Enter the House of Crouching Dragon Hustle

[Dudeicuf]

Throughout the country of Churan, people are heading south east to the Imperial city. As more and more western explorers reach the western borders, the nomadic tribes are moving east too. This is making for a dangerous situation and there are rumours that the Emperor is amassing an army to send west and push all the intruders back. People flock to the city to either join this army, oppose it, seek refuge from intruders, make their fame or maybe they want something else all together.

The Peninsula country Yo Dan to the east is currently at peace with Churan but both countries want to try and capture the Pirate Island of Tze Wa to the South East. The Great Namba desert to the south is full of mystery and there are legends of great monsters and empires roaming the dunes and even greater stories of untold treasure, gods and mystical powers beyond comprehension south of the Namba. North of Churan and Yo Dan is the Dran mountain range, and beyond this, the vast Dran plateau, permanently frozen and barren.

To the North West are vast planes with nomadic tribes living off the land, never conquered due to the lack of anything worth taking and directly to the west, vast lands of all sorts, eventually reaching the 'west'. There are several trade routes but otherwise the only other way to reach the 'west' is to travel east past Tze Wa across the great ocean which is littered with uncharted Islands and an extremely dangerous route.

The world is full of mixes of all sorts of race from all sorts of backgrounds with magic flowing freely around the world. Quang'Xon is in a central province of Churan called Do'Xon. mainly filled with subtropical forests, limestone mountains and rivers, the majority of inhabitants are rice farmers. It isn't effected as of yet by the intrusion by westerners. To the south is jungle and forests, north are vast grass planes, growing wheat and rice and home to big herds of various animals. North west gets more mountainous but not quite the huge peaks of the Dran mountains. The imperial city is about 200 miles to the east of Quang'Xon.

The world is basically a mixture between China and Japan, in the medieval period but fantasy setting, eg magic and freaky creatures abound. There can, and will be interactions from the 'west' sometimes in the form of intrepid explorers seeking ancient knowledge, brash soldiers trying to colonise or barbaric tribes invading. You'll be starting in the south in a small town called Quang'Xon, having arrived there in the evening.

It will be starting at level 3, with 3000gp to spend on what you want, whether that's a 2999gp weapon, or 3000gp worth of ale, I don't mind. Its a 25 point buy for attributes and everyone gets an extra feat at the start of the game. If you are a species with level adjustment, I will want to see it first but will probably OK it and you can choose between racial hit die or the extra feat. Everyone can pick two traits at the start too. No evil alignment please. A back story would be nice, but not hugely essential. Everyone needs to be heading to the imperial city for whatever reason they choose though.

Attachments:

[holloway]

Holy buttfucking monkeys - I had no idea you intended to run a game nathan. Couple questions though:
what is the scale of the world? Distances/journey times etc ( this is code for "is it worth taking a craft skill at all?")
when do you intend to run it?
Do you want new people? (as we're already in 2 games together)

[Dudeicuf]

ok, scale: if you look on the map, the red dot is 200 miles from the imperial city. So yes crafting is possible. Its going to be wednesday evenings after anime. Currently I have 4 players already, Adele has shown interest and I could stretch it to 6 people ( wouldn't be too bad because I know everyone in the game). Simon, Owen, Neil and Hal are the players so far and we have a child seer, cleric, fightery type and monk, in the same order.

[holloway]

Well I would be psyched to play, but I understand if it ends up being too many. Would probably play a bard/rogueish type if I played, as the party is missing that somewhat.

[Dudeicuf]

cool sounds good

[Mouse]

Syon, The Child Seer:

The knife in his hand was hardly sharp. The dust in the desert had dulled its edge; what had once been a fine blade was ragged and rusted. Surely it would hurt the peasant that was on his knees in front of him if he were to cut his throat out? Syon thought. His commanding officer was standing behind him, contempt thick in his voice: “What is it, boy? I thought you were a soldier. A real man like the rest of us? But you are just a freak, no better than an animal. Go on, prove me wrong! I dare you!” The rain started to fall from the thick clouds above him quickly turning the training grounds into mud. Syon twitched at the word freak...

He should have been a Buddha, a wise man or a lama. At the age of five his mind opened up to all things around him. He started to comprehend things not obvious to other people. He saw the dreams of his friends, he communicated with merchants from foreign countries, he could tell the upcoming weather with precision and recall events that he did was not even present at when they occurred. Unfortunately it was all at the wrong place at the wrong time. It only took a few weeks for the army to take him into custody, by which time the monks had not even considered him for religious training.

Syon’s dreams were in disarray. He saw men dressed in black coming to take him away, but he didn’t know when or why. The dark shapes were looming over him in his sleep. He tried and tried to run away but he was always caught up. He went through weeks of torment, when the army finally dragged him out in the cold night he still thought he was dreaming, and he already knew what would happen. Soon he was thrown into a dark room. With only two meals a day passed through a hole in the door he sat there for months. His mind slowly withering away.

When he was finally taken out of his prison he was a new person altogether. He was silent and introverted as if he had no will of his own he only spoke when spoken to. He carried out any orders given to him with not so much as a twitch in his face. He saw masses of men slaughtered in front of him, partly because of himself without so much as blinking. The men looked at him with a fear and disgust. They would carry out the same orders as him but he was completely detached to his doings. Victory did not make him any happier than defeat. He just did as he was told, no more or no less. They would beat him up from time to time just to see if he would react. It only served to freak them out more that he showed no sign of fear or pain and when he was struck down he wouldn’t even rise unless told to do so. The commanders just treated him as what he was. A walking weapon. They stopped referring to him as a person and simply labelled him the MII (Magical Intelligence Instrument). Syon was the only one who still knew his name. Deep inside of himself.

He saw it coming days before it happened. The force were setting up camp in a field close to the forest. The creatures would come at night, Quietly killing them all. Except for him and a few other soldiers. He was never asked so he never told. The night when they snuck in he was still awake. Just silently watching as they slew every last one of the soldiers in their sleep. He was soon ankles deep in blood. He finally went into the commanders tent. “They are dead” he whispered. The commander looked at him quizzingly “What are you talking about, speak up so I can hear you properly” Syon just lifted his shoulders in a sigh “All gone” he said. “They will kill you too soon, they told me so, when I was sleeping” The commander finally grasped the seriousness of the situation and got up in a haste. “Ready my horse, I need to get out of here now!” But as soon as he left his tent he was struck down. Syon lent down and looked into his dead eyes as he fell “I told you so...” he said without any sign of emotion and sighed again. He looked up at the dark creature. “You never told me why you won’t kill me” he said.

Syon was soon picked up by scouts and took much blame for the disaster. He was considered dysfunctional and was not to be taken out in the field again. Instead he was stationed in Januri where his tasks were menial. He worked to serve the commanders. One of them liked to torture him for his emotionless appearance and his totally white eyes. He mostly beat him or called him names but this day he had taken things further than normal. He had taken a thief out of the prison and tied him up. He had forced him to his knees, blindfolded him in the yard and given Syon a dagger. Finally he told Syon to cut his throat to prove that he was a real military man.

Syon stood looking down on the dagger in his hand. Why was this so hard? No, don’t think, he told me to kill him so I will. Syon moved the dagger up and stepped towards the peasant he quickly put it to his throat. There, just a swift cut now... He felt the thief’s Adam’s apple bump up and down below the edge of the knife and suddenly a vision came to him. He was back in the dark room where he had been years ago. He started to scream. “NONONONOOOOOOOO” he grabbed his head and dropped the dagger on the ground. The officer struck him with the back of his hand. “Weakling, Coward. Stop crying.” Shocked, Syon came back to reality. And it stood clear to him what would happen. The man picked him up and forced the dagger into the hand of Syon. “I’ll MAKE you do it” He said. As he loosened his grip he seemed to freeze in his motion. Slowly his hand moved down toward his stomach, and he coughed blood. When he fell over on the ground Syon was standing beside him with his whole arm covered in blood. He was silently crying, but the tears were indistinguishable from the raindrops in the air. The officer was not entirely dead yet but was gasping for air as he bled like a pig on the training ground. Feeling and emotion was still rushing back into Syon as he ran into the barracks to collect his things. Rushingly he ran into the streets tearing his uniform into shred so it wouldn’t show who he was. For the first time in three years he felt something but it was not a good feeling. Pure, dark terror filled clouded his mind as he ran for his life. “Someone, please, help me” he thought. “What have I done?” It was just or a moment as he soon slumped back into his emotionless state but free of the military he started to look for someone to take care of the child within him.

[mercenary]

The winds whip at a lone figure stepping over the shifting dunes as he marches towards civililisation. A travelling cloak disguises a gaunt figure and a mask to keep out the biting sand leaves only the eyes visible, and they are peircing grey, and suggest of something that has seen more than human minds comprehend. He carries a small backpack, looking barely full, with the edges of a bedroll and blanket sticking out. He feels the rub of the orders weapons that were tied to his waist and the cold scabard of the blade of his master, the ancient weapon Jian-Jianjiao-Emo (Sword Of Screaming Devils/Demons)

His march has carried him far through the wild desert, and many times in his journey has he slipped into insanity, becoming lost to the soul draining lonliness of the endless sands. He plays a game with himself, trying to recall the name granted to him by the masters. If he can do that, he then tries to remember the name his teacher used to call him, and if he can do that he tried to remember his own name, and the name of his ancestors. Today is a good day, as he mutters to himself the names he remembers, his dry throat cracking as it begs for water.

"He is, no, no, I am, Yang Shan, Githzerai, Order of the Watchers Of The Door, known to my master as Xiao Luanshi, and my name was Weixiao Hu. I am Yang Shan, Githzerai, Order of the Watchers Of The Door, known to my master as Xiao Luanshi, and my name was Weixiao Hu. I am Yang Shan, Githzerai, Order of the Watchers Of The Door, known to my master as Xiao Luanshi, and my name was Weixiao Hu."

The speech had become a mantra for Weixiao Hu, like so many he had been taught in the monastary, but this one was to keep him sane. It also served to keep him company, for the only other companions he had were the ghosts on the wind and the deadly nocturnal creatures that lurked in the dunes. Each night he prayed to the Guiding dragon to keep him safe and lead him out of the wasteland, and finally when he had figured himself lost he say the green of a forest.

Weixaio Hu still headed north as though the unberable dryness had receded his parched throat still begged for liquid. His mind also needed civilisation, as it was cracking at the edges. So finally, wearily, he came upon a small settlement. On the verge of tears, he thanked the Guiding Dragon, the Watchful Tiger, and the Stubborn Ox, for granting him the gift of life, and moved towards hope and the future.

[holloway]

A keep burns in the distance behind the wounded halfling as he staggers away, it's fires lighting the dimming evening sky for miles around. From the great distance the small army progressing in look like ants swarming, and they sack and pillage just as efficiently as their metaphorical inesct brethren would.

The halfling decides it would be a tale worth scribing and retelling, especially since he was actually present during the events. It would probably have to wait until the arrow was removed from his torso though, and quite frankly putting one foot in front of the other was proving a hefty exercise in concentration currently. A draught from the waterskin brings cool life back into his body, reigniting the pain of the wound and sparking a second wind of tunneled hustling. Nightfall arrives and brings with it an old bear-cave to rest in. No time to see if it's vacant, time only for tending the injury and promtly passing out.

His mother passes the pair a torn off chunk of bread and pushes them out of the door, speaking of Mites that they need to remove from the nearby woodland. He doesn't head there though, instead he moves into a tavern to speak of stories he has heard over the years. The patrons seem pleased, but their smiles turn to frowns as rain pours from overhead. The ceiling has gone and shows naught but a moonless sky, specked intermittedly with stars and cloud. The tavern is no more and he stands out in the wind and dirt. A wall of running men with blades rush by him, parting like the sea to avoid a small human child that stands amongst them. The child stands hugging himself with his eyes shut, but he sees the halfling - he sees everything.

Dawn seeps into the cave and highlights the glistening sweat on the halfling's brow. A disturbing dream creeps on the end of his awareness, rapidly retreating to unreachable places. The wound looks bad, and the road east discouraging. It won't be easy.

[Dudeicuf]

Still no word on what room we're going to be in but if we all meet at the end of Anime Soc (6pm Room 1N05) we can ask Adele or just try and find somewhere to play and get started!

[holloway]

Just wondering what's happening with the room situation, as we got told last week that we need a pass and aren't actually allowed in there after 9 or something? Just don't wanna get into the game and it be cut short. Like, very short.

[Dudeicuf]

When is everyone back and ready to start this up again?

[Deth Monkee]

Whenever.

[aturin]

preferably after 20th but apart from that im cool

[Dudeicuf]

So, I'm going to be about on the weekend of the 21st and 22nd and was wondering if people are up for a session?

[Deth Monkee]

I'd be up for one.