or really she muses, his chain. I always wanted another cousin, Liu Yong. She stroked the device absently waiting for the right moment.

It would be in the chaos, after the battle was joined. It felt like a live thing, a viper in her hands. Yet for all the cold steel and cold scale seemed a pair, it felt warm, like it purred and writhed in her hands, eager to see use.

Tian Fa and the Sealers made their way away, to pass around towards the back; he looked out of place in the woods in his fine outfit. But even for the grime and mud, spotless, impeccable, as if he simply told the mud it was not allowed to sully his garb and the mud obeyed.

The walked away with purpose the orders he gave the Sealers were concise, direct and commanding. She couldn’t wait, but alas she must.

It was soon enough that the battle was joined a massive creature, the size of two horses abreast with a back like a wagon, a shell of gleaming copper large enough to camp in, with human like fingers on all hour of it’s trunk like limbs, a head like a snapping turtle with a jaw filled with enameled ivory, human teeth. And a mouth that seemed to be able to distend to any distance.

One of the High priestesses, the Shaman covered the battlefield in smoke, no, pollen. Sickness, rot, poison, psychedelics, it seemed like the very air had floating and distracting blossoms, Hexagram 18 Heat Miasma, and the Draoidh called limbs from trees, from the ground – creatures massive and distance responding to her request with a second’s notice a few passing moments and tearing through space to be partially present, extruding small portions of their being to fulfill obligations, oaths and friendships.

Casual power on display.

Trees splintered and soldiers choked.

In this tumult, these creatures making their way to the cavalry, the crew, she turned her attention to Jinhai. Close, within lasso range she readies the chain.

“I wouldn’t” he says, side-eyeing her.

“I would” she replies and lets fly, the chain moving like a living thing, seeking his neck.

He dodges, slipping to the slide and tapping a row of medals along his chest. The sword in his hand practically singing with power.

The second throw he strikes the chain out of the air with the blade. He’s a practiced warrior, but he can’t be everywhere at once, unable to protect his men. He fights defensively, utilizing more experience than a man of his youthful vigor should have; mastery of a half dozen martial arts as he continues to touch medals on his glittering coat.

The Battle is fierce, but Mai isn’t able to close the gap in their abilities. The chain making it so much more achingly close – by the end of the battle the Sorcerer Hunters and allies are forced to retreat, without any fallen; but they have not succeeded in stopping the Temple in their ritual.

The fight is won by the closest of margins, driving off the Sorcerer Hunters and the Celestial Bureaucracy, but not by enough to enact the capture of either of the targets.

Auntie Mai has become Badly Injured as a result of her clash with Captain Wu Jinhai and his Sealers

For their defeat, 1 power in Stolen Spoils has been drawn from The Sorcerer Hunters and 1 Power from the Celestial Bureaucracy.

Auntie Mai’s Might has been increased (from Wu Jinhai), and her Range has been increased (From Mounted Cavalry).

2 - Attack V

Guo and Tang make their way to the fine halls of the Prefecture Palace, a gilt institution that bears the burnishing of millennia, well appointed, wealthy, honorable. Everything a palace should be, with deep historicity, not something secondhand, new or refurbished. The walls are impressive and sturdy, but the guards are lazy and unobservant. Tang and Guo’s preparations are flawless and there is no one inside who can oppose them.

They steal down the hallways like a pair of stalking panthers. Guo is seen but Tang, not at all.

They find the apartments of Mao Shunyuan, the prefect’s secular leader. Not a magical individual, unequipped and underprepared and under armed. His guards mean nothing, he’s powerless to stop the strong men from taking from there, stepping to the floating world, and making their way back to the slums that sit in the shadow of the palace.

WI - Making the Chain

Mai takes her chain and inscribes the names upon it, she speaks her words and draws the power from the items into the forging, intending a specific weapon for a specific purpose. Five elements complete a wheel; a complete and full design, a small replica in it’s own way of the exquisite Jade Pagoda of Five Seals; similar principals at play; but the comparative power between the two is hardly a comparison to make, an ant to an ox in the forging, although both carry loads great distances. And even after inscribing two names, there is a space open for a third. Auntie Mai has crafted a magical item; the 五封失败之链 Wǔ fēng shībài zhī liàn “The Five Sealed Chain of defeat” Power 3.

The equipped unit must [Name a Target] they will receive a +3 Might bonus explicitly to engagements opposed to the Target. This bonus always applies against Captain Wu Jinhai and Tian Fa.

Dilemma - The Queue of the Lord

You have Mao Shunyuan, the prefect’s secular leader, now all that’s left is to perform the ritual and turn him into a puppet; an intensive process that will require a week to steal and bind his soul. Truly a feather in the cap of the Liu, as once things quiet down, arranging the Liu to become the next in line is an easy matter of generations, not the same as clawing one’s way to the top.

Assign a practitioner action to this dilemma with the code “D” for who will be performing this esoteric sacrament.

This does open up a number of windows, should you be successful in how to guide your newly made infiltrator. Indicate the uses you’d like to make below, the more selections you make the more likely what has happened to him will be uncovered;

On Success (items with multiple [ ] may be selected multiple times equal to the number of lines and the results are additive);

[ ] All of the Celestial Bureaucracy’s Other Intelligence leads will be duplicated in future Liu briefings

[ ] All of the Celestial Bureaucracy’s unit status block will be duplicated in future Liu briefings for reference

[ ] All of the Celestial Bureaucracy’s troop movements [What action, and where they were sent] will be duplicated in future Liu briefings

[ ] The secular Lord can countermand orders for one unit of troops per turn, assigning them to a task of Liu design; this action will not result in the forswearance or gainsaying of the Celestial Bureaucracy, even if it violates an agreement.

[ ] A Summary of an investigation that the Celestial Bureaucracy has conducted each turn.

[ ] A report of the Celestial Bureaucracy’s finances (expenditures and financial assets) each turn.

[ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] Redirection of the Celestial Bureucracy’s income to Liu coffers equal to ten percent of incoming power

[ ] Free passage through all Celestial Bureaucracy [Troop] manned check points and patrols, regardless of orders

Auntie Liu Mai;

If Auntie Mai is involved in a contest that contains multiple units of an opposing faction, they suffer a malus to might due to poisoned connections making it more difficult to work together.

Cousin Liu Tang:

Cousin Liu Guo;

Cousin Guo has a reduced chance of interception when passing through patrolled spaces. His might and range have been increased beyond what this choice would normally get.

The Crew;

五封失败之链 Wǔ fēng shībài zhī liàn “The Five Sealed Chain of defeat” Power 3.

The equipped unit must [Name a Target] they will receive a +3 Might bonus explicitly to engagements opposed to the Target. This bonus always applies against Captain Wu Jinhai and Tian Fa.

Liu Family: Turn 6

Note: You do not control an HQ this turn you will still path from M- The Slinking Slums If you have not built a new HQ (Action type 6) by the end of the turn, your faction will be eliminated from play.

An Oni Ritual has locked the city of Pingliang to you; You can no longer construct bases within the City Territories of Pingliang (I, D, E, G, H, J, V, M, N, O, P)

The Prefecture Palace was destroyed at the same time as the Liu Estates

The Taoqi is a combination of the Taotie and the Qiongqi, with the strengths of both.

The Wild overs have a stockpile of Power greater than 66

No units acted in A-the Outlying Farms in turn 5.

Current Assets

Secret Objective

Capture the secular Lord's Queue. If you were able to get it, in the right time and the right place you could use his influence to guide the Celestial Bureaucracy in Pingliang.

Characters

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
Auntie Mai	Moderate	Badly Injured	3	4
Cousin Tang	Great	Injured	2	3
Cousin Guo	Moderate	Badly Injured	2	3

Troops:

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
The Crew	Poor	Dead💀	2	2

Notable Items:
Control of the M-the Slinking slums,

五封失败之链 Wǔ fēng shībài zhī liàn “The Five Sealed Chain of defeat” Power N/A.

2 Power worth of Bloody money (4S -2 Rit)

11 Power worth of Sentimental Jewelry (16S, -5 Rit)

0 Power worth of Proper Shrubbery (2S, -2 Rit)

0 Power worth of Forgotten Hopes (2S+1M -4 Rit)

1 Power worth of Stolen Spoils (4S, -4 Rit, +1 N)

1 Power worth of Bloody Bandages (3S+3FC, -1 Lawbreaking, -4Rit)

5 Power worth of Chinese Wolfberries (+5 Gainsayings)

Total Loose Power: 20 Power

As a [Free] Action each turn you may give a directive which will countermand the orders of one of the Celestial Bureaucracies [troop] Units. You must indicate the unit and the orders – they will path from a Celestial Bureaucracy base and attempt to fulfill those orders. This action will not result in the forswearance or gainsaying of the Celestial Bureaucracy, even if it violates an agreement.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It is likely that the Vigilante is a faction asset and has been concealing a clandestine activity in Thieves’ Row for the last several weeks

The Mysterious Peddler was able to take the undefended Central Government disrupting a Temple Ritual.

A joint action in the docks saw Oni, Celestial Bureaucracy, Wildflowers and the Temple work together to apprehend Yao Gen, and attempt to disrupt a Liu smuggling ring; despite these patrols, they did not attempt to take ownership of the docks from the Wild Others.

The Sorcerer Hunters have entrapped the Liu Estates such that attempting to restore a base there would be hazardous; likely injurious to the builders.

Dilemma - The Queue of the Lord

[x] The secular Lord can countermand orders for one unit of troops per turn, assigning them to a task of Liu design; this action will not result in the forswearance or gainsaying of the Celestial Bureaucracy, even if it violates an agreement.

See D-Cutting the Lord’s Queue for results.

1 - Patrol M

The defensive patrol was the entire Liu force, with less than half of the total focus, braced insomuch as they could for battle.

Battle found them, but it wasn’t from without – the attacking forces came from within the structure. Through the Floating World and some Oni practice the Taoqi and the Temple’s new goddess emerged from the depths of the Liu redoubt, from it’s secret inner chambers where the ritual was taking place, Mai being forced to fall back, desperately dodging swipes from the bestial Taoqi, it’s lazy blows demolishing walls, and tearing fingers through supports like a hand through cake.

Tang, Guo, mai and the crew rose to the defense but were repulsed, the might of the two opponents was greater than they could bear as they were, Tang, seeing the battle lost, drew Linfang Qi into the floating world, removing the both of them from the battle.

Mai, Guo, and the Crew took a defensive retreat, injuries abounded, but they emerged alive, the base shattered and ruined. The ritual incomplete, the components lost or burned to undirected fuel.

In the floating world Tang faced off against Linfang Qi and proved to be her better, the young goddess new to her powers and life did not overcome the seasoned practitioner – he was unable to bind her but she escaped the conflict less more injured than he, flitting back to reality with a simple effortless gesture of will when the conflict went against her.

Tied to liu practices, Tang was able to draw some of her range into himself for the victory as well as one power from the Temple’s stores for the taking. Overall a loss still, but not an unmitigated one.

Outcome

The Liu were driven off

A ritual being conducted by the Liu was disrupted

The Base in the Slinking Slums is destroyed

Liu Guo took injuries

The Crew took injuries

Liu Tang took injuries

Linfang Qi was pulled into the floating world and took injuries; being forced to retreat.

Linfang Qi has been drained as well as the Temple’s stores as a consequence.

The Taoqi took an injury

1- Patrol N

Cousin Liu Tang and the Crew strolled through the streets of the Estates, basking in the effects of it’s ritual, roughed up, bloody the flows of karmic power distributing the harm and health of the borough was like a soothing balm, like an ointment sliding behind the muscles of the body relieving tension and stress. His gait became more smooth as he moved. But they weren’t the only group acting within the Estates, another was here and acting with both malice and preparation. From Ambush emerged a figure Tang had not met, but had heard sufficient descriptions of that even with altered garb he recognized Captain Wu Jinhai, his medals dulled and sewn with cotton and fabric to hide their tinkling, accompanying him was a thin man, who looked more merchant than warrior.

The third member of this attack group game him pause. It was an Other, and a large one.

This large Other was the size of three large horses standing nose to tail; it has a face like three men scowling without chins as the lips met in a tripartite mouth. It was long, sleek and shined wetly; eel-like and oily. It has forward fins that terminate in human like hands with ten fingers on each. Its tail is a corkscrew like a pig.

The creature opened it’s tripartite mouths to a bonfire from a deeper hell and a wash of flames gouted over the Crew and Liu Tang, blackending skin and boiling flesh.

Tang stepped back behind his pawns, as inhumanly tough as he was, he wasn’t immune to pain and this furnace looked to cook muscle, fat and flesh like crackling pork belly in a coalfire.

From there the battle was joined, having not been here last week to set his practice in place, the prepared doors to step and draw through opposition Tang he was without the ability to take the weakest, he judged likely the Merchant who applied himself as best he could but was no match for Tang, but it might’ve been the massive as fluvial creature; he guessed them both to be in the moderate tier.

But Wu Jinhai seemed desperate to close with him, cutting the Crew, down with a vicious ruthlessness.

Liu Tang sustained injuries retreating from the battle, compounded by injuries sustained in the Slums, he fled, successfully making his escape.

Outcome

Wu Jinhai Sustained an injury

Liu Tang sustained multiple injuries

The Crew was slain 💀

A large Other was protected from an injury from a shield of water

This large Other breathes fire and dealt a wound first to the Liu forces before the battle was

engaged

4- Ritual M

Mai begins her ritual, having a complex diagram set in a private room; this will be time consuming and takes so much of the available wealth of the house that the utmost precautions must be taken, guards set on the doors, the largest and most secure room set aside to hold the massive diagram, twenty five objects of power in their sequences and arguments to be consumed in the working, and a weeks worth of effort; but the desired payoff would be worth it. She winced. Injuries had been all too common, and the blue blood of the Liu; their noble blood shed far too much for comfort; from an undesirable redoubt the ability to heal would be an incredible boon, a place to rest before returning to the fray.

Everything was set into place, just so, the door locked, practices that would turn away attention, guards, defenses, the Heart of the Sanctum.

She began the spell, objects of power burning like vespers, then paused, something was wrong.

She wasn’t alone.

In the shadows of the lamplight, the corners of the room three familiar eyes with unfamiliar irises glowed their hateful yellow.

“The Qiongqi?” She whispered

It stepped into the light

“The Taoqi” it rumbled.

Mai shrieked.

See Patrol N for outcomes.

Outcome

See Patrol N for results.

The Ritual was disrupted and unable to be completed.

Auntie Mai, 25 Power

5- Adoption M

Cousin Guo isn’t much of a sorcerer, good with a knife, the practice he does is second nature, instinctual, closer to an Aware than a true wizard. Yet even he knows the basics, some runes, some lines, some things to watch out for, signs and omens. Tasked with this he sets about adopting the Chain into the family as regalia – knowing this will become a badge of the Liu, serving as a symbol of the house.

He sets it in a line making circles on either side of the chain, aligning to chakras and to the span of a human life. He speaks his works intoning the journey one takes from birth to death, setting symbols of major ceremonies of coming of age, or rising to adulthood, to marriage to the grave. He describes the bonds of each in parallel meanings of the words, the chain dividing the lines of chakra, from the lines of pillars and events; from each being a bond to a family, a strength, and each being a bond, a chain that drags one to expectation and bondage to service.

He speaks of the nature of the practice of the Liu, the true work that takes such bonds and bonds and works them into such finely forged connections that like silver and mercury thread are indistinguishable to many naked eyes. Silver or Steel as shining and finely wrought. He indicate its status within the family, that this chain should be used to lash others into the family, that it should bind them readily to service, and that the holder should be empowered as that representative.

Guo successfully complete the ritual and adopts the chain of failure into the family regalia of the Liu

Outcome

The Chain of Failure was adopted into the Liu family. Additional blue text has been added to indicate the abilities that derive from this adoption.

D- Cutting the Lord’s Queue

Mai takes her time with the secular lord. Letting her eyes wander the body of the bound Mao Shuanyuan, the most important political and mundane authority in the prefecture. Ennobled as a clan for a long generation with a bloodline so pure it would be sweet like wine. Generations of pattern, as close to royalty and the imperial line as this backwater would get. The power was more attractive than his figure though; he was soft, not fat, but he spent his days on pillowed cushions and in the comfort of a waterfront palace, attending gardens or traveling via litter or horse. He’d never seen a battle, likely nor his sires for a long time; atrophied in the sense of hard men doing hard things.

She hummed softly. This wouldn’t be a hard thing for her, this would be an easy thing, and then he’d be a plaything, a toy – there was something thrilling about that and also something fundamentally boring. She used her Sight carefully watching the lines of him, the shape of his connections, the map of networks that represent the spider that he was at the center of Pingliang; perhaps the conductor of an orchestra that could play, somewhat in tune without him, with an exceptional substitute in Tian Fa.

She found her mark, parts of him, parts of his Self that could be altered, a kind of spiritual surgery, cutting out connotations, respect, honor, concepts bound up into adherence to tradition. It was the associations, the small spirits bound up in it more than the hair itself, ceremonial, but still a part of him integral, removing puzzle pieces from his spiritual makeup and putting spells in their place, putting connections, directive, commands, and things that were as Liu as blood. Connections – the strings by which to make the puppet operate. She quickly finished her work then met his bound gaze.

Watching the luster, the light dim slightly, not noticeable to a non-practitioner, even a practitioner would be hard pressed to say anything had changed without having watched it herself, but there was now a piece of him, a puppet, that when the time was right, the Liu would pull the strings and he’d sign the right paper, send the right order, and even if it was a battle of generations, he’d be supplanted, and in a few marriages, a few changes to the Law and the Liu would supplant the Zhang, exceed them. Pingliang would be a stronghold for them if nothing else f*cked this up.

Outcome

You have successfully cut the Lord’s Queue and have the special free action indicated in faction sense.

Auntie Liu Mai;

If Auntie Mai is involved in a contest that contains multiple units of an opposing faction, they suffer a malus to might due to poisoned connections making it more difficult to work together.

Cousin Liu Tang:

Cousin Liu Guo;

Cousin Guo has a reduced chance of interception when passing through patrolled spaces. His might and range have been increased beyond what this choice would normally get.

The Crew;

五封失败之链 Wǔ fēng shībài zhī liàn “The Five Sealed Chain of defeat” Power 3.

The equipped unit must [Name a Target] they will receive a +3 Might bonus explicitly to engagements opposed to the Target. This bonus always applies against Captain Wu Jinhai and Tian Fa.

The Chain of Failure cannot be taken by other factions, as a symbol of the Liu household and tied to Guo’s nature it will be forgotten on any battlefield it is left on, and eventually make it’s way back to Liu hands.

If the Wielder of the Chain of Failure is in a combat that results in the death of a practitioner character on the opposite side from the Liu; instead the most powerful of those fatalities will be captured at badly injured and dragged back to the Liu estate for practices to be performed on them; without requiring additional scales of victory to enable them being apprehended.

The Chain of Failure is not notable when not in use. Factions will not notice its presence unless it is providing a Might bonus in that combat, or it is used to apprehend a practitioner.

Liu Family: Turn 7

An Oni Ritual has locked the city of Pingliang to you; You can no longer construct bases within the City Territories of Pingliang (I, D, E, G, H, J, V, M, N, O, P)

Wu Jinhai had some method of tracking Tang, but did not have sufficient power to reach him where he knew Tang to be.

Tang and Wu Jinhai have never met on the battlefield, Tang’s own estimation of his ability may be off base.

The force in the slums contained the Tank and Wu Jinhai

The Oni have a secret loss condition: If the Wild Others are removed from play or are fully bound to a practitioner faction; then the Oni League cannot win in Pingliang.

Current Assets

Secret Objective

Capture the secular Lord's Queue. If you were able to get it, in the right time and the right place you could use his influence to guide the Celestial Bureaucracy in Pingliang.

Characters

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
Auntie Mai	Moderate	Injured	3	4
Cousin Tang	Great	Injured	3	3
Cousin Guo	Moderate	Injured	3	5
Fēi lüè rúchóng; The Face Collector	Moderate	Healthy	3	1

Troops:

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
The Crew	Poor	Dead💀	2	2

Notable Items:
Control of the M-the Slinking slums, N-the Estates and T- The South Shore.

A base in A-the Outlying Farms

五封失败之链 Wǔ fēng shībài zhī liàn “The Five Sealed Chain of defeat” Power N/A.

11 Power worth of Sentimental Jewelry (11S, +6N, +6R, -11 P, -1 frg)

17 Power worth of Stolen Spoils (6S, +2 Temple, +2 N, +2T, +1A, -6P, +5 Oni, +3 temple, +2 WO)

4 Power worth of Bloody Bandages (1S+4FC, -1P)

9 Power worth of Emotional Mud (+3 T, +6R)

Missed action +10 Power in Lost Opportunity

Total Loose Power: 51 Power

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Wildflowers Association possesses a magical looking mirror that can tell the location a known [Named] character is acting in, and their condition. It is one of their greatest treasures.

The Wildflowers received something of incredible worth from the dragon.

Tang believes it is likely the Wild Others started in the South Shore, but he did not locate an obvious base.

Tian Fa passed through the Outlying Farms to access a healing ritual in the Temple Wilds at the Temple’s invitation.

Patrolling the sty A 1

Liu Mai hates the mud and sweat. She’s no delicate princess, but she aspires to be. Used to the muck, the blood, the offal, the smells that her betters never have to deal with. And here she is out towards the woods in a midden, fields with the dung-smell of fertilizer. A spider in the middle of a web watching connections stretch like strands back towards Pingliang. She misses the Liu Estate, it wasn’t nice but it was okay, promising but it had been continual downgrades from there. To repurposed slum buildings, made as nice as cheap slapdash furniture could make it.

Now they were out where the floors were dirt and the walls pressed tightly like a condensed stand of trees. Probably with twice as many termites and lice.

The smell of pigs was rich and cloying. And she walked down unkempt roads with tall grass, an oppressive heat while the sun beat down, far away from the Steaming Lake, across all of Pingliang. There was a lot of space to see when people would come, to get the measure of them, strands moving in the web like a finger pulled through string.

She watched the golden comet of Tian Fa run past, not a prince by blood, but one in demeanor, in carriage in position, in power she thrilled at the thought. Liu Xue I wait for you. She let her hands trail his passage, not touching, not disturbing, but yearning. Please join my family.

It was a backbreaking week and slow, other farmers came through but were quickly dissuaded, easy to persuade or mislead about new neighbors and their business.

Outcome

The Liu Family gains control of the Outlying Farms.

Cousin Tang N 1

Cousin Tang met the enormous fish other in the Estates, its oily and slick hide was resistant to harm, but not immune and Tang is very practiced at violence. It didn’t have its fire breath here, ill prepared, neither was the shield he’d observed before in play. He handily beat it alone, causing it to skitter away half dead on its many fingers back into the river that feeds the Steaming Lake.

Outcome

Tang beat the fish other half to death

Liu gained control of the N-The Estates

Tang’s Toughness has been increased by one, from the fish Other

Two power has been drained from Wild Other reserves.

Cousin Tang T 1

Tang also spent time this week just over the river in the South Shore. It’s a muddy expanse full of the runoff of the rice fields in the vibrant, living, green fields to the East. However Tang notices the floating world has been drawn closer here in the marshy mud, a number of Rituals are active, one of them having been recently modified and re-done, moved from complexity to simplicity.

It’s here he comes across the fish Other again, it’s fire unprepared, it tries to start the inferno, desperately feeding from its nature, churning in the bellow of its own furnace, but tang is quick and armed. Tang open rents in it, as it flops on the ground, the life of it draining into the enchanted mud of the South Shore.

Outcome

Tang killed the Fish Other

Liu gained control of the T-South Shore

The South Shore contains two rituals

Tang’s might has been increased by one, from the fish Other

Two power has been drained from Wild Other reserves.

Making a House a Home A 6

Mai and Gui find a ruined shack within the Outlying farms, abandoned and blasted to smithereens, smelling awful – but abandoned. The dead are long buried. Weeks since its last inhabitants lived here, maybe months from the state of disrepair – but it does have fields which will serve as a useful cover for the Liu, and there is sufficient wood and components to throw together a shack with a dirt floor and a couple of ramshackle beds.

Without next of kin, the connections having faded it seems like an opportune spot to settle. It’s nerve wracking, with frequent pauses to check the state of connections and simple wards and tripwires around the farm. Being pursued doesn’t sit well, and danger could lurk around any corner, but here at least they can sleep.

The week is hard work but by the end of it the place is one that they can sleep, secure that a warning would come if they were attacked in the night, at least from the outside. Mai carefully sets Fulu on the walls. It feels crazy to put all these symbols and spells on the wall, unbecoming, un feng shui – but she remembers the Qiongqi and the Taoqi both came for her already inside the Estate and the Slums and she wants to take what precautions she can.

Outcome

The Liu Have made a hovel and farm into a temporary residence in the Outlying Farms.

Mandate Challenge

(Liu Tang) The next challenger is a handsome adult, a well kept queue that gleams as if it’s been oiled. He’s fit and wears a well kept Yishang. He’s soft spoken with bright intelligent eyes. He challenges Liao to a straightforward duel with Bamboo swords, no tricks, no sorcery, a first strike to be the victory.

(Li Guo) The next challenger is a dark man with tark eyes and expressive eyebrows, a wispy mustache, without which his mouth would disappear into a lipless face; but all of him seems forgettable, hard to distinguish from his surroundings, as if the eyes slip to other details, unlike the previous challenger who faded in from the background it as almost as if a polarity pushes one’s gaze away from him.

This challenger proffers that Liao must hunt and find him; the perils will have to prove that they can hunt down targets according to their nature, and not all targets will come to them or make themselves presentable, the space of the challenge is small and Liao has much claim, empowered by some of the recent proffers. She accepts, it is an exhausting hunt, burning through karmic reserves and resources, but in the end she emerges triumphant, able to find her challenger before a loss can be declared.

(Liu Mai) The next challenger is a woman of middling years. She wears carefully kept clothing that looks like she takes pride in her appearance and still hopes for a profitable marriage even though her years for such a thing are long past. There is a sadness in that; She reminds Liao of a spider, something predatory that sits at the center of a web. She makes a direct challenge, within the next hour to observe the flophouses, then to present to each other the plans they would use to cause neighbor to turn against neighbor, brother against brother; for to be a Peril would be to stand against the systems and structures of humanity and to truly resist an enemy one must know their enemy. Liao’s strength has been much weakened by the previous challengers and she is forced to accept.

Liao does not prevail. And her claim is diminished further, down to nothing but an ember.

Outcome

Liu Tang received one Injury as a result of the Operation of the Hammered Shield

Liu Guo received no penalty

Liu Mai drained 1 Power from the Oni League for her victory

Liu Mai drained one might from Liao, which has been added to her might.

Auntie Liu Mai;

If Auntie Mai is involved in a contest that contains multiple units of an opposing faction, they suffer a malus to might due to poisoned connections making it more difficult to work together.

Cousin Liu Tang:

Cousin Liu Guo;

Cousin Guo has a reduced chance of interception when passing through patrolled spaces. His might and range have been increased beyond what this choice would normally get.

The Crew;

The face collector 飞掠蠕虫 Fēi lüè rúchóng

The fact collector can take a special action to steal the face of a captive; when it does so the other red text items become active.

The face collector knows who is connected to that character, revealing the names and faction affiliations of that character’s close relations.

五封失败之链 Wǔ fēng shībài zhī liàn “The Five Sealed Chain of defeat” Power 3.

The equipped unit must [Name a Target] they will receive a +3 Might bonus explicitly to engagements opposed to the Target. This bonus always applies against Captain Wu Jinhai and Tian Fa.

The Chain of Failure is not notable when not in use. Factions will not notice its presence unless it is providing a Might bonus in that combat, or it is used to apprehend a practitioner.

Liu Family: Turn 8: Loss

An Oni Ritual has locked the city of Pingliang to you; You can no longer construct bases within the City Territories of Pingliang (I, D, E, G, H, J, V, M, N, O, P)

Current Assets

Secret Objective

Capture the secular Lord's Queue. If you were able to get it, in the right time and the right place you could use his influence to guide the Celestial Bureaucracy in Pingliang.

Characters

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
Auntie Mai	Moderate	Bound		4
Cousin Tang	Great	Dead💀	3	3
Cousin Guo	Moderate	Badly injured	3	5
Fēi lüè rúchóng; The Face Collector	Moderate	Bound		1
Xiezhi, Jiǎo Shòu	Poor	Badly injured	1	2

Troops:

Name	Tier	Status	Actions	Range
The Crew	Poor	Dead💀	2	2

Notable Items:
Control of the N-the Estates, D-the Wet Markets, O-Thieves Row, R-Century Park.

五封失败之链 Wǔ fēng shībài zhī liàn “The Five Sealed Chain of defeat” Power N/A.

51 Power

-50 purchases

+4 WO, +1 Oni, +1 WF, +12N, +9 O, +9 R+8 D

Total Loose Power: 45 Power

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The WF informed you Tian Fa will be at the Central Government; Tian Fa is Healthy.

The Face Collector x2 D 1

Fēi lüè rúchóng patrolled the wet market, a space with animal smells and many animals, with the barest hints of practice, like the scent of distant cinnamon and lavender on the breeze. Following the listed rules of engagement the only other presence Fēi lüè rúchóng detected in the territory was Pai the Peddler who conducted a ritual to enhance the Wed Market and it’s profitability; Fēi lüè rúchóng determined this was a positive enhancement and as they had been instructed not engage unless they were engaged allowed Pai to proceed, enhancing the karmic baubles he was able to obtain and ferry away to Liu family caches during the week.

Outcome

The Face Collector successfully Patrolled D; where he claimed it for the Liu Family.

Mai, FC, Tang x2 G 1

Outcome

The Hungqi was Intercepted in the dreaming market

Liu Mai has Perished

Liu Tang has Perished

Fēi lüè rúchóng; The Face Collector; has become fully bound and defected to the Oni League

Mai H 1

Mai watched the hubbub of the Central Government; Tian Fa was here, resplendent and patrolling, ready for battle. She could not match him practice for practice. Pai the Peddler was present and the two of them began a massive working, creating a shadow, separated ephemeral second Central Government. It was exemplary practitioner work, something that took an extreme amount of skill, puissance and power to achieve as well as relying on fundamental underpinnings, tied into stanchions of lay and claim to give rigidity, solidity to this Other place, even if it still did not count as a part of Pingliang, and wasn’t “real” a parasite nestled under a thin, skin like veneer of reality a slight layer away.

Outcome

Mai observed Tian Fa patrolling the Central Government. She did not engage him, per rules of engagement and was not able to capture the territory.

Mai observed Tian Fa complete a ritual alongside the Wildflowers creating another false, other Central government that would take half of the karmic flows of the space, being anchored to the floating world.

Mai believes the cost was somewhere north of forty power.

Tang x4, Mai x1 N 1

The goat bleated again a sonorous roar belying the position of the combatants; it was a mouse against a Lion when it came to Liu Tang and Liu Mai, either would have been sufficient but combined the disparity was greater – despite their best efforts they weren’t able to push aside or pass by the creature on to their other Orders, entrapped butting heads with the stubborn creature; they made the most of their time, creating a binding, beating the creature down until it was shackled metaphorically, spiritually and more to the Liu.

Outcome

Tang was intercepted in N heading to R

Tang was intercepted in N heading to T

Mai was Intercepted in N heading to T

The Xieshi and Liu Mai and Liu Tang fought

The Xieshi was bound to the Liu as a consequence.

A/N; A Warband is a group of units going to the same place, for the same purpose. 4 Units were going to T, but the rest of the actions listed with floating world had neither paid the cost for floating world nor pathed from T.

The options were:

All actions that are not listed in a legal fashion are canceled and those prices are spent and the units do nothing
Pay all costs out of Self for the improper expenditure; Liu started the turn with 19 Total toughness, remediating would have put all Liu units to Badly Injured, making a single injury fatal in all engagements
Resolve the ANT action as floating world, ignore text on all other actions listed as “Floating World” which is improper and path them without floating world protection through town with all potential interceptions for those actions.
Improperly resolve the floating world transit as A->N, and then remaining path for all actions from there. This is what was done. The Xieshi then successfully intercepted four of eight actions passing through N.

Tang O 1

Tang stalked Thieves Row and encountered no resistance. He successfully claimed it for the Liu Family for the turn.

Outcome

Tang encountered no resistance in O-Thieves Row

There are two rituals active in Thieves row

Tang gained control over Thieves Row.

Guo x2 R 1

Guo made his way alone to Century Park, slipping easily past the obstinate goat-creature, only to encounter an obstinate turtle creature patrolling century park. A Flock of Other birds, sparrow-like, danced and flit about the park, setting patterns in place, adjusting symbols and scratching runes as if controlled by one mind in scores of bodies. Lumbering about was the massive shell of a creature, the creature Mai had seen at the Temple Wilds. Irises that looked like squares glared hungrily.

Guo was to take the park, and Guo was alone. Liu Guo, called on his practice, his secrets, his whispers and as if doffing a cape, feeling gazes and attention slide off him like a masseuse's fingers, feather light. He put a blade into the creature, it roared, and looked about him, its hide was tough, like armor. He placed another, tumbling to the side, not much impact. Guo considered the wuxing, the cycle of elements. Guo wasn’t the most studied practitioner, not the best student, but Guo had picked up a thing or two, if this was Earth, its overcoming interaction would be wood.

Guo gathered a fresh, green stake from the park. That elicited quite the reaction. Guo went to snatch some sparrows, but the creature intervened, covering for them, until they could flee, the creature, a Taotie he suspected, could retreat into the water of the river by the park, a fighting retreat. Leaving the park to Guo.

Outcome

Guo fought the Taotie at the Century Park

Guo observed a [Troop] of Wild Others performing a ritual but was not able to close

Guo obtained R-Century Park

The Taotie suffered significant wounds.

Guo drained 1 Toughness from the Taotie

Guo drained 1 Power from the Oni League

Guo drained 1 Power from the Wild Others

Guo T 1

In the South Shore Guo encountered a flaming bird about the size of a horse in body. Like Charcoal against daylight with wings that trailed embers. Likely a Fenghuang or “Phoenix”. He proved to be the lesser combatant of the bird and the soldiers that accompanied it; in the end taking injuries as the swamp was evaporated, and embers baked the area turning slime to earth; He was forced to retreat from the South Shore.

Outcome

Guo fought a Vermillion Fenghuang and a Sorcerer Hunter unit at the South shore

Guo sustained substantial injures

獬豸 Xiezhi; 正義的獨角獸 Zhèngyì de dú jiǎo shòu “The Righteous Unicorn”

Jiǎo Shòu can detect if you’ve been lied to, but in his age he cannot tell who has, or what the lie is, only that is has occurred.

Liu Guo skulks through the night; most of the family is dead, he’s unsure if he’s the only remaining practitioner of note or if anyone else still lives within Pingliang; the city itself is against him, it’s impossible to set up any kind of permanent habitation, impossible to coordinate, hunted like a rat moving through the walls, disease in the arteries of a dying man. He swims through it all a black fish against a blacker night, and remembers when the house was that of a predator, next to the top dog, rather than prey.

The city is encircled, warded, as good as he is he’s unsure if he can slip the net the Sorcerer Hunters have set up, and even if he could, he’s unsure where he’d go to. Tang is dead, Mai was taken, the other scattered. In the night he is alone, and more and more shadows crowd the night with him, hungry, hunting mouths; his saving grace is being beneath their notice, slippery, let them catch easier and fatter fish, while he stays a step ahead of his pursuers. The city is darker now, before it was an easy place, a light place, one where he could mostly do as he pleased with impunity; now even the strongest of the city are in danger, and he’s not well positioned to capitalize. It’s him and the goat that he has bound. Ironically a Xieshi; a creature of “rightness” who can sniff out lies, injured and aged, a goat like being, but still bound under firm shackles under his thrall. He keeps the creature inside a knife, he calls it his “Truth-telling blade”, while the Chain of Failure wraps his other hand, unsettling, the shackle open like the jaw of a snake.

Flitting from Slums, to Docks, to Thieves Row, to Dreaming Market, to the South Shore, it’s all so tiring, only a matter of time, until he’s caught up.

Chapter 9: Teahouse Whispers

Summary:

The common rumors and prophecies for every turn of the Problem in Pingliang Prefecture

Chapter Text

Sorcerer Hunters Control [B]

Liu control [J]

Celestial Bureaucracy Controls [H, V]

Wildflowers Control [G]

The Temple Controls [C]

Oni League, Wild Others do not control visible territories at this time

Auspices

53 -> 42

The little child is in danger.

Misfortune.

changing

It is beneficial to cross the big river.

Territories across the river (The Steaming Lake, The Zhang Family Palace, The Estates, The South Shore and The Green Fields) will produce double power this turn

Rumors and Whispers

It is said a Wandering Youxia has entered Pingliang seeking to right wrongs wherever his path takes him, his Kung Fu 功夫 is strong and he’s probably a Great warrior

It is said a powerful Immortal has entered Pingliang and sought rooms in the Dreaming Market’s inns’ he’s likely a powerful practitioner and might be here seeking something

Most of the local others have been pushed out of the city proper, living in the periphery of human habitation, but the Floating world is only one step away, sideways, could they be making a home in that spirit world?

A powerful demon* has been reported in the Outlying Farms, roaring through the night. Farmers and townsfolk are worried that it will eat them if left unchecked.

Ping Ho has caught a strange looking fish in the steaming lake, it has the face of a man and the body of a carp and speaks in whispers in a language he can’t understand.

Someone is hiding treasure in the flophouses.

A body was found in the steaming lake of a young man, his head shorn and rotting, but he’d only been missing for a day and the decomposition looked like a year had passed.

The Zhang family has closed and locked the doors of it’s estates, greatly warding it against intrusion.

The Outsiders, British and American have vanished as mysteriously as they originally appeared.

*Demon in the common parlance, may not be an actual Pact Demon.

Sorcerer Hunters Control [B, I]

Liu control [J, N]

Celestial Bureaucracy Controls [H, L, V]

Wildflowers Control [D, G, P]

The Temple Controls [C]

Oni League Controls [Q]

Wild Others Control [U]

Auspices

34 -> 1

Losing the goat in the process.

Without aversion.

A ram butts against the fence.

It is unable to move back, it is unable to go through.

This lacks a beneficial purpose.

Difficult and thus good fortune.

Sunrise.

A foundation for progress.

It is beneficial to persist.

Actions to gain new territory or attack territory will gain an extra advantage.

With the jade mandate of Law, the Celestial Bureaucracy establishes a new rule that resonates through the territory “Do not cause intentional direct or indirect harm to civilians.“

Failure to abide by the rule will result in power being drawn by the Heavens from the violators, if enough loose power is not available it will be drawn from the Selves of the violating faction(s).

Rumors and Whispers

A Massive Dragon rose from the Steaming Lake towards Pingliang, but the Celestial Bureaucracy was able to contain it!

A Riot happened at the edge of the streaming lake! Sorcerer Hunters clashed with the Bureaucracy and there were Others in the mix!

The Sorcerer Hunters caused a stir when they drove a gray-painted tank through the I-Alley of Awe’s gate to the B-Outward Road and seized control of the city wall there, dismissing the Celestial Bureaucracy’s guards.

The Sorcerer Hunters began earthworks and barricaded an Inn on the B-Outward Road. It’s said all their officers are co-located there, while the grunts stay in hastily pitched tents.

A battle between the Immortal, the Liu and the Sorcerer Hunters took place in N-The Estates, where the Immortal was driven from the spot.

Terror at the Liu Estate; a beast stalks the night!

Sorcerer Hunters Control [B, I]

Liu control [J, M]

Celestial Bureaucracy Controls [H, L, V]

Wildflowers Control [D, G, P]

The Temple Controls [C]

Oni League Controls [A, Q, R, N]

Wild Others Control [E, F, K, U]

Auspices Turn 3

39 -> 29

The king's official causes trouble.

The trouble is not his personal intention.

Going through trouble,

arriving at reversal

Getting accustomed to the abyss.

Have confidence and support your heart.

For progress, taking action has value.

A dignitary claiming to represent Emperor Puyi has materialized in town.

With the jade mandate of Law, the rule remains through the territory “Do not cause intentional direct or indirect harm to civilians.“

With the jade mandate of Law, the Celestial Bureaucracy slams a second rule through the territory, like an iron spike at the corner of a tent. "None of the Perils may act within the City of Pingliang.“

Failure to abide by the rule will result in power being drawn by the Heavens from the violators, if enough loose power is not available it will be drawn from the Selves of the violating faction(s).

Rumors and Whispers

The Celestial Bureaucracy has an incredibly powerful treasure; A Jade Seal of Law with the power to stamp the approval of the heavens on any deal or statement binding all of the region of Pingliang to its terms. Secure in its Vault.

The Liu estate was filled with a dusk lily miasma this week, lavender fumes making all of the inhabitants lethargic and drowsy.

Soldiers Bivouac in the Alley, constructing redoubts on the main thoroughfare.

A Peril Meets with the Grand Secretary? Tian Fa welcomes a noisome beast to the archive.

It is time for a Festival! A Delegate of Emperor Puyi is in town, and Pingliang shall show him it’s best!

Century Park, trashed; the statue of Empress Zetian with a new stinky face?

A new Vigilante has staked a claim to O-Thieves Row, patrolling the area.

Sorcerer Hunters Control [A, B, I]

Liu control [J, M, N, R]

Celestial Bureaucracy Controls [H, L, V]

Wildflowers Control [D, G, P]

The Temple Controls [C]

Oni League Controls [Q]

Wild Others Control [E, F, K,T, U]

Auspices Turn 4

12 -> 42

Pulling out grass with entangled roots,

because of its accumulation.

Persistence brings good fortune.

Progressing.

Having a higher purpose.

Without fault,

but it is a category separate from happiness.

Benefiting.

It is beneficial to have a goal to move to.

It is beneficial to cross the big river.

Attempts to take a territory with an HQ this turn, if successful will take the territory and automatically destroy the HQ as if it weren't there.

With the jade mandate of Law, the Celestial Bureaucracy The Laws are altered throughout the territory:

“Do not intentionally harm individuals who do not belong to a player faction, nor are using Practice/their Other abilities as a means of attack.”

“The Perils man not Patrol (1) or Attack (2) within Pingliang (sites D/E/G/H/I/J/L/M/N/O/P)|

Failure to abide by the rule will result in power being drawn by the Heavens from the violators, if enough loose power is not available it will be drawn from the Selves of the violating faction(s).

Rumors and Whispers

A fearsome monster of shell, scale and fur tore through the I-Alley of Awe completely destroying the Sorcerer Hunters’ fortifications and leaving the redoubt completely unusable.

The same beast was seen assaulting the Central government tearing holes through fortified stone walls like they were made of the finest and sheerest paper.

Liu Tang, set out a general challenge this week to take any and all comers; it seems like few had the courage to tangle with the man.

A massive event happened at the Temple, all were invited to the festivity and there was much singing and dancing and some unusual rites performed; folk left feeling a little more hollow and tired, but reception was overall positive

A massive festival spanned the markets this week, welcoming a new Imperial Delegate; many of Pingliang came to show support and how much the city cherishes the Emperor, and the Emperor’s peace. The fellow's name is min gong Yang Ling, and he considers all of Pingliang his entourage.

At the festival this week Guo the Blacksmith forged a set of platform Ji, Guo’s 100-Li-Ji, that look worthy of an Empress. Even though Guo is not known as a cobbler.

The Vigilante is maintaining control of O-Thieves Row.

An underground fighting ring has been set up in the M-Slinking Slums; Entrants can win a prize of up to 1.5 times their wager; with a maximum wager of 3.

Sorcerer Hunters Control [A, B, I]

Liu control [J, M, N, R]

Celestial Bureaucracy Controls [V]

Wildflowers Control [D, G, P]

The Temple Controls [C, H., L]

Oni League Controls [Q]

Wild Others Control [E, F, K,T, U]

Auspices Turn 5

25 -> 10

Not plowing yields uncultivated land.

Thus, it is beneficial to have a goal to move to.

Territories where player actions do not take place in pay only half total power

With the jade mandate of Law, the Celestial Bureaucracy The Laws are altered throughout the territory:

“Do not cause intentional direct or indirect harm to civilians..”

“Do not draw on someone else’s Self in a ritual without the other party’s informed consent.”

Failure to abide by the rule will result in power being drawn by the Heavens from the violators, if enough loose power is not available it will be drawn from the Selves of the violating faction(s).

Rumors and Whispers

A massive blowout at the Temple in a full blown war; a hushed whisper to follow.

Armed forces stormed the respectable homes, a tank making its presence known, and a dragon

A knock down tussle occurred in the Alley of Awe, as chaos overtook the space and dozens were caught in the chaotic flow.

A Beast attacked the party in Century Park a send off for the dignitary Pingliang hopes will be graced with his presence again.

The Temple took the Central government in a surprising display of boldness during the furor.

A Strange glow washed over Pingliang, but it doesn’t seem to have had any far reaching effects as an odd phenomena.

The Foul Cutpurse, Yao Gen was seen in possession of the Mandate of Heaven, fleeing the altercation in the I-Alley of Awe heading West

Sorcerer Hunters Control [A, B, I, J]

Liu control [M]

Celestial Bureaucracy Controls [V, L]

Wildflowers Control [D, G, P]

The Temple Controls [C]

Oni League Controls [Q]

Wild Others Control [E, F, K,T, U, R, N]

The Vigilante Controls [R]

The Mysterious Peddler Controls [H]

Auspices Turn 6

19 -> 27

Sensitive approach.

Good fortune, without disadvantage.

Friendly approach.

Good fortune.

Without fault.

Hunger.

Persistence brings good fortune.

Examine the hunger spontaneously seeking to fill the mouth.

Each faction that does not engage in a battle this turn will earn 5 power.

With the jade mandate of Law, the Celestial Bureaucracy The Laws are maintained throughout the territory, but have become enhanced, penalties are more severe for breaches including a might reduction when lawbreaking:

“Do not cause intentional direct or indirect harm to civilians..”

“Do not draw on someone else’s Self in a ritual without the other party’s informed consent.”

Failure to abide by the rule will result in power being drawn by the Heavens from the violators, if enough loose power is not available it will be drawn from the Selves of the violating faction(s). This number has been increased and comes with a might reduction as the Law itself now resists breaches.

Rumors and Whispers

An Official statement was hammered by a man in military garb to posts about the common squares and popular teahouses of Pingliang reading; “Under Seal of the Emperor, the Liu Family is found guilty of Sorcery and Soul Stealing under the order of the Qionalong Emperor and is sentenced to death. All good and loyal citizens of China should report any sightings of them to the proper authorities. It is sealed by the order of Captain Wu Jinhai, People's Liberation Army, Western Command, 99th Public Security Division.”

Canonfire raked the Liu Estates pounding the august and respectable structures to rubble, turning a fine domicile to flinders.

Heng Po was injured moving through the Liu Estates, the location has been hazardously trapped to all passerby.

A Monster Struck the Prefecture Palace, rending it as the Central Government was rent two weeks back, townsfolk question, is Pingliang's leadership cursed?

Mendicant Merchant Moves for Monarchy; a Vagabond Peddler in a moment of opportunity has seized the Central Government and after a brief fight has begun collecting taxes.

The Dragon festival draws a crowd to Dreaming Market.

Government establishes a presence in the Steaming Lake.

The Vigilante left O unguarded and made a claim for R-Century Park this week.

Another mysterious pulse of energy rushed through the town this week, the air feels different, colder, less safe to the general populace.

Sorcerer Hunters Control [B, I, M]

Liu control [A, N, T]

Celestial Bureaucracy Controls [H, L, V]

Wildflowers Control [D, G, P]

The Temple Controls [C]

Oni League Controls [Q]

Wild Others Control [E, F, K, U]

Auspices Turn 7

17 -> 43

Attaching to the little child,

one loses sight of the elder man.

Attaching to the elder man,

one loses sight of the little child.

Following is a search for gain.

It is beneficial to persist, staying put.

Deciding.

Making it known at the king's court.

Crying out the truth is dangerous.

Telling the city oneself,

It is a disadvantage to be close to battle.

It is beneficial to have a goal to move to.

Sensitive approach.

Good fortune, without disadvantage.

Friendly approach.

Good fortune.

Without fault.

Hunger.

Persistence brings good fortune.

Examine the hunger spontaneously seeking to fill the mouth.

Actions to defend sites with HQs will be advantaged this turn

“Do not attack or assist in attacks on the Celestial Bureaucracy’s units and other assets;”

“Do not stop the Celestial Bureaucracy from claiming and/or controlling the Central Government [H].”

Rumors and Whispers

The Slums exploded with Canonfire as soldiers ripped apart homes, huts, hovels and tenements looking for the Liu Family, whose new residence had been torn asunder last week. The Liu however were not to be found there.

A massive force patrolled the Steaming Lake, Soldiers and Bureaucrats side by side on the Lakeside of Pingliang.

Throwdown in the Central Government, Mendicant Merchant Leaves!

Mysterious flash, a third time!

Ruined Palace silent, what calamity befell, do ghosts stalk the halls?

Tian Fa visits the Temple, s the Grand Secretary among the Faithful?

Strange sounds heard in Century Park, a demon on the green?

A Dragon has taken up residence in the Liu Estate?

Celestial Bureaucracy Reclaims Central Government

Sorcerer Hunters Control [B, M]

Liu control [D, N, O, R]

Celestial Bureaucracy Controls [H, L, V]

Wildflowers Control [G, P]

The Temple Controls [A, C]

Oni League Controls [Q, T]

Wild Others Control [E, F, K, U]

Rumors and Whispers

Battle rocked the dreaming Market, where a winged beast tore through stalls ten legs and was made of malice.

Something spooky occurred at the central government, the whole place feels off; like something is missing that used to always be there; a bush you are used to having about being suddenly missing

There is a chill in the air even as summer approaches and the nights feel colder and longer than would seem appropriate for the season

More bodies were found in the streaming lake, headless and liver-less

The Liu Estate has been remade into a public garden with a crimson and lapis lazuli pagoda of fine craftsmanship.

Bleating was heard from the Estates where wicked works were done.

A farm outside the walls of Pingliang was destroyed with great prejudice; for the second time.

Pingliang is a dark place. The order of the last centuries has been inverted; where growing humanity pushed light into the darkness, changing the world as they pushed outward growing structures and strength into a monolithic edifice, the darkness has now pressed back in. Pingliang became a jungle wrought by human hands and claimed by Others. Prey animals from the Wild Places, the last of the initial co-settlers of Pingliang being supported by incoming refugees with a darker tint; predators who were kept outside by the bright firelight of Innocence, and the lanterns lit in every walkway slip from the dreaming world like heron picking fish from a river; and human screams aren’t an uncommon sound at midnight. A black furred Xingxing that steals away drunkards; a Fangliang that feasts on the fallen, a Zhuhuai haunts the wet market feasting on passerby once night has fallen.

It is a smorgasbord of humanity, walls that kept Others out and marginalized keep prey in. Through it all the defenders of humanity are embattled; with more Others pouring in by the week; a space concealed from the wider world where they can live like older days, under an Order that favors them, versus the industrial systems outside that prey upon them and turn them into easy fodder for dynasties of practitioners.

A battery and a war chest to for the Oni; whose quest in greater China failed; but here with a captive population and great flows of Karma that support it they build an army to threaten ancient Xi’an, preparing for a battle that may consume all of Gansu.

Within the city all is not lost; people try to go about their lives, not realizing the maze like exit from Pingliang can steal their memories and turn them back around depositing them in a different district.

Xīwàng de xìngyùn cǎihóng’s refuge is that for the desperate and hopeless, a small pocket of safety that becomes more of a pasture from which the next crop of cattle emanate into the city proper to feed the hungry soldiers of the Oni; whose appetite is flesh or things more esoteric; other forlorn rebels filter into the city; to set banners in line with the Three Perils; and Two Symbols that maintain a balance within the knot of Pingliang.

The Problem in Pingliang Prefecture - Tangentloki - Pact (2024)

Chapter 1

Chapter Text

Design Goals: General

Restrictions: General

Celestial Bureaucracy:

Wild Others

Oni League

The Zhang Family

The Liu Family

The Wildflowers

The Interlopers

The Temple

Sorcerer Hunters

White Cells

Mandatus

Initial determination of suitability

Setting the challenge

Setting the range of the challenge

Resolving Challenger orders

Best order/ worst order

Additional support

Final Boons

Adapting to a Demesne Ritual

Add On ritual Effects

Engine problems; Might and multiple actions.

Recosting and tiering at the last possible second; Rapacious Practices

Forswearings and Gainsayings

Violable Oaths and Role based Oaths

Not requiring the words “I Swear” for it to be considered an Oath

Time Limits

Exit clauses

The Law Ability

The Spirits; ExCon; Setting expectations

Redtext Rules

Rules of Discourse

The Wildflowers; The Salesperson Rule

The Oni

The Liu

The Sorcerer Hunters

Cycles and Mirroring

Faction Elimination, Early Goals and Early Ending.

Conclusions

Repost of all “Rulings-Channel” rulings that were general game rulings

Chapter 2: Celestial Bureucracy Briefings

Summary:

Chapter Text

Current Assets

Dilemma

Dilemma

Extra Materials

Current Assets

Results

[Free] action summary:

Dilemma - The Vault of Heaven

Current Assets

Results

Additional Details and Orders:

[Free] action summary:

Current Assets

Results

1 - Patrol: Central Governance [H]

1 - Patrol: the Outlying Farms [A]

3 - Investigate: the Imperial Delegate/the Wildflowers Festival [P]

3 - Investigate: the Temple [C]

3 - Investigate: Rainbow of Hope [H]

7 - Snap the Trap Shut [V]

Mandate Challenge; The Ultimate Duelist of Pingliang

Dilemma the False Representative

Current Assets

Results

Dilemma - the False Representative

Additional Details and Orders:

1 - Patrol: Wet Market [D] Wall

2 - Attack: Temple Wilds [C]

2 - Attack: The Thieves’ Row Vigilante [O]

3 - Investigate: Yao Gen the Cutpurse [O]

Other items

Dilemma a Missing Lord

Current Assets