Feng Shui by Mors Rattus

And that was just the start of the whole mess.

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: And that was just the start of the whole mess.



This is actually the second edition of Feng Shui. I don't have the first. That's okay, we don't need it. We open up with some fiction about a guy who agreed to do a job for Fast Eddie Lo, a gangster of some kind, so he could save his buddy Steve. He's trying to take out a rival gangster, Big Brother Tsien. Our friend wanted to be out of the game, but he's going back in for Steve. Except some other person is trying to kill Tsien, too - an unnaturally strong masked woman! Then the mooks arrive and chaos breaks loose...and a crazy old martial artist dude shows up. And takes several bullets to the face without flinching. In the meantime, Tsien has grown horns and scales. Shit has hit the fan.

Welcome to Feng Shui.

Feng Shui is the game in which you and your friends face off against sinister time-travelling eunuch wizards, secretive time travelling conspirators and twisted time travelling mad scientists. In Hong Kong, of course. This secret war is all for the control of feng shui sites , which harness and intensify the planet's chi, or life force. Those who control the sites benefit from it, and thus was geomancy born. History belongs to those who control the feng shui. (Which you pronounce however you want, says a sidebar.)

Everyone wants to control the feng shui sites. Whoever manages it in the end will rule the world. Unfortunately, the war isn't just now: it's across time. Fortunately, you've found a portal into the Netherworld, aka the Inner Kingdom, a mysterious realm which holds the key to time travel. You are now an Innerwalker, a Secret Warrior: one of the players in the war for the world's history. You're outnumbered. You're probably outgunned. But that's okay. You're a hero. If your will is strong, you can dodge bullets. If your heart is pure, you can take 18 slugs to the chest and keep going. If your kung fu is great, you can run up a vertical wall, leap off and have a swordfight with someone who did the same thing in the other direction. This is the land of the Hong Kong action movie. The stunts are crazy, the melodrama is high and the stakes are higher.

We also get a short essay to experienced gamers about how, yes, this game focuses on combat as a major element, has fairly simple character generation and encourages cliches and glorious violence. It then says that, no, they have not been failing to pay attention, they're just trying to make a game about action movies. So yeah, that's some self awareness, which is good. We also get a sidebar on gender pronouns and how the game is just going to switch whatever pronoun it uses at random and assume we can keep up.

So, let's take a look at our setting. First up: the Netherworld. Also called the Inner Kingdom, the Netherworld is a world connected to our world via portals, which are hidden in out-of-the-way places and can only be seen by those with strong chi (read: PCs and important NPCs). The Netherworld itself is a series of dimly lit tunnels. There's no light, but it's always possible to see anyway. The tunnels are made of gray and indistinct nature, unless one of the residents of the Netherworld has reshaped it to something else in the area. Some of them can do that. The air is both dusty and moist, and there's fog hanging aroudn the floor. Thousands of people live there, from any number of times and places. Most are stranded time travellers. Some are people whose times have been erased from history by the Secret War. Some of them are dangerous, some are helpful.

From the Netherworld, you can find portals to other places in your time, or other times in general, past or future. Each time period accessible from the Netherworld is called a Juncture . Only a few Junctures can be gotten to at any given moment. For the past few years, there have (by default) only been four: 69 AD, 1850, The Present (read: the 90s) and 2056. However, each year that goes by goes by for all junctures. Next year, it'll be 70 AD, 1851, and so on. Everyone involved in the Secret War uses the Netherworld for travel between the Junctures, where they try to attack each others' feng shui sites. There are a number of factions, which we'll cover in a bit. First we have some brief mechanical info to look at. The book intersperses mechanics and fluff in a particularly weirdly organized way.

Anyway. For every time you roll dice, you roll 2d6. One of these d6s is positive, the other is negative. The book suggests different colors to make it easy to tell apart. There's two kinds of rolls: Closed and Open. A closed roll is simple: roll the positive die and the negative die, subtract the negative from the positive, take the result and add it to your Action Value for the action to see what happens. An open roll is similar, except the dice explode. However, if you roll a 6 on each die, rather than both exploding, we call that boxcars . Boxcars mean you either critically succeed or fail, and you find out which by rerolling, ignoring further Boxcars results.

If your roll plus your Action Value beats the difficulty of a check, you succeed. If not, you fail. Succeeding by higher amounts is better. Simple! You can critically fail (excuse me, Way-Awful Fail ) in two ways: The first is to fail a roll after Boxcars. The second is to have a final check result that is negative. Something really bad happens - your guns jam, or if you are a sorcerer you suffer backlash. More on that later. Boxcars and success, well, they typically mean something interesting and cool happens.

Now, factions. First are the Eaters of the Lotus . These guys run Barter Town in 69 AD; they are a secret society of eunuch wizards attending the Emperor. They secretly run the place. Until recently, they were concerned only with their power in their own Juncture. However, they have recently discovered the Secret War and the Netherworld, and now they want to seize the feng shui sites of other Junctures in order to extend their empire forwards in time. It was a bit of a shock for them to find out they'd lost power.

Second are the Ascended , a thousand-year-old conspiracy which controls most of the 1850 and present day feng shui sites. Thus, they secretly rule the world. They recruit people through all kinds of organizations, and the truly promising are asked to join the Pledged, who report to the higher-ups of the Lodge. In fact, most Pledged don't even know the Lodge exists. The Ascended rely heavily on chi-based supernatural powers, but they are heavily opposed to actual sorcery and magic - which is a controlled, directed form of natural chi. The Ascended rely heavily on political power and resources - police forces, armies, the media, and so on. Their origins are mysterious and their goals obscure. Some say their leaders aren't even human. But everyone knows one thing: they're not giving up power without a fight.

Then there's the Guiding Hand , a group with roots in the 1850 Juncture and some ties to the modern Juncture. They are Chinese patriots and traditionalists who see their world collapsing into decadence and decay. They want to steal the power of the Ascended by seizing the feng shui sites, so that they may create a regime of Confucian teachings, obedience and discipline. Their leadership is a group of Shaolin monks from the 1850 Juncture, and their focus tends to be on chi power, especially kung fu. They'll use guns if needed, but they don't like them much. They hate sorcery and monsters, viewing them as corrupt and terrible. The book notes that while they're kind of sympathetic to some PCs, most won't want to live in the obedient and ordered world they'd create.

Next up? The Architects of the Flesh , the scientific tyrants of 2056. They captured the feng shui sites of their era, allowing them to suborn the United Nations and turn it into a fascist police state over the entire planet. The future is drab and dreary under them, and the Architects keep it that way not only via the sites but also their unique Arcanowave technology: technology that can manipulate magical energy. Using it, they create Abominations - cybernetically enhanced supernatural monster-soldiers. They routinely raid the 69 AD Juncture for supernatural creatures to convert. They also want to conquer the past, extending their rule backward through time - starting with the modern world.

The Jammers are a rebel group from 2056. Most are misfit humans, though their leadership contains several prominent ape experiments in early cybernetics. They want to overthrow the Architects and free their world, but the future's just too locked down. As a result, the Jammers have retreated to the Netherworld, where they raid feng shui sites in other junctures. Unlike most groups, they don't want to harness the power of the world's chi. They want to blow it up in order to free humanity's destiny from the hold of power. They hate magic, exotic chi powers and so on. If they won, they'd probably destroy the Netherworld, certainly end the Secret War and possibly even destroy humanity in general. As such, while many sympathize with them, many also fear their anti-chi efforts could destroy the human soul.

The Four Monarchs are a pretty minor force in the war, but they're very important in the Netherworld. They are four siblings: Ming I, Queen of the Darkness Pagoda, Huan Ken, King of the Thunder Pagoda, Li Ting, King of the Fire Pagoda and Pi Tui, Queen of the Ice Pagoda. Each is a very potent sorcerer that used to rule a quarter of the Earth, when history was different. In fact, they ruled the planet from the dawn of man to 1988, in a world where magic was commonplace and machines were not. However, their internal bickering doomed them, and they never noticed the Ascended capturing key feng shui sites in the past. As a result, their world was erased from history and they were relegated to the Netherworld to plot their revenge and return...and, of course, keep up the infighting. Some of the Four Monarchs have made alliances...and others might be good bosses for PCs.

The Dragons are probably closest to your PCs, though, when they get around to joining a faction. Very recently, they fought a massive battle across all four Junctures and the Netherworld. And they lost. The Dragons were founded to preserve freedom and justice throughout time and the secret war. However, they made enemies far too quickly and were crushed. Their feng shui sites were assaulted simultaneously by the Jammers, the Architects and the Lotus-Eaters, severely weakening the Dragons. Now, most of their number are dead, crippled or lost in time. However, a few of their teaching gurus and support staff remain, alive but in hiding. Perhaps the PCs could find them and pick up the pieces, succeeding where the last group of heroes failed.

Next time: Character Creation!

I don't know about you, but the movie Wizard of Oz always scared the crap out of me when I was a kid. The flying monkeys, man.

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: I don't know about you, but the movie Wizard of Oz always scared the crap out of me when I was a kid. The flying monkeys, man.

We return to our friend the anonymous assassin and his problems with his friend Steve. The old kung fu guy is gone, and he's teamed up with a cyborg from the future and the kung fu lady from the last story. They have met up with the Queen of the Ice Pagoda, who has told him that to save Steve he's going to have to remake his soul. And shoot people. This isn't the kind of soul-remaking where you stop doing that, it's the kind where you protect the world's chi. Our friend has no idea what's going on, and the cyborg guy lets slip that the Jammers may end up destroying the souls of the entire world, but he can't say more because he used to be one but they put a bomb in his head to keep him from revealing certain secrets. So our friend is confused. And then a horde of cybernetic apes with helicopters on their backs attack, and he gets a chance to get over his fear of the Wizard of Oz by shooting the hell out of them.

Feng Shui!

Now, the first thing you're going to do to create a character is simple: you choose an type , which is basically a character class. It determines what powers you have access to and what skills you have. Once you've done that, you come up with some personality traits and so on, maybe some catch phrases. And also a melodramatic hook . Everyone has one of those. At least one. This is a problem which haunts or drives you and will come up in your adventures again and again. The book gives some examples.


Anyway, that's...all you need. You're done, since your type determines what you start with! So let's take a look at what that is. First, there are four primary attributes , each of which has secondary attributes . Normally, all secondary attributes are equal to the primary, but some types will change that. An attribute can have any value between 0 and 10. Higher than 10 is superhuman and won't happen often.

Body (Bod) is your physique and health. Particularly frail people have it at 1 or 2, your average person is around 5 and really great athletes are 8+. Its secondary attributes are:
1. Move (Mov) , which determines how fast you can run. Combat in Feng Shui is in three-second sequences , which we'll get into later, but during a sequence you can move (Mov*3) meters while doing something else as well. If all you're doing is moving, you can go (Mov*4) meters.
2. Strength (Str) , which is your ability to exert force on objects and lift things. Also your ability to hit people really hard and be fuckin' ripped as hell.
3. Constitution (Con) , which is your ability to resist pain and shock. It also determines how good your immune system is and your resistance to poison.
4. Toughness (Tgh) , which is your ability to not fall over from injury. No, really, it determines how much damage you can take before you're KOed or killed.

Chi is your attunement to the mystical life force of the Earth. Your average person has Chi 0 and knows jack shit about chi. Particularly lucky or successful people might have Chi 2. More than that is the domain of sorcery, secret warriors and magic kung fu. Its secondary attributes are:
1. Fortune (For) , which is how lucky you are. Every session, you get Fortune Dice equal to your For, and you can spend them to roll an additional die on a check and add it to your result, but you can only use one Fortune Die per check. Also, sometimes the GM will decide random things happen. If they're good, they happen to the guy with the highest For in the group. If they're bad, they happen to the guy with the lowest For. However, if you've spent Fortune Dice, your For is temporarily lowered by the number you've spent that session. Luck is not infinite.
2. Kung Fu (Fu) , which is your power to fuel mystic chi abilities of martial arts. You can be a great martial artist without Fu, but you need Fu to be a supernatural martial artist. Without Fu, you can't learn Fu schticks , the secrets of mystic kung fu.
3. Magic (Mag) , which is your aptitude for magical spells. Having Mag doesn't mean you can cast magic, of course - just that you have the ability to learn how. Also, it helps resist magical powers.

Mind (Mnd) is your mental and interpersonal abilities. Your average person has Mnd 5, while a 7 is particularly smart or charismatic and an 8 is genius-level. Its secondary attributes are:
1. Charisma (Cha) , which is your personal magnetism. High Cha means you're good at coming off the way you want to come off. Sexy, scary, respected, whatever. Low Cha means you come off as contemptible, ridiculous or revolting, even if you don't want to.
2. Intelligence (Int) , which is your ability to think clearly and systematically. Good Int makes you good at puzzles, memory and understanding abstract ideas.
3. Perception (Per) , which is your alertness and powers of observation. High Per makes you good at deduction, noticing details and reading people's emotions and motivations.
4. Will (Wil) , which is your emotional resilience, confidence and determination. High Wil helps resist the efforts of charismatic people and overcome mind-affecting powers.

Reflexes (Ref) is your coordination and dexterity. Infants are around Ref 2, clumsy people are Ref 3. Average human is Ref 5, and great athletes are around 8. Secondary attributes are:
1. Agility (Agl) , which is your aptitude for gross motor skill. That is, stuff involving your whole body, like dancing, acrobatics or punching people.
2. Manual Dexterity (Dex) , which is your fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. This is useful for video games, shooting things and stunt driving.
3. Speed (Spd) , which is your reaction time. Speed determines who acts first in a fight and how fast.

Then you have Skills , which are a bonus added to an attribute for a check. Generally, it'll be added to a secondary attribute, but in most characters that'll be exactly the same as the primary, so it barely matters. What are the skills? Well, there's all kinds of skills but here's the ones you'll run into most often:
Arcanowave Device (Mag) , which can't be learned at chargen if you don't start with it. Only someone from 2056 can have this one at chargen, and it's operation of and knowledge about the Arcanowave technology of the Architects, which mixes magic and technology.
Creature Powers (Mag) , which can't be learned at chargen if you don't start with it. In fact, it's useless to most characters, because it's the use of mystic powers possessed only by Ghosts, Abominations and Supernatural Creatures.
Deceit (Cha)
Detective (Per)
Driving (Dex)
Fix-It (Per) , which is repairing or inventing stuff.
Gambling (For)
Guns (Dex) , which can't be learned at chargen if you don't start with it.
Info (Int) , which is a category of skills. If you have Info: [Thing], you know about [Thing]. Info skills are often customized from what your Type actually lists them as.
Intimidation (Cha)
Intrusion (Agl) , which is breaking and entering without being caught.
Journalism (Int)
Leadership (Cha) , which is getting people to follow your orders.
Martial Arts (Agl) , which can't be learned at chargen if you don't start with it.
Medicine (Int) , which uses Mag as its base attribute if you're from the 69 AD Juncture instead.
Police (Per) , which can't be learned after chargen for some reason. If you want it later, take Detective, they do mostly the same things - that is, snooping.
Sabotage (Dex) , which breaks things.
Seduction (Cha)
Sorcery (Mag) , which can't be learned at chargen if you don't start with it.

You can choose to reduce the scores your type starts with. There are no benefits to doing so, by default, but you can. The book also says that if you don't like how your character turned out in the first session, you can go back and change your chargen scores so that you'll have more fun. Within reason, of course, but the point is fun, so who cares if the numbers changed a little?

Each Type also starts with a certain number of Schticks , or powers, and weapons. These come in several varieties: Gun schticks let you do crazy gun tricks, Creature Powers are weird monster tricks, Sorcery is magic spells, Arcanowave Devices are self-explanatory, Fu Schticks are kung fu powers and some character types get a Unique Schtick, a power only that type has. You also get a list of possessions, but really - the only things you need to keep track of are your weapons or plot-related items. Other than that, you just convince the GM you could reasonably have something on hand and you do. Of course, your Wealth Level matters here...

There's three Wealth Levels. Rich means you don't have cash problems. If you want something that can be bought, you can get it. If you abuse this power, the GM can say 'no', but anything you want within reason is yours. You don't even have to spend time working for it! Working Stiff means you've got a salary and a job. You can't afford expensive items, but you've got some spare cash around. Unfortunately, you have to work for it - which means your job could be put in jeopardy by your adventuring. This is intended for melodrama, not annoyance. Poor means you have your clothes, your weapons and that's it. While you can probably scrape up enough cash for meals, you don't have a steady room, let alone a home, and if you need something, you're not going to just buy it, because you can't afford it.

So, what types are available? Let's take a look.



First off is the Abomination . Abominations used to be monsters from the 69 AD Juncture. Ogres, gargoyles, demons, whatever. Then the Architects of the Flesh kidnapped them off to 2056, where they were horrifically experimented on and turned into cyborg killing machines for Buro, the 2056 government. Most Abominations are stupid and programmed for loyalty. You were lucky - you broke free of the mental domination...and you didn't commit suicide. Now, you stand against your former masters, using your monstrous powers and Arcanowave weapons. They are determined to destroy you - rogue Abominations are not appreciated. However, you escaped to the Netherworld and learned about the Secret War. Your life is pain and torment, but with it you have gained a conscience and the knowledge that if you can be changed into this tortured form, you can change yourself into something better. You have to redeem yourself, not only for what you did under the control of the Architects, but also for your life as a demonic monster.

Abominations always count as being from the 2056 Juncture. They have Bod 5, Chi 0 (but Mag 8), Mnd 3 (but Cha 1) and Ref 5. They cannot raise Chi or Mag. They may raise one other primary attribute by 5, and a second by 1. They begin with Arcanowave Devices and Creature Powers at +5, which can't be raised. They also get Guns +5 and Martial Arts +5. They get one skill not on that list at +3, and add +2 to any skill, which can include the new one. It is noted that Info skills tend to be inappropriate. They then get 3 Arcanowave schticks and 2 Creature Powers. However, they can't be healed by the Medicine skill, unless the person using it learned Medicine in the 2056 Juncture. They are Poor.



Meet the Big Bruiser . You are big and strong. You're not fast, you're not accurate, but you don't have to be. Because when you do hit, things get hurt. Besides, you can take a bullet. You can take ten bullets. You can probably even go toe-to-toe with an ogre and not die. You're big, scary and have a lot of practice glaring at people. Most people assume you're stupid, and you've learned to play that to your advantage. Sometimes you play dumb and let them underestimate you. You've been a construction worker, or a bouncer, or a guard. You could be a gentle giant or a bully. What you definitely are is unstoppable.

Big Bruisers can come from any Juncture. They have a Bod of 11. Yes, 11 . That is more than an Abomination can have. And their Tgh is 12. They have Chi 0, Mnd 5 and Ref 5. They may add 2 to any primary attribute except Bod. They start with Guns +3, one Info skill of their choice +2, Intimidation +4 and Martial Arts +7, which can't be raised. They have +6 to divide up between any of these but Martial Arts or new skills. They start with 3 weapons of their choice and a Unique Schtick: Big Bruisers don't take Impairment -1 until 40 wound points, Impairment -2 until 45 and Death Checks until 50. We'll get into what that means during combat; suffice to say they're very hard to kill. However, they are Poor.

Next time: Cyborgs, Everymen and Special Forces!

I could reform my own soul and still blast as many people as I'd ever blasted before.

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Hm. Think I'll try and get ahold of the Atlas Thorns, then, though when I do get to it I'd love to hear about any changes they made. And because I love Feng Shui and have little to do tonight...

Feng Shui: I could reform my own soul and still blast as many people as I'd ever blasted before.



As a Cyborg , you were an early experiment by the Architects, from before they started kidnapping monsters. At the time, they were using humans and apes instead to try and create supersoldiers who could take on entire units. However, to do it, they had to use Arcanowave technology, and magitech is expensive. Further, for every success, there were a dozen who died on the table or turned into useless lumps of flesh or uncontrollable monsters due to magical radiation. You were one of the survivors. You got sent on a few missions before the plug got pulled on your project and you were discharged. You were sent to (useless) counseling for a few weeks and then dumped into the labor pool, expected to act like nothing had changed. You got out with some restricted hardware somehow, but it hasn't seen much use. You've heard how it can cause...problems. And you've heard about some rebels the Buro wanted to wipe out. You've heard they fled somewhere called the Netherworld. Somehow, you found out where that was and learned about the Secret War. Now, you're ready to use that hardware - and your first target is probably the government that made you, used you and tossed you away.

All Cyborgs are from the 2056 Juncture. They have Bod 5, Chi 0, Mnd 5, Ref 5. They may add 3 to any primary attribute, 1 to any other primary attribute and 2 to any secondary attribute. They have Arcanowave Device +7, which can't be raised over +11, Guns +8, which can't be raised, Martial Arts +6, which can't be raised, and Sabotage +2, which can't be raised over +8. They have +6 to divide up between these and new skills. The values for Guns and Martial Arts may be swapped if desired. Cyborgs get 4 Arcanowave schticks and 1 Gun schtick, along with 2 guns from 2056. They are Working Stiffs.



You're the Everyman Hero . You're just a regular guy who works for a living. Maybe you're a factory worker, a plumber or a truck driver. Maybe you're just a peasant from the earlier junctures. Aside from taking care of your melodramatic hook, all you really want is a beer. However, you're a trouble magnet. You're basically decent and kind of stupid, but you're really, really lucky - both good and bad. You get into situations no one would ever want to be in...but you always get out alive. When you go on vacation, cultists attack. When you go out to work, you get caught up in a gang war. When you go to the bar, someone always picks a fight. If you're around during a kidnapping, you're the one the kid goes to for help when she slips her captors for a moment. You always tell yourself you'll turn your back next time, but you never do. You just can't stand to see someone bullied, you can't let the bad guys win. You're a simple person who believes in simple values, and that's rare in this crazy world. You might not be the smartest or the strongest or the most skilled, but you're a good guy. And that matters.

Everyman Heroes can be from any Juncture. They have Bod 5, Chi 0, For 10, Mnd 5, Wil 6, Ref 5. They have 4 points to divide up between primary attributes, and 1 point to add to any secondary attribute except Fortune. They have Driving +4, with a max of +9, Guns +1, with a max of +8, Info: Classic Cars +5, Info: Beer +8, Info: Sports Fan +8, Info: Stadium Rock +7 and Martial Arts +5, with a max of +8. They get +5 to divide up between these or new skills. They may swap out Info skills for anything suitably low-brow and appropriate to their home Juncture. Everyman Heroes also have two Unique Schticks. First, they can spend Fortune Dice without reducing their Fortune for the session for the purpose of Fortune checks. Second, they get +1 to use any improvised weapon - as long as they don't carry the thing around and use it all the time. If you do that, it doesn't matter that you're wielding a soup bowl, weathervane or ladder - it's not improvised any more. They start with no weapons, but that last schtick of theirs means it doesn't matter. They are Working Stiffs.



You're Ex-Special Forces . You used to be a member of an elite force trained in counter-terrorism, hostage rescue, you know, the whole deal. Maybe you got kicked out, or maybe you retired. You've had some problems adjusting to civilian life, though. People keep telling you to relax, get along and be like everyone else. You can't do it. You're always on edge. Whenever you get in a fender bender or some tough picks a fight, it's all you can do not to beat the guy to a pulp. In another era, you'd be a great warrior. You'd have solved your problems with a sword and a fist and been loved for it. Here? You're just an underemployed slob with abilities you can't put to use. You long for a new cause, one you can believe in. You want the rush of combat again. It's not the kind of thing you admit to, of course, but you loved fighting. Adrenaline, blood, fear - it was like heroin. You need another fight. If that involves saving the universe from tyrants across time, that's even better. Maybe you'll get the fame and glory you wanted after all, fighting alongside the warriors of the past whom you've always admired.

Ex-Special Forces, despite that description, can be from any Juncture. They are Bod 5, Chi 0 (but Fu 4), Mnd 5, Ref 5. They have 6 points to spread around their primary attributes, but no more than 5 can be put it into any one attribute, and even if their Chi goes over 4, their Fu can't. They have Driving +7, which can't be raised, Guns +9, which can't be raised, Info: Anti-Terrorism +5, Martial Arts +5, which can't be raised, and Sabotage +4. They have +3 to spread around on these or new skills and may swap the values of Guns and Martial Arts if desired. They get one of: 5 gun schticks, 3 fu schticks or 4 gun schticks and 1 fu schtick. They also get 5 weapons appropriate to their Juncture. Ex-Special Forces are Poor.



Gamblers show up everywhen. You're one of them, and you live by your luck. You've done well, though, always made a profit and survived everything life threw at you. You know how to handle yourself - not everyone loses well - but you mostly survive on good looks, a smile and a knack for getting out just before things explode. You live a life of luxury, and you have expensive tastes. After all, why win if you can't flaunt it? You started poor, sure, but with your brains and your skill, you've turned it all around. Now, everything you have is cutting-edge. But the real joy of it is beating the odds, winning when you have no business doing so. You're shady, but you've never gone into full-on criminality. But now, your melodramatic hook has pulled you into the Secret War, and all the odds you've spent so long learning are useless. Still, you roll with the punches. You've got your grin, you've got your confidence - you'll find a way to turn it all around. You always do.

Gamblers can come up from any Juncture. They have Bod 5, Chi 0, For 7, Mnd 6, Cha 7 and Ref 5. They add 3 to one primary, 2 to a second and 1 to a third. They then add 2 to any secondary except Fortune, but may not raise any secondary over 11. They have Gambling +8, which can't be raised, Guns +8, which can't be raised, Martial Arts +2, which can't be raised over +6, and Seduction +6, which can't be raised. They have +6 to spread around these or new skills. They get 1 gun schtick and 1 weapon. However, Gamblers also get a unique schtick: They're experts at calculating odds. At any time, they may make a Difficulty 4 Fortune check. If they succeed, the GM must tell them the Difficulty of an upcoming check. However, they have to be able to observe the situation they're checking the odds on. Gamblers are Rich.



In the ancient world, Ghosts were not so rare. The Netherworld is also home to dead spirits whose life force was just too strong to let go of the world when their bodies died. You're one of those, either from 69 AD or the Netherworld. Some ghosts are evil spirits who prey on the living, but not you. You're tied to the world for another reason. You can't rest, because you left something undone - something big. You can't rest because of your melodramatic hook. Maybe you swore to protect someone, or swore vengeance on a foe, or maybe you have to recover something lost. And, of course, everyone knows ghosts have a bad habit of falling in love with the living. Such loves are forbidden, but maybe you don't care. Whether you want it or not, though, the Secret War wants you. Dying was just the start of your problems.

Ghosts are either from the 69 AD Juncture or the Netherworld. They have Bod 5, Chi 0, Mag 7, Mnd 5, Cha 8 and Ref 5. Ghosts are, you see, always attractive. It's a thing. They have 6 points to spread between primary attributes, but can't spend more than 4 on any one. However, they can't raise Mag over 7 or Cha over 8. They have Creature Powers +7, which can't be raised, Info: Musicianship +4, Seduction +5, which can't be raised over +7, and Sorcery +6, which can't be raised. They have +4 to spread between these and other skills. They can change their Info to any other appropriate hobby or interest that they had when alive. Ghosts get 2 Sorcery schticks, the Creature Powers Flight and Insubstantial, and 1 other Creature Power. However, they can't be healed by Medicine, unless the person doing the healing learned Medicine in the 69 AD Juncture. Ghosts are Poor.



You're a Journalist , maybe even a well-known one, but you're not really known for objectivity or professionalism. In fact, you're more famous for being the story, not reporting it. Maybe you're just too passionate, or maybe you want adventure too much, or maybe you drink too much. Whatever the cause, you always find yourself in impossible situations, one where you can't just be passive. Maybe you saw strange creatures while embedded with the Mujahideen in Afghanistan and had to shoot them. Maybe you helped stop a kidnapping in Stockholm, because even a reporter can't just let kidnappers escape. Maybe that whole story about the time you chased President Carter with a nine iron was all exaggeration. Either way, well, you're not the first pick for a steady job. You used to be, but that was before the tenth firing. You freelance now, selling articles when you can. Sometimes you even sell them as fiction if they're too weird. Still, it's a constant battle with your editors, and it's one that happens while you're busy hunting out a new adventure. You need to be out there, and you're not about to let a deadline stop you.

Journalists are either from the 1850 Juncture or the Contemporary Juncture. They have Bod 5, Chi 0, For 5, Mnd 6 and Ref 5. They have 5 points to spread between primary attributes, but nothing they do changes their For. They have Detective +3, which can't be raised over +7, Guns +8, which can't be raised, Info: Intoxicants +5, Info: World Politics +3, Info: (Any) +3, Journalism +5, and Martial ArtS +6, which can't be raised. They have +4 to spread around skills, either these or new ones, and can swap the ratings of Guns and Martial Arts if they want. Journalists get one gun from their Juncture and a unique schtick: when they encounter a contact made through their Journalism skill, they may spend a Fortune point to ensure the contact won't hate them. Journalists are Working Stiffs, but as long as the articles keep coming they may act as if they're Rich due to expense accounts.

Next time: The Karate Cop, Medic and Masked Avenger walk into a bar.

Reform my soul? I'm trying to keep my soul!

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

The Everyman Hero is Jack Burton and Jackie Chan.

Feng Shui: Reform my soul? I'm trying to keep my soul!



So, you're a Karate Cop . You're a loyal officer of the law, you have a gun, you just happen to know kung fu, too. Maybe you're a beat cop or detective, maybe you're an ancient guard. Either way, you're an honest cop. You're by the book, but you serve justice, not the law. You break the rules not because you're a cynic, but because you're impulsive. You're the good officer, you've got awards and citations. You're a good role model, you volunteer to help underprivileged kids learn karate. You really think an honest man can get ahead in the world, and that good will win in the end. There's only one thing that can make you blow your top: evil. But that doesn't make you naive. You're a good cop, and you are determined to make sure justice prevails - even if that means you're the one out there enforcing it.

The Karate Cop has Bod 5, Chi 0, Mnd 5, Ref 5. They add 3 to one primary attribute and 2 to another. They then add 2 to one secondary attribute and 1 to another. None of their attributes, primary or secondary, can exceed 10. They have Driving +6, Guns +8, which can't be increased, Martial Arts +9, which can't be increased, and Police +4. They have +6 to spread around skills, new or listed. Karate Cops get 2 weapons of the appropriate juncture and have two unique schticks. First, they can deliver a stirring speech that will convince any righteous and law-abiding NPC that they're honest and have integrity. If they spend a Fortune die, this ability even works on shady and disreputable sorts, but it never works on the main antagonist or anyone else that would utterly derail the plot. Secondly, they get +2 to Martial Arts rolls when using acrobatic maneuvers that aren't direct attacks on people. The Karate Cop is a Working Stiff.



So, you were a Killer , a professional assassin. Maybe you worked for an intelligence agency, maybe freelance, maybe the mob. You were cool, efficient and got the job done. You were proud of it. You still have news clippings from the times when things went wrong and you had to shoot your way out. You were a street warrior, and you were one of the best. You know all there is to know about finding targets, handling guns and shooting people. You've taken more bullets than you like to admit, but you know there's never been a bullet made that can kill you. After all, you and bullets get along. Your victims were just numbers, figures in your bank account. Or maybe you just wanted to see the perfect kill. But something changed. Now, you care, because of your melodramatic hook. You've become involved in the Secret War, and that means you might do more than kill people - you might change history. Now that you've realized that your targets were people, that means something. Maybe, just maybe, you'll find a chance for redemption.

Killers come from 69 AD, 1850 and the Contemporary Juncture. They have Bod 5, Chi 0, Mnd 5, Ref 5. They add 3 to one primary attribute and 2 to a second. They then add 1 to any secondary attribute. They get Deceit +2, which can't be raised over +7, Driving +3, which can't be raised over +8, Guns +10, which can't be raised and Info: Gangland Politics +2. They get +6 to spread between these and new skills. They get 5 gun schticks and 5 weapons of their juncture. Killers are Rich.



Even in times when magic is nearly gone, weird things happen. Most districts keep a few cops on hand to deal with these. Magic Cops . You're one of them, one of the cops out there to handle renegade shamans and sorcerers, one of the cops who takes out demons and ghosts without going nuts. You're a bit of a loner, but you don't have to socialize at the station much. They'd prefer you didn't, in fact. If the other cops know you exist, they think you're nuts. Or maybe you're not quite a cop. Maybe you're one of the Catholic Church's anti-monster priests. Or maybe you're just a self-appointed crusader against magic. Whether you take orders or not, and from who - that doesn't matter. What matters is you've built up defenses against the darkness. You're grim, you're aloof, but you hold back the night. Maybe you believe magic is evil. Maybe you want to find a way to bring peace between man and monster. Either way, you've been drawn into the Secret War, and your world, already weird, is about to get weirder.

Magic Cops can come from any Juncture. They have Bod 5, Chi 2, Mag 8, Mnd 5, Ref 5. They have 6 points to spread between primary attributes, but they can't raise Chi and can't raise any attribute by more than 3. They have Guns +7, which can't be raised, Info: Occult +7, Police +3, Sorcery +5, which can't be raised. Crusading priests replace Police +3 with Info: (Your Religion) +6. Magic Cops get +8 to spread between these skills and new ones, and may swap the ratings of Guns and Sorcery if they want. Magic Cops get 2 gun schticks, the Sorcery schtick Summoning and one of the Sorcery schticks Divination, Fertility or Heal. They also get 2 weapons of the appropriate juncture. Further, they get two unique schticks. First, they get an extra effect with Summoning: True Form. They can use their Summoning schtick to force a supernatural being or transformed animal to assume their true form, with a difficulty equal to the target's highest Action Value rating. For transformed animals, they can do this once to the target, ever, and it costs a point of Mag to try, because if they do it's effectively instant death - the animal can't turn back. If they fail, the suffer automatic Backlash and take 5 wound points for every point they failed by, which can't be reduced. Secondly, Magic Cops suffer no juncture penalties, if any exist, for using their Sorcery in their home juncture. Magic Cops are Working Stiffs.



There's always Martial Artists . You have studied the art of hand-to-hand combat with the best, learning how to fight unarmed or with weapons. You have even harnessed your chi to learn mystic kung fu. You know that martial arts are more than just moves - they are an ancient philosophy, one of restraint, discipline and humility. You try to live up to it. You choose your fights with care, respect your elders and uphold the martial traditions. You have little need for the material, and you give freely to those who hunger. You believe in self-sacrifice and in justice. The only goal you truly have is to achieve the perfection of the great masters. You spend most of your time studying old texts and practicing your martial arts, which leaves you rather lonely. Some think you're naive, others self-righteous, but you try to ignore their jibes. It's hard, though. Discipline takes work. Still, you think it's worth it. You've found the edges of the Secret War, and your righteous dedication will let you do nothing else but get involved in the name of what is right.

Martial Artists can be from any juncture. They have Bod 5, Chi 0, Fu 8, Mnd 5, Ref 5. They get 6 points to spread among primary attributes, but none can go over 10. They have Info: Eastern Philosophy +6, Leadership +2 and Martial Arts +10, which can't be raised. They get +3 to spread between these and new skills. They have three fu schticks and one melee weapon. Martial Artists are Poor.



You're a Medic , a doctor used to combat. Maybe you were in the army, or maybe you were a trauma center doc in the inner city. Maybe you were a UN aid worker. One thing you know, though: people kill people everywhere. You were a pacifist until you understood that, until you realized - killers are a disease. They need to be cured. That's when you got a weapon and added it to your medical gear. You realized that taking down a drug dealer before he could get big would save lives. You hold the power of life and death in your hands, and it's come easily to you. Surprisingly easily. Something feels wrong about it. Not guilt, quite - more a sense that you need to work on a larger scale. You're on the verge of discovering the Secret War and how the battle for the feng shui sites could change history.

Medics can be from any juncture. They get Bod 4, Chi 0, Mnd 7, Ref 4. They have 6 points to divide between primary attributes, but can't add more than 3 to any one. After that, they get 5 points to spread between secondary attributes. (Fu is a good choice if you plan to pick up Fu schticks.) No secondary can be over 10. Medics get Detective +3, which can't be raised over +5, Driving +2, which can't be raised over +8, either Guns +9 or Martial Arts +9, neither of which can be raised, Info: (Any) +4, Info: (Any Other) +2 and Medicine +8, which can't be raised. They then have +4 to spread between these and new skills. Medics get 2 gun or fu schticks and 1 weapon of the appropriate juncture. They are Rich.



For years, you watched a corrupt society. Crime on the streets, justice a myth. You couldn't take it any more and became a Masked Avenger . You designed a distinctive costume and mask to strike fear into evildoers, relying on your own moral compass to guide you. You're not that well-liked by the local cops, but you don't care. You're probably an aristocrat, for all your populist goals, and you look back towards a possibly mythical golden age to set the world straight. You're tough, but you know it can't be done alone. You want to inspire others to act as you do. Only when they take things back for themselves will the world's criminals truly know fear. You might not be wholly altruistic - vengeance is a common desire. Also, you...might be a little crazy, with the whole dressing up thing. But that doesn't matter. Something pushed you over the edge, and now, the streets have a new defender.

Masked Avengers can be from any juncture. They have Bod 5, Chi 0, Mnd 5, Ref 5. Their max in any attribute is 10, except Chi, which can't go over 2 either by itself or in any secondary attribute. They have 6 points to spread around primary attributes and 1 point in any secondary. They get Detective +10, which can't be raised, Guns +8, which can't be raised, Fix-It +2, which can't be raised over +6, Info: Science +2, Info: (Any) +2, Info: (Any Other) +2, Intimidation +3, which can't be raised over +7, and Martial Arts +7, which can't be raised. They +8 to spread around as normal, and may swap the values of Guns and Martial Arts if they want. They get 2 gun schticks and 2 appropriate weapons. They also get a unique schtick: Any time they roll Intimidate against an unnamed hoodlum or criminal NPC, they get +5 to the roll. Masked Avengers are Rich.

Next time: Dirty Harry, Buffy and Short Round fight crime.

The trick was to blast the right people. Heal the world's pain, protect the chi.

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Yeah, Guns is the skill for anything ranged. Martial Arts is the skill for anything melee. And honestly, my shelf is mostly PDFs. I don't do hardcopy books so much these days.

Feng Shui: The trick was to blast the right people. Heal the world's pain, protect the chi.



Maybe you were a good cop once, but now you're a Maverick Cop . You're plainclothes, maybe undercover or in an anti-mob unit, maybe a homicide detective. You might have a drinking problem and you've certainly seen better days. You don't like authority, despite being one, and you see yourself as a loner, though maybe that's only since your last partner died. Or maybe not. You're always on the verge of losing your badge, and you're suspended a lot. You keep your job only because your boss likes you a little...and because you get results. You get the job done, but things always seem to make you look bad. People in your investigations get killed, especially witnesses. Collateral damage is huge. And you never really seem to be able to catch anyone for questioning. It's not that you plan to go out and empty your gun into each scumbag you're supposed to arrest, but it just seems to happen. They force you to do it, every time. You warn them, tell them they shouldn't, but they don't care. They just keep pissing you off. They never learn.

Maverick Cops show up in any juncture, though for some reason they list them all out. They get Bod 5, Chi 0, Mnd 5, Ref 5. They add 3 to one primary attribute and 2 to a second, then add 2 to one secondary attribute. They get Driving +10, which can't be raised, Guns +9, which can't be raised, Martial Arts +3, which can't be raised over +5 and Police +2. They get +4 to spread around. Maverick Cops get 4 gun schticks and 3 weapons. They are Working Stiffs.



The Architects need Monster Hunters . You were one of them. You were trained to go through the Netheworld and capture supernatural creatures to be turned into Abominations. This meant you learned to fight and to operate Arcanowave technology. When you signed up, though, you didn't know what you were getting into. You were a working class kid, and all you wanted was a better salary. The Supernatural Entity Retrieval Unit had a good one. You did well in school and made the exams to get into the top police forces, and thought you'd lucked out when you got into SERU. The glamour wore off the job when you hit the Netherworld and found yourself facing off with horrible demons, brain-eaters and ogres. You were trained to be fearless, and it worked, but you saw a lot of good men die out there...and it was all due to incompetent and incomprehensible orders. You started to realize - sure, you fought demons, but they were being turned into something worse by your bosses. Most SERU agents stayed loyal - but not you. The Secret War changed your perspective, made you realize Buro wasn't the only choice. If you could use what they taught you against them, you could change history. Then you'd have a chance to take down the real monsters.

All Monster Hunters are from 2056. They get Bod 5, Chi 5, Mnd 5, Ref 5. They have 5 points to spread around primary attributes. They get Arcanowave Devices +10, which can't be raised, Guns +7, which can't be raised, Info: Ancient China +4 and Martial Arts +4, which can't be raised above +5. They get +4 to spread around. Monster Hunters get 1 gun schtick and 2 Arcanowave Devices. They get 1 gun, and they are Poor.



If you're from 1850, you might be one of the real Ninjas . But, you know, you could be one of any number of stealth operatives specializing in breaking into places. You can hold your own in a fight, but you prefer trickery and deception. You have an air of mystery about you, and not only because you know a little about exotic chi powers. You don't want fame, though - you'd like your deeds to be famous, not your identity. You want fear, rumor. You love the idea of the perfect intrusion, of being in and out without leaving a trace. Your pride is what keeps you going, but lately, it's felt hollow. You've lost something, maybe, or some other melodramatic hook. It's made you feel less invincible than normal. Maybe you've started to question your amoral life. You're being pulled into the Secret War now - maybe to find a lost love, maybe to get vengeance, maybe just to leave your mark on a world that will never know your name.

Ninjas can be from any Juncture. They get Bod 5, Chi 0, Fu 7, Mnd 5, Ref 5. They add 3 to any primary attribute and 1 to two others. They can then add 1 to any secondary attribute except Fu. They get Deceit +4, which can't be raised over +7, Guns +2, which can't be raised over +6, Info: (Any) +2, Intrusion +9, which can't be raised, Fix-It +3, which can't be raised over +7, and Martial Arts +9, which can't be raised. They get +6 to spread around. Ninjas get 1 fu schtick and 6 weapons. They are Working Stiffs.



In your youth, you were skilled. Now, you are more than that. You are an Old Master . You have spent many years tutoring others in the secrets of the martial arts and you are used to respect. Thus, you can be a bit hotheaded when dealing with those who don't show it. You are a harsh master, and you long for the good old days when respect was paid to elders. You've lost the strength and endurance of youth, but your skill and your kung fu remain strong. You want to retire, to leave the world to the young. You used to care about being the best, but in old age you know that is folly. Now, you just want to rest, with your art and your poetry. But evil is growing stronger. Maybe your students were slaughtered. Maybe your time is plagued by the unjust, who need to have wisdom beaten into them. There is a need for you. You cannot rest yet. You must show the young how to master themselves, as you were shown by your own masters. Your skill gives you a great responsibility, but you're up to it. This is just what life means when you live with wisdom.

Old Masters can be from any juncture. They have Bod 4, Chi 10, For 0, Mnd 5, Ref 5. They have four points to spread between Mnd and Ref. They get Info: Calligraphy +5, Info: Chinese Painting +4, Info: Chinese Poetry +4, Info: Eastern Philosophy +7, Info: Noodle Making +5, Leadership +2 and Martial Arts +11. They get 5 Fu schticks. Further, Old Masters get a unique schtick: They are experts on chi flow in the body and always strike the most vulnerable spot, so their base damage with punches and kicks is Strength+6 rather than the normal damage. Old Masters are Poor.



You're a Private Investigator . You have contacts throughout society, from the top to the bottom. When a corporation sues another, they come to you to find data. When a lawyer needs to vet someone, they come to you to get the info. When a woman's worried her husband is cheating, she comes to you to find out. You might've gotten into the job because of old movies and TV shows, but you've spent more time doing research than dealing with gangsters and cops on the take. Maybe that's why, when you found the first clues of the Secret War, you were ready to live out that fantasy you never got as a "real" private eye.

Private Investigators can be from any Juncture. They get Bod 5, Chi 0, For 2, Mnd 5, Ref 5. They add 3 to any one primary attribute, 2 to a second and 1 to a third. They then add 2 to any secondary attribute. They get Detective +10, which can't be raised, Guns +5, which can't be raised past +8, Info: Business +3, Info: Civil Law +3, Martial Arts +3, which can't be raised past +8, and Intrustion +3, which can't be raised past +6. They get +8 to spread around. Private Investigators get 1 weapon and a unique schtick: they're great at using logic. When they are helping to figure out the best course of action or the motivations of a character, they can spend a Fortune point to have the GM just flat-out tell them if their guess is right. Private Investigators are Working Stiffs.



You don't have a job or a complex life - you're a Scrappy Kid ! You just want to have fun. But there's bad guys out there who'll wreck your day. They think they're better than everyone. They want to rule your life. So even if the adults want to keep you tucked away safely, you're going to do something about it. Why should they get all the fun? Sure, you're not a killing machine, but you're pretty good for someone who's not even twelve. You're the best fighter in your class, and you've even learned some tricks your martial arts tutor didn't plan to teach you yet. You're fast, and people underestimate you. This is the life. (The book notes that Scrappy Kids don't have to be pure comic relief, either - and probably shouldn't be. They can be child soldiers, too, or just kids forced to deal with a world they're not ready for yet, even if they think they are.)

Scrappy Kids can be from any Juncture. They have Bod 4, Chi 7, Mnd 6, Ref 8. They add 2 to one of Mnd and Ref, and 1 to the other. They get Deceit +2, Info: Comic Books +5, Info: Computers +4, Info: Skateboards +4, Info: Pop usic +3, Info: (Any) +2, either Martial Arts +5 or Sorcery +6, which can't be raised, and Intrusion +2, which can't be raised. Only Scrappy Kids from 69 AD can take Sorcery, and naturally you should change the Info skills to be appropriate to the juncture your Scrappy Kid is from. Scrappy Kids get either 2 sorcery schticks or 2 fu schticks. They also get two unique schticks. First, they can decide to attack a foe to distract rather than to injure, causing 3 points of Impairment for a number of rounds equal to how much you hit by, though this can't stack with itself. Second, they're really hard to hit, and their Dodge is always +2 from their Martial Arts or Sorcery Action Values. Scrappy Kids are Poor.

Next time: Merlin and Reynard, Buddy Cops!

Maybe someday somebody else will point you towards the clue dispenser.

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

I'm on a roll today with free time. So, here's the last of the character types. For this book, that is.

Feng Shui: Maybe someday somebody else will point you towards the clue dispenser.



As a Sorcerer , you command terrible mystic power! You direct chi forces with powerful incantations, able to blast foes to bits with a wave of your long-nailed hand! You love the awe your power inspires, even if it is a bit hard to use in later time periods, thanks to the suppressed chi flow. Of course, sorcerers do have a bad reputation. You wish they didn't, but the sad fact is that most of your fellow mystics end up being bad people, corrupted by demons, evil spirits or their own lust for power. You've learned that it's best to hide your abilities until you can prove you're not evil. You feel a responsibility to prevent your corrupt brothers from controlling the world, and of course the Ascended stand against you in their desire to suppress magic, while the Architects would conquer it. You're in the Secret War now, for whatever reason, and you have to deal with all of them.

All Sorcerers are from the 69 AD Juncture. They have Bod 5, Chi 0, Mag 8, Mnd 5, Ref 5. Thery add two points to three different primary attributes, and then 2 points to any secondary attribute except Mag. They get Info: History +4, Info (Any) +4, Info (Any Other) +2 and Sorcery +7. Sorcerers also get 5 sorcery schticks and are Rich.



You used to be a Spy for an intelligence agency, but you're not with them any more. Maybe you got forced out by new bosses. Maybe you made a tragic mistake that got you fired. Maybe you just go bored after the Cold War ended. Now, you need a new way to get the excitement of the game again. Maybe you work security or industrial espionage. But what you really want is to fight the good fight again. When you found the Secret War, you realized it was the perfect chance to find mysteries and defy danger. You're in the game again. (Or, perhaps, you're an Imperial operative from ancient China, a world traveler and former agent from 1850, or even a Buro internal security agent who went rogue.)

Spies can be from any Juncture. They have Bod 5, Chi 0, For 6, Mnd 5 and Ref 5. They have 8 points to spend on primary attributes, but can't spend more than 3 on any one attribute. They get Deceit +10, which can't be raised, Fix-It +2, which can't be raised higher than +8, Guns +5, which can't be raised higher than +8, Info: Fashion +6, Info: Food and Drink +6, Info: Politics +4, Intrusion +4, which can't be raised about +7, Martial Arts +5, which can't be raised above +8, and Seduction +5, which can't be raised above +8. Spies get +4 to spread around, 1 gun schtick and 1 weapon. They also get a unique schtick: People can't resist telling them things. They can spend a Fortune point to get a reluctant or hostile NPC to tell you something they shouldn't - so, yes, you can cause a villain to give a gloating monologue. Spies are Rich.



You're a demon, monster or spirit of the Underworld, a horrific Supernatural Creature from beyond. But you aren't evil, even if most of your kind are. Even demons have free will. You used to only live for terror and pain...until the time you were summoned by the Lotus-Eaters. The eunuchs forced you to obey them with mystic bonds, but eventually, with immense mental effort, you were able to break free. You saw the people around you, living in fear of your sorcerous masters. And though most of your kind would never think such thoughts, you decided to help them. Maybe you wanted revenge on the Eaters of the Lotus. Maybe you wanted to atone for your sins. Maybe you just wanted to be sure you could never be enslaved again. You look horrific - perhaps a corpse, perhaps a monstrous ogre, perhaps a terrible bat-winged head. Your features terrify many who might otherwise have been your allies. Perhaps you just want to be human, like them. Perhaps you hide for fear of being seen, or perhaps you transform yourself and walk among men. Perhaps your greatest fear is that you will stop being able to hold in your monstrous instincts.

All Supernatural Creatures are from 69 AD. They have Bod 5, Chi 0, Mag 8, Mnd 3, Ref 5. They add 5 to one primary attribute, 3 to another, and 1 to a third. They get Creature Powers +7, which can't be raised, and Martial Arts +4, which can't be raised above +7. They get +3 to spread around, but must take skills which make sense for a monster to have. Supernatural Creatures get 5 Creature Powers, but can't be healed by Medicine unless the healer learned Medicine in 69 AD. Supernatural Creatures are Poor.



You're a Techie , an inventor and machine savant. You know guns inside and out, but that's not all you do. You can make anything - surveillence gear, hidden weapons, more exotic goods, you name it. You're a gearhead, through and through, and you love nothing more than sitting back with some chips, a beer and an engine. The last time you fell in love, it was with a car. The Secret War confuses you, but most things having to do with people confuse you. Still, you know the first thing evil wants to control in any situation is technology and information. You know how ot make stuff, and that makes you dangerous. If you don't want to be taken captive and forced to make weapons, well, you're going to have go out and fight. Maybe when you're done you can finally perfect that old idea that's been kicking around your head for years.

Techies can be Contemporary or from 2056. They have Bod 5, Chi 0, For 1, Mnd 5, Ref 5. They add 3 to one primary attribute, 2 to a second and 1 to a third. They have Driving +10, which can't be raised, Fix-It +10, which can't be raised, Guns +6, which can't be raised above +8, and Info: Science +4. They get +3 to spread around. They get one gun and a unique schtick. Specifically, they always have what they need on hand. Whenever they want any tool or gadget, they just spend a Fortune point and they have it. Techies are Working Stiffs.



You're a Thief . It's how you make a living, but money's not why you do it. Sure, you live in the lap of luxury - but it's all for the challenge. After all, why steal from someone who won't make it tough? You love outsmarting the folks who make security systems, researching them and planning out every angle. But something always goes wrong - that's just how the world works. You plan for that too, when the adrenaline kicks in and you have to make choices fast. When the alarms are blazing, the guards are on their way and it's way too far to get to the getaway car - that's when you feel alive. Still, there's always this nagging thought: What's the point? Isn't this all a bit childish? After all, you definitely don't need the cash. And maybe killing all those guards...well, they were just doing their jobs, right? Maybe 'they got in my way' is a bad excuse. You don't feel bad about stealing from the rich, but those guards...that's starting to haunt you. Lately, you've been thinking about trying to do something good. Like Robin Hood, maybe. Maybe the chance is coming up sooner than you think.

Thieves can be from any Juncture. They have Bod 5, Chi 0, For 3, Mnd 5, Ref 5. They add 3 to one primary attribute, 2 to a second and 1 to a third, then 2 to a secondary attribute. They get Deceit +4, which can't be raised higher than +8, Detective +2, which can't be raised higher than +8, Guns +6, which can't be raised higher than +8, Info: Arts and Antiques +6, Info: Gems and Jewels +6, Intrusion +11, which can't be raised, and Martial ArtS+ 5, which can't be raised above +7. They get +8 to spread around and one weapon. Thieves are Rich.



Way back in 69 AD, a bunch of intelligent animals decided that being animals sucked. So they meditated for years and took on human form, becoming Transformed Animals , taking a shortcut up the ladder of reincarnation because being human rocks. Seriously, it owns. Maybe you're one of those animals, or maybe you're one of their more modern descendants. Either way, you fear magic because too much of it can turn you back into an animal - and once you're back, you can't turn human again. You're not a werewolf, you can't change forms. You just want to live among humans...but you've been drawn into the Secret War. Maybe some human you love is threatened, maybe you're trying to protect your secret...or maybe you're modern. In the 1850 and Contemporary junctures, your kind rule the world as the Ascended. They wiped out magic. Maybe you don't know your true heritage. Maybe you turned your back on them. They probably know about you, but you think you've hidden from them with your latest identity. STill, they're everywhere, around every corner. By nature you're reclusive, but you've become involved anyway. After all, while reclusive, Transformed Animals are still emotional. They still care about other people.

Transformed Animals can be from 69 AD, 1850 or the Contemporary Juncture. They have Bod 5, Chi 7, For 2, Mnd 5, Ref 5. Their attributes are changed by what kind of animal they are, which is covered later. They get Guns +2, which can't be raised over +8, Info: History +3, Info: (Any) +3, and Martial Arts +6, which can't be raised above +8. They get +8 to spread around. They also get 5 schticks from one Transformed Animal package. (We'll get to what that is later.) Transformed Animals can never learn Sorcery - and, in fact, when exposed to magic they have to make a check to not turn back into animals. This is easiest for ones from 69 AD, since they used to be animals rather than being born apparently human. If they fail the check, well...reroll, your character is now a chicken and can never turn back. Yeah, this sucks and is a dumb rule. Transformed Animals are Working Stiffs.

Next time: Guns, guns, guns.

I believe this is your preferred instrument of destruction. You will find it fully loaded.

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Now into parts of the book that aren't insanely easy and fast to write up!

Feng Shui: I believe this is your preferred instrument of destruction. You will find it fully loaded.

We open the skills chapter with our anonymous protagonist captured and tied up. He's ocntemplating his own imminent death when suddenly a man comes out of nowhere, taking out his guards with terrifying kung fu! The man pulls out an immense sword - but he frees our protagonist instead of killing him. The man then tells him that while he's a temporary ally, he is no friend of our confused hero - he longs for a day when the modern world does not exist, with its foolish and blind people who drive it to destruction. Still, he hands over a gun, if with extreme distaste, and helps our hero escape on a motorboat.

That gets us into the Skills chapter. Skills, we are told, are meant to be as broad as possible. If someone argues a skill can be used for something and it's not completely unreasonable, just accept it, roll and move on. This is a fast-paced game and shouldn't get bogged down. Every skill (barring Info skills) has three components: Physical Ability, Knowledge and Contacts. Physical Ability is the ability to actively do something - shoot a gun, break into a house, find clues. Info skills don't have this, everything else does. Knowledge is background information related to the skill - knowledge about the history of martial arts, technical details about guns, that sort of thing. Contacts is useful because it's who you know - it's what you roll to find people related to the skills. Other martial artists, a fence, that witness you talked to last week. Of course, that doesn't mean these NPCs will like you or want to help you, but you can find them.

Some skills also have Subskills, which can be one of two things. First, maybe you want to cut out part of the skill. Your character knows how to fight unarmed, but he's no martial artist, he doesn't know shit about the history. So he has the Subskill Brawling, instead, and doesn't get access to the Knowledge part of things, or at least the part that relates to history. Second, subskills can repersent greater degree of ability in a specialized area. For example, Surgery is a subskill of Medicine. These are pretty rare. Oh, and if you're wondering - Guns handles all ranged weapons. Skills work in every juncture. You just get a penalty to your roll the first three times you operate with a new juncture's rules, assuming they're different enough to require it. (Bows to guns, yes. Breaking into a high-tech facility in the future when you're used to modern alarms, yes. Punching people pretty much stays the same.)

Anyway. If you want details on any of the skills, ask for it. All skills do something useful, though, you can be sure of that. Now I'll just cover special things. Arcanowave Device as a skill grants the subskill Arcanowave Technician if you have it at +6 or higher. Intimidation is unique in that it has no Knowledge or Contacts aspects. Only Karate Cops, Martial ARtists, Masked Avengers, Ninjas, Old Masters, Scrappy Kids and Ex-Special Forces get the full Martial Arts skill; everyone else gets the subskill Brawling unless they spend a skill bonus to expand it to Martial Arts. Brawling lacks the Knowledge and Contacts aspects. Characters from 1850 are limited to no more than +3 in Medicine until they get a training montage in a modern or futuristic setting. At +3 or more, you are probably a certified MD or at least qualified for it. At +5 or more, you also get a specialized subskill, such as Surgery, Forensic Pathology, and so on.

Now, as we move to the next chapter, our hero has learned that a Colombian cartel leader is trying to make friends with a Lotus-controlled New York group. In the meantime, he's trying to find a way to work the Ascended/Hand war to his advantage, and they don't the Lotus-Eaters getting bigger. To deal with this, he has gone to Sunny Pak, his favorite arms dealer, to get some new goods. Sunny's got a ton of guns, and he sells...quite a few of them to our hero.

Which is appropriate, because this section is all about guns. Now, you might be wondering, how accurate are these to real life? If, you know, you're an idiot. This is an action movie game. Guns are both less deadly than in real life and far less focused on fine fdetails. If you want to use your personal gun knowledge to spice up your dialogue, go for it, but realism is not going to help you here. Guns are a fantasy element in exactly the same way firebreathing and magic kung fu are. And that's why Gun Schticks exist. Gun Schticks let you do tricky, highly destructive or somewhat esoteric things with your guns. Some can be bought multiple times for more benefits. It costs (8+x) XP to get a Gun Schtick, where X is the number of Gun Schticks you will have when you buy the new one. If your total Action Value for Guns (that is to say, total Guns+Reflex) is less than 12, you can't learn Gun Schticks until it's 12 or higher. So, let's see the Schticks!

Both Guns Blazing is about dual wielding. If you have it, you know how to shoot a guy with two guns so that it hurts really badly. When you have this and hit someone with a Guns attack while wielding two guns, you can declare it a Both Guns Blazing attack and deal damage thusly: (Total Damage Rating of both guns) - (Opponent's Toughness*2) + Outcome of the roll. That's how many wound points you deal. The GM tells you the target's Toughness when you make a Both Guns Blazing attack, so that's a side benefit - shooting a guy with two .45s gives you a great idea of how tough he is. If you have only one schtick in this, any Two Guns Blazing attacks are made at -2. Two schticks, it's at -1. Three, it's at +0. Any schticks you buy after that give a cumulative +1 bonus to Both Guns Blazing attacks.

Carnival of Carnage means you are damn good at taking down waves of mooks. For every schtick you have in Carnival of Carnage, you subtract 1 from the shot cost of any attack on unnamed characters - which means they take less time, and thus can be done more often, as we'll see when we get to the combat chapter. You can't reduce the shot cost to below 1, though. But that's okay! Once you have 3 schticks in Carnival of Carnage, you start taking out mooks on a total Outcome of 4+, instead of 5+. Four schticks, it goes down to 3+. You can't put more than four schticks into Carnival of Carnage.

Eagle Eye means you're really good at hitting the spots on someone that aren't armored. You can ignore any personal armor your target is wearing, but you can't reduce their Toughness. Each schtick in Eagle Eye also lets you ignore 2 points of penalty due to cover or range.

Fast Draw lets you...draw guns fast. For every schtick in it, you add 1 to your Initiative result at the beginning of each sequence. If you do this, though, your first action in the sequence must be a gun attack.

Hair-Trigger Neck Hairs allows you to sense danger. Even when you're not paying attention. Whenever danger strikes and the GM makes a check to see if you notice, you get +2 to the roll for every schtick in this. If you succeed at the check and can usefully respond to it by either shooting something or dodging, the Outcome of your perception check is applied to that first Guns or ACtive Dodge roll.

Lightning Reload lets you reload faster than you should. For every schtick you have in it, you reduce the shot cost of reloading any gun by 1. This can reduce the cost to 0, but no negative. If you have 3 or more schticks in Lightning Reload, you never run out of bullets. No matter what. Ever. No matter how improbable it is. You will always have bullets on you to load your gun.

Signature Weapon is a schtick that gives you a lucky wepaon! For every schtick you spend in it, you choose one particular gun as a signature weapon. Maybe it's your lucky Glock, maybe it's your grandma's shotgun. It doesn't matter. Whatever it is, you get a +3 damage bonus with that gun. Not that type of gun, just that one, specific gun. (E: And it will never be taken away from you. So far as I know, the only way to unfixably break a Signature Weapon is to do so intentionally as its owner.)

Now, some gun rules. Specifically, on automatic weapons. In real life, they're devastating. In action movies, well, they're cool but not quite so terrible. In Feng Shui, they give you a +1 damage bonus for every three-bullet burst you fire. You can fire as many three-bullet bursts at once as you want, as long as you have ammo, but you have to announce them before you roll Guns to see if you hit or not. Also, you take a -1 penalty to the roll for every three-round burst, because seriously the recoil is killer. However, if you're only firing one or two bursts, there is no penalty, because you're just that good. Characters are assumed to be able to carry a maximum of 10 guns or clips on their person, though bigger people can carry more as the GM allows...but that's why God invented gym bags. And, of course, if you have Lightning Reload enough, you always have a clip.

Sometimes you want to hide a gun. Every gun thus has a Concealment rating. Ammo clips also do - for pistols, it's 1, for machine pistol clips, rifle magaziness or machine gun magaziness, it's 2. You add together the Concealment rating of all guns, clips and magazines you're carrying, and that number is applied as a bonus to all perception checks made by others observing you to notice that there are bulges in your clothes. Naturally, you also have to be wearing a jacket, overcoat or some other clothing that can actually hide your guns.

Some other rules now...pump-action shotguns get a +1 bonus to damage if you spend a shot in combat (that is, shot as in time, not as in bullets) to dramatically pump it and go 'KA-CHINK!' Medium and heavy rifles also kill unnamed characters easier than normal. Now then! Gun malfunctions. When you roll a Way-Awful Failure on a Guns check, your gun malfunctions. You make a Fortune roll to see how bad. If you pass the check, the gun is jammed, and you can spend 8 shots to clear the jam and then use it normally. If you don't have the shots this sequence, just subtract the leftovers from next sequence's Initiative. If you fail, though, the gun is damaged and can't be used again until you get it repaired, which will take several hours.

Every gun has a capacity, which is how many bullets it can fire before you have to reload. You need to know it and keep track of how much you shoot. Revolvers and shotguns take 5 shots to reload, while rifles, SMGs and machine guns take 3. Automatic pistols take 1, and 1850s-era black powder guns take 9 shots to reload. There are all different kinds of ammo - hollowpoint, armor-piercing, and so on. Characters will talk about them, use them and believe they matter. They don't, there are no special ammo rules. If a gun is a signature weapon, you will never lose it or have it be permanently damaged. Other guns can be, but it's never that hard to get a new gun. In fact, it is just assumed between fights that a gun-using character will just get new guns from somewhere. Anyone with gun schtick should never have to go out and find a connection for the rare and/or restricted firearms of their choice or scrounge up the cash to pay for them. You don't even need to do a scene for it - you just assume it happens between scenes. This isn't true if they want some kind of rare gun from outside the Juncture they're from, though, or if buying the gun furthers the plot somehow. Still...

We then get a huge list of specific gun models. There isn't much difference between them, of course, but a gun character will swear there is and should probably know their favorite guns' model names by heart. I'm not going to bore you with most of them, but the book does suggest that if you have a Desert Eagle, it should be chrome, because why would you get one if it's not chrome? It also suggests that you should talk about fine German craftsmanship a lot if you get an H&K gun. So there's some wit in the list of guns. Interestingly, guns from 2056 are actually worse - the craftsmanship isn't as good, and they take 10 shots to clear out when jammed, though to be fair they also have the Buro Hellharrower, which is a giant-ass assault rifle with the biggest damage bonus short of Arcanowave Devices. (14, if you're wondering. Most handguns are between 7 and 10, most rifles and shotguns are between 11 and 13. Bows are a 7.)

Next time: My kung fu is superior!

I tried to use the cross-time cell phone Prof had given me to call for reinforcements, but I was getting nothing but static.

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: I tried to use the cross-time cell phone Prof had given me to call for reinforcements, but I was getting nothing but static.

Our intrepid and anonymous hero has gotten into a fight, but all his allies are down - Chen, the Bronze Mask, West Willow and McCroun. Jimmy even got himself killed! He's the last one standing as he faces the White Ninja, the Shattering Hand, C. C. Wang and the three Lee brothers...plus their 24 mooks. He calls for reinforcements, but the signal's blocked. The White Ninja attacks, her kung fu letting her run across the hail of bullets our hero sends at her. Before he knows it, she's on him, and he's just barely dodging. That's when something moves and distracts the WhitE Ninja, letting our hero coldcock her. That'd be when a team of merceenaries show up of nowhere, take out C. C. and the Shattering Hand...and shoot our hero with a dart which knocks him out. When he wakes up, he's in a strange and particularly stylish interrogation chamber with an old Scottish police inspector he knows...and he has no idea what's going on.

What's going in is kung fu . Any characters with positive Chi or at least positive Kung Fu can learn and use Fu Powers. Each Fu Power has a Chi Cost, the number of Kung Fu or Chi points you have to spend to use it. If your Kung Fu is higher than your Chi, that's how many points you have. It refreshes every sequence, but doesn't carry over, so you might as well spend it all by the end of the sequence. Spending chi points doesn't alter your Chi or Kung Fu ratings. Each power also has a Shot Cost, how long it takes to use. Very fast actions have a cost of 1, most have a cost of 3. Unless otherwise noted, the power only lasts for those shots and then goes away. Fu Powers require a Martial Arts roll to activate, but in many cases also include an attack, which the roll is also used for. (I think. I'm not sure if all powers require a roll, or just ones that talk about Outcomes and checks.)

Fu Powers come in paths , unlike Gun Schticks. You learn the first power on the path, then the second, then the third, and so on. You can learn multiple paths, but you can't learn a power without learning the ones before it on its path. Some powers will also have special requirements. Typically, you'll want to focus on one or two paths so you can get to the most powerful abilities at the end, but that's not universal. The cost of a new Fu Power is (3+X) XP, where X is the number of Fu Powers you will have when you get the new one. There is no training time, it's assumed to happen offscreen. Hell, maybe you knew the power all along and just haven't used it yet. So, what're the powers?

Path of the Shadow's Companion
Friend of Darkness - Chi 1, Shots 1. You can act without penalty in partial or complete darkness, and this power lasts until the end of the sequence.
Dark's Soft Whisper - Prereq: Friend of Darkness, Chi 4, Shots 3. An otherwise normal Martial Arts attack you make is completely silent - no one can hear any sound you or your opponents make during the shot the attack happens on.
Blade of Darkness - Prereq: Dark's Soft Whisper, Chi 1, Shots 3. You can turn chi energy and shadow into a six-inch blade. This blade lasts for a number of hours equal to your Outcome on the Martial Arts roll to activate this power. It has Damage equal to (Strength+3), and you get +3 to Intimidation checks when wielding it.
Gathering the Darkness - Prereq: Blade of Darkness, Chi X, Shots 3. You draw the shadows around yourself as a cloak, causing a -X penalty to all perception checks to detect you for X minutes after you activate this. X is how much Chi you spend.
Strike from Darkness - Prereq: Gathering the Darkness, Chi 4, Shots 3. You make a Martial Arts attack on a foe who is unaware of your presence. If you hit, your damage is not reduced by their Toughness.
Shelter of Darkness - Prereq: Strike from Darkness, Chi 7, Shots 0. When you hit someone with a Martial Arts check, you can choose to activate this instead of dealing damage. An area with the target as the center is plunged into absolute darkness until the end of the sequence. Its radius is your hit's Outcome in meters, and anyone not immune to darkness effects suffers a -4 penalty on any attack made within, from or into the darkness. Other actions that require sight may suffer the same penalty at the GM's discretion. The shot cost of the power does not include the shot cost of the attack that triggered it.

Path of the Sharpened Scales
Bite of the Dragon - Chi 2, Shots 3. You make a Martial Arts attack with a +2 Damage bonus.
Breath of the Dragon - Prereq: Bite of the Dragon, Chi 3, Shots 3. You make a Martial Arts attack with a +3 bonus.
Claw of the Dragon - Prereq: Breath of the Dragon, Chi 5, Shots 0. You activate this after a successful Martial Arts attack. The Outcome gets +4.

Path of the Passive Wings
Crane Stance - Chi 1, Shots 1. If someone trying to hit you has Perception lower than your Agility, you get +5 to Dodge. Using Crane Stance is a defensive action.
Wing opf the Crane - Prereq: Crane Stance, Chi 2, Shots 1. Until the end of the sequence, you can subsitute your Chi (or Kung Fu) rating (not the number of unspent Chi points) for your Strength rating when making any rolls that require it, including damage rolls.
Beak of the Crane - Prereq: Wing of the Crane, Chi 1, Shots 3. On a succesful Martial Arts check, you may place an opponent in a hold that renders them immobile. Every 3 shots, the opponent may make a Strength check with your Martial Arts Action Value as the difficulty. If he wins, he breaks free. If you do anything but passively dodge, he breaks free automatically.
Talon of the Crane - Prereq: Beak of the Crane, Chi 3, Shots 3. As Beak of the Crane, but every time your foe attempts the Strength check, he takes 3 Wound points.

Path of the Hands of Light
Hands Without Shadow - Chi 1, Shots 3. You make a Martial Arts attack which your foe can't actively dodge.
Dim Mak - Prereq: Hands Without Shadow, Chi 2, Shots 3. You attack with an unarmed Martial Arts attack. If it hits, you ignore any armor the opponent has.
Lightning Fist - Prereq: Dim Mak, Chi 6, Shots 3. You attack with an unarmed Martial Arts attack. If it hits, your opponent can't use Toughness to reduce the damage.

Path of the Clever Eye
The Fox's Retreat - Chi 1, Shots 1. You get +5 to your Dodge value. This is a defensive action.
Eyes of the Fox - Prereq: The Fox's Retreat, Chi 1, Shots 1. You study an oppponent in combat, and the GM must tell you the numerical value of one of their attributes, skills or current point totals. You pick which one.
Laughter of the Fox - Prereq: Eyes of the Fox, Chi 1, Shots 3. You make a Martial Arts check against a foe, and if you hit, you steal the weapon from them. Until the end of the sequences, you get +3 to attack that opponent with this weapon. You get -5 to the check to steal the weapon if it's a signature weapon.
Vengeance of the Fox - Prereq: Laughter of the Fox, Chi 2, Shots 0. When you're hit by someone in hand-to-hand combat, you can make a Martial Arts attack. IF you hit, the opponent is thrown a number of meters equal to your Outcome in the direction of your choice. They take Damage equal to your Strength plus the Outcome.
Luck of the Fox - Prereq: Vengeance of the Fox, Chi 1, Shots 3. You draw chi energy in around you, and may spend Chi points as if they were Fortune points until the end of the sequence, but you take 5 Wound points each time you do.
Contract of the Fox - Prereq: Luck of the Fox, Chi 8, Shots 0. You activate this immediately after Initiative rolls. Your first shot is equal to the highest first shot rolled.

Path of the Tightening Coils
Eyes of the Snake - Chi 2, Shots 1. You execute a series of distracting moves. The shot cost of all attacks made on you guys up by 1 until the end of the sequence.
Slither of the Snake - Prereq: Eyes of the Snake, Chi X, Shots 1. X is the number of unnamed characters you want to hit. If they can choose targets, they can't pick you until next sequence. If all characters on one side of a fight use Slighter of the Snake, though, the power fails to work for any of them.
Strike of the Snake - Prereq: Slither of the Snake, Chi 3, Shots 0. You reduce any 3-shot action requiring a Martial Arts roll to a 1-shot action.
Coil of the Snake - Prereq: Strike of the Snake, Chi X, Shots 0. You may make a Martial Arts attack on the current shot even if it's not a shot you could attack on. X is the difference between the current shot and your next action shot. This doesn't change when your next shot occurs, it's just a bonus attack. It also doesn't change any costs of the attack you make.
Lunge of the Snake - Prereq: Coil of the Snake, Chi 3, Shots 0. You get +3 to your Initiative roll.

Path of the Brilliant Flame
Fire Strike - Chi 1, Shots 3. You make an unarmed Martial Arts attack. It gets a +2 Damage bonus, and if your opponent has flammable clothing, the clothing ignites. It takes 3 shots to put the fire out, and until it's put out the victim suffers 1 Wound Point for every 3 shots that he's on fire. Total damage from the fire effect can't exceed your Chi (or Kung Fu, if higher) rating.
Fire Stance - Prereq: Fire Strike, Chi 6, Shots 1. Until the end of the sequence, anyone attacking you unarmed takes 1 Wound point per attack, which is not reduced by Toughness.
Fire Fist - Prereq: Fire Stance, Chi 3, Shots 3. You make an unarmed attack with your fist surrounded by flaming chi. The Damage rating oif the attack is 10, and even those somehow immune to martial arts or fu attacks take full damage unless they're also immune to fire blasts.
Eyes of Fire - Prereq: Fire Fist, Chi 3+X, Shots 3. As Fire Fist, but you don't have to touch them because you shoot fire out of your eyes. X is the distance between you and your foe in meters.
Gathering the Fire - Prereq: Eyes of Fire, Chi 3, Shots X. You can stand in the middle of a raging fire without taking damage for any number of shots in one sequence. For each shot you spend in the fire, you get a temporary Chi point. You may choose to spend these at any time to pay for any fu powers; once spent, they're gone forever. They don't change your Chi rating, just give you more points to spend. IF spend on this path's powers, the powers are half cost.

Path of the Selective Master
Signature Weapon - Chi 0, Shots 0. When you learn this power, you pick a specific single melee weapon, as per the Gun Schtick Signature Weapon. When using that particular weapon, you get a +3 Damage bonus and all other benefits of Signature Weapon.

Path of the Immutable Clay
Creative Thunder - Chi 1, Shots 3. You attack someone wielding an arcanowave device with an unarmed attack. IF you hit, you add the Difficutly of their next mutation check to your Outcome.
The Wandering Cow - Prereq: Creative Thunder, Chi X, Shots 1. When you suffer an arcanowave effect that would force you to make a mutation check at the end of the session, you can spend Chi equal to the check's difficulty if it were held immediately. You then apply that number as a bonus to your next action. The mutation check occurs normally at the end of the session.
No Medicine - Prereq: The Wandering Cow, Chi 3, Shots 8. You touch someone, including yourself, who will make a mutation check at the end of the session due to arcanowave exposure. You make a Martial Arts check with the difficulty equal to that of the mutation check if it were made immediately. If you succeed, the difficulty resets to 0 and must go up from there. If you fail, you must make a mutation check at the end of the session, with the victim's current Difficulty added to your own, if any. The victim's Difficulty is not changed. (And yes, we'll get to what all this means in the Arcanowave chapter.)
Unexpected Harvest - Prereq: No Medicine, Chi 0, Shots 0. If you've just used No Medicine succesfully, you may conver the dissipated arcanowave energy into chi power. You roll Martial Arts against the same Difficulty as No Medicine used, andi f you succeed, you get a number of Chi points equal to the Difficulty. Once spent, it doesn't come back, but it remains with you until spent. This doesn't change your Chi rating.
Clearing the Ground - Prereq: Unexpected Harvest, Chi 8, Shots 15. You can use your chi to cure an arcanowave mutant! You take their current value on the Mutation Outcome Chgart and treat it as a positive rather than a negative number. You then make a Martial Arts check with it as the difficulty. If you succeed, they're cured. If you fail, they remain mutated and you have to make a mutation check at the end of the session, adding the difficulty of the failed check to the difficulty of your Mutation check.

Path of the Empty Bottle
Drunken Stance - Chi 1, Shots 1. You must weave and trip drunkenly about as a continuous action (we'll get to what that means), but your opponent has to make a Perception check to attack you, which takes one shot to make. The difficulty is equal to the number of servings of alcohol you've had in the last half hour. A beer is half a serving, while a glass of wine or liquor is a full serving. When you use Drunken Stance, you ignore penalties from alcohol consumption for the rest of the sequence. You can also consume two servings of alcohol per shot by using Drunken Stance, which hits your bloodstream the moment you chug it down, no waiting, as you are a master of the ancient art of speed-drinking.
Drunken Fist - Prereq: Drunken Stance, Chi X, Shots 3. You make an unarmed Martial Arts attack, subtracting X from your target's Dodge value for the check, where X is how much chi you spent. In order to use this power, you must have had a number of servings of alcohol equal to to half your Constitution rating at most half an hour before the fight started.
Wily Stupor - Prereq: Drunken Fist, Chi X, Shots 1. You add X, where X is how much chi you spent, to your Toughness against a single attack made against you. This is a defensive action. To use this power, you must have had a number of servings of alcohol equal to half your Constitution rating at most half an hour before the fight started.
Aberrant Spasm - Prereq: Wily Stupor, Chi 3, Shots 1. You duck and weave unpredictably as a defensive action. After your foe makes a Martial Arts attack on you, make one of your own and pick a character within 3 meters as the poossible target of the attack. Your Difficulty is your opponent's attack result plus half the new target's Dodge value, rounding up. If you succeed, the new target suffers Damage equal to your Outcome plus the opponent's weapon's damage rating. In order to use this power, you must have had a number of servings of alcohol equal to half your Constitution rating at most half an hour before the fight started.
Spasmodic Leap - PRereq: Aberrant Spasm, Chi 3, Shots 1. Until the end of the sequence, any foes trying to attack you with guns or ranged weapons must make a succesful Perception check. If they fail, they must spend 6 shots firing at you to be able to hit you. The Difficulty of the check is the number of servings of alcohol you've had in the past six hours. Opponents who fail also may not act for 3 shots after the 6 shots of firing end.

Path of the Healthy Tiger
Claw of the Tiger - Chi 1, Shots 3. You attack with an unarmed Martial Arts attack, but the damage balue for your attack is Strength+3.
Tiger Stance - Prereq: Claw of the Tiger, Chi 1, Shots 0. After you are damaged in hand-to-hand combat, you may launch a free Martial Arts attack on the person who damaged you. This has no effect on your current Shot.
Unyielding Tiger Stance - Prereq: Tiger Stance, Chi 2, Shots 0. When attacked in hand-to-hand combat, you may respond with a simultaneous Martial Arts attack. This has no effect on your current shot.
Vengeance of the Tiger , Prereq: Unyielding Tiger Stance, Chi 4, Shots Special. When wounded in hand-top-hand combat, you can launch a Martial Arts attack on the person who just wounded you, using any Wound points you took after reduction from Toughness as a bonus to your attack. You then make a Constituion check with the Wound points just suffered as your Difficulty; if you get a negative Outcome, you're exhausted and can't act for a number of shots equal to that Outcome. If you succeed, you must wait 3 shots before acting.
Flow Restoration - Chi 0, Shots 1. You may touch someone to release them from the paralysis caused by the fu power Point Blockage.
Corners of the Mouth - Prereq: Flow Restoration, Chi X, Shots 1. Spend any amount of Chi while touching someone. They gain that amount of Chi and may spend it at any time during the current Sequence. At the end of the sequence, both your Chi total and theirs return to normal.
Healing Chi - Prereq: Corners of the Mouth, Chi Special, Shots 10. You perform crucial acupuncture jabs to speed the healing process. You make a Martial Arts check and subtract the result from your target's current Wound Point total. There's no way to save up healing and no negative wound point totals. If you're damaged while using Healing Chi, apply any Wound points you suffer as a penalty to your value for Healing Ch's check. If the check value is negative, the target suffers 5 Wound points. (I'm not sure what Chi Special means for the cost.)
Point Blockage - Prereq: Healing Chi, Chi 5, Shots 3. You make an unarmed attack to block the flow of chi in a body. If you hit, you then make a Chi roll with your target's Chi as the Difficulty. If you succeed, the target is paralyzed for a number of Shots equal to the Outcome of the check. They retain all their senses, and if they realize that they're being attacked while paralyzed, they can make a Chi or Kung Fu check (their choice) against the higher of your Chi and Kung Fu. If they succeed, they break free.
Shadowfist - Prereq: Point Blockage, Chi Special, Shots 3. You make an unarmed attack. If you hit, you don't do normal damage. Instead, you make a Chi or Kung Fu roll against the target's highest of Chi, Kung Fu and Will. If you succeed, you permanently reduce your Kung Fu and Chi ratings by 1 but the target's Martial Arts Action Value is permanently reduced by 5 and he permanently loses the use of a Fu Power of your choice.
Storm of the Tiger - Prereq: Vengeance of the Tiger, Shadowfist, Chi X, Shots 0. X is any amount of Chi you want to spend. You add (X*2) to the Damage of an unarmed attack you just made.

Path of the Storm Turtle
Clothed in Life - Chi 1, Shots 1. Until the end of the sequence, Damage done to you by those with a lower Chi rating than you is reduced by 2 per strike.
Armored in Life - Prereq: Clothed in Life, Walk of a Thousand Steps, Chi 3, Shots 3. Until the end of the sequence, add 3 to your Toughness for the purpose of resisting damage.
Inner Strength - Chi 1, Shots 1. Until the end of the sequence, you use Kung Fu instead of Magic to resist magic spells.
Eye of the Storm - Prereq: Inner Strength, Chi 2, Shots 3. You end the lingering effects of a single magic spell cast against you. It does not reverse damage from spells, but prevents any further damage from occuring once the spell ends.
Gift of the Storm - Prereq: Eye of the Storm, Chi 1, Shots 0. As you use another Fu Power, you can pick another character to benefit from it. That character gets all the benefits the power says "you" get. They must be willing, and within (Chi rating*3) meters of you. In the case of Drunken Stance and other powers on that path, you have to be drunk, not the target of this power.
The Storm Reverses - Prereq: Gift of the Storm, Chi X, Shots 1. You pick a new target for a magic spell cast at you by an enemy. X is the caster's Magic rating. This is a defensive action.
Tornado of Shelter - Prereq: The Storm Reverses, King on the Water, Chi 7, Shots 3. You are immune to all damage from magic spell and arcanowave devices until the end of the sequence.
Willow Step - Chi 1, Shots 0. You get +2 Dodge fur the duration of the shot.
Walk of a Thousand Steps - Prereq: Willow Step, Chi X, Shots 3. Until the end of the sequence, you add X, where X is the amount of Chi spent, to your Martial Arts Action Value when making active Dodges.
King on the Water - PRereq: Walk of a Thousand Steps, Chi 3, Shots 3. If your Charisma is greater than your target's, his next attack on you automatically fails.
Fortress of Righteousness - Prereq: King on the Water, Chi X, Shots 3. A Fu Power used by an opponent to strike you is neutralized. X is the Chi Cost of the neutralized power. The opponent still spends the Chi and shot costs of the power. This is a defensive action.
Natural Order - Chi 3, Shots 1. You take no damage from a single strike from a gun or arcanowave device. This is a defensive action which must be declared when you are targeted but before the attack is rolled.
Backlash of the Turtle - Prereq: Natural Order, Chi 3, Shots 3. A gun or arcanowave device that just caused you to take Wound Points is destroyed. Signature Weapons are immune to this effect.
Mirror of the Turtle - Prereq: Backlash of the Turtle, Chi 3, Shots 3. You make a Martial Arts attack with the number of Wound Points you have just suffered after Toughness from a single hit from a gun or arcanowave device as the Difficulty. If you succeed, the opponent that wounded you takes an equal amount of Wound Points, which are not reduced by Toughness.
Laughter of the Turtle - Prereqs: Mirror of the Turtle, King on the Water, Chi 7, Shots 3. You are immune to damage from guns until the end of the sequence.
Vengeance of the Turtle - Prereqs: Laughter of the Turtle, Chi 4, Shots 3. If you hit a non-living vehicle with an unarmed Martial Arts attack, the vehicle is destroyed.

Path of the Leaping Storm
Gathering of the Clouds - Chi 1, Shots 0. You can maintain a continuous action without adding to the shot cost of other actions you take.
Awesome Downpour - Prereq: Gathering of the Clouds, Chi 1, Shots 3. Using a single Martial Arts check, you attack two named characters within 3 meters of each other, using the highest of their Dodge values as the difficulty. Both opponents take the same amount of damage.
Rain of Fury - Prereq: Awesome Downpour, Chi 2, Shots 0. Immediately after making one attack on an unnamed opponent, you make another on the same opponent at no shot cost.
Torrent of Fury - Prereq: Rain of Fury, Vertical Charge, Chi 8, Shots Special. You spend all of your shots at once to launch a series of attacks against many foes. Each time you succeed a Martial Arts check, you can immediately make an additional attack on another opponent. You may attack each individual opponent only once per sequence.
Integration of the Clouds - Prereq: Torrent of Fury, Chi 1, Shots 0. You may combine the use of two Fu Powers into one action, provided the powers share a word in their titles. Fu Powers with contradictory conditions can't be combined. You pay the chi cost for both, but only the highest shot cost.
Prodigious Leap - Chi 1, Shots 1. You leap twice your normal Move rating, either horizontally or vertically.
Flying Windmill Kick - Prereq: Prodigious Leap, Chi 7, Shots 5. You make a normal kick attack with Martial Arts. If you hit, you make another kick against the same opponent at 0 shot cost. You continue doing htis until you miss, and the number of attacks you may launch is unlimited as long as you keep hitting.
Abundant Leap - PRereq: Prodigious Leap, Chi 2, Shots 3. You leap four times your normal Move rating, either horizontally or vertically.
Flying Sword - Prereq: Abundant Leap, Chi 3, Shots 3. You attack a foe by flying at them with sword outstretched as a Martial Arts attack. If you hit, add your Move rating to the Damage.
Water Sword - PRereq: Flying Sword, Chi 5, Shots 1. You make a display motion that causes your sword to become flexible and springy. Until the end of the sequence, opponents get -2 to their Dodge against your attacks.
Loyal Steel - Prereq: Flying Sword, Chi 1, Shots 5. You throw any hand-to-hand weapon at your foe, who may be up to (3*Chi rating) meters away. You make a normal Martial Arts check to see if you hit. If you do, you deal DAmage as if you had hit the enemy with the weapon in melee combat. Whether you hit or miss, the weapon flies back to your hand immediately.
Vertical Charge - Prereq: Flying Sword, Chi 3, Shots X. You run up a vertical surface. You choose the shot cost of this, and add that to your Martial Arts action value for a sword attack made immediately after using this power.

Next time: Oh, oh, it's magic, you know. Never believe it's not so.

I'm humiliated that you would even feel the need to ask.

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

This'll probably be my last update today, since I have to get some work done, but it's been sitting here so I may as well get it out.

Feng Shui: I'm humiliated that you would even feel the need to ask.

We don't get fiction this time. Instead, let's learn about magic. First, all magic requires you to do something - chanting, waving you hands around or other ritual actions. You can stop someone from, doing magic by gagging him, binding his hands and seperating him from his ritual inks and papers. As a result, casting a spell is a complex action with a shot cost of 3, requiring a Sorcery check. The difficulty changes based on what you're doing. Also: feel free to rename your Sorcery schticks and special effects. Anything particularly cool-sounding to you is fine, especially since sorcerers often shout the names of their spells in dramatic situations.

The good news is that the rituals involved in spellcasting can be fudged a bit - they won't go bad if you dodge while casting, even an active dodge, though an active dodge will slow down the spell much as it slows anything else down. You can also perform snapshots to shave off the shot cost on a Sorcery check as per normal; we'll get to what that means later. Anyway, instead of dividing stuff into specific spells, Feng Shui goes with a set of basic effects tied together as a schtick and has multiple schticks. Each schtick has several special effects, broad categories that define what spells looke like and do. You have all the special effects of every Sorcery Schtick you have except the Blast schtick. You get 3 Blast special effects when you buy Blast and have to buy more with XP.

So, what if you want your spell to do something not covered by the listed special effects? Well, you tell the GM what you want to do, and he decides if it's reasonable to try. Then he lets you roll against a difficulty he's set. If you want to argue with him about what's reasonable, to keep the game moving he's instructed to let you roll and just automatically fail. Automatic failure also happens to spells that would completely derail the plot, but if a spell is necessary to advance the plot it auto-succeeds. Being flashy, entertaining, obvious or helping to move the plot along lowers difficulties, while subtlety, slowing things down or being born adds to difficulties. Further, each Juncture has a modifier to uses of Sorcery. In 69 AD, all Sorcery is done at +2. In 1850 and Contemporary, it's -2. In 2056 and the Netherworld, it is +1. There is an exception for Hong Kong, though. For some reason, Contemporary Hong Kong has a modifier of +0. No one knows why.

Naturally, concerted effort in the Secret War can change the Juncture Modifiers. It's rare, though. Changing one modifier will also change the Netherworld's. See, to get the Netherworld's modifier, you take all the major junctures and add up their modifiers. The Netherworld's modifier is whatever makes the number you get become 0 when added to it. So if sorcery gets harder in the Junctures, it's easier in the Netherworld, and vice versa.

We also get a note that Sorcerers may attempt to combine schticks to get more complex effects - for example, let's say you want to interrogate a corpse, but that doesn't fall directly under your schticks. So, instead, you combine Heal (to make the corpse take on a semblance of life) and Summoning (to call out the souls and question them). The GM buys this and lets you try it, but decides it's pretty tough. It's possibly to succeed with just one part of this spell, too - so you might get the corpses moving but not get the souls back. You can also perform normal stunts, like anyone else, using Sorcery. It's -1 per additional target to hit more than person with a Blast. When we get to combat, we will find that applies to all attacks. Likewise, Blasts can do called shots or cause ancillary effects (like igniting a drum of gas with a fireball).

Oh, right - and you can dodge with the Blast schtick. It creates a barrier of magical energy to deflect attacks. You may also fire counter-blasts to parry attacks or use Movement to telekinetically block attacks with objects lying around. Handy! It's also possible to burn your own chi if your roll's not good enough. You can spend points of Magic to increase your Sorcery roll by +1 per point spent for a single roll. However, this also lowers your Magic for the rest of the session by the amount you spent. Which means all your other rolls relying on Magic are going to be that much worse. Further, fueling a spell this way means that when you get boxcars, even if you succeed, you take backlash.

Backlash is what happens when you channel too much energy to handle. It varies by what spell you're casting, but it's never good. It happens when you get a Way-Awful Failure on a spellcasting roll, or any time you get boxcars on a spell which you shaved shot cost off of with a snapshot or fueled with your personal magic points. So that's risky. Anyone with the Sorcery skill can learn Sorcery Schticks, and it costs (16+X) XP per schtick, where X is the number of Sorcery schticks you'll have when you get the new one. No training time, as always. It also costs 3 XP per special effect to learn new Blast special effects. As for learning Sorcery - well, it takes two years apprenticed to someone with Sorcery total 15 or higher. At the end of those two years, to roll Magic against difficulty 10. If you pass, you can buy Sorcery and get two free schticks. If you fail, you have to wait 6 months to try again, but the next roll is Diff 8, and so on. Typically this will be a training montage in two years of time that nothing big happens, or it just won't happen at all.

So, magic schticks. Let's start with Blast . Blast is how you attack with magic. Pretty much every sorcerer has Blast. It's great, it's powerful, but it's not so good at esoteric effects. Your base Damage with Blast is your Magic rating + 2. The difficulty of landing it is the highest of your target's Dodge, Magic or Sorcery ratings. Backlash on a Blast is 10 Wound points suffered by the caster. What kind of Blasts can you have?
Acid : You shoot a stream of liquid or a cloud of acid that eats away at things. Also handy for damaging evidence, poisoning wells and removing serial numbers.
Chi : Too much raw chi energy is bad for things. If cast in a feng shui site, it will disrupt or sever the connections between the site and the people attuned to it, causing them to lose the benefits until they reattune. The Difficulty of doing this is (3*number of attuned characters), and you have to de-attune all of them. Also, unlike normal Blasts, you get +2 per Magic point spent to boost Chi Blasts instead of +1!
Conjured Weapons : You call a glowing, magical weapon or rain of weapons out of thin air, which fly at your enemy. Handy for hurting things immune to normal attacks, because the weapons count as magical. Also, scary.
Disease : This is more longterm and best suited for villains. Instead of causing Wound Points, you subtract the target's Constitution fro mthe Damage. The result is the disease rating. For every 5 points of disease rating, rounded down, the victim suffers 1 point of Impairment until cured. The disease can be cured by a Medicine check with the disease rating as the Difficulty, or by the Heal Sorcery schtick or the Fu Power Healing Chi.
Disintegration : Matter vanishes. At the GM's discretion, damage from disintegration blasts, especially called shots, may cause injuries that can on;y be healed by magic or arcanowave tech. If this is done, though, disintegration blasts are at +2 Difficulty.
Fire : Sets things on fire, starts fires, lights cigars and cigarettes impressively. Also heats things up and thaws frozen TV dinners!
Ice : Freezer burn. It also makes ice cubes, chills food, lets you walk across lakes and keeps you cool in summer.
Lightning : Electrical discharge. Good for recharging car batteries and overloading electronics, too.
Steam : Steam. Also good for fogging up car windows and glasses, and opening envelopes without ripping them.
Transmutation : You turn matter into other matter. You turn flesh to stone, or water, or primordial ooze. The new substance is very rough, though - you can't make gold pure enough to sell, or stuff that's durable enough to use. It just hurts people and breaks things. However, it is a very demoralizing power because it can't be healed except by magic or arcanowave tech. However, it's done at +3 Difficulty.

Divination is a schtick that lets you get information through magic. The backlash is bad luck. On your next three important rolls, chosen by the GM, you roll an additional negative die. Special effects?
Revelation : You can identify illusions as fake or learn the true forms of transformed supernatural creatures.
Prediction : You get good, if obscure advice. Usually this is done with the I Ching. When a PC uses this power, the GM gives a cryptic answer meant to be a puzzle and move the plot along by providing a clue to the next scene. The Difficulty is based on how good the GM thinks the clue is. Obvious clues are high Difficulty, subtle are Low. NPCs, well, they get warning about the PC's plans and, for some reason, there's a difficulty listed as if you're actually going to roll it! Specifically, the difficulty is the highest Magic or Chi rating of the PC group.
Warning : You draw a chalk outline on the ground around an area. There's no size limit, but it has to be an unbroken outline. You name any number of specific intelligent beings who can cross the line without triggering an alarm. Any intelligent being not on that list causes a shiver to run down your spine when they cross the line. However, the intruders secretly roll the higher of Magic or Sorcery; if they beat the original spell result, the warning isn't sent. As a note, a sorcerer with Blast can combine this with Blast to make a booby trap. This takes two checks - one for Warning, one for Blast. If the intruder triggers the warning, he makes a second Magic/Sorcery check. If the second check doesn't beat the check to set up the Blast, it goes off against the intruder and can't be dodged. The Sorcerer does not know if or when the trap goes off, just that someone crossed the line. The power remains as long as the chalk line is unbroken, and an intelligent intruder can't brush the chalk away without automatically triggering the warning. (Rain, however, can.)

Fertility is the shtick for measuring and modifying ambient chi flow. A Backlash on a Fertility effect decreases your Constitution by 1 until the end of the session. Special effects!
De-Attunement : You can sever a target's link to all of his feng shui sites, forcing him to re-attune to get the benefits back. The Difficulty is equal to the highest of the target's Sorcery or Magic ratings, or (the number of sites he's attuned*3).
Germination : You create powders and potions to make plants grow in the worst conditions or to make cows or goats produce more milk. This requires no roll. You can also cast this on people to make them more likely to conceive. The Difficulty is 5, plus the higher of the target's Magic or Chi if they're unwilling or unknowing. If the check is succesful, then the GM makes a special roll the next time the subject engages in any procreative activity, whatever that is for them, adding the Outcome of the spell to the roll. If the result is positive, someone got pregnant. If the result is over 15, animals get large litters and humans get twins or triplets. You can also create potions to stop plant growth, milk production or human fertility, same methods.
Growth : You make a potion causing all plants in the area to increase in size. Any plant within 5 meters of the spot the potion is poured on the earth is affected, and the size increase is 5%, plus another 5% per point of Difficulty.
Harvest Chi : You can spend a Magic point to add a positive die to any roll you make.
Observe Chi : You can see how strong the chi is in the area, allowing you to immediately ID feng shui sites and sense the Chi rating of any character you can observe for 30 seconds. You can also see lingering magical or arcanowave effects. All of this can be done without rolling.
Steal Chi : You can spend a Magic point to add a negative die to any roll attempted by someone you can observe - even if it's via video or binoculars.
Restore Chi : You can restore disrupted chi flows, cancelling any currently active magic or arcanowave effects. The Difficulty is equal to the Sorcery or Arcanowave action value of the character who caused the effect. You have to equal or beat that to completely neutralize the effect. If you do this at the same time that a Sorcery or Arcanowave check is being made and win, you prevent the effect from happening in the first place.

Heal is the schtick for restoring people and objects to good health. You're probably an alchemist if you have this, or lay on hands if you're Western. Backlash varies by what you're trying to do but tends to be the opposite of what you want.
Cure Diseases : You cure diseases! Difficulty is based on the severity of the illness. A cold is 6, heart diseas is 12, AIDS is 20. Arcanowave biohzards that cause disease are usually 15 or higher. In a Backlash, you catch the disease you're trying to heal. If trying to cure yourself, you instead infect a friend or loved one.
Heal Wounds : You make a Sorcery check and subtract the result from someone's Wound Points. You can't do this mid-fight, though. In a Backlash, you suffer Wound Points equal to the target's current total.
Immortality : Yeah, that's right. You can reverse one year's worth of aging. The Difficulty is the target's true age divided by 5. However, the target must reduce their Magic by 1 permanently, and it can't go below 0. In a Backlash, all previous Immortality spells reverse themselves. If this puts the target past their normal life expectancy, they die. Generally, if you're not using this on yourself, the person you are using it on probably has friends who will be upset about that.
Material Restoration : You can fix broken objects. The Difficulty is basedo n the size and complexity - smaller is easier, simpler is easier. Scissors are around 4. A gun or brick wall is around 8. A computer is around 12, as is a car. A jet would be 16. You can't fix Arcanowave devices. On a Backlash, you break the item permanently and it can't be fixed by any means.
Poison Antidotes : You can make a potion to neutralize poisons. The Difficulty is the Damage Value of the poison. If you succeed, all wound points done are canceled out. On a backlash, you suffer wound points equal to those done by the poison. This also works against the lingering effects of the Creature Power Corruption, with Difficulty equal to the Creature Powers value of the user. If you get backlash on that, you become corrupted.

Influence lets you manipulate the thoughts, feelings and senses of other people.
Emotion Potions : You can make a potion to create a certain emotion. Love potions are most famous. You roll Sorcery when you make the potion. When it is consumed, the total is compared to the target's Chi or Magic, whichever is higher. If you beat it, the subject is affected for days equal to the Outcome. On a backlash, you're the one affected.
Enchantment : You impose your will on someone. They must be in earshot, but the spell can work by telephone, recording or videotape. The target will obey a single instruction in both letter and spirit. The difficulty is the highest of their Chi, Magic or Will. Modifiers are added based on how likely the instruction is to be followed without magic. If the target would obey anyway, no modifier. If they'd be mildly averse, +3 to Difficulty. If actively unwilling, +6. If extreme coercion would be required, +9. If the target would die before doing it, +12. Mooks told not to attack usually fall into +9. On a backlash, you must obey the next instruction given to you by anyone - including billboards or TV commercials. It's the first instruction you see or hear.
Illusions : You send false sensory signals to the target. Any sense, even touch. They must be within (Magic rating*3) meters of you, and the Difficulty is the higher of their Chi and Magic, +3 for every sense after the first that is affected. The illusion is anything you want, and it lasts for a number of shots equal to the Outcome. On a Backlash, you're the one who sees/hears/feels the illusion.
Inspiration : You plant an idea in someone's mind. You can be any distance from them, but most have either something they owned and cared for or a part of their body. The Difficulty is the higher of their Chi and Magic, and they believe they had the idea themselves unless you want them to know you sent it. If the character thinks it's their own idea, there's no guarantee they'll think it was a good one - this isn't mind control. On a Backlash, you suffer -1 to your Mind rating for 8 hours and can't sleep for the same period.

Movement is the ability to move objects around. The Backlash for Movement is that you are violently hurled a number of meters equal to the Difficulty of the check you were making in a random direction. This will probably hurt.
Chucking Things About : You must be able to see hte target object whjen the spell is cast, but binoculars or live video work. Photos don't. The Difficulty is the weight of the object in kilograms, divided by 5. So a 50kg rock is 10, a 100 is 20. The maximum distance you can move it is (Outcome*3) meters. Objects under 5kg don't even need a roll. Sometimes you can make an object move on its own by pushing it - say, by moving the parking brake on a car on a hill. You'd use Remote Manipulation for that, and then a simple push with this.
Flight : You can fly at your usual Move rate without a roll. You have to roll to do complex things like picking people up, actively Dodging, zipping through hoops or whatever.
Remote Manipulation : You can do tasks based on Manual Dexterity without touching things. You have to be able to see what you're manipulating, and the Difficulty is equal to whatever the Difficulty would be normally, but you have to roll twice - once to cast the spell, once to do the Manual Dexterity check.
Speed : You can icnrease your Speed or that of another person for 1 sequence. The Difficulty is the target's current Speed + 5. The Outcome is the number of additional Speed points they get for the rest of the sequence. You have to be able to see the target, and if they want to resist you have to beat the highest of their Dodge, Magic or Chi. You can decrease Speed as well, with a difficulty of the higher of the target's Magic or Chi, or Dodge if they're aware of the spell. The Outcome is the number of Speed points they lose for the sequence.

Summoning is the schtick for dealing with supernatural creatures - that is, anything with Creature Powers or arcanowave mutations. (Arcanowave can mutate you, by the way.) Unless otherwise noted, the difficulty is the target's Will. Backlashes tend to involve accidentally summoning angry monsters.
Banishment : You drive away supernatural creatures. You have to be able to see the target, and they have to see you. If you win, the target must spend (Outcome) sequences moving as fast as possible away from you in any direction. It can defend itself from attacks but can take no other action. It must try to overcome any barriers in its path by any means, including finding a new route. It doesn't have to endanger itself to get around bostacles. If it can't leave, it will cower as far away from you as it can until the spell ends.
Corruption : You can ritually desecrate an area, making it amenable to supernatural creatures. This is difficulty 8. The area is a sphere centered on you, with radius equal to (Outcome) meters. It doesn't move after you cas it, and remains for (Outcome) days. If you spend a MAgic point before casting the spell, it is permanent. Supernatural creatures in the area get +2 to all action values. You can only corrupt a space, not an item. Corruption will also cancel out the efects of a Purification spell, but the difficulty for that is the result of the origina Purification check.
Domination : You try to control a supernatural creature. You must be able to see it and it must be able to hear you. If you succed, it must obey your instructions to the letter (but not the spirit) for (Outcome) sequences, to the best of its ability. If you spend a MAgic point before casting, it must obey for (Outcome) hours, instead.
Exorcism : You remove the taint of a monster from a person, such as a possessed person or arcanowave mutant. If the condition was caused by a monster or arcanowave device's user, their action value in the relevant skill is the Difficulty. If you're curing mutation, the difficulty is the victim's mutation point total. Against an unwilling subject, this lasts for (Outcome) sequences, while in a willing subject it is permanent. It can't be used on supernatural creatures, abominations or other beings to turn them human or suppress their powers. Just humans who have been changed.
Invocation : You can summon a supernatural creature. You need a part of its body - hair, a claw, skin, whatever. You can also use it on any monster you have used Domination on in the past. The difficulty is the target's Willpower, +7 if they're in the Netherworld or a different juncture when you cast the spell, +5 if they've had an arcanowave device installed since your last encounter. You must spend 2 Magic points to do this, and if you succeed, the creature materializes in front of you. This does not stop it from doing anything, so it can totally attack you if it wants.
Purification : You can ritually cleanse an area, the opposite of Corruption. This follows the same difficulties and rutles as Corruption, but any supernatural creature trying to enter the area must pass a Willpower check with the spell's action result as the difficulty. If they fail, they can't enter the area and suffer a point of Impairment for a number of sequences equal to the Willpower check's Outcome. Purification can cancel out Corruption via the same rules.

Weather lets you manipulate the weather. Difficulties are based on how big a change you're making - slight is 5, dramatic is 10, extrem is 15. Backlash causes a -1 penalty to your Chi for the duration of the session, but you can't go below 0 Chi.
Cold : You make it cold outside, causing people to go find scarves and coats. Guards will huddle together around heaters or garbage can fires, abandoning their posts. (This isn't mind control - it's just dramatic effects of cold weather.)
Heat and Humidity : You make opponents wearing armor or heavy coats feel very uncomfortable, make exertion tiring and make people thirsty enough to take the ice-cold but poisoned or potion-laden glass of lemonade.
Fog : You obscure vision and get partial cover! Also you look spooky and sinister.
Lightning : As per the Lightning Blast, but you made a storm to go with it.
Rain : Roads get muddy, vehicles get stuck, people go running inside so they don't get wet and can't see your fight. Also it makes your foes annoyed and upset.
Snow : Traffic problems, flight cancellations and you obscure vision.
Thunder : You impress mooks and hide noises.
Wind : You knock people over or slow them down, blow away light objects, damage buildings, knock down trees and power lines, or even create sandstorms.

Next time: So come up to the lab, and see what's on the slab. The creature feature!

Hey, I know my style, and whoever put together this interrogation chamber had it to spare.

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

You know how I thought I'd have no more time today? Wasn't quite right.

Feng Shui: Hey, I know my style, and whoever put together this interrogation chamber had it to spare.

All right. Supernatural creactures. What is a supernatural creature? For our purposes: anything which starts play with Creature Powers and anyone who has failed a mutation check due to arcanowave exposure. The former follow a few rules. First: all supernatural creatures are horrific. You got to decide how, but they look awful. Maybe they're working corpses, or giant ogres, or demon heads with wings. They are immediately recognizable as inhuman monsters and terrify people. This can be handy - they get a +2 bonus to Intimidate when in their horrific forms, even if they don't actually have the skill. However, it does mean they have trouble moving through society. Most people want to kill them, though Abominations in 2056 can get buy if they have military escort. When in their natural state, supernatural creatures are treated as having Charisma of 2 when trying to make a positive impression, even if they have higher Charisma. You want to use that higher Charisma? Take the Transformation schtick and turn human. If you want to look scary, menacing or make a negative impression, you get your full Charisma in monster form, though. Also, all supernatural creatures, except ghosts, also look much slower than they actually are. They look like they stumble or hop along at a rate equal to half their Move, but actually move at their full Move speed. Ghosts look as fast as they actually are, though.

Like Sorcery, supernatural creatures get bonuses and penalties based on the local Juncture. However, the modifiers apply to all of their action values. In 69 AD, supernatural creatures get +2, and abominations get +1. In 1850 and Contemporary, they both get -2. In 2056, supernatural creatures get -1 and abominations, due to their arcanowave reconstruction, get +2. In the Netherworld, there is no modifier. In Contemporary Hong Kong, there is also no modifier. No one knows why. Supernatural creatures also suffer from the fact that they can't be healed by normal medicine. Creatures need to be healed by the mystic medicine taught in 69 AD, while abominations need the superscience of 2056. Mystic healing like the Healing Chi power, the Heal schtick of Sorcery or the arcanowave Slap Patches work as normal.

Only supernatural creatures can by Creature Powers - but that does include arcanowave mutants, so that's a plus. It costs (8+x) xp, where x is how many Creature Powers you will have when you gain the new one. No training time, these htings just spontaneously appear. So - what are the powers?

Absorption : When attacked by someone using a fu power, you make a Creature Power check with a difficulty equal to the Martial Arts action result. If you succeed, you can use that fu power for (Outcome) sequences, and your attacker loses it for that same amount of time. If you absorb a fu power, you get a number of points to spend on it equal to the higher of your attacker's Chi or Fu ratings. As far as I know, it regenerates each sequence as normal. Yes, if you somehow steal an Old Master's power that costS X, you can just unload all of that and be happy.

Abysmal Spines : You're covered in sharp bony spines, have jagged teeth, terrible claws or some other nasty natural weapon. This gives your unarmed attacks +2 to their Damage ratings per schtick spent on this, to a maximum of +8 damage (so four schticks).

Amphibian : You can move and breathe underwater. If you want, you can reduce your Move attribute by any amount on land in order to increase it by the same amount underwater. This decision is made when you take the schtick.

Armor : You get 2 points of Armor per schtick, to a max of 8 points of Armor.

Blast : You have an ability much like the Blast schtick of Sorcery. For each schtick spent, you get one of the special effects listed under Blast. You use Creature Power as your skill to use it, not Sorcery.

Blood Drain : You can drink human blood to gain some kind of power. You have some kind of body feature to do it with - fangs, sucker mouths on your palms, a proboscis, whatever. If you have the abilities Abysmal Spines or Tentacles, that can be your feeding equipment. When you hit someone with a Martial Arts attack, you may make a Creature Power check against the higher of your target's Chi or Magic ratings. If you succeed, you can choose to forgo normal damage in order to do one of the following effects. You have access to one effect per schtick spent on this:
Action Value gain : You choose a skill that both you and the target have. You get +1 to your action value for this skill until the end of the session; the target gets -1 to their action value for the skill for the same period. This stacks each time you use it.
Fortune drain : Your victim loses a Fortune point and you gain one. This stacks each time you use it, but does nothing to people with no Fortune points.
Memory drain : You gain the victim's memories. You lose them at the end of the session. Until the end of the session, your victim is haunted by nightmares, becomes distraught and is subject to memory lapses and hallucinations. There is no benefit to landing this more than once in a session on the same target.
Voice gain : You can mimic your victim's voice with perfect accuracy until the end of the session. There is no benefit to landing this more than once in a session on the same target.

Brain Shredder : You can cause a fear response in other intelligent beings which is so intense that it causes brain damage. You must be within (the higher of your Chi and Magic) in meters of your victim, you must be able to see them clearly and they must be able to see you clearly. You can't use this and the Transformation ability at the same time. Your base damage is 7, +3 for every additional schtick spent on this power. You roll Creature Power against the victim's Dodge, but damage is reduced by the highest of Chi, Fortune or Magic, rather than Toughness.

Conditional Escalation : You temporarily gain a point of a single, specified primary attribute each time a particular condition is might. These last until the end of the fight. You can add a second primary attribute by spending another schtick. There's no roll here, it just happens. When you spend your first schtick, you pick one of the following triggers:

• When you take more than 10 Wound points from a single attack.
  
• When you cause more than 10 Wound points with a single attack.
  
• When you are the target of a succesful Sorcery check.
  
• When you are the target of a succesful Arcanowave check.
  
• When you are hit by an opponent using a fu power.
  
• When you are hit by an opponent using a gun or other ranged weapon.
  

Corruption : You infect your victims with your own essence. If this is not treated, they become supernatural creatures, too. Any victim who suffers more than 25 Wound points from your unarmed hand-to-hand attacks is in danger of being transmuted. They must make a Constituion check with a Difficulty equal to the number of succesful attacks you landed. If they fail, they will change into a monster after three midnights. Their attributes change to be identical to yours, except they lose 1 point of each attribute. They gain the Creature Power skill and retain all other skills. At first they retain their own will and consciousness. However, if ever given the chance to act savagely or monstrously, they must make a Willpower check with a difficulty of your Magic. If the target is a PC, the GM temporarily controls them when they fail a check, making them act against the PC's desires. Once the victim fails three checks, their old personalite is gone and replaced by a bestial one. If they were a PC, they become an NPC. This happens even if you, the infector, are "good" - Corruption is a tainting essence. It can be reversed before the third failure by using extensive blood transfusions or the Poison Antidotes power of the Heal schtick. For each living and active character you have corrupted, you gain 1 Corruption Point. Corruption Points can be spent at any time for a +1 bonus to any action value for one action. You can spend as many Corruption Points on an action as you like, and they refresh at the beginning of each session. If you spend a second schtick on Corruption, you gain the Domination ability with a +6 bonus, usable only on those whom you have corrupted.

Damage Immunity makes you immune to some form of damage. You never take wound points from attacks you're immune to, ever. For each schtick spent, you are immune to one type of damage, and you can't buy more than two immunities at chargen. This schtick costs four times the usual number of XP. The available immunities are:

• Immune to normal bullets. Exceptions: Magic or silver bullets.
  
• Immune to hand-to-hand weapons. Exceptions: Magic weapons and one mundane weapon type of your choice, such as stakes, blowgun darts or polearms. The GM can tell you to pick a new one if she thinks the one you picked won't come up or is too weak.
  
• Immune to unarmed attacks. Exception: Attacks using fu powers.
  
• Immune to damage from the Blast sorcery schtick. Exception: One special effect of your choice.
  
• Immune to the effects of all but three Creature Powers. You pick two of them and the GM picks the third. You aren't immune to effects that don't cause some sort of harm to you - purely defensive powers still work when you're fighting someone with them.
  
• Immune to fire. Exception: Magical fire.
  
• Immune to falling damage.
  
• Immune to damage from things falling on you.
  
• Immune to poisons, except for one type of your choice and one type of the GM's choice.
  
• Immune to suffocation or drowning.
  
• Immune to explosion damage.
  
• Immune to damage from vehicles and vehicle crashes.

Death Resistance : For each schtick in this, you get +3 to Death checks.

Domination : You can overcome the minds of others and force them to obey. You must be able to see the victim, and they have to be able to see you, but this can be via two-way video. You roll Creature Power and spend a Magic point, with a difficulty of your target's highest Action Value. If you succeed, the victim makes a check with their highest ACtion Value against a Difficulty of your check's Outcome. If they succeed, you don't Dominate them. If they fail, they must obey you for (Outcome) sequences. You don't have to voice your orders - they intuitively understand what you want and will obey to the letter and spirit of your commands. They will not perform suicidal actions but will go to severe risk. By spending extra schticks, you gain the following powers, in order:
1. They will remember being dominated but will not remember specific actions they performed. These memories can be recovered through hypnosis or the Influence schtick of Sorcery.
2. They have no memory of being dominated but have a sense of missing time. Their memories can be recovered as above.
3. Victims don't even know about the missing time until prompted by methods listed above.
4. Their memories can't be recovered, period.

Flight : You can fly at your normal Move rating. For each additional schtick spent, you add 2 to your Move while flying.

Foul Spew : You can spew something nasty from your mouth, firing it a number of meters equal to your Creature Power action value. This can do things like obscure windshields along with the specific effects listed. You pick one substance per schtick spent:
Glutinous Goo : You shoot a sticky substance which forces anyone hit by it or stepping in it to make a Strength check with your Creature Power action value as the difficulty to free themselves from it.
Nauseating Chunks : You shoot vomit which causes disabling nausesa in everyone within 3 meters of it. This takes 6 shots to activate; you fire on the 6th. For those 6 shots, your Dodge rating is halved. Anyone within range must make a Constitution check with your Creature Power action value as the difficulty. Those who fail spend 6 shots vomiting and may take no actions other than passive dodging; their ratings are halved. Actions they were engaged in are stopped.
Slippery Slime : You shoot a slippery substance that forces anyone trying walk on a floor or climb a wall covered in it to make an Agility check with your Creature Power action value as the difficulty. If they fail, they slip and fall, and must make a second Agility check to be able to stand up and get away.

Inevitable Comeback : When you fail a death check, you appear to die instantly. You then make a Magic check with the same difficulty as the death check you would otherwise have to make. (We'll get to that later.) If you fail, you go on to make death checks as normal. If you succeed, you return to life 10 sequences later, with your wound points reduced to 5. You may do this once per session per schtick spent on this ability. However, each time you recover in a session, your wound total when you get back up is increased by 5. If your wound point total on returning to life equals or exceeds 35, you have to make a death check. If you fail that, you can still use Inevitable Comeback if you somehow have any uses left.

Insubstantial : You may pass through solid matter with a Creature Power check, difficulty 1 per inch of thickness. You must specify four types of matter you can't pass through, and the GM picks a fifth. For each additional schtick spent, you can pass through one of the four types you picked; the GM's choice can't be bought off. You can't use this to avoid damage from being hit by matter, though.

Poison : You secret toxic venom with Damage 10. For each additional schtick, the Damage goes up by 2. Victims resist damage with Constitution, not Toughness. You pick a means of delivery with your first schtick:
Fangs or Stinger : You have to bite or sting your foe with a succesful Martial Arts check.
Gland : You can milk a gland to produce a poison which must be ingested.
Skin : You must rub your skin against your victim's for several minutes (so not just a handshake), and you can't do it in combat, but the poison is undetectable by normal means.

Rancid Breath : You can make your breath damage people. You must grab and hold an unwilling victim with a Martial Arts action. The base damage for this is 10, +3 per additional schtick spent on this. Victims resist damage with Constitution, not Toughness.

Regeneration : You decrease your Wound point total by 1 at the beginning of each sequence for each schtick you have in this. You can't have more than five schticks in this, and you can't reduce Wound point totals below 1. This ability stops workin when you fail a death check until you are somehow restored to 0 Wound points by other means.

Soul Twist : Your touch ruptures chi patterns. The base damage is 7, +2 for each additional schtick, to a max of four schticks (so 13 damage, since that base 7 is your first schtick). You must make a succesful Martial Arts attack against your victim. They resist damage via Kung Fu instead of Toughness. Damage dealt by Soul Twist can only be healed by the Heal schtick of Sorcery or the Flow Restoration fu power. Flow Restoration heals all damage caused by Soul Twist.

Tentacles : You have tentacles attached to you. You can make hand-to-hand attacks from range with them. They are elastic and can stretch out to your Creature Power action value in meters. They use your Creature Power skill to attack. You have a number of tentacles equal to the schticks you have in this power. Opponents fighting you hand-to-hand can normally not hit anything but your tentacles unless they use stunts or movement-oriented fu powers like Prodigious Leap. Your tentacles can take 20 wound points before being severed, but these do not add to your normal total and do not cause you any Impairment or otherwise affect you. Tentacles do not grow back when severed, unless you have the Regeneration schtick. IF you do, you may at any time choose to apply the wound point reduction to a tentacle instead of to your normal total. Tentacles can fully regenerate after being severed.

Transformation : For each schtick you have in this, you may assume one predetermined form. This can be an animal, a person, another type of supernatural creature or even an object. If you become an object, you gain all the normal abilities of that object. You can return to your normal form whenever you want with a Creature Power check. You can eliminate the need for the check by spending a schtick on this. You get to determine the visual characteristics of the form you take on. Transforming takes 9 shots. If you spend an additional schtick on this, you can take up hybrid forms, halfway between your natural form and your other forms. For example, if you can turn into a motorcycle, you might have a motorcycle with your monstrous head betwene the handlebars and your tentacles (if you have the Tentacles schtick). You may assign different attributes to each for, using your type's base attributes assigned differently. However, your Mind may not be altered from form to form. If you choose to give your forms different attributes, your transformations are lengthier and more painful than normal, and you suffer 1 point of Impairment per changed attribute for 3 sequences after transforming. If you improve your attributes during play, all forms' attributes change by the same amount.

Next time: You're not a man, you're a chicken, Boo!

If you meet someone mysterious and beautfiul who fears magic, she may not be what she seems.

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Having buckled down and finished my essays ahead of schedule, I reward you with nega-furries.

Feng Shui: If you meet someone mysterious and beautfiul who fears magic, she may not be what she seems.

We get another bit of fiction. This time, our hero got knocked out in 69 AD and left lying around in a desert. He wakes up and finds a snake, prepares to shoot it and then gets smacked in the back of a head by a throwing club thrown by a beautiful woman. She talks to the snake and gets it to leave, then turns to him. He realizes she's the most beautiful woman he's ever seen, but there's something a little odd about her skin and eyes. That's when she tells him that she is no friend of the Lotus and hates sorcery, and he realizes: she's not a human being. She's a snake wearing human form. Too late, though, he's already fallen in love.

Transformed animals are just cool that way. They're not furries, falling in love with them doesn't make you a furry, and the reason for that is they're human . Sure, they used to be animals, but the only thing that's left of that is maybe some funny eyes, unnaturally smooth skin and a few magic powers. When you make a tranimal, you pick what animal they are. This gives them a package of attribute modifiers and powers they can learn. If a package says that you lower a primary attribute, you also lower all secondary attributes except those the package tells you to raise. So, for example, a Spider gets -1 Bod and +2 Mov. This means he gets Bod 4 and Mov 7, since the base Bod is 5 for tranimals. Each package has a limited list of schticks they can learn (except Dragons, who are special). If a tranimal power requires a roll, it probably uses either Martial Arts or Chi; in fact, tranimal powers resemble fu powers. They have a Chi cost and a shot cost. The difference is that you have to use your Chi pool - having high Mag or Fu doesn't help. It still refreshes every sequence, though.

It costs (8+x) XP to get a new schtick, where X is the number of tranimal schticks you'll have with the new one. No training time - you're assumed to have been meditating off-screen. Now, the real pain of being a tranimal: Reversion. You're not a werecritter, you can't naturally switch forms. You're human with some odd powers and animal chromosomes. (Don't ask how that works. Action movie rules.) If you get turned back into an animal, it's a one-way trip, and who the hell wants to spend the rest of their life as a chicken? Being in areas where the chi energy has been altered by sorcery is dangerous for tranimals. In 1850 and the Contemporary Juncture, the Ascended have control of Earth just so they can suppress magic, so they don't gety turned back. Tranimals from 69 AD, being the original generation, are better at resisting magic. For every 24 hours, consecutive or otherwise, which a 69 AD tranimal spends in an environment with a Sorcery modifier of +3 or more (which, remember, does not exist except in small pockets), they gain a reversion point. Tranimals from other junctures get a reversion point per 24 hours in an environmeny with a Sorcer modifier of +1 or better - that'd be 69, 2056 and the Netherworld, plus superpowered pockets. At the end of any session where you have reversion points, you make a check using your highest Action Value against your reversion point total. If you fail, you turn back into an animal forever.

Fortunately, the book says the GM can choose to create plot devices to allow you to be returned to human form. Still, dick move, game. Dick move. You can reduce your reversion point total to 0 by spending 24 consecutive hours in an environment with a Sorcery modifier of +0 or less. Oh, and if you ever learn and use Arcanowave Device schticks, you get 1 reversion point per sequience they're active, in addition to the mutation risks. So don't do that. And of course you can never learn sorcery. So, what kind of animals are available?

Bears get +4 Bod, +4 Wil.
Bellow : Chi 4, Shots 1. If you get wounded, you can make a blood-curdling bellow. You make a Martial Arts check against the opponent's Willpower, and if you win, your opponent suffers Impairment equal to your current Wound points divided by 5 until the end of the sequence. For every additional schtick spent on this, you can target an additional opponent at once, taking the highest Willpower among your targets as the difficulty.
Fortitude : Chi 8, Shots 3. You use this power when you hit 35+ Wound points. You can forgo making death checks until the end of the fight. Each time you receive more wound points during the fight, you have to use Fortitude again or immediately make a death check.
Slap : Chi 1, Shots 3. You make a backhanded slap as a Martial Arts attack. If you hit, your opponent is hurled backwards a number of meters equal to the Outcome. They must then make a Dodge check with your Action Result as the difficulty, or suffer normal damage from the attack in addition to the knockback.
Rage : Chi 5, Shots 1. Until the end of the sequence, you have an Armor rating equal to your current Wound points divided by 5.

Crabs get Tgh +3, Wil +3, Ref +3.
Impervious : Chi 3, Shots 1. After being hit by gunfire, you may choose to take no wound points and instead convert the damage you would have suffered into chi points, which you must spend by the end of the sequence. Any unspent chi points become wound points again at the end of the sequence, so you better start blowing chi on stuff. The good news is crabs are good at that. This is only gunfire damage, though, and nothing else.
Pincer : Chi X, Shots 3. You attack with a barehanded Martial Arts attack. If you hit, you add X, where X is however much Chi you want to spend, to the Damage of your attack.
Scuttle : Chi X, Shots 1. You add X, where X is however much chi you want to spend, to your active Dodge rating until the end of the sequence.
Shell : Chi 4, Shots 1. You get 2 points of Armor until the end of the sequence, plus 2 more for every schtick spent on Shell. No matter what combination of tranimal schticks you have, you can never get more than 8 Armor from tranimal schticks.

Dragons get Bod +4, For +3, Mnd +4, Ref +4. They start with no schticks - it costs all 5 to be a dragon. However, during play, they may learn any tranimal schtick. Any of them. It costs (12+x) xp per schtick, where x is the number of schticks they'd have when they get the new one. However, dragons are very vulnerable to reversion. See, they're really powerful in their natural forms, but they need a lot of magic to survive in them. If they revert anywhere that has less than a +4 Sorcery modifier - and those places are extremely rare - then they die immediately because the magical energy is too weak to support them.

Elephants get Bod +5, Wil +3.
Armor : Chi 3, Shots 1. You gain 1 Armor until the end of the sequence, plus 1 for every schtick spent on this. Again, can't get more than Armor 8 from any combination of tranimal schticks.
Herd : Chi 3, Shots 1. All tranimals within (Chi) meters get +1 to their action values until the end of the sequence. For every schtick you spend on this, you add (Chi) to the range in meters.
Trample : Chi X, Shots 3. You launch a flurry of kicks at a prone opponent as a Martial Arts attack. If you hit, add X, where X is however much chi you want to spend, to your Damage.
Trumpet : Chi 3, Shots 1. You send out a psychic signal to all tranimals within (Chi) meters. This signal is either a request for aid or a warning to flee the area. You can't send anything else. For every schtick spent on this, double the range.

Foxes get +3 For, +3 Mnd, -1 Wil, +2 Ref.
Borrow : Chi 3, Shots 1. You can gain a single tranimal schtick from any willing tranimal within (Chi) meters and use it until the end of the sequence. For every additional schtick spent on this, add (Chi) to the range.
Embezzle : Chi 3, Shots 3. Make a bare-handed Martial Arts attack. If you hit, you may choose to gain the opponent's rating in any primary or secondary attribute until the end of the sequence. They get your rating in it for the same period.
Mockery : Chi 3, Shots 3. You can mock any intelligent being that can understand you, distracting them. You make a Charisma check against the target's Willpower. If you win, the target cannot attack anyone but you until the end of the sequence. If, for some reason, two people use Mockery on the same target, the one with the higher Outcome becomes the one that can be attacked. Your range is (Chi) meters, plus (Chi) meters per schtick spent to increase the range. You can also spend additional schticks to target one additional opponent per schtick spent, using the highest Willpower among the targets as your Difficulty.
Swindle : Make an unarmed Martial Arts attack on someone who has used an ability during this sequence. If you hit, on your next shot, you can use that ability against any target, using the character's relevant Action Value to make any rolls. You may use this ability only once each time you land Swindle. You choose one type of ability you can Swindle when you take this schtick: Arcanowave Devices, Creature Powers, Fu Powers or skills other than Sorcery. You can spend additional schticks to add to the list. You may spend two schticks to add Sorcery to the list.

Monkeys get +2 For, +4 Cha, +3 Ref.
Bounce : Chi 3, Shots 3+X. You make X Martial Arts checks, in which you bounce off available vertical surfaces. Each bounce has a shot cost of 1 and a difficulty of 10. When you stop bouncing, you may make a Martial Arts attack on any available target. You add +2 to your attack for every bounce you made. If you spend an additional schtick on this, add 3 per bounce. For two schticks, 4 per bounce. You may not spend more than two additional schticks on this. If you are somehow stopped from bouncing against your will, you gain no bonus.
Caper : Chi 3, Shots 1. You skitter around doing flips and cartwheels when targeted by a ranged weapon or thrown attack. If the attacker makes their Guns or Martial Arts roll, you make a Martial Arts roll. IF your roll beats theirs, you may pick any other character within (Chi) meters to be the actual target of the attack. For every additional schtick you spend, add (Chi) meters to your range.
Diversion : Chi 3, Shots 3+X. You perform a dazzling seres of acrobatic maneuvers and roll Martial Arts against the Willpower of an enemy of your choice. If you win, they must stare slack-jawed in astonishment until one of two conditions is met:
1. You stop using Diversion. You can stop at any time, but must stop at the end of the sequence if you don't stop earlier.
2. The target is attacked. They may then dodge normally and your hold is broken.
You may spend addtional schticks on this to hit one additional target per schtick, using the highest Willpower of your targets as the Difficulty.
Throw : Chi X, Shots 3. Add X, where X is however much Chi you want to spend, to any Martial Arts roll using a thrown weapon.

Rats get +2 For, +3 Per, +3 Ref.
Disorienting Strike : Chi 5, Shots 3. You make an unarmed Martial Arts attack against a foe, striking at a nerve point to induce dizziness. If you hit, you do normal Damage but also add your Outcome to the Difficulty of the next attack your target makes. The opponent may negate thep enalty by doing nothing but reorienting for the next three shots. They may still passively Dodge in that time, though. For every additional schtick spent on this, increase the reorientation time by 3 shots.
Infect : Chi 3, Shots 3. Make an unarmed Martial Arts attack. If you hit, the opponent suffers normal damage and also 1 point of Impairment per 5 Wound points suffered, rounding down. Wound points caused by an Infect attack don't heal naturally, and must be treated with antibiotics or magic.
Lurk : Chi 8, Shots 1. You can make yourself invisible by hiding behind a stick or dust mote. You roll Martial Arts against your target's Perception. If you succeed, they can't see you. If you are anything but perfectly still, the Difficulty gets at least +2, or more if you move a lot. For every additional schtick spent, you can affect one additional target, using the highest Perception as the Difficulty. Once you make the check, you can continue lurking as long as you want, making another check only if you move, want to affect an additional target or someone you can't target enters the area and spots you, which ends the power.
Squeeze : Chi 3, Shots 8. You can contort your body to squeeze through holes as small as 12cm in diameter. For another schtick, you can squeeze through 6cm holes. You can't spend more than one additional schtick on this.

Roosters get +3 Mov, +3 Cha, +3 Spd.
Crow : Chi 5, Shots 3. You emit a piercing wail that causes deafness. You roll Martial Arts; everyone in (Chi) meters must beat your roll on a Constition check or suffer 1 point of Impairment for a number of sequences equal to their Perception rating. You may spend additional schticks to add (Chi) to the range per schtick spent. You may also spend additional schticks to be able to exempt one person per schtick spent from your power. Transformed roosters, including yourself, are immune to this power.
Display : Chi 4, Shots 1. You raise your arms in a stylized movement of size and intimdation against one opponent. If your Charisma is higher than your target's, you get a bonus to your Martial Arts action value equal to the difference between your Charisma and theirs, which lasts until the end of the sequence. For each additional schtick spent on this, you may target an extra opponent at once. Which I guess could result in getting insanely high Martial Arts values.
Flight : Chi 8, Shots 3. You become airborne and remain so until the end of the sequence. You can reach a maximum vertical height equal to your Move rating and travel horizontally up to twice that. Each additional schtick you spend on this adds a Move rating to vertical flight and two ove ratings to horizontal distance.
Peck : Chi 3, Shots 3. You make an unarmed Martial Arts attack on a target which ignores any armor.

Snakes get +2 Int, +2 Cha, +3 Ref.
Coil : Chi 3, Shots X. You remain inactive for X shots, then make a 3-shot Martial Arts attack on someone. Add double the number of shots you were inactive to your attack roll.
Shed Skin : Chi Special, Shots Special. You may abandon your human appearance for a new one. You can never return to your old appearance. This costs 8 chi points, which stay spent for 12 hours. The transformation takes 1 hour and leaves no residue whatsoever. If you spend an additional schtick, you may choose to perfectly recreate the appearance of someone you have studied carefully for at least a week immediately before using this schtick. However, even with this power, you may never go back to your old form.
Strike : Chi 4, Shots 1. You make a normal Martial Arts attack, except the shot cost is 1.
Warning : Chi X, Shots 1. You make a fierce display of martial arts moves while hissing and baring your teeth. You roll Martial Arts against your target's Willpower. If you win, your Dodge rating against that target increases by X, where X is however much chi you decided to spend, until the end of the sequence. For every additional schtick spent on this, you may target an additional opponent, using the highest Willpower among your targets as the Difficulty.

Scorpions get +3 Mov, +3 Ref.
Dance : Chi X, Shots 1. You execute a hypnotic dance. You roll Martial Arts against a target's Willpower. If you win, the opponent is distracted and suffers X points of Impairment. This lasts only while you maintain it - you must spend X chi each shot and devote all of your attention to dancing. You may spend additional schticks to target one more opponent per schtick, using the highest Willpower of your targets as the Difficulty.
Sting : Chi X, Shots 3. Make an unarmed Martial Arts attack. If you hit, you don't do normal damage. Instead, the opponent takes 3 Wound points at the beginning of each sequence for X sequences.
Surprise : Chi X, Shots 3. Make a Martial Arts attack against a target who is unaware of your presence in hand-to-hand combat, adding X to your roll.
Scuttle : Chi X, Shots 1. Add X to your active Dodge rating until the end of the sequence.

Tigers get +1 Str, +2 Ref.
Bite : Chi 7, Shots 3. Make a called shot with Martial Arts to bite your target's windpipe. If you do, you get your Outcome based on the target's Constitution instead of Dodge or Parry. If you spend an additional schtick on this power, you ignore any Armor the target has when using this attack.
Mark Prey : Chi 3, Shots 3. Make an unarmed Martial Arts attack with your target's Chi as the difficulty. If you hit, you don't do normal damage. Instead, for each time you successfully land this power, you get +1 to Martial Arts rolls to hit that opponent. This stacks with itself. For one schtick, it lasts until the end of the fight. For two, it lasts a week. For three, it lasts a month. For four, it lasts a year. You can't spend more than four schticks on this.
Pounce : Chi X, Shots 3. You leap at your foe, making a Martial Arts attack. If you hit, you add X to the damage, where X is the number of meters between you and the target when you made the leap. This is also how much Chi you spend.
Surprise : Chi X, Shots 3. This is identical to the Scorpion power.

Tortoises get Con +4, Tgh +4, Mov -1, Int +2, Ref -1.
Rebuke : Chi 3, Shots 3. Attack a sorcerer with an unarmed Martial Arts attack. If you hit, the sorcerer cannot use the Sorcery skill for (Outcome) shots. You may multiply the Outcome by the number of schitkcs you spend on this ability. You may spend an additional schtick to apply this ability to the Arcanowave Device skill as well.
Reflect : Chi 5, Shots 1. When you are succesffuly targeted by a Sorcery check, you may reflect the spell back at the caster. You are not affected by the spell. If you spend an additional schtick on this, you may choose to reflect the spell at any target within (Chi) meters, instead. You may spend additional schticks to add (Chi) to your range per schtick spent. You may spend an additional schtick to apply this ability to the Arcanowave Device skill as well.
Shell : Chi 4, Shots 1. You get 2 points of Armor until the end of the sequence. Each additional schtick spent on this increases the Armor by 2, but as always, no combination of tranimal powers can get you past Armor 8.
Wise Fist : Chi 4, Shots 1. Make a bare-handed Martial Arts attack, using Intelligence as the base attribute for the check. For each additional schtick you spend on this, increase the Damage rating of the punch by 1.


Spider-Woman, Age 60.

Next time: What we need more of is science!

Just call Mr. Browning a suspicious guy.

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: Just call Mr. Browning a suspicious guy.

We join our anonymous protagonist as he teams up with a cyborg from the future named Concourse Godard. The two of them head out and take down a gang of Netherworld thugs, our hero with a gun and Concourse with a giant-ass gun covered in skulls and bug parts which shoots glowing lasers and melts people. However, after the fight, Concourse goes into a seizure and briefly turns green, grows warts, has glowing eyes and sprouts hideous monster teeth. He turns back after, having fought off the Mutation Episode before it could become permanent. Arcanowave gear has problems.

Some time in the future, the scientists of the Architects of the Flesh discovered how to combine magical theory and science: life. Though it may look like machines, arcanowave gear is alive . It is created by growing living matter in a lab, infusing it with the spiritual essence of ritually slaughterd supernatural creatures or spirits, and then put inside a plastic housing, which it fuses to. The resulting material is called arcanowave resonating biopolymer, or ARB. ARB is so visually distinctive that anyone even slightly familiar with it can recognize it at a glance. It's often moist, slimy or covered in hard and bony substances that seem to bleed chalk. The outer shells are decorated with arcane sigils and often seem to resemble skeletons or crustacean shells. They tend to look very, very unnerving.

Most pieces of arcanowave gear need to fused to their users to work. Thus, to operate arcanowave tech, you need an arcanowave input/out port, or AI/O port. These get installed on your body and are roughly the size of a dime, looking like small rings of chalky ARB decorated with occult signs. There's a special kind of coaxial cable that you plug into them from your arcanowave device. The port itself extend below your skin, ending in a piece of microscopic optic fiber that ties into your nerves. It turns electronic and magical impulses into chemicals that can be transmitted and read by the brain. Any AI/O port works with any arcanowave device, but typically you can only plug one into a port at a time. Some Buro agents have jury-rigged splitters to let them use more than one device in the same port, but's recommended only for emergencies, such as when one port gets damaged. Plugging an item into a port has a 3-shot cost.

So why would unplug it? Well, arcanowave devices are viral. The chemicals they pump into you can alter your DNA, leading to mutation, birth defects and personality disorders. As a result, human users plug devices in only when they're needed, immediately before using them, and unplug them immediately afterwards. Abominations, being supernatural in oriigin, are already so stuffed with magical energy on the cellular level that they're immune to the mutagenic properties of arcanowave and don't have to care. Any character who begins the game with arcanowave schticks can have as many AI/O ports as they want, they just have to decide how many they've got.

Human characters using arcanowave tech have to keep track of the number of sequences or portions thereof, rounding up, that they spend with one or more devices plugged into their ports in each session. At the end of each session in which a device was plugged in, they need to make an Arcanowave Device roll, with the number of sequences as the difficulty. It's a closed roll, so that's a small blessing - you can't get a massive negative number. Or a massive positive one, sadly. This is a mutation check. If you fail, you take the Outcome and consult this chart:



You suffer the results that correspond to your Outcome and all Outcomes before it. When a mutation changes an atrribute, all secondary attributes also change accordingly, except Magic. Once you've failed a check, you take the Outcome and add it (since it's negative) to all subsequent mutation checks. So you'll want to write that down. Being a mutant pretty much sucks...but there is one upside: you can buy Creature Powers now! If you do, though, your mutations can't be reversed any more, I'm pretty sure. If a primary attribute other than Chi is reduced to 0 by mutation, you're dead or an NPC, reroll. The good news is that since fights rarely last more than 3 sequences, you should never have too hard a roll to make. If your GM runs marathon sessions with tons of fights, it suggests that you should get to add your Constitution as a bonus to your mutation check.

Just because you get a device doesn't mean you can use it, though. You have to pay (8+x) XP to attune to it, where X is the number of arcanowave devices you're attuned to when that one is added. You can be attuned to as many devices as you want, and if you've attuned to one copy of a device and it gets broken, you don't have to pay any XP to plug in another copy, if you should happen to find one. You're attuned to all devices of a type, not a specific device. Of course, getting a new device is hard, since...the Architects probably aren't fond of you. So you're going to have an incentive to go attack Architect forces and steal them. If you don't have any AI/O ports and want to use arcanowave devices, you're going to have to find a PC or NPC who can surgically install them, which requires the Medicine skill with Surgery subskill and the Arcanowave Device skill. Both rolls are Difficulty 10, and you need Architect biomedical equipment to do it. If both checks end up negative, the patient takes 6 wound points. If one succeeds and one fails, the operation is a failure but the patient's fine. When you get your first AI/O port installed, you have to make a difficulty 10 Magic check to attune to it. If you fail, not only can't you use it, but you can never use arcanowave technology, ever. You don't have the spiritual aptitude for it. The GM should add to the difficulty if oyu are particularly virtuous, and subtract from it if you're particularly wicked or depraved. This is not good mojo.

As with Sorcery, you can burn your Magic to get a bonus to a single roll. Each point of Magic you spend gives +1 to a single check, and then reduces the Magic rating for the rest of the session. Arcanowave devices are also prone to malfunction. Whenever an Arcanowave roll comes up 1s on both the positive and negative dice, there's a malfunction. You take 12 damage, add 3 to your mutation check difficulty at the end of the session and have a temporarily inoperable device. It is an 8-shot action to fix the thing, which is a Difficulty 10 Arcanowave Device roll. If you fail, you have try again. There's no limit to the number of times you can try to fix a device. If you're using two devices at once in the same port via a splitter, you also get a malfunction if both dice on the roll come up 2s, not just 1s. Damaging an AI/O port is hard - it takes a -3 penalty called shot to hit one, but if it does get hit, the port is rendered inoperable and you take 15 damage. They can't be repaired - they have to be surgically replaced. As with magic and Creature Powers, Arcanowave devices work better in some junctures. They get -1 in 69 or Contemporary, +2 in 1850 or 2056 and +0 in the Netherworld. Why they get a bonus in 1850, I have no idea. And as far as I can tell, they don't get the Hong Kong exception. Arcanowave weapons do not use conventional ammo, but do have Concealment reatings.

Aerial Mobility Unit : Wings. They're 3-meter wingspan wings that resemble robot bat wings. When plugged in, they let you fly. You roll Arcanowave Devices when you first plug them in, with your Move rating as the Difficulty. The Outcome is added, positive or negative, to your Move while in the air. This lasts for (Outcome) sequences, at which point you roll again to stay airborne and modify your Move appropriately. If you land, you have to roll again to take off.

Agony Grenade : This is a grenade in an ARB casing with a clawed demonic hand for a pin. To charge it up, you plug it into a port and leave it there until you get hit by an attack. Then you unplug it and wait until you want to throw it. Multiple attacks don't charge it more than once - it only holds one charge. You throw it per all throwing rules, and when it hits, it shoots arcane energy all over. You make a difficulty 6 Arcanowave DEvice check, and it hits an (Outcome) meter radius. Everything in that radius suffers Impairment penalties equal to the number of Wound points you took to charge the grenade, divided by 3, rounding down. This doesn't cause any actual damage - just pain sensation in the brain. Only living beings are affected, and it lasts for (Outcome) shots. There is a mystic link between you and the grenade - anyone else trying to throw it doesn't get any result. There is no addition to the mutation check's Difficulty for throwing the grenade, but there is for charging it in the first place - that one shot you took damage on. Agony grenades hold a charge until the end of the session. However, you get an unlimited supply of grenades! You can just only have one charged at a time per schtick you put into this. Of course, if you get sperated from your bag of grenades while captured or falling out of a plane, then you're going to need to get more.

Feedback Enhancer : This is a tiny radio dish made of ARB and covered in howling faces. Any Sorcery spell targetting you while the Feedback Enhancer is plugged in suffers automatic backlash. The spell still happens, though - the sorcerer just also suffers.

Helix Rethreader : This is a rifle which shoots a beam of arcanowave energy that temporary scrambles the parts of your victim's DNA that allow for chi flow. Anyone hit by it is affected for (Outcome) shots. The gun itself does no damage, but whenever the victim spends a chi point to activate Fu Powers, they take 5 wound points per chi point spent, which can't be reduced. For every 5 points of damage the Helix Rethreader causes, the victim also suffers 1 point of Impairment until the end of the fight. The gun has a Concealment of 6.

Helix Ripper : This gun actually does damage directly! It's a giant rifle that shoots a beam of energy that rips things apart on the cellular level. It has a Damage of 15 and a Concealment of 7, and is really good at taking out mooks, too. Helix Ripper damage can't be healed by the Medicine skill. However, the Helix Ripper can't hurt inanimate objects. Anything thicker than 12cm of solid matter stops the beam. Anything thinner it passes through without noticing, so it ignores armor unless the armor is alive. Helix Rippers weigh about 20kg when not plugged in, but because of magic, they weigh only 6 while plugged in.

Juicer : The Juicer is an insect-shaped ARB casing full of green magical goo. It doesn't plug into a port, but is actually surgically attached to you via a small tube. When activated by spending 1 shot to press a button on the casing, it negates any Impairment you might otherwise suffer for the rest of the session, except Impairment caused by arcanowave schticks. (I think it's meant to be just yours, but by RAW, any.) You take the highest Impairment you would have suffered and add that to the Difficulty of the session's mutation check.

Neural Stimulator : This is a coil of wires attached to a small ARB battery pack which you strap to your body. When plugged in, the pack writhes around and generates energy, which it shoots into your nervous system, making you faster. You roll Arcanowave Devices when you plug it in, with you Speed as the difficulty. You add the Outcome to your Speed for purposes of Initiative rolls. This lasts for (Outcome) sequences. However, having your nervous system overclocked is bad for you! Who knew? So you suffer one point of cumulative Impairment at the end of every sequence the stimulator is plugged in. Unplugging and immediately replugging in the stimulator is especially debilitating, causing 2 points of Impairment each time you do it, so don't get clever.

Pulser : The Pulser looks like a small lizard skull full of wires and diodes. You strap it to your head, arm, thigh or torso. When you activate it, you roll Arcanowave Device at Difficulty 5, and it alters the magical atmosphere in the area so that it has the same modifiers as the 2056 juncture. This occurs within a circle centered on you, with a radius of (Outcome) meters. This lasts (Outcome) sequences, and ends prematurely if you unplug the device.

Reinforcer : This is a three-foot skeletal needle full of green, shit-smelling ectoplasm. You inject it into an intelligent subject and roll Arcanowave Device against their Magic. If you win, they grow a hard, insect-like shell that gives Armor 3 and -1 Agility. This lasts for (Outcome) sequences. At the end of the session, the subject must make a mutation check with the Outcome as its difficulty. If they would make a check anyway, the Outcome is added to the difficulty. You don't need the thing plugged in to inject, but to refill it you need to plug it in. Refilling it has a shot cost of 8 and is a difficulty 6 Arcanowave Device roll. If it fails, you can try again immediately with no ill effects.

Robot Limb : You have an arm or leg that mixes steel and ARB alloy. You can buy this up to four times - once per limb. The limb moves as a real arm would and has a full sense of touch. When not plugged in, it is just a normal arm. When plugged in and doing something that relies solely on the robot limb, you have a Strength of 12. If you have two plugged in robot legs, you have Move 12. The limb uses an onboard power pack when not plugged in and so doesn't add to your mutation total unless it's plugged in. However, when not plugged in, the limb has a -2 to all Manual Dexterity-based checks. You add 1 to your mutation check difficulty at the end of the session for every fight in which you powered up your limbs, and for every out-of-combat check you make using an attribute boosted by a robot limb.

Slap Patch : This is a first-aid device that is a rectangular chunk of ARB with adhesive on one side. You tear off the wax paper on the adhesive, then put it on a living being. You roll Arcanowave Device and subtract the result from the target's Wound points. You can't save up the heal or go into negative Wound points. They heal immediately, as the ARB patch reconstitutes their DNA for rapid heals. However, the patient must make a Constitution check with the number of Wound points healed as the difficulty. If they fail, their system is too shocked and rather than being healed they take 4 wound points. They must also make a difficulty 3 mutation check, either way, at the end of the session, which is cumulative with other additions to the difficulty. You also have a kit to make slap patches, which can grow 1 patch per day. You add 1 to your end-of-session mutation check for each patch you grow.

Spirit Shield Generator : The spirit shield generator is a harness of ARB and lycra worn over clothes or armor. When plugged in, it activates spirits trapped in the ARB, which circle your body to guard against ranged attacks. When you suffer a ranged attack, you make an ARcanowave Device check. IF you beat the attack, a tiny spirit materializes and eats the projectile, then vanishes. YOu suffer no harm from the attack. Sorcery and hand-to-hand attacks go right through the shield. When you first get the generator, it has 8 spirits. That's its max capacity. It takes a four hour ritual to replace a spirit, and a diff 7 Arcanowave Device check. If you fail, you wasted four hours and the GM will probably make your life inconvenient because time should never be wasted.



Sucker Rounds : These are bullets for regular handguns, but they're made of ARB. They reduce a gun's damage by 2, but any victim hit must make a mutation check at the end of the session, adding the Wound points suffered from any sucker round hits to the Difficulty. Sucker rounds always make guns malfunction when used by a character who doesn't have the schtick. Characters with the schtick always have sucker rounds handy, though they reload as normal. You add 1 to your mutation check difficulty for every clip or revolver you fill with sucker rounds.

Threat Evaluator : This is a wet, insect-like eye encased in ARB. It can be implanted on your forehead or any large muscle. The eye is from a flesh-eating demon. It takes no AI/O port, but has a button to activate it on the casing. When activated, you make an ARcanowave Device check with the number of targets you're scanning as the difficulty. IF you succeed, then at the end of the sequence the GM tells you the wound point total for each scanned target. There must be a clear line of sight, so you can't cover the Threat Evaluator with clothing. If you get a Way-Awful Failure, you get the wound point total of the most wounded target but must attack that target. Unless restrained, you will try to devour them raw, as the demon's instincts override your own. This device also lets you use your Arcanowave Device rating instead of your Perception rating for Perception checks.

Tracer Resin Projector : This is a small rifle that fires hollow ARB bullets full of magical gummy...stuff. (Just stuff.) Any target hit is especially vulnerable to abomination-launched hand-to-hand attacks or attacks of any kind with arcanowave weapons. Against such attacks, their Dodge and Parry values are at -2. This is cumulative over multiple hits. When firing the projector, you need to have it plugged in, and you attack with Arcanowave Device. The effect lasts for (Outcome) shots, and the pellets do no damage. Oddly, no Concealment rating.

Wave Scanner : These are ARB goggles that make you look like you have fiery demon eyes. With them on, you can detect magical energies. When plugged in, you get +2 to Dodge against sorcery, fu powers and arcanowave weapons. You may also make an Arcanowave Device check to detect the presence of unusual amounts of magical, chi or arcanowave energy, which can identify feng shui sites.

Wave Suppresser : This is a grenade launcher that shoots blue ectoplasm. Any supernatural creature, ghost or abomination hit by it is paralyzed for (Outcome) sequences. If a paralyzed victim suffers wound points, they can make a Willpower check against your Arcanowave Device score to break free, adding the number of wound points suffered to their roll. They make one check per wound point-dealing attack. The Concealment is 6.

Next time: Everybody was kung fu fighting!

I just deliver 'em, I don't sort 'em out afterwards.

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

To celebrate my success on exams, combat!

Feng Shui: I just deliver 'em, I don't sort 'em out afterwards.


Helicopters just can't take it when the Jammers start monkeying around.

We open with our hero in a chase with some Ascended bikers. He's trying to get a kid out - an important kid, by all accounts. There's no way he can escape...unless he can get to the elevator in the Yanjing Building, which has a Netherworld portal. He gets there, taking out some bikers and racing for the elevator. However, the kid's dying. He doesn't have much time. The elevator goes down, down, down - and then it opens up in the Netherworld...except that the place has changed hands since he was last there. Our hero hijacks a fire sled, which is sort of like a snowmobile. He gets lucky - the kid survives. She's turned into a half-human, half-tiger monster thanks to the sorcerous transfusion to keep her going, but, well, that's the breaks.

Now, this is the combat chapter. It starts off big: stunts. Stunts are the most important thing. If you're going to fight, we're told, you should with style. Visualize the fight as an action movie. Never say "I shoot him" or "I hit him." That's boring. Shoot up the bad guy's barrel so it blows up! Grab him by his neck and slam him his face into an oden drawer, then close it! That's a stunt. You can stunt with sorcery and arcanowave take, even creature powers. Just never be boring. That's the only thing you have to care about. Do cool stuff, make cool things happen. The most basic stunt, the one all others are judged by, is 'I hit/shoot/blast two guys at once somehow.' This is done at a -2 to the roll. Three guys, -3. Four, -4. Most other stunts will be -2, if they do something useful as well as the basic action you're trying to do. If a stunt is just a flashy description that only takes a guy out and not anything extra? Fuck it, no penalty, you can just roll it and do it because this is Feng Shui .

But, you ask, can I stunt out of combat? Well, yes. OF course you can. A stunt is any difficult physical action requiring whole-body agility. Usually you roll Martial Arts for 'em. Or maybe Creature Powers or Sorcery if you have powers or magic that'll help. Or whatever your GM will accept, really. What if you got thrown of a motorboat a fight was happening in? Well, of course there's ropes. There's always ropes. It's a difficulty 5 stunt to waterski with the soles of your feet, and I'm sure you can figure out how to get back on the boat from there. Want to hang onto the bottom of a speeding car? Difficulty 10 stunt. Want to walk on the wing of a flying plane? Difficulty 15. This should pretty much give you an idea of how to adjudicate stunt difficulties.

Anyway, back to combat. There's two types of NPC in Feng Shui: named and unnamed. Unnamed characters, or mooks, are...aggressive set dressing. They're easy to beat up, but if you're overconfident they'll take you down a notch on a lucky roll. They follow different rules than named characters, and we'll get to those later. (Yes, you can have mooks on your side, too. They're going to go down just as easy to the baddies.) Mooks tend to only have primary attrubutes and maybe two or three skills listed. Named characters, now, they're harder to take out. Having a name makes you important to the story. PCs count as named characters, by the way. Named NPCs can either be made the same way as PCs or the GM can just eyeball stat numbers, throw 'em down and pick some schticks. Either will work fine, since the book has plenty of examples of both.

So, how's a fight go? Well, a fight is divided up into sequence. One sequence is approximately three seconds long - but that's three seconds of movie time, with cuts and jumps to show simultaneous actions, slow-mo sequences, the lot. A scene lasts however many sequences it takes to resolve the fight. Each sequence is made up of shots , the number of which is variable and determined by the initiative rolls at the start of each sequence. You see, every sequence, you make an Initiative check. This is 1d6 plus your Speed. No exploding dice, no negative dice. The number you roll is the first shot you get to act on. The sequence starts on the shot equal to the highest Initiative result. So, let's say Boo the Chicken (Speed 9), the Iron Monk (Speed 8) and Jimmy Wales (Speed 11, he's a quick one) are all having a fight. They all roll 1d6. Boo rolls a 5 for 14, the Iron Monk rolls a 3 for 11, and Jimmy rolls a 3 for 14. The sequence starts on Shot 14, when Boo and Jimmy act.

Now that we know Boo and Jimmy go first, they get to act. Then we count down shots until the next person does. Whenever your shot comes up, you do something. Then you wait until the shot cost of whatever you did runs out, and act on your next shot. The GM chooses who goes first if people act on the same shot. Most complex actions (like attacking) take 3 shots. In those 3 shots, you can move up to your Move rating in meters. If you spend 3 shots just running, you can move double that. However, over a whole sequence, you can't move more than three times your Move (or four times if you're not in combat). Some simple actions take only one shot, like blocking an attack, drawing a gun, diving flat or catching a thrown object. Once you hit shot 1 and resolve all the actions that happen then, it's time for a new sequence.

So what happens on shots 2 and 1? Most actions take 3 shots, but you don't have 3 to spend. Well, you can still do a 3-shot action anyway, at no penalty and no carry-over. Anything with a shot cost over 3, though, that does carry over, and we'll get to that in a moment. Anyway, with all this, what happens if you're attacked before your next shot? Well, you can still take a defensive action as long as your next shot is 1 or higher. Defensive actions includ dodging, parrying or whatever. They just extends your next shot by 1, so instead of acting on shot 4, you act on shot 3. If your foe is significantly faster than you, it is in fact possible to spend all your shots on defense and not get to make any actions. Run away if this happens. Alternatively, find a stunt that will get you safe and give you an advantage - say, dodging away from a melee foe by jumping onto a passing bullet train.

You can also reduce the shot cost of an action (though not all actions - for example, you can't reduce the shot cost of running) by doing it recklessly. This is called a snapshot . You can take a -2 penalty to your action to reduce its shot cost by 1. You can take a -5 to reduce it by 2. You can't ever reduce a shot cost by more than 2. There's also continuous actions - stuff you're doing throughout a sequence while also doing other things. For example, driving a car, staying balanced on a slippery perch or using certain fu powers. These don't have a shot cost, they just increase all shot costs by 1.

Okay, remember two paragraphs ago when I mentioned that on shot 2 or 1 you could do an action costing more than three shots, but it'd carry over? Time to talk about that. If you want to do that, you basically take the shots leftover as a penalty to your initiative. You may roll an 11 for initiative, but you're not acting until shot 9 if you tried to do a 4-shot action on shot 2 last sequence. Pretty simple. It is the players' jobs to keep track of what shot they act on. It's the GM's to track what shot it is right now. Basically, the GM is supposed to call out the shot number and see who can act on that shot. Keeps bookkeeping down for everyone. Players always act before NPCs do on the same shot, and the GM can pick his own method to decide which player goes first.

So, we've gotten this far and you still don't know how to punch a guy. Well, you roll as normal, using your relevant skill - Martial Arts for hand-to-hand combat, Guns for ranged weapons, Sorcery for spells. Arcanowave Device or Creature Power for powers that use those as noted in prior chapters. If your opponent is standing still and not trying to defend themselves, it's Difficulty 0. IF they are dodging or parrying, the Difficulty is their Dodge or Parry action value. We'll get to how you determine that in a moment. Range, cover and Impairment can alter difficulties and action values.

So, now that you know how to throw punch, here's how not to get hit by one. Any character in combat is assumed to be moving around some and thus gets a passive dodge at no shot cost. Thus, the difficulty to hit them is equal to their Dodge Action Value. Your Dodge Action Value is the highest action value from the following list: Arcanowave Device, Creature Power, Guns, Martial Arts, Sorcery (but only if you have the Blast schtick) or the Agility secondary attribute if somehow you don't have any of these or they are somehow worse than it. You should always keep track of your Dodge value.

But maybe that's not good enough for you. Thus, you can try to make an active dodge . This is a defensive action with a shot cost of 1, and it increases your Dodge value by 3 for that attack. The GM may penalize your Dodge value if you're in very close quarters. You can also try to parry , a special kind of active dodge that puts some kind of hard object between you and the attack - maybe you grab the guy's sword arm, or maybe you block with a shield. Your Parry action value is equal to your Martial Arts action value (unless you're a Sorcerer, in which case you may use Sorcery if you have the Blast or Movement schticks). There is no rules difference between dodging and parrying, except that parries always use Martial Arts (or Sorcery) and the result is described differently. The GM might declare some attacks unparryable and say you need to dodge instead. You can also spend a Fortune point when making an active dodge. If you do, roll one die and add it to your Dodge for one attack. If you're being attacked more than once in a shot, you have to decide which attack you're spending the Fortune die on, but you can spend one Fortune die per attack.

So, let's say you got hit anyway . Or maybe you hit your opponent, that's nicer to think about. What happens depends on if you hit a named or unnamed character. Either way, you start by finding the Outcome of the attack, which as always is the difference between your roll and the Difficulty. We'll assume you hit and it's positive. So, you hit an unnamed character. If the Outcome is 5 or more, that guy's out of the fight. Boom, gone. If the Outcome is between 1 and 4, the GM will describe you hitting the guy and making him wince or puke or whatever, but you don't actually do anything. That guy's still there, still fighting. (Unless you're using a weapon with a special rule which lets you take mooks out at Outcome 4 or even 3. In which case that happens if you qualified for it.) If your action value for your attack is 10 or more - not after the roll, just in general - then you're so good that you even get to decide how you take out a mook when you take one out. Killed, knocked out, thrown off the truck and can't get back on, whatever. Even guns, sorcery and weirder stuff can be nonlethal - you're just that good, all they need is a lengthy hospital stay. (Or not, if you decide you want to kill 'em.) To save time, decide after you find out you took the guy out. (If you do something like shove your gun down the guy's throat, though, expect the GM to not let you go nonlethal.)

So, what happens if you hit a named character instead? Well, you take your attack Outcome, add your attack's DAmage to it, then subtract your victim's Toughness. That's how many wound points he takes. Every attack has a listed damage, just look up what yours is. If the result is 0 or less, than the victim is unharmed. He'll still get a bruise, he's just not taking damage. Named characters, including PCs, must track their wound point totals. Unnamed characters don't; it's a side benefit of being so easy to take down. Once you get between 25-39 wound points (unless you're a Big Bruiser), you suffer 1 point of Impairment. Your Impairment total is subtracted from all action values. Being Impaired sucks . When you get to 30-34 wound points (unless, again, you're a Big Bruiser), you're at 2 points of Impairment. Though it's possible to get 35 or more wound points, you will never go past 2 Impairment from wounds, though you might from other sources.

So what does happen when you hit 35+ wound points? Well, unless you're a Big Bruiser, you need to make a death check . This is a Constitution check with a difficulty equal to (your wound point total-35). Impairment does not affect death checks. If you get 0 or more on your roll, you're sitll up and fighting despite being loads of pain. However, you have to make a death check the next time you suffer a wound. If you get -14 or less on a roll, you're dead. You can't fight any more, you've got just long enough to live for a death speech and everyone to weep over you, then have a slow-motion flashback about the highlights of your career while a sad pop ballad plays. (The player is instructed to describe this.)

There's a chart for what happens if you fail your death check by less than that:



Each time a dying character gets hit in combat, the time until they die goes down by 1 increment. If they get knocked past 15 minutes, they're dying at the end of the fight and can't be saved. However, dying characters are prone and barely conscious, so in most fights people will be too busy shooting at the guys who aren't dying. You can save someone who's dying by applying medical attention - specifically, a Medicine check, a Sorcery check with the Heal schtick, or a Martial Arts check with the Healing Chi schtick. The difficulty is (the dying guy's wound point total-35). If you succeed at the check, then you stabilize the guy and can go on to try and heal them. A dying character must be stabilized before their time runs out, or...well, they die. Next time, we'll look at how you go about recovering from wounds.

Next time: The first rule of Fight Club is...

My chance of getting both of us alive to any emergency ward was less than zero.

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: My chance of getting both of us alive to any emergency ward was less than zero.

So, how do you recover from injury? Well, at the start of every session, your wound points reset to zero. There are two exceptions. The first is if the last session ended in a cliffhanger! If you break in the middle of a fight or another situation where the heroes healing defies credibility, then they don't. However, it has to completely defy credibility, not just strain it. This is an action movie game, after all! Second, if you don't manage for some reason to have sessions with a clear beginning, middle and end, then you can have the healing happen at anytime in which a suitable break seems to occur, even if it's in the middle of a session. After all, not all gaming sessions are the perfect ideal of 'one episode in the story per session.'

But what about death checks? Characters who had to make death checks don't get off so easily. If they didn't get stabilized...well, they need to, or they die. IF they did, they still need to go to the hospital. How long? Well, what was their death check Outcome? Make it a positive number. That many days. The GM is encouraged to make sure everyone else hangs around to take care of the guy and stare at the tubes up his nose, to avoid pacing problems. A good way to do this, the book says, is to make them think they have to guard the hospital. In fact, if at all possible, you might as well stage the next big action scene in the hospital, just in time for the checked-in party member to recover. Of course, if someone's healed from near death by magic or fu powers or whatever, they can skip the hospital stay due to magic.

But what about combat healing? Well, you can heal someone mid-session. You will need someone with the Medicine schitck, the Heal sorcery schtick, the Healing Chi fu power or a Slap Patch. All of these let you reduce someone's wound points by the action value of your relevant roll. A healer can only heal any person once for each scene in which that person took damage. And no, you can't deliberately hurt yourself or allow yourself to be hurt in order to get more healing - the GM is encouraged to mock you if you do this and have all healing attempts automatically fail.

Now that we've got the main rules down, let's look at some details. When using guns or other ranged weapons, you can spend extra time aiming. Normal combat is assumed to be quick, oppurtunistic shots. For each shot you spend aiming, you get a +1 bonus to your action value, to a max of +3. How about called shots? Well, you take a -1 or -2 action value penalty depending on how hard the spot is to hit. Ad then the GM decides what happens. For example, if you aim for a guy's hands to knock his weapon away, the book suggests as an example that on an Outcome of 1-7, you knock the weapon away but it's unharmed. On an 8+, the weapon breaks. (Signature Weapons are immune, of course.) This is their one example; all else is left to the GM, but we are reminded that props exist to be destroyed in a spectacular manner.

Cover rules! When you're behind cover, your opponent's difficulty to hit you goes up. How much depends on how much of you is in cover. 25% of your body is +1 difficulty, 50% is +2, 75% is +4, 90% is +6. These bonuses are halved whjen the cover just reduces visibility but isn't tough enough to stop bullets - smoke, shrubbery, that kind of thing. If you're shooting from behind cover, calculate it as the amount you'd have covered in your most exposed moments.

Common damage values! Gun damage is fixed by gun. Melee attacks tend to be Strength plus a bonus amount - 1 for most punches, 4 for a sword, etc. +4 is wqhere melee weapons top it, +3 is where most weapons sit. Other things can deal damage, too. When someone takes damage from non-attack sources, well, it tends to be a flat amount, and you just subtract Toughness from it. GMs will have tro come up with values on the fly, but there are some good comparisons - for example, being hit by a car does between 15 and 22 damage, depending on the speed and size of the car. (22 is a speeding bus.) Falling 1 story is 15 damage, while five is 40 damage. Forty is 43 damage. After that fifth story, falling damage doesn't go up that much. Being soaked in gas and set on fire is 15 damage per sequence. Having a TV dropped on you? 13 damage. Jumping on a grenade? 23. Mild poison is 12, very toxic poison is 22. Driving into a telephone pole is 16, driving off a cliff is 22. You get the idea.

Armor! Armor gives you a toughness bonus equal to its rating. Most armor isn't that great - nonmagical armor tops out around +3 Toughness, and has an Agility penalty usually between -1 and -3. Bulletproof vests are less good armor but can be concealed; polymer shell armor is better but can't be. Explosions have example damage values on the damage value chart which are good for judging how bad it hurts to be in one. Use stunt rules to handle hand-to-hand attacks that aren't damage-dealing, like grappling. Inanimate targets have a Difficulty to hit based on size; anything bigger than a TV is diff 0, while a coin is diff 15. Moving targets get bonuses based on their speed.

Signature weapons are mentioned again: the GM will not take them away. They are damaged or lost only when it becomes a major focus of the story. They are never lost due to random events. We get range modifiers now, and difficulties in lifting stuff. We also get throwing rules. Throwing is a Martial Arts fcheck, with a penalty depending on what you're throwing if it's not meant to be thrown. (Large dogs are -2.) Also, alcohol rules: For every serving of alcohol you've had in the past 6 hours, you get -1 to all action values. Remember, two beers or one drink of liqour are a serving. If you know Drunken Stance, your Martial ARts never goes down due to drunkenness. Ever.

Now we've got the GM tips section. Mostly? Keep things moving, watch Hong Kong action flicks for ideas and skim through the rules so you understand them. Let your players change the details of their characters if they feel they're not having fun. Make sure your PCs understand the genre and make sure they understand that their heroes should be heroic . A little tarnished, maybe cynical, but basically good people. Also they shouldn't give 'why are we all together, anyway?' that much though. They're together because it's an action movie . There's some advice on junctures and how to handle PCs from different junctures. Also, on temporal confusion. Your character is confused when it is funny to be confused, but not when it would be disastrous or would make things tedious. People just learn fast in Feng Shui. The book also firmly advises using a tool to track shot costs and what shot it is. It's the only real bookkeeping you have to do.

Oh, right - and don't use maps. Maps, the book says, get in the way of visualizing the scene quickly. Players focus on maps and think in terms of concrete tactics. That's all well and good, but that's not Feng Shui . If you want that, go play a game that's meant for it. Maps are, at best, rough notes. Everything changes in play. Deal with it. You don't wnat to be locked down to the precision of a map. If you really must show players a floor plan, make it a rough sketch with the bare minimum of information. That way if you decide there's a spiral staircase in the middle of the room, no one will question you because it's a messy, incomplete scribble.

On tone - Feng Shui may sound like a comedy game from all this. It isn't, not entirely. It's a little tongue-in-cheek, sure, but it's an embrace of action movies, not a parody. Sure, there's flying monkeys. Sure, there's eunuch wizards. Sure, humor's a very important element - but one thing to understand about Hong Kong action movies? Tone whiplash is a thing . You can go from laughing to deadly serious in a heartbeat. Good people die - often hideously. Hong Kong action movies tend to lake unhappy endings. Violence in Feng Shui doesn't have to be like that - but it should be real. When a named NPC takes enough damage to die, don't save them out of nowhere . Even if the players love them. Describe the scene in detail. Give them a final soliloquy. Then kill them deader than disco.

Your bad guys will do terrible things. In Hong Kong movies? Bad guys kill kids. Babies, even. You'll have to be careful how much you put in about this, though. Tailor it to your players' sensibilities...but remember, if they're getting too silly, if they're acting like it's all a joke? Have the bad guy shoot a kid, or give them some other sudden shock so they understand: this isn't all for laughs. Also, don't break the fourth wall. Sure, talk about how there's a slow-mo shot or a pan, but don't let the players pretend their characters are on a movie set. Play to genre conventions but don't let them treat their characters as actors. Characters in a story, yes. Actors on a set, no.

Oh, and keep the pacing brisk. This is an action movie. Don't dither. Sometimes players can get bogged in plans and minutiae. Overcautiousness is bred into them by slower games and the fear of failure. Reward action. Remind players that this is a world where 'get captured so we can figure out their plan' is a good strategy . And if things really get bogged down, take Raymond Chandler's advice: if you ever get stuck for plot deveopment, have a guy come through the door with a gun. If the players dither, make the plot come to them. This should get them more active - no one likes to be caught with their pants down. Skim past irrelevant scenes quickly - this is not a game about haggling with shopkeeps over the price of an engine. Just decide whether you want something to be hard. If not, 'okay, you find one, it's ready, roll the dice.' Oh, and don't give the PCs dead ends. Clues should be easy to find, and shouldn't rely on a single roll. After all, what will you do if the roll fails? Make sure that if the PCs come up with a clever way to advance things that you hadn't thought of, they automatically succeed, because that's cool . And if your PCs are having fun just shooting the shit with each other...well, that's okay. The important thing is having fun, and what would Pulp Fiction be without Jules and Vincent just chatting? You just make sure that if someone's getting bored, something happens .

Your plots should be flexible - players are unpredictable, and if they get good ideas, run with them. Really, just come up with a vague skeleton of a plot and some set pieces. Have fights in the set pieces. Write down some goals for yourself in the fights - stuff like 'someone should get hit with an oil drum' or 'someone should get caught on a crane hook'. Stunt fodder. If you have the NPCs do it, players will follow. Come up with a little backstory about what the places are and who's involved. Get the players to care by making sure they want to find out what happens next. End a session on a cliffhanger or with a new question to be answered next time. Oh, and don't get bothered about language barriers. This is a Hong Kong action movie. Everyone speaks Cantonese. Perfectly. Ancient Egyptian pharaohs? Speak Cantonese. The Prime Minster of France? Speaks Cantonese. Demonic future monster-things? Speak Cantonese. And since you're probably not from Hong Kong, it's all translated into English perfectly. Including the puns. Just roll with it.

Next time: Feng Shui, Monsters and Mayhem!

And then after that it gets kind of confusing.

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Hooray, done with finals except for one last paper!

Feng Shui: And then after that it gets kind of confusing.

The next chapter is about three pages long, covering how much XP to hand out (around 3). It also has the XP cost for skills. A new skill costs (8+x), where x is the base attribute of the skill. Raising a skill by 1 costs XP equal to the new action value you will have in the skill. Normally, you can't raise attributes unless you are attuned to a feng shui site. Which you want to be. Feng shui sites give bonus XP at the end of each session. You get bonus XP equal to the number of sites you're attuned to times 3. If you're attuned to a site, you can also spend XP on attributes! It costs (new rating*4) to raise a primary attribute by 1, which also raises all of its secondary attributes that are less than or equal to it by 1. Raising a secondary attribute by 1 costs (new rating*2).

We now get a brief bit of fiction from our anonymous hero explaining feng shui sites. Essentially, he used to think that all that mattered was what you did, if you were smart enough to pull it off and whether you had the guts to get things done. Turns out that's not the case! In fact, what matters is how many feng shui sites you control. Get enough good feng shui and things just go right for you. Lose the feng shui, and your chi flow screws up and things go bad . The more sites you lose, the more vulnerable you get. It all snowballs. Yeah, if you believe in free will and self-reliance, it's a kick in the pants. But apparently, free will and self-reliance still exist. Somehow. Also, because of time travel, you've got to protect your feng shui sites in the past, so they don't get pulled out from under you and history doesn't get rewritten on you. It confuses our hero.

So, what is feng shui? It's the art of geomancy, the skill of understanding chi flow. If you have the Info: Geomancy skill, you can use it to recognize good feng shui sites without needing the Fertility schtick of Sorcery! It's not magic, just knowledge. The main factors of feng shui are angles and shapes. The right angles determine where and when chi flows and the relationships between them. Shape is also a big deal - if the shape of a place or something in it resembles an animal, that's a big deal. If you live on a hillside that looks like a dragon, that's good. However, if you're in the wrong place, it can be dangerous - you don't want to be in the mouth! You can improve a place's feng shui by setting up mirrors to adjust chi flow from bad angles, though they tend to be fragile, or by trying to rearrange things so your weird-looking lot resembles a good thing by putting out the right decorations. Likewise, it's easy to accidentally or intentionally ruin a place's feng shui. The easiest way is to blow things up. Beyond that, get a geomancer to put out those mirrors and decorations in the wrong spots . Geomancy can harm as much as help! A billboard in the wrong place, an excavation next door, ninja interior decorating - it can all do big things.

You can attune to a feng shui site by...well, being the legitimate owners of it, or going through a ritual of attunement. That gets you the XP bonuses and any esoteric benefits the place may provide. To do the ritual, though, you still have to be part of the group that controls the place. It also costs 1 xp to attune to a site. Then you have to guard the place so that no one else attunes to it, nullifying your attunement. (Unless they're on your team, that's okay and won't nullify you.) So you'll want security guards, traps and so on. PCs are not meant to start off attuned to a feng shui site, because motivation to find one is a good thing!

You need strong claim to attune to a feng shui site. If you can defend it from others, you've got strong claim. Taking a place over at gunpoint, not so much, because you can expect SWAT to show up soon. Legal ownership is only strong claim if you can enforce your legal rights. It's much easier, therefore, to take over a site in a lawless area. Of course, some groups are easier to take from - the Lotus and Architects tend not to call the cops much, because they don't like explaining the zombies and bioengineering vats on site. The Ascended, on the other hand, practically own the cops. Oh - and never, ever attune to a place with negative feng shui. You can't gain or spend XP while attuned, and you can't use fortune dice. Always check with a wizard or geomancer before attuning!

You can be forcibly de-attuned from a feng shui site, too. That happens when someone else attunes to your site, ruins its chi flow or using a power that de-attunes people. Yopu know instantly if you've been de-attuned, though you may not recognize that's what happened - it manifests as a sudden chill and series of minor bad luck. Others can attune to your sites only if they have a stronger claim than you, which usually means they've taken the place over for more than a day and reasonably expect you won't be able to take it back. They can ruin the chi by blowing up walls and putting out ugly lawn ornaments. You can't just de-attune yourself by meditating, though. Attune to a bad site and you're going to have to go to greater measures. The GM is also encouraged to make sure you never get so many feng shui sites that you're going to spend all your time guarding them and never taking risks, and so you will probably not get to attune to major feng shui sites much.

It is also possible to burn , or permanently destroy a feng shui site. To do that, you have to forever destroy its ability to have good chi. For example, you might blow up the building and then destroy all copies of the plans to it, so it can never be reconstructed the same way. (You need to do both, otherwise someone can just fix the place.) If you manage to burn a site, youy get a rush of chi and 5 bonus xp. However, you can't get the bonus for destroying a site you're attuned to or have ever been attuned to in the past. Taking a site and handing it over to a larger group because you can't defend it is also known as burning, because you just get a one-time advantage out of it even if the site is still there.

Now we get some monster stats! The gnarled marauder is a demon from the Underworld (not the Netherworld; the Underworld is the place demons come from and you probably can't get there) which resembles a sea anemone with dozens of tentacles with hooks on the ends. It is actually quite intelligent and loves poetry and calligraphy...but it loves the taste of human flesh even more . Gnarled marauders tend to be friendly with the Lotus-Eaters, who are happy to feed them screaming victims. They also get bigger when blasted by magic.

Then you have the famous jiangshi, or hopping vampires! It is both ridiculous and deadly. They aren't literal vampires, but they do corrupt their victims and turn them into jiangshi. A hopping vampire looks kind of like a decomposing human wearing ancient robes. Their eyes glow red and their fingernails are like claws. They can only move around by hopping, but that doesn't slow them down. They're not intelligent, can't talk and don't use complex plans - but they don't stop, either. The best way to deal with them is to put a piece of paper on their forehead with mystic symbols on it. Anyone with the Summoning schtick of Sorcery can create these papers easily. Then, anyone can put them on the jiangshi with a Martial Arts attack. Once it's on there - and you'll want glue to keep it on - then the thing goes dormant. It just stands there, unable to move. Also, jiangshi can't cross a line of uncooked sticky rice. Make sure that it's good rice - lower grades can't do a thing to stop the jianghsi. A pure diet of sticky rice also cures jiangshi corruption after a few days. As far as anyone can tell, jiangshi do not usually wear black and only very rarely angst. They're too busy menacing people to do that.

Then we've got the Reconstructed! They're ogres who have been kidnapped by the Buro and cybernetically enhanced to put down insurgencies in 2056. They're pretty bright, for ogres, and really like beating things up and killing them. They are also all installed with Neural Greppers, a device that causes instant hemorrhaging of the brain if the ogre knowingly disobeys orders. The Reconstructed die to this fairly often, since they have very poor impulse control and lash out at people easily, including their officers. They look like giant humanoids with metal implants and monster features, and tend to be bright-colored and really ugly.

Lastly, the Snake Men! You gotta have Snake Men. They're demons from the Underworld and sometimes mistaken for transformed snakes. But they're not! They are ugly humanoid things that resemble a person wearing a tunic made of living snakes. They fight using their special snake martial arts and fu powers. They aren't very clever or very motivated - they tend to fight only when commanded by a powerful sorcerer. On their own, all they want is to attack and eat helpless prey, and people who can fight aren't helpless. They do regenerate, though, and they're really good at snake kung fu.

Now, we get another bit of fiction. Our hero gets attuning explained to him, and talks about how when he attuned it was weird because they had to do yoga and then suddenly it was like a big weight was taken off his shoulders. At some point after that, he finds the old Jewish guy who'd been guarding the place duct taped to a chair which was hanging from the ceiling, with 50 sticks of dynamite strapped to him. And a countdown timer. There was barely enough time to shoot through one of the wires on the bomb to stop it. Fortunately, he picked the right one. Unfortunately, there were other bombs, which blew out the wall of the feng shui site they'd had. Which ruined the place's feng shui, of course. The old Jewish guy turns out to be a geomancer and helps fix the place up and make sure it's reconstructed right. He could handle that part - but he tells our hero to go and track down the sorcerer who bombed the place, so he won't do it again.

Now, let's talk about the factions of the Secret War. The Architects of the Flesh are the horrible mad scientists who support the police state of 2056. They're not just happy with ruling the future, though! They want to conquer all of human history, starting with the Contemporary juncture. The group that would become the Architects started in 2014 as the CDCA, the Cross-Disciplinary Convergence Association. The CDCA was founded to pursue connections betyween DNA research, quantum physics and parapsychology. The main figure behind it was Dr. Anita Dao, a physicist who believed that paranormal claims had some validity. Her study of quantum mechanics led her to identify the arcanowave , an energy pattern that was manipulated by those who did "magic." She said there were two kinds: high-end and low-end. Magic spells used high-end arcanowaves, and they didn't occur naturally and were had to create in the lab. Low-end arcanowaves, on the other hand, were all over the place, flowing through all living things and could even be amplified by certain geological and architectural patterns. Dr. Dao knew enough about feng shui that she was able to understand what she'd found: a scientific way to measure chi energy.

Young scientists in practically every field confirmed the math, though the establishment was less enthusiastic and blocked funding. Dao and the others made the CDCA to get free of the blockage and try to find applications for the arcanowaves. This originally innocuous program was transformed, though, a decade after it began. Dr. Dao vanished from her lab, leaving a new president of the CDCA in charge: a DNA researcher named Dr. Curtis Boatman. He had grand ambitions. He lobbed to get the UN's support for the CDCA, thus getting a steady flow of funding. By 2025,the UN was the primary tool of industrialized nations to enforce their will on the Third World. It had greater powers and even a standing army for its "peacekeeping" missions. Tensions were increasing, and the UN became an occupying power. In order to keep his funding, Boatman had to serve the Bureau of Tactical Management's military interests.

The BTM, also known as the Buro, was the great military might of the UN Security Council. Boatman worked closely with a little-known German functionary named Johann Bonengel to turn the CDCA into a huge operation dedicated to making arcanowave technology militarily usable. They quietly established CDCA bases at critical feng shui sites throughout the world, and as they got more, their political opposition faded, thansk to the chi power. Their top priority was making a new kind of soldier. High casualty rates were the main problem with fighting wars in the third world, and Boatman promised to solve the issue. He experimented with using arcanowaves to accelerate growth and give soldiers abilities beyond the human norm, but his political bosses stopped htat. They didn't want a superior human being, that'd terrify the electorate. Boatman switched the program to convert lab-bred apes into fighting machines. This, too, failed - the apes just weren't willing to engage in senseless violence.

The problem got solved in 2037, when the CDCA's quantum mechanics discovered a way to artificially create a portal to the Netherworld. They sent in exploration teams, capturing a number of supernatural creatures. When they studied the creatures, Boatman knew he'd found his test subjects. He'd use the ogres, the snake men and the walking corpses for his super-soldiers. They were already violent and would be in no way superior to humanity. These were the first abominations, which rolled off the assembly line in 2042. They were brutal and highly successful, allowing Boatman's political mentor, Bonengel, to be appointed the head of Buro, the Buropresident . The rebellious third world nations surrendered to the UN after the the Buro instituted a policy of assassinating heads of state with guerrila monster squads. The UN couldn't install democracy in these conquests for fear of losing power, so they reintroduced colonialism, directly running the defeated countries.

Does all this sound improbable? It is. But the CDCA had the feng shui sites, and that meant it didn't matter. The chi power made it happen, subtly influencing the minds of the people to accept what was going on because of who controlled the chi. It wuld never have worked without that. Anyway, things were tough until Bonengel and Boatman arranged for the construction of Buro or CDCA bases on the major feng shui sites in conquered nations. Then they used the arcanowave technology to warp the chi of these sites, so that only they would benefit. Soon, everyone saw Buro as the natural leadership. It took little for Bonengel and Boatman to realize the abominations were only half of their success. The feng shui sites were the other half. The next stop was obvious: take over the sites in industrialized nations. That was just a matter of building bases in the right places, and easily done. None of their potential opponents even knew enough to stop them.

In 2051, the industrialized nations dissolved the UN and voted to make Buro the legal authority of a world government. Boatman retreated to his lab for research, but Bonengel became restless. Despite their lock on the feng shui, rebels still existed. They had 98% of the population controlled - but Bonengel became obsessed with the 2% that wasn't. He wanted complete domination, an all-encompassing propaganda state. The hunt for dissidents became priority one. Today, the Buro spends far more hunting subversives than it would lose if it ignored them completely, and its heavyhanded tactics sometimes work against it, creating anti-Buro sentiment where none existed. Seeing that Boneengel was endangering things, Boatman proposed a new project: conquest of history. After analyzing history, Boatman's strategists came up with a theory on targetting feng shui sites in the past - if they took over a juncture, their control of history would be guaranteed up to the next breakpoint. If they went backwards from breakpoint to breakpoint, they could conquer all of history.

Thus, the Architects concluded that the best timeframe to attack first would be what we call the present. Their activities there have just begun, capturing a few minor sites. They've yet to figure out that most of the sites are controlled by one group, the Ascended. They also use the Nethrworld to make raids into the ancient past to capture supernatural creatures for raw materials. Thus, they often come into conflict with the Eaters of the Lotus, who need monsters for their own schemes. They are also opposed by a rebel group from their own time, the Jammers. Much of the Architects' anti-subversive activities are dedicated to rooting out Jammers. The Architects are the victims of their own disinformation about the rebels, though, and believe their foes are twice as organized and pervasive as they actually are. However, in one way, they underestimate their foes: they don't know that the Jammers understand the significance of the feng shui sites and are planning their own strategies to make them useless.

Next up, the Ascended! Everyone knows paranoids talk about the secret international conspiracy behind world events. Some say it's an ethnic or religious group, or the Pope. They are wrong. The truth is it's the Ascended. Influential people from every group - businessmen, politicians, journalists - either they're Ascended or hey willing serve them. But even those who serve do not know the true nature of the inner circle. These individuals are the descendants of animals who magically transformed themsleves into humans centuries ago. The blood of tigers, dogs and dragons runs through their veins. In the distant past, when magic was common, animals were often as intelligent and capable of reason as human beings. Many animals were happy to be animals, but a few envied human society and their opposable thumbs. They wanted to join that society. (And get those thumbs.)

Well, this wasn't without risk. Many believed such creatures were innately evil - not true, of course. An animal turned human can have a conscience as much as any human can. STill, many magicians and Taoist onks believed these creatures to be against the natural order. The animals succeeded in evading them, though, and tricked humans into accepting them. They were able to breed with humans, spawning the lineages that continue to this day. Though most of the early transformed animals were in China and Asia in general, they quickly covered the globe. They used their knowledge of magic to help the animals in the regions they entered, creating more transformed animals. These were the ancestors of the Ascended, the inspiration for myths worldwide about humans who took animal forms. (Even if the truth was exactly the opposite.)

The Ascended are genetically human - mostly. There's just a trace of supernatural and animal origin within their biology...but that trace is enough for a disastrous flaw: if magic ever becomes as common as it was in ancient China, they'll return to animal form. Though the Ascended do get benefits from being animal-blooded, they really like being human and therefore work as hard as they can to make sure the modern world is magic-free as much as possible. If the feng shui sites were to fall to the Eaters of the Lotus or the Four Monarchs, magic would become much easier to use - and this would threaten the Ascended with return to their animal forms, so those groups are the worst enemies of the beast-men. The Ascended have been active for centuries, acquiring a large number of feng shui sites. They control the majority of the most powerful sites in the modern world, using great political and financial resources.

The Ascended do not remember their early history; small wonder that no one else does, especially when the Ascended make sure those who get too close disappear. They seem to have been founded in the leventh century or so, when magic began to dwindle for some reason or other. Within a few decades of each other, two seperate but similar groups formed: the Order of the Wheel in Europe and the Jade Wheel Society in China. Both were secret societies with elaborate structures. The Order of the Wheel gained influence by promoting the Crusades, while the Jade Wheel Society subverted the Song Dynasty of China and aided their Mongol enemies. Both were secretly run by the descendants of the transformed animals, manipulating events to their own advantage. Over the centuries, the roots of their power went deep. Both still exist today. The Order of the Wheel is a fraternal order and service organization with chapterhouses throughout the Western world. Most members are small-town businessmen who know nothing of their leadership's nature or influence. The Jade Wheel Society is found in Taiwan, Japan, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singabpore, while a covert equivalent exists as a hidden cadre in the Chinese Communist Party. Most members still have no idea what it really is and think it's just a way to make contacts and get promoted.

The inner circle watches these two groups carefully. Those who meet their standards - and they are few - are given an offer to join the secret hierarchy of the Pledged . These individuals swear to take orders from the inner circle: the Lodge . The Pledged serve the Lodge over all other loyalties, renouncing friends, family, religion and nation for promises of wealth and power. They are highly motivated, skilled and often rather unscrupulous. And they can't quit. The Pledged know that they will be ruined if they blow the whistle on the Lodge...and the loyal are well-rewarded, anyway. The Pledged can be found in key government positions worldwide, as well sas on the boards of major corporations, among top scientists and doctors and even in the media. The Lodge is especially interested in putting operatives in military, paramilitary and police forces, as well as infiltrating all major churches that have centralized organizations.

The ultimate promise is that the Pledged will one day get to join the Lodge, but this never actually happens. The Lodge keeps the Pledged happy, but it itself consists entirely of descendants of transformed animals. Though they never use the name even with the Pledged, they privately call themseves the Ascended . Membership is essentially hereditary, and the Ascended are very careful about who they have kids with. When the kids come of age, they get inducted. Those few descendants who aren't part of the Lodge still have to stay in contact with it, swearing to keep the Lodge updated on their actions and never risking exposure of the secret of transformed animals. The Ascended will do anything to preserve their power, even kill their own relatives.

The Lodge is run as a cooperative board, with policy decided semi-annually at board meetings to which each family sends one member. Each family has roughly equal influence, though some may be more respected than others. Most decisions are made via discussion and consensus, with little formal voting. Power struggles are rare, and the families tend to agree on most things. They've got a program that's worked for centuries, after all. Every six years, they elect a chair for the board meetings. This person is the Unspoken Name , and no one but the Lodge members know the identity of the current Unspoken Name. The Ascended avoid public spotlight personally, preferring to use the Pledged for that sort of thing. Most of the families are very, very wealthy, but they don't like to flaunt it, never show up in the gossip pages and rarely get referred to by name in the news. They live quietly and privately, though sometimes decadently within those private lives. Ascended installations tend to center around major feng shui sites.

Still, when the time comes to act, they're ready to. Their blood gives them powers, and they also tend to be very good at kung fu. Some missions are too delicate to give to dupes, so the active Lodge members, especially young ones, take them on. These are the enforcers . While they and the Lodge rely heavily on chi manipulation, they are very opposed to any use of magic. Sure, the difference between chi and magic is just one of degree, but it means everything to them. When powerful magic appears, the Lodge sends out the Pledged or even the enforcers to either stop it or kill the users outright. They often have their scientists publically ridicule and debunk paranormal claims, and use their church contacts to suppress superstition. Witch-burnings in Europe were a Lodge effort. As the game opens, the Ascended have not realized their feng shui sites are being targeted by the Architects. The Architects know little about the Ascended, but the Ascended know next to nothing about them - they tend to avoid the Netherworld, you see, since it's got relatively strong magic.

Next time: The Dragons have fallen.

I guess he really was descended from African royalty. Least, he looked good in tweed.

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: I guess he really was descended from African royalty. Least, he looked good in tweed.

The Dragons are a band of heroes who rise again and again from the outcasts and humble to fight for justice, freedom and the right to be awesome. Unfortunately, the reason they rise again and again is they always get killed . Several times, a group has taken up the legendary Dragon mantle and then gotten killed. In Chinese legend, the Silver Dragons were a group of immortals who fought demons and despots in the old days. They saved many people, but every one of them died ihorribly. Despite that, many have taken up the name.

The Dragons entered the secret war thanks to Kar Fai, a monk from 1850, and the Prof, a techie from 2056. The two of them were former members of other groups. Kar Fai left the Guiding Hand because he saw them as too rigid, while the Prof rejected Buro's agenda and fled to the Netherworld to find a way to erase the discovery of the arcanowave. The two met in the Netherworld and joined forces, looking for allies. They found other Dragons in 69 and 1850, and set up a group in the contemporary world. Kar Fai travelled the world, recruiting all sorts of people and cluing them in, while the Prof directed their operations. For a brief period, the names of these heroes were legendary: Jack Donovan, Iala Mané, Mad Dog McCroun. Unfortunately...they all died recently during an incident involving the Lotus and some demons.

The Prof has found evidence that the incident was caused by the Lodge as part of something called Operation Killdeer. She and Kar Fai have have sworn to remake their team and get vengeance on those who killed their friends. Maybe they'll contact your PCs to try and recruit them. Of course, Dragons die horribly; it seems to be what they do when they're not saving the day. Still, they'll be fighting the good fight and will go out with a bang, at least. That's something.

Sidebar time - Operation Killdeer was an Ascended plot against the Dragons and the Lotus. Disinformation was spread to both groups, who went to battle over a minor Ascended feng shui site. This also served as a demonstration for Ming I, Queen of the Darkness Pagoda, and Li Ting, King of the Fire Pagoda, who were very impressed by the Ascended manipulation and joined the Ascended and Jammers in the creation of a powerful artifact: the Molten Heart. The Molten Heart would have allowed the three factions to control all portals into and out of the Netherworld, were it not quickly destroyed by a group of secret warriors including the Dragon known as Ting Ting. At least, that's how it went down canonically. Maybe your world is different.

The Eaters of the Lotus , meanwhile, are a secret society whose members control the Imperial government of 69 AD China. The leaders are eunuchs who have used their evil sorcery to enslave the Emperor's will. By custom, the only men who may live in the Imperial Palace that aren't the Emperor are eunuchs. The Emperor's will is served by administrative officials appointed by merit (ideally, anyway). However, they can't attend the Emperor directly. So they use the eunuchs as a go-between, and the eunuchs can thus twist policy to their own ends, setting up their own parallel government full of thugs and toadies. This really shouldn't be a surprise - being castrated and made to serve the Emperor tends to be a punishment for enemies, who become former enemies. The Eaters of the Lotus decided to skip that very last part.

Of course, in 69 AD China it's common knowledge that the Empire is going through one of its periodic bursts of eunuch trouble. The people know whose fault it is, too: Gao Zhang, the eunuch who is senior attendant to the Emperor. The bureaucracy can't enforce justice or even hope to control the eunuchs, who have strike forces of warriors loyal only to them. They use these to raid towns in the guise of emergency taxation. They also kill or intimidate anyone who speaks out against the eunuchs, like official bureaucrats, shamans, priests, teachers or reformers. Not evceryone in the official system is an enemy of the eunuchs, though. Some have been corrupted and serve them, knowing it's the only way to get ahead. They get secret payments and easy promotion, while most officials just look the other way and hope this all blows over without their having to take any risks. Thus, it's hard to tell if, when you approach a government official, they'll be sympathetic to your problems or will imprison you.

We get a sidebar telling us that the Lotus exist to be evil magicians. Their purpose in the game is to have nasty monsters and evil sorcerers for your players to beat up. Sure, the architects have Abominations, but those guys have guns and napalm. The Lotus mean a nice, knock-down brawl with some nasty snake-men armies or ogres with clubs. That's always fun! Anyway. Everyone knows tiems are bad and whose fault it is, but they don't know that Gao Zhang is the leader of a secret society of evil wizards. The name 'Eaters of the Lotus' means nothing to your average Chinese peasant or even official. Most of their flunkies don't know the name, nature or goals of the organization they serve. Most are just in it for the cash and the chance to bully people.

The truth is, the Eaters were orignally founded by Gao as a tool for his own political power. He was an ambitious official who overstepped his authority and was sentenced to castration. He decided to win the Emperor's trust back and use his position in the palace to gain authority, and he settled on sorcery as a great tool to get there. When he learned that a trio of outlaws were to be killed for summoning demons, he secretly got them rescued, demanding they teach him magic in exchange for freedom. He turned out to be naturally talented with dark sorcery and quickly surpassed his teachers, creating new spells and forging vile pacts with demon lords. It's that magic that has given Gao so much power - he's enchanted the Emperor, causing demons to attack him via dreams. The Emperor doesn't know Gao is responsible, and comes to him for nightly elixirs to lessen his nightmares. Whenever the Emperor threatens to rein things in, Gao threatens to stop the potions and the Emperor meekly caves.

All of the other palace eunuchs are members of the Lotus - those who wouldn't join or were deemed incompetent got killed, either via false accusations of crime or simple murder. Not all of the eunuchs are sorcerers, though you have to be a sorcerer to get rank in the Lotus-Eaters. Not all of the Lotus are in the palace, though. Many can be found in positions of power throughout China. Not all of them are eunuchs, though all of the inner circle are. Some ambitious members have even volunteered for castration in order to get into the palace! There are no women in the Lotus, though they do sometimes use the services of female sorcerers, warriors and demons. They love to use demons of all kinds, along with ogres, ghosts, zombies and anything else. Regions which rebel get put down by monsters, who run rampant for a while until Gao and his allies offer to exorcise them in exchange for loyalty. So, yeah, demonic protection racket. The connection between the eunuchs and the demons has not gone utterly unnoticed, but no one has any proof, and given how hard it is to get to the Emperor without going through the Lotus, even direct evidence wouldn't automatically end their control.

Until recently, all the Lotus wanted was to maintain their influence in China. Two years ago, that changed. Strange warriors began to appear in areas the Lotus sent their monsters to. These invaders were able to hold their own against the Lotus' best thanks to their strange devices, and they were capturing the monsters ands tealing them away! Eventually the Lotus tracked the invaders, and found they were able to enter strange doorways and vanish! The Lotus followd them through, discovering the Netherworld. Gao Zhang sent his most trusted wizards to check it out, and soon realized the significance of the Secret War. (So tes, this is entirely the fault of the Architects and their Monster Hunters.)

Since he learned about the secret war, Gao Zhang has expanded the Lotus-Eaters' mission. He has sent operatives to the contemporary juncture, to learn about Chinese history, and he found that the eunuchs were eventually removed from power by reforms. Using this knowledge, Gao has gone about capturing feng shui sites owned by the families the books say will eventually oppose him, so that he can turn the tide of history. This has alarmed both the Ascended and the Architects, who have a vested interest in keeping history from being changed and potentially displacing them entirely. The Ascended have begun to send the Pledged to fight, and at the same time the Guiding Hand has sent teachers back to 69 AD to form rebel groups, bent on overthrowing the corrupt government and replace it with a benevolent one. The Ascended and Architects want to stop them, too, since that'd change the timestream as well.

The Lotus have learned about their adversaries and have been sending out teams of sorcers, demons and swordsmen to attack the Ascended, Architects and Guiding Hand. They want to takle key feng shui sites and recuit new Lotus members from other junctures and the Netherworld. If possible, Gao wants to take over all the feng shui sites of another juncture and expand his empire across time itself! He's a very single-minded guy, and all he cares about is getting more powerful and more influential. When he sleeps, that's all he dreams of. He is a brilliant planner who grasps new ideas easily and folds them into his plans without any problems. He is always looking for flaws in his plans, looking for problems that he hasn't yet considered. He believes the biggest flaw in any plan is the weakness of his followers. Gao is not very trusting, and is always looking out for betrayals. This makes him hard to fool, but he also has no true allies. The Lotus-Eaters serve because it serves their ambitions, but if Gao were to lose power, he would quickly be deserted. The fact that he kills failures and suspected traitorsw out of hand doesn't endear him to anyone, either. Also, he is a eunuch wizard, and therefore has a funny, high-pitched voice. He loves gloating and evil laughter, as do most Lotus-Eaters.

The Four Monarchs are the rulers the Netherworld does not have. They don't control the place, but they are easily the most powerful beings there. They are each more than three hundred years old, and in their version of the 16th century, each of them ruled a quarter of the globe. At the time, magic was commonplace, and they were four siblings born in northern China. Their father was a great sorcerer who had a vision at the birth of the youngest of them, seeing that with his help, they would rule the world. However, his vision also told him a great calamity could happen just as they were on the verge of claiming their thrones. Still, he decided to make the prophecy happen. It was a time when the Emperor of China was weak, so the father got into the service of a local warlord, using him to capture feng shui sites. He taught his children all the secrets of magic, having each of them master a single force.

Li Ting learned the ways of fire. Ming I learned the power of darkness. Huan Ken mastered thunder. Pi Tui conquered ice. By the time they came of age, it was easy for them to take out their father's warlord and usurp his forces. The four acted together, becoming infamous. Entire armies surrendered when they took the field. Within years, they ruled half of china. Their power and their father's natural sense of which feng shui sites were best allowed them to roll through all of Asia. But their father insisted they could not be rulers until the entire world bowed before them. As their successes continued, though, infighting became more common. Their father remained neutral, prividing them all with geomantic and strategic advice. Pi Tui headed north, to conquer what we would call Russia and North America. Li Ting went south, taking India, the Middle East and Africa. Huan Ken took Europe. Ming I kept southern Asia and seized South America. At last, all the world was under their rule. They went to their father and demanded coronation, for even he could not say any longer that they were not monarchs.

Their father grew quite nervous, for her remembered his vision well. He stalled for years, until at last the siblings came together and decided he was cheating them of their destinies. They came to a conclusion: he would never crown them. They would need to declare their own titles. This would anger their father, so they would have to kill him. If he lived, he would surely swear vengeance, and he was the only man alive who know all of the locations of their feng shui sites. They'd kept their most important secrets from each other, but not him. They had reason to fear him, and he had power over them. Thus, they invited their father to a ceremony of reconciliation. He was overjoyed, he should have suspected, but he was too full of pride to see the truth. He arrived and found an ambush. Li Ting burned him, Ming I stole the light from his mind, Huan Ken turned his bones to dust and Pi Tui scourged him with ice darts. As the old man lay dying, he gave them his last secret: the locations of the entrances to the Netherworld, telling them they'd have to learn it's ways to keep their crowns. He then named them the greatest kings and queen that had ever lived, thinking this was the calamity of his vision.

The four soon crowned themselves. Ming I demolished the Forbidden City, replacing it with a tower of pure darkness, naming herself Queen of the Darkness Pagoda . Huan Ken destroyed the Vatic an and built a castle of storms, naming himself both Pope and King of the Thunder Pagoda . In the Bering Strait, Pi Tui raised a city of frozen water, naming herself Queen of the Ice Pagoda . Li Ting burned Jerusalem to the ground, building its place a grand palace of flame, and became King of the Fire Pagoda . The horror of their patricide destroyed any chance of unity between them, and they blamed each other for the terrible decision. They deceived themselves and their old rivalries became hatreds. They explored the Netherworld, hunting for ways to gain advantage over each other, and they ignored the Secret War in favor of wars against one another. Their father had balanced their empires perfectly, and each had an equal amount of chi. Thus, they could not defeat each other.

Despite all this, they fought for centuries, using immortality elixirs to keep themselves going. They missed the truth of their father's dying warning, did not think of expanding across time. Thus, they fell. They had warriors in the Secret War, but those warriors were but token forces. Some even rebelled against them, joining the forerunners of the Ascended in the 13th century to seize feng shui sites and set off a critical shift in history. The Ascended fostered the Renaissance and the loss of magic, changing all time ahead of them. The Four Monarchs awoke on March 10, 1988, to find themselves complete non-entities in a world of strange technology they did not recognize. They remembered their past, for they had been to the Netherworld, but they were shadows of their former selves. Their elixir was wearing off, their magic weakened. Crippled by age, they fled to the Netherworld to plot hteir combacks.

Because they had controlled so many feng shui sites, they were able to reshape the Netherworld to their whims. They were forces to be reckoned with there, and they created replicas of their palaces, summoning their former servants to them and recruiting netherworlders as vassals. They've been there for nearly a decade now ('now' being the 90s, this was a 90s book), and while they periodically try to work together, their old hatreds die hard. Much of the danger of the Netherworld is because of their infighting.

Next time: The Four Monarchs today.

He just muttered something about the Thorns of the Lotus being amateurs compared to the Gestapo, and got on the cell phone to a building contractor.

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: He just muttered something about the Thorns of the Lotus being amateurs compared to the Gestapo, and got on the cell phone to a building contractor.

So, what are the Four Monarchs like? Well, Ming I, Queen of the Darkness Pagoda , is a cruel and mysterious figure. She's Chinese like the rest, but her time ruling South America left her in love with the Aztecs. She made herself their bloody sun goddess, and the priests serve as her advisors. She loves to use human sacrifice as a means of execution for prisoners and incompetent minions. She also likes setting her servants against each other. Apparently it's funny. She lost an arm while conquering Earth in the timeline that got unhappened, so she replaced it with a magical limb of pure darkness, which grants her awesome physical power. In battle, she is a terrifying foe, especially where magic is strong. When in 2056, her arm becomes an unpredictable cybernetic device.

Ming I is also known for her sharp wit and her love of banter. Her plans tend to be either subtle or needlessly convoluted, and she believes she is completely brilliant. She is the one most bitter about the loss of her timeline and she has a special hatred for the Ascended thanks to their part in it. When not plotting against her siblings, she's trying to hurt them. The Jammers are a secondary foe - they want to destroy all magic throughout the timestream, which she just won't stand for. She has an occasional alliance with the Eaters of the Lotus, and she and Gao Zhang have this weird relationship where they help each other out, openly declare that they will outwit each other and both admire and scorn each other. They betray each other regularly, but don't seem to hold grudges.

Then we get a sidebar on how the shift which erased the Monarchs from history is a great example of a worst-case scenario. If a critical shift were to happen for the Architects, for example, they would end up being the thousand-year-rulers of a global empire by 2056, with technology beyond their wildest dreams and a government that'd make Orwell shit himself, unstoppable without another critical shift. So: don't get caught with your pants down. Always remember that someone might be working to erase your time. (And probably is, but at least everyone else wants to stop them, too. Usually.)

Huan Ken, King of the Thunder Pagoda is prone to mood swings and loves nothing more than recognition. He spent a lot of time in feudal Europe, and he loves to come off as a noble king. He is the most Western of the four siblings, and his servants are styled after knights and squires, with an elaborate ranking system. Huan Ken regularly holds feasts and festivals, complete with jousting. He claims to be chivalrous, but it won't stop him from being utterly ruthless if his power is at stake. He also nominally claims to be Christian...and the Pope. And the King of Europe in Exile. In practice, this mostly means if you really piss him off he will try to burn you at the stake as a heretic, because opposing the Pope is clearly heresy. (Remember, he's kind of medieval in outlook.)

Huan Ken is quick to anger, but also quick to forgive if you're properly boot-licking and apologetic. He is the least organized of the Monarchs - he's more reactionary than schemer. When his honor or self-image are threatened, he'll team up with anyone who might be able to realistically help him. In the past, he's worked with the Architects, the Guiding Hand and even the Jammers, though not at the same time. He usually ends up taken advantage of in these arangements...but on the other hand, in personal combat, he is hands-down the best of the four. Which says a lot. He's proud of the fact that no one has ever survived a one-on-one fight against him.

Li Ting, King of the Fire Pagoda , is the calmest of the four. He's proud of his rationality and his skill as a calculating, logical planner. He wants to cut himself off from emotional concerns as a way of dealing with his guilt over the death of his father. He's pretty callous and vicious to his foes, though, so you could argue he just went full-on dark side. Just...don't tell him that. He denies that morality exists, as well as all forms of religion. He, he says, is the only thing to matter in the world. He doesn't even try to hide it, so he doesn't have that many followers. Typically, a follower of Li Ting is someone who idd something terrible and wants to avoid responsibility by being able to follow a charismatic leader. And Li Ting is that. He understands people and their weaknesses, and he's always ready to exploit them.

Li Ting sometimes helps the Jammers out, but only when their plans help his goals. He won't help the Battlechimp or his men when they might actually have a chance of lessening the magic of the world. He maintains contacts with Curtis Boatman of the Architects, unknown to Buropresident Johann Bonengel. In combat, Li Ting hurls fire magic around. He was notorious, in his Earth, for destroying entire armies with a gesture, but he's gotten rather weaker since then. Still nasty, though.

Pui Ti, Queen of the Ice Pagoda , is the only one of the four who genuinely, really regrets murdering her father. She sees her mission in life to be controlling the worst excesses of her siblings, and she maingaints her grip on power only in order to have a way to do that. She has no actual desire to bring back her timestream, though she has never told her siblings that. She thinks the world is better off as it is now. She's willing to take part in the Secret War, but only insofar as it relates to her family. If she thinks something will stop one of them or make it harder for them to reclaim their thrones, she'll support the people doing it. Otherwise, she does nothing.

Until their recent destruction, Pui Ti occasionally helped the Dragons out. She declined to take part in Killdeer, and she may or may not feel remorse over that. She definitely doesn't show it, though - she's a real ice queen, pun completely intended. It's hard to tell what she thinks or feels, and she keeps her plans to herself. She is extremely stingy with information and advice in general. While she can seem unhelpful, though, she's the only one of the four who's a reasonably loyal potential patron for PCs. She's fair and just, if not warm, and her subjects have rights specified in a written constitution. Her subjects tend to be loyal to the document and principles, rather than Pi Tui herself - she inspires respect, but not love. Though she has never entered combat personally since the shift that brought her to the Netherworld, she is known to have once used a sorcerous fighting style specializing in deadly thrown ice blades.

Now, on to the 1850s and the Guiding Hand . They are Chinese traditionalists at a very hard time to be Chinese traditionalists. The colonial powers want control, including control over opium sales. China would prefer if opium wasn't sold at all. But the British get rich off it, and they recently won the Opium War, making even the Emperor's wishes in the matter powerless. (For the record, anti-opium.) The Guiding Hand want to do something about this. They foresaw the end of their great civilization and they want to reverse it. They want to return China to its legendary might. Initially, they thought the problem was moral weakness of the Chinese, and created various cells and study groups, called the Golden Candle Societies, to educate and moralize at the Chinese people, giving them the spiritual strength needed to resist the West. Through these Societies, they exerted pressure on the Emperor and sabotaged colonial power, but they got nowhere.

It took a new leader, the Perfect Master Quan Lo, to make any progress. Quan Lo is an elderly master of Shaolin and a skilled geomancer. He, unlike the past leaders of the Hand, knew feng shui was more than superstition. He discovered that the most potent feng shui sties on China's coast were all controlled either by Europeans, Chinese allies of Europeans, or a mysterious secret group called the Jade Wheel Society. No wonder the West was so successful! Quan Lo realized no political strategy would succeed here, not while the sites lay in the hands of the enemy. As such, he shifted the Hand's strategy to the seizure of feng shui sites. Once they controlled enough, they'd turn the tide on the foreigners and return China to a golden age of Confucian values.

Unfortunately, the Guiding Hand lacked the resources for direct assaults. The Jade Wheel was even better connected than they were, and when they managed to take a site, the government immediately sent troops to reclaim it. They couldn't get the sites by political intrigue, either. So, they set out to find who the Jade Wheel Society was. It turned out they were run by the descendants of supernatural animals, the Ascended! Quan Lo decided not to reveal what had been learned immediately, and continued to spy on Jade Wheel leaders. He learned that they were allied with the Europeans, who were part of a similar group called the Order of the Wheel. The Ascended were backing Europe in an effort to industrialize the planet as fast as possible and drive out magic. As Quan Lo hunted for a way to stop the conspiracy, his agents found portals to the Netherworld.

The Guiding Hand travelled there and were appalled by what they saw in other junctures. The modern world was a chaotic and decadent place with no understanding of Confucius. The Architects of 2056 were even worse. They came to see themeselves as as the only hope for civilized values, and changed their goals. It was no longer enough to take 1850 China. They had to change the timestream so that it was orderly and respected virtues. They would replace the greed and villainy of other times with wisdom. Their strategy was twofold: first, pursue longrange plans in 1850. Build nfluence and create a structure to grow over time, like the Jade Wheel had done. Use their knowledge of future history to recruit families that would be influential. If someone would be important in the 20th century, recruit their grandfather. Thus, they could cement future power, and as a result they have permanent power bases in more than one juncture - specifically, the modern world, where a Hand innerwalker can find support, perhaps even from his own descendants.

In the Secret War, they're focusing on the contemporary era. They see it as a lawless one, in which the Ascended are complacent and overextended. They've been able to seize a number of important ites, particularly through manipulation of Communist China. If the Hand has one major impediment, it's their obsession with China. They don't really believe anywhere else matters, and they don't understand the West at all. They think that washing away western influence in 1850 and 1990 will be enugh to stop the Architects and prevent their terrible future, in which China has been wiped out. We also get a sidebar on how the Hand really hate modern Hong Kong. It's everything they dislike about the West, right in their backyard. Any Hand NPCs with the party in modern Hong Kong should complain constantly about basically everything, from the litter to the architecture to the pollution to the shoddy translations of Confucius.

The Hand have also made some forays into 69, where the culture is much closer to them than other junctures. They're setting up teams to attack Lotus feng shui sites, hoping to set off longrange social change that will ripple forward to their own time, so that the Chinese empire will be stronger and better able to resist hte West. PCs may be tempted to see the Hand as allies, but sooner or later they'll learn that Quan Lo's people are fanatics with a narrow worldview. Anything that doesn't fit their view of virtue is dangerous and bad. Extreme discipline, obedience and deference to elders are major virtues. Independent thinking? Bad. Younger operatives are epxected to obey to a degree must PCs will find humiliating. Even minor screwups get embarrassing and severe punishment. The Hand are just expected to enthusiastically accept this. Disrespect of any kind is a major screwup, by the way. So is any fondness for technology or pop culture. Sorcerers, monsters, transformed animals and cyborgs are all irredeemably corrupt to the Hand and not allowed to join or even be allies. It goes without saying, most PCs would not enjoy the Hand's perfect world. The leadership of the Hand also considers itself utterly beyond reproach. They may not be as sinister and evil as the Lotus or Architects, but they will absolutely sacrifice innocents and their own people for the greater good. Quan Lo may be humble and quiet, but he is uncompromising in his view of what is right. Anyone who disagrees is either an enemy to be destroyed or a dupe to be used and tossed aside.

Next time: Battlechimp Potemkin. And other stuff, I guess.

I looked down at what I was wearing. Some nasty flannel stuff. Not remotely GQ.

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: I looked down at what I was wearing. Some nasty flannel stuff. Not remotely GQ.

Jammers are a loosely organized group of rebels from 2056. Their cause? Destroy the Architects and Buro. Of course, 2056 opposition to the Buro is rare, thanks to the power of feng shui. The chi keeps people quiet, though most of the Buro itself doesn't know that. The Jammers? They know. They know that attacking the police and propaganda networks is futile unless they can cut off the source of chi power. Chi is what holds the masses, and no great change in history can be made without a shift in chi.

This bothers the Jammers. They don't like that free will and independent agency seem kind of meaningless in the face of chi's power. They rather liked the idea that history was determined by the actions of people, not some supernatural force. Unlike the other factions, the Jammers don't take over feng shui sites. They know that in their own time, they have no chance to hold them against the Abominations and military that Buro has installed. They don't have the resources or the patience to hold sites elsewhen, and besides, doing so doesn't bring them much closer to unseating Buro. They have decide their only way to go back and stop Buro before they happen is to make sure there are no feng shui sites in the first place .

If they succeed, there will be a side effect that they think is a good thing: chi will play no more role in human history. The winners of wars and conflicts will no longer be the ones with the most chi, but the ones with the most skill, courage and brains. At least, the Jammers think so. They find it easy to support wiping out chi because they're part of a very small percentage of the populace that are resistant to magic and chi. This is why they're able to see Buro for what it is in 2056, without being swayed by the powerful feng shui. If it weren't for that immunity, they'd be saluting the flag with everyone else. There are disadvantages, though - a lot of Jammers can't learn or use magic or fu powers. They rely a lot on technology. Some are great fighters without chi power, too, but most are dependent on really big guns and robot bodies.

The Jammers are highly secretive, and the Buro spends a lot of time trying to track them down. Most are now in the Underworld, where the Architects don't rule the place. The Jammers are philosophically opposed to most uses of arcanowave technology, but they've made an exception for the Buro GateMaker (and several other things that they find useful, they're very pragmetic). The GateMaker is a device which can open temporary portals to the Netherworld. The Jammers stole a prototype and have since built more, letting them move around fairly easily. From the Netherworld, they plot to sabotage feng shui sites throughout time and work on new technology - mostly big guns. They also like non-arcanowave cybernetics quite a bit, and many are hardware-based cyborgs. (These get covered in the Jammers book.)

Jammer scientists realise that the end of chi will cause a worldwide wave of ill health, so they are also trying to work on various drugs and devices to help cover for it, many of which have turned out to be useful for other things, too. They keep a low profile as best they can in the Netherworld, since it's heavily populated by people who like magic and chi, and they've made a lot of enemies with their anti-chi agenda. The Eaters of the Lotus have been hit by several Jammer raids are planning retaliation. The Ascended would be very happy if magic was destroyed, but they're heavily dependent on chi and have had to repel several Jammer raids. The Guiding Hand see the Jmmers as a force of chaos, and hate their anarchist and libertarian leanings. Also, they believe the world would be doomed if the chi was destroyed and thus believe the Jammers to be a horrible threat; they may be right.

The leader and founder of the Jammers is Battlechimp Potemkin, one of the CDCA's early experiments in biogentically altered primate supersoldiers. He was a normal chimpanzee once, but then his head was removed from his body and put into an eight-foot-tall cyborg one covered in weapons. He was then elevated in intelligence to lead armies. Unfortunately, the Buro made him smart enough to reject their orders, turn several scientists to his views and discover the feng shui secret before stea`ling a GateMaker and escaping to the Netherworld. Great job, there, guys . The Battlechimp is brilliant, but utterly uncompromising in his desire to see chi destroyed. He realizes that doing so will likely erase him, his allies and millions of innocent people from existence. He does not care - it's a small price to pay for wiping out Buro, too. He regrets ever being made intelligent or a killing machine, but it's not stopped him from producing even more cyborg killer apes, like the infamous Flying Monkey Squad.

Most of the Jammers are refugees from 2056, but the Battlechimp has had some luck in drawing malcontents, nihilists and anti-magic activists from other times to his side. Some join just because they like to blow shit up, while others hate the rest of the factions. Still others are fascinated by the idea of destroying Earth's life-force. Battlechimp Potemkin does not care about why his followers serve - he's sure he can outsmart them when their interests diverge from his. He's managed to unite them, mostly, with a strong hatred for the Bobos, as the Jammers call the Architects. (Potemkin came up with the name by combining the first syllables of Bonengel and Boatman.) The Battlechimp is a very active leader, handing out all important orders personally, and most Jammers follow out of personal loyalty to him. Still, he does have two lieutenants ready to take over if he goes down. The first is Furious George, a cyborg gorilla who serves as his liaison with the cyborg apes and other military aspects of the Jammers. The second is his head of research, a defector from the CDCA called Dr. Laura Villaverde, alias Green Rain.

One day, the Battlechimp says, when the feng shui sites are all gone, all people will finally be equal. History will be in the hands of humanity, for good or bad. Or, he admits, maybe we'll all shrivel and die without chi. Or maybe the world will explode. But, well, those are all better (to Potemkin) than being slaves, either to Buro or to the power of chi. The rest of the Jammers are rather simpler (and, in fact, often sub-literate), and they simplify this philosophy quite nicely: "Blow things up!"

We now get some fiction about our protagonist awakening in a place he doesn't recognize, having gone to sleep in his apartment. Now he's in a barracks, his gun gone. He realizes what's happened: someone changed history and initiated a critical shift. He's not sure who, or how, but it's not a good sign. After all, if he's in a barracks, he's meant to be under someone's control. He does not like that idea. As he awakens, he finds that his name is apparently 'Rennie' now, though it certainly wasn't before...and that the speaker is his friend Steve, whom we know something terrible happened to. Who is now Joe. He clocks the guy and escapes, feeling bad but knowing he's not really Steve, not the Steve that our hero knew.

And now it's time to learn how time travel works. We're told the main reason it's here is to let every action movie hero type exist alongside the others, and the price is dealing with the complexities of time travel. So, ho does time work in Feng Shui? Well, most people think it's linear and that the past can't be changed. They're wrong. The timeline is more like a pretzel than anything. History can be altered by those with access to the Netherworld, the innerwalkers or secret warriors. But you can't just go anywhen you want. There's only a few time periods open at any given moment. Each of these is a Juncture. For the last few years, it's been 69 AD, 1850, the modern day and 2056. They are connected via the Netherworld, and are more like different locations to secret warriors than distinct points on a line of history. Going to a different time is like going to a different place.

Time passes at the same rate in all four junctures and the Netherworld. When a day passes here, it passes in 69, 1850, 2056 and the Netherworld as well. Each juncture is essentially like a parallel line. You can go from one line to another, but you can't go backwards on any of the lines. Everyone moves forward on the lines at the same rate. If something bad happens to you, it stays happened. If a year passes, it's now 70, 1851, 2057 and so on. As a note, the four junctures we have now aren't constant. Sometimes there are more, sometimes less. Not even the Netherworlders understand what makes a juncture's portals open or close. They don't stay open for predictable periods and there is no pattern to how the junctures are chosen.

That doesn't stop people from theorizing, though. Most think that whoever discovers the secrets of the portals will be able to conquer all junctures, ending the Secret War forever. What is known is that whenever a new juncture opens up, it becomes a battlefield for the Secret War, with as many groups moving to try and get the feng shui sites as possible. Junctures also tend to refer to places, as well - most portals in 69 and 1850 open into mainland China for some reason, while contemporary portals tend to open up to Hong Kong or other cities on the Pacific Rim. In 2056, most open into the industrialized northern hemisphere. A portal could go anywhere and anywhen, though, wherever the GM decides.

Now, changing history. It's a common strategy in the Secret War - go back and change history, pulling the rug out from under your foes. It's possible to do things in one juncture that change things in later junctures. This can be hard, though, since you really need to seize feng shui sites to do so. The tide of history is always in favor of those with the best feng shui. You can change minor details of the past without it, but can't cause a new group of people to control those crucial sites. The big shape of history will go unchanged.

The best example history change is the Four Monarchs. In their time, our modern era was one of commonplace magic. The world belonged to them, and they controlled all the feng shui sites. However, the 11th century opened briefly as a juncture, and enemies of the Monarchs went to the 11th century, before the Monarchs were ever born. There, they allied themselves with the group that would become the Ascended, and they fought the various warlords who controlled the 1200s feng shui sites. They got enough to change history, and what they wanted was a death of magic. So magic went away. To cement the change, they had to make sure they held onto the sites for centuries. The suppression of magic had a huge effect on all later junctures, including the 20th century. t led to the REnaissance, the Enlightenment and the Industrial Revolution. And that erased the timeline the Monarchs controlled. They lost their sites because they lost their history. In the new timeline, they'd never been able to seize the sites. When huge changes like this happen, only a few people can even remember the old history. Specifically, only people who have been to the Netherworld retain memories of past histories. To them, historical changes take place instantly.

So, without control of feng shui sites, no matter what you do, you can't change history significantly. You can change the personal history of some families, but not alter major trends. History is made by those who control chi. So, let's say you know that in 1862, some guy will commit mass murder. So you go to 1850 and cap his ass before he can. Then you go back home and check your history books. Someone exactly like that mass murderer will be there. It'll be a different guy, but because you didn't change the chi flow, the same thing happened. History is elastic. It reshapes itself as close as possible to accomodate any changes not made via chi flow. When feng shui sites change hands, it can be more dramatic, as we've seen. Losing feng shui sites will usually make your life much worse when you go to the future of wherever you lost the site. Your entire life will likely be different - and you won't know it until you get there, because you have your old memories.

This is called lateral reincarnation, and it happens to most innerwalkers at some point. Some deal with it by withdrawing to the Netherworld and abandoning the lives they no longer recognize. Others learn how to fake their new identities properly. See, sometimes the timestream can't perfectly recreate itself. Say someone back in time kills your great-grandfather. And everyone related to him. Well, you can't be wiped out of existence, since chi flow didn't change and anyway, no matter what happens, souls can't be wiped out by changes in history. Suddenly, you're not Donnie Cheng any more, you're Donnie Wang. Your life's been pretty similar to the way it was, but you have a different last name, a different set of ancestors and a different personal past. Which has, however, ended you up in exactly the same circumstances. Your life, unless it was a critical shift, is probably pretty similar to the way it used to be, at least. You'll just have to go find out what changed, since you have your old memories.

Of course, if something major has changed, your entire family may no longer exist, along with your friends. However, if you run into someone with the soul of a former friend or loved one, you will recognize them instantly. Their personality traits, appearance and mannerisms will likely be the same. They'll be different people, though, and probably won't recognize you, but they may feel an inexplicable connection to you - a friendliness with someone who, in another time, had been a lover. An unaccountable hatred of someone who, before the shift, had been an enemy. These are soul memories and make for great melodramatic hooks. It's a great excuse for love at first site, too - you met someone who, one critical shift ago, had been your lover, and the two of you instantly fall in love, despite having now just met for the first time.

Side note - reincarnation works normally, too. Souls aren't destroyed. So if your character dies, you can choose to play their reincarnation from another juncture. This has no game benefits, mind you - the new guy doesn't get the old one's memories, stuff or XP any more than normal. However, you might think it's fun. The reincarnation probably looks similar and has similar mannerisms. They have to be from another juncture, though - otherwise the reincarnation would be a baby, and you can't play a baby!

Anyway. Minor changes to time are called superficial shifts , which don't really change anything but the lives of a handful of people. Critical shifts are the ones that change history. They're caused when a group starts suddenly losing the balance of feng shui. At some point, after a series of losses, one feng shui site tips the balance and there's a critical shift, in which the lives of all those in later junctures are altered. See the Four Monarchs again for that. To make a critical shift, you need innerwalkers. It's impossible to change history without any outside tampering. The Ascended may have been native to the juncture they took over, but they had help from secret warriors of the Netherworld, which made the difference. Of course, you can't change history backwards - a shift in 1850 won't change a thing about 69.

From the view of people in the juncture the critical shift was caused in, changes are slow. They take centuries of real time, as the new history happens organically. For anyone from a later juncture, though, they are sudden, instant shifts that dramatically changed everything overnight. The world changes beyond recognition in an eyeblink. Fun! So, what do you do when you come home to find out you no longer exist in any recognizable form? Well, you can become an exile , or distimed person, going to live in the Netherworld. Some exiles try to make new identities for themselves, which can be easy in low-technology junctures with primitive record-keeping, or really hard in authoritarian ones like 2056. It's possible to get cut off from your home juncture by the portals closing, too. For example, there's a group called the Unexpected Deliverance Society that used to be a major force in the Netherworld...up until most of their leaders and agents were caught in the 1457 juncture when all the portals to that juncture closed.

In the Netherworld, time flows in a linear, unchangeable manner. Anyone who enters the Netherworld even once is now immune to lateral reincarnation - that is, they don't get their memories altered when the world changes, remaining with the memories they had when they first entered the Netherworld. Most view this as a curse or form of insanity for the first few times they notice the world changing around them. You can't change the Netherworld's history, either. Anything that happened there stays happened. It is never affected by critical shifts. Despite time being linear, though, there is no calendar. Most just keep using the dating system of their home juncture, as of the moment they first entered the Netherworld.

We then get some advice on how to handle critical shifts, in the form of an example in which the Guiding Hand take over 69 AD. They use their sites to get in good with the Emperor and displace the Lotus, reducing magic in the world to weaken the evil wizards. With magic already reduced in 69, the Ascended never band together in the 11th century to reduce it. They quietly live out their lives and the Hand create their own idea of paradise across Asia and Europe. If not stopped by other secret warriors, they come to control the world. It settles into quiet, peaceful stagnation as a culturally Chinese world empire. Technology does not advance perceptibly from 69. However, chi power is studied deeply and advances massively. In future junctures, it is possible to gain any fu power in the book for 1 xp per schtick, and a whole new range of chi powers undreamt of come into being.

Ironically, this destroys the stability the Hand so loves. It is impossible to control these unstoppable chi warriors, and they rise as new warlords of 1850, plunging the world into essentially a civil war between superheroes. By the contemporary juncture, the world is ruled by the descendants of the winners, who run a dictatorial state in which the greatest warriors compete in gladiatorial combat for rulership of various areas. In 2056 rebels against the chi elite begin exploration of technology. They invent rudimentary firearms and equip the masses for a bloody worldwide uprising. Note that this displaces pretty much all of the major pwoer groups. The Lotus, Architects, Jammers and Monarchs are all camped out in the Netherworld. The Ascended...well, they might be, or they might be okay with how things went, since they are in no danger of reversion and are pretty good at chi powers. The Hand is trying to hold onto its 69 AD sites and seize control of the others.

so - the background changes ocmpletely, and whenever you want to throw your players for a loop you can have the same thing happen - but no matter what, there will be a Secret War for your PCs to fight in, and there will always be evil to stop. Oh - and one important thing. Time travel can never erase what happened in the game. PCs will probably try to sometime - say, sending themselves a letter to warn them about an ambush they got into. It won't work. They experienced the ambush already, so it happened. It can't unhappen. The letter gets lost, or destroyed, or intercepted by one of their enemies. So you can't do that. If something hasn't happened yet, though...that can work. So, say that your PCs want to smuggle a document to the future but know the portals are guarded. They take it, put it in a chest under a tree, and head to the future, where they go dig it up. That can work! Or maybe it doesn't. Maybe you decide it's more interesting that an archaeologist dug it up and put in a museum, or their enemies found it, or a building got built over it. Up to you, GM. Oh - and no matter what happens? Neither PCs or NPCs can return from the dead. Lateral reincarnation only works on the living.

Next time: Rocking the Inner Kingdom.

And just like gangsters, Netherworld monarchs turn out to be impressed by a display of cojones.

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: And just like gangsters, Netherworld monarchs turn out to be impressed by a display of cojones .

We now meet our hero in the Fire Pagoda. Which is made of fire. It's really hot, but apparently the fire won't burn you. The decorations are pretty grisly, and our friend is rather anxious. Still, he knows he can't fight Li Ting. Guy's a beast. He's trying to spy on Li Ting as he meets with his sister, the Queen of the Darkness Pagoda, because the Queen of the Ice Pagoda wants to know their plans. And she's promised to heal Steve, so he'll do it. Apparently, they're negotiating over a plan to block the entrances to contemporary Hong Kong. Negotiations are breaking down, and our hero sweeps the tapestry he's hiding behind aside, offering to mediate for them. It works .

So, what is the Netherworld? It's a pretty cool place! It can do more than just be your route between junctures. Physically, it is a series of twisting passages through a nondescript gray substance. There is no sky, just the ceiling, but it can be way overhead and in some places there can be something that looks like sky overhead. Undisturbed wall substance is gray and looks kind of like moist limestone, but is warm and smooth. Passages smell musty and damp, and the air is moist. Despite that, there is dust everywhere. In most places, it is 28 degrees Celsius (or 82 Fahrenheit) and 80% humidity. Those who're good at shaping the Netherworld can change those conditions, though. For example, the areas ruled by the Ice Pagoda are kept around -5 degrees C at all times. There is a dim light that suffuses most of the Netherworld, which has no visible light source. Light behaves weird in the Netherworld - sometimes, there will be stark, clear shadows with nothing causing them, and sometimes light will come out of nowhere to put a spotlight on absolutely nothing.

But some people can reshape the passageways. Countless small passages are in their undisturbed state, but just as many aren't. Caverns, which are in high demand as living space, tend to change hands over the centuries. Uninhabited areas can still have been shaped in the past to offer lots of features. When a shaper stops focusing on an area, it gradually returns to its former state, showing vague hints of the old shapes it held. A tunnel wall might have detoriated decorations that resemble...well, whatever the last people there felt like, really. The Netherworld is theoretically finite, but it stretches out hugely, and a lot of it is just uninhabited. Most people congregate in the Center , a rough circle with a radius of about 400 kilometers. Not all of the Center is inhabited, but beyond it are only outcasts in long stretches of empty passage. Everywhere we're going to cover is in or near the Center. As a note - because it's all tunnel, fighting in the Netherworld is like fighting indoors. The Four Monarchs have small armies, but mass warfare just doesn't work out well. As such, small guerrilla teams (like the PCs!) are the preferred means of combat, and there aren't many tasks which a bunch of fighters with good skills aren't suited for.

The Netherworld is full of gates or portals. Each is the end of a passageway, and they look like a hole filled with blindingly bright light. Step into the light and you end up somewhere on Earth in one of the junctures. Gates are two-way - they always drop you off on the same spot, and you can get back in from there. They tend to blend into the local landscape - doors, elevators, staircases, invisible holes in the air, waterfalls. On the Netherworld side, you can shape the appearance of gates much like anything else, so that they're less painful on the eyes and fit the decor. Many gates are shaped to resemble mirrors, doors, clocks, staircases - pretty much anything, really. Gates are stable and it's very hard to destroy them. There are dozens, even hundreds of gates to each juncture distributed throughout the Center and the rest of the Netherworld. There's no one who controls all the gates to any juncture. When new junctures open up, the first thing most inexperienced new factions do is try to control all the gates to their time frame. It never works - there's just too many. However, it's much easier to defend a handful of key gates which lead somewhere important. For example, there's a gate to the Emperor's palacei n 69 AD, which the Eaters of the Lotus have pretty much locked down with a formidable force of demons and martial artists. So far, no one has ever survived an attempt to enter it without Gao Zhang's personal invitation.

SHow do you shape the Netherworld? Well, anyone who has ever been attuned to a feng shui site can do it. Shaping is a unique form of manipulating chi energy, which some have speculated works because the Netherworld is made of pure chi energy. Though no one has ever proved that. Shaping works as a skill, but one not based on any attribute and one which can't be bought. Your rating in Shaping is equal to the highest number of feng shui sites you have ever been attuned to at any one time. The Difficulty of Shaping rolls is based on how big the area you're changing is, how long you want it to take and how complex the thing you're making is. The GM can also rule that you have to be familiar with what you're making to make it - so if you want a gun, you'll need to make the shaping roll, and then either Fix-It or Guns to make it so your gun isn't just a solid, useless model of a gun. To keep a thing or place shaped, you have to come back every once in a while and reinforce your chi connection. Typically, stuff won't start to revert for a number of days equal to your Shaping rating, and it's a difficulty 5 roll to renew the shape.

And yes, you can make items. If you're really good, you could will a gun into existence in a single sequence. For free. No cost at all. There are two drawbacks, though. The first is the reinforcing we just covered. The second? You can't take anything made of Netherworld out of a gate. Just doesn't go through. Still, some factions, most notably the Architects, have developed technology based on things that can only be made by Shaping. That's why they keep bases in the Netherworld. You can also shape feng shui sites into existence in the Netherworld! Of course, these sites don't actually provide any benefit to controlling history - they just provide the experience boost. The most powerful sites in the Netherworld are the four Pagodas, but they give the Monarchs no power anywhere except the Netherworld, and that power doesn't influence history at all, not even in the Netherworld.

There are no natives to the Netherworld. Everyone there is there because of the Secret War. Sure, some of them were born there, but their ancestors came through a portal. Most people aren't born there, though. Most peopl are dis-timed persons, also called exiles or the Netherworld Rabble, if you feel like being derogatory. These are folks who have been cut off from their home times, the descendants of those cut off from their home times or people who've had their timelines utterly erased. Many exiles want to reverse history to get their old lives back, but doing so is far too difficult for most to even bother to try. Some manage to find new life in the Netherworld villages. Most waste away their time in drinking and meaningless fights. Some people, on the other hand, got stuck because the gates to their junctures closed up. These people have it a little better - they can go back home one day, if the gates open up again. Their home time still exists. Probably. Hopefully. The exiles live in small, ramshackle villages put together by the inhabitants' limited Shaping abilities. They can be identified by their bizarre clothing styles - they always look like they've bought clothes a thrift store stocked by the entirety of human history. Roman breastplates, Elizabethan leggings and a Yankees cap. Not all of the exiles are human, though - there's a small contingent of demons and abominations, too. They tend to be pretty peaceful and trying to escape their monstrous origins, though they still have the full set of creature powers and/or arcanowave devices, so it's usually a bad idea to start shit with them.

The next largest group are the subjects . These are the guys who work directly for the Four Monarchs. They're hardly a cohesive group, given the infighting among the Monarchs, but they do all tend to look down on the exiles. None of them want to think of themselves as exiles, despite the fact that they're hardly any more likely to get the Monarchs' timeline back than any exile. The last major group? Secret warriors. Each faction has agents in the Netherworld. Some have powerbases and major presences, while others just hang around and run occasional errands, but everyone has someone there. The Monarchs, Dragons and Jammers are all based out of the Netherworld. The Monarchs live in exile here, the Dragons have a small outpost while their leaders desperately hunt for new recruits, and the Jammers prefer the Netherworld for ease of operation compared to 2056.

The Ascended avoid the Netherworld, as Lodge members don't lkike risking turning back into animals. This is probably the biggest liability the Ascended have - they have to rely on the Pledged to handle Netherworld and cross-time operations. The Pledged who operate here are usually the best and most senior humans in the whole operation. The Guiding Hand come because their shaping power can let them build perfect meditation chambers and harmonize them with the teachings of Quan Lo. The Eaters of the Lotus have yet to take real advantage of the Netherworld's properties and mostly use it for travel. Still, they do have a small force here to gather facts and thwart their foes when possible. They also keep that group I mentioned earlier to guard the portal into the Emperor's Palace.

So, where might you go visiting here? Well, there's the Temple of Boundless Meditation , a monastery complex guarded by the Guiding Hand. Here, high-level Hand monks go to try and follow in Quan Lo's footsteps. The secret heart is a series of seven meditation chambers, each of which manifests one of Quan Lo's Six Color Principles thanks to dedicated shaping, and the last of which manifests their grand synthesis as the Principle of Principles. The place also serves as a way station for Hand agents heading on cross-time missions and as a base for operations in the Netherworld.

Then we've got the Biomass Reprocessing Center , the Netherworld research station for the Architects. They use the place to perfect cutting edge techniques using equipment that must be shaped, because it can't even be produced in 2056. The complex is constantly working on new abominations, which it periodically sets loose on the local exiles to test. The place is heavily guarded, since no one at all likes it. While items shaped from Netherworld can't be taken to the real world, as a note, the Architect use them to manufacture items out of real world materials, which can be taken back.

The Ascended have the Hub , a modern military base commanded by a Pledged name Rebecca Dupree. It's been shaped to bend light around itself, so you can only find it if you know where it is - to everyone else, it's invisible. The place is laid out as a wheel, with a series of spokes radiating from the central hub that gives its name. Dupree has a lot of room to make decisions for the Ascended, mostly because her bosses don't come in. She's rumored to have agents in every other faction's installations, but whether it's true or just a rumor she started to demoralize people is unknown. She definitely has a crack team of fighters, though.

In less military news, there's IKTV , run by Columbia and Laurel Towson. They're from the modern world and stumbled into the Netherworld by accident. They love the place, and decided to set up shop there and make a TV station. It broadcasts 8 hours a day, but you need a TV set to catch it, and those are hard to come by in the Netherworld. Most shaped ones aren't very reliable. Neither is IKTV, though - it's run on the whims of its owners, and one day it might show eight hours of My Mother the Car while the next day is devoted to a speech against one of the Monarchs. The occasional news they run tends not to be very accurate, but it's the closest anyone's got to mass communications. The current base is shaped to have a giant TV screen on one face. It's had to move and rebuild four times so far due to being blown up by various groups, and is now guarded day and night by a fanatica band of exiles who love TV. They call themselves the Ickies.

Then there's Lusignan's Tower , home of Lusignan the Fool. He's a weird guy. He used to be Huan Ken's court jester, but he now seems to be an independent agent of chaos, switching sides all the time. His tower is just as strange - a huge structure of clown masks and grinning skulls which has a habit of becoming the site of crucial battles in the Netherworld's power struggles. Lusignan is clearly pushing an agenda and making some kind of point, but no one has figured out what either of them is.

Also strange is the Genocide Lounge , a night club known for being home to several Jammers and their fans. The Jammers have more influence among the Netherworld's inhabitants than in any juncture, and this is where a lot of their supporters can be found. It's been attacked several times, usually by Architects, and so the top brass and Potemkin don't hang out there, but if you want to get word to the Jammers, you head to the Genocide Lounge. It is also one of the few places you can find modern entertainment, as the Jammers are friends with several hardcore and edgy bands from the contemporary era. (No, really, it says edgy and hardcore. It was the 90s.)

Guiyu Zui is a demonic parody of the Emperor of China's palace. It is the sole connection between the Netherworld and the Underworld. The Underworld is the realm of demons and evil spirits. There's a giant hellmouth in the basement, and you jump into it, get eaten by the mouth, swallowed and eventually shit out in the Underworld. It's very unpleasant, but that's kind of the point. Apart from guarding an entrance to somewhere that no one wants to go, the Lotus also use the place to run their Netherworld operations and house operatives.

The Junkyard is a huge junkyard. It's full of stuff thrown out by people across history, both current and erased. Under the junkyard is a small but secure complex where the Prof, techie and leader of the remnants of the Dragons, hides out. She is currently unable to leave the Netherworld thanks to a curse cast on her by Lusignan the Fool. Oddly, she doesn't seem either concerned about the curse or in any mood to seek vengeance for it. She does want to set up a new team of Dragons, though.

Lastly, the Pagodas , homes of the Four Monarchs. They are the most famous structures in the entire Netherworld. The ICe Pagoda is a huge series of fortresses made of pure ice. The Thunder Pagoda is a mixture of Chinese and European castle features and is made of solid clouds. The Fire Pagoda is made of pure fire and mixes Chinese and Arabic features. The Darkness Pagoda mixes Chinese and Aztec, and it's a giant pyramid of darkness. Inside each the servants of the Monarchs live - humans, part-humans, spirits and, in the case of the Fire King and Darkness Queen, demons.

Next time: Hong Kong, Home of the Hong Kong Burger.

So I swallowed hard and did something potentially deeply stupid.

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

My schoolwork is done for the semester and I'm getting antsy to get on to Golden Comeback, since it's got some really awesome stuff in it from folks like Geoff Grabowski and Greg Stolze...

Feng Shui: So I swallowed hard and did something potentially deeply stupid.

Let's take a look at Hong Kong - and get a promise for a deeper look in Blowing Up Hong Kong, a supplement that would not be released for something approaching ten years. 'Hong Kong' in practice refers to the island of Hong Kong itself, the New Territories or Kowloon (a chunk of the mainland that was leased to Britain for nearly a century) and the largely rural Lantau island west of Hong Kong. Also something like 234 smaller outlying islands. On June 30, 1997, it will return from Britain to China and become a special administrative region. China promised to maintain existing freedoms, but in 1996, no one is sure if they'll keep their end of the deal. From what very brief research I did, they...largely did keep their end of the bargain.

Hong Kong is semi-tropical, with good weather from September to November, relative cold from December to February and typhoon season from May to September. Typhoon season is very hot and very, very, very humid. The currency is the Hong Kong Dollar, and for purposes of the game one US dollar is equivalent to eight Hong Kong dollars. Anyway. There are three major parts to Hong Kong: Hong Kong itself, Victoria and Kowloon. This section is meant to provide some brief info on the neighborhoods for the GM and some ideas on what you might do with fights there. Hong Kong Island is home to Victoria Peak, the largest of Hong Kong's small mountains. It reaches to about 550 meters above sea level and can be accessed by tram. The book suggests a tram fight scene. The top of the peak is called the Peak and is a haven for nature lovers. Many rich businessmen and civil servants live around it, and would great kidnapping targets. There's also a zoo in the area, so make sure that you have a fight there involving the lian habitat. It's also a great place for the Ascended to have tense meetings with the PCs, so they can make veiled threats involving their animal relatives.

East of Victoria Peak is the industrial zone. Factories are a great place for fight scenes, as well as rendezvouses and portals. On the western end of the south shore is Little Hong Kong, refuge for the boat people. The boat people live on junks and sampans, which is why they are called the boat people. The area is also known as Aberdeen, and the reason the boat people tend to live there is that it's a great typhoon shelter. It is also full of smugglers, so there's plenty of Triads to fight. Oh, and it's home to the floating restaurants - they're ships converted into, well, restaurants. You should, the book says, have a fight on one. In which the boiler explodes. In fact, all boats in Feng Shui should have notoriously explosion-prone boilers. The rest of Southside is for the rich and famous. Golf ocurses, hotels, the Ocean Park aquarium and other great, relaxed areas of entertainment that'd make for great shoot-outs. Also the Middle Kingdom, a living history exhibit recreating Chinese history. Great for people from 69 AD who feel homesick! Southside is also home to Stanley Prison, which may be a place your PCs end up, either as prisoners or to stop a riot or even to go undercover for clues. Oh, and there's a fort owned by the Ascended - Stanley Fort. More on that later.

Now, on to Victoria. Victoria is the heart of Hong Kong commerce, and it covers most of the north coast. It's basically the Manhattan to Hong Kong's NYC. It's stylish and upscale...mostly. Central District is the financial district, built around Hong Kong Harbor. It's got great typhoon protection, and is home to office towers, government buildings, a park, and tourist areas. Great place for robberies, hostages, kidnapping, car chases...also anything to do with corporate espionage. Moving on, there's Happy Valley, where the British settled in the 1840s after finding their first area was full of malaria. It is known for its racetrack, historic cemetaries and the Aw Boon Haw Gardens amusement park. It's full of weird statues and a great place for action scenes, such as a bomb on a roller coaster or an assassin in the Tunnel of Love.

Then we have Wanchai, a former red-light district. These days, it's the center for nightlife, especially if you're Western. It's got topless clubs, prostitutes, nightclubs, the works. Most bars are open 24 hours. It's not all sleaze, though - it's also where to go for cheap tailoring work! The tailors tend to be open until midnight, just in case your PCs need to get a bloodstained, bullet-riddled suit fixed up late at night. There's also some great restaurants and two performing arts complexes, the Academy for Performing arts and the Hong Kong Arts Center. Also a lot of Taoist temples and two stadiums. Heading on West, we find...the Western District, which is very Asian compared to Central. This is where you for open air markets, traditional medicines, cheap Chinese goods and the famous Jervois Street snake restaurants! Also, the Hong Kong University.

Crossing the harbor by tunnel or ferry, we reach Kowloon. Kowloon is divided into several districts. The first we'll talk about is Tsimshatsul, the peninsula where all public transit ends. It's got shopping centers, hotels, a planetarium and museum, an art gallery and more - all great set pieces for fights. You get the Peking opera, cabaret, strip clubs...the lot. Hong Kong's Kai Tak Airport is nearby, too...and it's terrifying. It's in the middle of the city and to land requires a very steep angle surrounded by high-rises. It's very busy and has immense security - but not so immense that a gunfight would be out of the question. During rush hour, of course.

Then, we've got Mongkok! Mongkok is the horrible stinking tenement district. Great place to hunt for informants, because...well, 165000 people per square kilometer. Stinking, enormous apartment buildings. Lots of chaos to run into. But it's a great place to lie low for a while if you can stand the rats and the roaches. From there, we move to Yuamatei. Ordinary people should stay out of Yuamatei at night, but PCs aren't ordinary. It is home to the Night Market, which we'll see when we get to the sample adventure, Baptism of Fire. It's also home to more boat people, as another typhoon shelter. It's also the place to go for jade, either to buy, sell or invetigate. Temple Street, home of the Night Market, is of course also home of many famous temples.

So, what's the Secret War like in Hong Kong, now that we've got the mundane stuff dealt with? Well, Hong Kong has the highest concentration of feng shui sites of anywhere in the modern world. Everyone has a theory about why, and everyone knows the important thing is to control the sites. The Ascended and the Guiding Hand care aobut Hong Kong because it essentially is a free-floating source of political power untied to any government (for now). The Lotus and Monarchs care because it's the only place on Earth that is both highly modern and highly magical - for some reason, negative juncture modifier just don't apply in modern Hong Kong for Creature Powers or Sorcery. :itisamystery: The Architects like it for similar reasons. The Jammers think it's important because its mystic nature is just what they want to destroy...so they want to find out how to wreck the place. The Dragons? Well, the PCs will probably end up being their representatives, if anyone is, and why they're in Hong Kong is up to them.

We are told that the PCs probably won't be running into any of the heavy hitter NPCs in this section, since many of them could kill starting PCs easily. Instead, mooks, lackeys and lieutenants. Even then, you might have some non-combat encounters with the big names. That way, when the fight inevitably happens, it can be personal . So! The Ascended. For them, Hong Kong is both great and terrible. On the one hand, the feng shui sites make controlling it vital, and it's useful for its role in the mundane world. It's a trade center and the Ascended get a lot of that action. On the other hand, the chi strength is a problem - sure, it's not quite enough to trigger reversion, but a lot of the Lodge still avoid the place. They've never been able to truly tame it. Thus, dominance is left to the Pledged.

The Ascended Hong Kong Operations Chief, or HKOC, is the highest post any full human can get in the Ascended. Only the best are considered. It's a great job, with a ton of power - but also temptation. The last HKOC, Connie Bo, was found dead last year in her home, shot seven times in the chest. Police officials made no arrests, and those in the know realize she was killed by her bosses for trying to expand her own power too much. The current HKOC is Colonel Baynes Wilhelm, but he knows it's temporary. When the Chinese take over in 1997, he's going to step aside for a Chinese leader. He's fine with that - he's near retirement, and while loyal, he's not ambitious. For most of his life, he believed the Order of the Wheel to just be a military club. He obeyed orders efficiently, and never believed he served anyone but Britain. He had no idea he was impressing the Lodge, and was shocked when he was told the truth. Since that day, he's been pretty scared, though he's hidden it well thanks to his natural restraint. He's really scared about his bosses finding out he's loyal more out of reflex than respect.

Baynes is cautious, conventional and out of his league. He follows instructions to the letter and all he wants is to last until his replacement comes in, then retire quietly. He's married, has three kids and two grandkids. He knows his bosses will use them if he reveals any secrets...but so far, he's never had to do anything too terrible. Still, he'd do anything to keep his family safe. He's got a ton of resources, including the toughest mooks in Hong Kong. If the PCs were to ever make him fear for himself or his family, he would not hesitate to kill them. He'd feel bad, but he'd do it. He's not the most powerful guy in the world - in fact, I'd say an average PC could beat him in a fight. But that's why he has commandos. His commandos are much better than most mooks.

Baynes commands Stanley Fort, a top-secret military installation on the western shore of Hong Kong. It's mostly an intelligence-gathering base monitoring satellite signals. Nominally, it's British, but in practice, it's Ascended. British intelligence in Hong Kong is full of Pledged. The fort is really useful - the Ascended use it to spy on their enemies. One group of satellites is very secretly capable of monitoring chi energy levels, allowing the Ascended to detect the locations of every major site on the planet, and to detect the tiny fluctuations when they change hands. Minor sites can also be detected, but only with extreme difficulty, and the Ascended usually don't bother to monitor them without very good reason. The reason they can do this is that Stanley Fort is built on the most powerful site in the entirety of Hong Kong. The chi flow is necessary for the physics tweaks that keep the monitoring equipment working.

Baynes makes sure there's always a Pledged officer in the monitoring room at all times. The displays are subtle enough that only the trained will notice anything unusual. When they do, they get on the horn to either Baynes or his second in command, Rain Yuen. They may then launch a commando team to reclaim critical sites, but that's only done in dire emergencies, since it draws more attention than anyone likes. More likely, Rain will be assigned to more subtle and covert measures to regain the site, assuming it was an Ascended site to begin with. If it wasn't, they probably won't do much but note the change in hands.

Rain Yuen is considerably better at fighting then her boss is, between her signature katana, her signature Colt, Both Guns Blazing and her good stats. She's a Hong Kong native and the liaison overseeing transition of Stanley Fort to the Chinese. She's Pledged and has a lot more authority than her official position says. She's going to be staying on when the changeover in bosses happens. Her real job is to manage counterintelligence in Hong Kong. Baynes wants her to be more distant, but she likes to take personal charge of field missions, especially violent ones. Recently, her lover, a Lodge member, got killed in Guatemala despite her best efforts to save him. Since then, she's been moody except when hurting people. When she finds out who was behind his death, she will go on a killing spree. Until then, she's taking out on anyone nearby. The Lodge is keeping her busy in the hopes that she'll come back to normal - she's one of their best field agents and they'd prefer not to lose her. She used to be a witty, talkative woman in her mid-30s, but now she just listens to pop ballads at insanely high volume when not on business.

Next time: Junk boats and English boys crashing out in super marts.

The Inner Kingdom was a nice place to visit, but I had no intentions of living here.

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: The Inner Kingdom was a nice place to visit, but I had no intentions of living here.

The Architects maintain a good amount of R&D agents in Hong Kong, plus some security guys. The R&D team is there to see why the local chi is so good for both magic and technology. They've been personally sent by Curtis Boatman to study that chi and find out how to extend it throughout the modern world. That'd make an invasion a lot easier. The head of the team is Doctor Felix Mei, a genius in the field of chi study. He blends well enough despite his slighty 2056 accent, and has even been dating a local named Diana Ching. He's more absent-minded scientist than madman, but he is completely amoral. He doesn't care that he's working for horrible people, he just wants to advance arcanowave science. He knows he's got to keep a low profile but he thinks of it more as a way of avoiding interruptions. He's always sending folks back home to ask for more funding - the one thing other than science that he's really good at.

Felix has experimented on himself, despite it being against CDCA policy. He's turned himself into a cyborg, despite knowing he'd lose his funding and probably get arrested if he's found out. Thanks to his arcanowave schticks, he's actually not that bad at fighting, but he'll only use them when he really, really needs them. His goals are the expand his operation and figure out how to recreate the chi field of Hong Kong. The PCs are likely to run into one of his more blatantly horrible projects: he's got the security team kidnapping teenagers to use as guinea pigs. He thinks the unique chi of Hong Kong is due to the mix of ancient and modern beliefs held by the locals, and by turning kids into cyborgs, he thinks he can isolate the genetic component that helps generate the chi field. So far, he's just made them into twisted freaks.

His second-in-command is Denis Clech, head of the Buro security team. Technically, Denis is under Felix, but he thinks the doctor is an idiot, a danger to Buro's plans and, in fact, a danger to everyone nearby. There's always been a bit of a rivalry between CDCA and Security, which Bonengel encourages. After all, arcanowave science and conquering time aren't always goals that exist in perfect harmony. Security agents get told to keep the scientists under watch as much as they help them. Denis goes one step further. He hates his cybernetic form (by the way, he's a cyborg) and blames all scientists for it. If he could find a way to get Felix arrested and killed, he'd do it in an instant - and the same with any other arcanowave researcher.

In the meantime, Felix wants to please his superiors at any cost. He's a pretty good combatant, but he's a loose cannon. He'll go after anything he sees as a threat, throwing his (distinctly less skilled) subordinates and all other resources at them without bothering to get authorization. If the PCs start poking around in Architect affairs, he's going to go after them, and it won't be subtle. The Architects are based out of the Chen Chien Building, a huge office tower on the shores of Southside's Repulse Bay Beach. Even in Hong Kong, people protested it going up - in that rich neighborhood, no one wanted the bizarre, demonic-looking building. That was just what the Architects wanted. The thing is trying to funnel the chi down into the basement for experiments. So far, it's done nothing noticeable, but it only just opened. Felix thinks he can use it as a broadcast site for chi in the future, though that's up to the GM.

If Felix does managfe it, he will change the area's juncture modifiers to those of 2056. How wide this spreads is up to the GM, but it's sure to piss off the Guiding Hand and Ascended, neither of whom want a spike of magical activity. The PCs might be caught in the middle of a war, or might find Hand and Ascended allies to help blow up the Chen Chien Building. Inside the Chen Chien building, incidentally, Arcanowave Device rolls and all rolls by Abominations are at +2.

The Guiding Hand fucking loathe modern Hong Kong. They didn't like it when the British took it in 1841, and they don't like it now. Their infiltrators in the Communist Party are the ones agitating the most for clamping down on Hong Kong when 1997 comes. If they could just sink it, they'd do it, but they need something more sophisticated. They've decided on a two-way approach: spiritual and physical. They also have what is probably one of the best-organized groups in Hong Kong.

First, they have Xiaowen Hu, a ranking official in the Communist Party who's been assigned to oversee the transition of power. He's a member in good standing of the Golden Candle Society, the Hand's covert wing. His orders from China are to make the changeover as smooth as possible and avoid any repeats of Tiananmen Square. He's also got all sorts of Party cronies trying to get rich off the changeover. Xiaowen is seen as an unthinking instrument of his bosses' greed. He's efficient and never asks questions. It's all an act. Xiaowen Hu hates his bosses, their hypocrisy and their materialism. He's keeping a lid on it because he's got orders from the Hand. The Hand have many infiltrators, but the Ascended have more. The real struggle is between these two groups in the Communist Party. The Hand wants to control as much of Hong Kong's feng shui as possible, and the Ascended are the main obstacle. They already own the majority of the sites.

The Hand's plan is to use the 1997 changeover to shake things up. To do it, they have to beat the Pledged at bureaucratic infighting. For Xiaowen Hu, the Secret War is fought with memos, staff meetings and blackmail. He is not a fighter and in fact has no combat skills whatsoever. He is an excellent spy and bureaucrat, though, despite being ugly, somewhat inarticulate and badly dressed. However, sometimes Hu neds surgical violence to help him out. Some people need to be threatened, kidnapped or killed. Some files need to be stolen, copied or hacked. And it must be done without revealing his true allegiances, as the Ascended could easily get him reassigned. He can't risk being exposed. But that's where the second part of the Hand's plans comes in: Tortoise Shell Information Services. Xiaowen can't be connected to them and talks to them only via dead letter drop.

TSIS was founded by Reverend Charles Birdsall in 1930. He was a missionary who went native and came to believe in the Hand's cause more than even most Chinese did. He quit the clergy and set up TSIS as a spying operation for the Hand. It's changed with the times, and changed its name from Tortoise Shell Imports in the 80s, but it's the same group. It has a permanent staff of four, and often hires freelancers for really risky jobs. That makes it expensive, but it gets its funding from Golden Candle infiltrators in China. All four members of TSIS are part of the Golden Candle Society, but they also take part in the "decadence" of Hong Kong life. They love the game of the Secret War more than the Hand's cause, but while they might go rebel if the Hand actually won, they're loyal beyond question right at this second.

The leader of TSIS is Emma Birdsall, granddaughter of Charles. She's a beautiful young woman whose specialty is understanding human behavior. She spends most of her time at her desk, analyzing reports and constructing psych profiles on everyone even peripherally related to a TSIS operation. She is also a master of disguise and has a bad habit of falling in love with people her agency is targeting. Fortunately for her (and no one else), she falls out of love just as easily and never finds it hard to betray her targets. She's a pretty good fighter, but an even better liar.

The group's expert in breaking and entering is her mentor, 70-year-old Penelope Gidlow. She was once Charles' lover (but not Emma's grandmother; suffice to say there was a love triangle back in the 30s), and she's been mentoring Emma since childhood. Penelope's main skill is looking harmless. On the rare occasions she gets caught while sneaking in, she pretends to be a confused old lady and gets out fine. She's quite rich and owns a nice mansion, which gets her into the top of Hong Kong society easily. She loves tennis, watching cricket and day trading. She is also a really good martial artist with several potent fu powers.

The firm's assassin is Emma's younger sister, Judy Birdsall. She's barely 20 and resembles a spoiled rich kid more than a killer. In fact, she typically wears a baseball cap, t-shirt and jeans. It's very good at making her look harmless. She also rarely thinks about the consequences of what she's doing - she likes guns, she likes danger and she likes a challenge. The fact that she's killing people just doesn't mean anything to her. Emma finds her creepy at times and has thought of getting her pyschological treatment, but it'd make her less useful...and besides, she's very friendly for a psychopath. (And, needless to see, really, really good with guns.)

The last member of the team is Denholm Nuttall, information expert. He's not much of a fighter, but if he needs to know something, he can find it. Always. He routinely sends anonymous tips to Xiaowen Hu via encrypted email. He used to be a journalist and an alcholic until Emma's father kidnapped him, forced him onto the wagon and gave him a mission. After 20 years, Nuttall's still sober and still dedicated to the Hand in honor of the old man. He's the one of the team who really does believe in the cause. He also klnows more about the Secret War than practically anyone in Hong Kong. The only person we'll talk about whom he doesn't know the true identity of is the Lotus demon Kun Chau, and...well, she's special. He's also having an affair with an attendant from the Ice Pagoda. Denholm is kind, but believes that sometimes brutal things must be done for the greater good. He's a very modest but impeccably dressed man in his late 50s.

The third and final part of the Hand plan for Hong Kong is Shih Ho Kuai, martial arts master. His official job is as an assistant at the Man Mo Temple, the largest and oldest temple in Hong Kong, which is dedicated to two gods - Man, the god of literate, and Mo or Kuan Ti, the god of war, who is patron of cops, gangsters and martial artists. Shih Ho Quai's job is to monitor the factions that aren't the Ascended. He's especially interested in stopping Lotus and Architect activity. He's created a small secret society to help him: Tomorrow's Immortals. It's a mix of cops, triad members and martial artists who worship at the temple and learn kung fu from Shih Ho Kuai. They don't know about the Guiding Hand, and Shih Ho Kuai's teachings are only tangentially related to it. He knows that his students aren't much for strict obedience and self-sacrifice.

In fact, he himself has too much pride to get along with the Hand leadership, which is why he got assigned to modern Hong Kong. He's brash, impulsive and a little boastful. Still, Tomorrow's Immortals adore him and would do a lot to please him. Most would die for him, if it was a glorious death. Shih Ho Kuai doesn't expect them to break their other loyalties, though. Triads won't betray their bosses for him, cops won't break the law - but they might bend it a lot. This can mean that a cop and a gangster end up working together for the Immortals and against each other for their day jobs. It's even possible that there are Dragons among Tomorrow's Immortals.

Shih Ho Kuai has a quick temper, and in combat, his easy-going nature melts away. He becomes a terrible warrior, capable of horrific deeds. Several times he's killed people he meant to capture, and he's especially prone to losing control when he uses his (i]extremely[/i] impressive) fu powers. Seriously, dude's crazy good at martial arts. Quan Lo believes his anger and his chi flow are deeply connected, and he's been ordered to stay out of fights except in great emergencies. Though he gets angry easily, he's no fool and knows he's got limited resources. Mostly, he just engages in petty harassment unless his foes seem to be making some major advance. That's when he'll send out Tomorrow's Immortals, who are okay fighters for mooks. Oh, and unlike his bosses? Shih Ho Kuai likes Hong Kong. He sees himself as a defender of the colony rather than a servant of the Hand. He's never thought about it, but he just might rebel if he thought the Hand were going to do something terrible to Hong Kong.

The Jammers, meanwhile, have very little influence in Hong Kong. They've only got a single cell in the area, studying the high chi level in the hopes that it'll help them destroy all chi. This cell is run by Sabrina Ferran, daughter of a major Architect scientist. She's a very skilled arcanowave researcher, having learned it from her mother...but that's about all she can say for the woman. Her mother was cruel and distant, and she joined the Jammers to get back at the woman. Oh, and she wants to be a rock star.

No, really. In order to become one, she convinced Battlechimp Potemkin to send her to modern Hong Kong, where she has a small band of exiles to help her in her research. And by small band I mean they're rock musicians. They do work on the Jammer project, but their top priority is the Dump Warriors, their band. They want to move somewhere more open to punk than Hong Kong, which far prefers pop, but they know they'd be recalled if they left. When a Jammer op happens in Hong Kong, Sabrina hosts the agents, but she otherwise stays as far from covert ops as possible. The Architects so far don't know about her or the Dump Warriors and she wants to keep it that way. She's a vaguely passable fighter, but not much better than her Dump Warrior buddies, who...are average mooks.

All right, the Lotus! The Lotus have the smallest presence in Hong Kong, since they're relative newcomers to the Secret War. Gao Zhang has sent many agents to the modern era to learn about it and plans to establish powerbases there, but he doesn't yet have the knowledge or resources. His reach into Hong Kong is mostly some wizards from 69 sent to perform specific missions. We'll meet one in Baptism of Fire, named Ta Yu. He's setting up an alliance with a local gang and trying to steal some minor feng shui sites. However, they do have inarguably the single most powerful agent in the entirety of Hong Kong: the demon Kun Chau. Kun Chau is a small island off the coast of Lantau.

Yes, she is the island . In 69 AD, Gao Zhang and his followers bound a powerful demon into the soil of the island. In the current history, she outlasted the Lotus by centuries, and remained a terrible and malign influence in the South China Sea until the 11th century, when the magic was dampened and she went dormant. Ta Yu and several other Lotus sorcerers arrived a few months before your game begins and awakened her. She has been slowly growing in power, using her sorcerous Influence power to turn the two dozen peasant families that live on her into her slaves. She can control them at any time as long as they remain within 16 kilometers of her - so, effectively, as long as they're in Hong Kong. When they're under her influence, they will do anything, no matter how suicidal. However, since she has only a few slaves, none are expendable.

Kun Chau is extremely subtle and evil. She has been fully briefed on the Secret War, and as an island she has a bias towards long-term plans. Islands are, you see, very patient. Kun Chau wants to establish a permanent powerbase in Hong Kong and has thus been getting the headman of her fishermen to open negotiation s with a resort developer who wants to build a hotel on Kun Chau. She plans to use it to enslave the wealthy and powerful. In the meantime, she's using her slaves to gather news and gossip around Hong Kong, and she's now an expert in local politics, technology and society. The main aid she gives to Lotus agents is getting them up to date on modern ways; she won't risk her own resources to further the plans of others. This sometimes causes problems, as Gao's agents often want more concrete help. Still, there's not much anyone can do to force her to obey - she's very old, very powerful and is easily better at magic than anyone Gao has ever sent to the modern era.

Her greatest fear is that she will be exposed - especially to the Ascended. She knew about their efforts to suppress magic before she went dormant and she doesn't want to go dormant again. She has recently learned about the power of the Jade Wheel Society, and believes that they could easily get an atomic bomb to deal with a demonic island. She has no idea whether sh e'd survive it, but she doesn't want to find out. Instead, she wants to move slowly and avoid risk. On the other hand, if someone were to discover her, like the PCs, she'd stop at nothing to kill them before word got out. She is herself a feng shui site, and as long as she's alive and intelligente, only those she allows to attune to her can. She has attuned all her fishermen, by the way.

Kun Chau has effectively infinite Body, or no Body score, depending on how you look at it. Her stats are huge - she has Creature Power and Sorcery both at 40 - and she has plenty of both Creature Power and Sorcery schticks. She is immune to physical weapons short of a bomb, but can be damaged by sorcery, creature powers or arcanowave devices. She can see through the eyes of her slaves and can spend Fortune dice on their behalf. In fact, her slaves basically are extensions of her for purposes of using her sorcery. She will attempt to enslave any secret warrior on her, but even for her it's not that easy - she has to beat the higher of your Mag or Wil by 35. Enslaved characters are under her control until someone breaks the hold. Restore Chi from the Fertility schtick can do it at diff 40 on the island or the target's Will score off it. She will do her best to keep slaves from being taken from the island. She can materialize her Creature Powers anywhere on the island but prefers to do it via camoflauging her tentacles as tree branches or her Rancid Breath as bog gas, for example.

The Monarchs are peripheral at best in Hong Kong. Their power is weak here and they're busy fighting each other in the Netherworld. Still, they do have a few agents - allies more than underlings, really. The most notable is playboy inventor Leslie Lau, a drinking buddy of Huan Ken of the Thunder Pagoda. He discovered the Netherworld while working on a pollution-eating device; it opened a Netherworld portal instead. He has a lab in the Netherworld to make more really awesome devices, though he can't mass produce. He's not the best guy, but he won't sell any of his toys to the Lotus or Architects. He also keeps an eye out for Huan Ken's interests in Hong Kong and occasionally hosts parties for the guy and his Thunder Knights. They love modern fashion but still speak like medieval lords. Also, they sometimes get into huge brawls. They're pretty average mooks.

Leslie himself has a number of weird inventions. If a PC manages to get one, it'll break quickly unless they pay 8 XP and Leslie wants the PC to have it. What devices does he have? Well, there's the Dusk-O-Matic , a calculator which pulls in light and captures it in a chi field, rendering everything within five meters to 10 percent visibility due to darkness. It costs 1 Fortune or Magic point to activate, and it lasts for 1d6 sequences. The Speedball is a ruber ball with a guidance system. You throw it against a hard surface and make a Martial Arts check. It ricochets for shots equal to the action result, then strike a target you specified when making the check, using the original roll to determine if it hits. It has a base damage of 3 and takes just one shot to activate. Finally, the Ultraviolet Penetrator is a modified laser sight that can be installed on any gun. You make a Guns check, and if you hit, your target is bathed in an aura of light that makes all metallic, ARB and magical items glow, even through heavy clothing. This takes 1 shot to do.

Next time: The Baptism of Fire!

The Fire Pagoda I'd heard so much about was pretty weird all right.

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: The Fire Pagoda I'd heard so much about was pretty weird all right.

Baptism of Fire is the adventure included here to familiarize you with feng shui. The premise is simple: the PCs protect a restaurant from gangsters. Except the restaurant is a minor feng shui site and the gangsters are Lotus pawns. The climax has the heroes fight it out with the bad guys in a burning apartment building. Sounds fun to me! When the adventure opens, everyone has some reason to be eating at the Eating Counter , a restaurant in the heart of Temple Street in Yauamatei district of Kowloon. It's one of the best restaurants in Hong Kong, so there's plenty of reason to be there. Maybe it's for the food. Maybe they're meeting someone here. (Those people never show.) Maybe they're gamblers stopping by before heading to a local illegal casino. Maybe they're working a case on the petty crime-filled Temple Street, or maybe they're hunting for goods on the local mob boss, Fast Eddie Lo. Maybe they're here to make a deal with Fast Eddie. Maybe they're from another juncture and wound up in the back alley thanks to a Netherworld portal. Anything works.

The major bad guys for this adventure are the Poison Thorns , a new street gang led by Furong "Sneezy" Teng . He's been in Hong Kong for around a year and has connections to the mainland mob. He's not happy being some street tough, and he wants to hit the big time, which means muscling in on Fast Eddie Lo's territory. If he can do enough damage to Fast Eddie's operations and not die, he can then ask Eddie's big brother (read: superior and mentor in the Triads) to take over his territory. Sneezy's right hand is Kaibong "Happy" Cheung , who does the dirty work and is the first of the three major villains of the adventure that the PCs will run into.

Sneezy and the Thorns haven't had much success until very recently. Lo's men were too professional for them. Sneezy's mainland buddies introduced him to Ta Yu , who has been giving pep talks to the gang. Since then, everything seems to be going their way. They've won some minor fights and are confident enough to go for a big move. What's the secret? Ta Yu is an ancient sorcerer-eunuch of the Lotus! He's here on a mission from Gao Zhang to find some feng shui sites, and he's using the Thorns as pawns to get access to the Chinese underworld. He knows the Eating Counter has good feng shui, and he wants the Thorns to intimidate the owner into signing it over.

Sneezy Teng was a poor kid with ambition. He's not going to die poor. He'll do anything it takes to get ahead - be a crook, ally with evil sorcerers, whatever. He hasn't murdered yet, but he'd do it without a second's thought to get money and power. Unusually for a gangster, he doesn't care much about respect, just money. He knows he needs fear and respect to get ahead, but the approval of others means nothing to him in itself. He's always working on the big picture and cares about no one except himself. Happy and Ta Yu are just tools for him. Happy's easy to manipulate, and Ta Yu is too dangerous to fully trust. Sneezy is called Sneezy because he has persistent and terrible allergies which make him sneeze every half minute or so. It kills most of his intimidation, but he's a great fighter.

Ta Yu, on the other hand, is a willing eunuch who got himself castrated to advance in the Lotus. He is a generic evil sorcerer. He gloats when he's winning, he goes nuts when challenged and he underestimates Sneezy's intellect. In fact, he underestimates a lot of people - everyone but his bosses, in fact. So he'll write the PCs off as idiots, too. He has no value for human life and will kill anyone to advance himself or the Lotus. He has a high, annoying and squeaky voice, because he's a sorcerer eunuch, and he loves big words. He is a potent and dangerous wizard with a magic ring that gives him +2 to Blast damage.

Happy Cheung isn't. He's a Big Bruiser who likes to break things and hurt people. He follows Sneezy because he gets the chance to do both. The two have worked together for years, but they don't like each other. In fact, Happy doesn't like anyone. He just likes hurting people. The Poison Thorns are terrified of him, especially after they saw him kill a man with his bare hands, just for bumping into him. Happy's biggest priority is proving he's the biggest, baddest motherfucker in the room. He gets mad when anyone stands up to him, and if a PC insults him - or worse, beats him in a fight, then Happy will do nothing but seek painful vengeance against them. This will distract him even from Sneezy's orders. Happy prefers monosyllables; he's not dumb, mind, but he is very single-minded and prefers not talking.

Now, bit players. The Thorns are generic mooks. If you care about personality for them beyond 'stupid, fearful and violent', you're trying too hard. The Eating Counter is owned by Shen Kar-Wai , an old man who hopes to turn the place over to his young nice, Carina Shen . He raised her after his brother and sister-in-law died in a boating accident, and he's very protective of her. Carina is the only family Kar-Wai has. If the PCs work in the restaurant, they know know Kar-Wai and Carina. Kar-Wai is a grouchy old man with a heart of gold. He yells at people all the time, but when they need it, he's happy to slip them some extra cash. He loves Carina more than anything in the world. He's got a heart condition and should be taking it easy, but he's an obsessive perfectionist, which is rather bad for his health. Carina is painfully shy, even around other employees, and decided not to go to college like she could've so she could take care of Uncle Kar-Wai. She doesn't think she's up to the challenge of the running place, but feels it's her duty to try. She wants Kar-Wai to retire before he has a heart attack.

What the PCs don't know is that the Thorns have sotpped by twice recently, looking for protection money. They came by after hours, when everyone else had left. Kar-Wai refused, since he'd already paid up with Fast Eddie. Sneezy threatened him the last time, and Kar-Wai is keeping it a secret from everyone but his most trusted employees, since he doesn't want to alarm people. Also he doesn't want them to quit for fear of gangster attack.

The Eating Counter is a pretty simple place in the middle of Temple Street. It has two levels, but most of it's on the second. Temple Street is famous both for temples and the Night Market, a row of shops and clubs. Temple Street also has horrible, horrible brothels catering to the less affluent customers. There's always something happening on the street, and people are everywhere. Everyone in the Night Market pays protection to Fast Eddie Lo, the local Triad boss. Fast Eddie is smart and cautious, never taking too much. The business owners see him as basically just another tax. When people in Temple Street get in trouble, they go to Fast Eddie, not the cops - though most of the local cops are on his payroll anyway.

We open the adventure with the PCs chilling at the Eating Counter when a bunch of Poison Thorns barge in, shoving folks around. A character with the appropriate Info skill can ID their accents as Fukienese - they're from the mainland. There's three of them for each PC, plus one more. That one is the leader, and he's taller than the rest. That's Happy Cheung. He's got a permanent sneer - literally. The left side of his upper lipe has been cut away and is replaced by a ring of scar tissue. Carina will come out to see what's going on, and she seems obviously frightened and worried about her uncle, in the kitchen. She'll try to pay Happy, but he's not in the mood to take it.

If the PCs don't feel like intervening yet, then Happy will have the gang swarm the restaurant and knock Carina over. Kar-Wai will come out the back. He's pretty frail and he will swear angrily at the Poison Thorns. If the PCs haven't intervened yet, Happy will hurl him to the floor. If the PCs still haven't started a fight for some insane reason, the gang will start kicking the old man while he's down, which should probably do it. If someone challenges Happy to single combat, he'll take the offer, and it'l llast until someone decides to escalate to a general brawl - either the PCs, or the mooks if it looks like Happy's losing.

Once the fight starts, the Thorns will attack anyone nearby. If the PCs directly attack, they'll at least ignore the bystanders. Until someone pulls a deadly weapon, they stick to martial arts. Once the guns come out, they'll shoot until they empty their clips, then move to machetes and stick to that. Happy will start with punches and move to a club after he gets hit. He'll also try to dos tunts, like hurling tables at people as if they were frisbees. He's smart enough to know the PCs are better than his gang, and he doesn't really care if he takes down a few of his own as long as it hits a PC - so he'll throw tables even at PCs in close combat with his men. There's all sorts of other stunts possible here - shoving faces into hot plates of food, throwing bottles around, smashing a lobster tank, smacking folks with a cash register, the works. Oh, and there's a big plate glass window to throw people through. Remember, the Counter's on the second floor.

The Thorns will flee if half of 'em get put down, and if the PCs give chase, they'll grab an old lady as a hostage to get the PCs to let them leave in peace. It is difficulty 18 to take the machete out of the hand of whoever makes the threat without cutting the hostage's throat. If the Thorns leave, they take the hostage with them, along with any KO'd Thorns. Dead Thorns are left to rot. Assuming they get away, they vanish into alleys and then roar off on motorbikes, dumping the old woman in the garbage.

The next major fight is going to be at a construction site the Thorns hang out at. To get there, the PCs need to find it. The GM should also establish some plot points first: 1. Fast Eddie Lo wants the Thorns dead for horning in on his territory and assaulting a "customer." 2. The Thorns are mixed up in sorcery, not just gang work. The PCs get get useful info from the Shens, talk to the local merchants, meet with Fast Eddie, interrogate any captive Thorns or even get in a fight with zombies. This doesn't have to be done in any particular order.

Kar-Wai will happily complain at the PCs. He will tell them:

Carina will confirm all that, and if taken aside, will aid that Kar-Wai has a heart condition and she's terrified the stress will kill him. Also, she'd prefer to go to the cops instead of Eddie - mobsters don't do favors free. She also wants her uncle to sell the place, but he won't if the Thorns are sniffing around. He's really stubbron, and while he wants to retire, he won't do it if it looks like the Thorns drove him to do so.

The local merchants are suspicious and temperamental, but will tell the PCs that they trust Fast Eddie to handle this more than the cops, that about half of them have had visits from the Thorns, that the attack on the Eating Counter is the first actual physical violence the Thorns have done and that it's odd that they went for the Eating Counter first. See, it's a big place full of people - a lot harder to shake down than some of the shops. Besides, several merchants have been nastier to Sneezy than Kar-Wai was. If any Thorns are alive and on hand, they're reluctant to talk. They've been hypnotized by Ta Yu, who has them all believing their heads will explode if they betray him or Sneezy. They won't talk no matter how rought the PCs get, but their fear is obvious. The PCs should be able to realize they're way more scared of their bosses than any street punk reasonably should be. The only way to get them to talk is to use Sorcery - the Influence schtick can break the fear response easily, as the Thorns have Will 4. However, if they do squeal...well, their heads explode. Ta Yu put a combined Influence/Blast on them to kill them if they ever think about uttering his name or giving away his or Sneezy's location. That should be a major clue that this is more than your every day extortion, though!

Next time: Out of the frying pan.

Air conditioning is not a factor at the Fire Pagoda. Ice-cold beer wasn't on the menu.

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: Air conditioning is not a factor at the Fire Pagoda. Ice-cold beer wasn't on the menu.

So, we left off with even more ways to find out this is a weird plot. If the Thorns died, either in the fight or due to brain explosions, well...there's a few ways to do this. If the party has a local cop and got the bodies sent to the morgue, this is easy. The morgue attendants show up at some slow point and tell the PCs that the bodies are gone! The PCs find out that no one should've been able to get past security - it's like they left on their own. Which they did. Ta Yu has used his Summoning schtick to reanimate the dead Thorns, using a mystic link via a personal item of each gang member. He wants to interrogate the corpses to find out what happened, but he suspects involvement from another faction, so he's playing it careful. Ideally, the PCs catch up with the zombies and fight them, using the same stats as the Thorns before. If the PCs are "inconveniently clever," they might follow the zombies instead, though. They'll head to a city square, where Ta Yu's Divination schtick will warn him of their approach. He will fly away with Movement, getting away too fast to be fought but getting spotted by the PCs against the moon or something.

But what if the PCs don't have a cop? Well, they don't hear about the morgue...but this time, Ta Yu's reason for making zombies changes. Instead, he sends the undead after the killers, since there's a mystic link between people and their killers. So the party now has to deal with zombies trying to ambush them. Either way, once killed again, the corpses stay dead. There is no further trace of occult power, and a coroner examining them would see only the wounds that killed them the second time. No authority figure is going to buy this crazy zombie story. But still - proof that something really weird is going on!

Sorcery can also determine this via the Divination schtick. Divination gives a vision referring to the next fight - it shows earth being disturbed (because it's a construction site) and danger (there's danger), but that doing it under cover of darkness will help. Still, it's a very obscure hint, because the adventure wants the PCs to go visit Eddie Lo. Fast Eddie's a bad dude, but the Thorns and Ta Yu are worse. Eddie is a Pledged, but not very high-ranking and unaware of the full nature of the Ascended. In fact, he doesn't know the word. He's been in the Jade Wheel Society since '65, and they got him his territory in Temple Street. Sometimes, a cop goes after him, but there's plenty of Jade Wheels in the cops, so investigations always get reassigned.

Fast Eddie is not physically fast. In fact, he's a fat dude, just under 150 kilos (that's around 300 pounds). Rather, he lives fast. He's got at least six mistrtesses, eats a lot, loves fine wines and smokes enough Cuban cigars to give cancer to a small town. The only thing he doesn't indulge in is heavy drugs. He sells 'em, but he won't take 'em. He's actually something of a role model for many poor kids in Kowloon, unfortunately, especially because he seems to lead a charmed life, having survived four assassination attempts. He's very clever and has read Sun Tzu cover to cover. He rewards loyalty and hates traitors. Any PC familiar with Hong Kong knows all that if they can make a diff 5 Police, Detective or appropriate Info check. If Sneezy didn't have magic on his side, he'd have no chance against Eddie. Unfortunately, Eddie's written him off as a minor threat, and doesn't even know Ta Yu (or sorcery, for that matter) exists.

Finding Eddie is just a short trip to the Bun Festival, a really crappy topless bar that he hangs out at. It's cheap and sleazy, but it's got top-of-the-line security gear, along with some really good guards on the lookout for assassination attempt number five. If the PCs barge in, they'll have a wall of goons to get past. They don't want a fight, though - not in the boss's place. They'll fight back if Eddie's in danger, but they'd like to talk things out. Approaching more subtly and asking for an audience is probably wiser, and that can be done by asking Bri Davis, the Australian bartender. (It's short for Brian.) He's also a Pl;edged, and is Eddie's chief fixer and adviser - though as far as Temple Street knows, he's just a tough bartender. He actually outranks Eddie in the Wheel, but he doesn't know the truth, either. He's loyal to the Wheel, though. He quite likes Eddie, though he rarely indulges in vice himself. Both he and Eddie are passable if not amazing fighters. Bri's the better of the two.

Bri will set up a meeting if the PCs mention the Poison Thorns or some other good reason, but being evasive gets him to brush them off and being rude gets a lecture on respect. This should get PCs to realize he's more than he seems. Once he lets the party through, he'll call in two guards and pick two PCs to go see Eddie - the two who did the most talking. The guards pat them down, take their weapons and give them to the rest of the party. (If there is no rest of the party around, Bri will hold onto them.) This is SOP for talking to someone on their home turf, as any professional PC in the know would understand.

Eddie will then show up and talk. He'd love to see the Thorns "taken care of," by whatever means, and will owe a debt to anyone who does it. He hates having to deal with upstarts, but it's the job. The Thorns are just the latest. Sneezy's got some mainland connections, but no protection in Hong Kong, so revenge won't be an issue. Happy is a pretty tough guy, and he's the real challenge for anyone raiding the Thorns. If someone did want to raid the Thorns, well, they might want to check out the construction site on Canton Street in Mongkok. He'll give an address if needed. The place is a high0rise being built by mainlanders who Sneezy has a connection to. He's 'guarding' the place and gets to put up his men in the shacks there at night. They're not there in the day, but at night, Sneezy and Happy should be around. Eddie knowsd nothing about sorcery. or weird stuff - that's all tourist crap.

The book says the PCs probably won't get in a fight at Eddie's, but if they do, Bri will pull a sword and there's four mooks per PC. Eddie will escape in a bulletproof Rolls Royce, and there's plenty of bottles and pool cues for good stunts, along with tacky wagon wheel light fixtures for swinging on. Also, lots and lots of innocent bystanders who can and should die in the crossfire. That's what happens when you start unneeded fights. This will make Eddie an enemy for life, and he will sned goons after them whenever the plot slows down in the future. Eventually, he'll even hire named assassins about equal to a PC to take them down. You can figure out what to do from there, but Eddie will accept apologies if the PCs are willing to bow and scrape and humiliate themselves before him.

Other sources of info can work, but leads should point back to Eddie, because the book wants the PCs to deal with Eddie. Alternatively, they bribe a Thorn who sends them into an ambush, and from there they chase the surviving ambushers back to the construction site. So, you know, whatever works if the PCs really, really don't want to talk to Eddie for some reason. There absolutely will be a fight at the construction site, though. It's an outdoor battle - the Thorns will come rushing out the moment they notice anyone - so you have wooden shacks to burn, a giant hole to throw people in, cranes with girders, porta-potties to hide behind, the requisite drums full of flammable oil...those, by the way, are there because you need exploding barrels. If you really need an excuse, the crooks behind the construction are using the place to illegally store dangerous chemicals or something, it doesn't matter.

There is a guy in this fight who isn't a Thorn, though: Paul Chang, a cheap lawyer who was here to meet Sneezy, arrived early and got caught up in the fight. He's a short, dumpy guy who has no combat skills whatsoever, and he's also not the best lawyer, but he is cheap. His main goal is to not get hurt. He'll try to run and hide, and if captured, he's the only one willing to talk - the rest are afraid of headbombs. Paul hasn't met Ta Yu, so he hasn't been enchanted. He'll reveal thath e was hired to draw up a contract between Kar-Wai Sheng and someone called Ta Yu to transfer ownership of the Eating Counter. This'll be the first time that Ta Yu's name gets dropped. The contract is odd - the payment for the place is ridiculously low, and Paul has never met either Ta Yu or Kar-Wai, just Sneezy. He was supposed to meet Sneezy tonight, but he was told the boss got called away unexpectedly. He's not sure where to. Sneezy found Paul in the phone book, and already has a draft copy of the contract which will hold up in court. If Paul dies in the crossfire, his briefcase contains the contract and most of the important clues.

This should tell them the Eating Counter is strangely important to the Thorns, which they can confirm by searching the shacks and finding several maps of Temple Street, which all have the restaurant marked in red. They also find a hand-drawn map of the restaurant's floor plan covered in scribbled notes containing several magical signs. A diff 6 Sorcery, Info: Geomancy or other relevant check will reveal that whoever made the map thought the Eating Counter had powerful feng shui. The plot should be obvious: Sneezy and the mysterious Ta Yu want the Eating Counter for its mystic properties! That should get them heading back to the Counter.

Whenever they get around to going back, the place is closed, but the lights are on. Kar-Wai will threaten them with a cleaver if they knock, believing the party to be Thorns. After the initial confusion, he will recognize them and let them in. Carina, he tells them, has been kidnapped! He got a message made out of newspaper clippings telling him to come to an aparment in a tenement somewhere in Kowloon. And if Eddie's men, the cops or anyone else comes, she'll be killed. A lock of Carina's hair is taped to the message. The red marker matches the maps from the construction site. Kar-Wai has no idea the Thorns want his restaurant - he thinks this is about money. But he'll do anything to save Carina, and if the PCs tell him what the Thorns want, he'll gladly sign the place over. IF the PCs are okay with this, they should be reminded that anyone familiar with feng shui wll know that the Thorns will undoubtedly prosper if they get ahold of the Counter - and that's bad news for anyone who's made them mad. Such as the party, or the people of Temple Street.

From there, it's off to the tenement for Carina. Sneezy kidapped her at her apartment, drugged her and brought her there. She's handcuffed the bed, guarded by at least one Thorn at all times. There's six Thorns, Ta Yu, Happy and Sneezy in the apartment, and eight more in the hallway. The last of 'em are in the lobby, watching for Kar-Wai. They've got Sneezy on speed dial to alert him if anyone comes with him, or if they spot any cops or obvious fights. It's up to the players how they deal with this, so the GM's job is just to react. Some notes - the apartment is super cramped, giving -3 to all dodge ratings and making some fu powers, especially those needing a lot of movement, impossible. Martial arts schticks involving long weapons like swords or clubs get -3. Happy will be using punches only for this reason. Sneezy will be hiding behind a couch and shooting from 90% cover until somehow removed from the couch. Ta Yu, meanwhile, wants to avoid using magic openly and has rigged up an air tank to look like a flamethrower, which he uses to disguise his Blast attacks. The device is completely useless.

These guys are bad people . Unless the PCs immediately burst in and get the drop on them, Carina is getting killed. This a Hong Kong action movie - sometimes, bad things happen. As soon as Ta Yu realizes the PCs are powerful fighters and more then able to win, he's going to run...but before he does, he's shooting a flame Blast at the gas outlet in the oven, igniting the entire building. He then will fly off out of a window, and can be pursued by anyone who can fly...though it should be noted that the Aerial Mobility Unit arcanowave device lacks the room to take off in the apartment. Once the place is on fire - well, the apartment is on the 21st floor. And the place is not safe by any means, even before being set on fire. And it's full of kids and helpless old people. If the PCs are intent on finishing hte Thorns off, they get to listen to screams. The fire can't be put out, even by magic - it's in the gas lines now. It really gets going two sequences after the blast hits, at which point the walls start to fall apart, sending flaming debris at a randomly chosen character until the PCs get out. That includes the bad guys - it's entirely possible that the fire will kill Happy and Sneezy.

Carina's been drugged. If she hasn't be executed, someone better remember to get her body out, since she's not going anywhere herself. If the PCs brought Kar-Wai, he collapses from smoke inhalation pretty quick and also needs to be gotten out. Escaping from the tenement is the end of the adventure, so make it dramatic. Lots of fire trucks, ambulances, concerned and terrified onlookers, that sort of thing. If Carina, Kar-Wai or any PCs die, give them a big and dramatic death scene. From here, you can surely find ideas for your own plots - after all, the Eating Counter still has to be dealt with, and if Ta Yu is alive, he still wants it. If the party understands the significance, well, they can try to buy the place. If Kar-Wai and Carina both survive, they'll sell some shares in the place to the PCs as a reward, thus letting the PCs attune to the site. If Carina dies, Kar-Wai will abandon the place, selling it if the PCs can make the payments. If Kar-Wai dies, Carina will sell because she's leaving the restaurant business. And Fast Eddie is still around as an NPC for you to use - maybe he'll find another threat for the PCs to handle, or become one himself when his superiors find out the Eating Counter is a feng shui site. And of course, if the PCs are running the restaurant, he'll want his protection money, which may start a gang war if the PCs are your average PCs and don't want to pay their unofficial taxes.

After this, the book ends with some movie suggestions - John Woo films, Jet Li, Tsui Hark, that sort of thing.

Next time: Golden Comeback!

It is the dragon, and even if it does not exist, its voice is the voice of freedom.

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: It is the dragon, and even if it does not exist, its voice is the voice of freedom.



Golden Comeback is a bit of a weird book, in that every section actually tells you who the author or authors were. This includes such luminaries as Geoff Grabowski (Exalted 1e, Hunter: the Reckoning, Wraith: the Great War), Bruce Baugh (Hunter: the Reckoning, Adventure!), John Snead (Changeling: the Lost, Eclipse Phase, Exalted, most of the good nMage books) and Greg Stolze ( Greg Stolze ). We open with Geoff Grabowski and the history of the Dragons.

Y'see, there are more forces to the universe than light, electromagnetism and even the weird, nameless forces harnessed by the arcanowave technology. There's love, honor and courage. These have real power, as much power as magic, science or self-discipline. All factions do tap into these powers, though some more than others, only the Dragons hold them with highest regard. The Dragons are seen with contempt by most other factions. In a war dedicated to the shaping of humanity's future, they are standing up for the virtues of the individual - honesty, herosim. Under normal circumstances, rebellions are things to be manipulated...but as Innerwalkers, the Dragons cannot be controlled by destiny. They are unbribable, free agents and wildcards who threaten the paradigms of control. This is terrifying. There's nothing more dangerous to the plans of the other groups than idealism and free will, especially when used by the Dragons.

There has never been a time in the memory of even the eldest beings in the Netherworld when there were no Dragons. It might just be that they are some unstoppable part of human nature or the natural order. Whatever the reason, the Dragons are eternal. They are often decimated, but never truly destroyed. The original group of heroes that went under the name 'Dragons' are supposed the Silver Dragons, a group of Chinese knights brought together by the hero Jiang Zemin to fight wickedness in the end of the Shang Dynasty. Most of them died horribly, either storming the gates of Hell itself or fighting alone against impossible odds. It is said that they were given places in the Celestial Bureaucracy when Jiang presided over the creation of the gods.

What, precisely, that actually means is unknown. There are three two (the book says three, but lists two) major theories. The first is that the Silver Dragons never existed. They're just a legend that showed up a few critical shifts ago as a projection of anxiety by someone who helped cause the shift. The second theory is that there was a faction in the Secret War called the Silver Dragons at some point, whose real-life history has been hopelessly distorted by critical shifts. According to this theory, all the Innerwalkers who knew the truth either died or aren't talking. There are rumors of a hidden stronghold deep in the Netherworld, still extant after all these centuries. This fortress is often called the West Qi City, the stronghold that Jiang and his men supposedly defended. If it truly exists, it is more than just a curiosity.

You see, the legends say the Silver Dragons had an immense amount of powerful martial arts weapons, like the Universe-Muddling Dippers and Demon-Cleaving Halberds. Quan Lo, the Ascended, the Lotus and the Monarchs would love to get their hands on such weapons - as would the modern Dragons! The West Qi City may not exist, but every time a rumor comes up that it's been found, people go rushing off into the depths of the Netherworld. Sure, it's probably a waste of time, but what if it's not and someone else gets their hands on those weapons? And it's not just for kung fu! Some say the Silver Dragons were transformed dragons, the predecessors of the Ascended, supertech warriors in power armor or even masters of a strange and unique power different from anything in the Secret War today. Everyone wants to find this place.

Whatever the truth is, no one seems to have a definite answer. At least, nobody's telling if they do, despite an awful lot of looking. Since the legendary days of Jiang Zemin, there have been countless heroes using the name Dragon. However great they were, they're nothing but footnotes now - heroes fallen against the forces of tyranny. More interesting is their most recent incarnation, founded by the monk Kar Fai and the renegade arcanotechnician called the Prof. But first - a sidebar! Some ideas about why the Dragons seem to be so hard to wipe out. Maybe they are, in fact, a metaphysical rule - there just must be a certain amount of freedom in the world, to balance out the control of feng shui. The more control is exerted, the more the Dragons are forced to come into power. Or maybe there's someone or something backing hte Dragons - a powerful supernatural being, or refugees from a reality that no longer is, or even the ghosts of the Silver Dragons. It could be done out of philanthropy, or perhaps there's a secret agenda. Or maybe...maybe there isn't a reason. They aren't eternal. So far, they've gotten by on the fact that the Dragons are always badasses, but sooner or later, they'll be wiped out for good. After all, this is Hong Kong action movies - it's perfectly okay to end things in a massive battle where all the heroes die, as long as they get a montage about how they met, saved each other's lives and became best friends while they die.

Anyway. The modern Dragons begin, basically, with Kar Fai, Great Grand Master of Tiger Kung Fu and the Shadowfist (read: the entire Path of the Health Tiger, as well as a unique schtick that gives him +3 to death checks, called Tough Old Buzzard ). Some say he is a thief, a murderer or a rapist. He is none of these things. He stole only to survive, killed only in honest combat and all of the women were perfectly willing. He has never regretted a day of his lecherous and yet strangely virtuous life. Inevitably, Kar Fai heard about the legendary Quan Lo the Perfected of the Guiding Hand. It is said that when he learned of them, he scratched himself improperly, gathered his students and belongings and went to learn from Quan Lo. It wasn't easy to meet the man, so Kar Fai settled for joining the Guiding Hand instead. This was a bad idea. Everyone expected him to be amazed by their wisdom and be satisfied with learning one form every few years. And they didn't want him to teach the forms to his students! After his students got harrassed a bit too much, Kar Fai headed down to Canton to meet with the Perfected Master.

After defeating fourteen of the Guiding Hand, Kar Fai was finally allowed to speak with Quan Lo. The rumors which surround the fight are certainly untrue. They definitely didn't know each other on sight, and the fight they got into (which quickly spread to their followers) certainly wasn't over something as trivial as a women the two had once competed for. And it is quite unlikely that it ended with Kar Fai kicking Quan Lo in the dick, or that he laughed so hard that he had to be carried away by his students lest he be caught and hanged by Quan Lo's followers. This is all certainly nothing but scurrilous rumor.

Regardless of what actually happened, Kar Fai had to leave Canton after that, since the Golden Candle Society was hunting for him. As were the local cops, since he'd demolished a good dozen or so shops in the battle. Some very convoluted circumstances led to Kar Fai trying to infiltrate a Hand base in disguise, where he discovered that the gates he'd picked led not to an armory or treasury, but to a cave complex. There, he overheard discussions that filled him in on the depth of Quan Lo's plans. The answer was clear: anyone Quan Lo and his disciples hated as much as "modern Hong Kong" sounded like a good place to be, and it was far from the judges and courts. With a pair of stolen sunglasses and a swiped credit card from the base, he made his way to the 20th century. Though he forgot a map.

The Dragons also began with the Prof, real name Anita Dao. Anita Dao, the discoverer of the arcanowave. She has the Techie schtick and Weird Science Metabolism , a unique schtick that lets her regenerate 1 wound point per sequence due to mystic implants - but, if she leaves the Netherworld , she will die of cancer. Anyway. Anita Dao vanished from her lab one night mysteriously, dismaying the UN, who'd been counting on her to help them make new weapons. It also bothered her partner, Curtis Boatman, who witnessed the event. She vanished in a flash of white before he could shoot her with a prototype helix ripper! Still, he wasn't too bothered. Without a body, there was no chance that the damage done to her would be recognized as similar to that done by helix rippers when they rolled out.

It was years later, after discovering the Netherworld, that Boatman began to suspect his former boss wasn't dead. Especially when the Jammers began to use portal-making devices that made similar flashes. He realized Anita Dao must be alive - and there was evidence that she'd attuned to several feng shui sites before vanishing, so she could be hiding in a base of her own making in the Netherworld, still researching. Fifteen years, and Boatman still had no idea how she'd done it. He carefully concealed the issue from Bonengel to avoid a public hunt and began spreading around a computer-aged photo of Dao to get people to hunt her down. Unfortunately, Anita Dao hasn't aged a day and is not going to introduce herself to Architects easily.

Her escape from Boatman's attempted assassination had been planned for a while. She'd been very bothered by the amorality of the CDCA, and it was pointless to protest that her discoveries were only meant for peaceful uses. Besides, science didn't work that way and it was clear that Curtis Boatman thought she'd outlived her usefulness. She had to go somewhere else. She stayed as long as possible to make sure certain parts of her notes were destroyed, to keep Boatman and Bonengel from learning them. She knew it'd work - Boatman was never her equal as a scientist, and too much an egotist to hire anyone better than himself. So, in theory, the Netherworld would be safe until Boatman retired, if not longer.

In the Netherworld, Dao quickly picked up the nickname 'the Prof'. She kept a low profile, but when the Jammers appeared a decade later, she couldn't resist giving them her portal-making technology - though she made sure to make them practically impossible to reverse-engineer. She decided that even if it tipped the Buro off, they'd end up walking into a lair full of angry killer cyborg apes. (Also, she hated Buro.) Even if it was a bad idea, she's still pretty happy with the decision. If Kar Fai had not found her, Anita Dao would probably still be as she was then - researching things and occasionally sending Battlechimp Potemkin a new weapon. Luckily for everyone, one day Dao was awakened by a lost, delirious, dehydrated and barely alive Kar Fai falling unconscious on her doorstep.

Anita nursed him back to consciousness after twelve hours, and after a brief altercation involving Kar Fai leering and getting a gun shoved in his face, the two became acquainted and, much to their surprise, bonding over a shared love of freedom. The Prof taught Kar Fai about the modern world, but when he went to leave, she told him that maybe he should do more than just start a fight. He needed something bigger - an organization that could oppose the factions of the Secret War. A band of brothers and sisters like the famous Outlaws of the Marsh. Kar Fai could do the recruiting, and the Prof would lend her skills and technology, along with her Jammer contacts. Kar Fai agreed. After all, he couldn't fight all the time . He was getting old, and needed weekends off and some time to rest. With younger fighters around, there'd be more people to handle the minor stuff. More time to drink and fish. And so, Kar Fai headed to the modern world to start recruiting, and the Prof began to prepare.

Well, actually, Kar Fai's first stop was back in 1850s Canton, to grab his best student, Zheng Yi Quan, who was in hiding as an actress in Wuhan, hoping the Hand would stop hunting sometime soon. Kar Fai then dragged Quan to the modern world, petticoat in tow, and filled his underling in on the Secret War. The two spent some time getting oriented (read: visiting theme parks and watching Kojak until they understood the local slang, then learning how to drive) and began tracking Ascended agents. (Why the Ascended? Because.)

Fai and Quan both knew about transformed animals, of course. Most kung fu masters did - the animals were naturally good at kung fu, after all. Before meeting the Prof, though, Kar Fai hadn't realized they were organized. After learning that, they decided it'd be easiest to watch them in the 90s, when their agents would be most common. After surveillence (read: parties and dance clubs), the two latched onto a suspect: Johnny Tenfeathers, drug dealer. After tracking the guy to a chemical plant in LA, they witnessed a battle between Tenfeathers' men and a cop. The two decided to approach the cop, Jake Donovan.

Donovan. a maverick cop, alcoholic and excellent gunman, was won over after several attempts at persuasion, including a trip to the Netherworld. Together, the three fighters disrupted Tenfeathers' drug operation, and the man revealed himself as a transformed eagle. He escaped while his men get slaughtered in the battle - but more importantly, he left behind his arsenal and around a million dollars in unmarked bills. Suddenly, the Dragons were actually possible.

America was a bit hot for them now, though, and the two martial artists didn't want to take Donovan into the past yet. Before hunting Tenfeathers, they'd made some money doing street fighting, and had learned about the Death Ring, an underground fighting circuit where the fighters were slaves pitted in deathmatches against each other. It seemed like a great place to find the next Dragon. By masquerading as two fighters owned by an American, they got inside and found Mad Dog McCroun, a huge fighter with a heart of gold and muscles like steel. Kar Fai decided he'd be the next recruit - but his owner, One-Hand Billy King, wasn't in the mood to sell. Also he was in the pay of the Lotus, using special potions to keep his slaves addicted and loyal.

The three fighters went to rescue the big bruiser and botched things up. The battle ended with King's mansion reduced to ash and McCround wounded. They told him about the Secret War and took him to the Prof to recover, along with Zheng Yi Quan, who'd also been wounded. He also got his years of abuse and mind-control potion addiction dealt with. In the meantime, Donovan and Kar Wai went out to find their next recruit, in the Middle East.

While moving through former Soviet lands, they learned about something called Project Prometheus, an attempt by the Ascended to build a network of hidden feng shui sites in Russia and Afghanistan, which they could use to take over 2056. Securing these sites had dispossessed the family of the legendary Golden Gunman, the best killer in the Middle East. His father had been given a death sentence at a Soviet labor camp, and the boy had witnessed it all. When he grew up, the man dedicated himself to fighting those who would oppress Islam as his own village had been oppressed by the Soviets (under the command of the Ascended). Eventually, Jake Donovan and Kar Wai met with the Golden Gunman in Marrakesh.

The Gunman, equal in skill with guns to Jake and deeply connected with the Islamic underground, was reluctant to work with a Westerner or a Chinese, since both had persecuted his people in the past, but given the circumstances, he made an exception. Using his network of informants and contacts, the Dragons began their campaign. At first, they struck out primarily against Project Prometheus, travelling through the Soviet Union and burning feng shui sites. Of course, this pissed the Ascended off, and they had to deal with both Pledged and Lodge assassins. They managed to take out the ring of feng shui sites, but after that they needed to lie low somewhere that wasn't the contemporary juncture. For Jake, that meant going off to train with McCroun. For the others, it was time to recruit more Dragons.

Kar Fai and the Golden Gunman headed into 1850s Africa, to investigate the mysterious Leopard King, a legendary figure in Africa. He was said to be a warrior exiled from his people and infused with the power of the Leopard Spirits. He lived deep within Africa as a champion of the oppressed and enemy of the colonialists. The two headed from Mogadishu to the Congo, where they found the Leopard King's temple and the king himself: Iala Mané. He ruled a camp of fugitives from across Africa, sheltering them from danger. He wasn't too interested in the Secret War at first - he lived free, in the here and now. However, when Kar Fai and the Golden Gunman passed the Trial of the Jungle and proved themselves his equals, they got his attention.

With regrets, the Leopard King left his people to be guarded by his lieutenants, the Leopard Guard, and set out to fight in the Secret War...but before that, he swore an oath on the Iron Crucible that had turned him into the powerful being he was: he would return victorious or his spirit would forever haunt the tyrants who killed him. Incidentally, the Leopard King, while human, is a Pulp Occult Hero - a reskinned Ghost. So you can reskin if your GM allows it! Great, huh? He's also pretty damn tough to kill.

While Kar Fai and the Gunman fetched the Leopard King, Zheng Yi Quan headed to 69 AD to recruit the famous bandit-scholar Ting Ting, one of the great wise bandits of myth. His journey to find her is a legend itself, though one not told by the book, and he eventually did discover Ting Ting - to learn that she'd just founded the Dragons. She'd named her band of bandits after the legendary Silver Dragons. Zheng recruited Ting Ting into the larger Dragon organization and took her and her men to the Netherworld to protect them from sudden shifts in history. Then they headed back to 69, since Ting Ting was unwilling to leave her fight against the Lotus for other fronts, but she said she'd serve as their agent in 69. (Ting Ting and Zheng Yi Quan are both powerful martial artists, albeit of different styles. Ting Ting is more ninja, Zheng Yi Quan more 'jump around and kick things to death.')

Next time: Operation Killdeer.

There is no God but God, and no fate but that which he prepares for us.

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: There is no God but God, and no fate but that which he prepares for us.

When we left off, the Dragons had finally finished recruiting. Over three years, they went up against basically everyone in the Secret War. Their first major target was the Guiding Hand and their efforts to take 69 AD. Quan Lo is backing the palace scholars and trying to create a purge of the eunuchs before instituting massive reforms, which of course nclude construction of Hand academies and monasteries on key feng shui sites. Ting Ting and Zheng Yu Quen spent months blackmailing people to sidetrack the reforms - something that caused them plenty of trouble sleeping, but it was more important to keep the Hand from controlling the future, even if it meant Gao Zhang survived.

That's why Mad Dog McCroun, the Golden Gunman and the Leopard King were on watch on the modern day, taking out everything the Lotus threw at them in contemporary Hong Kong. They did really damn well, in fact - most of the Lotus's agents ended up retreating to 1850, leabing the demon island Kun Chau as the only major Lotus agent in the modern day for a while. In the meantime, Zheng Yi Quan had made contact with cells of Dragons across the 1850s, and Pui Ti of the Ice Pagoda lent them secret help, possibly because she was in love with Jake Donovan. (Though most people believe they never had a real relationship.) The Jammers also occasionally helped the Dragons out, since they owed the Prof some serious favors. Having Furious George or the Orangotank blasting away at a site was a great help, and not just for firepower - their unsubtlety meant no one suspected the Dragons. The success couldn't last.

The Ascended hadn't forgotten what the Dragons had done to Project Prometheus. When they needed to make an example to impress Huan Ken and Ming I into helping them, destroying the Dragons seemed like a great way to do it. Thus, they deliberately leaked information to the Dragons that the Lotus were moving in on the Red Lantern Inn, a feng shui site in 1850s Canton which they made the Dragons believe was much more important than it really was. The Leopard King, Mad Dog McCroun and Jake Donovan set out to stop them. Meanwhile, the Lotus had been manipulated into believing the Tavern would be the site of a major emergency meeting of Dragons, so they came loaded for bear as well. The Ascended also sent Adrienne Hart, a Pledged, to make sure whoever was left got killed.

Including Adrienne. She'd become a liability - she was getting too close to the Unspoken Name, and to make things worse, she'd failed to kill Mad Dog McCroun in Caracas, leading the Ascended to investigate her past. Turned out she'd been in the same orphanage as McCroun and had been close to the big guy. The shadowy assassin called Mr. X was sent to deal with her after she'd killed anyone left alive at the Red Lantern. Things didn't go quite as planned - while McCroun, Donovan, the wizard Jueding Shelun and his demon servant the Thing With 1,000 Tongues all died, the Leopard King survived, blind in one eye. Kar Fai, Zheng Yi Quan and new recruits Johnny Tso and Tricia Kwok got out alive, too, as did Ting Ting. Mr. X didn't fail, however - Adrienne Hart never got out of the inn.

After Killdeer's success, the Dragons were shattered long enough that the Jammers, the Ascended, Huan Ken and Ming I could use the Jammers' portal generator as the core of a sorcerous machine called the Molten Heart. It was only when the Prof directly intervened by pleading with Battlechimp Potemkin that the Jammers stood down, allowing the Dragons into the Fire and Darkness Pavilion. Ting Ting, Johnny Tso, Tricia Kwok, Kar Fai and the Prof went in, taking down the Heart before the Ascended could use it. Today, the Dragons are a shell of their former selves. Ting Ting is the only one left in 69, trying to singlehandedly hold off the Guiding Hand. Tricia and Johnny have their hands full trying to watch the modern era, and Zheng Yi Quan is busy in the 1850s, trying to both foil the Hand and avoid moral issues while supporting the Hand and Manchu rulers. The Golden Gunman vanished, taking the Leopard King with him, as he suspected a traitor in the Dragons. He may or may not return. Kar Wai and the Prof know they need new blood if they're going to do anything but watch the Secret War. Maybe the PCs will be it.

We move now to a section written by Grabowski, Hal Mangold and Tim Toner. It talks about the current friends of the Dragons - not really Dragons themselves, but sympathetic to the cause. Of course, some of them may also be traitors, spies or turncoats looking to set the Dragons up. No, they're not about to tell us which are traitors - that's up to the GM.

We start with Sonny "the Pakman" Pak, an arms dealer. He is obsessed with guns. He's been wandering America, selling the guns to anyone who needs 'em. Of course, times change, and Sonny's changed with them. He used to drive a van in the 70s and 80s, but now he's moved up to a minivan, and he's even got an email address. The Korean arms dealer got his name in the early 80s, when one of his customers declared that he sold guns and made money the way Pac-Man ate dots. Other than his strange mission of selling guns to the needy, people know little about Sonny Pak. He plays to being an ethnic stereotype so he can hide his true self - you see, Sonny's a Pledged, and this is the best he can do as a rebellion against them. The Pledged are the family business, and he's...well, he's doing his best, but rebellion is hard. Sonny's not much of a fighter, but he does have a unique schtick: Van Full of Firepower . Whatever it is, no matter how big or unlikely, as long as it's man-portable and kills people, Sonny can spend a Fortune point to have one on hand.

"Suckerpunch Suzy" Wei, Two-Fisted Sysadmin is...well, a sysadmin in Hong Kong who decided not to stick around for the Chinese handover. Instead, she headed to Java, where there were banks to work at and parties to go to. (Suzy likes parties.) The problem? Well, trouble finds Suzy, much as Suzy finds parties. Java's clubs are great, but the bank turned out to be a front for Islamic militants, and she ended up being chased by the secret police. Then off to Russia, which...ended badly, but fortunately before that bank got raided she'd been arrested for drunken brawling in the disco. Now, she's off to Antigua, working for a Chinese expat named Johnny Tso - some kind of businessman with weird friends, but hey, Antigua's pretty fun. Suzy's an Everyman Hero, a computer geek and certainly going to be in more trouble than she'd bargained for.

Denise Levoussier is the daughter of a major Paris stockbroker and a British aristocrat of the Victorian era. She's got her mother's looks, her father's business skills and both parents' talent for magic, both her mother's Western style and her father's Mediterranean. It wasn't easy to raise her, but the family was happy enough. Denise studied history and sorcery, and married a young lawyer...who wasn't faithful. She decided not to curse him with anything but a rather expensive divorce. Since then, she's been in rural England, where she found a nice feng shui site. She's not an active member of hte Secret War yet, but she's both an idealist and an individualist - a natural Dragon. SZhe's just what the Dragons need, between her power and her money, and she'd do great in 69 AD. She's a Sorceress about on par with a PC.

How about Richard Armitage, the gambler supreme? He's so lucky that he's banned from most casinos - except for the high-stakes poker games, of course. He's short-tempered, used to getting his way and thinks he can buy anything...but on the other hand, he never goes back on his word. Ever. If he says he'll do it, he'll do it. He's also an okay guy underneath the self-centeredness. Oh, sure, he's out for himself, but he's not out there to wreck anyone else. He'll step on you if you get in his way, but there's no bad feelings about it. Armitage...well, he's not got much of a history. He was just a normal kid who got taught to gamble by his much more luckless Uncle Frank. Armitage still makes sure Frank gets enough money to survive, as a way of saying thanks. He paid his way through three years of college on gambling, then dropped out to become a professional. He could be a great rival or ally - and what's Feng Shui without a trip to at least one casino?

Next up: Tommy Donovan, the Detroit journalist. He's Jake Donovan's older brother, and like his brother and his father, he's an alcoholic. Jake always thought Tommy was too interested in fame and money, while Tommy thought his brother was going to go insane. When Jake dropped off the radar, Tommy, one of the world's best investigative reporters, was approached by ATF agents, who claimed Jake was part of a revolutionary group. Tommy knew they were lying...until the two Chinese men came to him, telling him that his brother had died in a righteous cause, and that if Tommy should ever need anything, he should call them. That night, he got abducted by the ATF, interviewed again and threatened. He was shown pictures of Jake with the old Chinese man that had spoken to Tommy the day before as well as the Muslim terrorist called the Golden Gunman. Tommy wasn't sure what was true any more - but he knew one thing. He was going to find out why his brother died, and it'd better be a good reason, or there'd be hell to pay.

Jade McGovern is a thief - a thief who steals from the wealthy for more reasons than boredom. She grew up in Hong Kong, the illegitimate daughter of a British aristocrat who paid her mother a small stipend to keep things out of the news. Jade told them anyway when she was old enough to understand the truth...and she did it by showing up at her legitimate half-sister's debut ball, telling everyone about the circumstances of her birth. It left Jade without purpose...until she transferred her hatred of her father to hatred of the wealthy and privileged. Of course, terrorism wasn't an option, and neither was infiltrating - she didn't want to risk losing herself to privilege. No, she would become the new Robin Hood, stealing from the reach and giving to the poor. (And herself.) Jade is very, very good at thievery, and even better at knowing what to leak to hurt the people like her father. She's had some friendly talks with the Golden Gunman, as she sympathizes with his cause - and besides, the guy pays well and his targets tend to be terrible people she doesn't feel bad about spying on for him. She won't kill, but everything before that? That's just fine. (Fun fact: she has Info: Vile Corporations and Info: Vile Rich People.)

Madam Li Chan is the top of the short list when the rich and famous of Hong Kong need some company. Her clients are the ultra-rich, and her girls live up to the price. She serves ambassadors, government officials, CEOs - and always with beauty, intelligence and culture. Her girls are also some of the best spies in Hong Kong. Sure, people know Li Chan as a high-class madam, but most of her money is from a combination of blackmail and information brokering. Finding out more about Li Chan herself is hard. She came from the mainland in the 70s, but beyond that, her past is a mystery. She looks like she's in her early thirties at most, but she's been around since the 70s....well, who knows the truth? She's been a useful ally to the Dragons in the past, and she knows quite a lot about the Secret War...but her prices are high. And she's as likely to sell anything she learns from you to your enemy as she is to sell their secrets to you. At least she's open about that, though. She claims to have heard nothing about Killdeer, but Kar Fai thinks she knows a lot more than she's saying.

Leo Mahoeny used to be a patriot in Special Forces...right up until Vietnam. He went off to fight and never came back. Deep in the jungles, something changed Leo forever. He won't say who or what, but it turned him into a paranoid sociopath who loved to kill...and it introduced him to the Ascended. Reliable witnesses say he was smuggling heroin for the Triads in the 70s and he was an enforcer for the Jade Lotus Triad in the 80s. He was named the White Devil for his brutality, and by the early 90s he was second-in-command of the Jade Lotus under "Six Fingers" Lao...until Leo learned his boss was part of the Jade Wheel Society. They say it took six days for Lao to die. Few questioned Mahoneye's command of the Jade Lotus, and he's moved them into arms dealing as well as drug smuggling. What the other Triads don't know, though, is that Mahoney is waging a war against the Ascended. He seems to know nothing of their origins or the Secret War, but he knows enough to hit them where it hurts. The Jade Lotus have taken or destroyed several minor Ascended sites in the past year, though Mahoney seems to have no idea why his enemies want them. He's spread his attacks out enough that the Ascended have only just figured out the Jade Lotus has something to do with them, and they still don't know how big a problem Mahoney actually is.

On top of Mahoney's anti-Ascended activity, he sends information and a few guns to the Dragons, and he had some respect going with Mad Dog McCroun. He's had no contact since Killdeer, but there's no reason he wouldn't pick up where they left off. Some might find it odd that a man like Mahoney is on the Dragon's side, sicne he's got no regard for anyone but himself, but his hatred of the Aszcended is even bigger than his self-preservation. Something happened in Vietnam to turn him against them, and it's made him ready to help anyone that's an enemy of the Ascended. Many Dragons don't like taking his help, and some have suggested the it's all an elaborate scheme to infiltrate the Dragons, but so far, Mahoney's help has had no strings attached. He's got a unique schtick, Pain Shot , which makes hi mgreat at causing pain. He can take a full shot to aim any attack, making it a pain shot rather than a killing one. The attack does half damage, but if it hits, named or not, the target gets 2 Impairment for 2 sequences. Robots and other creatures without nerves are immune.

Ho Li Kwan used to be a normal guy. He was your average and totally ordinary person in Kowloon, with average grades, an ordinary job, an ordinary wife and two ordinary kids. He made Deputy Inspector for the Hong Kong Public Works Department, with the job of making sure the sewers ran efficiently. Over 20 years on the job, he came to learn every inch of the tunnels, pumping stations and water treatment plants. He ended up, quite by accident, attuned to several underground feng shui sites thanks to his efficient and orderly running of them. To this day, he doesn't understand it - he just knows when something goes wrong. One day, while investigating one of those hunches, he came face to face with a Buro Abomination...and beat it to death with a pipe wrench. He realized no one would ever believe him - the thing melted, leaving nothing but a foul odor. He'd have to deal with this problem himself.

Ho began training, driven by the knowldge that something out there was threatening his sewers. With months of practice and the help of his feng shui, he became a great shot with many weapons. The next time something popped out of the sewers, he'd be ready. He's killed eight Abominations so far, from scouts to a full cyborg. (It took a lot of explaining to his wife to accept his new uniform getting trashed that time.) He's foiled two Jammer sabotage attempts on his treatment plants. So far, only those two groups have bothered to look for the underground feng shui sites. (Of course, the Guiding Hand and Lotus aren't used to indoor plumbing.) Ho's family suspects nothing of his crusade or his skill with weapons, and he'd lik to keep it that way - they'd have him committedd. His bosses are also in the dark, which is for the best - his direct boss is a Pledged, and if the Ascended ever learned about the sewer sites, he'd be in deep trouble. Ho tells himself that he's just a public servant protecting his place of employment, but in his gut he knows something biger is going on. So far, he's had the luxury of being reactive rather than proactive, but as the conflict escalates, that could change. He's never met the Dragons formally - and, in fact, they only know about him because of one encounter. The Prof and Kar Fai both want to recruit him - he could be very valuable, and he's almost unnaturally lucky. But someone's going to have to talk to him about what's going on, first.

Next time: More Dragons!

I would never do such a thing normally, but he was a hero, and it was how he would have wanted it.

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Yeah, almost all the mechanics in Back for Seconds were backed into the Atlas core (except for a handful of schticks) and most of the NPCs get writeups in various books, but the details on Killdeer were made a lot vaguer in this edition. Speaking of which...

Feng Shui: I would never do such a thing normally, but he was a hero, and it was how he would have wanted it.

Next up, Billie Cho. She was just another kid from Kowloon - a petty pickpocket who got thrown out of her own home by her father. It seemed like she'd be on a downward spiral until the day she picked the wrong pocket. She remembers only that the man's knife was at her throat one minute, and the next she was saved by the mysterious and beautiful Ting Ting. Ting Ting told her that if she did not refine her guts into skill, she would die - and so she began to teach Billie the art of kung fu. She also taught the girl right and wrong, and when she was ready, introduced her ot the Dragons. Billie's never looked back. She was with the Dragons for almost five years, growing from awkward teenager to confident young woman, and in all that time, she knew that she would go back home one day and make her parents proud. She'd learned powerful kung fu and was quite a fighter.

Then it all went wrong. The mission was simple and successful - take a Hand feng shui site. However, upon returning home, Billie found that her mission had caused a superficial shift - and she had gone from street punk to musical superstar thanks to lateral reincarnation. That was the good news. The bad news? Her parents had died when she was sixteen. It was too much for Billie to handle. She abandoned the Dragons and the Secret War, decided that what she had caused was too much. She slipped into her new life easily, taking a brief vacation to learn all her songs, and then continued to sell out shows all across Asia. She's been buried in the life of the rich and famous for two years, but none of it seems to matter. She just can't get comfortable - or forget the people she turned her back on. A few months ago, she started to practice kung fu again, then look for her old friends.

Billie was shocked to find that they were either missing or dead. Now, Billie wants answers - but all the old gates the Netherworld that she knows are in Ascended hands. She's been spending lots of money to find out what happened to the Dragons, but all she can find are references to an Ascended project named Operation Killdeer. The situation's been complicated now - a few years ago, Billie's new self apparently had an affair with a Chinese rocker named Lucien, and he wants to restart the relationship. She's been tempted to file a restraining order...but then Lucien started to show up when Billie was looking for the Dragons. The two have fought alongside each other more than once against the Pledged, and Lucien claims it's all just coincidence (just before making a pass). Billie's pretty sure it's more than that. She wants to trust Lucien, but there's smething off about him. Despite that, she's starting to like the guy. Now if he'd just stop being such a pig...

Kang Pao, now...well, when the Ascended gather to remember their greatest hour, the time when they stole history from the Monarchs, they observe a moment of silence for the fallen - a dragon named Kang Pao, who gave her life to save the others as they attuned to the final site. Kang Pao is spoken of only in reverent tones, as a paragon of sacrifice for the cause. Except...Kang Pao's not dead. As she fell to earth, crippled by the thousand assaults on her, she remembered a lesson taught to her by a bear, long ago. She slept, and her allies placed her body in a hidden tomb, and the world changed around her.

When Kang Pao awoke, she was horrified. She remembered the plans for a better world, a world with less magic, but they hadn't been this . She'd feared that the Ascended had lost, but found it was not so. She was told it was the best they'd been able to do. The Ascended also told her to keep her identity secret. She "deserved a rest" - and she was a better symbol dead than alive. Kang Pao wandered for decades, finding good people and wonderful things, but she couldn't escape her sense that a terrible thing had been done in the name of righteousness. One day, she overheard a conversation in a bar - a group of people talking about the world they'd make if it wasn't for the Lodge. This was the passion she remembered...but they were too loud. She could hear the Lodge's minions arriving. She knew they'd take no prisoners.

And so Kang Pao fought, lashing out to allow the others to escape. She joined them later, acting as a mentor and teacher. The Dragons have no idea that their new ally is one of the original Ascended, or that she's an extremely powerful transformed dragon. However, she is conflicted. She doesn't want to face her former allies in battle...and she knows that a return of magic would kill her and all she fought for. She wants the Ascended to face conflict because it will keep them honest - and she wants to hear someone talk about a better world, one she can finally believe in. Kang Pao is quite powerful, but she's very vulnerable to magic - it left her strength reduced, and she has three permanent Reversion points. She also gets affected by magic as through she were modern, despite being ancient.

Oh, and she has a secret enemy: Drago, an Ascended enforcer, who had been told to stand by her in the final battle. When it all seemed lost, Drago fled like a whipped dog. Had he stayed, Kang Pao might not have 'died'. He spent years jsutifying his decision to himself so that he could live with his shame. Kang Pao's return has shattered his illusions. He has several times tried to destroy her, only to bring his own plans to a halt long before they could harm the woman. He's been getting a reputation for instability, and is consumed by guilt. Once, he tried to kill KAng Pao himself, but found his courage deserted him before her. He later killed all the witnesses to that, but realized that he was powerless against Kang Pao - which makes her the most powerful thing he's ever met. And does Kang Pao remember Drago's treachery? Well, sometimes Drago will bite into his food, only to find a live worm in it. That's all the answer Drago needs.

Theodosia Chen was a young girl of Chinese descent in Michigan, raised by her traditionalist grandfather. He told her about simple creatures who, through sheer will, rose above their humble state. After college, Theo found a job writing for an alternative weekly newspaper. Her grandfather died shortly after, and she found that his will contained an odd request. He wanted her to take his ashes home to Hainan. Except the shrine he wanted to go to wasn't on the maps. The keepr was cold and took the ashes only grudgingly. No sooner had Theo left than an explosion rocked the countryside. Theo found shelter, watching a terrifying pitched battle in which the shrine caretakers drove off their strange attackers. Theo snuck back, but took a wrong turn and found herself...somewhere. Later, she reawakened in Hong Kong, wearing different clothes, carrying a gun and with a wallet full of cash. She didn't remember how she got there or what had happened for the past three months, except for brief flashes. What she remembered was a kind face telling her about the Masters their secret war to enslave the humanity they admired. She hadn't wanted to believe, but the evidence was overhwleming. Something had happened in that shrine that had opened her eyes, and she wanted to convince others. She started working as a freelance journalist in Hong Kong, writing about Asian culture in popular articles for Western magazines...and also trying to find the truth.

The Ascended know the truth - but Theo doesn't. Her grandfather was a Rat, and so is she. Unaware of that, she nevertheless uses her hereditary power to make herself a better journalist. The Lodge sees her as a useful pawn, finding leaks that they can seal up. After all, she's never gottne deeper than the lowest level of the Pledged, and she thinks she's onto something big. What they don't know is that Theo has unwittingly found the Architects' plans to capture the Ascended's sites. They dismiss it as fanciful rumor. Theo herself doesn't understand what she's found, and thinks the Architects are a subversive group in the Lodge.

Theo Chen is, thus, a dangerous woman to know. The Lodge are watching her all the time, and few who get useful info from her survive to act on it. She survives only because it's against the rules for a Pledged to harm a transformed animal, so the Lodged clean-up crews deliberately knock her out and carry her to safety. Nonetheless, she's learned a thing or two about several Secret Warriors, and she's got evidence. She'll do just about anything for a good story, and she's no slouch in a fight. Some day, she'll be dangerous, and some of the Lodge know it. The memo orderng her death has already been drafted.

Art Maddox's parents were loyal Lodge members. His father was a Dragon, and his mother was a Bear. Needless to say, Art was a bit horrified to find that someone in the lineage had lied to impress their partner. You see, Art's a Cockroach. He's learned frsthand how brutal the Ascended can be, especially to the 'lesser' animals. Orwell was right - some animals are more equal than others. He knew he was an embarrassment, that he'd never get any higher than the Rats and Spiders and other vermin. He was meant for better things, though. He knew it. He'd prove it.

Art ran away from home, getting himself into every kind of criminality he could find. He knew there were places the Lodge didn't or couldn't get to - and like a good roach, he got in. He made himself useful. And somewhere in there, he stopped caring about what was good the Ascended and started caring about what was good for Art Maddox. Soon after, he stumbled headlong in the Secret War. His father's reports helped - he knew the major players, and that made him useful. He was everything to everyone, a provider of violence, depravity and secrets. Every day is a new chance, and he never worries about the bridges he burns. As long as people need something badly enough, he's open for business. They'll build a new bridge. So, whose side is Art on? Is he mad enough at his family to sacrifice the Ascended? Is it all a ruse to get close enough to another faction to strike a fatal blow? Art's taken to deciding such choices by coinflip - or so he likes to pretend, anyway.


Why are you here, Art? Wasn't this about Dragon-associated folks?

Our final character is Lucien. His parents were some of the first transformed animals (Cranes, if you care), and they made him a shrine guard back in 69 AD, when he was called Lu Shen. He was bored to tears. One day, he found a Netherworld portal, and he was entranced by the possibilities. He found his way to the contemporary era, discovered rock and roll, and fell in love. He abandoned the Secret War to start a rockabilly fusion band that, in a mere two years, made him a household name. The Ascended didn't even mind - they endorsed him! After all, Lucien's very valuable due to his resistence to reversion. Inevitably, though, he grew restless. That was when he headed off to a new juncture: 2056. There, he found a horrible, stifled world. There were a few folks who preferred old-fashioned music, but most music was government-made synthesized crap meant to control emotional responses.

Lucien was discovered as he sought out the traditional musicians...but even sixty years later, his fame lingered. Loyal fans had no idea what to make of his sudden reappearance. They figured he was a clone or reincarnation, sent to save the music. Lucien let them believe - he had a revolution to start. Initially, he approached the Jammers, but their anti-chi stance drove him away, so he started a war based on the principles of sonic anarchy. He and his followers rerouting communications, seized PA systems and coopted satellite feeds. They played raw, old school rock all over - and the Lodge loved it. They know the Architects underestimate Lucien's threat. His kind of freedo mis seductive to an enslaved people, and his fans are dedicated and dangerous - but because they're not bombers or gunmen, the Architects look the other way.

Lucien sitll heads back home every so often, and he enjoys the return to 2056, when his fans will suddenly recall whatever he just finished doing. He doesn't understand the complexities involved and doesn't care. He acts as if both eras were seperate. Eventually, he'll make a big change and regret it, but for now, it works. There's only been one big failure: Billy Cho. He saw her once, at a distance, when she was a thief. Then she got caught up in a critical shift, and he found himself sharing a torrid past with her. Amusing as it was, he'd met the love of his life - and she was reased by a shift. His memory still exists, but she doesn't...and yet. And yet, he finds he loves Billie. After all, he wasn't changed. Events were. Some part of him was in love with Billie the whole time. It took him several months of mind games with Billie to realize why, and how deeply he was in love. He's sure it's too late - that once she learns what he really is, who he really serves, that he's known all along that their 'past' was a lie...well, she'll want nothing to do with him. This hurts even more than the hole left by his vanished lover.

Next time: Being A Better Character.

Roll the dice, pass the chips.

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Absolutely! It'd just also change a lot of other things, some of which you probably won't like and will have to fix. But, you know, that's normal.

Feng Shui: Roll the dice, pass the chips.

The next chapter is Being a Better Player, and it opens with a rather uninteresting essay by Tim Dedopulous on how to get in character and make a character with depth. We then get another essay, this time by Rob Heinsoo and talking about how you should be stunting and doing creative shit with the environment all the time . He is absolutely correct. Then we get Bruce Baugh on martial arts and how to emulate real ones in Feng Shui. For example - Capoeira can be done with the Path of the Empty Bottle, except that instead of drunkenness it requires dance checks. Jeet Kune Do is a max of Paths, but also has a unique schtick: you can reduce penalties for fighting multiple foes by 1, as long as you're fighting alone. Savate is pretty much Hands of Light and Healthy Tiger, maybe some Clever Eye and probably Signature Weapon: Stick.

Western wrestling is Path of the Tightening Coils, almost certainly. Aikido is...quite a few paths, potentially. Escrima is Healthy Tiger, but Escrima fighters get -2 to fighting unarmed; they prefer knives. On the other hand, they can use Hands of Light with knives. (But not unarmed.) Judo and Jujitsu can be done with Passive Wings and Tightening Coils. Karate can do...basically any path. Muay Thai likes Sharpened Scales, Hands of Light and Healthy Tiger. It also has a unique shcitkc that lets Muay Thai fighters combine attacks, acting jointly on the shot of the slowest team member. The one with the highest action value makes the roll, getting +1 for every other fighter to a max of +3.

Pencak Silat prefers a form of Empty Bottle that uses music instead of alcohol. It also does Healthy Tiger and Leaping Storm. (Silat isn't really one style, mind, but a mix of Indonesian fighting styles.) Tae Kwon Do likes Sharpened Scales, Clever Eye and Healthy Tiger. And, of course, you can learn sword schticks! Sword schticks are almost identical to gun schticks. Both Guns Blazing works for swords the same as it does for guns, though the GM can veto you using two claymores or whatever. Carnival of Carnage works exactly the same way, and sword fighters often combined it with fu schticks; we'll learn how to do that later. Eagle Eye only gives range modifier bonuses if you throw you sword. To be fair, sword-throwing isn't as dumb as it sounds. And it does still reduce cover bonuses! Fast Draw works the same way, as does Hair-Trigger Neck Hairs. Signature Weapon works fine. Lightning Reload doesn't apply in almost any circumstance.

We get a new schtick: Verbal Fencing . For every shot a fencer spends doing nothing but defending and mocking his foe, bantering and praising himself, he gets +1 to his next attack, to a max of +3. We also get suggestions on which fu powers might be best for which sword styles. Rapiers like LEaping Storm, Sabres also like it and Sharpened Scales, and...well, Kendo and Kenjutsu don't have a listed fu power tree that they like, but we learn that wooden swords can't do permanent damage. You roll damage normally, but if any of it gets past Toughness, the target doesn't actually take damage but instead suffers 1 Impairment on his next action unless he can incorporate dramatic pain and clutching at the bruised body part into a stunt.

Now we're at Chapter 3: Being a Better Character. We begin with Greg Stolze on Stat Schticks . What's a stat schtick? Well - let's say you have a stat at 11 or higher. Everyone loves big numbers. (No, no, don't protest about how your character concept required it, we don't care, it's fine.) Just like having massive Guns or Fu gives you access to gun schticks and fu schticks, all stats now do that! It's not easy, of course. You need the relevant secondary attribute at 11 or higher. And you (mostly) can't buy these at chargen. And they cost a lot of XP. Specifically, they cost (current secondary attribute score + number of schticks you have for that attribute already) XP. So if you have Magic 12 and a Magic schtick, your next Magic schtick will be 13 XP. Oh, and unless a schtick says otherwise, you can only buy each one once.

What Move schticks are there? Well, there's Monumental Leap . This lets you jump twice your Move, either horizontally or vertically. It takes two shots to use - one to crouch, one to jump. It can't be combined with Prodigious Leap or Abundant Leap. Strength has Shattering Blow . If you parry an attack where your attacker's action result is less than your Strength, their weapon breaks. (If you do this against a ranged weapon, you break the projectile, not the gun or bow.) You can only use this schtick if you've got a weapon that could break theirs, mind - a staff can't break a chainsaw, but a really big club could. If you're parrying an unarmed attack instead, you deal 5 damage to named attackers or nothing to unnamed ones. (Their lives are short enough already.)

Toughness has Tougher Than Leather . Normal unarmed martial arts attacks on you do base damage equal to (Strength+Outcome), without the normal +1 or +2 bonus for punches and kicks respectively. This has no effect on bullets or hand weapons, and the damage can still be improved by fu schticks. Agains the Old Master's unique schtick, you reduce their damage from Strength+6 to Strength+3, and the bonus damage from the Abysmal Spines creature power is halved. Constitution has Ich Bin Ein Bruiser , which gives you the Big Bruiser unique schtick: no Impairment until 40 wound points for -1 and 45 for -2, and no death checks until 50 wound points. It also has Immutable Self . Any time you fail a check that would physically transform you into something other than yourself, you get to make a second check at the same difficulty, this time rolling Constitution. This doesn't let you ignore attacks except from the Transformation and Disease blasts, in which case the attacker has to roll twice, and beat your Constitution instead of your Dodge the second time. But yes, that means a second roll for all Mutation and Reversion checks, as well as the Corruption schtick and anything else that might transform you. Your mind is still vulnerable to magical control or whatever, but your body's damn tough when it comes to magic.

Fortune gets you Double or Nothing . Once per fight (or per scene if there isn't a fight in the scene for...some reason...) then you can do one roll Double or Nothing. Instead of one positive and one negative die, you roll two positive and two negative dice. You can't do this on just any roll, though - it has to be something important. To judge it: are the other players looking at you like you're crazy when you use this schtick? You're using it right. There is no shot cost to use Double or Nothing. Kung Fu has Inner Might , which allows you to dig into your personal power, getting that extra juice when you need it - for a price. At any point in the middle of a fight, you may instantly gain five extra Fu points to spend as you like. However , doing this permnanently reduces your Fu score by 1. If your Fu score drops below 11, you lose this schtick, too. There's no shot cost to use it, though. Kung Fu's also got Dueling Fu . You lock eyes with a foe and the two of you begin pushing your chi at each other. Neither of you can do anything but passively dodge or talk until the duel ends. Every shot until the duel ends, each of you can do one of two things: You can look away, ort you can spend a Fu point. (If your foe looks away on a shot, you don't spend fu.) Whoever looks away first loses the duel. Losing the duel is bad - it costs 3 shots to look away, and the loser can't spend Fu points on schticks targeting the winner for three sequences.

Magic has Aura of Sorcery . This makes your personal magical aura so powerful that it overwhelms the local chi flow, rendering you immune to local modifiers to Sorcery. No matter what juncture you're in, the juncture modifier is always 0, even if it'd be a bonus or penalty. Yes, that means no bonuses, but that's what you get for being so individual. If you spend a second schtick, your personal modifier is always +1. For a third, it's always +2. You can't take more than three. Magic's also got Arcanowave Vibe , which is identical to Aura of Sorcery but for Arcanowave Device checks. Lastly, it has Toxic Karma . Your magic is so strong it leaks out around you, making you very dangerous to transformed animals! Every scene oyu spend in the presence of a tranimal adds one Reversion Point. (The Lodge encourages the Ascended to kill people with Toxic Karma on sight.)

Charisma has Unforgettable . Anyone who has ever met you, even once, even years ago, remembers you. Even if they met you before you took the schtick. Not only do they remember you, they remember you fondly unless you did something that'd specifically piss them off. The person you met wants to help you out, within reason. So that's the benefit for being instantly recognizable in police lineups. This has no effect on someone when trying to make a first impression, though - just meeting them again later. Intelligence has Quick Study , which lets you learn faster; mechanically, that means 1 bonus XP per session. I'm not sure this schtick was a good idea.

Perception has The Holmes Touch . This lets you spend a Fortune die to ask the GM one question. This can let you guess what skills, stats or schticks someone has, or find a way to push the plot along with your deductive power. The GM has veto power, but should give you some kind of clue, based on your superhuman ability to add up insignificant details into accurate deductions. Willpower has Unbreakable Spirit . Each schtick spent on Unbreakable Spirit reduces your Impairment from wounds by 1. So if you have 1 point, you don't take -1 Impairment until you would normally take -2 Impairment. If you take two schticks, you never take Impairment from wounds - you just die when you fail death checks. This doesn't reduce any other Impairment - just from wounds.

Agility gets Catlike Balance . If you take this schtick, you never get any penalty or shot cost penalty due to difficult footing or keeping your balance. You can also walk tightropes without even needing to roll - that's just way too easy for you! Dexterity gets Deflection , which allows you to parry bullets. In fact, you can parry them so great that they bounce back . If you successfully parry a bullet, you roll Dexterity against your target's Dodge. If you succeed, you hit them with the bullet. Deflected bullets do (8+Outcome) damage. You can only deflect a bullet into one opponent - unless you buy Deflection a second time, in which case you can attack two opponents, but only if more than one bullet was coming your way, say due to an autofire burst. Deflection takes 2 shots instead of the standard 1 for a parry. If you have a second schtick, though, it only costs one shot. You can't have more than two schticks in Deflection, and it can never take less than 1 shot to use. Dexterity also has The Perfect Cut . When using an edged weapon, you know how to cut perfectly. All attacks you make with edged weapons deal 1 bonus point of damage, and that point ignores Toughness. In facy, you're so good that you can kill people with a piece of paper. (As long as you're slashing with th edge, paper does Strength+2 damage.) If you buy additional schticks, you get another +1 bonus damage per schtick, but you can't have more than three schticks in The Perfect Cut.

Speed gives you Me First . This lets you roll two dice for Initiative, choosing the highest one. You're that damn fast. It also has Me Too , which lets you forgo rolling. Instead, you go at the same time as whoever rolls the highest - great if you've got a foe who's faster than you, a buddy with Me First or you're just really unlucky. On the other hand, if everyone else is slower, you're probably better off just rolling.

And that brings us to Andy Lucas's new Fu schticks. The first is said to be taught only by someone who masters both Storm Turtle and Leaping Storm, and it's said that only a warrior who has lost everything can learn it. And, in fact, you do need to mix those two disciplines. It's also a very risky power. You see...
Storm's Ebb : Prereqs: Integration of Clouds, Fortress of Righteousness. Chi All, Shots 5. Everyone within 20 meters suffers one point of Damage for each Fu point you spent on this power. Which is all that you had to spend. Neither armor nor Toughness can reduce this damage, but you're now out of fu points until the next sequence...oh, and one more thing. Every time you use Storm's Ebb, you reduce your Kung Fu rating by 1 permanently.

The next power was created by the Jammer master ?Jun Ken Pau, who is currently imprisoned in Buro's nearly impregnable prison Secure Facility #112. Buro's not about to kill the guy until they can figure out how to steal his secrets - see, he never took any students, but his technique is amazing! What is it?
Flight of the Crane : Prereq: Talon of the Crane. Chi 3, Shots 0. You use this on a foe you've grappled via Talon of the Crane. While the foe is grappled, he's immobile unless you move, in which case he moves with you. You can make active dodges and normal attacks while using Flight of the Crane, but not fu powers unless they're from the Path of Passive Wings, otherwise you release your grip. Your foe can break free as with the Talon rules. Flight of the Crane is considered a continuous action, and you may use it against as many foes as you have hands, gripping monkey feet, prehensile tails, tentacles or whatever. Each person you hold with it effectively halves your Movement score.

The next power is one traced back to the legendary Akira Leung. He took two students who, while both were great, became bitter rivals. He was forced to choose one over the other, and the one who was expelled sought out an assassin to address the wrongs. So began a ten-year feud between Leung's dojo and the Serpent's Venom clan of assassins. During that time, Leung expanded on his own experience, teaching students until even the weakest was a great fighter! Ultimately, the training was for nothing, as the dojo was burned and the students slaughtered, but legend says that one student escaped and now lives in anonymity to avoid being killed. But he might still know the Path of Sharpened Scales' ultimate technique!
Luck of the Dragon : Prereq: Claw of the Dragon. Chi 5, Shots 3. You immediately negate all damage from attacks that strike you until the end of the sequence - if you suffer enough Damage to force a Death Check. At the beginning of the next sequence, you are either at 40 wound points or the total you had before you activated Luck of the Dragon, whichever is better. Each time you use Luck of the Dragon, you permanently lower your Constitution by 1.

The next power is said to have been mastered only by a reclusive hermit in the Himalayas. The only way he will teach you is if you beat him in single combat - no easy task! Neither is finding him in occupied modern Tibet, for that matter.
Chained Lightning : Prereqs: Lightning Fist, Rain of Fury. Chi X, Shots All. You attack a foe barehanded. The opponent's Toughness is reduced by X for the purposes of the attack. You then attack a second foe, whose Toughness is reduced by (X-1). You can keep doing this, reducing the Toughness penalty by 1 each time, until you either miss or make X attacks. You can't hit the same foe twice in a row, but may alternate targets.

The next power is known only to the infmaous Teddy "Two Kegger" Russell, last seen in the US Midwest with a gang of bikers. Russell is an experienced drunken master thanks to his gang's many enemies. A particularly bitter rival is the Devil's Lotus, a biker gang that's said to be led by a demon in human form. Hunting out Russell is dangerous - no one's seen the guy in two years, and you'll probably find the Devil's Lotus instead. Russell will only teach someone who can outdrink him - and he's a master of the Path of the Empty Bottle.
Drunkard's Dance : Prereq: Spasmodic Leap. Chi 5, Shots 1. Pick two foes attacking you. They must be able to hit each other. If either foe fails a Perception check, he resolves his attack as if attacking the other foe. If one failed, he attacks his ally. If both fails, they attack each other. If neither fails, both attack you as normal. The difficulty of the Perception check is equal to the number of servings of alcohol you've had in the past six hours. (Remember, one beer is half a serving.)

The only man to know the next power is Chang Ng. He was executed for treason by the Chinese Army in 1850. And 1855. And 1860. And every five years up to 1995. The executions and trials are state secrets, as is the fact that he's had to be executed every five years for centuries. So...good luck finding the guy.
Venom of the Snake : Prereq: Lunge of the Snake. Chi 5, Shots 2. You attack a foe. If you hit and and cause damage, your target suffers several effects until the end of the sequence. First, every action suffers a 1 shot penalty. Second, the target takes 1 wound point ever 3 shots. These effects are cumulative, so you may as well keep laying it on them!

The final power is taught only by a wandering priest in the Netherworld. Of course, he wanders with his wondrous Netherworld palace, carrying the castle with him. The monk who owns the palace will teach anyone - but there's a catch. You can't sleep in his palace, and its constant movement means you have to seek it out each morning. Again.
Eye of the Typhoon : Prereq: Integration of the Clouds. Chi All, Shots Special. You concentrate, stopping chi flow in a 30 meter radius around you. You can do nothing but concentrate on inhibiting fu powers (magic and Fortune dice work just fine). The effects last until the end of te sequence or until your concentration is broken, whichever comes first. Taking Damage or actively dodging breaks your concentration. It's important to note: this prevents all Fu power use, including that of your allies.

Now we move on to Tim Toner's work on new tranimals. After all, the stuff given in the core limited you to certain animals, and maybe you wanted to be a duck. Now you can!

Mantises get +1 Bod, +2 Per, +2 Wil, +3 Ref.
Pincer Strike : Chi 3, Shots 3. You attack a foe barehanded or with a melee weapon. If you hit, you use your current shot value instead of Strength for the damage. Attack sooner for more damage!
360 Vision : Chi X, Shots 1. You get +X to your Perception for the rest of the sequence, which can be used to notice ambushed, invisible foes or surprise attacks. Among other things. It's also great for finding your keys.
Jump : Chi 2, Shots 3. You jump up to twice your Move rating, horizontally or vertically. For every schtick spent in this, the multiplier increases by 2. So two schticks is Move*4, three is Move*6, etc.
Blinding Spit : Chi 6, Shots 3. You make an unarmed attack on a foe. If you hit, they go blind until the end of the sequence, taking -4 to all actions. If you spend an exta schtick, your target's effective Armor is halved. A third schtick negates Armor completely.

Cockroaches get +3 Con, +4 Tgh, +1 For, -1 Mnd, -2 Cha, +2 Ref.
Survive : Chi 7 (3 permanently), Shots 4. You ignore all damage you would receive this sequence. Instead, you appear to crumple into fetal position. In fact, you have discarded the husk of your body and your clothes, getting away in the confusion. This allows for some great escapes. However, each time you use it, you permanently reduce your Chi rating by 3. For each additional schtick, this permanent loss is reduced by 1, to a minimum of losing 1 chi permanently per use of Survive.
Chemical Irritant : Chi 3+X, Shots 3. You shoot out a cloud of toxic fumes, forcing all foes within X meters to make a Constitution check against your Chi rating or take 1 Impariment until the end of the sequence. Unnamed characters who fail are considered out of the fight. Each additional foe past the first targeted reduces the difficulty of the Constitution checks by 1, but spending a second schtick on this negates that dilution.
Armor : Chi X, Shots 1. You gain X points of Armor, where X is 8 or less. Every attack that hits you decreases the Armor by 1 for all subsequent attacks, and it goes away at the end of the sequence. No combination of tranimal schticks can give you Armor over 8. For every two additional schticks spent on Armor, the armor lasts for an extra sequence.
Scurry : Chi 2+X, Shots 1. You can disappear as long as there's something to hide behind or under. You make a Will roll with a +X bonus against your target's Perception. This is the last action you can take in a sequence. If you win, they can't see you. Each additional schtick spent on this increases the number of targets affected by 1, to a max of 4 people. You use the highest Perception among the targets as the difficulty.

Dolphins get +2 Mov, +2 Con, +2 For, +2 Mnd, +2 Ref.
Stunning Strike : Chi 3, Shots 3. You make a barehanded attack on a foe. If you hit, they get 1 Impairment for the rest of the sequence as well as the normal damage. An opponent can recover from this strike by doing nothing but passively dodging for 3 shots. This can be used once per sequence on any given foe. Each additional schtick spent on it increases the Impairment by 1, to a max of 4.
Sonar : Chi X, Shots 1. You can see in total darkness out to X meters for the rest of the sequence, or double that underwater. This also negates any attack that would impair your vision.
Swimming : Chi 3, Shots 3. You may swim up to (Move*5) meters. Each additional schtick doubles this, to a max of (40*Move) meters.
Ultrasonic Shriek : Chi 6, Shots 1. You emit a devastating burst of sound. You make a Martial Arts attack on anyone within (Chi rating) meters. If you hit, they take damage equal to (your Constitution*2). All uses of sophisticated hardware, such as most Arcanowave gear, are made at 2 Impairment until the time is spent to fix the equipment. Each additional schtick spent on this gives +2 damage, to a max of +8.

Mallards get +3 Con, +3 Cha, +2 Ref.
Virus : Chi 3, Shots 3. See, Chinese mallards are disease-carrying little fuckers. You make an unarmed attack against a foe. If you hit, in addition to the normal damage, your target gets -1 to all all Action Values derived from Body, Reflexes or the secondary attributes of those primary attributes. This can't be fixed without 24 hours of bedrest, but can't be used more than once on any given foe. Each additional schtick spent on this increases the penalty by -1, to a max of -3.
Perching : Chi 1, Shots 3. You're able to weather anything. Once you set your stance and move no more than 1 meter from your starting position, you take no Continuous Action or Difficulty penalties to maintaining a dangerous foothold. This can be anything from treading water to standing on a flagpole to being on a speeding bus to being on a frayed rope above the Grand Canyon. It's all level ground to you.
Foot Spike : Chi 2, Shots 3. You make an unarmed attack against a foe. If you hit, in addition to normal damage, you snag the target. You get +2 to all Martial Arts attacks until the end of the sequence. (I think they meant attacks on the target, not in general, but they don't say.) The target can spend 2 shots to get free (and thus presumably negate the bonus). Each additional schtick spent on this increases the time needed to disentangle by one shot. The schtick isn't cumulative - if you use it twice, you still only get a +2 bonus.
Mandarin Shout : Chi X, Shots 2. You make a bellowing quack that inspires your allies. This creates a pool of X, which your allies spread amongst themselves a Damage bonuses to their next attacks. Each additional schtick increases the size of the pool by 2, to a max of X+6.

Next time: Boars, Salamanders, general animal powers and guns, guns, guns .

Look, the boss said we help you, so we help you. Don't ask so many questions.

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: Look, the boss said we help you, so we help you. Don't ask so many questions.

We were mid-animals last time! Boars get +3 Bod, +1 For, +3 Wil.
Obscured Strike : Chi 3, Shots 3. You must make a full-out charge at a foe before attacking, spending 3 shots prior to the attack and running your full Move. At the last second, you throw something like sand, cards or papers at your foe and make a Martial Arts roll. If you hit, you get +2 to Damage for the attack and +2 to your Dodge against attacks from that target for the rest of the sequence.
Gore : Chi 5, Shots 3. You make an unarmed attack against a foe. If you hit, in addition to normal damage, the target's Armor goes down by 5 until the item is repaired ot the schtick that made the Armor is renewed. Each additional schtick spent on this gives another -2 to Armor, to a max of -9.
Snuffle : Chi 3, Shots 1. You can attune your sense of smell to a single object, from a person to a specific gun, that you have encountered before. Unless the object is sealed in a vbacuum, it can't be hidden from you. You can detect it if it comes within (Chi) meters. Every additional schtick spent on this doubles the range.
Enraged : Chi X, Shots 3. After you get hit, you can spend X chi, where X is any number up to the amount of Wound points you currently have. Your Strength goes up by X, and your Intelligence goes down by X. You must make an Intelligence check to tell friend from a foe. A second schtick halves the Intelligence penalty, and a third eliminates it entirely.

Bats get +3 Wil, +3 Int, +3 Per.
Echolocation : Chi X, Shots 1. You can see in total darkness out to X meters for the rest of the sequence. You get +2 to any Martial Arts rolls agianst foes unaware of your presence. Each additional schtick spent on this increases the bonus by +2, to a max of +8. This schtick also negates any attack that impairs vision.
Tracking Scent : Chi 1+X, Shots 1. You can mark a target with a potent scent. Marking takes 1 chi point and a succesful Martial Arts check if the target is unwilling. The scent lingers for 24 hours, during which the chi point is not regained. The range of detection is X kilometers. Each use is a difficulty 7 roll to get a rough estimate of distance and direction. Each additional schtick doubles the duration of the power, to a max of 4 days.
Gliding : Chi 6, Shots 4. You can extend your arms and glide for the rest of the sequence. You can move horizontally up to (Move*2), rise up (Move/2) and fall (Move*4). Eahc extra schtick adds (Move*2) to horizontal distance, (Move/2) to upwards and (Move*4) to downwards.
Eviscerating Bite : Chi X, Shots 3. You make an unarmed Martial Arts Attack on a foe. If you hit, you not only deal normal damage but also cripple the foe. For the rest of the sequence, every action they take deals X damage, reduced by Toughness, unless they make a Constitution check against your Chi rating. If your foe does nothing but bind the wound for 3 shots, the damage stops.

Salamanders get +1 Mov, +2 Con, +2 Tgh, +2 Wil, +2 Ref.
Regenerate : Chi X, Shots 1. You may regenerate! You regain X Wound Points, where X is any amount up to your Body score. However, you must also pay 1 Chi point per shot for the next X shots, or the regeneration doesn't take and you get all the Wound points back. You can also recover from loss of limbs - the damage heals right away, and it takes an hour for a small body part (like a hand) to regrow or a day for a full limb. Breaking the spinal cord negates this schtick.
Samandarin : Chi 2+X, Shots 3. You can exude a powerful toxin from your skin. Anyone exposed to it, either from a hand-to-hand strike, contact with your skin or eating an item tainted with the toxin must make a Constitution check against your Chi rating or suffer X damage, in addition to any other damage. The toxin loses potency within a minute away from your body. Alcohol renders it ineffective, and it turns pink in water. Each additional schtick gives -1 to the target's Constitution check, to a max of -5.
Heat Resistance : Chi 7, Shots 4. You get +5 Toughness when resisting fire damage. Uou get +3 Toughness against all attacks that "burn", including energy weapons, radiation and acid. When this power is used, all reactions that generate hit within (Chi) meters are dampened. Cigarettes go out, lights dim, car engines start knocking. Each additional schtick increases both Toughness bonuses by +2, but you can't take more than three schticks of Heat Resistance.
Footpads : Chi 3, Shots 1. Your hands and feet exude mild adhesive, letting you scale walls and ceilings for the rest of the sequence. Your Speed is limited to your Move rating so that you always remain in contact with the surface, or else you fall. You adhere to objects with a Strength equal to your Chi rating.

There are also General Schticks now, which any transformed animal can take as long as it somehow pertains to the animal. These are:
Predator : Chi 3, Shots 1. You're high on the food chain. For the rest of the sequence, everyone that can see you gets -2 to all Charisma-based skills when dealing with you unless their Willpower is equal to or greater than your Chi. You can't have this and Prey.
Prey : Chi 3, Shots 1. You're low on the food chain. You become hyper-aware of the world around you and the threats in it. When you are threatened, the GM rolls a Perception check against your foe's Intelligence to see if you notice. The ffective range of this sixth sense is (Chi) meters, and it produces only a general feeling of danger. Intentionally wlaking into danger negates the schtick. Each additional schtick spent on this gives +2 to your Perception check. You can't have this and Predator.
Fu Advantage : Chi 4, Shots 1. Animals are naturally good at kung fu that draws on their own nature, as those styles were designed to emulate them! New fu schticks based on your animal side (so Healthy Tiger for Tigers, for example) cost you (2+X) xp. In addition, anyone using a Path based on your animal type gets -1 to roll against you unless they are also a transformed animal of your type.
Doolittling : Chi 2, Shots 1. You can recall the language of your animal cousins. It is an Intelligence check to talk to your kin, and they tend to be pretty dumb and unlikely to do anything harmful to themselves. Still, you can talk to them. Each additional schtick widens the animals you can speak to - Monkeys to Primates, or Primates to Mammals, for example.
Hibernate : Chi Special, Shots Special. You can go into suspended animation. You appear dead, but do not require food, water or air. Violence will kill you as easily as if you were sleeping, though, so be somewhere safe. While asleep, your wounds heal, your mind is rested and you become immune to Reversion, no matter how magical the environment. When you enter Hibernation, you name a specific trigger that will awaken you - passage of time, the local penalty to Magic reaching a certain level, or even someone entering the are your body is stored in. When you awaken, you feel as though you are coursing with chi, but your body still needs time to reawaken. You have full Chi, but it regenerates at a rate equal to the number of hours since you awakened - so one hour after waking up, you only regain 1 chi per sequence, for example. Awakening in a feng shui site reduces the hours to minutes. After awakening, you can't re-use Hibernate for (Chi rating) days. The maximum time you can Hibernate is based on how many Schticks you have in it. Base is one week, then up to month, year, decade, century and millenium.
Pheromones : Chi 3, Shots 1. You've learned to adapt your animal biochemistry to the human brain. You get +2 on all social checks against those who find your gender appealing, though you may enrage those who see you as encroaching on their territory. Each additional schtick raises the bonus by +1, to a max of +5.
Latency : Chi 3, Shots 1. Animal genes are weak in you. If you were born in any juncture but 69 AD, you make REversion checks as though from 69 AD. Each additional schtick gives +1 on Reversion checks. Spending an additional schtick also lets you temporarily 'jiggle' your DNA, making DNA identification nearly impossible.

Now, guns by Andy Lucas. We get a long list of even more guns, including the Luger, the Sterling , the Steyr AUG and sniper rifles! Sniper rifles can't be used under 10 meters away, as they're too big and awkward. Trying to use 'em against a close, moving target gets a -3 penalty. However, they halve all other range modifiers. And they tend to do really, really good damage.

More importantly, though, new Gun Schticks from Andy and Greg Stolze. We get Cover Fire , which lets you shoot wildly at up to five characters. If you roll higher than the highest Dodge among the group, you do no Damage but force all of them to act one shot later. If you have two schticks in this, you delay them two shots instead. Sadly, you can't get more than two schticks in Cover Fire. And yes, this takes five bullets. You still only need 3 shots of time in the sequence, but you fire five times. If you have autofire, you can target up to 8 people with six bullets. If you're using a Buro Godhammer, you can empty the five-shot clip to get the autofire bonus. God is dead, and we have his hammer: cool names have power .

10,000 Bullets makes you an expert at fighting groups. You take no penalty to attack two people at once. No bonus against single targets, mind you. If you take a second schtick in this, you can attack three people without penalty. You can't get better than that, though. On the other hand: between this and Carnival of Carnage, you could pretty easily take down 30+ mooks in a single sequence, as long as you have enough ammo. Concealed Weapons lets you hide a gun anywhere . It was apparently inspired by the Negativland song "Guns: Now" and for each sthicks in it, you reduce the Concealment of all guns you're carrying by 1. You can't reduce Concealment below 1 and carry an infinite number of guns, though. For each additional schtick you spend, you reduce the Concealment by another 1, still to a minimum of 1, but you can't spend more than 3 schticks in this. The original name for this was 'Where the Hell Did That Gun Come From?' but apparently it wouldn't fit on the sheet.

Dismantle Gun makes you an expert at field-stripping weapons in combat. When they're being used on you. If you have this schtick, you may use Guns instead of Martial ARts in hand-to-hand combat, but only when targeting a foe's gun. If you hit, you grab, twist and pull the weapon so that it is either jammed, emptied or otherwise made non-deadly. Field-stripped guns take 8 shots to reassemble. Each additional schtick gives +1 to the roll, and if you have 3 or more schticks, you make a second check to see if a dismantled gun is permanently damaged. This has no effect on hand-to-hand weapons, and presumably Signature Weapons can't be permanently damaged. Shoot Weapon is like Eagle Eye, except it specializes in shooting weapons out of hands. Each schtick in Shoot Weapon gives +1 to attacks targeting the foe's weapon. A successful hit disarms the foe, possibly destroying the weapon. You get +1 to any Intimidation roll made immediately after a succesful disarm. Each additional schtick in this adds +1 to the Intimidatiob bonus, too.

Bullet Storm is all about shooting lots of bullets. It requires a fully automatic weapon, and it costs you all your remaining shots. While using Bullet Storm, you can't actively dodge and can't target any specific foe. Your attack is to distract, not harm. Sparks, cement shards and wood splinters fly up everywhere. At the end of the sequence, your clip is empty, but you won't run out until then. Each schtick in this gives all of your foes -1 to attacking, regardless of whom they're targeting. They get no dodge penalty. Additionally, all unnamed attackers must make a Willpower check against your Charisma or be forced to actively dodge the shot you open up with Bullet Storm on. Bullet Storm never hurts anyone. Ever.

Now, Andy Lucas gives us some new Arcanowave Devices, some of which are not purely made by the Buro! We get the Gun Eye , a small tube housing a living demon's eye in an ARB casing. It has a number of sticky legs that let you fasten it to any gun barrel, and a coaxial cable to plug into an AI/O port. It takes 3 shots to activate the Gun Eye, and it lets you use the Arcanowave Device skill in place of Guns. Additionally, a Gun Eye can be fired around corners without leaving cover, as you see through the eye. This gives +1 to any cover bonus. Finally, you can detach it from a gun and use it to look around corners or into holes. It can move slowly and silently, and the cable stretches out up to ten meters at full extension.

The Resin Cord means your body has been modified with some glands attached to a dedicated subdermal AI/O port, usually in the forearm. Wherever they are, a small mouthlike aperture oozes spectral resin on command, forming a viscuous substance. This stuff can either harden instantly or remain slack and sticky until it dissolved. You choose how fast it extrudes and what consistency. Thick bars can be made, or strands that serve as ropes or whips. There's plenty of uses for this, limited only by your imagining. A 3 meter rope might take 3 shots to make, while a 1 meter pole takes 1 shot. A sticky immobilizing mass takes 3 shots per target. The resin lasts for (Magic) hours and has Strength equal to your Strength. Yes, it's Spider-Man's webslinger. And yes, you can put it anywhere you want - the forearm is just most common.

The Resin Projector is a huge backpack covered in arcane sigils, and it's full of ectoplasm. A house mounted on a rifle stock attaches to it. You open and close an iris connecting the rifle to the backpack with a large lever. Pulling it open makes a thin stream of ectoplasm shoot up to 40 meters. This then hardens into cords of resin with a consistency equivalent to steel within 6 shots. If the resin is washed off or cleared away in that time, it has no effect. After that, the target is immobilized, with a difficulty 12 Strength check to break three. The resin shatters after 13 wound points. Opening the valve all the way makes a great volume of resin shoot out 10 meters. A target hit by this must make an active dodge or be encased. After six shots, if the good is not removed, the target is not only immobilized but suffocating. It is diff 20 to break out, diff 12 to make a breathing hole. The resin shatters after 25 wounds. Discarding clothes is a great way to remove the ectoplasm, which makes this very popular with Jammers, who love to embarrass te Buro.

Helix Mines are a discarded offshoot of the Helix Ripper. The original intent was a weapon disrupting the target's chi. IT soon became obvious that this was more useful against Buro troops than the Jammers and Guiding Hand it was usually used on. It was originaly meant to detonate when it detected the chi-deadness of certain Jammers, but that made it blow up when none was around. Those designed to fire when Fu powers were used had little practical use - most Fu powers meant the foe was too close for a mine to be safe. The Jammers have made Helix Mines that go off when they detect either arcanowaves or demons. They're the size of a manhole cover and made of thick ARB. Titanium handles fold out of the to, but it takes a combined Strength of 15 to carry one. Once positioned, it is activated when it detects an active AI/O port or Creature Power within 3 meters. It then levitates into the air, spins and fires bolts of magic which go off every 3 shots and hit everything in 10 meters. These are rolled using the owner's Arcanowave Device power, with no penalty for multiple targets. They are Damage 10. The Helix Mine can be deactivated by removing all arcanowave tech within 1 meter of it or by turning it over and hitting a convenient switch. Before being planted, the Helix Mine must be charged. Each sequence it spends charging is one it can spend firing. And yes, the user can set the thing off just like anyone else.

The Blink Suit was invented by the Jammer Professor Powerhouse in an attempt to make a teleporter. It is a man-sized, sarcophagus-shaped booth and a form-fitting bodysuit with ARB receivers in it. The sarcophagus receives, transports and charges the suit. Theoretically, the blink suit lets you step in and out of reality, letting you get an advantage in combat as well as teleporting back to safety if needed. In practice...well, it interacts unpredictably with the Netherworld. You roll 1d6 each time it activates. On a 1-2, you become Insubstantial as per the Creature Power for 1d6 shots. On a 3-4, you teleport back to the charging station in 1d6 shots. On a 5, you teleport to a random location in the Netherworld in 1d6 shots. On a 6, a random body part becomes intangible for 1d6 shots. To tell what'll happen, you make a difficulty 10 Aranowave Device roll when the suit activates. It takes 5 shots to activate the suit, and 1 shot to deactivate it if you get a result you don't want.

The Binder Grinder is a vile weapon developed due to a group of Lotus sorcerers plagued by "Fugglies", a type of evil spirit made of tentacles, fangs and intestines. The Lotus found that they could trap the demons in small tubes of steel, if the tube was prepared properly. Once released, the creatures spring out at a very fast rate, attacking the first thing they touch. Gao Zhang loved the idea of shooting them at people, and made a rifle using the demon in place of a cartridge. Eventually the Lotus discarded the idea as foolish and impractical, but the Jammers somehow got their hands on the plans. The rifle looks like a large-bored musket covered in magic sigils and ARB. There's a top-feeding magazine that can hold three rounds. You fire with Arcanowave Devices, and when the round hits, it does damage until the Fuggly is pried off the target. They are Strength 4 and deal 8 damage per shot until dislodged.

The Finder requires no AI/O port, unlike most devices. It comes in many shapes, but it is always made of ARB and about the size of a small valise. To use it, you open it and connect the siphon tube to someone's vein. The Finder uses the operator's blood to feed a small spirit inside it. Dependingo n the amount of blood and the user's skill, it can locate and even identify arcanowave technology near it. It is simple to operate but has no safeguards to make it stop siphoning blood. The operator rolls Constitution against the Magic rating of any creature using arcanowave tech within 10 kilometer.s If the check succeeds, the user takes only 1 Wound point. A failed check deals (5+Outcome) damage. Either way, the user can sense the closest arcanowave source. With a succesful Arcanowave DEvice check against the source's Arcanowave Device skill, more information can be gotten. With Outcome of 1, vague direction. 2-3, a general impression of what the device does ('attack', 'defend', 'gathers information', etc.). With 4-5, a sense of how many devices the target has and what each does, roughly. 6+ gives a vision of the target and total knowledge of all of their devices.

Next time: Rules for Techies to make shit. Also, spy gadgets.

Once a Dragon, always a Dragon. I know that now.

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Probably not, if it was universal.

Feng Shui: Once a Dragon, always a Dragon. I know that now.

Hal Mangold presents us with rules for the one thing Techies love to do even more than fix stufF: make stuff. Now, there's some ground rules, first. Anything a Techie creates is going to be ugly. These aren't sleek, ergonomic machines - they're masses of wire, plastic and duct tape. They work, but they don't look good doing it. Second, anything a Techie makes has to obey scientific laws. (Insofar as these apply to an action movie, anyway.) The items ain't magical - that's for Arcanowave stuff. Basically, these things have to make sense as things you put together.

Now, the first thing to do when making something? Decide what you want. Maybe you want a gun made of car parts, or a machine that fires exploding balls. Okay! Now you tell the GM. He picks a Complexity for it. Simple mechanical devices are Complexity 5. Average ones are 7. Sophisticated mechanical devices or simple electronic ones are between 10 and 15. Complex electronic devices are 20. Incredibly sophisticated tech is 25 and can't be made outside 2065. The materials just aren't available. You then get a modifier based on the circumstances. If you have a relaxed work environment and all the stuff you need, that's +0. Distractions but all the proper stuff is +5. Relaxed work with limited parts is +10. Distractions and limited parts? +20.

After that , there's a Juncture modifier. After all, you just can't find the stuff you need to make a gun as easily in 69 AD as 1996. And the more magic-receptive a place is, well, it turns out they tend to be less hospitable to technological tinkering. In 69 AD you get a +6 modifier to Complexity. n 1850, +4. The modern era is +0 as the baseline. In 2056, Complexity gets a -2 because there's so much high technology around, and in the Netherworld it's -2 because the Netherworld itself warps to accomodate your vision.

So, now you have the total Complexity, which is the Difficulty of the Fix-It roll to make the thing. However, there's some ways to modify it further. The first way is by jury-rigging the device - cutting corners on design and so on. This makes it so that whenever you use the thing or turn it on, you have to make a Fix-It check (or a Mind check if you don't have Fix-It) with a Difficulty equal to half the thing's Complexity. Failure means the device doesn't work this sequence. Jury-rigged devices get -2 Complexity and take half the time to build. You can go further with this and make the thing fragile instead. This has the same roll for use - but if you fail, the device breaks. Then it takes a Fix-It roll at the device's original Complexity to fix it, and you can't make the roll in combat. Fragile is -4 Complexity and still half build time.

Beyond that is volatile. A volatile device works like a fragile one...except when it breaks, you have to make a Fortune check against the builder's Mind score. If you fail, the device isn't just broken, it fails spectacularly. The effects are left to the GM's imagination, but it probably shouldn't kill anyone - just inconvenience them, embarrass them and deprive them of the device. (Why the builder's Mind score? The most sophisticated science is the most dangerous.) Volatile is -6 Complexity and still half build time. You can also make a device easier to build by making it bigger. Bigger parts are easier to work with! Doubling the size of a device gives -2 Complexity, but doubles build time. You can double the size of a device at most three times.

You can also lower Complexity by making a device one-shot. (Of course, this doesn't work for already one-shot items like explosives.) This gives -10 Complexity and halves construction time. Of course, you can combine all this - to make, say, a double-size, volatile radio that works once. If you make the Fix-It check to use it, it works. Once. If you fail, well, it might explode. If you have the time and patience, you can also ty to make a device better. You can try to miniaturize, making something more concealable. (Within limits - a gun the size of a cockroach won't be doing much damage.) Each halving of a device's size is +2 Complexity. You can also try to combine devices, so you have a gun that doubles as a blender. The construction time on this is equal to the sum of the construction time for all items, and each device involved adds +4 Complexity. (To each item, if building them all - so a gun-blender-radio gets +8 Complexity to all parts.)

Build time is...actually rather unimportant. It's a noncombat activity (usually - the GM can make exceptions for drama), and either you have the time to do it or you don't. How long any device takes to make is up to the GM. If the GM says there's not enough time, oh well. Once you've got this all done, you make your construction roll and describe the building montage. And you have to describe it. If you are particularly cool, the GM is encouraged to reduce the Complexity of the device.

Hal Mangold continues writing, now about spy gadgets . Techies aren't the only ones to get cool toys. And unlike techie devices, spy gadgets are always cool-looking, sleek and top-of-the-line. They always have a Concealment of 1 or less unless it'd interfere with the use of the device. (Sometimes you want big and scary.) This doesn't reflect size, but rather that your grappling gun might look like an umbrella, or your grenades look like buttons on your coat. At the start of every scenario, a spy gets a number of gadgets equal to their highest Action Value divided by 5, rounding down. However, the GM picks which gadgets they get. The spy might want a particular one, though - and so they can name one device per scenario with Complexity less than or equal to their highest Action Value. If they want something harder, they can spend a Fortune die and roll their highest AV, with Difficulty equal to the device's Complexity. If they succeed, they get the device (and a warning not to break it). This can be used to get additional specific gadgets, and you can try it as many times as you're willing to spend Fortune Dice.

But don't break the device. You see, you have to return all this stuff at the end of the scenario. If you don't, then for each gadget you don't return, you get one less gadget next time. (Sane GMs will make exceptions for stuff like explosives.) Now, what's available? Let's take a look! Pen Guns are tiiiiny little guns that are undetectable by practically anything - even x-ray scans! Some versions shoot darts instead of bullets. The darts do no damage, but can be used to deliver...just about anything you might want to get into the target's bloodstream. These things can't fire at anyone outside close range, though. They are Complexity 10-12. Then there's the Garrote Watch - a watch whose winding stem is actually connected to a reel of piano wire inside the watch! When pulled out and wrapped around the neck of an unsuspecting mook, the mook goes down, period. Against named characters, it does Strength+4 damage for the first attack. However, in both cases, you have to sneak up on the target. Complexity 8.

The Bola Tie looks like a normal (non-bow) tie, but it is heavily weighted at each end for throwing. In the hands of a skilled spy, it can entangle or disarm foes! A successful hit gives the target a one shot penalty to all actions until they spend 2 shots to disentangle themselves, and it can also be used to disarm people. Complexity 4. Bladed Boots are boots which, when you click the heels together, sprout a four-inch blade from the toe. These make devastated kicks, which deal Strength+3 damage instead of Strength+2. These are Complexity 6 (because the blade retracts - attaching a knife to your boot just takes some tape). Stungloves are a pair of ordinary driving gloves containing wires bearing 50,000 volts of electricity. They're not quite as nasty as a full taser, but they're definitely unpleasant. When someone is hit by a stunglove, they roll Toughness, difficulty 10, in addition to any normal damage. Unnamed characters who fail the roll are taken out, and named characters get 1 Impairment for the rest of the sequence, which is cumulative up to 3 Impairment from stunglove hits. All Impairment from the stungloves fade at the end of the sequence, and the gloves have a battery good for 10 shocks. Complexity 14.

Mini Grenades are...well, three kinds of tiny, tiny grenades. The first kind of just explosive ones. They use the explosion rules in the core. Flashbangs knock folks silly instead of blowing them up. They do half the damage of normal grenades, but anyone in the blast has to make a Toughness check, Difficulty 15. If they succeed, nothing happens. If they fail...well, named characters take a point of Impairment for (Outcome) shots. Multiple grenades just extend duration. Mooks, well - their next action gets pushed back (Outcome) shots, to a max of 3. If you don't want any of those, there's option 3: gas grenades. One gas grenade will fill a roughly ten foot cubic area, and they usually have tear gas. That forces everyone in the gas cloud to make a Constitution check, difficulty 10. Failure gives 1 Impairment for the rest of the fight, and you have to make the check every shot you're in the gas. This can max out at 4 Impairment. Don't get 4 Impairment . You can also load gas grenades with other gases, like knockout gas or even lethal stuff like nerve gas. (Nerve gas is for bad guys! Don't fill your grenades with it!) If a techie wants to make full-size grenades, the Complexity listed here goes down by 6 - doubling the size three times, you know. Frag and flashbang mini-grenades are 15, gas are 18. Smoke grenades, which just provide smoke cover, are 16.

Electronic Lockpicks help bypass electronic locks! They can get through just about any electronic lock, but it takes them 2d6 shots. Complexity 15. Grappling Guns shoot a hook. Low-complexity ones need to grapple onto something, while high-complexity ones can bite into smooth surfaces! Some may also have motors to help pull you up. Complexity 10-15. Video cameras range in size from briefcases to palm, and they can either take still pictures or (usually monochrome) video. They are also usually hooked up to a retransmitter sending the pictures or videos to a safe location with a recording device. Complexity 14. Bugs are the same with audio, but smaller. More sound quality and range, more Complexity. Low end is a room or two away, high end is miles away. Finding a bug is easier than planting one - as long as you've got a Bug Scanner of higher complexity than the bug. Bugs are Complexity 8-16. Lastly, Tracking Devices - plant one on someone and you'll be able to track them! As long as it's undetected, you have no problem tracking the target. Complexity is based on range. A few hundred feet is Complexity 8, while a few hundred miles is 16. Most are in between.

Bruce Baugh now gives us Sorcery Combinations . This is for combining Sorcery schticks to do stuff that isn't normally covered. The first way to do it is Crude Improvisation . To do this, you try to use two or more schticks at once. This gives -1 to the roll for each schtick after the first. You then spend the necessary Chi and time, casting each spell in turn but suspending the effects so that they all go off at once when the last one finishes. Having one spell roll work but the others fail tends to make for interesting and messy challenges. But with a little work, you can get Better Improvisation . First, you work out what schticks you want to combine, taking 3 shots and making a Sorcery roll with Difficulty equal to the highest Difficulty of any component, +1 per schtick after the first. If you fail the roll, go back to Crude Improvisation.

Success means you work out how to synthesize the spells. Casting time is 3 shots, plus 1 shot per schtick after the first. Difficulty is the same as the preparation roll. If the synthesis includes two or more shcticks that deal damage, damage is dealt by Both Guns Blazing rules - that is, (Damage of each schtick added together) - (target's Toughness*2) + Outcome. Once you've pulled this off, you can make that particular combination permanent! You have to use the combination in play first, and then you can spend (16+X) XP, where X is the number of schticks involved after the first. A learned combination has no casting time or Difficulty penalties, and continues to do damage as above if appropriate. However, these combinations are very personal and can't be taught to others. Let's see some examples.

The Terrible Cauldron Tunnel : Blast (Acid) + Movement (Flight). You use Acid to dissolve your body. Next shot, you reconstitute yourself in the bottom of any large container of blood, acid or other unpleasant fluid. The containerm ust have at least seven gallons in it, and it takes six shots to reform, during which the liquid bubbles vigorously. Anyone looking in sees your eyes peering out, as they form immediately. After six shots, you can leap out and fly as normal with Flight, your body coated in whatever you moved into. The target liquid must be in your line of sight when you destroy yourself with Acid. Your body rebuilds itself even if the container is dumped, but in that case it takes 3 extra shots to finish.

Devouring Hell Weapons : Blast (Conjured Weapons) + Blast (Fire). You create flaming weapons! All consequences of both effects apply - so your spear might pierce armor and ignite the flesh within! (Combining Blasts is easier than normal, by the way. You just take a -2 penalty and cast a single spell. If you succeed, it does normal damage with both special effects. You go more complex than that if you want the Both Guns Blazing damage.)

The Eyes of Fire : Blast + Divination (Revelation). You shoot your vision along any kind of blast. Anyone who looks at the leading edge of the Blast (not necessarily easy) sees a pair of stylized eyes riding in front. The eyes can either be pitch black or glow with an unholy flame in the color of your choice. You see through them as if present physically, with all limitations of your normal vision. This gets overlaid over your real vision, and makes anything that takes close attention, such as fighting, have +2 Difficulty. The Eyes of Fire lasts at least one sequence, and then either as long as the Blast's special effect does or until the sorcerer makes the eyes close at any point after the first sequence, whichever comes first.

Next time: More combination powers!

Tell me what you want stolen, and what's between me and the target, and I'll get it for you faster than cop on black.

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: Tell me what you want stolen, and what's between me and the target, and I'll get it for you faster than cop on black.

Yeah, I don't know why anyone thought that was a good idea for a character quote.

More sorcery combination examples!
Words in Fire : Blast (Fire) + Divination (Prediction). You peer into the future, seeing some circumstance involving the reading of a manuscript you own - it might be a time of day, a place or a quality of a reader. Whetever it is, that becomes the trigger for a Blast implanted in the manuscript. The first reader to fulfill it becomes the target for the blast. The wait is up to one day at Difficulty 6, a month at 9, a year at 12, your lifetime at 15 and forever at 18. If the time limit runs out before the Blast is triggered, it goes off then.

Sky Full of Knives : Blast (Conjured Weapons) + Movement (Flight). You create a stream of knives, arrows and spears all heading in the same direction. Then, as a difficulty 3 task (if the GM wants you to roll at all), you jump up on them and run along the tops. You must move at least half your Move each sequence, or risk falling. (Diff 6 if you've moved at least a quarter of your Move rating, 12 if less than that.) You can grab one or more weapons for melee use - and if you do, when the Blast ends, those will remain instead of dissolving like the rest, until you let go of them. Some sorcerers add Movement (Speed) to the combo to run across weapon bridges really fast.

The Wasting Death of Body and Soul : Blast (Disease) + Fertiliaty (De-Attunement). The De-Attunement starts as soon as the Disease damage manifests. Each point of Impairment from the disease reduces by 1 the nbumber of feng shui sites you can reattune to. Magical healing does not re-attune you, but will allow you to get all the sites back by going through the reattunement process.

Traitor's Hell Strike : Blast (Ice) + Weather (Snow). This is often learned from demons of icy hells or the Yeti. As you make your ice Blast, every damp spot in the area freezes and unleashes fountains of snow. If it's already snowing, it becomes a whiteout blizzard. Wet environments are more snow than dry ones, but even in a desert, the chill will draw out moisture from cracks in rocks and even the tear ducts of bystanders.

The Fist of Heaven : Blast (Lightning) + Weather (Thunder). This requires storm clouds to be in the area. When you use it, a hole opens in the clouds, thunder rolls and then lightning blasts forth in a giant and distinctly fist-shaped form. You can combine this with other Blasts to get even more wrath, likely to terrify everyone nearby.

The Blessing of Correct Insight : Divination (Warning) + Fertility (Restore Chi). You make an attack on the spiritual evil of the area, past and present. Your Restore Chi effect asts as long as the Warning marks remain in place. The boundaries of the area pulse brightly whenever unhealthy chi intrudes. Warning marks that remain intact for weeks or more may, at the GM's discretion, cancel out negative feng shui in the area. A sorcerer wanting to make a point about the dangers of trespassing might add Fertility (De-Attunement), too.

The Flight of the Celestial Turtle : Blast (Fire) + Movement (Flight). You draw your arms and legs into the folds of your robe or other clothes - and you need roomy clothes for this. That's because jets of fire with cumulative damage equal to that of Blast shoot out of the sleeves and pant-legs. You spin rapidly and can fly in any direction, remaining in motion for one hour per point of Magic...but as soon as you extend a hand or foot, the flames stop and you drop to the ground. Obviously, you can't do any manipulation or even heavy lifting while flying around like a giant rocket turtle.

The Righteous Deception of Devils : Influence (Illusions) + Summoning (Exorcism). Exorcism works as normal. The Illusions are specific, though: they convince the monster they're still in control of the victim. The monster says the real situation overlaid with pleasing illusions, taking a penalty to all actions equal the Outcome of this spell combo for the rest of the sequence.

The Flowers of Evil : Fertility (Growth) + Summoning (Corruption). You unleash the power of darkness on the plant world. The target plants grow as per Growth, but they also become unwholesome. Fruit rots, sap is tainted and poisonous, colors are either bleached and dead or unnaturally vivid. The plants often sway in a nonexisted breeze or blindly feel around if something moves nearby. Supernatural creatures who use the Corruption bonus find plants of some kind growing around them, though the plants don't hinder them. The plants wither and die within minutes after Corruption wears off.

Now, some new special effects! Blast gets Tentacles : You attack via writhing tentacles either from your body or te air. They can grab just about anything that isn't nailed down and will stick to their targets. If you choose to keep attacking a target, you get +1 to your Sorcery rating for that purpose for each sequence of sustained grappling, to a max of +2. Extended grappling makes it hard to change targets, though - it takes an extra shot and a -2 penalty to make the first attack on a new target. Some sorcerers withdraw their tentacles when stopping the attack, while others let them fall off, or cut them off. The tentacles can be anything from inhumanly extended hair to tongues to fingernails or whatever you like.

Divination gets Scrying : You prepare a reflective surface and stare into it, seeing events happening elsewhere right now. A mile away is diff 7, 5 miles is 10, 25 is 13, 125 is 16, and it's +3 for every further multiplication of 5. +3 to Difficulty if you have only a limited acquaintance with your target, or +6 if you need to rely on the accounts of others, pictures or other sources. The Scrying lasts for (Outcome) turns, during which you can see the target clearly and hear sounds faintly, as if muffled. Targets make a Chi roll against your Magic; success means they feel they're being watched.

Movement gets Stillness , allowing you to balance in any position for (Outcome) shots. Particularly tricky positions may give +3 or more Difficulty. Efforts to tell you are anything but a statue have Difficulty equal to your Sorcery. You can creep along at one meter per sequence for (Outcome) sequences and avoid all motion sensors and the peripheral vision sense of movement of most people.

Now, mixing sorcery and fu or gun schticks. It's not as easy as combining different types of sorcery, but it can be done. You start with Crude Improvisation . First you do the sorcery schtick as normal, but with a -1 penalty for holding it at bay while you get the gun or fu schtick ready. Then you do the gun or fu schtick, but at -2 since you have to divert your attention to maintaining the magic. The spell goes off at the moment you complete the other schtick. Once you've done that at least once, you can try Better Improvisation . With that, you begin to merge the schticks together. The time it takes to invoke them all is the sum of their shot costs, minus 1. The Difficult is the highest Difficulty involved, plus 3 per schtick involved. Each use of the combination reduces the Shot cost and Difficulty by 1, down to the shot cost of the longest schtick involved, plus 1 per extra schtick, and a Difficulty of the most difficult schtick involved, plus 1 per extra schtick. Each attack does damage seperately, and you reduce the Outcome of each attack by 1 for each attack involved after the first.

Once you've mastered the Better Improvisation version of the schtick, you can spend (16+X) XP to make it permanent, where X is the number of schticks beyond the first involved. A learned combination has no extra casting time or difficulty penalty and does damage the same way as above. As with combined sorcery schticks, you can't teach them to others. Let's see some examples!

The Wheel of Soul Strikes : Carnival of Carnage + Fertility (Steal Chi). You spend a Magic point to cause a negative die's penalty on all victims injured by Carnival of Carnage. The penalty lasts as long as you concentrate on the victims and for one shot after you stop.

The Frank Persuader : Both Guns Blazing + Summoning (Domination). You take the Both Guns Blazing Outcome and apply it as a bonus to your Magic for purposes of Domination. Usually, you do it with enchanted bullets engraved with special sutras, but force of will and lead will work just fine.

Celestial Lightning Reload : Lightning Reload + Weather (Any). During each shot normally used for reloading that your Lightning Reload cancels out, Weather produces dramatic manifestations. Most prefer Lightning as a sort of "heavenly tracer", but others like thunder or wind. Any Weather effect can work here, but each is a seperate schtick.

Night Storm : Path of the Shadow's Companion (Blade of Darkness) + Blast (Conjured Weapons). You conjure a Blade of Darkness, and on the next shot fire a blast of darkness weapons.

The Prodigious Fang : Path of the Sharpened Scales (Bite of the Dragon) + Blast. You have to actually bite the target when using Bite of the Dragon, and a Blast erupts from your mouth, doing its own regular Damage to the target and as appropriate to anyone else in the vicinity.

The Endless Claw : Path of the Healthy Tiger (Claw of the Tiger) + Movement (Remote Manipulation). You make a Claw of the Tiger attack, and then if you hit, Remote Manipulation works on the target for (Magic) shots no matter how far away you get from each other. As normal, you have to make seperate skill checks to manipulate the target.

Now - John Snead gives us Creature Combos! See, creatures can learn new powers if they have certain prerequisite powers, allowing them to further customize and empower their Creature Powers! It's pretty handy. The basic combinations cost 8 XP if you know all the listed prereqs:

Absorb Life : Prereqs Regeneration, Soul Twist. You drain chi energy from unwilling targets and transfer it to yourself. You must make a Soul Twist attack that takes 6 shots rather than the normal 3. In addition to your Soul Twist damage, your Outcome is also subtracted from your Wound point total. Anything after you hit zero Wound points is lost. If you aren't injured, you can't use this power and just use normal Soul Twist. The wound points healed are applied at the end of the sequence, and if you fail a Death Check before then, you still become dying. You can't use this at any time you can't use Regeneration or Soul Twist.

Abysmal Armor : Prereqs Abysmal Spines, Armor. Your body is covered in spikes or hooks or whatever. In addition to the normal benefits of Abysmal Spines and Armor, you're dangerous to hit! If someone hits you with an unarmed attack, your spines pierce their flesh and damage them. Whenever someome makes such an attack on you, the Outcome of the attack is added to the damage from your spines (base 2 per schtick spent, remember) and applied to the attacker. Armor and Toughness protect them normally. Also, even shaking your hand is painful. If you are ever tied up, you will shred ropes easily. Only unarmed attacks are affected by this - guns and melee weapons are fine.

Abysmal Tentacles : Prereqs Abysmal Spines, Tentacles. Instead of just having grotesque tetacles, you also have stingers or whatever on them! The base damage of your tentacles is Strength+2 on top of their normal benefits, and this can have other benefits. A stinger, for example, can puncture stuff, or pincers can act like huge scissors. Each additional schtick you have in Abysmal Spines adds +2 to the damage of your tentacles' stingers/whatever.

Poison Spew : Prereqs Foul Spew, Poison. You can spit deadly venom out to (Creature Powers) meters! As with the Poison schtick, the base damage of the toxin is 10. Fortunately, it doesn't easily seep into skin, and takes several minutes to affect the target. It does nothing if they wash it off within 10 minutes. However, you can carefully target and focus it! Aiming for the eyes, open mouth or any open wounds will make it hit much more rapidly. This gives -2 to your attack, but a succesful eye hit blinds the target, giving them -4 to rolls until the poison damage is healed. Hitting an open mouth or gaping wound instantly releases all the venom into the bloodstream.

Torrent of Blood : Prereqs: Blast, Blood Drain. You can draw out the blood of a target and send it flying towards yourself. In addition to doing normal Blast damage, you may perform the effects of Blood Drain without touching the target. The range is equal to your Blast range, and it manifests as either a fine stream or a horrific, gore-soaking torrent as you like. Creative use of this power can allow for psychological warfare or obscuring windshields.

Torrent of Spines : Prereqs: Abysmal Spines, Blast. You can fire a cloud of spines! This hits everyone within (Magic) meters and costs 1 Magic point. It takes six shots and your Creature Powers roll is at -3. The damage is your normal Blast damage and can't be increased...and no, it's not selective. There is no way to keep your buddies from being hit except to have them not be standing in the blast radius.

Advanced Creature Schticks are like Basic Combinations, but must be learned as seperate schticks, with the normal (8+X) cost, because they are more powerful and versatile.

Tentacles of Terror : Prereqs Tentacles, Transformation. You can produce fully functional arms instead of tentacles, which can do anything a normal arm can do. Continuous actions requiring the use of hands, like driving, do not give you the continuous action penalty. Further, your penalty for attacking multiple foes goes down by 1. Finally, every 3 shots you can parry once without taking the normal 1 shot penalty, because you have spare hands to do it with. Each schtick in this power gives you one extra arm, but these don't give any benefits beyond the fact that you can retain the powers of this Creature Power if someone cuts your arms off. As long as you have 3 or more arms, you have the advantages of this schtick.

Army of Monsters : Prereqs Corruption, Domination. When you hit an unnamed character and the Outcome is 5 or more, you may choose to take over the character's mind. They make a check with their highest action value against your Outcome; if they fail, they turn into a mindless creature under your control. If they succeed, they are unaffected and still active. Before rolling you must decide whether you're trying to injure or control the unnamed character. Your control lasts until the end of the session. If you spend a second schtick on this, you can try to control on Outcome 4+. A third allows Outcome 3+. With 3 schticks, your control also lasts indefinitely. You can never control more mooks than your Creature Powers rating.

Ophidian Form : Prereqs Tentacles, Transformation. In addition to any other forms, you can turn into a giant snake. While a snake, you have no arms or legs, but you can still talk and use all of your creature powers. You can slither and swim at your normal Move. Unless you have powers which give you additional attacks, 'constriction' and 'bite' are your only possible attacks. Both are based on your Creature Powers rating. Your bite is Strength+2 Damage, and Constriction deals Strength+1 Damage and immobilizes. When constricting a target that is already immobilized, you automatically do Strength+1 damage every shot without need for a roll. Every 2 shots, immobilized targets can make a Strength roll against your Strength to break free. If you do anything but constrict the target, they break free automatically. With a second schtick in this, you gain the Coil, Strike and Warning schticks from the Snake tranimal package, but only when in serpent form. You get no benefits to taking this schtick more than twice.

Death Chisels : Prereq Abysmal Spines. Your natural weapons tear through armor like paper. They ignore all Armor (but not Toughness). You can spend a seocnd schtick in this to be able to spend Magic points to add directly to Damage if you hit.

The Flying Fear : Prereqs Flight, Transformation. In addition to any other forms, you can become a giant beast with huge wings. In this form, your Move doubles. On the ground, you can hit with your wings to do Strength+3 damage. In the air, you can buffet anyone in front of you with huge air blasts by spending any number of Magic points to reduce the targets' Move ratings by that amount. Someone reduced to 0 Move can't walk or run, but can attack. The reduction lasts for 10 shots.

Immaterial Form : Prereqs Damage Immunity, Insubstantial. You can redirect chi flow to become temporarily immaterial. This makes you immune to all physical attacks, including fists, bullets, swords and explosions. You are vulnerable to all forms of supernatural damage, such as magic weapons, spells, creature powers, fu schticks or arcanowave effects. Fall damage also still applies. While immaterial, you can't affect the physical world in any way, and can't attack using any form of attack, even creature powers. However, you are still visible and may speak and hear normally. Unless you have the Flight schtick, you are affected by gravity. You can climb stairs, but any structure not permanently connected to the earth is insubstantial to you. Becoming or ceasing to be Immaterial takes a full sequence where you do nothing but concentrate on transforming. You are vulnerable to all attacks when going from material to immaterial, but only to supernatural attacks while going from immaterial to material. Once you have transformed, you must wait 10 minutes before transforming again due to the strain on your body and mind.

Next time: Noncombat schticks!

You want guns? I got crazy gun! Got in shipment from Europe this week - Russian AK-74s! So bad to get hit by, the Afghanistanis call them 'poison needle,' eh? This time, they even come with the firing pin!

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: You want guns? I got crazy gun! Got in shipment from Europe this week - Russian AK-74s! So bad to get hit by, the Afghanistanis call them 'poison needle,' eh? This time, they even come with the firing pin!

Well, not noncombat schticks yet . Instead, some final monster ones. Mask of Humanity : Prereq Transformation. You can take on practically any human form. You can't imitate a specific person, but can otherwise choose the characteristics of your form. However, this is a very difficult power and thus costs double the normal experience cost - basically, you have to buy it twice. For the cost of an additional schtick, which isn't double-costed, you can mimic specific people as long as you have carefully studied them for at least a week immediately before doing it.

Spiritual Passage : Prereq Immaterial Form. Your mastery of chi flow allows you to enter and leave the Netherworld at will. You do not need a portal but you can't bring passengers - just yourself and anything you happen to be wearing. And any gear you have. Just not other people. Without some form of divination, you have no idea where in the real world or the Netherworld you will end up. Still - if you have to escape, it's a great bet. The only problem? It's not fast - it takes a full sequence of standing still and opening the portal. While opening the portal, you are at -4 to all actions and if you do anything but passively dodge you have to start opening the portal again next sequence. You can only make a portal once an hour, and it's really demanding. You must be in your material form to do it; you can't open a portal while immaterial. For a second schtick, you may open a portal that lasts long enough for others to pass through. This remains open for one full sequence, or until one shot after you go through it, whatever comes first.

Squamous Visage : Prereq Brain Shredder. You are so terrifying that not only can you cause brain damage in mortals but lesser beings also flee in terror. Your range is (Magic) meters, and using this power takes 3 shots to activate. When you activate this by displaying your true monstrousness, you spend a Magic point and roll Creature Powers with a Difficulty equal to the highest Action Value of any unnamed character in range. A number of unnamed characters equal to your Outcome flee in terror at top speed for the rest of the sequence. If they are cornered and can't run, they faint and don't wake up until next sequence. Any remaining unnamed characters can't come within (Magic) meters of you unless they beat your Magic rating with a Willpower check. Any who are closer than that make a Willpower check and, if they fail, move that far away. They are free to shoot at you, though.

Transfer Life : Prereq Absorb Life. You can move chi between two targets. By touching them and performing an Absorb Life attack on one, you can transfer the wound points you would have gained to the other. You can even damage yourself to heal someone else. Using Transfer Life this way can transfer up to 10 Wound points from yourself to another character every sequence. You can then heal the damage to yourself with either Regeneration or Absorb Life, assuming no one kills you first. This ability can also duplicate the effects of the Fu Power Flow Restoration or the Restore Chi power of the Fertility sorcery schtick. Using the power in these ways functions identically to those powers, except you must touch your target. Each use of this power causes you 5 Wound points, which cannot be reduced or redirected. These Wound points are not transferred to anyone - they just fuel the power.

We also get some new Creature Powers without prereqs. Inhuman Leap : You can jump up to four times your Move rating. This takes two shots and can be vertical or horizontal. You always land on your feet after a fall and any falling damage you may take is reduced by your Move score.

Walk On Walls : You have suckers on your feet, like an octopus, or pads, like a gecko, or some other means. You can walk on walls and ceilings. You climb at your normal Move score and can even walk on a ceiling at your normal Move. If you wanted, you could even fight while on the ceiling. This gives you no direct advantages, but attacking you is disorienting, and all attacks on you are at +1-2 Difficulty. Of course, since you spend a lot of time upside down, you suffer no such difficulties when doing it or fighting others that do it.

Now, non-combat schticks, by Rob Vaux! After all - sure, you use guns or kung fu or whatever, but maybe that's not what you do , you know? Gamblers can shoot, but what they do is gamble, and that should get to be cool, too, right? So now the guys who are more noncombat-focused get to have some more cool powers. Only specific character types can take these schticks. If that character type has a unique schtick at chargen, you can swap it out for one the character qualifies for from these. Otherwise, they are (5+X) xp, where X is the number of miscellaneous schticks you have. (That is, anything that's not a gun, fu, sorcery, arcanowave, transformed animal or creature schtick.)

Gamblers get Know When To Fold 'Em : This lets them know when to cut their losses. See, no matter how good you are, you can't win all the time. Smart gamblers know when to stop. As a result, you can ignore one failed Gambling roll per scene! You don't win, but you don't lose the bet, either. In a really high-stakes game, you take this one step further: you can spend a Fortune die to turn that first failure into a success. It's only a marginal one - no special benefits, just the initial stakes. But if the party's cashflow is riding on one roll? You make the roll. If you need to beat an NPC at poker to learn the truth to something? You win. Great gamblers aren't great all the time - but they're always great when they need it.

Journalists get Purple Prose : You know how to write . Any journalist can write - but what you write sticks with people. A good phrase from you ends up getting said by important people. A bad review ends careers. As a result, you can temporarily increase or decrease the Charisma of another character, PC or NPC. With three days' notice and two hours' writing time, you can add or subtract one point from your target's Charisma or, if you want to be more focused, any one Charisma-based skill. This lasts for one week plus (Outcome) days on a Journalism check, but it only lasts in areas where your work is published. You can spread that to any civilized locale by spending a Fortune die.

They also get Research Maniac : You know how to find background data. You know contacts, libraries, internet research, and you can get the fast track on any piece of news. You sense how facts interconnect. As a result, you are considered to have all possible Info skills at 1. Always. Even if you have no knowledge of a thing. This can't be used for anything but information, though - you know when and where an engine got made, but not how to fix it. Still, you do have a very extensive array of facts. You need to spend at least an hour doing research somehow to use this schtick. And yes, you still have to buy Info: Whatever 1 before you can raise it to 2 - this simulates an Info score, it doesn't replace it.

Medics get It's Just A Flesh Wound : You are really, really good at combat healing, getting +2 to all rolls to heal someone with combat medicine.

Snatched from Death : You've got a knack for getting people back from the brink of death. By spending an extra two shots during a stabilization check to keep a character from dying, you automatically succeed. However, you can only do this once per combat, and if someone takes another hit after you stabilize 'em, they're out of luck. In fact, someone you've pulled back from death cannot be healed by mundane means during the rest of that combat, and also remains unconscious for the rest of the scene. You must be conscious and mobile to use this, and so can't use it on yourself.

Private Investigators get Eye in the Sky : You notice details. They may not mean anything now, but they definitely pay off later - say, the buckle on a villain's belt that hides a blowtorch, or the blinking light of a computer screen that signals power failure. Once per session, you can make a Difficulty 9 Perception roll. If you succeed, the GM must give one clue to a future plot development. The clue can be as important or mundane as the GM wants - it's up to you to figure it out. These clues can only arise from stuff you can see when you make the roll, so pick your time wisely.

Spies get Right Place, Right Time : You just have that timely nature - whenever you really need it, you have an extra few seconds. This means that whenever the GM gives you a deadline, you get one final action right before it happens . During that action, you can do anything that has a bearing on the deadline - disarming the bomb, diving through the closing shutter, whatever. Combat's usually not allowed, unless it affects the deadline in some way. The GM's got the ultimate decision there. For practical purposes, you must ICly be aware of the deadline and when it will hit. (Countdowns, for example.) This can also be used during surveillence. If you really need to hear something in a scene you're in, you can spend a Fortune die to be in the right place to hear it. You can't just use this for general info, though - you need something specific in mind. Say you know there's a deal going down at a party, but not where in the party or when. Spend your Fortune die and that doesn't matter - you overhear the deal. The GM will tell you if you're likely to hear the info before you spend the Fortune die - so if you'd hear it anyway, you shouldn't have to spend it.

Techies get Blueprint Cipher : You've seen so many blueprints that you can ID the basic layout of any structure you enter. You know where load-bearing walls are, where the wiring goes, which elevator would have the shaft down to the secret sub-basement, all just from looking at the building. By spending a Fortune die, you know where all the exits are, which levels use the most power (and thus are most likely to have heavy security or computerS) and where the corner penthouse is. You must spend ten minutes examining the building from outside before entering, or the schtick doesn't work. If you spend thirty minutes exploring the building without being interrupted, you can forego the Fortune Die spending to get one fact - and just one. Where the exits are, say, but not where the vault is, or vice versa. The GM has full rights to surprise you if dramatically appropriate, though - you know building types, not specific buildings. However, in these cases you don't have to spend the Fortune point - or you get it back if you already spent it. This is only to be done rarely, though, and never will it result in death or other permanent consequences for the PCs. It's a plot curveball, not the GM wrecking your power.

Then there's Auxiliary Schticks . Anyone can take an Auxiliary Schtick, but not at chargen (unless the GM explicitly allows it, as always). They are bought with XP. Specifically, (3+X) XP, where X is how many schticks you have, total, including unique schticks, stat schticks or whatever.

Automobilus Indestructus : You may or may not be a good driver, but cars like you either way. No matter how bad they get beaten up, they don't fall apart. Tires blown, sugar in the engine and having smashed through three walls? Still runs. It might not be fast, but it runs. Of course, the moment the chase you're in stops, it's going to fall apart. Still - as long as you're behind the wheel, you ignore any damage that would end your forward momentum until a chase is over - though the instant it's over, all that damage kicks in immediately, so you better be ready to bail out. This doesn't protect any weapons on the vehicle, any special gadgets or, notably, any passengers or you - just the engine and the wheels.

Duct Tape Magician : This lets you repair devices, like the Fix-It skill, using bare-bones equipment. Computer blasted to hell? You can make it work. Gun jammed beyond repair? You can get it to fire. You spend a Fortuen die and are able to make the device in quesiton work until the end of the scene (or the sequence, if it's a weapon). You can spend only one Fortune die per scene this way. It also won't make a gun fire without bullets or otherwise give a device powers it doesn't normally have - just improved life expectancy. Except, well...when the scene ends, the object is permanently and forever broken, unable to be repaired by any means whatosever. Including Signature Weapons, so don't use it on those if they somehow break temporarily.

Next time: New character types!

No, nothing interesting happened at work today.

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: No, nothing interesting happened at work today.

We left off with auxiliary schticks! Specifically, Photographic Memory : Better than that, even. You remember everything with perfect accuracy, able to recall it as if it were in front of you. You can spend a Fortune die to recall something you might have been shown once - an address, a blueprint, a terrorist's face. If the player has forgotten something the character knows, this can be a free reminder, as well, without the Fortune die. The GM needs to decide if something is reasonable - you won't instantly remember how to make a nuclear bomb or learn kung fu from watching someone practice - and if it has any relevance to the situation. But he can easily go 'yeah, sure, you saw the blueprint to this device once when you got captured, and you know it's a giant microwave emitter which needs to be destroyed'.

One With the Walls : You've got a knack for finding the best place to hide in - and there's always a hiding spot when you need one. After spending one round searching, you can find a suitable hiding space in whatever environment you're in - bushes in a forest, a pile of crates in a warehouse and so on. You get +1 to any dodge made from that cover. However, if you ever go past Strength 9, you lose this schtick as you're just too big.

Awning Magnet : When you fall, there's always an awning, old fire escape or convenient truck full of mattresses to land on. You get +3 Toughness when determining falling damage, and you can make a diff 7 Agility roll to reduce the damage of a fall by 7 points. You can spend a Fortune die for an additional agility roll, with no limit to the amount of Fortune dice spent on this. If you catch a flagpole or fire escape, though, you've got to find a way down on your own.

Never Questioned : You have the natural ability to blend with any group. You're nondescript, and you carry yourself as if you fit in. As long as you dress appropriately, no one ever asks you what you're doing here, wherever 'here' is. You get +2 to Charisma rolls to pass yourself off as someone you aren't - but only in general terms. You're 'a cop', not 'Sergeant Jimmy McGroot', or 'a musician', not 'Yo-Yo Ma'.

Getting the Drop : You've got an almost prescient knack for laying traps in the right place for someone to walk into. To use this schtick, you must spend four minutes or more preparing, but if you do, you get one free attack just before initiative rolls are made in the first sequence. It only works once per combat, and you only get one attack. Once you prepare, you can't move or take any other actions without blowing your cover and having to prepare all over again. You can allow other PCs to make the same attack, though, by spending four minutes hiding them, too. Naturally, whatever mooks or thugs you're setting up for the ambush will conveniently stop just in the right spot for you to attack, provided they've got a reason to be there in the first place. GMs should be reasonable about where people have reasons to be.

Permanent Dry Cleaning : No matter what, you always look good. Torn jungle clothes and bloody cutS? They work for you. Fried and smoking cybernetics? You pull it off. Covered in hideous slime? Your hair looks amazing . Your gear stil lgets damaged - but you never look bad. You never suffer any penalties on Charisma-based skills. Ever . You can still lose bonuses, though.

Toothpicking Lock-Pick : You've never liked locked doors. So you learned to unlock them, to see what was behind them. Now, you can open any lock - even without tools. When you use your Intrusion skill, you can pick locks no matter what equipment you've got - toothpicks, wires, your fillings, whatever. Any equipment requirements for using Intrusion are waived - handy when you're naked in a prison cell.

Puppy-Dog Eyes : You're a master of the soulful look. No matter how evil and hard-hearted the foe, you can make them feel some sympathy. Any NPC trying to hit you with a killing blow must make a Willpower check against your Charisma. If they fail, they can't use their action to kill you. They still act - they just can't do that. This has no effect on NPCs without emotions, such as killbots. Of course, this power is also lost if you are being particularly aggravating. If you just shot a guy in the gut or kicked him in the balls, he probably doesn't care how sad you look. Appear helpless before him, though, and then you're cooking with gas.

A Kiss For Luck : Maybe it's true love's kiss. Maybe it's you passing your lucky rabbit's foot to a buddy. It doesn't matter what it is - you can hand off good karma. By spending a Fortune die at the start of a scene, you can give another character +1 to any one skill of your choice for the rest of the scene. You can only spend one Fortune die per scene in this manner, and if the GM wants it is contingent to a particular item (that lucky rabbit's foot, say) or limited to a particular character (your true love). The detials are up to the player, though, and should reflect some aspect of your character.

Bar Betting : You know Willie May's batting average in June of 1955. You can hit three bulls-eyes in a row with darts. You can get a bartender to do illegal things with a shot glass. Better: you can make people bet on it. This is really handy when you need some cash in a hurry. For every 30 minutes in a bar or other drinking establishment, you can procure up to a hundred bucks (or equivalent) from gullible drunks. The GM decides how much based on your roleplaying, but it should be at least a nice sum. The schtick can only be used once per bar per month, but nothing stops you from crossing every bar in the district. One night out on the town can get you enough cash for practically anything. However, you must pick the particular type of bar betting you do - sprots trivia, darts, impossible feats involving coasters and pretzel bowls, anything you like. You just have to specify what it is.

Now - let's take a look at those new character types!



You are one of the square-jawed, rock-muscled Athletes of the age. You might be a boxer, a sumo wrestler, a football player or a combat shopper from the reality shows of the future. Whatever you are - well, you weren't happy with endorsements and a soft life. You're the kind of athlete for whom sports are a metaphor for life. You see your gifts as a chance to help people, to inspire them. Maybe you got involved in the Secret War because of that drive. Or maybe you got on the wrong side of the Ascended and didn't throw the right game. Maybe you just revenge for the bastard that stole your rightful win. It doesn't really matter - you're in it to win it either way.

Athletes can be from any Juncture. They get Bod 7, Chi 2, Mnd 5, Ref 7. They get +5 to any one secondary attribute of Bod or Ref. They then get +4 to spread between any other secondary attributes. No secondary attribute can exceed 12. They get Guns +1 to a max of +3, Martial Arts +5 to a max of +6, Leadership +3, Seduction +1, Intimidation +3, Info: Sports +5 and Driving +1. They get +4 to spread on skills, and can swap Guns and Martial Arts if they want. They then get two stat schticks in stats they qualify with (so anything 11 or higher) and one weapon. Athletes are Rich.



Wealth, romance, vengeance, power? They don't mean anything to you: you're a Velocity Addict , and all you want is to go as fast as possible. The wind in your hair, the feel of the g-forces - that's what you need. What you live for. Maybe you're an urban tough, or a young racing star, or maybe you're just a good ole' boy in trouble with the law. No matter who you are or where you're from, you're brother or sister to all the speed freaks out there. Unfortunately, there's folks who'd like to take your freedom to run. In 1996, speeding can lose you your license. In 2056, it can get you beaten half to death and then sent for personality reconstruction. You don't care. Speed is in your blood. (Not the drug.) (Well, probably not the drug.) Maybe, as you get into the Secret War, you'll decide there's other freedoms to care about - but the freedom to ride free and fast is always the most important one.

Velocity Addicts are either contemporary or from 2056. They get Bod 5, Chi 0, Mnd 5, Ref 5. They get 5 points to spread between primary attributes. They have Driving +10, which can't be raised, Fix-It +7, Martial Arts +5, to a max of +8, Info: Racing +5 and Gambling +3. They get +3 to spread around. They may change Martial Arts to Guns if they want. They get 1 weapon and 4 driving schticks. What's a driving schtick? You'll see soon enough. Velocity Addicts are Working Stiffs.

Now we hit chapter 4 and supplemental rules. Rob Vaux gives us some more fighting rules, if you feel the need to make it more complex. He introduces Holds , which let you grab and immobilize someone without hurting them. This is a Martial Arts roll with a Difficulty of the target's Dodge + 1. If you hit, you trap the target and they can't do anything but try to break the hold. Every shot, they can try to escape by rolling Strength against your Strength. IF they win, they break free and can attack as normal. If you do anything but passively dodge, they break free automatically. A held opponent does serve as cover, though, if he's pointing in the right direction and you don't have to move him too much. Any attack from that direction gets +3 to its difficulty - and if it is missed by 3 or less, it hits the held guy instead. Armor piercing bullets, grenades, explosives and heavy weapons ignore these rules - flesh ain't gonna be enough to stop that.

Then there's Throws . To throw someone, you have to hit them with a grab as per above, which takes 3 shots. After that, it's a 3 shot Martial Arts attack to throw them, with the same difficulty as a standard attack. (Well, +1 if they're Strength or Body 9+, because they're so big.) If you're fighting an unnamed character, throwing takes them out if you hit by 3 or more, instead of 5 or more. If you throw one mook into another, or several others, the second Martial Arts check has the standard penalty for multiple attacks. If you throw a named character, the GM decides damage based on what they hit. (2 Damage for a couch, 22 for 'off a moving vehicle', 15 for plate glass windows.) The range is 2 meters, +1 per 3 points of Strength you have. Regardless of the fall's Outcome, though, the thrown guy has to spend a shot standing up to keep fighting, unless they make a stunt and a diff 10 Reflexes roll (or Difficutly equal to the damage suffered, if that's higher). Some schticks can absorb falling damage or always let you land on your feet, and those do apply here if the GM allows it.

Next time: She's got a competition clutch with the four on the floor, and she purrs like a kitten 'til the lake pipes roar.

Yo, Adrian! I'ma go in dere and win for... uh... you know, dat one guy.

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Might as well finish this off now.

Feng Shui: Yo, Adrian! I'ma go in dere and win for... uh... you know, dat one guy.

We're looking at Strangles now. You grab someone's neck and squeeze until they are unconscious or dead. In Feng Shui, usually unconscious - there's easier ways to kill a guy. In order to strangle osmeone, you make a called shot to the throat - that's a -2 penalty. Once you hit, you automatically deal (Strength+Outcome-Toughness) wound points every shot until your grip is broken. This requires a Strength check, withg a difficulty of your (Strength+Attack outcome). It's important to get a good grip. The damage continues until the hold is broken or the target gets knocked out (ie, fails a Death Check). While strangling, you can't do anything but passively dodge or your hold is broken automatically. It is also possible to KO someone instantly in a Vulcan Neck Pinch maneuver...but it takes fu powers. If you have Beak of the Crane, Talon of the Crane or Point Blockage, you can try to go for a Vulcan Neck Pinch, but it only works on unnamed characters. Still, takes 'em out on Outcome 3+, not 5+.

Joint Breaking is essentially a special form of called shot that you can only do in hand-to-hand combat. Guns just don't snap bones as cleanly. You take a -1 (or more) penalty. Success means you hit the right spot, and deal (Strength-2) damage due to the limited area affected. If your Attack Outcome is 6 or less, you bruise but don't break the bone. 7+? You break the bone and cause some additional problems. Break a wrist or fingers? No extra damage, but the hand can't be used effectively and all uses of at are at 1 Impairment. Elbows deal 2 additional damage and give -2 to aiming and shooting firearms. Hand-to-hand combat with that arm is impossible, and it can't be lifted over chest height. Shoulders are +3 damage and have special effects identical to the elbow, but the called shot penalty here is -2. Ankles are +1 damage, make the target incapable of running and reduce the damage of all kicks or martial arts maneuvers involving the feet by 2. Knees are +2 damage, knock the target over unless he makes a diff 8 Reflexes check and make kicks and other leg-based maneuvers impossible, as is walking without support. Hips are +6 damage, same effects as the knee, except the leg can't support any weight at all. However, breaking the hip is hard, so the called shot is at -3. If you get an Outcome of 11 or higher (or 13+, with the hip), you shatter the bone completely. You deal an extra 5 damage and the limb is useless without serious medical attention. Healing these injuries is up to the GM, but they usually last two game sessions, and then 4-6 sessions with, maybe, a penalty if the GM wants.

Disarming is a called shot to the hands. It does no damage, but if it hits, it knocks their wepaon out of reach and, often, in your hands. A martial arts disarm requires you be in stricking distance. Gun disarms must be in range and the hands can't be behind cover. Heavy weapons can't disarm. The called shot penalty is -1 if the target has a gun or -2 if it's a melee weapon. A further -1 if they're more than 20m away. If you hit with an Outcome of 7 or less, the gun is undamaged and knocked away from both of you. At 8+, you get the weapon - unless it's a Signature one. On a 9 or less, Signature weapons go flying, and you need a 10 or more to take them for yourself. If the weapon goes flying away, it takes 2 shots to go get it, or 1 shot to kick farther away.

Flying Kicks are pretty simple. You have to use Martial Arts, and it's a stunt. First you make a Move check, diff 10 - or diff 5 if you start higher than your target. This takes 2 shots. You can replace them with any jumping powers you might have instead. On your next shot, you make a standard kick attack. If it hits, it gets +3 damage due to gravity. You then spend one shot landing, making a Move check, diff 5. If you fail, you spoil your coolness by landing on your face. If you want, you can substitute the kick with another melee attack, but not guns.

Instant Knockouts only work on unnamed characters unless the plot says otherwise - for example, you're trying to escapoe from him. If you plan to KO and then kill him, he will wake up in time to dodge. Similarly, knocking a named NPC out and tying him to a radiator, then running? Works. Tying him to a railroad track? Not so much. Dramatic rules apply. So, how do you go for a knockout shot on a named guy, then? Well, you take a -2 to your attack. Damage is halved, but you make a Strength check at -2 against their Constitution. Succeed, and they get knocked out until it's dramatically appropriate for them to wake up.

But now we're at the part you wanted. The part that will be amazing. Greg Stolze: Car Chases . See, something that was neglected in the core rules were any kind of rules regarding Driving! A shameful, shameful lack - it meant driving gunfights were hard to do! And, Greg Stolze tells us, the soul of a car chase is, like fights, in the stunts. You want to drive cool . Car chase rules are designed like the combat rules intentionally. They've got sequences, with shots and initiative and so on. If you're driving and close enough to someone, you can try to ram or sideswipe them, attacking with the car. This, as usual, takes 3 shots. Drivers can also try to go faster than the other guys, and if you're good enough you can break out of the chase and lose them. And, of course, people who aren't driving get stuff to do: specifically, they can attack the other cars, as long as the vehicle they're in hasn't crashed or been left behind. Standard combat rules apply.

Now then. All cars have two stats: Pep and Wreck .

Anyway. Pep is added to your Drive score - either as a bonus or penalty, since some cars have negative Pep and suck. It is usually between -5 and +5. (-5 means it's slower than an old lady. Not her car - her.) See, you can find out how much Move a car has by taking positive Pep and multiply by 10. There's a chart for negative Pep, and -5 is Move 1. But Pep is best treated as an abstraction, really, it's more than just speed. Lots of folks have schticks that let them zoom around fast - Movement, the Aerial Mobility Unit, Flight, whatever. To get your personal Pep, divide your Move by 10 (or use the negative Pep chart if your Move is less than 10). Unless you have an absurd Move, though, you're likely to get outrun, so grab onto a car somewhere in there.

Wreck is a combination of Wound points and Toughness. Your average car is Wreck 7-9. There is no conversion for Wreck to Toughness. If someone punchs a car, nothing happens but a bruised fist. (Unless he uses Vengeance of the Turtle, which has a sidebar in a moment.) Ordinary handguns, if they hit, do 1 Wreck. A car's Dodge is the driver's Driving score. Three round bursts and shotguns do 2 Wreck, with no bonuses for doing the ka-chink noise and pumping the gun. Sorcery does 2 Wreck unless it's the Lightning, Transmutation or Disintegration blasts. Transmutation and Disintegration do 3 Wreck, and Lightning does no Wreck but permanently lowers a car's Pep by 1.

If you try to ram a car, you roll Drive against the target's Drive. If you hit, you do Wreck equal to the Outcome. You also probably take a point of Wreck unless your vehicle is heavily armored (tanks, Checker cabs) and the target isn't. Don't bother tracking Wreck for unnamed characters, though. If a PC beats their Drive by 5 or more, they're out of the race. They crash and either die in a fireball or get out, stamp their feet and shake their fists angrily, depending on the tone of the scene. When a named character's car hits Wreck 0, you start to make Wreck checks. This is a Reflex check with difficulty equal to the amount you've gone into negative Wreck - so at Wreck 0, 0. At Wreck -1, 1, and so on. This is just like a Death Check, except when you fail one your car crashes instantly.

We get a sidebar now on Vengeance of the Turtle, which says it destroys any vehicle it hits immediately. This is a bit gamebreaking in the new car rules, so it gets changed to doing that if a vehicle is stopped. If the car's being driven, it deals (Strength+Outcome) Wreck. Which is still a lot. Oh - and if the vehicle is beig enough to contain more than two rooms (some semi trucks, most boats, etc.) then it can't be auto-destroyed, and always does damage as if the thing is being driven.

Anyway. To keep chases orderly, there is the Lead mechanic. Greg suggests the Lead be represented by a little matchbox car, but it can be anything, it doesn't even have to be a physical token. The Lead is whoever is in front of the pack. It starts out in the hands of the character with the highest Drive, after all bonuses and penalties from the car. He's in front of everyone. It doesn't matter where everyone else is in the rankings - only the Lead matters. Either you're winning or we don't care. Having the Lead gives you several benefits: First, you get +1 Drive, since you've got the best view of what's coming. (No, not strictly realistic. Who cares?) Second, you can't be forced out of the chase until you either crash, die at the wheel and no one grabs it or someone else takes the Lead. Third, you can try to leave everyone else in the dust by making escape rolls . Each roll takes 3 shots, and is a Drive roll against the best Drive of your pursuers. You must make three escape rolls in a row, though you can do other things between the rolls - so you can make a roll, make a roll, shoot and make a roll. However, fail once and you have to start over. Unless you've held the Lead for two whole sequences without ever losing it once. In that case, you can choose to escape if you want to, without even rolling.

So, how do you take the Lead away? You spend 3 shots and describe how you're trying to get ahead, then roll Drive against the leader's Drive. He can actively dodge as normal, giving +3 to his Drive at the cost of one shot. If you beat him, though, you have the Lead now. Simple! Anyway, it is of course possible to do stunts. Greg provides us with common ones. Shooting someone in a car is done against the driver's Drive skill, and no one in a car can actively dodge except the driver. When the Driver actively dodges, though, everyone in the car gets the benefit that shot. Anyone inside an enclosed car has 75% cover, so they're at +4 difficulty to be hit. Convertibles give 50% cover, so +2. Motorcycles are shit out of luck. The GM can, if he feels like it, rule that any shot that misses only due to the cover bonus hits the car instead, doing a point of Wreck. But only if the GM feels like it.

Shooting the tires is a -3 called shot, but it not only deals 1 Wreck but also reduces the car's Pep by 1. Playing chicken, now...well, you go head-on with another car. Then you roll Intimidation against the other guy's Intimidation. If you win, he swerves and either gives up the Lead or comes to a total stop. If you fail, you make a Willpower check against diff 10. Succeed, you stop. Fail, well...hope you like head-on collisions. You can also run down pedestrians by rolling Drive against their Dodge. Cars do Outcome damage, +1 per estimated 10 km/h of speed. Popping a wheelier or getting up on 2 tires is diff 10. Jumping a car is diff 10 or more, depending on length. Jumping between cars is a diff 15 Martial Arts roll, or diff 10 if you have the ability to make super jumps or fly somehow. If you fail, you fall off the car and take a point of Damage per 10 km/h you were going, which you can't reduce by Toughness. Bootlegger reverses are diff (20-current shot number), so do 'em early if you want to do 'em at all. (I'm not sure if Greg remembered that shots count down, not up, since he mentions momentum building up, which I'd imagine helps a parking brake reverse.)

Now - Driving Schticks ! Not everyone can start with Driving Schticks. The Velocity Addict gets 'em, of course. Maverick Cops can trade in gun schticks for driving schticks at chargen. Spies and Techies can trade in their unique schticks for 2 driving schticks if they want. To get them in play, you spend (4+X) XP, where X is the number of driving schticks you'll have when you get the new one. However, you need Driving at 12 or more to get Driving schticks.

Jackrabbit Start means you're great at putting the pedal to the metal from the word go. For each schtick in it, you get +1 Initiative each sequence if you're in a vehicle. However, your first action must be to do something with the vehicle, so mostly this is car chases. Ram Speed! makes you great at breaking shit with a car. For every schtick in it, you do +2 Wreck when you ram a car. If you hit a pedestrian with a car, each schtick in this gives +3 Damage. You can't have more than three schticks in Ram Speed!, sadly. Greased Lightning means you have amazing reflexes - amazing . The shot cost of all Drive actions is reduced by 1. Sadly, you can never have more than 1 schtick in Greased Lightning, and the shot cost of an action can never be reduced below 1. Lastly, Signature Ride is your special car or horse or whatever. You have a name for it, you spend hours caring for it and you love it more than anything. Signature rides can't be destroyed - even if they crash, they can always be fixed. Further, you get +2 Drive in your signature ride. No one else gets that bonus, and it's only in that one car.

We then get stats for a ton of cars, along with what cash level you need to get one. Most are Working Stiff, some really crappy ones (the Ford Escort and Honda Rebel) are Poor, the good ones are Rich. Cop cars are notable for having different stats when a nameless guy is driving them - they gain a point of Pep and two points of Wreck when a named character is using one, because of the Blues Brothers. Oh, and here's something neat: if you've got Info: Classic Cars or Fix-It 10 or higher, a restored Mustang is only Working Stiff. Otherwise, it's Rich. There are also stats for garbage trucks, tanks , bulldozers and the Bigass Hovercraft. You know, the one Jackie Chan used in Rumble in the Bronx . We also get planes (and jets, which have a Pep score of 'you aren't winning this race, kid').

We also get the cars, bikes and planes of 2056. The Jammer Electrocycle is neat in that you make a closed roll every sequence to tell what Pep it is at any given moment. Then there's the RRPT (pronounced 'ripped'), the Buro cop car. It's not actually better than a normal one! You know what is? The SPUD-U, a flying cop car with two turret-mounted machine guns and an assault rifle. There's an Arcanowave variant, the SPUD-U-A, which is notable for not needing fuel, unlike the battery-powered SPUD-U. It eats. You can take it as an arcanowave schtick to be able to drive any SPUD-U-A. If you're not plugged in, you use Driving and don't worry about mutation. If you plug in, you use Arcanowave Devices but start tracking mutation. There are also a few other cables to plug in and control the guns on it. Anyone without the schtick gets attacked by the SPUD-U-A, which tries to eat him. It's really hard to not got eaten, so don't get in without control. (They are also highly restricted, so good luck getting one. Oh, and you have to toss 20 pounds of meat into the cockpit each day so it won't die.) We also get several other impressive Buro flying machines - this is one area they definitely excel at. Most notable is the BuroMil Superconducting ArmoreD Fire Platform, which has -2 Pep and 6000 Wreck. It's a flying fortress and only has stats so you can outrun it dramatically. If you want to take it down, you're going to get Seed of the New Flesh and learn what's inside it so you can go in and blow it up.

We also get boats. Boats aren't that interesting. Anyway! You can tinker with cars to boost their Pep and Wreck. You either do this with Fix-It or Info: Classic Cars. The Difficulty of increasing Pep is the new Pep times 4. If the new Pep is a negative number, the difficulty is 10. Succeed and the Pep goes up by 1. You can never increase Pep by more than 2. Oh, and Info: Classic Cars only works on cars. It takes X days to do this, where X is either 4 or the current Pep times 2, whichever is higher. You can shave time off, but each day shaved is +2 Difficulty, and it always takes at least one day. You can also try to armor a car. The difficulty is 7, or 8 if the car is already armored. Each successful roll gives +1 Wreck, -1 Pep. Armor is heavy. You can do this as many times as you want, but at Pep -6 the car can't even move. You can cut corners to save time, shaving off one day per +1 Difficulty you're willing to take. You cannot take longer to make either job easier.

Next time: You pick!

See, we have Seed of the New Flesh, the Architects book. We've got Seal of the Wheel, the Ascended book. We've got Gorilla Warfare, the Jammers book. We have Blowing Up Hong Kong, the info book on Hong Kong. We have Iron and Silk, an expansion on weapons and fighting. And we have Thorns of the Lotus, the Lotus book. (I have yet to buy the other books.)

Kids. That's a big area. We talking Killkids, Uberkids, Mark IIs, what?

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: Kids. That's a big area. We talking Killkids, Uberkids, Mark IIs, what?



Gorilla Warfare is the Jammer sourcebook, and it is very clear about what we're getting. We open with some fiction about a guy meeting someone called the Skimmer in the sewer. He's a nice guy, apparently, even if he smells, and he's a great enemy of the Buros, or Bobos, as the Jammers call them. Apparently the Buro are moving kids into the Netherworld for some reason - perhaps to make into monsters? They're under the watch of CDCA Disese Control - which is bad, since they manufacture diseases, too. Time to find a way to save some kids.

Most of this book is written semi-IC; I did mention Feng Shui is really, really 90s, right? I'll try to cover the history as best I can. In 2020, Boatman and Bonengel begin their campaign of world conquest, establishing bases in the right spots. However, they soon learn that they're not the only ones who can use feng shui - not when Texas rebelled. Apparently, 'Texas rebels' is a geomantically-encouraged thing. Their solution? War. War was how they solved a lot of their problems, throwing men and resources at them ntil they stopped being problems. However, while they were willing to kill lots of people, they knew no one wanted to die - so if they wanted complete control, they needed alternatives. That was when Doctor Laura Villaverde approached them with the idea of Project: Cornelius.

Some people say all evil has its own destruction built in - and that the Jammers were thus destined to arise out of Buro. More pragmatic folks say that CDCA's habit of experimenting on everything they could find to make a perfect killing machine was just asking to backfire because of the pain it caused. When Battlechimp Potemkin, the greatest product of Cornelius, was awakened, he was pumped with pretty much every kind of military information possible. Cornelius's cyber-apes were great soldiers, obsoleting human armies...and they wanted a general. The problem? His first act was to ask his creator to kill him. His second was to debate the morality of creating a sentient race for the sole purpose of destroying it in senseless combat. Villaverde found herself unable to answer Potemkin's questions. She and several other scientists on Cornelius wound up agreeing with Potemkin. Instead of just wanting suicide, he now wanted to end the government that made him. Only then could he be sure that no one else would suffer his fate.

Potemkin and his new cell examined the Buro for weaknesses, and they found them - weaknesses so great that by all rights the government should have collapsed five years before. Something else was keeping them in power. It took two weeks for Potemkin to find the answer: feng shui. A few of the techs had been to the Netherworld, and they were crucial to understanding chi power. Villaverde and Potemkin were profoundly shocked - learning that their minds and souls could be manipulated by unseen forces changed them. Villaverde renamed herself Green Rain, becoming as much a fanatic over the destruction of chi as Potemkin himself.

The war started with Potemkin and his allies destroying the Cornelius facility. He and his apes and scientists wnet on the run, but he knew they couldn't hide - a group of giant cyborg monkeys sticks out. He also knew there was a great place to hide outside Buro's eye: the Netherworld.Once there, Buro would have no advantages in finding them. It took two weeks to find a portal, and in that time, half of Potemkin's group died. He spent a lot of time getting to know who he could rely on, what they were good at, who he'd be better off without. It was at this time that Furious George became his second-in-command and Green Rain his head scientist.

When they finally got to the Netherworld, they wasted no time in recruiting. Buro hadn't made themselves loved there, and many liked the idea of the Jammers. The question remained: how could they attack a whole world under such tight control? That was when they met the Prof. She gave them a GateMaker, able to open portals from the Netherworld artificially. No one else had them - the plans were destroyed, and the prototypes stolen. Potemkin wasted no time in getting the prototype to work, stealing parts from several CDCA facilities as well as hiding the thefts with pointless acts of mass destruction. The Buro knew who to blame - the giant cyborg apes gave it away - but they didn't understand why until the GateMaker's first test. At that point, Curtis Boatman realized not only what happened, but who must have helped them. Too late.

Once they had some GateMakers working, the Jammers began to make small strikes to prove they could hurt the Buro and get away with it. This ended up getting help from other 2056 resistance groups - the Dallas Rockets, the Free Sex Militants, the Edge Warriors and others. Potemkin had united the resistance forces. After that, well, things took on their own momentum. Despite Green Rain's regrets over Cornelius, Potemkin decided the cyborg apes were too effective as symbols to keep to the few survivors. He found a portal to 69 AD Africa, establishing an assembly line there: the Ape Factory. He also expanded operations out of simply 2056, but into the past, as well. The war was no longer against the tyranny of Buro, but the tyranny of chi over human history. As you might guess, this pissed everyone off.

Though most of the faction leaders found the idea of monkeys thwarting them ;aughable, no one wanted them to succeed - destroying chi would destroy everything . The Jammers were the only ones who cared only about destroying that power. Unlike the Dragons, they had no 'justice' or 'right' to fight for - just a fanatical destruction. Even the Guiding Hand, who wanted allies against the Lodge, realized they could never befriend such warmongers. All hands were against the Jammers. Which suits them fine.

We get another bit of fiction now. It's a guy who goes by Eyeball, explaining the fine art of illegal eyeball farming. Basically, you grow artificial (but fully biological) eyes, using a digital camera and specialized equipment to set them up to beat retinal scanners. Handy! Then you go and break into somewhere, using the eyeballs to fool a retinal scanner. Then you bomb it and escape! And that's how you farm eyeballs.

The actual chapter is likewise close to fiction - the reader takes on the role of a newbie playing around with a tutorial computer which is somewhere between Clippy and Wikipedia. It explains that Jammers are counter-revolutionaries dedicated to wiping out 'Chi-ters', those who use the power of chi to influence human history. Necessarily this is done by wiping out chi. The device is explicitly designed to be rather unhelpful and annoying. It features some delightful questions and answers:


The thing breaks after being asked how the Jammers know that they won't destroy history when they end the flow of chi. The explanation: the thing was meant to confuse you, make you angry and make you want to hit something. Those feelings are how you know you're a Jammer. That is what Jammers feel like all the time . We then get another bit of fiction - this time from a bubbly and polite young woman named Miss Behaving, who is the recipient of the eyeballs and has used them to break into the Biomass Reprocessing Center. She gets into a fight, winning due to liberal use of explosives...which is when she runs into the abomination Prototype X, a rather dangerous critter wthat she knows she can't beat in a fair fight. Which is why she has a really big bomb designed to take out arcanotech. Prototype X goes down, and Miss Behaving steals the data she needed. Which is when she runs into a giant red demon, and the fiction ends.

Now, let's learn about the Jammers as an organization! They have one. Really. The structure is basically a giant blob with a head. The central authority of the Jammers is in the Netherworld, and it consists of Battlechimp Potemkin, his monkey buddies, some scientists and a few other guys. Beyond that, there's a bunch of cells in the various junctures and throughout the Netherworld, with whom Potemkin has minimal personal contact. They communicate via dead drop and random meetings, and do their best not to know about each other, since Buro is really good at extracting information from and brainwashing prisoners.

Potemkin also has a loose network of independent contractors to draw on - folks who have other causes but will help out when the mission's right. The Dragons usually fall into this category, but it is more often applied to various violent types in the Netherworld who sign on for the chance to hit things. The chain of command...is essentially Potemkin. He has final say in all operations, start to finish. He knows that makes him a huge target, so he's got contingency plans. If he disappears, Green Rain takes charge of science and Furious George takes the military. They'll still have leadership, they they may not be able to strategize on the same level as Potemkin. More on the contingency plans later.

Potemkin does delegate some authority, though. Since he's usually in the Netherworld, each juncture has a "general", coordinating field operaitons. These generals are usually referred to by name, not rank, and they have total authority over operations in their juncture unless Potemkin doesn't want them to. More on them later, too. Beyond that, well, he doesn't have to delegate much. People listen to people who know what they're talking about and ignore those who don't. Once you earn respect, getting your orders followed isn't a problem. There's a downside, though: screw up and you'll have it very hard and need a lot of work to get people to trust you again. It's a very Darwinian system, and Potemkin is the apex predator.

So, who belong to the Jammers? Well, cyborg apes for one. When the Ape Factory came online, they became the fastest-growing part of the Jammers. Potemkin needed an army, so he made one the fastest way he knew how. Most creations are mission-specific and meant to fulfill a single role, but there are a few "standard" monkeys for general missions. These monkeys are expendable. (Technically, Potemkin sees everyone as expendable, but these are very expendable.) However, as they're indoctrinated in the Jammer "live fast, die messily" mentality, they're okay with it. Usually, anyway. Battlechimp doesn't believe in brainwashing, but he does believe in idoctrinating his troops with Jammer philosophies, and the line gets a bit blurry.



The Apes of Wrath are the Jammer artillery division. They prefer to stay back and pound the shit out of things with long-range weapons. They also tend to let their love of destruction get away from them. Many Jammers have gotten into melee only to find missiles raining down at them from their own allies, who'd rather see them wounded than an enemy escape. Battlechimp tries to rein them in a bit, he but shares their outlook. The Apes of Wrath rarely get specific orders - they just get told to stay somewhere and shoot. This can get every Ape of Wrath involved killed if they get overrun, as many will stand and shoot missiles at foes less than five feet away. The Apes are also a rarity in that they're a cyborg monkey squad that isn't all cyborg monkeys. Lots of Jammers love high explosives, and it's not uncommon to see other people firing away alongside them.

Next time: More Ape divisons!

I've got savoir-faire, Gentle Reader, but it only goes so far.

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: I've got savoir-faire, Gentle Reader, but it only goes so far.



I should mention - each of these subgroups has stats for a typical unnamed member. They're pretty damn good, as they have Hardware Schticks, which we'll see at the end of the book. Anyway. The Chimpanzers are the Jammer version of infantry. Or cavalry. Or both. They are chimps whose lower bodies are replaced with tank treads, to let them outflank slower foes. They're lightly armed, but those who survive several missions tend to get themselves upgrades. Still - they have to survive first. The Chimpanzers are the most expendable of the cyborg monkeys. Their leader is Orango Tank, as long as precision is not needed. If it is, Furious George or Potemkin lead.



The Flying Monkey Squad is the Jammer Air Force, notable for complete disregard for safety. They use detachable flight harnesses which plug into their nervous systems. They are led by Apeshot, one of the survivors of Project: Cornelius, though they often don't even have a leader. Their lack of discipline is ignored when they get results, though. They tend to take anything less than being smacked in the head as a suggestion, not an order.



The Monkey Boys are the scouts. They're the most varied troops - not all of them are apes, and not all of them are even cyborgs. All you need to be a Monkey Boy is to be good at being sneaky...well, usually. These are Jammers. But the ones who survive more than two missions are the ones who can sneak around. They don't have a leader, and they aren't really much of an organized group at all - they end to mix with the other squads and are just kind of a fraternity of scouts.

The Robo-Bonobos have no logo. They're the Jammer internal police, since...well, get this many heavily-armed psychopaths together and there will be trouble. They are also known as Rent-a-Chimps and Pig Monkeys. Despite their status, though, they're still Jammers...which means they tend to be really relaxed about their jobs. As long as no one dies and all damage can be repaired, they're happy. If they stop violence before it starts, that's a bonus. This doesn't mean they let themselves be doormats, though - they're quite happy to end things by force. Their leader is nominally Mandrill Sergeant, but he tends to stay out of things unless an officer is in real danger.



The Sea Monkeys are the Jammer "navy," though they tend to be more submersible than boat-like. They're modified to be able to operate underwater for extended periods and often go out of contact for months at a time. If they didn't cause sudden and mysterious losses among Buro's naval forces, it'd be easy to forget they exist. They tend not to socialize much, having gotten used to their underwater language of hand gestures. They mostly like to blow shit up and don't care about the grand plan of the Jammers...except their boss, Swimpanzee, the only one who keeps regular contact with Potemkin. He picks their targets most of the time, and just shrugs the rest of the time. Fortunately, the Sea Monkeys are devoted to him, if not the Battlechimp.

A lot of Jammer non-ape recruits are ex-Buro. Buro's tactics tend to make...well, lots of people question them once they get out of the chi influence. Others were spies by other factions who got turned. Why? Well, chi has power - even the chi generated by the Jammers burning feng shui sites. It often causes double agents to betray their original bosses. It's a weight of chi on history thing. The ex-Buro folks tend to form up together, since they tend to fit in less with everyone else in the Jammers.

They formed 401K Squadron , originally a grim joke about the Jammers being Buro's only retirement plan, but they're now an elite unit led by the monstrous Captain Contagious. They are all soldiers mutated by arcanotechnology, who bonded due to their shared problems and backgrounds. They're devoted to the Jammers, having experienced the dangers of magic firsthand, and since they're already mutants, they tend to be willing to push the safety margins of arcanotech pretty damn far, muating even further.

The Ex-Abominations are...well, freed monsters. The Jammers like to free them because they tend to be really tough and really angry once the neural greppers are removed. (More on those later.) Usually, they get used as shock troops, much like Buro uses them. However, they get treated with respect between missions, and most abominations accept this as the best they can expect. A few are more specialized. The vivisectors are abomination scientists, and some of them defected to the Jammers. From them, Potemkin learned of the Seed of the New Flesh (more on that later, too), They tend to work with the scientists more than the soldiers, but still hang with the abominations. One of them, Akaza Dizai, is the de facto leader of the Jammer abominations. Unlike most Jammers, they want to keep magic around - they need it to live - but they don't want humans to know anything about using it. The only thing humans ever did with it was enslave them, after all, and if the price of getting free is to stop preying on humanity, they'll take it.



The Mad Scientists are the Jammer science division. The CDCA tries to discourage terms like that, encourage the healthy expression of emotions and try to avoid maniacal laughter. The Jammers...don't. If you haven't had to do an experiment in the middle of a storm, you're not a "real" scientist. They specialize in designing things with no conceivable use, then giving them to Potemkin to watch him find a use for them. Green Rain keeps them in rough check - she's far more interested in results than methods, and has become a lot more ethically flexible than she was when she left Buro. Still, she's determined not to see the next enemy of the Jammers escape their own labs. If not for her, it might have happened already.



The Portal Jockeys consider themselves to be much saner than the 401Ks and other military arms of the Jammers. They see themselves as an elite commando squad, using the skills they had capturing monsters for Buro to plan raids on their old masters. In a way, they are commandos - they know a lot about 69 AD and the Netherworld, and they love to use that knowledge to hit Buro. However, they also have some less glamorous jobs, like catching monkeys for the Ape Factory. They see this as easy work, given it's a lot easier to catch a gorilla than a demon.

The Jammers also have a ton of buddies in the 2056 Resistance movement. Those groups may not be Jammers, but they're happy to take Jammer guns and equipment and let the Jammers take the heat off them. Without the Jammers, they'd all be gone. There's the Dallas Rockets , originally a 2025 citizen's militia in the Independent Republic of Texas. Over time, they vbecame a highly disciplined band of freedomg fighters in the Texas Demilitarized Zone. By 2055, they were so far underground that the Buro thought they'd been wiped out for two years before they made a series of high-profile attacks masterminded by their leader, the Yellow Rose. (More on that later.) They are currently a diversionary force, performing precision strikes on areas that make major societal disruption. They're precise enough to take a police station and not even scratch the hospital next door, so the Battlechimp turns to them when he doesn't want the usual Jammer "blow everything up" methods.

The Edge Warriors are a loose network of informants, sympathizers and so on. The Free Sex Militia works to reverse Buro's marriage policies, the Luddites protest the invasive technologies of the day (though oddly, 37% of Buro's security analysts are Luddites; Potemkin isn't sure if they're protesting what they see each day or just want to get out of work), and so on. They rarely give direct combat assistance, but they leak lots of useful information. They also help procure vital black market supplies, allowing the Jammers to stay out of 2056 as much as possible. They also help hide Jammer teams when they don't have a GateMaker ready to escape.

And, uh, the... Vikings . Most people believe the vikings must have wandered into the Netherworld via one of the rare portals in 69 AD to open outside China. In fact, the small clan that works with the Jammers did do that...but they were only there briefly, wandering back out into Norway around 2040. Something happened, though - the chi flow of Norway, previously dormant, was changed as though the return of the Vikings was a lock in a key. The Buro refuse to admit it, but they've given up on pacifying the place, and it's one of the few remaining trouble spots in 2056. The leader of the clan is Eldgrim Thorodsson, known as Eldrim the Gaunt or Eldrim Giant-Breaker, and he doesn't understand 2056 much. As far as he's concerned, hsis descendants are cowards, foreigners keep trying to invade and he can't find good mead anywhere . The Jammers offered him good axes in exchange for a safe haven from Buro, and he grudgingly took the deal. Since then, they've gotten a bit more friendly, and Norway is usually a safe place for Jammers in 2056 to go to ground.

Then there's Jammer Intelligence . These guys are not often thought of, as Potemkin uses the psychopaths to conceal their activities. They have a lot of computer experts in 1996 and 2056, where they hack Architect and Lodge databanks. They also make false body parts to fool recognition software, scan brains and decode them for information (a complex and time-consuming art) Their "leader" and best analyst is a small man in a straitjacket in a padded room. Sometimes Jammers come tell him things, and he uses it to make a big picture of the Secret War. He is Subject Eleven, and we'll learn more about him later.

The Supply Chain are a bunch of thieves, dealers and ragpickers who acquire equipment for the Jammers. They use modern ordinance when they can get it, but...well, there's a reason the Jammers tend to use things like tank turrets stuck on with duct tape. They do have a lot of demolitions experts on hand, though, to make sure the boomns are really, really big. The Saboteurs help with that...and also with technological sabotage, slowing down Buro's progress and abilities. These guys see lots of folks die - and all to keep them alive. The gearheads are the important ones, after all, making sure the tanks fail, the conveyer belts break and the police cars don't drive.

How do you join the Jammers? Well, cyborg apes get built into the group. Former Buro folks tend to start by being posted in the Netherworld, away from 2056's chi influence. Plus, it's the best place to find the Jammers, in places like the Genocide Lounge. Sure, you risk a brawl just by going in, but you have to take risks. That's really how all Jammers start (except the apes). You know a few Jammers, help 'em out, and next thing you know, you're a Jammer. There's no formal initiation - you just do the work.

Now we get some fiction about a guy sneaking around - a guy who can turn into a demon. He doesn't like doing it, but can be useful. Anyway, he allows mosnter hunters to catch him so he can get into the Biomass Processing Center, and from there he starts exploring, all while another Jammer is unexpectedly setting alarms off. He finds the captured kids - who are, among other things, being fed to monsters as rewards for good work. He bumps into his fellow agent, Miss Behaving, and helps her go through the shipping records. Kids are being used in something called 'Project: Malacostraca'. They steal the records and escape.

In this chapter, we're going to talk about the Jammers and their goals. Which are simple: end chi. The Jammers feel chi-users oppress everyone for their own power, using chi for an unfair advantage: 'chi-ters.' (They like puns.) They have a simple solution: blow up all feng shui sites. This doesn't mean they do it immediately, though. Potemkin's favorite phrase is 'ethical flexibility', and he'll go against his manifesto to advance the larger cause. If they find a useful feng shui site, they'll hold it until it's been milked for all it's worth, then blow it up. This applies to dealings with other factions, too - they're willing to make temporary alliances with others...except Buro. They will never, ever work with Buro, ever. Potemkin himself might, but he knows that they're too useful as a common enemy, and working with them would dilute motivation. For most Jammers, after all, it's not a war on chi - it's a war on Buro with an odd plan of attack.

Next time: Jammer goals.

Ever seen a chimp smile?

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: Ever seen a chimp smile?

There are several sidebars with IC opinions on the other factions. The Jammers believe the Four Monarchs are obsolete and outdated, but they're glad the Monarchs don't pay much attention to them. The Eaters of the Lotus have a powerful demonic army, but the Lotus are built on treachery and the Jammers believe they'll destroy themselves if given the right chance. Anyway, Jammer goals. The Battlechimp loves to recruit local talent, and has found people he can trust to run operations in each juncture. They tend to try to keep pressure up on the ruling faction to cover for sneakier plans. In 69 AD, well, the Jammers do have a lot of China operations, mostly harassing the Lotus, which pisses Gao Zhang off to no end.

However, the China operations are a smokescreen for the real plan. Portals outside of China are few, but the difference between the Jammers and the others is that they haven't let that stop them. Potemkin sent a bunch of agents out with months' worth of supplies, pointed them towards Rome and told them to break things. In history, as it stands now, Rome endures for centuries and has a slow, decadent collapse in the third and fourth centuries. The Jammers hope to collapse it within two decades. They've made contact with an offshoot Vandal tribe not mentioned in history books, who lacked the skills and numbers to do anything significant. The Jammers changed all that - not with technology, but with modern military tactics, which have allowed some important victories over the Roman legions. Eventually, they hope to force Rome to contract its borders early. Other teams are working to spread political trouble in the Empire itself. These two plans feed into each other, and they've already gotten Emperor Galba murdered by a mutinous Roman army. Emperor Otho, his successor, is looking pretty insecure. According to history, 69 AD was the Year of the Four Emperors. Emperor Vitellius dies as well after Otho, and after him, Emperor Vespasian rules for ten years. Assuming the Jammers don't change things further.

The Jammers don't have portals to Rome, but they do have one to West Africa. There's no feng shui sites anywhere near it, no settlements, nothing but trees and animals. This is exactly what they want. They've built the Ape Factory there to convert the local populace of monkeys and apes into cyborgs. If they lost the Ape Factory, they'd be in huge trouble. Fortunately, the middle of Africa in 69 AD is pretty damn remote. Despite being near Europe, the Jammers will not use this portal to supply anyone. Battlechimp picked his Roman team to work independently, and the Ape Factory is far too important to let anyone trace its location.

The Battlechimp also keeps an eye out for ways to wn where no one else was even looking. Thus, he always looks for feng shui sites that aren't properly defended, or whose defenders don't know what they have. When he was working an operation in 1996 Londong, he noticed that the Lodge had attuned to several ancient Druidic sites around England, and realized that they had powerful feng shui...but were too well defended to take on. He has, instead, sent a small group of experts to 69 AD to see if they can blast the sites before the Lodge ever gets to Britain. There's some surprises waiting for them, though. The Lodge doesn't occupy 69 Britain - no faction does, in fact. However, the Druids who built the monuments are still using them, and while they don't know about Chinese geomancy, they do know that the places are important for their mystic ceremonies. Battlechimp's team isn't getting out of this one easy - the Druids know magic, too.

The Jammers of 69 AD has to operate independently - but one thing was made clear to the Roman team: they might know about modern technology and strategy, but the local tribes know Romans . As a result, the Jammers are making friends with the local Vandals. The chieftain of the tribe, Kornell, believes the Jammers are some kind of warriors from the Far East sent to help him fight Rome. He serves as the 69 AD general, and while he at first expected them to obey without question, he's now willing to listen to them before giving his orders.

Okay. 1850. The Lodge controls China, Europe and is well on its way to owning America. The Guiding Hand want to retake China. For some reason, they don't think the Jammers are helping them, though. The Jammers are unsure why - after all, blowing up all those monasteries and monuments cripples the Ascended, right? They're finding other ways, too. The South Seas were a pirate haven for decades, and the Jammers have made some great friends among the pirates, who are glad to have allies with high-tech weapons and no lectures about Confucius. The Jammers, meanwhile, get to pretend to be Captain Blood. Win-win! The sidebar on the Guiding Hand is basically 'good guys, but my god do they have a stick up their ass, a huge stick, and no one is interested in inner peace and mental discipline when the other side has pizza and porno'.

As with 69, the China operations are a smokescreen. The Jammers think the real action is in North America, which will be taken over by the Lodge over the next century as they lose their European and Asian strangleholds due to the World Wars. Battlechimp Potemkin wants to disrupt American history, and that means American feng shui. In the South, that means destroying plantation houses built on slave labor. Unfortunately, that takes more troops than the Jammers could ever get. Fortunately, there's an army already in place: the slaves. Setting up a slave rebellion ain't easy, though. They're working with the Underground Railroad to help slaves escape, using Netherworld portals to get them an untrackable path. They're also moving guns south to prepare for a slave uprising. The JKammers may not be able to get that many weapons, but the difference between an 1850 revolver and a 1996 Uzi means that one might be enough. More importantly, the Jammers have gotten the slaves talking to each other, thanks to the Netherworld portals.

The slaves aren't the only folks the Jammers are helping, either. The frontier era was full of warfare against the native Americans. The American cavalry won most of 'em, and their capture of key feng shui sites meant Manifest Destiny actually worked. The Jammers want to change that. They don't have much that they can give the natives in the way of weapons - those are being used for the slaves - but they've helped in an overlooked area: modern medicine. Whether you think the Americans used germ warfare intentionally or not, disease wiped out a lot of natives. The Jammers have been inoculating them against smallpox, polio and several other diseases. They hope to change enough by 1860 that the Lodge will have lost a lot of control in 1996.

But, just in case, the Jammers have a backup plan. This one is from the mad science division, who've been studying chi and found one of the more...interesting weapons. See, they noticed that malls everywhere tend to look the same, have the same stores and so on. The Jammers determined it's actually a chi resonance given off by certain locations that propagates the same structure, no matter where it is. If you could replicate this in Manhattan, suddenly folks would decide it's a great idea to tear down the Statue of Liberty and build a mall. (With a Gap. There's always a Gap.) The Jammers have found out how to replicate the resonance with a small device the size of a afootball. Barring power failure, it should broadcast "mall waves" for 200 years - enough to contaminate the local chi. By putting these mall bombs in areas where important monuments and powerful sites will be built, the Jammers hope to replace the lodge's best sites with the weak chi of malls.

They also want to disrupt one of the most important Lodge chi engines: the railroads that will cross the country over the next 20 years or so. They take every chance to sabotage the railroads, but the Transcontinental Railroad won't be built for several years yet. As far as the Jammers are concerned, that means getting creative. They're working on bombs with very long timers, and finding the right places to set them so that they won't be disturbed by construction. Even so, this is one of the more long-term projects, and some have complained it's a waste of good explosives.

Maybe you're wondering where the hell the Jammers are getting the funding for this. They're cheating, that's how. The gold rush started a year ago, but there's plenty of gold in the hills still - plus gold that won't be found in Australia for two years, and more in the Klondike after that. And there's still 50 years before the Minnesota gold rush (more on that later). The Jammers have sent teams out to mine all those locations and more. They have the advantage of knowing the historical records, after all, and using modern mining equipment. Who cares about a little ecological destruction? Those old growth forests have too much good chi anyway. Once they mine the gold in 1850, they bring it to 1996, where they use it to buy guns and other things outlawed in 2056, like hamburgers, alcohol and Bugs Bunny cartoons. The Jammers love having money. There's opposition to the plan in the form of the Lodge, though, who can and do do exactly the same thing. Most of the guys who get rich in the gold rush have always been Pledged operatives - the Lodge just takes more care in removing the gold, so as not to disrupt world currencies. At this point, the gold standard will hold for 75 years or so, and so the Pledged and Jammers are warring over the gold.

In Japan, meanwhile, Potemkin knows he's got 3 years before Perry arrives. The last contact, in the 1600s, ended with the island being sealed to the West. The Battlechimp wants to replace the Tokugawa with a strong government, one with modern weapons that can fight off Perry. However, that's not easy - the Tokugawa are in the middle of a national crisis, and they're going to fall apart. The Meiji aren't up and running yet. Also, the Japanese distrust foreigners, to say nothing of cyborg apes. Potemkin doesn't care. He knows Japan will be important to the Lodge in a century or so, and he wants to take that away.

Oh, and in about 70 years? Communism hits. The Lodge don't like Communism. The Communists were a real problem - they lost a ton of agents and a ton of feng shui sites. So the Jammers have devoted a small force to spreading Communism. Sure, it's probably futile, since it didn't really take root until after World War I killed lots of people and wrecked the Lodge's chi engine, but Potemkin hopes that in conjunction with his other plans, there might be some early Communist revolutions in places that never had one.

So, who's running 1850? The biggest priority is freeing the slaves, so it's no surprise that Potemkin picked a freed slave: Michael Freedman, who escaped with the Underground Railroad five years ago, when the Jammers started helping move them through the Netherworld. Once he got there, Michael realized this had to be bigger than North and South, and he left the Jammers to wander the Netherworld, learning as much about them and their fight as he could. When he felt he knew what was going on, he went back to Battlechimp Potemkin and offered his services...even though it meant working in the South and risking recapture. Michael is not a strategist or a fighter - he's a speaker. He's a really good speaker. Potemkin chose him for that - he can get strategists anywhere, but first he needs an army, and Michael can recruit him an army.

Okay, 1996. Plenty of targets in 1996. The Soviets have just collapsed, and the Jammers are exploiting the tensions there. Europe is on the verge of forming the EU, and the Jammers are stalling that. America's becoming a major power, China's taking Hong Kong, Germany's reunited - things are in flux. The Jammers know it's the last juncture before the Architects, and they're doing all they can to stop Buro from happening - even if it means helping people they aren't too fond of. One of their big plans involves the oil reserves. The Buro in 2056 run on solar, wind and tidal energy, among other things, but during their initial takeover, they used oil. The Jammers hope to derail that by reducing the oil reserves to dangerously low levels. Of course, they know they need chi to do that - getting rid of the oil without chi would just make the Buro start using alternative power earlier. So the Jammers have to destroy the oil in a way that alters chi flow. They attack tankers off of coastlines with powerful feng shui, destroy drilling rigs with good chi and in general try to cause as much ecological damage as possible. When asked how they can justify it, they say the oil was going to be burned anyway, which would have wider and more destructive longterm consequences. This may or may not be true, but are you going to argue with the giant flamethrower-wielding gorilla?

The Jammers also know that arcanowaves are only a couple decades away. They've not been able to find Doctor Anita Dao, and even if they idd, they know killing her would change nothing. (They'd do it if it would - Battlechimp Potemkin would kill himself if he thought it'd stop Buro.) But she's not the only one who was involved in arcanotech. Many others helped refine her discovery, which is why the Jammers are attacking labs and universities. They hpe that by destroying centers of learning and research, they might change the world's chi, eliminate or discourage enough scientists and delay or negate arcanotech development. So far, they've delayed the discovery by six hours - not much to show for two years of work, but it's encouraging. Oddly, this is one of the few projects the Lodge is helping with - though inadvertantly and from another angle. The Lodge know this is their last juncture, and so they're using their power to disrupt science, too. Pledged fundamentalist Christians are trying to force poor science into schools, Pledged journalists write about the dangers of technology and MTV is frying brain cells in every kid they can find. (It was the 90s, MTV still mattered to people.)

Sidebar on the Ascended - they think humanity was a trap for the Ascended, something they can't give up even though the future is coming. Soon, they will panic, and they will fail. On the Dragons: nice guys, but suckers who never think about the big picture. Anyway. The Jammers love recruiting in 1996 - anyone they recruit has a good chance of being around even when the portals close, and they might be able to stop Buro before it starts. Even if not, they can still be around in 2056, the same way the Guiding Hand uses the Golden Candle Society in both 1850 and 1996. However, trying to spread the word about a secret war between Shaolin monks, demons, transformed roosters and cyborg gorillas from the future can be hard. Even if the Lodge didn't control the mass media, it'd be hard to get CNN to talk about it. So the Jammers are using THE INTERNET . (90s, remember, the Internet is magical.) The Jammers love the Internet - it's still anarchy in 1996, and they can't get enough. They upload songs to Napster that haven't yet been written, they send viruses around that force computers to tell people that Buro sucks and they recruit new members. People are, slowly but surely, listening.

There's all sorts of people involved in researching and studying Hong Kong, to see how the tiny island has such powerful chi. The Jammers are the exception: they're studying Hong Kong just to find out how many explosives they need to wipe it off the map. Unsurprisingly, the answer is 'a lot'. The Battlechimp knows exactly how much, and one of his ongoing projects is to destroy Hong Kong. It'd take nukes, and he's been trying to get one for three years. He's aware of how many people would die if a nuke went off in Hong Kong. He doesn't care. People die in wars.

The general of 1996 is Neil Glasscock (yes, really), an Internet nerd. He was an early e-commerce guy, selling videos and CDs over the internet after he dropped out of college. His company went public at the start of the 90s bubble, and Neil is now very rich. He spent a lot of his time surfing the web anyway, and he bumped into the Jammers on a conspiracy newsgroup. At first he thought they were crazy, but a little checking left him both convinced and in danger of the Lodge. He made a deal with the Jammers - he gets protection, they get his resources. It's worked out for Neil. He's also taken a liking to the Jammers - they've got a good cause, he thinks, and next to them his name looks practically normal.

In 2056, well, the Jammers want to struggly against their ultimate enemy, Buro, but it's hard to accomplish anything effectively in the police state - mostly they can just piss people off and make trouble worse. That's why they've decided to go subtle. No, really. Subtle. Sidebar time, first, though: the neural grepper. It's a small, toadlike demon that has been bred and latered by Buro to understand some simple concepts: Buro is good, and a rough description of what Buro is. They implant the grepper into the brain by putting it on the skull. It sinks through flesh and bone, wrapping itself around the brain and feeding harmlessly off neural electricity. Harmlessly, that is, until the brain decides to disobey or harm Burop, at which point it discharges a shock in the pain centers. To disobey requires a Willpower roll against diff 7, and success gets 1 Impairment, which is cumulative; once it hits 5, you start having to make Death Checks, rolling Constitution against the Impairment total. Failure means your brain explodes because the grepper gets overexcited. At any time, you can negate the Impairment by obeying the order - but the grepper reads minds, so it can't be fooled by pretending to obey. Once you have a grepper, the only ways to get rid of it are either neurosuergery (a pair of diff 15 Medicine: Surgery and Arcanowave Device checks; if either critically fails, your brain explodes). Or, well, you can critically succeed on a grepper Death Check and choke the grepper on yoru neural energy, killing it and freeing yourself. The neural grepper only gets put in abominations, as it's always 'plugged in' and mutates a human horrible within hours. No PC abomination must start with a neural grepper - it's stricly optional and doesn't count as a schtick.

Anyway. Abominations, right. The Jammers know hte Abominations aren't happy to serve, and would like to get even with the folks who changed them into cyborgs. Unfortunately, neural greppers. The Jammers' arcanowave expert, Rah Rah Rasputine, sabotaged some neural greppers once to reverse their punishments into rewards; this created the infamous Chromosome Screamers, of whom we will learn in Seed of the New Flesh. Now, the Jammers want to sabotage the factories the greppers are made in. That'd turn an entire army on the Buro, bringing them down in one fell swoop. However, the grepper factories have the best security in Buro - Boatman and Bonengel know how bad a sabotaged grepper is, too. A failure would just get security made even tighter, so the Battlechimp is taking all the time he needs to make his plan perfect.

Sidebar on the Architects: they're horrible people who want to crush the human spirit and are doomed to fail because they make their own enemies. See, as we leave the sidebar, we learn that not all abominations have greppers...and the Vivisectors didn't get them because they were designed for intellect. A demon in the brain giving them shocks wouldn't help. Second, the vivisectors were made of wandering spirits given flesh, and weren't especially tough - conventional discipline would work. That was the theory, anyway. Turned out they were harder to control than expected. Rather than attack scientists or sabotage experiments...the Vivisectors have been quietly, politely and calmly agitating for citizenship. The Buro do not like this - the abominations were made to be disposable, citizenship defeats the purpose. And it'd be a propaganda nightmare to integrate them. As a result, Buro has made vague promises, endless studies and done nothing. The Vivisectors are getting upset, and several have defected to the Jammers. Most have decided to go more subtle, though...and more extreme.

They've formed a secret society within the CDCA called the Seed of the New Flesh. They've decided abominations are superior to man (man cannot, for example, fly), and so they are going to overthrow humanity. The Battlechimp wants them to fail. He hates abominations and doesn't want them in charge any more than the Bobos. However, he knows that the enemy of his enemy is his friend - so he's been secretly sending information and equipment to the Seed through his own vivisectors. There's one major aspect to all this that he's not aware of, though: his arch-nemesis, Homo Omega, is one of the senior members of the Seed of the New Flesh. He's manipulating them towards extreme policies of human conversion or extermination. And Homo Omega is fully aware of Battlechimp, relishing the irony of his worst foe secretly furthering his goals. (More on Homo Omega in Seed of the New Flesh.)

Next time: Jammers of 2056, continued. Also, NPC profiles!

Then let's get out there and take that hill the only we know how - headfirst!

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: Then let's get out there and take that hill the only we know how - headfirst!

The Jammers and the Seed of the New Flesh are both working at one of the key weakpoints in Buro's domination: the rivalry between the CDCA and Buro itself - or, more plainly, the rivalry between Curtis Boatman and Johann Bonengel. Boatman's a comfortable, secure hedonist interested in the benefits of world rulership, while Bonengel is a crusader who really believes he can actually make a utopia which must be expanded across time. These worldviews have always clashed, and the result is the scientific and military wings have never seen eye to eye. The Battlechimp tries to play them off each other, planting evidence that the CDCA leaked military info, or deliberately sabotages experiments to force action against the CDCA. By seperating the two, he hopes to get rid of the technological superiority. So far, no dice, but Potemkin's hoping.

The general of 2056 is a Jammer sympathizer who controls one of the very, very few feng shui sites not owned by Buro. In fact, it's a major site - and its chi makes it virtually invisible. The Skimmer, as the man is called, used to be a Buro city planner, but no one realized he was also a geomancer, having learned it from his father, who learned it from his father before him, and so on. It would've been easy for him to build strong chi resonance into each city, but as a Jammer sympathizer, he didn't want to help Buro much. When he got put on the design team for the nationwide sewer control system, he finally put his talents to use. He made the sewer a model of efficiency - and a great feng shui site. The geomantic resonance attracts secrets, and the Skimmer has attuned himself to it, so he can see the secrets in the sewage through geomantic divination. Every movement made, he can spot, from the shit in the sewer. Eventually, he'll blow the site when it's stopped being useful, but for now, ethical flexibility. The nature of the site's chi hides it from attempts to find it - it's all the things Buro wants to get rid of, so they can't even see it. By attuning to it, the Skimmer has also become almost invisible to Buro. (Literally - they get -5 to all rolls to notice him.)

The Jammers are based in the Netherworld, so there's no general there. Battlechimp Potemkin runs things, but he tries not to rock the boat. He doesn't want to piss off the Monarchs - that'd be practically suicide. He does, however, actively recruit and has been trying to make friends. So far, few allies, but he's patient. So, what are the plans for the other factions? Well, the Jammers don't get on well with most of 'em, and the Battlechimp knows no one thinks his boys are subtle - which gives him an advantage. No one ever suspects the Jammers have spies.

The Dragons and Jammers are officially friendly with each other, cooperate and visit each others' HQs. When they fight, it's usually because someone's been manipulated. However, this hasn't prevented Potemkin from placing a spy in the Dragons. He knows some of his plans will make them his enemies, and he wants to know whent they start getting close. The spy's name is Johnny Badhair - and as far as he's concerned, he's not a spy. He's a Dragon who's also a Jammer and occasionally mentions to his old buddies what his new buddies are doing. No clash of loyalties. (He also has a cool unique schtick: Evitable Comeback, which lets him permanently reduce his Fortune by 1 when he fails a death check to be blown clear or otherwise saved. His body moves out of sight somehow, and he returns, apparently unhurt, later. This can only be done if he's got an unspent Fortune point, though.) Anyway. When the loyalties do clash, even Potemkin doesn't know what side Johnny will be on - so he doesn't tell the kid anything he doesn't want the Dragons to hear. The Dragons do suspect Johnny gives information to the Jammers, but it's hard not to like the guy - he's fearless, he'll risk his life for any of them without a thought and his hair is classified as modern art in thirteen different museums.

The Jammers really, really don't like the Guiding Hand. One faction believes in deference to authority, the guiding power of chi, peace, serenity and austerity. The other believes in anarchy, energy and massive amounts of destruction. Despite that, there are a few Jammer spies in the Hand. Basically, what Potemkin does is find monks who've just entered the contemporary juncture and dazzles them with modern technology. If they find it interesting, he usually finds they can change their viewpoints on 'deference to authority' with enough effort and that they'll aid the Jammers when they do. Of course, these agents don't last long - either they repent and return, or the Hand kicks them out. Still, there's plenty more where they came from, and Potemkin has no problems at all with wrecking their lives for some brief spying. (You may not have noticed yet, but Battlechimp Potemkin is kind of an asshole .)

The Eaters of the Lotus, as far as the Jammers are concerned, started this whole chi problem. They'd love to just wipe it all out at the source, but that's not as easy as it sounds. The Lotus has demons, monsters and magic - just another bad example of what chi can do. The Jammers have trouble getting spies into the Lotus, though, much as the Lotus tend not to have much luck spying on them. The gap of 2000 years is so wide that it's nearly impossible to find someone who can span it. Also, most people are afraid of getting castrated. Potemkin sticks to hidden cameras and microphones to spy on them - which works better than you'd think, as hte Lotus aren't very good at modern technology and still don't know that the Imperial Palace has bugs in it.

Some Jammers are okay with ignoring the Ascended - after all, their world domination is pretty benign compared to the Lotus or Buro, and even in places they run you can get a cheeseburger, internet and rock and roll. The Battlechimp does not agree - chi domination is chi domination. A lot of his operations focus on the Lodge because they control two junctures - too much to effectively guard. That makes them an easy target. Meanwhile, the Architects...will be destroyed. That's the sum total of the Jammer attitude. Blow them up. Blow them all up. Most Jammers are ex-Buro or from 2056, and they hate the place. That doesn't stop them from using spies, though - several BuroMil grunts and vivisectors are secretly helping them. But there is no chance for alliance, truce or even mercy with the Architects.

The Jammers have to share the Netherworld with the Four Monarchs, and...well, they avoid each other as much as possible and get on each other's nerves in passive-aggressive ways. The Jammers don't like the Monarchs because they're big chi-users, but the Monarchs are also super dangerous and no one wants them to take a personal interest in hunting down Jammers. After all, these are guys who can singlehandedly fight armies. So the Jammers just perform petty acts of spite and malice, and anything big always has a scapegoat to blame. They'd love to do something huge and blame Buro for it, but so far they haven't figured out what or how to do that.

And, of course, there's the contingency plans. Things go wrong, and the Battlechimp is one of the best planners in the world - so he plans for that, too. If he dies, leadership goes to Green Rain and Furious George. What happens if they die? Well, Green Rain's picked her successor: she will be replaced by Akaza Dizai, the lead vivisector. She's impressed by his mind and his commitment to abomination rights. She hasn't told anyone, though, leaving it as sealed orders in case of her demise, since some Jammer scientists don't work well with abominations and she didn't want to cause problems for Akaza. Furious George is more fighter than strategist - he breaks things and kills people. No one wants to lose that firepower...but if it happens, there are sealed plans for a new cyborg ape: King Kung. These plans will be activated if either George or Potemkin get put down. Making King Kung would take a whole lot of resources, which is why the plan is only for emergencies. As far as Potemkin is concerned, 'Furious George dies' is an emergency.

King Kung would be made at the Ape Factory - but what happens if Ape Factory is destroyed? Well, the security there is paranoid-level (more on that later), but if the place does get taken down, there are some small parts caches in various parts of the South American rainforest of 1996, with underground miniature Ape Factories near them. None have anywhere near the capacity of the main Ape Factory, but working together they would just about be able to keep reinforcements coming while a new full-scale Ape Factory was being built. Maybe.

The Jammers' Netherworld base is deep within the Silent Jungle (which we'll see when I get to Elevator to the Netherworld at some point) - but just because it's tough doesn't mean it's invincible. If the place falls, there is a plan. First, head to either 69 or 1850, taking as much equipment as possible and destroying the rest with explosives. 1996 and 2056 have too many options for enemies. Once you get to an early juncture, make contact with the local Jammers. From there, the survivors will make a new plan based on what resources remain and who survived. That's when revenge begins, and Potemkin hasn't bothered to try to plan for it - too many variables.

We now get a bit of fiction as a Jammer agent starts pulling favors to find out how to get onto a Buro space station to rescue some kids. Station 14 is over Russia, and there's a portal five miles from its launch platform. The Jammers have to find a way in...but they realize getting out after would be way too hard. 'Malacostraca', it turns out, is a type of crustacean, but that doesn't help figure out what the kids are being used for. Potemkin walks in at this point, and decides that getting out will not be a problem - getting in is the hard part. The reason? He's taking personal command and is going to kill every Buro agent on the station.

Now then - NPCs! We've got Chimp Change , the result of an experiment by the CDCA to make transformed animals by technological means. The idea was a breedable army of soldiers with superpowers. The hard part was causing the transformation. Chimps were the first test subjects, since they were close to humans anyway, and eventually they were able to turn one chimp human using arcanowave-altered microbes. The transformation, though, was unstable, and the immune system was constantly fighting the microbes. Fluctuations in local arcanowave strength compounded it. The result ended up sometimes being a genius, and sometimes being superstrong, but never both at once. This was not readily apparent in the lab, though. When the test subject was brought to the Netherworld, the change in magic levels turned it into a berserker, and it ripped out of its cell, wandered the Netherworld and continually mutated back and forth until it found hte Jammers. They named the poor guy Chimp Change, and while he's not one of the original Cornelius survivors, he's an honorary one. His unique Schtick is Constant Evolution: At the beginning of each session and whenever the juncture modifiers for arcanowaves change, he makes a closed roll. He adds the result to his Body and subtracts it from his Mind (so a negative roll causes less Bod, more Mnd). This also changes all relevant skill ratings.

Apeshot dates back to the CDCA's first work on the Flying Monkey Squad. The plans were different then - not soldiers, but one-shot weapons. Smart bombs, chepaer than a computer and easier to program: monkeys riding missiles. The idea was a missile navigated by a cyborg chimp with mental upgrades. Apeshot was the first test pilot, sent out to command a dummy warhead strike while avoiding obstacles. Except, uh, he didn't avoid any obstacles. He plowed through them. He did hit the target, though - and smashed it to bits thanks to massive speed. It wasn't what the CDCA had in mind, but they adapted, giving him a heavily armored helmet and using him as a battering ram. After Battlechimp Potemkin freed him, he continued to lead the Flying Monkey Squad. He's known as a tough commander and practices speeches by watching Patton and Full Metal Jacket, then trying to outdo the drill sergeants. This is part of why the Flying Monkeys are so feared - no one wnats to mess up and get chewed out. Apeshot is pretty much stupidly tough and can ram into people for big damage.

Rah Rah Rasputine was born Raraswivali Rasputine, daughter of a major Sri Lankan scientist who served as a resistance member in the Sri Lankan Incursion of 2035, one of the later battles in Buro's world takeover. Though Rah Rah was only nine, she was already helping in the lab, and after the war she and her mother got sent to re-education camps. Rah Rah was terrified and intrigued by the speed with which her mother converted to Buro thought, and she played along, still helping her mother...but this time in making Abominations. By the time she was sixteen and the first was finished, she knew the functions of every system in them - and how to disable them. Including the neural grepper. Eventually, she worked her way to a job in the Biomass Processing Center, learning something of how chi worked. She decided she'd have it easier breaking free there, and she sabotaged several neural greppers, defecting to the JJammers with her friends, the Chromosome Screamers. They're nto the brightest, and they just call her 'Rah Rah', which is where her nickname came from.

Battlechimp Potemkin is in many ways the worst mistake the Architects ever made. He was not the first cyborg ape made - he was in fact one of the later ones, and incorporated every advance made in the field of cybernetics at the time. In fact, some of his creators consider him their best work. (These are generally the ones in the reeducation camps.) The problem came with the consciousness upgrades. The Battlechimp series was designed to be field generals, coordinating entire battlefields. That meant they needed to understand military theory, history and strategy. Potemkin got his mind dumped with the knowledge...and within five seconds of being turned on, he decided to rebel. Within five days, he'd converted half his design tema. Within a month, he'd escaped to the Netherworld and helped finish the prototype GateMaker. Now, his plans are simple: destroy feng shui. He is utterly ruthless and will sacrifice anything and anyone to succeed in his goals - even himself. He has no stat below 11 except Chi.

Subject Eleven was created by the CDCA Project: Athena, which came out of the intelligence augmentation of apes that was used in the Battlechimp program. After all, if it made apes think like humans, how much smarter could a human be made? There were several failures - Subjects One through Three had no intelligence gain, Four through Seven died of cerebral hemorrhage, Eight went into a coma from which he has not recovered, Nine became violently afraid of cats and committed suicide (leading several of the project scientists to be nervous around cats - what if he knew something?), Subject Ten dissolved into an ectoplasmic goo that the scientists believe to be refined mental energy...and then Subject Eleven came along. He is superhumanly intelligent. His grasp of - well, everything was incomparable. However, he also became a sociopath and megalomaniac, manipulating others for his own plans or just his own amusement. Buro kept him locked up in the Athena facility as tight as possible. The Jammers broke him out. Now, he's in charge of Jammer intelligence gathering. He's remade his old cell down to the last bolt and straitjacket, claiming it helps him think. The Battlechimp is certain he's got his own goals which diverge from the Jammers...but he'll deal with it when it comes up. Subject 11 has Mind 15 , and a unique schtick that lets him force Willpower checks against his Charisma as long as he can talk - failure means he struck a nerve in you psychologically and you feel the need to respond verbally, not physically.

Offense Temp is the Jammer nickname for Bryant Davies, cat burglar and master of disguise. He was hired by the Lodge to steal a statue from the Lotus - which eh did perfectly. Then he met up with his employers...and his memory cuts out. His next memory is awakening in the Netherworld in a demonic form he certainly didn't hafve before then. Davies is calm, cultured and a meticulous planner. He's not much for the Jammer explosive MO, but he thinks they're the best able to use him - the Hand is too judgmental, the Dragons too moralistic about theft. The Architects would want to vivisect him, and both the Lodge and Lotus seem to be rather upset about the statue, which they think he kept for himself. What he doesn't know is that the Lodge has already captured him - and never let him escape in the first place. The creature called Offense Temp is a demon the Pledged imprinted with the consciousness of Bryant Davies. They can do that, apparently, with their infamous cloning tanks. Apparently they have those. The real DAvies is imprisoned in the Hub; Offense Temp escaped using his demonic body and imprinted escape artistry. The Lodge doesn't care - if they need to interrogate Davies, they can always make a new one. Offense Temp is just a loose end to be tied up at their leisure.

Jamal Hopkins is a savant. It took months for the Jammers to learn anything about him, and by the time they found him he was already in his current state, doing nothing but speaking directions in a constant, unceasing flow. The only reason they know his name is that it was sewn onto his clothes. They found records of him in Nebraska - apparently, he was autistic and his parents had died six weeks before they foudn him in the Netherworld. Jamal was unable to respond coherently to the news. Apparently, there was an intermittent portal in his house. The Battlechimp believes that when his parents were murdered, Jamal found a way to open the portal and go through it. Beyond that, even he doesn't know what happened there to make the kid into a living map of the Netherworld, unable to communicate in anything but directions. Possibly it was the autism mixing with something - or maybe it would've happened to anyone. Either way, at some point Battlechimp Potemkin wnats to find out, but in the meantime, he'll just keep using Jamal's knowledge of the Netherworld.

Funky Monkey is the perfect example of what makes Jammers Jammers. No one finds it at all odd that one of their best soldiers is obsessed with the 70s and spends all his spare time hunting the markets for pimp hats and gold chains. Much of his time is devoted to conforming to the 70s ideal. He's had voice modulators implanted so that he always sounds like Barry White, and he has a huge collection of blaxploitation films so he can study them to improve his style. Despite the velvet coat, he's pure Jammer. He has a schtick called Dance Dance for the Revolution, which gives him +1 to all action values as long as his implanted boombox is playing. The Lodge once approached him to try and turn him by providing an unlimited supply of funk cDs an autographed picture of Barry White. Though tmepted, Funky Monkey hurled the envoy through a window, telling him that...well.


The Yellow Rose was born Erin Lydecker of Texas, in 2019. She was just six when Texas seceded, and by the time she was thirteen she could field-strip a rifle blindfolded and make seven kinds of bomb. Everyone was expected to do their part in the war. It didn't help, though - by the time Erin was 25, her parents had been killed by Abominations. She was the first to realize the only chance was guerrilla warfare, and she began to organize the resistance that would become the Dallas Rockets. She purged her identity records, taking on a symbol for her name: the Yellow Rose of Texas. She doesn't engage in direct war, knowing it's futile, but focuses on surgical strikes to vulnerable targets, creating the maximum disruption with the minimum of resources. That way, she can sow the seeds of chaos for people like the Lodge or the Jammers to use.

Captain Contagious ...well, they used to be Captain Myers of Buro. Something happened during an arcanowave malfunction, and he began to absorb those he touched. His powers forced him to absorb his entire squad, their bodies and minds merging into him. Them. Bitter over Buro's failure to warn the squad of the dangers of arcanotech, they joined the Jammers and now lead 401K Squadron. They tend to be a loner, afraid of inadvertantly absorbing others...though they have taken in new members - mostly fellow soldiers dying of mortal wounds. They don't see it as murder - they see it as saving those with no chance to live. They desperately avoid making skin-to-skin contact with anyone else, to avoid trying to absorb them.

Next time: Rhesus Pieces and Koko Chanel.

Say, did that look like a monkey's paw to you?

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: Say, did that look like a monkey's paw to you?

Rhesus Pieces started life as a Lotus attempt to enact ironic revenge onf the Jammers. Since they were monkeys augmented by technology, Gao Zhang would defeat them using magically augmented monkeys! It took two days of rituals to make the creature, binding demonic power into a rhesus monkey. It was made stronger, smarter, faster, and nearly impossible to kill, as even its body parts would continue to fight. The ability to pop its body parts off at will and move them independently was just a happy accident. However, the monkey escaped the ritual before it was completed by popping itself apart and slipping through the ropes. Though quite bright for a monkey and able to understand both English and Cantonese, Rhesus Pieces cannot speak. He was taught sign language by the Jammers and now serves them in rather interesting roles. Specifically, he will pop an ear and a hand off and give it one group, then do the same with another, serving as a long-range coordinator with his sign language.

Major Hottie (full name Sara Hottenschweiller) was a propaganda icon - gorgeous, intelligent, loyal and fearless. She was fast-tracked for being an Elite and served in the most dangerous parts of the world. Though she saw some bad stuff, she was convinced she was on the right side...until she got a Netherworld assignment. It was meant as a reward, a chance to see the true nature of the war. Away from the chi of 2056, though, the full impact of her career hit her, and she began to wonder how she could have done what she'd done. Learning about chi led her to understand: she was brainwashed. The final straw was when she was told to fire on a Jammer unit saving civilians - after that, she decided the Jammers might have something. She changed sides, and is now as loyal to the Jammers as she was to Buro. She does differ from most Jammers in one major way: Sara doesn't buy into the nicknaming thing, and the first time she heard someone call her 'Major Hottie', the person saying it needed medical assitance. The name stuck, but no one uses it to her face. (Except poor newbies getting hazed.)

Red Don , AKA Donald Duncheskie, was a classic hacker - brilliant, arrogant, completely socially incapable. He tended to smash hardware when mad and break into restricted systems when bored. He was destined to get Buro's attention - but rather than arrest him, they assigned him to the Computer Security Division, designing security programs and intrusion programs to work on the computers of 1996. His personal habits got him in trouble, though - his temper tantrums and contempt for his coworkers finally got him reported to Buro's Team Joy, which attempted "attitude readjustment." Don decided he wanted nothing to do with it and jumped ship for the Jammers, who named him Red Don for his bright red hair. Don refuses to respond to his real name any more. He also has the unique schtick Arrogance is Everything - if he's rolling Fix-It or Sabotage and has made an arrogant statement about it in front of the folks watching him work, he gets +3 to the roll.

Titanium Johnson started out as just a guy who knew women. Then he became a black market porn star. Porn isn't outlawed in 2056, mind you - Bonengel believes in healthy sexual expression and has an entire division of Team Joy working on porn. Unfortunately, Team Joy has a lot of mandates to follow and the result is completely terrible . That's why the black market is a hit. Titanium Johnson (no, not his real name, we aren't told that) was a huge hit - so huge that Buro raided his studio. He made it out alive, but he needed to get a cyborg arm to replace the one they took off him. The surgeon was a Jammer, and throughout his convalescence she talked to him about the need to do more than just black market porno to liberate society. After a while, she took him to meet some Jammers, and...well, now they have a cyborg porn star. Look, it was the 90s.

Miss Behaving was the daughter of one of the richest men in North America. Life was one long string of balls and parties, and she always got anything she wanted. Then the Jammers kidnapped her, telling her that her father had earned his money being a secret servant of the Ascended. He made his money at the expense of millions living in poverty, and they wanted her as a hostage to make sure he followed through on some promises. At first, she refused to believe it - but eventually, the questions they asked got to her. She confronted her father after being released, and he refused to answer her. That was how she knew the Jammers had told the truth. She killed her father the same night, burned the mansion down and spent two weeks finding a portal to the Netherworld. Three weeks after that, she was a Jammer.

Monkeywrench is not a monkey. He is, instead, one of the best informants the Jammers have. He knows every member, has done unofficial deals with pretty much everyone in the Secrtet War (except Buro) and can get anything if he's given enough time to do it. He's a merchant, trader and scrounger - but he's still loyal. Sure, he keeps an eye on the bottom line - but that's finding something that'll help the cause. Thus, he never trades anything that'll wind up in Buro hands. If someone violates that policy - and he will find out - they get cut off from his trading circles forever. His partners value him too much for that - he's like a walking, talking eBay.

Most of the time, the ape hunters look for male gorillas - they're more aggressive. However, when raiding zoos, you don't always get to pick. Koko Chanel was picked up on one such raid, and while she might not be as aggressive, she's got great instincts and is very protective of her allies. She also got most of her ideas about what being a woman means from TV, though, so she's rather preoccupied with makeup, fashion and boys. She's also rather insecure about her appearance, because...well, imagine having a modern human standard of beauty when you're a six hundred pound cybernetic mountain gorilla. Some enemies have tried to exploit this with taunts; the survivors realize this was not a good plan.

We now get some more fiction. The gang of Jammers has headd up to space now, hitching a ride in the cargo bay of a space shuttle. They take out the the Buro agents easily, planting explosive all over the place...and that's when they find the kids. They look normal - a good sign, maybe? They're not mutant crabs, anyway. That's when they grab a scientist, threaten him with a flamethrower and ask what Project: Malacostraca was. All we learn is that it was a terrible, terrible thing.

The Jammers don't tend to hold territory much, but there's some places they still think of as home - even in 2056. There still are some trouble spots, after all. Like India . Things started off okay - Buro occupied it in 2019 after a five-year nuclear war with Pakistan, and they were seen as saviors. They brought ofod, medicine and order. By 2040, all cultural memories of colonialism were gone and they were fully part of Buro. That was when Bonengel decided to abolish the caste system and declare all consumers in the region of India to be equal under Rightscode. (Yes, you have rights - they can just be revoked whenever Buro feels like it.) Bonengel never imagined the riots he'd get. He'd expected resistance from the upper castes, but even the untouchables were fighting him, because the caste systemw as tied to their religious beliefs, and they weren't going to ignore just for a politician. They knew they'd move on to better things in the next life, and weren't about to give that up for some success in this one.

Of course, not everyone in India took part in the riots. The Muslims originally offered to help put down the rebellions, but Bonengel refused their aid, preferring to use the abominations that had just been made. They had mixed success - sure, the shock and awe worked wonders, but they tended to cause mass panic just by existing. They devastated the opposition...but united the populace against Buro. No one's happy with a leader who sends in cyborg demons, even if you're rioting. Even some of Buro's soldiers were bothered by it. It didn't help that the early neural greppers weren't very good - the minders on the abominations had a 78% casualty rate, higher than any other military force in the history of Buro. The populace had no one to turn to - Buro crushed any resistance, assassinated leaders or forcibly mutated them and basically acted like total assholes. Some fled to Sri Lanka to continue their resistance with the help of the Jammers - but most have turned to Gandhi's non-violent resistance.

There's a lot of problems that Gandhi never had to worry about, though. The Buro has more than violence to counter non-violence. They use subliminal messages to overcome hunger strikes, brainwashing to deal with those who demand to be imprisoned as a symbol of oppression and so on. That's where the Jammers come in. The local resistance don't have an ideological commitment to non-violence - they just don't think violence will work. If someone else wants to use it - say, a group of cyborg monkeys - they're willing to voice their moral objections very, very softly. Thus, the Jammers find themselves fighting alongside pacifists, hitting the local Bureau of Happiness and Productivity headquarters very often and keeping the Buro off the resistance with other attacks. The locals, in return, shelter the Jammers and supply them with stuff - not weapons, but that's mostly because there's easier places to get weapons.

Then we've got the Texas Demilitarized Zone , a shattered wasteland after 30 years of war. In 2020, no one believed it would happen. They thought the UN had gotten more militant, but at the time, criticizing the UN for taking over the planet was for crackpots. Five years later, it became clear what was going on. When Texas protested, Congress ignored them. No one in Texas knew aobut feng shui, but it turns out Texas promotes independence and resistance to authority, which is why theyb roke from Mexico and why they're the only state with a secession clause in their Constitution. By 2025, they'd had enough, and Senator Calvin Lydecker led them in seceding to form the Independent Republic of Texas.

The war started slow, but it got hot quick. Lydecker was an ex-Buro soldier and know a lot about what they could do. He used it to keep Buro guessing, and for years it looked like they might be able to hold Buro off - until the abominations came online. Within two years of that, Lydecker was murdered - as was the entire Texas government, at the hands of abomination "sanction squads." The rest of the Citizen's Militia went underground. Two years later, Bongengel's assumption that he'd won was proven wrong, as the Yellow Rose began orchestrating strikes against Buro communications and industries - including the TV broadcast centers. OVer the next ten years, the Dallas Rockets, as the Militia now called themselves, continued their campaign of harassment.

If Bonengel had studied Texas history better, he'd probably be able to guess where the Rockets are headquartered, but he has little interest in learning about the old world when he's making a new one. Thus, he bulldozed over the Alamo without thinking about the symbolic effect it might have. Where it stood is now Nutrient Production Facility #4079823...and under that, the Dallas Rockets' base. All the turmoil hasn't stopped Buro from occupying the Demilitarized Zone, but they don't enjoy it. Texas is not a good place to be on duty. No one likes you, no one wants you, the bartender is likely to tip off the resistance and the kid shining your shoes is planning to steal your firing pin. Buro has no safe locations outside their barracks - and even those can be risky.

In Dallas, things are even worse. BuroMil Colonel Harold Sinclair, who has no understanding of irony, believs the Dallas Rockets are operating out of Dallas due to the name. He doesn't wonder why they might advertise that. There are three abomination-making facilities in Dallas, including one where the Texas Stadium used to be. (They still play football in 2056, but Dallas moved to LA, Housed to Fargo and the Minnesota Vikings changed their name to the Minnesota Consumers. Racial equaliy is mandated, and the first abomination took the field in 2050. He was forcibly removed after eating the ball, the quarterback and three offensive linemen.) Austin, meanwhile, sees almost no action in the Secret War at all - because it's one of the last Ascended strongholds and they don't want to draw attention to themselves. They keep their heads down, don't make waves and pray that everyone continues to not notice they're not fully human.

The leader of hte Lodge survivors is a bat named James Ross. He longs for the days when his ancestors ruled the world - but he believes it's possible again. The magic levels have risen, which made it impossible for the older transformed animals to stay human...but it means that new ones can come into existence. Ross has been talking to the local bats to try and get them to start meditating and turning human. It might work - and if it does, Austin might become a hot spot. And where are the Jammers? Well, Texas has a number of portals, and the Jammers like to drop in, cause chaos and drop out. Colonel Sinclair knows the Jammers and Rockets are working together, but he thinks the Jammers are coordinating the Rockets. The Jammers know this and use it to feed him disinformation, throwing him even further off. In fact, it's rare that hte Jammers ask the Rockets to do anything they don't already plan to do.

Officially, Acapulco was the target of a biological attack by the Jammers, who released a mutant strain of airborne HIV, forcing Buro to totally sterilize the area before it infected the planet. Tragic, but necessary. The truth? The Jammers were trying to set off a chi bomb that would detonate quite a lot of feng shui sites by using the principles of chi against them. Buro sterilized Acapulco to prevent the weapon from being activated. People have noticed that Buro's already started land reclamation, planting the Acapulco Memorial Forest where the city once stood - though at the moment, no tree in it is over four feet tall. Some visitors swear they've seen ghosts, though - strange, translucent figures that hum menacingly. The Buro has privately sent a team of arcanotechnicians to check it out. See, in conjunction with the Jammer weapon (the ChiBuster 2500), the deaths of so many people made the place a supernatural nexus.

It is treated as the 69 Juncture for modifier purposes, and it is full of ghosts, most of whom use their influence to enhance the growth of local plant life. They want to bring life back to the place they died...but a few want revenge. None are actually tied to the spot, they just don't realy want to leave. The area doesn't show as having powerful feng shui, but that's because CDCA hasn't done anything with it yet. If a geomancer were to get the site and start working with it, they'd find it a great place. The ChiBuster's destruction "locked in" a lot of good feng shui at the exact moment the place was burned - and thus, the burners gained nothing form it, but the chi didn't go anywhere. Once the forest is grown, it'll be very powerful Right now, the owners are the ghosts. If Buro tries to build anything there, the ghosts won't be happy.

Argentina has a lot of feng shui sites. A few centuries ago, the Lodge came in and tried to use the place like a chi engine. Now, in 2056, the Buro control it and can use that engine...but, like the Lodge before them, they're learning that the place has a price. See, there's a little quirk to the chi of Argentina: it is very strong, but it has an ebb and flow. There is no 'good' or 'bad' chi - if you have a feng shui site, it cycles between the two. In the 1890s, it had an up cycle and the Lodge tried to invest all sorts of stuff in the place. Then it went into a down cycle and prompted the biggest financial crisis before the Great Depression. Juan Peron's career is explained as having been several smaller cycles. Now, Buro controls the place...and right now it's in one of its biggest down cycles. The populace riots three times a week over food shortages, the Jammers raid the place twice a week for fun and a storm wrecked two of the power plants that supply seven percent of the world's energy.

The CDCA know about the problem, but hgave no idea how to solve it - the builders of the sites are long dead, and anyway the Lodge had them created by Western architects copying Easten geomancy, losing something in translation. The Buro isn't sure what, yet. If they can figure it out, they can induce the problem in other sites as well as fixing Argentina's. Anyone who attunes in Argentina makes a closed roll at the end of each session. Instead of the normal 3 point XP bonus, they get whatever the result of the roll is - and yes, if it's negative, that's XP taken from their normal award, though they can't get less than 1 XP per session. The Jammers love the place as a result - because the chi's in a down cycle, they can strike freely, as Buro suffers all sorts of bad luck. The officers bicker, problems don't get solved and progress is not made. The chi won't allow it. Eventually, it'll go into an up cycle and Buro will pacify the place and defeat the Jammers. The Jammers, meanwhile, are watching to see when this happens - though their measuring instrument is 'are we still kicking their asses', they're not very sophisticated. They plan to start burning sites when things seem to be getting better for Buro.

How do the Argentinians feel? Well, they're used to the cycles, so it all seems natural. They cheer for the Jammers now, and in a few years, they'll cheer for the Buro. It's all just life in Argentina. So, what about Norway? Well - let's put it this way - Buro's fought a lot of weird shit, but it ends when they get back to 2056...except in Norway. In 2040, when things started going wrong, no one considered Norway even potentially problmatic. The place was occupied, the people were docile and if a few runestones had some odd chi, who cared? Then something happened. The whole country's chi structure lit up like a Christmas tree and overwhelmed Buro. The weather turned cold and grim, the nights turned long. Technology began failing. The CDCA tried to study the runestones, but the teams who left never came back.

Eventually, a squad brought back evidence: Vikings. Vikings were attacking. Some of the natives joined them. And, for some reason, the guns stopped working - and the Vikings won the battle. The Buro didn't take the news that Norway had been conquered by Vikings well. They sent in abominations, but the chi wasn't hospitable for them, either. (It uses 1996 modifiers.) They sent in tanks - and found that only two things work in Norway now: swords and muscle. In practical terms, this means nothing - it was Norway that made the Vikings dangerous, not any special powers. Outside Norway, they were harmless. SO Buro sealed the borders and started an information blackout. As far as anyone but they and the Jammers know, Norway is perfectly normal. The Jammers hide out there - though it's not fun, since they like technology, too, and the cyborgs can barely survive. Only the Jammer resistance to chi flow has saved them - but hey, it's safe, there's no Buro there. A few other factions are considering sending emissaries to Eldgrim the Gaunt, the local prince, to also use the place. The Lotus has no common ground and Buro lost its chance, but the others might get on surprisingly well. So, where are the natives? They're rediscovering their viking heritage, learning from their ancestors how to live the old ways. several have joined Eldgrim's tribe, though he still considers most of the natives to be weaklings.

Next time: The Secrets of the Ape Factory!

I regretted the unfortunate losses, but on the battlefield, such things were to be expected.

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: I regretted the unfortunate losses, but on the battlefield, such things were to be expected.

The Ape Factory is...well, a weird place. The complex looks like a cross between a slaughterhouse and a car factory. It took five days to catch the first apes for it, and twelve hours to turn them into cyborgs - smarter, faster, stronger and sometimes on wheels. The leftover body parts were tossed into an incinerator and the Ape Factory was officially online. Those who've seen it running usually find it very disturbing - see, the workers take the monkeys, tranquilize them, then strap them into a metal framework. Then they chop off parts of the ape with heated blades. Sure, the wounds get cauterized, but this is really, really bloody work. Then they strap on the cyborgp arts as soon as possible to avoid tissue degradation. A real doctor would use laser suturing, but there's a budget and a schedule to keep, so the Ape Factory uses arc welders. Then it's back to the rotary saw to cut open the skull and install the intelligence upgrade. They try to make it an even cut, but the real priority is making sure the brains don't fall out, as by this point each ape has a pretty high price tag.

The new ape, if it's woken up by now, rolls of the assembly line dazed and confused. It gets hosed down, tuned up and packed into a cargo truck to head off to the Jammers. Most Jammers don't like working the Ape Factory - sure, the apes are drugged, they don't scream, just whimper a little when the saws remove their limbs. But still - something about hacking off a gorilla's arms and legs with power tools freaks a lot of people out. Still, the Jammers are a quality organization and there's always enough people who enjoy that kind of thing to keep the Ape Factory staffed. It's also a safe job - there's other factions that don't even know a portal exists to Africa in 69 AD. In fact, except for Buro, none of the factions even realize how many cyborg apes came from Ape Factory. They know that new troops get built, but assume most of the apes came from Buro's experiments. Only the Buro are aware that there were maybe a dozen Cornelius survivors. They think the factory's in the Netherworld, though.

In the meantime, the Jammers keep hunting for new apes in the forests, as well as the rainforests of 1996. The hunters use the old techniques they learned hunting monsters, albeit modified for apes and tranq guns. Also lower casualties - most apes aren't much to compare to demons in the murder department. The Jammers usually look for chimps and gorillas, since they start out smartest and are most similar to humans; many of the cybernetics they use were designed for humans. They have used babboons, gibbons, lemurs and others, though, and once a wombat, who earned a personal commedndation for valor before dying to the Buro. They don't upgrade humans or other animals at Ape Factory, though - you need a specialist. Something to keep in m,ind here - once you're posted to Ape Factory, you never leave. Potemkin is fanatical about keeping the place secret. If it were found by the Buro, they and the Lotus would easily team up to wipe it out - maybe with Lodge and even Guiding Hand support. The Jammers would lose their biggest asset, and they can't aford that. Thus, anyone who goes to Ape Factory never leaves, and the supply guys don't know where it is, just where the next link in the supply chain is.

There are flaws in this, of course. The Bur and Lotus have both got spies in the Jammers. (Most factions in the Secret War have spies in every other faction, it's just how things work.) These spies have not found out about Ape Factory, but they're working on it...assuming they don't jump ship for real and betray their bosses. In theory, Buro could find out about Ape Factory by getting a cyborg ape to talk, but their memories of the first week of cyborg life are usually pretty hazy. Most apes don't really understand what's happening until they start Netherworld training.

Then we have the Temple of the Cheeky Monkey . 69 AD used to give the Jammers big problems - they could leave easily via GateMaker, but crossing China meant Lotus interception was always a threat, and they never had a permanent base. Anything that wouldn't fit through a GateMaker had to be left behind. That's a waste of good explosives! Thus, they needed a base. However, that was easier said than done - the Lotus had all the best locations, and the Jammers can't rely on the locals to hide them, unlike in 2056. The locals tend to be terrified of them, in fact. They're not entirely sure why - they're just cyborg apes with giant guns. Anyway, eventually they found a monastery built way back in 432 BC, which had grown corrupt and decadent under Abbot Fang Chiao. Eventually, Feng tried to test the limits of immorality, ordering all the prostitutes they'd brought in murdered to see what it was like to kill.

So, why was this place the perfect base? Well, the murdered prostitutes came back as ghosts, enacting their vengeance on the monks and then Feng Chiao, who is still being tortured now, nearly five centuries later. The temple thus has a bad reputation, as the ghost women seduce unwary visitors and kill them. Sure, it's unfair, but these ladies have issues. The Lotus originally planned to use the temple ghosts, sending a dozen eunuchs to negotiate with them, but it didn't work out well - the ghosts, upset at being unable to seduce eunuchs, just killed them all. That was when the Guiding Hand thought they could purify the place. Their team were seduced by the ghosts and killed. The master of the team resisted seduction, but not murder. Even the Buro got involved, sending monster hunters to capture the ghosts...and found there were too many for one team of hunters to handle. The monster hunters never came back.

That's when the Jammers showed up. They haven't had any problems. Sure, they see the ghosts sometimes, and the abbot's chamber is full of ghosts torturing his spirit endlessly, but they haven't been seduced or murdered or whatever. This is because the ghosts are terrified of them. Eunuch sorcerers, monks, those make sense. They fit the worldview, which is 'people to hurt and kill in inventive and terrible ways.' Even monster hunters are people. But cyborg monkeys? The ghosts have no idea what to do with this. They don't know if they can seduce the Jammers or even if they'd want to. The Jammers aren't scared of the ghosts; rather, they find the ghosts funny. This has messed with the ghosts' heads and gotten them to decide it'd be best not to make trouble. The spirit of Feng Chiao, on the otherh and, sees opportunity. He wants to get away, and also inflict some torment of his own - not in revenge, you understand, he's just sadistic. He hopes to persuade the dumber Jammers to help him escape, but no luck so far. The Jammers love the place - the reputation means no one stops by, and the Lotus and Hand won't come near the temple either. There's even a convenient Netherworld portal, and they've brought in a generator for electricity. (Which freaks the ghosts out more - heatless light is creepy !)

But the Jammers also need some neutral ground to do deals with people in places where they know Buro won't drop monsters on their heads. They use the Ambush . It looks like any other trendy restaurant in Hong Kong. Few people would notice the way the tables are placed to prevent anyone from watching anyone else, or that the acoustics and musc are set up to keep conversations private. The owner is a really old guy who sits in the back and watches everything. So, why is it called the Ambush? Because every single waiter and waitress is a ninja. From the moment you arrive, when you get asked how many in your party to the moment you leave after paying the check, you will not see a single member of the staff unless they want you to. This can be pretty creepy! People look around for a waiter, then find the waiter next to them without any explanation. He will then vanish after taking orders. He will not be seen again - the food will just arrive on your table. No one is entirely sure how it's done - it just happens. It's really good food, though.

The Jammers love the Ambush for several reasons. First, you can't get eavesdropped on easily. When you're making a deal, you don't want informants for other groups listening in, and the Ambush is good for that. Second, the waitstaff are all master ninjas and have instructions to handle violent customers. If someone comes in they can't handle, the old man steps in - and he's a master ninja, who just happens to like owning a restaurant. Third, the Jammers just think the place is pretty neat. The Ambush does hire, but to be hired you must be able to steal an application form without the old man stoppping you (a diff 16 Intrusion check). If you can get a job there, though, he will refine your stealth skills to perfection. Even Quan Lo admits the old man is the best ninja in the entire world. Also, full health benefits and a generous 401K.

As the Jammers slowly introduce the place to the other factions, a lot of have seen the benefits of the restaurant, and it is now one of the major points of neutral ground for all factions. The all-night tailor down the block has a Netherworld portal, so even the Monarchs have been there. (Huan Ken likes their egg foo yung.) Oh, and the Ambush caters - you just tell the maitre d' when and where you want the food, and it will be there. The PCs could easily use this as a diversion. Needless to say, the delivery won't be seen, but having steaming platters of Chinese show up in the room will distract practically anyone.

The Jammers also hang out in the South American Rainforest of 1996. They like jungles. The most interesting thing about this is their dynamic with the developers of the rainforest. See, they don't like developers - they want to have the rainforest to themselves (and the animals, and the few lost tribes who worship the giant metal monkeys as gods). So some developers go to work to find that their bulldozers have exploded. If they keep trying, they find the Jammers in their way with guns. The Jammers are very direct about conservation. On the other hand - well, lots of spots in the rainforest have good feng shui, which goes against their philosophy. So other developers go to work to find the bulldozers have been used overnight and a lot of their work is done for them. (The Jammers will happily stop them from leaving the areas that they wanted bulldozed, though - if the Jammers wanted the whole place cleared, they'd do it themselves.)

This isn't to say the Jammers don't like progress. They do. Just not developers. They've made their bases within the trees themselves, strining wire along the vines and setting up generators in a network to power essential equipment, like the television. They try to decentralize, using the rainforest's bulk to stay hidden from the Ascended. The land developers are full of Pldged trying to find the Jammers, see. They also have computers, so they can get the news out over the internet, especially the alt.conspiracy.secretwar newsgroup. Most people don't realize the Jammers are serious, sadly. Still, they have pretty good control of the rainforest portals - and there's a lot of 'em, which might explain why so many people vanish mysteriously in the jungle. (Or maybe that's the poisonous snakes, hostile natives and hungry jaguars.) The Jammers use the portsl to make attacks on Hong Kong - they can go from South America to China in five minutes flat.

The Jammers have also cleared some parts of the rainforest, creating small, partially underground labs. They use these for dangerous experiments - that is, experiments too dangerous to do in their main base. Given they've blown up their main labs seven times in the last year, this means something. For example, they try to synthesize plutonium. No one has any idea if they managed it - the project scientists got turned into zombies. Some of the labs also have equipment to make cyborg monkeys if Ape Factory gets taken down. However, the Jammers aren't alone in the forest - the huge amount of portals ensures that. Still, fights aren't as common as you'd think. The rainforest is huge and has great camouflage. Running a fight in a jungle, we're told, should involve lots of periods of the fighters not knowing where each other are and ominous soundtracks as they try to be the first to spot the others. Also, someone should grab a vine and relaize it's a snake. This always happens, even though vines and snakes look nothing alike. The Jammers think it's a weird chi thing.

Jammer Lake, Minnesota is empty in the modern era and barely even shows up on maps. In 1850, though, it's a Jammer base, and the name remains. See, it has a portal that leads to the Netherworld's Sunless Sea, discovered by the Sea Monkeys. Potemkin scouted the place and decided to build a base there, as the underwater portals were very stealthy. Also the place is nearly deserted, and the Netherworld side of the portal is a convenient location for other parts of 1850 or 69. Then he started to read about the history of the area. The Jammers had begun their gold mining in Australia and California, but they had no idea that Minnesota had had a gold rush. Even better: all the sites gold had been found at were within 50 miles of the lake - and wouldn't be found for 40 years. Plenty of time to steal most of it.

A base was built in the lake, though by 1996 there are no remains of the base but debris - it seems that at some point the Jammers blow it the hell up. A secret elevator heads to the surface if you can't hold your breath for ten minutes, and from there, the Jammers mine gold and plan actions. Even in Minnesota, though, you can't escape the Secret War. The Ascended have fur trappers in the area, who tend to be stunned to find Jammers there, though they haven't been able to do much - they're not set up for a fight with cyborgs. They need numbers and better guns. They've told their superiors, though, and the place might soon be a battlefield. Someone's going to find out about the base, anyway - the lake had to get its name somehow, right?

Now, we get some fiction - the end of the Malacostraca business. It turns out the reason for the name is a reference to the zodiac symbol Cancer. The idea is that the doctors are trying to use arcanowave mutation to fight cancer, one of the few diseases that remains a problem n 2056. They're using the children as test subjects, trying to find an arcanomutation that will naturally eat cancer but remain harmless to the host body. As such, they've exposed the kids to uncontrolled arcanowaves. Potemkin objects to this plan to 'save' humanity by turning them all into abominations. He tears the doctor apart with his minigun and then tells the rest of the Jammers the plan: blow the base. The kids are abominations now - they can't be saved. It bothers a lot of the Jammers...but in the end, they obey Potemkin.

We now get an explanation on how to run a heroic Jammer campaign. Who doesn't wnat to be hyperactive rebels with lots of explosives and a questionable sense of morality? This isn't going to be a thoughtful game of moral dilemmas and choices about honor and justice. It's going to be about blowing shit up. Just don't worry too much about the morality - Jammers never do, after all. I mean, you can include moral dilemmas, but don't be surprised if no one notices. On the other hand, maybe you want the PCs to eventually defect to a more traditionally heroic group - that's not hard, just have them thrown into the deep end of Ptemkin's more extreme missions; even the most bloodthirsty player will eventually question why they're blowing up maternity wards for having good feng shui. As you might guess, it's thus very easy to also play the Jammers as villains - they're hyperactive rebels with lots of explosives and a questionable sense of morality. They blow up churches, hospitals and schools for having good feng shui. Potemkin doesn't understand the phrase 'innocent bystander' - the best he has is 'regrettable civilian casualties.' It's pretty easy to make 'em bad guys.

So, what happens if the Jammers win? What happens if they manage to wipe out feng shui? Well, most likely, humanity dies. The flow of chi is so vital that without, humanity probably won't last to 75 AD, let alone 2056. The PCs will still be around, of course, since they've been to the Netherworld. In fact, a lot of folks will still be around, and none of them will be happy with the Jammers, since history as we know it has been wiped out. You could go into a storyline about rebuilding feng shui in 69 AD. Or, if you're feeling nice, maybe the Jammers are right. It's a slim possibility, but it does exist. Without chi, the world is ruled by the best and brightest, and government is unneeded. There are a few remnants to be mopped up - Buro soldiers who long for a return to power, transformed animals who want their riches back, eunuch sorcerers who want their evil demon sorcery - but on the whole, life is better. Until the portals open again somewhere else, anyway. Now, let's look at new PC options.



You're a cyborg, a $10,000 Man . Or woman. Maybe you were ex-TacOps and refused arcanowave implants, preferring the older and clunkier but safer technology. Maybe you were part of 2043's bodysculpting fad. Maybe you just got drunk with the wrong scientists and woke up with something a hell of a lot cooler than a tattoo. No matter why, though, you've taken the first steps toward a robot body and, well, sure, there's drawbacks, but you kinda like it.

$10,000 Men can be from the Netherworld or 2056. They have Bod 5, Chi 0, Mnd 5, Ref 5. They get four points to spend on secondary attributes, but note - their attributes can and will change based on what Hardware schticks they take. (More on those later.) They get Martial Arts +5, which can't go above +8, Driving +5, which can't go above +8, Guns +9, which can't be raised and Info (Any) +4. They get +6 to spread around. They also get 2 Hardware schticks and 3 Gun schticks, along with 2 weapons. They can't be healed by the Medicine skill unless it was learned in 2056. They are Poor.

Next time: Vikings and cyborgs!

At this point, they are human only in a cosmetic sense.

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: At this point, they are human only in a cosmetic sense.



You're a Dallas Rocket , one of the last true Texans. The Buro may have ruined your state by making it a warzone, but you still fight for independence, driven by the souls of those who came before - from Sam Houston to Troy Aikman. You are well trained, disciplined, precise and able to identify targets that will suffer the maximum harm with the minimum effort. How you got stuck with the Jammers, you're still not entirely certain.

All Dallas Rockets are from 2056. They have Bod 5, Chi 0, For 3, Mnd 5, Ref 5. They add 3 to one primary attribute, 2 to a second and 1 to a third, then 2 to any secondary attribute. They gety Intrusion +4, to a max of +8, Martial Arts +5, which can't be raised, Deceit +6, to a max of +8, Info: Buro +6, Info: Texas History +5, Driving +7, to a max of +8, Guns +8, which can't be raised, and Sabotage +4, to a max of +8. They get +5 to spread around and may swap Guns and Martial Arts if desired. They get 3 gun schticks and 5 weapons...and a unique schtick: Death-O-Rama . Explosives are always around for a Dallas Rocket. They can spend a Fortune die at any time to make a guns check. A positive result means they hit something that makes a big explosion. Dallas Rockets are Poor.



You're a Gearhead , one of the most valued members of the Jammers. You're valued because you know machines - though not so much putting things together. You're not into that, other people can do that. You like to break things - and not just with explosives. You know how to take machines apart in ways no one thinks of, how to make sure they blow up only when you want them to - and not one second sooner. Destruction is your art, and you are motherfucking Picasso.

All Gearheads are either from 2056 or the Netherworld. They get Bod 5, Chi 0, For 3, Mnd 5, Ref 5. They add 3 to two different primary attributes. They get Intrusion +4, Deceit +5, Guns +5, to a max of +8, Driving +4, to a max of +8, Sabotage +10, which can't be raised, and Fix-It +8, which can't be raised. They get +4 to spread around. They get 1 weapon and a unique schtick: Hidden Toolkit . Anyone trying to make a Perception check to detect concealed weapons or equipment on a Gearhead takes a -5 penalty. Gearheads are Working Stiffs.



You're a Gorilla Fighter , a cyborg monkey made either by Buro during Project: Cornelius or by the Jammers at the Ape Factory. Your body has been improved with cybernetics and your mind has been upgraded to human thought. Well, close to human, anyway. Maybe you like being a soldier against tyranny, or maybe you wish you could go back to the jungle...but either way, you can't turn back now. After all, they burned your old body parts.

All Gorilla Fighters count as either from the Netherworld or 2056. They get Bod 9, Chi 0, Mnd 4, Ref 7. They may swap their Bod and Ref to be a leaner kind of ape, like a chimp or orangutan. Their attributes will change later based on their Hardware schticks. They get Martial Arts +3, to a max of +6, Info: CDCA +5, Guns +3, to a max of +6, and Sabotage +4. They get +7 to spread around. They get 4 Hardware schticks and 1 gun schtick. Gorilla Fighters cannot be healed by Medicine unless it was learned in 2056. They are Poor. Oh, and one more thing - if your Gorilla Fighter's name does not contain some sort of simian pun, you are penalized 1 XP per session.



You used to be a member of Buro's Supernatural Entity Retrieval Unit, before you were a Portal Jockey . You weren't very good at it - you had doubts, which no one else ever seemed to have. Your access to arcanotech was restricted, but you were okay with that. When you get posted to the Netherworld, it all got worse - you could never tell who was on what side, and you did things you weren't proud of. Finally, it was all just too much. You went AWOL, spending a lot of time exploring hte Netherworld and learning its maze of portals and passages. Now, you know them like the back of your hand. You met the Jammers and learned their ways in this time, and now you use your knowledge to streak at the Buro where they're weakest.

All Portal Jockeys count as from the Netherworld. They get Bod 5, Chi 3, Mnd 5, Ref 5. They get 5 points to spread between their primary attributes. They have Arcanowave Devices +9, which can't be raised, Guns +9, which can't be raised, Info: Netherworld +5, Martial Arts +5, to a max of +7, Intrusion +4, to a max of +8, Deceit +4, and Sabotage +3, to a max of +6. They get +3 to spread around. They get 2 Gun schticks, 1 Arcanowave device and one weapon. They also get a unique schtick: Surprise Entrance . They can spend a Fortune die to "find" a portal leading to the Netherworld from their current location in the real world or vice versa. It's up the GM where the portal leads. It takes time to find one though - a number of sequences equal to 6 minus the result of a Fortune check after the die is spent. This can never go below 1, and counts as a continuous action in combat. Portal Jockeys are Poor.



You're a Viking Warrior , a legendary scandinavian fighter from the mists of history. There aren't a lot of portals in that area, but you've entered the Secret War anyway. Maybe you're one of hte Vikings that defends Norway from the Buro, or maybe you're independent. It doesn't really matter. What you know is that you are a warrior, and you will never stop fighting until the day you fall in battle. That's how a warrior lives.

Viking Warriors count as from either 69 or the Netherworld. They get Bod 8, Chi 0, Fu 5, Mnd 5, Ref 5. They get 3 points to spread around primary attributes, none of which can go over 10. They get Martial Arts +9, which can't be raised, Intimidation +5, Info: Viking Lore +6, and Info: Norse Mythology +5. They get +4 to spread around. They get 2 Fu schticks from the Paths of Sharpened Scales, Hands of Light, Selective Master and Raging Bear. They get 1 weapon and 1 shield. They also get the unique schtick Berserker Rage , which, at the start of each sequence, lets them add any amount to their rolls for attacks in a sequence, to a max of their Fu rating. They subtract the same amount from their passive dodge for the sequence and may not actively dodge. These bonuses and penalties apply for the whole sequence.

So. Hardware Schticks . Cyborgs may swap out Arcanowave Devices for them on a one for one basis during chargen, and Techies may give up their unique schtick for two of them. No one else gets them at chargen, besides the guys above. No skill is required to use them - they are always on and always work, though you need Guns or Martial Arts to use weapons still. Hardware schticks permanently change your body and, unlike arcanowave devices, can never be removed, ever. If you take one, you can never be healed by the Medicine skill unless it was learned in 2056. Any stat upgraded by a Hardware schtick can never be increased by any other means, including raising the primary attribute. Many Hardware schticks give an attribute penalty; you may negate these by getting another Hardware schtick for that attribute, as Hardware changes an attribute's value after all other bonuses and penalties, simply setting it to a certain value. This is why a lot of cyborgs end up fully metal.

So, why would anyone get arcanoware over this stuff? Well - on the one hand, hardware is safe and extremely effective. On the other hand, it is bulky, cumbersome and obvious. An arcanotech limb is both strong and very sensitive. Cyborg limbs are huge, beefy, clunky, and while very strong, they feel like touching the world through oven mitts at best. You can't conceal most hardware, ever, and the GM is encouraged to give you appropriate penalties. Arcanotech is also more versatile - yes, a hardware cyborg can lift tricks and shoot missiles, but arcanowave devices can disrupt fu powers, stop sorcery and catch bullets. Also it can be turned off and detached for stealth. Most importantly from an IC perspective - well, the CDCA is still testing their arcanotech and they want you to be a guinea pig.

Getting Hardware does not interfere with Creature Powers, Arcanowave schticks, Fu powers, magic or, in fact, anything. However, most characters believe that it does. The Guiding Hand think they cripple chi flow, the Lotus think they disrupt magical energy flow in the body and transformed animals would usually rather die than get hardware. But if you want to be a sorcerer with an onboard computer, you can be. Hardware costs (25+X) Xp, where X is the number of Hardware schticks you will have with the new one. This is still a bargain, because a lot of Hardware schticks give you superhuman attributes. You also need someone to implant them - which can be found only in 2056 or the Netherworld, and they need the Surgery subskill of Medicine, learned in 2056. Jammers will be happy to help, but hardware is illegal in 2056 these days. The installation is a Diff 10 Medicine check. Failure means that it's not properly integrated, and you get -2 to the stat it would boost instead of getting the higher value. Fortunately, such surgery can be re-attempted, but if the roll is ever negative, you take 6 wound points from the procedure and must wait a session to try again. What schticks are there?

Well, first are Upgrades , which boost a secondary stat. If all of your secondary stats get boosts, you also raise the primary stat they're attached to, to minimize bookkeeping.
Adrenal Enhancement : Spd 11, -2 Int. You get extra adrenal glands, boosting your reaction time, but you tend to be jumpy, excitable and act before thinking.
Body Armor : Tgh 13, -3 Mov. You've got armor plating, making you super tough, but also slow, because it's kind of heavy.
Fusion Reactor : Con 12, -2 Spd. You've got an onboard reactor as a power source. This makes you practically untiring, but can be cumbersome and sometimes slows your reactions down.
Onboard Computer : Int 11, -1 Str. You have a computer either in or connected to your brain, giving you constant data flow. It's like having a second brain! But it's heavy.
Override Implants : Wil 11, -2 Tgh. You have complete control over all muscles, overriding pain response. However, you now have to consciously do things like let go of hot objects or avoid sharp corners, so you get hurt a bit more than most people.
Robotic Limbs : Str 11, -2 Dex. Unlike the arcanowave Robot Limb, you've had all of your limbs replaced with metal - or, at least, enough of them to provide the boost to all four limbs. Up to you how much got converted. They're a bit clumsy, though.
Sensory Upgrade : Per 11, -1 Wil. You can see in the infrared and ultraviolet, you can hear ultrasonics, you can taste chemicals, and you have telescopes in your eyes. However, all that input leaves you rather distractible.
Synthetic Musculature : Agl 11, -2 Con. Your muscles are replaced with synthetic ones. (Or your clunky hydraulics, if you have robot limbs.) This gives you superior control, allowing you to do all sorts of tricks, but it takes more energy to contract the synthetics, so you tire more easily.
Tank Treads : Mov 13, -2 Agl. Okay, they don't have to be treads - you could have rocket skates, a rocket skateboard or even just boring old superfast legs. This makes you fast, but awkward at maneuvering. You have equivalent of Pep +1 in car chases, and may spend a second schtick to get Pep +3 (but not Mov 30, just more Pep).
Targeting Computer : Dex 11, -1 Per. You can zoom in and lock onto targets, making you great at shooting, precision aim and fine motor work. Not so great at seeing things in the directions you aren't locking onto.

Weapons are implanted or otherwise attached to you. You can refluff them as you like, and they are fully compatible with all Gun Schticks. You can even take one as a signature weapon! Downside: none can be concealed in any way, ever.
Chainsword : The most damaging melee weapon in the game! It's a huge sword with chainsaw blades. It runs on your internal power and plugs into your wrist...assuming it's not replacing a hand. If you want that, go for it.
Flamethrower : Sure, it's not as damaging as some of the rest. It's got advantages - for one, it sets people on fire. Anyone on fire takes 4 wound points every 3 shots, which isn't reduced by Toughness, until they put themselves out. Also, fire can hurt things bullets can't. Also, it's a flamethrower. On your arm.
Minigun : It's a minigun. Huge damage, lots of ammo, kills mooks easy. There's really no downsides!
Missile Launcher : Largest damage in the game. 23 . However, you need Strength 11 to fire it. It takes five shots to fire since it needs a target lock. It takes 9 shots to reload (though, yes, Lightning Reload helps). And it doesn't just hit your target - it does 122 damage to everyone else nearby. Great if your buddies aren't fighting in melee!

Enhancements are the 'Other' category.
Flight : You can fly, whether via chopper blades, detachable wings or whatever. In flight, you have Mov 11 or Pep +1, depending on what's going on. You can buy this two more times, getting +2 Pep each time, though not any more Mov. At full Pep +5, you can match basically anything but a jet. Nothing matches jets.
Self-Repair System : It automatically repairs damage to your machine parts! You recover 1 Wound point per sequence per Hardware schtick other than Self-REpair System that you have, to a max of 5 wound points per sequence. You can only but it once, sadly.
Submarine Capability : You've got gills, an air exchanger or can just hold your breath forever. Whatever way you do it, you can stay underwater indefinitely. You have Mov 8 and Pep -1 underwater; you can buy this two more times to get +2 Pep (but not more Mov) each time, so a max of Pep +3. (And yes, at some point you may feel it is odd to use the Driving skill to control your own character. Enjoy this feeling, for it will not last long.) As a note - all cyborgs can swim. Science perfected waterproofing in the future. This just means they don't have to come up for air. (Yes, they know it's not realistic.)


Next time: Some new schticks and equipment.

Come back in glory, young warrior, or on your shield.

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: Come back in glory, young warrior, or on your shield.

Okay, new Gun schticks! Dead-Eye makes you an expert at snapshots. You don't lose accuracy for speed. For every schtick in Dead-Eye, you reduce the snapshot penalty by 1, to a minimum of 0. This doesn't let you do thingsl ike take a snapshot and then aim, or take a snapshot and use another ability - it just reduces the penalty. Slo Mo Vengeance is that moment in the movies where you shout NOOOOOO for two minutes straight. For every schtick in Slo Mo vengeance, you may choose not to act for one shot, during which you can only dodge. At the end of this time, you add the number of shots you didn't act to your next Guns roll.

Neat Freak means you're one of htose guys who spends his free time cleaning and maintaing guns - and not much else. With just one schtick, your guns never break in combat - at worst, they get jammed. For every additional schtick, up to three more, you reduce the number of shots it takes to clear a jam by 2. Maxed out, it takes you two shots to clear jams. Or four for 2056 guns. And no, you probably don't need to take it more than once unless you fumble a lot. Who Wants Some? makes you really good at autofire. For every schtick you take in it, you can fire one additional burst without penalties to your roll - so with one schtick, you can fire four bursts per -1 penalty, five bursts for two, etc.

Who's the Big Man Now? makes you really good at scaring guys with a gun. You take a three-shot action to do something cool and intimidating but nondamaging with your gun. This can be anything you like - pumping it and letting the light gleam along the barrel, shooting someone's hair, whatever. Your targets must make a Willpower check against the gun's Concealment rating (or 8 for unconcealable weapons), plus the number of schticks you have in this. (Multiple target penalties apply - scaring a whole crowd iwth one gun isn't easy.) Anyone who fails subtracts the Outcome from their rolls until the end of the sequence. Signature Weapons give the roll +1 Difficulty. You can't use this on the same character more than once per sequence, even if you succeed.

There's also new stat schticks! Agility gets Adapted to Armor : You never take penalties to Agility from wearing armor. Charisma gets Martyrdom : Whenever you fail a death check, all other party members get a bonus to their next attack equal to the amount you failed by. (No, this doesn't help you at all, but your friends will love it!) Fortune gets Charmed Life : Any attack you are not aware of automatically misses you. Note that the GM has final say here - you can't become invincible by closing your eyes and stopping up your ears. This just protects you from deathtraps and ambushes.

Willpower gets Going Out In Style , which is great. When you fail a death check, at the start of the next sequence, you can get up and make one last attack on the person whose attack forced you to make the death check. You get a bonus to your roll equal to the difference between your death check threshold (usually 35) and your current wound point total. After the attack, you collapse again. It also gets Shake It Off : whenever you suffer Impairment, roll Willpower against the amount of Impairment you would be suffering. If the roll succeeds, you ignore the Impairment. Whenever a new effect occurs that would add more, you have to roll again against all of it together.

Now, equipment. First up: the HAVOC Suit , which stands for 'Human Automation Vehicle Omni-Configuration.' It's one of Buro's better toys, and the Jammers love to steal them. They are self-contained power armor. Each part - arms, torso and legs - has its own power supply and can be used seperately without issue. The Jammers tend to split them up - almost no one has a whole suit. Wearing the legs gives you an effective Mov 9, or Pep 0 in a car chase. In addition, you get Str 9 for kicks. An arm gives the arm wearing it Str 9 for all purposes. The head and torso give 3 Armor with a -2 Agl penalty, protect against toxic gas and let you stay underwater indefinitely. Wearing the whole suit gives 4 Armor and protects against vacuum.

The Smart Gun was meant to be a great idea. It's a gun that can shoot around corners and hit multiple foes with one bullet! But no one except the Jammers actually wants one. See, that's because it's got one drawback: in combat, it's far too slow. First, you have to hit the target three times to scan them, none of which do any damage - the gun's not even firing, just identifying features. After that, the profile is loaded in...but the computer can only hold one profile at a time. At that point, the gun can fire. It shoots tiny computer-guided rockets, which can dodge obstacles, turn corners and track movement. They will avoid anyone wearing special signal armbands. They give +3 to Guns rolls when firing at targets matching the species profile stored. It won't fire if no targets match, and the bullet will swerve around anyone that doesn't match. If the attack hits, you can make a second attack on someone of the same species, with a +2 bonus. If that hits, you can go for a third guy with a +1 bonus. If that one hits, you can go for a fourth with no bonus. This has to be four different targets, though. The bullets can be reused if recovered, requiring a diff 0 Fortune roll after battle and getting (Outcome) shots back, or the number you fired, whichever is lower. If you run out of bullets, sadly, the gun is hard to get refills for. Jammers tend to hand these out to snipers. Buro will give them to anyone who so much as shows interest, as CDCA is stupidly proud of this design and will push it on anyone who seems at all interested.

The Fusion Rifle is a Jammer favorite: it's very powerful but has some minor problems that make it very dangerous. The Buro prefer not to use it as a result, but the Jammers love it. It deals big damage, takes out mooks easily, can be concealed with...a lot of difficutly, but it can be, and it has infinite ammo. It doesn't fire bullets, see - it uses a fusion reactor power pack to magnetically bond air molecules together and shoot them as if they were bullets. No autofire, though, since it takes some time to do - but it never runs out of ammo. But, well...if the gun malfunctions, you have a big problem. See, whenever you fumble, that means the reactor has gone critical. You roll Fortune, diff 4. Succeed and you eject the clip before it blows, allowing you to throw it. Fail, it overloads while still attached. The explosion does 17 damage to anyone right next to it, and 4 to anyone at least 3 meters away.

Iron Horses ...well. Some organizations avoid technology in past junctures, to avoid contaminating them. The Jammers don't. They made cyborg horses for shits and giggles. An iron horse is a horse with Hardware schticks. To get them, it must be a Signature Ride, but any kind of horse can be used. The Jammers prefer Clydesdales, and have found that Pintos tend to explode. Common schticks are Robot Limbs, Tank Treads (usually not literally treads), Fusion REactors and Missile Launchers. Flight is also common and some horses get made submersible. Intelligence upgrades are very rare, though - who wants a smart horse? No rules for how to decide what schticks your horse can have or how many.

Next time: you pick!

Seed of the New Flesh (Architects), Thorns of the Lotus (Lotus), Blowing Up Hong Kong (Hong Kong), Seal of the Wheel (Ascended), Iron & Silk (Weapons stuff).

Consumer! Cease your unauthorized selftransportation!

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: Consumer! Cease your unauthorized selftransportation!



We begin by meeting Chang, a Guiding Hand operative being sent to 2056. The place is confusing and disorienting to them, and he accidentally knocks out the contact lens that was meant to keep him from being detected by the cops. Then we jump to Shiny, a guy with a suped-up scooter who's trying to outrace the Public Order troopers. They start shooting at him - but he's far too fast for them. Which is when he runs face-first into a train. Then we've got Jef, who recently got arrested by the PubOrd cops. They think he's a rebel - and he is, a member of the Free Sex Militia. He wants to hold out, but they're willing to use torture.

We begin with a helpful Buro pamphlet designed to acquaint Innerwalkers to 2056, as part of Buro's attempt to turn them and get them to find useful consumer jobs. Buro has pamphlets for basically everything. They present Buro as a utopia - producing factory-made food that, "unlike 'organic' food...is always balanced and healthful." The pamphlet is longwinded but boils down to this: housing is nominally universal, money takes the form of the Hour, with one Hour being the average hourly rate of pay. (Half an Hour per hour of work is the minimum wage, and 20 Hours per hour is the max.) Travel is largely via train or pedestrian slidewalk. But what's the truth, not the propaganda?

The food sucks. It's either bland, too salty or too sweet. Organic food is rare and very expensive unless bought on the black market...but quality varies widely there. Shelter takes the form of a tiny dormroom with foldout bed, toilet, desk and kitchen. Fridges cost extra, but at least vat food doesn't spoil easily. Your average work day is six hours long, so about 120 Hours per month. Forty of which pay your rent. Vat food is cheap, at least, and so are generic, unadorned clothes made of extruded polymers. Travel is free on the slidewalks, but commutes can be harsh. However, cost of living goes up from here. All TV is pay-per-view except for ads. Sure, it's fractions of an Hour, but that adds up. Between rent, work and TV, almost all your time is either earning or spending money, and no one ever feels like they have enough. The only way to make a lot of money is to work for Buro. Only Buro has enough to, for example, own a home. Of the 169 professions that pay maximum wage, 48 are military, 62 are Buro, 30 are Public Order and 26 are CDCA. The other three are in entertainment.

Of course, you can make money illegally - black marketeering, gambling and eyeball farming are lucrative - but they're mostly done via barter, since Buro watches the banks. So, how do you actually travel? Well, the trains do exist , with nice seats, average food and good decor, but almost no one can afford them. Most people uses cramped, noisy, crowded subways, where you get packed in like sardines. Long-distance travel is worse. A coach-class 'seat' on a Gravity Rammer is a stiff, upright mattress. You stand in front of the mattress facing forward and get rammed into them by the massive acceleration, which may or may not end depending on the length of the trip. The force is so great that most people can't pry themselves free. Since firearms are illegal, a common method of suicide is to put a brick on the mattress and face it from a foot away when the train starts. They hit the brick, go unconscious and suffocate on the mattress. Thus, suicide is known as 'facing the mattress.' Those who somehow end up in the aisle when the train leaves the station get pulled through the length of the car and hit the wall. This is painful and sometimes fatal. The cops escorting prisoners will sometimes pick up prisoners, lift them above the floor and drop them while on a Gravity Rammer. This is known as 'having a train accident.'

Buropresident Bonenegle set up three groups in 2053 to "ensure happiness and well-being," though most people from the 20th century would see them as draconian tyranny. Team Love, the Sub-Bureau For Progressive Human Homogenization, tries to ensure 'Freedom from hatred,' by "encouraging" (read: mandating) ethnic intermarriage in order to create a single, homogenous human race and thus avoid ethnic conflict. Team Peace, the Sub-Bureau for Attitudinal Disarmament, seeks 'freedom from violence,' illegalizing all forms of martial arts in order to ensure that, like guns (which were illegallized before this) they can't be used to kill people. Team Joy, the Sub-Bureau For Constructive Personal Perspective, seeks 'freedom from misery,' by ending "negative personal viewpoints," as unhappiness can, apparently, be traced to cynicism, moping, teasing and pessimism. This decreases production efficiency, undermines faith in the government and encourages Jammer sympathies. Thus, Team Joy is dedicated to "improving attitudes" (read: punishing complaining and apparent unhappiness). Fun times! And now we get character types, because...I don't know, because.



The Buro was bad enough when there were actual rebels, but now they're trying to punish what you think, not just what you do. Team Love, Team Peace and Team Joy have gained massive power, and they're oppressing your rights. They tax non-homogenizing marriages and rumor has it they'll be banned soon. Even non-marital same-race relationships must be registered; failure is a misdemeanor. Martial arts are being forced underground - even purely sporting ones, like Judo. You can be fined for making negative comments. Someone has to fight back, and that's you. You are a Free Sex Militant , and your cause is simple: you don't want government interference in marriage. You are willing to fight over this.

Free Sex Militants are from 2056. They have Bod 5, Chi 0, Mnd 5, Ref 5. They get 6 points to spread between primary attributes, none of which can have more than 5 added to them. They get Guns +9, which can't be raised, Martial Arts +6, which can't be raised, Deceit +6, Intrusion +5, to a max of +10, Leaders +4, to a max of +7 and Seduction +2, to a max of +8. They get +4 to spread around and can swap Martial Arts and Guns if they want. They get 4 Gun schticks and two unique schticks, which we'll get to in a moment. They get one weapon...and they have a unique problem: they're trying to swim against the flow of Buro's chi, and that's fucking hard . They constantly feel guilty when in 2056, take -2 to all rolls when opposing abominations or uniformed Buro agents. (Except for rolls to hide. Hiding is fine.) Free Sex Militants are Working Stiffs.

As a note - you don't have to be a Free Sex Militant. You could be a Luddite, one of those who object to Buro's omnipresent spying and fight in the name of privacy, or a Blackwater Fury, an incoherent and ultraviolent splinter of the Free Sex Militia that even the Jammers think are crazy. Or you could be a Fist of Freedom, from the martial arts underground. Or a Grump, a militant group demanding the right to feel as bad as they want. They hold public tragedies to give people an excuse to be unhappy. If you're not a Free Sex Militant, you lose Seduction. Luddites and Blackwater Fury get Sabotage +2, to a max of +8. Fists of Freedom lose their Guns score and increase Martial Arts to +10, which can't be raised. They lose their gun schticks, but get +3 Fu and 2 Fu schticks. Grumps get Fix-It +2, to a max of +8.

All militants get two schticks: Inspiration , which lets them give an inspiring speech before combat when temaed up with unnamed NPCs. (It must be before combat starts.) They then roll Leadership, diff 11. If they succeed, all unnamed charachters who heard the speech get +1 to the higher of their Guns or Martial Arts for the duration of the fight. They also get Recruiting , to persuade NPCs to join the cause. This takes an hour of discussion without significant interruption (such as fighting). You roll Leadership (or Seduction, if you're a Free Sex Militant) against the target's Willpower or highest action value, whichever is greater. Modifiers can be thrown on if they'd be relevant (it's harder to, say, turn a Lotus sorcerer who knows he'll be fed to The Thing That Eats Your Kidneys Forever), or just veto some recruitments. Alternatively , once per session you can try to "pick up a stranger," rolling Leadership, diff 11. On a success, you get a named NPC who will work for your group. It will have either Guns or Martial Arts at 8, or both at 7. It also gets one non-combat skill at 8 or an Info skill at 9. The GM controls the character, but you decide their name, backstory and personality. These guys can stick around as long as needed, and can even be great sidekicks! If you fail the roll, the GM decides if you get no recruit or an inferior recruit. A fumble may mean someone you already recruited turns out to be a spy.



You're a Drifter . You're a mystery and you never settle down. You leave a place whenever you feel the need to get the dust off your feet. Maybe you're running from a bad romance, maybe you killed a cop way back when. No one but you knows for sure, and you sure ain't telling. The thing about you, though: you always show up when you're needed, right in the nick of time. When you're done, you get your horse or start hitch-hiking or jump on a train - but you'll be back. You'll be back right when they need you again.

Drifters can be from any Juncture. They get Bod 5, Chi 0, For 2, Mnd 5, Ref 5. They add 3 to one primary attribute, 2 to another and 2 to one secondary attribute. They get Martial Arts +5, Fix-It +2, Gambling +4, Intimidaiton +3, Intrusion +1, Seduction +3. They get +8 to spread around, but may not have any skill total above 14. They may swap Martial Arts for Guns if from any juncture but 2056. They get one unique schtick: Nick of Time . Any time another character needs help, you can show up if it is at all plausible that you might be able to - so, you're not in jail and you're in the same juncture, and no other reasons you can't possibly show up. Every player may offer an explanation for how you happened to be there just at the right time. You get to pick the one you like best. Drifters are Poor.



You're a Consumer on the Brink . You stay quiet, trying to hold it all in. Maybe you work long hours and hope exhaustion calms you. Maybe you box to work out your rage. Maybe you spend lots of time on violent VR sims. None of it works. Your boss sucks, your head hurts, your ex-wife is paying someone to harass you, the bank won't admit they lost your money, the food you just got tastes bad, your stomach hurts, your coworkers are lying about you to get you fired. You try, you really do. You want to stay cool, and for a long time, you've managed it. Maybe a bit too long. The next guy who bugs is going to get it good .

Consumers on the Brink can be from 1990s or 2056. They get Bod 5, Chi 0, Mnd 5, Ref 5. They have 5 points to divide between primary attributes, but can't spend more than 3 on any one. They get Guns +1, to a max of +5, Martial Arts +2, to a max of +6, Info: Meditation and Relaxation Techniques +3, Intimidation +3. They have +6 to spread around, but no skill total can go above 15. They get three unique schticks. First, Irritant : Pick one thing that really, really bugs you. Buro cops, sassy young people, the rich, puns, warm beer, bigotry, loud noises, whatever. When trying to destroy or remove that thing, you never suffer Impairment from injury. Second, Adrenaline : When in the presence of your irritant or when attacked, you get +4 to divide up between Bod and Ref. You may redistribute these points at the start of each sequence, but remember to recalculate your action values when you do. You keep this bonus until the annoyance goes away. Last, Mean Streak : Any time you hit with a hand-to-hand wepaon, you deal 1 bonus Damage, after all other damage is digured out - so even if your target soaked all your damage with Toughness, you still deal 1 wound point from sheer rage. They get one weapon. Consumers on the Brink are Working Stiffs.



You're a real bad guy, a Criminal Mastermind . You've done it all. You've smuggled booze and tobacco, run eyeball farms and illegal poker games, stolen weapons and sold 'em to Jammers. You've hidden censored history books and helped escaped prisoners get their court-ordered brain surgery fixed. You've even hidden children when Buro was trying to find them to smoke out their parents. Maybe when abominations were sent to pacify your town, you even helped people hide from the death squads . Oh yeah. You're a bad guy. Buro swears up and down. You love it - it's fun! You're not cruel - all the real sadists and psychos joined Public Order. You just hate the Buro, the System and the laws. It's more than just an excuse to dress in black, sneer at people and call your employees minions. You swear it is. Really.

Criminal Masterminds are from 2056 only. They get Bod 5, Chi 0, Fu 4, Mnd 5, Ref 5. They have 4 points to spread around primary attributes, but can't spend more than 2 on any one. They get Martial Arts +9, which can't be raised, Guns +5, which can't be raised, Info: 2056 Criminal Underground +5, Leadership +5, Intrusion +2, Intimidation +3. They get +2 to spread around and may swap Guns and Martial Arts if desired. They get either 4 Gun schticks, 2 Fu schticks or 2 Gun schticks and 1 Fu schtick. They also get a uniquye schtick: Mook Magnet . As long as they are in an urban setting, have some kind of incentive (money, booze, whatever) and spend a full day cruising dive bars, stockyards and other places where mooks gather, they can make an open roll, adding 1 to the result. That's how many mooks they get. The mooks will serve for 2-3 days without a reward before leaving. If given what they were promised, they stick around until they stop getting paid or they die. Any mooks who survive 3 combats under you become "battle hardened," turning into named characters. You pick the names. They can now gian XP if allowed to attune to feng shui sites (but through no other means), and they don't die as easily.

Sadly, Criminal Masterminds suffer from a limitation: Slave to the Cheese . If they capture or nonleathally defeat any named cop or Buro character, they are complete;y incapable of simply killing them and must do everything in their power to prevent anyone else from doing it. Killing them out of hand is too easy, too quick. They have to toy with their foes using elaborate deathtrops or desperate but psychotically fair gambles to win their freedom. Further, they can't resist gloating and must tell all prisoners about their plans. They get 3 weapons and are Rich.

Next time: Living with Buro.

Fer your protection and edification, the Penitence Assistance Officers are equipped with Pacification Implements.

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: Fer your protection and edification, the Penitence Assistance Officers are equipped with Pacification Implements.



You took a test and passed with flying colors. That got you shot full of drugs, tinkered with by doctors, indoctrinated, deprived of sleep and subjected to horribly sadistic training. You loved every second of it, because you are a Supersoldier . When you got out of training, you were a member of the ultra-elite in Buro military. You were sent on suicide missions, outnumbered, outflanked and expected to win without any civilian casualties. You did it. Then you got sent to the Netherworld, and at first you really got off on pitting your big, bad self up against demons, sorcerers and megalomaniacal tantric dog breeders...until you had to fight some guys called the Silver Dragons. They had class. Real class. You noticed a difference between the way your team did things and theirs. Buro talked about freedom, justice and righteousness, but they were really doing it. And then you heard all the Dragons were dead. You started wondering. It didn't take too hard for you to find the truth, not with your Terminal Gray Theta Circle Bravo clearance. Besides, everyone figured you for a mindless thug. Maybe they were right. After all, you could've stayed in Buro as a mole, finding all their dity little secrets. You didn't do that. You shot up an army base and went AWOL. Maybe the Dragons are gone and you'll do this alone. But maybe they're not.

Supersoldiers are from 2056. They get Bod 5, Chi 0, Mag 5, Mnd 5, Wil 8, Ref 5. They get 2 points to spread around secondaries, and then 6 more for secondaries of Bod and Ref. No more than 5 points can be added to any one attribute. They get Arcanowave Device +8, which can't be raised, Guns +9, which can't be raised, Martial Arts +4, to a max of +5, and Sabotage +3. They get +4 to spread around, and may swap Guns and Arcanowave Device if they want. They get either 2 Arcanowave schticks or 1 Gun schtick and 1 Arcanowave schtick. They get 2 weapons and one unique schtick: Pain Feels Good . Whenever they take an injury that causes Impairment, they make a Willpower check, diff (5*current Impairment from wounds). If they succeed, the Impairment becomes a bonus to all combat actions for the rest of the sequence. This check takes one shot to make. The Impairment penalty returns next sequence, but you can roll again any time you take additional wounds. Kindly GMs may give you a bonus for shouting and talking about how your drill sergeant would tell you to walk it off, you pansy, you should be able to do this with both arms broken and a wounded buddy on your back! Supersoldiers have no wealth level listed, but I'm guessing Poor.



You're the result of CDCA experiments, nicknamed the Uber-kid project unofficially. (Officially, it was Project: Ubermensch.) You still have nightmares. From fertilization, you were tweaked, modified, trained to be the perfect human. Curtis Boatman's vision of it, anyway. One thing the CDCA overlooked in making a better, smarter human was that they might make someone smart enough to escape the lab, wean themself off the drugs and make it to the Netherworld. Actually, escaping was the easy part - the hard part was debugging your own subconscious to weed out their controls. You're pretty sure you got 'em all, though. Your highest priority since escape has been learning to fight. You know you'll need it. Luckily, you're a quick learner. Finding a teacher was easy, as was convincing him to teach you kung fu. People are always easy. Once things calm down, you'll figureo ut how to destroy Buro utterly for their mistreatment of you. You just have to pick which insurgent faction you want to lead. There's only one problem: Ubermensch was greenlighted in 2047, and you're nine years old.

Uber-kids are from 2056. They get Bod 4, Chi 4, Mnd 11, Ref 5. They may add 2 to either Chi or Ref, and 2 to a secondary attribute. They get Detective 0, Deceit +2, which can't be raised, Fix-It 0, Medicine 0, Guns 0, Martial Arts +8, which can't be raised, and Info: Geomancy 0. All the zeroes can be rolled but have no bonus to the attribute; they were learned from observation and not being taught. They get +4 to spread around Info skills. They get 1 fu schtick and three unique schticks. First, Quick Study : they get 1 extra XP each session. Second, "Elementary, my dear Watson." : they can spot things no one else can. Spend a Fortune die and the GM will tell you one fact - someone's skill level, say, or the details of a specific schtick. It can also be used to get the details on something in the environment. You get to pick the fact, but it has to be pretty specific, and the GM can veto you - but they should give you something. Lastly, Squirmy Lil' Bastard : You get +2 to Dodge, just like the Scrappy Kid. They get 2 weapons and are Poor.

We cut back to Chang. He is shot, drugged and tortured, and he doesn't know if he broke. He then gets sent to 'court' - a tiny room with a camera and a tablet using a language he doesn't know. This is a blank court, where all communication is digital so that judges can't be influenced by charisma. He is found guilty, as he can't figure out how to work the machines and thus doesn't defend himself. Then we're off to Shiny, who ends up in jail. He's been there before, but he got the 'Penal Restraint Operation' reversed after those, so the guards don't know that. The guards make an example of another prisoner by shocking him into unconsciousness. We cut now to Jef and learn that he did not betray his lover - but he did get convicted of conspiracy to overthrow the government due to someone who looked like him breaking into a base. He wasn't htere, he was with his lover - but without betraying her, he can't prove that, and then he'd be guilty of same-race relationships without a license. So he, too, is shipped off to prison. All the same prison: 668. Jef is planning an escape.

We jump now to another pamphlet - this one for Tactical Operatives on life in 1996. They are reminded that unlike home, 'Consumer' is not an acceptable mode of address, and that 1996 has no greeting with equivalent respect and equality. Males are 'man', often with a slightly exaggerated drawl, and females are 'honey 'or 'girl'. The honorific 'Mc' is split into 'Mister' for men, 'Missus' for married women and 'Miss' for unmarried women. We are told this enforced the dominance of the masculine hierarchy. Racism is also a fact of life, and that interacting as an equal with others of different races will alarm or annoy. 'African Ethnics' are 'black', 'Euro Ethnics' are 'white', and 'Oriental Ethnics' are 'orientals'. Blacks are expected to express resentment and rage towards whites, while whites regard blacks with contempt and/or fear. (We are directed to refer to film selection 'Sweet Sweetback's Badasssss Song.') Orientals are expected to remain aloof and not interact with others normally. (We are directed to Sixteen Candles.)

Guns, Buro tells us, are a fashion accessory, and while technically illegal, these laws are not enforced. If law enforcement troubels you, they are just looking for an excuse, and the custom is to bribe them with a sum of money known as a double sawbuck or a food known as a dough nut. People of the period have poorly evolved grasp of consumer values and do not refer to things by brand, but general classification. This is due to pernicious belief that all things in the same category have equivalent value. In order to fit in, pretend that brand names mean nothing, despite your knowledge that they are very important. Food is highly impure and organic, and so extreme caution must be taken, especially with so-called "Mexican" food, to prevent gastric distress. The dietary staple is the cheeseburger, despite the fact that its mean component is not cheese, but animal flesh. Coffee is a common beverage which only vaguely resembles Buro coffee. Tactical Operatives are warned not to drink it, not buy anything fried and not to eat chocolate. If you must eat, eat rice or soup. You may have to eat something that was, at some time, alive. Special training to help with this is available by request.

Homosexuality, they are told, is not tolerated and should not be revealed. The average person would rather commit suicide than be considered gay. (We are directed to the film Heathers.) Skirts, kilts and dresses as well as cosmetics are for men only, and men who use them are considered homosexual. High heels and neckties should not be laughed at and are considered normal. Surprisingly, the greatest writer of the age, Daniel Pinkwater, is tragically underrated and serious discussion of his works should not be attempted. The major cultural icon is Michael Jackson. If you are not fitting in, the phrase 'Man, that Michael Jackson is one cool motherfucker' should fix things.

We now return to out-of-character information. 2056 is pretty grim - social undesirables are treated like garbage, the bureaucracy is a nightmare, success is very rare for most people and the only real freedom is the freedom to choose between brand names. Tactical Operatives are entrusted with sensitive time travel missions and are thus very trusted by Buro - which might be hard for a PC. If you want to play one, well, there's some advice. First: it's very easy for someone from 2056 to be patriotic, thanks to Buro's feng shui. Most people don't even need propaganda. If you've been a flag-waver all your life, they trust you, especially if you ratted out a family member for some minor infraction. Once you get to the Netherworld, though, that stops being enforced by chi and you may begin to wonder if all you did was actually right. These doubts tend to get stronger in 1996, as the people there, contrary to what you are told, are not evil, miserable, completely sexist or completely racist. Usually.

Or maybe you've beeen raised by Buro because your parents were agents. You've never seen the dark side, but even you've never had real food. Cheeseburgers might be enough to turn you. Of course, so might the lack of habitual fear, or the fact that you can be anonymous, a thing that is impossible in 2056. Or, hey, maybe you were a hero. You did something big and right, and Buro thought it was patriotism instead of just being a nice guy. You got TacOps training without them realizing you weren't brainwashed, and you didn't say anything to make them think otherwise. Now, you're in the perfect position to act against them secretly. Or maybe you're a spy, planted by some other agency. Or...well, maybe you're an abomination. Most don't rebel, the same as jeeps tend not to come alive and flee to the jungle to live with the apes. But you're not most abominations. Maybe you got treated well by your TacOps handlers - not impossible, though rare. Maybe your Neural Grepper broke and you've just been waiting for the right chance at revenge. Maybe you even want to do what's right, despite being a monster.

The real thing to remember is that 2056 does not look at the 1990s as a golden age. They think the place is horrible. People tend to notice the worst things about other junctures first, after all. So, what are the worst things about 2056? Rights are nothing but rhetoric. There is nowhere in the entire world where anyone has the legal and civil rights that most of Europe, the US and Canada have in the 90s. There are no pets - dogs, cats and guinea pigs became endangered during the first Reckoning, due to mass famine, and are only now being bred back up. Chihuahuas and wiener dogs are most common, as they were less meaty. Police entrapment is standard procedure. All TV is pay-per-view, except for the ads. CDCA biological experiments occasionally get out of hand and contaminate things, resulting in mutations, deaths and illnesses whose behavior is baffling. Most people never even hear about this.

People just accept that it is impossible to find the truth about any controversy; no one even tries. They just accept being lied to and accept that there's nothing they can do about it. A common graffiti slogan is 'The Truth Is Nowhere.' It is impossible to get ahead, as a "level playing field" is enforced ruthlessly so that even bright, hard-working folks are not much better off than slackers. The government wants you to sit down, shut up and do what you're told. The government is amazingly corrupt, and even the lowest-grade government worker has a higher standard of living than any other field, excepting entertainers. Everyone is afraid, because through bad luck, discovery, mistakes or any combination of the three, the cops might decide to take them away - and the legal system is a soul-crushing expanse of bureaucracy and terror. Most people cannot imagine a life without fear. Ninety-nine out of a hundred people believe there is nothing they can do to make things better.

What's the worst things about 1996? Shoddy consumer goods. You never know what's in your hot dog or your dumpling. Businesses and corporations care more about short term profit than long term productivity. Politicians care more about short term success than long term goals. Entertainers are worshipped like gods, especially sports personalities - to most people from 2056, it borders on obscene. The environment is the most polluted it has ever been, and no one cares. Despite centuries of coexistence, racism is rampant and women are second-class citizens in much of the world. It's not as bad as they've been told, but it's still bad. Religious polarization is on the rise, and atrocities are "justified" in the name of faith. Where you were born and what you look like has more impact on your comfort, success and safety than anything you do or say, and the majority of the world live poorly even by 2056 standards.

What's the best things about 2056? Buro does try to take care of everyone. It's not loving or gentle, but everyone has (minimal) hassle-free healthcare, somewhere to live and something to eat. Food doesn't spoil. There's always a cop around when you need one. Murder rates are way down. Lack of guns means it's much harder for people to kill each other. The air smells better - most pollutants have been settled out of the atmosphere and oil and coal are no longer in use. Computer technology is so advanced that you can download a movie and virtually re-cast it. Ever wanted to see Casablanca starring Marky Mark, Drew Barrymore and Stevie Wonder? There is widespread tolerance of racial and sexual diversity. (It's violently enforced by the police, but it exists.) Oh, and 57,000 channels without downloading new ones. When you get put on hold, you pick what music plays.

What's the best things about 1996? Freedom is real. Even those in the worst circumstances have hope. The food tastes good. Political jokes are allowed to be funny. The weather is often nice and you can get out of it when it isn't. No one has a monopoly on ideas or answers. You can travel to a different place and have it actually be different. The artistic spirit is strong thanks to free exchange of ideas and diverse cultures. There's a free media, and even governments that commit horrible crimes against their people cannot do so with complete impunity. At night, you can see the stars.

We cut back to Chang, who is being lectured by the prison warden. He is forced to take part in a gladitorial deathmatch, but because he doesn't actually like using violence except when necessary to serve the Guiding Hand, he refuses to fight. The fight stops before he is killed, which pleases him - it means they didn't break him and get him to betray the Hand while he was drugged. We cut to Jef and Shiny now, who are making their escape. Chang has forced them to include him by threatening to tip off the guards...and he ends up saving their lives by using his fu powers on the guards when the escape begins. Jef ends up taking down an aircar by hurling a guard's electrified stun-chain into its front jet...but that doesn't quite solve things. See, the car was full of abominations, and they survived the impact.

We now get to see a Buro TacOps summary designed for the Buropresident himself, covering their interests in the Secret War. The Netherworld is something they have a huge value on, even before the Molten Heart fiasco. The unique physical laws make it essential for research and it is the only way to move between junctures. However, they do not yet dominate the Netherworld; to accomplish this, they plan to ally themselves with Huan Ken of the Thunder Pavilion. They've fought him before, but it doesn't seem to bother him, and in fact he admires their battle skill. Also he likes the gun they gave him. He is entrenched and has lots of secrets that are useful to him, especially his sorcerous knowledge. In return for his help, he wants to destroy the other three Monarchs. The Architects plan to help him attack them, but want to keep it covert, striking a balance between being subtle enough to avoid reprisal and open enough that Huan Ken continues to like them.

They plan to use abominations with anti-sorcery powers, and to frame the Lotus for it. Of course, that might result in Huan Ken becoming dominant instead; thus, they plan to find a way to play to their strengths, not his, so that they get the most out of it. They assess their strengths thusly: first, they control an entire juncture, which makes them very rich indeed in terms of armed conflict. However, they have to avoid seeming overwhelmingly powerful and thus becoming the target of everyone. They will do this by using superior technology. Their military might has had mixed results, so they want to develop a bio-agent to deploy on the Netherworld, which, while stoppable by chi power, would be devastating. Plus, they could "discover a cure" and thus get many Netherworlders to join up in return for it. Getting Netherworld support is seen as necessary.

They are also attempting to build the Transtemporal Communications Cable, though there have been setbacks in the form of attack by giant firebreathing infants. (They aren't sure who uses those, and in fact are rather creeped out by them.) These setbacks make the project seem inviable, but they want to continue it. They have arcanotech 'Transtemporal Vocal Communication Devices' (read: time cell phones), but those are only available for arcanowave users, and the TCC would allow real-time data transfer to all junctures without arcanowaves. It would remain secure even if CDCA was compromises or arcanowave broadcats could be interfered with (which they believe is being done), it'd allow any agent in another juncture to call for backup, would help dramatically increase espionage activity and would make surveillance much easier, asi t could be done by operatives at home. If it were introduced in the 90s, they could use their full computing power to break the old networks and control them, and overall it'd allow for a whole lot of power. They believe someone within the Buro is opposing the plan out of fear of lost influence. (Specifically, Bonengel suspects Boatman.)

Next time: Buro in other times!

Dammit Shiny, that was completely over the top!

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: Dammit Shiny, that was completely over the top!

69 AD is actually hard for the Architects - the Lotus, unlike the Ascended, are totally willing to fight them openly and in public. In fact, doing so helps the Lotus convince people to serve them in exchange for protection from abominations and demons. The Architects thus plan to withdraw from 69 a bit, taking the fight and the monster hunting to the Netherworld, where people tend to be aware of what's going on. This doesn't mean they'll abandon 69, though. Instead, they're going to be looking for the natural feng shui sites they know exist in Australia, South America and Antarctica...and which the Lotus know nothing about.

The plan involves modular submarines that are taken through the portals and constructed in 69, which will allow them to strike a decisive blow by taking the remote sites. Not as strong as the ones in China, but much easier to do. If there are any problems with the plan as they see it, it is that others in the Netherworld woll figure it out and try to beat them to the punch, so their main goal is securing any portals outside China. One portal to Antarctica would completely change the situation - a guerrilla war would mean the same mess, but if only convential means can be used to get to their sites, they win. The Architects also have a spy in the Lotus in 1996 - they repaired his castration, and he doesn't suspect his balls are bugged. Or that he has a bomb in his head. This is a plan they want to repeat on other eunuchs.

The Architects see 1850 as the least urgent juncture. The Hand and the Ascended are in a stalemate in which the Hand are suppressed but impossible to eradicate, and both factions want to keep the place stable. The plan for the Architects is to throw gas on the fire. They've prepared a list of "expendable" feng shui sites which they don't occupy in 1996 or 2056, but which the Ascended have in 1850 and the Hand think are culturally significant. They plan to burn these sites. Doing so denies them to the Ascended in 1996, prevents the Guiding Hand from taking 1850 easily, will provide some temporarily useful power and will piss everyone off, demoralizing the Hand.

The know one raid will take everyone by surprise and probably work. A second, not so much without overwhelming force. That doesn't matter - they're a distraction for Project: Rip Van Winkle. What they plan to do is take some soldiers to 1850, put them in cryogenic stasis and wake them up in, say, 1932, when the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Chinese Civil War are making it so that feng shui sites change hands a lot. This would mean losing a team of elite fighters for 82 years, but it could easily take over 1996. The Architects also, as a note, prefer female agents for 1850, as the Hand are a bit misogynist and underestimate them.

1996 is the most hotly contested juncture, and while the Ascended control a lot of it, it's basically chaos from the perspective of the Secret War. The Architects are basically okay with the Dragons getting destroyed, though it has meant that the Lotus are now focusing on them alone. The Architects aren't sure why the Ascended hated the Dragons so much, though. It might have been their unpredictability and willingness to take big risks? The Buro want to see if they can boost their operatives' self-esteem to get more of that Dragon-like enthusiasm. They also want to look at the more painful and darker areas of 1996; sure, the best feng shui sites are in good areas, but the suffering and poverty will get the agents to realy want to hurt the Ascended. Besides, lots of small sites are as good as one big one.

Incidentlaly, the Architects have a huge war chest in 1996 because of the Biff Gambit: they've looked up old sports scores and gambled on them. Most major events are being fixed by the Ascended to prevent this, but small events can still be milked for cash. (The Buro are also rewriting all sports histories in their archives to prevent anyone else from doing this.) They also plan to show up in areas they know will have tragedies, presenting themselves as saviors when the tragedies do occur. Thus, they will recruit those who would otherwise become Dragons! (This plan cannot fail, surely.)

We return to Jef, who has gotten the escapees into some maintenance tunnels, where he cracks open a food tube to feed them. While it could give away their locations, this is a food tube that was meant to be replaced but some administrator stole the funds for - so they're probably safe. We cut to Chang, who has helped to ambush the work crew sent down to fix it - though he's disgusted by Shiny's killing most of them. They find a map and make a plan to steal some disguises. Now, with Shiny, we go to a maintenance workshop, where he glues his shotguns together so that they can be pumped and fired at the same time. Unfortunately, that's when an abomination blasts through the door and nearly kills Chang. That is, until Jef and Shiny manage to shoot the thing, get its attention...and provide Chang the time he needs to beat it into unconsciousness. Unfortunately, there's still a whole lot of cops outside.

Now then! New equipment. There's all kinds of toys in 2056. Like Efficiency Shoes ! Efficiency shoes are made by Unity Footwear, and the soles have wheels in them. They're not like roller skates - the wheels are smaller and only go forward. You can lock them by hitting a button on the toe, which will free them up again too. The shoe transforms the 'wasted' energy of your foot hitting the ground into forward velocity, making your foot move 10-20 centimeters when you step down on it. It works, and feels sort of like riding a bike when you stand up on hte pedals. The shoes are wildly popular, and kids love the Silver Dragons (the name is pure coincidence, really) because they make sparks. When wearing efficiency shoes, you add half your Bod to your Mov. Anyone from 2056 can own one automatically, while anyone else must spend 1 xp and a comic scene of trying to figure out how to use them. If you don't spend the XP, you roll Agility, diff 6. Succeed and you get the bonus for a sequence; fail and you fall over.

Eyeball Farms are...well, human eye cloning devices. See, in 2056, the retinal scan is the most popular form of ID. DNA samples can be used to clone new eyes, which takes a bout a die. It's a 90 minute operation to implant eyes, but really skilled eyeball farmers can do it in 30 minutes or less. That gets you into the accounts of whoever had the eyes you're wearing now. That's not the most common use of farmed eyeballs, though. More common is making new identities by creating eyes whose retinas have never been read into the Omnet. Almost every hospital has an underground black market eyeball farming ring that can get you registered as a newborn infant, usually for some insane fee. More advanced operations will create an entire new history for you! Note that there are other ways to recognize you - they're just not used as much.

The Gravity Crane is...well, a crane. The Architects know a hell of a lot about gravity and how to control it. The gravity crane works by making an object weightless (though not massless - the Architects can't control mass.) Gravity cranes resemble giant, ugly rugs. Stuff on them is much easier to get into position thanks to being weightless. Alternatively, you can set them to reverse gravity, sending everything on them shooting upwards very fast. Usually, you turn it off when your object is halfway to where you want, so that it'll slow down due to normal gravity. Then, when it hits the apex, you switch to null gravity. Timing this is usually left to computers, but can be done manually. All Gravity cranes have a safety mechanism limiting the amount of time reverse gravity can be active in a single period, to avoid accidents. I am sure you can think of plenty of stunts. Anything flying over a crane must make a Driving check, diff 8 in null gravity or 15 in reverse, to avoid crashing...unless they're expecting the change. It takes a diff 7 Fix-it roll and 10 shots to remove the safety features and allow reverse gravity to be on as long as you want. Sadly, turning the thing horizontal doesn't do anything - it only works vertically.

Only cops and military are allowed Hand Held Gravity Distortiny Utility Tools , AKA suckerlights. They look like flashlights and can be used like flashlights, though they have a strobe setting which can be used to take down folks who've had a Penal Restraining Operation. (More on that later.) They also have a gravity distortion setting. When turned on, everything the light touches is drawn toward the flashlight. The strength depends on how diffuse the beam is - wide is weak, narrow is strong. It's a lot like using a lasso, really. There's all kinds of uses for this thing - grabbing dropped guns, clinging to helicopters, whatever. The gravity feature even works if the light is covered, and the newest model uses infrared as well as normal light, for SWAT teams. These things are beloved by the black market, but they're hard to get - they have a self-destruct mechanism, see. It means each has 24 hours before it breaks itself unless reset at a Public Order station. Rumor has it this was put in to keep PubOrd officers from using the things to vacuum their homes, but probably it was for the black market. Suckerlights used to pull stuff into people have Damage 6. They have Strength 4 on diffuse beam or 5 when concentrated. Anyone with Strength over 5 automatically reissts being pulled, but anyone with 5 or lower has to roll Strength, diff 5, to stand their ground...while anyone holding the suckerlight with low Strength must roll to avoid letting go of the thing. If used to smack people, the thing deals damage as a club, but gets +1 damage if the suckerlight is on and uses the pull to augment the blow. You can use a suckerlight on someone in melee to cause 1 Impairment by throwing them off balance.

The Integrated Suspect Restraint Device is better known as a blackout sack. It looks like a hoop with a black skin, sort of like a tambourine. When you activate it, it expands in size, and the skin becomes a big, loose sack. You then contract it around someone. Basically, you put it over the head and arms and contract it into place. The fabric is completely opaque, but allows suspects to breathe, with difficulty. It is quite uncomfortable, and has an "extreme sanction" setting, which will suffocate people. The sack will not come off until a key is touched to a special button. Getting someone with a blackout sack is a Martial Arts check which takes 3 shots. Anyone in one takes 4 Impairment to anything requiring use of eyes, which can be negated by any schtick that negates blindness, and 2 Impairment to anything that uses arms (and yes, these stack). When it goes into extreme sanction, it can be cut by any edged weapon and has 6 HP and Toughness 3. Before that, it will stretch out of the way. The mouth can be pried open, but has Strength 9. Oh, and if hit by lightning or another strong electrical charge, the sack will expand until it pops.

Landridge Cutters resemble ballpoint pens with a bell guard. They work like buzzsaws, except they cut through anything. The cutting surface looks like a whirring, buzzing, glowing red disk, but is actually a loop of very strong, thin wire. There's a slider that adjusts how wide the disk is. The only problem with a landridge cutter is that the wire can break. When that happens, it makes big mess that snarls up and slashes everything - but it only happens when it hits things beyond its capacity: diamond, marble, metal thicker than a centimeter or another landridge cutter. These things, by the way? Really, really expensive. They are Strength+4 weapons, and armor works on them...once. At which point they destroy it. (Magical armor works normally.) Cutters malfunction in two cases - when used to cut through really tough stuff, like diamond or the armor of certain monsters and transformed animals, or if used in combat and you fumble. A malfunctioning cutter self-destructs, doing 10 damage to the wielder, which can be resisted as normal. A cutter used the wrong way even once is in danger of coming apart whenever it is used, even when being used appropriately.

The Lightweb Space Transformation System , usually shortened to lightweb, is a hologram projector for home use. It makes the area look like anything you want. You just aren't really there, sadly. Many companies have invested in giant lightwebs to integrate every office in their building, making them look really nice - like giant forests. (Only managers get brookside offices.) Integrated lightwebs also make most office supplies obsolete - your computer, for example, doesn't exist. It's a hologram that reacts to your touch and is routed through a computer somewhere else. Pen and paper don't exist, but can write on each other. There are subtle clues to identify where real walls are, but people from other junctures tend to be bad at spotting them, which can make gunfights interesting. Some police stations are experimenting with lightwebs to make the illusion of extra cops, to disorient prisoners, as well as hologram walls, to allow them to shoot at prisoners while unseen. These allow for great, surreal fight scenes and can be used as a metaphor for Buro as a whole: on the surface, things look good, but underneath is crap.

Officially, Loyalty Roaches don't exist. They started back in the 90s, with Ascended scientists working on self-directed spybots. They got made, but they were too expensive for what they were meant to do - shotgun mikes, hidden cameras and bribes were cheaper. When the Architects took over, the CDCA found the spybots and realized that a cockroach or spider could do everything they could do...except broadcast sound and audio. With 2056 tech, mounting cameras and microphones on a roach was easy. Thus, the loyalty roch was born. They are bioengineered to be superior to normal roaches and are used to spy on basically everything. People who watch roach cameras are known as Roach Rustlers. Officially, they don't exist, but everyone knows one, is related to one or knows someone who knows one. Usually, the roaches are allowed to go where they want, but the Roach Rustlers can command them via tiny shocks. These are great excuses to have PubOrd burst in without warning, if you need an excuse for some reason. They're immune to 2056 pesticides, but 90s bug spray will kill them. Secret warriors often sell 90s bug spray on the black market.

The Omnet is the evolution of TV and the internet. It is the sole provider of information for 90% of the planet. Shopping? Omnet. Banking? Omnet. Relecom systems? Omnet. Research? Omnet. Entertainment? Omnet. It has many interfaces, but it takes the form of miles and miles of cable and satellite data, routed through the government networks. Taxes were eliminated in 2056 because all transactions on the Omnet take a small cut for the government. And it is one of the ways everyone gets tracked, you know, in case you needed even more . Criminals often get Omnet privileges revoked. Particularly severe crimes can even get your entertainment entitlements taken away!

The Penal Restraining Operation is a medical procedure done to convicted criminals, who lose the right to control their own bodies. Gruesome experiments are reserved for the worst offenders, at least. Instead, the Penal REstraining Operation is done. It leaves a prominent scar, getting victims the nickname 'zipperheads', and makes the victim prone to epileptic fits in the presence of strobe lights and other bright flashes. Any zipperhead has a 50% chance of going into seizures for 2d6 minutes when exposed to these, and all prisons and public buildings have strobe lights for emergencies. The PRO can be reversed, but it costs lots of money. (Slap Patches, Healing Chi or sorcerous healing can fix it easily, though.)

The Phallusaurus Machine Pistol is a horrible, horrible idea. It is a machine pistol with a five foot clip. A .22 machine pistol. Tiny damage, but you're never going to have to reload. The gun was built for the popular game show Combat Shopping. The clip has a metal spike that can be used to attack with, dealing Strength+4 damage, or it can be pokedi nto the floor to help stabilize your gun. It became wildly popular due to looking cool and having a stupidly macho name. The government was initially hesitant to give cops such a silly gfun, but a test case in Toronto showed that people were intimidated by the Phallusaurus (As Seen On TV!), and resisting arrest went down by 4%. Good enough. These guns arei llegal for civilian ownership and posession is considered Blatant Intent To Commit Homicide. The clip holds 200 shots, and the gun basically sucks. If fired without being poked into the floor for stability, it has -1 to hit. When fired on full auto, it has no "free" bursts before penalties start. It can't be used with Both Guns Blazing, Eagle Eye, Fast Draw or Lightning Reload (but you'll never need to reload this thing). This is a weapon from a game show and it is designed not to kill folks easily. It also gets -1 to all melee attacks made with it unless the clip is empty, because it is so poorly balanced.

Productivity Drugs are the latest way to get high and relax. You get the comfort of Prozac, the relaxation of alcohol and just a bit of opium's complete apathy, but there's no hangover, lethargy or wait for it to kick in. As a result, there is not actually a black market for most drugs. Hallucinogens have a narrow market, and tobacco is pretty big, but that's it. About 65% of the population uses Productivity Drugs on some level, and 13% cannot get out of bed in the morning without them. About 1% of that 13% felt bad about that. These also slightly impair critical thinking and provide a greater tolerance for dull, repetitive tasks, all without loss of alertness and manual dexterity. In short: it makes you shut up and do your job. Most people in 2056 don't realize this, they just know the drugs make them less miserable. And the drugs can't be bad for you, or Buro wouldn't sell 'em, right? Taking one dose of Productivity Drugs makes you mellow, pleasant and agreeable. It also lowers your Chi (and all of its secondary attributes) by 1, and your Intelligence and Willpower by 2. These both last for around an hour. Multiple doses are cumulative; the only benefit is that you feel better, and PubOrd is a little less suspicious of folks with the distant expression of a habitual user. Lots of Jammers and Free Sex Militants are actually addicted to these, they just feel safe and happy while blowing shit up instead of working in the vats.

Yuuzik is a special rig with earphones, a heartrate monitor and a facial response reader. It designs and plays constant music based on your mood. Sure, you lose a bit of perception, but hey, no worse than a boombox, right? A standard rig learns your tastes by seeing what sounds make you wince and what sounds make you smile. This means Yuuzik is highly personalizes, and some were even stolen and held for ransom before a backup feature was installed. Some folks love Yuuzik so much they wear it everywhere. Everywhere . Others hate Yuuzik.

The Zogeevator is too fun for the poor, and is found only in high rent apartments, Buro complexes and really expensive department stores. The word is a compression of 'zero gravity elevator', though it's not really an elevator. It's a shaft. At the bottom is a machine that nulls gravity. There are handleso n the walls to climb with if you want, or electromagnetic tracks so you don't have to do anything at all. If a zogee field unexpectedly stops, there is an airbag at the bottom of the shaft. The trigger for the airbag is suspended over the zero gee device, under the floor, so normal gravity triggers it. Some people have learned that if they hit the floor hard enough, it knocks the trigger down, since only inertia holds it up. Thus, the bag inflates. If you're standing on the bag when it inflates and the field is still on, you get shot up to the top of the shaft really fast. Fun! The Great Mall in Buro's capital city, Capital, has a zogeevator that's 35 meters across, with a fan to pull people up. At the top are handholds to getover the side and get to the shops. If you want to get down, you pull yourself with the handholds. SPUD-U pilots always keep track of zogeevators, since the field usually extends about a mile above the building, and that's why zogee field generators are illegal for private use.

Next time: GM Secret Devices!

I thought your 'Cop Channel' said we must run for a full day to be free.

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: I thought your 'Cop Channel' said we must run for a full day to be free.

Okay. Some tools the players won't have access to unless they break into a secure Buro base or, somehow, are trusted Buro troopers. Deathsabers are quite appropriately named. They resemble suckerlights, but the pull is weaker and the range is shorter. On the other hand, they can do two other things: First, they can push as well as pull. Second, they can "vibe", oscillating between push and pull very, very quickly. When vibing, the deathsaber makes a loud noise, like metal being sawed. It creates a gravity column a centimeter wide and 3 meters long. In this column, every piece of matter is pulled in and pushed away about a hundred times a second, and is probabgly shaken to pieces. You swing it around like a sword. Also, it causes enough friction to ignite wood, melt lead and char flesh. A deathsaber blade starts transparent, but eventually traps smoke, dust and matter particles and becomes a smoky gray-black column. Deathsabers are incredibly expensive, and only TacOps gets them.

A deathsaber fortunately does not get a Strength bonus to damage. It deals (3+Outcome) damage...but it ignores both armor and Toughness and is impossible to parry. Holding a deathsaber is very hard on your hand, though. You take -1 to all Martial Arts attacks with it during the first sequence you use it, and the penalty goes up by cumulatively every sequence. If you turn the saber off for a full sequence to rest your hand, you start over at the -1 penalty. You can also use a deathsaber as a suckerlight, but it only has Strength 2. It can push objects as well as pull them, but it has no light to use as a guide.

The Disintegorator Ray is only given out when heavy resistance is expected, like rogue abominations. When fired, it shoots a silent ray that seperates any matter it hits into component elements. The ray looks like a thin flame with heat distortion over it. A steady shot will shoot a hole about five centimeters deep and two centimeters wide into anything. Of course, against living targets, steady shots are rare. The problem with energy that disintegrates anything, though, is that it's hard to contain. Buro hasn't figured out how to do it yet, so you can't reload a disintegrator ray. When the last shot is fired, the weapon dissovles. This is annoying, but less annoying than the idea of Jammers getting their hands on the thing. They come equipped with a camera on the barrel, so Buro can keep track of what you're shooting. The grunts, of course, rarely get told about the fact that monitors can remotely stop the gun from firing, remotely fire the gun or destroy the thing completely. Sometimes, Buro lets these fall into dissident hands on purpose, then start firing them when they get examined.

Disintegrator rays do 13 damage, kill mooks really easy, and have ten shots. Any armor they hit works once and is then destroyed, unless it's magical in some way or is granted by a schtick. You can disable the remote control and self destruct with a Fix-it roll at diff 15. These things aren't too unbalancing due to the limit on firing them. The big drawback, also? If you get a fumble, all the shots go off at once in random directions. For each shot remaining, start with the wielder making a Fortune check. If it fails, wielder gets hit. Then you start picking people the wielder's fighting. Check their Fortune. Continue alternating sides until the gun is empty and self-destructs. The only gun schticks that work with this gun are Both Guns Blazing, Eagle Eye and Fast Draw, and you can't start the game with a disintegrator.

The Eardrummer and Nosey are Buro spy gadgets. Buro loves being sneaky. And violent. And cruel. And arrogant. But sneaky is what matters here. The eardrummer goes in your ear. No anesthesia or special instruments needed - you get a compressed air gun stuck in the ear, it fires, there's a painfully loud noise and BAM! It's in. (Sometimes Buro tells recruited agents from the 90s that the airgun is standard procedure to inoculate against airborne AIDS.) The eardrummer uses your eardrum as a sounding surface, and anything you hear, it hears. It can also broadcast sound to you that only you can hear if Buro feels like it. A slightly larger variant can actually crawl into your ear of its own accord with only a momentary sting and ear-popping feeling. These are tricky, though, since there's guidance gear or cameraas. Eardrummers are often voluntarily accepted by Buro operatives. It shows your patriotism and it's nice to be able to call for backup at any time.

The nosey is more elaborate. It gets installed in your sinus cavity, causing nasal congestion and headaches. One plug goes to the eardrum and works like an eardrummer, while another leads a fiber optic camera up to where your tear duct used to be. (The tear duct gets removed.) Traitor bombs (we'll get to those) are often used in conjunction with noseys, but there's all sorts of other remote devices to kill people that you can fit to eardrummers or noseys! They just prefer the arcanowave bomb for innerwalkers. Noseys and eardrummers don't set off metal detectors, run on body heat and can't broadcast across junctures, so you can only be spied in on the same juncture. Eardrummers can be knocked loose; if you take five or moer wounds in a blow or gunshot to the head, it gets knocked out (modified by Fortune, depending on if you wanted to be monitored or not).

The firing tripod or fipod is a gut-high column with a 30 centimeter base. The base has treads for moving on even surfaces and a kick button that activates a null-gravity unit. This lets you use huge, ungainly weapons even if you can't lift them! A few drawbacks, though. When you mount the gun, you need a way to steer it, so they put a steering wheel on theb ack. When you push the wheel, the thing moves forward. Turn it, it goes left or right. However, since you also use these controls to fire, it can be tricky to get used to. Further, the fipod only works with specially modified guns, and because the trigger is on the back of the gun, you can't fire it normally if the fipod breaks. (Barring monsters with sufficiently long limbs and strength.) Fipods can also be used creatively by removing the gun and using the thing as a frictionless, all-terrain skateboard. Fipods remove the strength restriction from the mounted gun, but give -1 to your Guns roll unless you're trained in their use. Only Carnival of Carnage, Eagle Eye, Lightning Reload and Signature Weapon work with fipod-mounted weapons.

Flying Victory Ammunition was developed to get past metal detectors in the 20th century. (Buro prefers microwave radars.) Flying Victory has no metal in it, and comes in any caliber. However, it's very expensive, so you need a good reason to get ahold of it. Handy! Since being made, Buro has taken to using airport murders, and are even making the metal-less Reliants (we'll get to them) to look like cheap toys to get past security.

The Grav/Antigrav Oscillating Beam System , or GOBS, is a gigantic deathsaber. It can push or pull, but that's rare. More often, it's a weapon. Its beam is 10 centimeters wide and up to half a mile long. Luckily, the GOBS is also huge - 3 meters long, 1 meter thick - and that's without the power pack. These things are only found on buildings or mounted on vehicles that might as well be buildings. They have Strength 20, and deal 50 damage that ignores Toughness and armor. Any unnamed NPC in the way just vaporizes, period. Fortunately, the thing is so slow that everyonge gets +5 to dodge it.

Lie Detectors are in all Buro interrogation chambers, hidden from sight. You can't shield yourself from them, and portable sets are available, though not very useful. See, they can't be made smaller than a large trunk and they definitely aren't covert, so it's obvious when they're in use. At the high end are the ArcanoEncephalographs, which monitor brain waves, but these aren't portable, ever, and are found only in real hotspots, like Texas. Lie detectors add +5 to the difficulty of all Deceive attempts. ArcanoEncephalographs, found only in CDCA or BuroMil hQs, add +10.

The Madame Curie Microwave Laser Cannon is qa terrifying weapon, and microwave lasers penetrate a lot better than visible light ones. It's a giant rifle that usually gets found on vehicles. It only gets used with large-scale work, like Jammer attacks or multiple rogue abominations. Most police stations only have one. They never run out of ammo, deal 15 damage and ignore all armor. Unless mounted, they need Strength 11 to carry and no starting PC is getting one of these. Also, they break easy in the field. When they malfunction, they never jam. They always break. It takes a Fix-It roll outside combat at diff 15 - and failure means it broke for good (except for Signature Weapons). The only gun schticks that work with this are Eagle Eye and Signature Weapon.

Microwave Radar is Buro's preferred detection device. They're about the size of a CD player and scan an area the size of a human body. They display the different densities of matter within that area, and even eardrummers show up clearly. It's also a great diagnostic tool for doctors, since it can ID broken bones. Some cops have helmets with one built in, and they reduce the difficulty of detecting hidden weapons by 10 as well as providing vision in total darkness. (Though it's topgraphical - no reading in the dark, just shapes!) The helmets are also bulletproof, providing 4 Armor to the head, and usually have radios. TacOps in the 90s usually get micrader sets disguised as walkmans and sunglasses.

The Buro Reliant was a gun developed when Bonengel got mad about Buro's weapon jam problems. It never jams. Ever. It also never breaks. You can do anything to it and it will work. Freeze it, run it over with a tank, set it on fire, feed to an alligator, it'll work. (They tested that last one.) The reason? Very few moving parts. It fires by using an electric charge from crystal electrodes. The barrel opens a microsecond before the bullet leaves and closes right after, forming a watertight seal. The drawback? It takes 15 minutes to reload and can't be done in combat, since it needs a special reload kit. The gun, incidentally, floats in water. There is no metal in its construction at all, so it can be taken on 90s airplanes. It never jams, even on a fumble.

The Single Pilot Urban Defense Unit or SPUD-U is an antigravity motorcycle. It runs on a 10 hour battery for normal use, or 4 hours at top speed (around 260 kilometers per hour). It turns on a dime, stops like a car with antilock brakes, can take off and land vertically and looks really cool. It operates by making a zero-g field below and gravitational suction in front, like surfing a gravity wave. Most cities have around ten, and only the best cops get to use 'em. They're armed, depending on model. Standard is two Blue Spears synched by computer in the helmet, so they point at whatever the pilot looks at. There's also a net weapon, which shoots a 3 meter polymer net covered in goo that leaves a nasty stain. Anyone hit is glued to the ground or wall until they break free, and the gun has three nets. Also there's usually a shotgun in the cockpit.

The SPUD-U-H, or Hellzapopper, is equipped instead with a Hellharrower, which can only be fired straight ahead, since pointing it to the side would send the SPUD-U into a barrel roll. Like a helipcopter, SPUD-Us are not built for barrel rolls. The SPUD-U-H is found only in trouble spots, like Texas, and has no net shooter. The SPUD-U-A, or Arcanowave variant, is restricted and issued only to very loyal innerwalkers. It looks alive, breathes even when turned off and has an AI/O port to interface with the driver. It has a single weapon mount suitable for Helix Rethreader, Helix Ripper, Helix Activator, Tracer Resin Projector or Wave Suppressor, with extension cord to plug into the pilot. Some SPUD-U-As have standard machine guns instead. The SPUD-U-AH, or Hellbound variant, has a Hellharrower attached. The SPUD-U-AD or disintegrator variant is widely considered a myth.

The SPUD-U has a Move of 75 in normal combat, and the difficulty of hitting it goes up by 12 at top speed, but it blows up after 35 wound points. A called shot that hits the front gravity unit does double damage. Breaking the nets is a diff 10 Strength check. The pilot can fire both guns at once at anyone right below, behind or in front of them, using only one attack roll. Helloharrowers can only shoot straight ahead and have effectively infinite ammo. SPUD-U-AD is real and has ten disintegrator rays set up so that when one is used up, it gets automatically replaced. That's a hundred shots! However, if you botch when shooting one, the whole SPUD-U blows up and the pilot only gets a DEath Check if the GM is feeling merciful. There are exactly six of these. One got blown up and the other five are in storage. The project leader got a reprimand from Team Joy and is now one of the most cheerful vat workers in Liberty City. His chief engineer is in charge of changing his diapers.

The Woodchuck 70mm Missile is a missile, 70 millimeters wide and 20 centimeters long. They are fired from bazookas, vehicle-mounted guns or ground-defense installations. They do 25 damage, and it takes Strength 8 to use the bazookas unless you'r braced or have a fipod. Anyone within 10 meters of impact takes 12 damage. There is no guidance system, but heat-seeking or laser-guided systems can be added with a diff 10 Fix-It check. Heat-seekers use a Guns skill of 10 regardless of the skill of the user, and laser-guided Woodchucks give a +1 bonus but take an extra shot to fire.

Remember Yuuzik ? It delivers subliminal messages. The traditional problem is that too blatant messages get noticed too quiet messages get issed. The gap is narrow and constantly changes. The only way to reliably program someone's subconscious is to have feedback - the same feedback Yuuzik needs. There are three messages played: 'Love Buro' when you're relaxed and happy, 'Fear PubOrd' when tense and anxious, and 'Bonengel' with whatever sound gets the most consistently positive reaction. The messages play maybe once or twice every few hours of use, but those who use it for more than four hours a day or so tend to get indoctrinated, providing a -1 to all actions taken against PubOrd officers and requiring a diff 3 Willpower check to do anything that might hurt Bonengel himself.

Now then - new arcanowave devices! The Chi Wave Monitor/Mapper looks like a clamshell the size of a dinner plate. When opened, a spongy, sticky keyboard inflates and the top half is filled with a smeary goo that works sort of like a computer screen. It is a sophisticated chi detector that can map chi flow in a single floor of a building or out to a mile in open ground. (It stops mapping at walls, floors and ceilings because chi stops flowing at them.) It stores these maps, which reveal feng shui sites, and can print them out bif you fold a piece of paper, put it in the shell and name the map you want. The printouts are a bit smelly, though. These don't get assigned to frontline troops much - they're not that useful for them and are very expensive. They mostly get assigned to geomancers and mission coordinators, and have no effect in combat.

The Emergency Jumpstart Arcanowave System , or EJAS, allows someone with no AI/O ports to use arcanowave devices. The EJAS resembles a meaty greenish glove with black, chitinous warts on the joints and pores that exude goo. The back of the glove has an AI/O port. To understand why this isn't a great device, you have to remember: arcanotech is alive. It's not intelligent, but it is very angry. It wants to be used, and it mutates folks to get a better platform to operate from. Since it's angry, it wants to kill anyone it can't mutate in a process called 'unraveling'. More on that later. Abominations are well-suited to wreaking havoc, so arcanotech accepts them. People with the Arcanowave skil lget mutated, but won't be unraveled since they're at least meeting the tech halfway. Someone without any skill who puts on an EJAS will suffer. The injury can take any form. Those with the Arcanowave skill don't need a schtick to use an EJAS and basically just get an AI/O port out of it. Users without the Arcanowave skill who put one on can use whatever device is plugged in as if they had Arcanowave Device +3. However, they take 5 wounds each time they use it. On a snake-eyes roll, they get all the same malfunction results as normal. And if you take 10 points of damage from it in a fight and fail any kind of Death Check, you don't just die - you unravel on the spot, as if a Traitor Bomb had gone off in you. (We'll get to that next time.)

The GateMaker resembles a cross between a telescope and a slug. When activated, it makes a portal to the Netherworld. This can be great - if you get cornered, it's an escape hatch with little chance of ambush n the other side. However, it's hard to predict where you'll end up. That's why more Jammers use these than Buro. Also, it can't get you out of the Netherworld, just into it. The Buro GateMaker 2.1 has a built-in beacon that activates when the device is turned on and continues until turned off manually. This alerts the Biomass Reprocessing Center to send a retrieval squad to pick you up. Alternately, a hit squad, if you stole it. Oh, and there's no way to know how long the gate stays open. To get the thing to work, you roll Arcanowave Device, diff 10. Then the GM starts counting time. It stays open for a number of sequences equal to the number rolled on the positive die, but the GM won't tell the players that , so they can feel super cool for figuring it out. And yes, someone can chase you through the thing.

Next time: The worst forcefield ever, traitor bombs and the life and times of Curtis Boatman!

But at the BHP they made me happy, and when you're happy all the time, distinctions like right and wrong lose their meaning.

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: But at the BHP they made me happy, and when you're happy all the time, distinctions like right and wrong lose their meaning.

The Gravity Distortion Sphere was developed based on the deathsaber. See, the techs started wondering how they could make a spinning bubble of gravity distortion to knock away bullets. They ran into two problems, though - first, a near-miss could be turned into a hit by the distortion, and second, getting gravity into a sphere rather than a straight line was really hard. The bubble problem proved unsolvable until CDCA got involved, using arcanowaves to hook the device into a living being and allowing the subconscious to sculpt the gravity form. Sure, this meant only cyborgs and abominations were getting the things, but oh well . The solution to the near miss problem was to layer additional bubbles inside the first, spinning in different directions. Six layers was enough to stop almost anything. However, they ended up causing a lot of heat - enough to combust any loose oxygen in the air when the thing got turned on. So anyone inside the sphere got fried. It also ran out of oxygen in there really quick.

The scientists added an oxygen tank and planned a fireproof suit, but the thing was just getting really delicate at this point. That was when someone pointed out that you'd have as much trouble shooting out as shooting in, between the gravity walls and the fire. The CDCA wrote the thing off. A few working models had the oxygen tank incorporated, but the fireproof suit was too expensive. The thing only gets issued to fire-proof creatures, and even they have trouble. There's a few more problems: First, it's really, incredibly loud. You're not going to sneak up on anything, or hear anything less than a shout. It leaves a burned, semi-molten trail behind you. And dear god, never use it on a flimsycatwalk or anywhere there might be a gas main under your feet. Now, rules-wise, the device projects a two to three meter diameter sphere around you. Anyone trying to punch or kick you must reach through the field and take 10 wound points from the gravity and fire. The difficulty of shooting someone in the field is at +10, between the fire blocking vision and the gravity walls. Any hand-to-hand weapon that goes through is shattered, burned or melted, unless it's magical or being used with a fu schtick. Those are fine. (And I suppose signature weapons count, since Signature Weapon is a fu schtick!) The person inside the field takes 10 damage per sequence from heat, so I hope you're immune to that. Oh, and you run out of air after the first sequence, so you start following drowning rules unless you have an oxygen tank. If you punch or kick outside the field, you take 10 damage due to gravity walls and fire. If you use a weapon, it mightb e ruined as above. All ranged weapons fired out from inside have +10 difficulty to hit with. Good luck! (And, of course, enemies can try to kill your oxygen tank.)

The Helix Activator is a revolver which resembles a human face, stretched out horribly. The barrel is a nostril, the hinge to reload from is the jaw, and bullets are loaded where the teeth would go. When it's plugged in, blind eyes on the trigger guard open. The bullets have their own faces as well, which disturbs some operatives. Anyone hit by a bullet from a Helix Activator mutates, growing tentacles, mouths, demonic claws and so on out of the area struck. The bullet itself is harmless, but the demonic limbs attack their 'owner.' You grow bullets by plugging the empty casings into an AI/O port for ten minutes. Each bullet you grow adds 1 to your mutation check for the session. The gun has to be plugged in to fire, but doesn't add to the mutaiton check. The patch of demonic limbs it creates is considered an unnamed hcaracter. Its martial arts starts at 10 and drops by 1 per shot. The limbs can attack their host every shot, until the Martial Arts hits 0, when they are reabsorbed or fall off. They do get to act the shot they are created. Anyone hit has 1 Impairment per patch of mutant limbs. If an unnamed character gets hit and the Outcome is 5 or more, they are ripped apart by the mutation; otherwise, they get off scot free. Also - keep track of the damage the target does the limbs. When they go away, the target takes that damage, too. Anyone hit by a Helix Activator has to make a mutation check at the end of the session, with the difficulty going up by 1 for each shot they took from it. Taken as a signature weapon, the Helix Activator's mutant limbs start at Martial Arts 13.

The Temporal Perception Suppressor is a small, ugly handgun made of what appear to be tarantula legs, with mucus-covered cartilage where the trigger would be. Yes, you have to shove your finger into it. It shoots an invisible ray of energy. Anyone hit with the ray closes their eyes and stands perfectly still as long as the beam is on them. When the beam is interrupted or blocked, either by turning off or something getting in the way, the subject opens their eyes but has no sense of time passing while the eyes were closed. If everything appears the same, the subject believes they blinked, even if hours have passed. If things are different, it's startling, but does not disorient enough to keep them from reacting. The Architects, needless to say, adore this thing. Known as fazers in the field, despite CDCA's best efforts, they are used for spying and implanting traitor bombs without the targets ever realizing. There's just one problem with them.

They affect the user, too. Exactly as if they were the target. To make an immobile target, you have to become an immobile target. There's a timer on the back - an analog clock with little bone hands. The time is set by mental command before you fire. If no command is given, it defaults to whatever you set as the default. You stay frozen until the timer runs out or the gun is unplugged. Changing the timer setting takes 1 shot, and it counts time in shots instead of seconds, for easy of use. The game suggests preventing abuse by having any player that uses it go stand out of the room while it's in use. Thus, they will avoid abusing it in combat because they miss out on the fun. It can't be a signature weapon.

Traitor bombs are much less humane and decent than other methods of killing traitors. They're an arcanowave device around the size and shape of a house key. They get implanted directly inside you, usually in the appendix. Once they're in, Buro will either tell you, show you the timer which will blow it up, and demonstrate their ability to stop the timer, add time to it and, importantly, remove time from it. You do what you're told or you die. Alternatively, they don't tell you it's in there at all. These things don't get picked up by metal detectors, since there's no metal parts, but Divination will definitely find them. X-rays might, but they're often set to detonate if x-rayed. Buro will wait to blow them until you go to some secure feng shui site with your traitor buddies, usually.

When a traitor bomb goes off, it doesn't just kill you. It unravels you. See, arcanowaves can get really angry , and they will wipe you out utterly, releasing your chi in a horrible explosion that permanently sours the local feng shui. First, you take 27 wound points from a big explosion. If you die, the chi is soured here. Otherwise, you can try to fight off unraveling by rolling Arcanowave Device (or Constitution), diff 10. You may permanently lower your Bod or Chi to get +5 per point you lower them by. This represents literally burning your own body before the arcanowaves can, thus keeping them from doing it. If you succeed, you suppress the unraveling. Fail, you take another 13 damage and must make an immediate Death check. (Well, unless you're a Big Bruiser.) If you survive, you're one really tough guy and can be rushed to a hospital. The area is still ruined for feng shui, though. The Fertility schtick can repair the area, but the difficulty is equal to your Arcanowave action value, plus your Chi score. (If you burned off Chi and still died, you use the lesser Chi score. Not if you survived, though.) The game warns GMs to be very careful about using these and always to give PCs a chance for ample vengeance afterwards.

The Transtemporal Vocal Communicaiton Device looks like a pair of bat wings with computer chips in them. When unfolded, there's a keypad in the middle, which includes buttons for each juncture. It's basically a cell phone that can call across time. Buro has given up trying to get peopl to stop calling it a batphone. The batphone can only call other batphones, and receiving a call makes the thing chitter so you can plug it in and answer it. Connections are notoriously staticky, especially over long temporal periods. Some agents claim that people can intercept calls, probably ghosts or monsters. Every time you plug in a phone, you add 1 to your mutation check at the end of the session. Don't get a wrong number. And no, there's no way to turn the ringer off, so these can go off in stealth situations and mess you up. If the Transtemporal Communications Cable is finished, the batphones will be able to call normal phones as well and have no static, but they'll be phased out since normal phones will work just fine for crosstime work, too.

Variable Mass Weaponry was developed whan a CDCA tech got drunk and wondered why Helix Rippers way less when plugged in. When he recovered from the hangover, he was inspired, carefully working alone to develop VM weapons. (Unfortunately, he ended up mutating into an abomination thanks to that care, but he did get a cushy guard post job as a reward.) See, the guy decided to mess around with inertia. You plug in a helix ripper, it's lighter, you can swing it faster. What if you unplugged it just before it hit? All the speed, three times the weight. Triple the inertia. Best of the both worlds! BM wepaons triple their weight the moment they strike, increasing damage. VM bullets increase their mass when fired, making them hit much harder. (This doesn't pull them off course. Science.) They're available as clubs, daggers, swords or bullet growth kits. The kits allow up to six bullets to be grown at any one time, then you have to wait for more. All VM wepaons are greenish, feel slimy, and have screaming faces somewhere on them.

A VM weapon in melee does extra damage. A dagger does Strength+4 instead of Strength+3, clubs and swords do Strength+5 or Strength +6 instead of +3 or +4, respectively. For each sequence one of these is plugged in, you get +1 difficulty to your mutation checks. Bullets are different. When you grow one, you pick how much bonus damage it does, between +1 and +4. For each point, you add one to your mutation check. And yes, this counts from each bullet, and you grow up to six at once. This is why they only issue six shells - people mutate fast enough with these things.

We cut over to Jef now. He and the other escapees are running low on bullets, but the people that enter are...his girlfriend and her buddies. Who, it turns out, framed Jef with the intent that he'd betray her and get them both hit with minor misdemeanor charges. See, they're Free Sex Militia. Except...Jef didn't, and she realized she really did love him. Or so she claims. The Free Sex Militia did it because they needed the guns they'd used Jef's face to smuggle. Chang approves of the Free Sex Militia, but mostly out of racism. He's kind of a racist. He suspects they aren't as fond of Jef as they claim, but he keeps that to himself. As the group flees, they are ambushed, and Jef saves Chang's life, telling him to go and leave him behind. Chang does so, as his mission is more important. Jef, meanwhile, gets taken by Buro and sent to the Bureau of Happiness and PRoductivity. It's harder than the torture was - because it doesn't hurt. He's just...happy. All the time. And when you're happy all the time, you stop caring about right and wrong.

Now then. Curtis Boatman , one of the two most powerful men in 2056. He's half the reason the world's so terrible. The chi focuses on him and his desires, prejudices and beliefs. He's very powerful - he can use any and all arcanowave schticks, but he's immune to fumbles and mutation, and doesn't need to plug in to use them - his entire body surface is one big AI/O port thanks to the world's chi. Also, in 2056, he gets +10 to all Seduce rolls. See, Curtis is....a prick. He's a selfish, arrogant prick who cares about nothing but his own pleasure. He's the only man in the world who never eats vat food. He has a huge greenhouse of rare plants, and a huge list of rare and exotic mistresses. His wife suspects, but she's married to a scumbag with all the chi in the world. He wants her to feel guilty for suspecting, and to suffer for it - and so she does. He wants her to be miserably devoted to him. So she is.

Left to himself, Boatman would just be living it up in a life of pleasure and indulgence. His ambitions have been achieved, and he sees the whole structure as existing to bring him enjoyment. He has, thus, really come to hate Bonengel. Bonengel can't accept that they've won, the work is over. Bonengel keeps rocking the boat. Boatman thinks he'll wreck everything, but at least the Secret War came along to distract the guy. Boatman has plans, if the Secret War starts going badly, to replace Bonengel. He's ensuring that CDCA is loyal to him, personally, that CDCA controls the abominations...and he's growing clones. Bonengel doesn't know about the clones. Almost no one does. The first person he cloned, see, was Bonengel. Boatman plans to kill Bonengel at some point, and the clone is to prevent riots. Most early experiments failed and had to be put out of their misery, but Boatman's cloning has improved.

Now, he has the spitting image of Bonengel, General Olivert and several other prominent allies of the Buropresident. Boatman has lots of plans for these clones, but one problem: they haven o souls. At least, that's how Boatman explains their inability to use chi and magic energy and their resistance to such powers. (In fact, he's started wondering if the Jammers are soulless, too, including his ex-lover, Laura Villaverde. The thought amuses him.) Boatman's clones also don't have much a moral sense, but that might just be a product of their environment, since while they range in physucally being between 8 and 67 years old, not one is older than 10 and their emotional maturity is lacking. They're quite clever, but are very bad at not getting instant gratification, seeing things objectively or forgiving insults. If Bonengel were to discover that Boatman has cloned him, there'd be an open rift between the two, diminishing their ability to fight outside threats. And, of course, an escaped clone would be rife with possibilities for cool action scenes.

Unlike Boatman, Johann Bonengel has a conscience. He likes to see himself as a good person. He needs to. In fact, not just a good person. The best person. A savior. Man's got a bit of a messiah complex. Unlike most dictators, he doesn't just want to be obeyed. He's obeyed easily - chi ensures that. But he wants everyone to agree with him. That's why he's so obsessed with destroying the Jammers - it is utterly intolerable to him that someone could look at his utopia and reject it. This rather warped view has its roots in his personal history. He used to be in love with a Sri Lankan woman, Danusha...but she was beaten to death by skinheads while visiting him in Berlin, since they disapproved of her association with an Aryan like Johann. This spurred Bonengel into politics: he wanted a world where ethnic crimes and personal violence are forbidden. He's close - and the only cost has been human rights.

He got sent onto the world stage when Haiti was destroyed. See, there was a virus called the Melter, which killed victims hideously and painfully. An airborne strain arose in Haiti, and Bonengel took responsibility for cordoning off the nation and shooting enough missiles and bombs at it to turn the place to rubble. That wasn't enough - he used a weather control satellite, the Fist of Shiva, to utterly wipe the place off the map. The year after Haiti was destroyed, massive weather disruptions ruined most of the world's crops. More civic disorder, Bonengel to the rescue again. He stopped the wars. He built the vat-food factories. And when the dust cleared, he was Buropresident.

A few years later, Boatman explained to him that his personal chi had probably caused the wars, the Melter and even Danusha's death, all to fulfill his self-image as a noble, martyred savior. Bonengel did not take this well at all, and it was the start of the split between him and Boatman. Everything Buro's done seems hollow to Johann now. He feels like he's a puppet driven by his own unconscious and the feng shui. The secret war is everything - because for the first time, his opponents match him. They aren't strawmen set up by his own chi to be knocked down. Bonengel needs to win - his sanity and his soul are at stake. He's a really powerful dude in 2056, incidentally. While there, anyone who tries to hurt him must roll Willpower against his Charisma each attack, or they spend the shots dithering and not attacking. He gets an extra positive die on all rolls in 2056. And while there, whenever he tries to convince someone of something, they roll Will, diff 6, or believe it as long as they're in his presence. He can't do that last one in combat, though.

Dan Dammer, Jammer Slammer grew up in one of the ugliest wars of Buro's rise to power. He remembers very little of it, but after years of therapy he has become a public, rich and beloved member of the cops. He's more than just a cop, realy - he's a celebrity. He has his own show on cop Channel. He's a huge man, extremely handsome and the exception all beat cops have in their disdain for the pretty boys with the syndicated shows. Dan's a real cop - he's been stabbed, hurled out winders and even shot in the face. If he acts like he's got something to prove...well, he does. Dan has a recurring nightmare - himself and his sister Cindy fleeing something. Something horrible. It gets her, and he runs. He leaves her, and Cindy dies. Few know that Dan's parents were resistance fighters, though he's been told. It fuels his hatred for the Jammers, whom he thinks led his parents astray. What he hasn't been told? The thing he fled, the horror he dreams about...that was one of the first cyborg squads, sent to take down his parents. If he ever learned the truth, it might destroy him.

Desdemona Deathangel is, in many ways, an emblem for the Buro. The average consume loves Bonengel but fears Buro. Desdemona is both loved and feared. On TV, she is seen only in her extremely attractive human form, and a few blurry glimpses of her transformed abomination state. Everyone knows no one survives seeing that. The networks always want to interview Desdemona, but CDCA won't allow it. They'll have to live with soundbites and cheesecake pinups. There's a very good reason for this: Desdemona is completely evil and utterly incapable of hiding it. She's too dumb to lie and has never needed to. It'd be a PR nightmare to let her answer questions. For example - she eats people. Once a week, to survive. She prefers babies, but CDCA has kept her on a diet of criminals.

Desdemona is a terror weapon. She can't be trusted to show discretion, so it's only safe to unleash her when total destruction is the goal. Now that the world is pacified, she's pretty obsolete, though she can be used in the Netherworld or in 69 AD. She has no neural grepper, incidentally. The only thing keeping her obedient is the fact that the Architects keep her happy. The CDCA knows she'll desert them in a moment if they don't, but they haven't told the rest of the government yet. (And yeah, she's super dumb. Mnd 3, though Cha 12 in human form just on raw sex appeal.)

Next time: Blowing up 2056!

I must have miscounted. There was supposed to be one left for me.

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: I must have miscounted. There was supposed to be one left for me.

Sonja Maccarrelli has been shit on by life. She started out okay - a colonel's daughter who went into the military and performed bravely in Texas. She got promoted, got on TV, had a bunch of Jammers try to assassinate her and killed them all. She gets promoted to TacOps and made an arcanowave cyborg. They don't tell her about the side effects. Not until she mutates horribly, becoming a mass of bleeding steel and burning skin. Once that happens, they tell her they're going to give her a neural grepper, to kill her if she disobeys orders. Except Sonja's never disobeyed orders - ever. Her mother had been made a general by this point and pulled some strings. Bonengel himself comes down to see her, asks her if she's going to rebel and needs the device. Answer: Sir, no, sir.

Bonengel personally orders the grepper not be installed. Sonja is devoted to him from this point. Everything she does is for Bonengel. She handles the vivisection as they study her regeneration, learns to become human again, regains her mental faculties - all for him. TacOps sends her on some dangerous missions - most notably, Operation Tent Pole, where she goes up against a demon called the Mother of Corruption and the Dragon called Ting Ting. She ends up nearly dead and calls for reinforcements...but hears on the radio that none are coming. Not for "just an abomination." Somehow, she drags herself back. At this point, Sonja hates BuroMil. She loathes the CDCA. She is in this for Bonengel - and Bonengel alone. She was offered a job on his bodyguard team, but turned it down out of fear that she'd fail him. Instead, she's his personal independent TacOps agent.

Sonja hates her abomination form and avoids using it if at all possible. (She's actually worse at fighting in it.) However, her Inevitable Comeback always returns her to that form, and it takes a Will check to turn human again in a half-hour, excruciatingly painful transformation. Her abomination form resembles a steel hawk with a whole lot of internal organs shoved inside it. Every movement tears open her organs, making blood flow down her metal form, but the wounds immediately heal. She can't speak in this form, and if threatened is likely to lash out at random or flee. She also cannot use guns or most of her arcanowave schticks.

Now we get away from named folks. Well, sort of. There's Bonechills , which are...the worst thing that can be done to you if you get arrested. The BHP turns these people into loyal minions. They resemble sociopaths - no remorse, no empathy, but unlike sociopaths, they are loyal. To Buro, at least. The BHP has made service to Buro the only factor these people care about. They're worse than zombies or brainwashing - see, Bonechills are self-directed, have intuition, can innovate and plan. They're not sadists; rather, violence is a neutral concept to them. It is a tool, pure and simple, with no greater meaning. Bonechills are incredibly creepy - you can spot them a block away if you know what to look for. Dead eyes, motionless expressions...they can be deceptive when needed, but are otherwise cold and blank.

Outside of 2056, a Bonechill could be rehabilitated. The Queen of the Ice Pagoda could certainly do it, as could Quan Lo or Gao Zhang. The Ascended have shrinks that might be able to, and a scrappy, caring psychiatrist might have a chance if it was dramatically appropriate. The example Bonechill...well, you remember Jef Moor, from the fiction segments? Jef is a Bonechill. He can't even kill himself any more - just serve Buro.

Bouncing Benjis are a form of abomination based on hopping vampires. The Biomass Reprocessing Center sees so many of the damn things that they make them on assembly lines. Officially, they're known as the Close Combat Demoralization Unit, but no one calles them anything but Bouncing Benjis (or Berthas, if female). They're slightly smarter than the average jiangshi, if only so they can grasp the idea of 'instructions', but they're still incredibly dumb. Also, they lose several powers in the conversion process. On the other hand, while the whole hopping thing hasn't been fixed, they've managed to remove the inability to cross sticky rice and the vulnerability to rice paper. They can't teach 'em to shoot things, though. First, they're too dumb, and second, the giant claws get in the way. They've also developed an anti-sorcery variant which replaces a Spirit Shield Generator with a Feedback Enhancer, and a Medic variant which has a Slap Patch. (I'm not sure how they train it to know what to use the thing on. These things are complete idiots.)

BuoMil has a number of divisions, but only two are particularly notable as anything other than grunts. There's the High Mobility Combat Union , Buro Special Forces. They're infiltrators, counterterrorists and experts in civilian unrest suppression. Most TacOps get promoted out of these guys. Tactical Operations are, well, Bonengel's personal special ops branch. They are the best of the best, and all of them are Innerwalkers. Training ain't easy, and and the best of them get given arcanotech. The ones who don't have it are no slouches, though - these guys are the best Buro has to offer, arcanowaves or no.

Buro Public Order, or PubOrd, come in pairs. You still get the partner system, though the buddy cop genre has been replaced by buddy cop romances, in which unlikely partners fall in love. A little over half these movies are about heterosexuals, and 98% are about interracia couples. People from the 90s tend to find the movies rather surprising when they first see them. Anyway, PubOrd also travels in packs - they call for backup really easily, and any cop can get across most cities in around 20 minutes or so. So yeah, mess with PubOrd and it's quickly going to become a horde.

The final notable group? Hell's Postmen , the Arcanoengineered Messenger Division. Picture your typical demon's head, give it enormous wings coming out of its skull, and replace the ears with arms. Now shove a giant arcanowave device resembling a slug on the back, a Spirit Shield Generator on the jaw and a backpack over the wings. This is a Hell's Postman, scientific name 'wingey bastard.' They are not actually male any more - the spirit shield generator replaces that particular bit. Buro tells them they'll get it back after ten years of service. (Which is a lie - they get killed at ten years and made into spirit shield components.) The reason the lie is told is that these guys don't do well with greppers - it interferes with their Navigation schtick, a unique power that lets them automatically track anyone whose blood they've tasted. Buro keeps blood samples on file for this purpose. Hell's Postmen are not combat abominations, but messengers, and the thing on their backs is a GateMaker. When an operative vanishes, a Postman gets sent to find them. (Sometimes they're used as bombs to take out traitors, but fortunately for everyone, traitor bombs also mess with their Navigation powers.) If the Transtemporal Communications Cable were finished, these guys would become redundant and would be culled en masse. Learning that might make quite a few turn traitor.

We return to our fiction again...and to Jef. He shows up on Chang's doorstep, claiming to have escaped Buro custody. Chang takesh im in and gives him a place to stay with the local Guiding Hand disciples. Jef gets up in the night and kills several in their sleep before the rest wake up. He shoots most of them. He thinks he got them all, but isn't sure - he's soon too busy fighting Chang. Chang doesn't understand why they're betrayed, and Jef tries to explain: Productivity drugs. He's so drugged up that he cares about nothing but his next fix. Chang tries to offer to save him - but too late. Jef chases him down, killing him. He finishes and Shiny shows up. Shiny's also turned traitor - but not by force, like Jef. He jumped ship when they offered him some new toys. Jef kills Shiny, and then tries to kill himself, but he's made an error: he ran out of bullets.

Now then! Major places in 2056. Let's see - Sun Farms , in Mesa, North America. That is to say, Arizona. All the vast stretches of open, baked soil have been turned into sun farms - acres and acres of generators gathering solar power. This is what powers a lot of civilian infrastructure. (The military prefers power sources that aren't endangered by clouds.) However, the CDCA has also realizes that sun farms can be used as chi amplifiers, using the solar cells as geomantic mirrors. As a result, the sun farms are common Jammer targets. Buro does not actually mind that - sure, they lose the chi from the sites, but the PR is great. ('The Jammers have once again decided you need brownouts, consumer!') The Jammers relaize that this is not going to actually stop Buro, but the burn rush is good for them, and they try to keep Buro from rebuilding. They like to do that by dumping radioactive waste, but moving lots of dirt would also work, as would diverting rivers. If you could find a river in Arizona to use. Sun farms do have guards, but they tend to be screw-ups, losers and those being punished. Sure, there's lots of 'em and they're allowed to attune, but they're still losers.

The Megamall of New Sydney, Australia, is a monument to the fundamental value of Buro society: consumerism. Like most new cities, New Sydney was built on a feng shui site, and the Megamall is the epicenter, designed to drive a spike into the collective unconscious and push the idea that you are what you own. It's shaped like two immense golden domes, and is pretty dancy. It's got two roller coasters in it, which twist around each other, and the atriums at the center of each dome have two of the world's largest zogeevators. All kinds of stores, and at the center is a perfectly preserved 1970s ranch house. In fact, Info: Geomancy, diff 6, or any chi-mapping schtick will reveal that the house is the center of the site and essential to it. It was built by hand by a very self-reliant couple who were, essentially, entirely taking care of themselves. The house has absorbed their can-do spirit, and it has been caged and crippled by Buro, making everyone on the planet that much more desperate and insecure. (Bonengel believes they are more social and civic-minded.) However, the beautiful thing here? You destroy the house, it can never be rebuilt, for each beam was uniquely hand-carved. Burning the site gives 7 XP, not the normal 5, and would destroy the entire feng shui site of the Megamall and New Sydney.

Not that getting to the house is easy. Every entrance to the mall has a discreet but functional scanner built in, to detect strong magic or kung fu. Anyone who makes it register gets special attention from four uniformed PubOrd cops, though Buro knows that won't slow them down - they're just there to make you reveal yourself. There are also microwave radars to detect concealed weapons. At any given time, there's 40-50 cops in the mall, along with two dozen Bouncing Benjis in suspended animation. The guys in charge of the monsters may or may not care about civilian casualties; the Benjis absolutely do not.

Liberty City, Cuba is home to the Lair of Doctor Diabolos ! Cuba has always been a haven fro crime. In the 50s, gambling. In the 90s, sex. In 2056? Illicit nicotine and eyeball farms. It is home to the most feared criminal mastermind in the world, Doctor Diabolos. He's never been caught, despite his theatricality. The local PubOrd sector commander, Hector Ramone, has sworn to catch him or die trying. Diabolos is not a Jammer, despite the Bureau of Truth and Ideological Hygiene's claims or BuroMil's suspicions. In fact, the truth is stranger. Hector Ramone will never catch Diabolos because he is Diabolos. He's placed high enough in PubOrd to know about feng shui (though not time travel), and he owns Fidel Castro's old house - a powerful feng sui site that is very helpful to those facing vastly superior foes. (What, you thought the CIA's idiot plans to put itching powder in Castro's scuba gear and LSD on his mouthpiece were entirely because they're dumb? Oh no, chi helped that one.)

Diabolos is playing a very dangerous game. On the one hand, he has to appear competent enough to make sure he doesn't lose the house. On the other, he has to make Buro look foolish. He runs a huge "sin complex" under the ruins of old Havana, with gambling, LSD labs, the world's biggest eyeball farm and even an underwater submarine bay that serves as the backbone for his tobacco smuggling operations. Gamblers come to compete against each other and the Doctor, while fugitives know it's a good place to get new identities. This makes it very popular with Innerwalkers...especially Jammers. They're the reason Ramone can keep his power: as Diabolos, he gives them false papers. As Ramone, he tracks them down and arrests them any time pressure comes down on him. If the truth ever came out, both Buro and the Jammers would hunt his ass down as a traitor. Anyone who finds out about his secret has plenty of blackmail material...and an enemy for life.

The Bureau of Happiness and Productivity is based out of New Des Moines, North America. And yeah, these are the guys who rape your brain until you're a slave. GMs are warned: do not turn PCs into Bonechills. Kill them, sure, but do not turn them into Bonechills. It pisses people off. The headquarters in New Des Moines is built underground, as the former Heartland is ripped to shreds by tornadoes every year. The only aboveground structures are the Temporary Wind Generators, or TWiGs, which get ripped up by the tornadoes and replaced every year. Supposedly the new ones are biodegradable. Anyway, New Des Moines is underground, all of it. Its a sunless, joyless layered city with the Bureau at its center. They're not flashy and intimidating, but they are critical to Buro's success. They destroy souls. That is their job. They don't use feng shui or demons - just pure, organic, homegrown human evil.

Theoretically, the place is run by Governor Poussain, but he was in office for less than a year before a whirlwind marriage to Dr. April Mucosa, head of the BHP. Within three months, she was essentially in charge and making the first Bonechills. ?New Des Moines is now her experimental blueprint for the next generation of Buro cities. Citizens are encouraged to participate in "Joy Treatments" to "alleviate stress of sunless life." At first, it did seem to make folks happier, but as time wore on, the neighbors noticed that people who went seemed to get brittle. The smiles became grimaces. Less happiness than hystical giggling. Lots of folks decided they'd rather be unhappy, so the treatments will soon be mandatory.

Flying Fortresses can show up anywhere. They resemble missiles with stubby wings and a jet tail. There's two giant treads on the underside, in case the flight is disabled, and they're five stories tall. And about as long as a football field. There are less than twenty of them, officially designated Superconducting Antigravity Fire Platforms, or SCAF-PLATS, but that's plenty, since one of them can kill everything in an area the size of Acapulco in about an hour, down to the last microbe. (Sure, that doesn't last long, but they really do sterilize a place.) Buro only uses these when there's serious problems - say if the demon island Kun Chau were to become a menace in 2056. Otherwise, they just erase towns or make a point about military power.

There's five floors in a SCAF-PLAT. The bottom is mostly armor and weapons pointed straight down - three GOBs, six turret-mounted Hellharrowers, six missile launchers and two grav-car hangers. Also the controls for the irising gate to the plasma vent. More on that in a moment. The second level is all the superconducting circuits needed to keep the thing flying. These only work at 0 degrees Celsius or below, so the whole fortress is cold but this floor is quite a bit colder. Above that is the core, housing the command clevel, cockpit, radio shack, kitchen, mess hall and cramped quarters. Above that is the fusion generator, which makes it the warmest level - aorund room temperature or so, or really hot right next to the fusion core. It is also home to that plasma vent's firing controls. Again, more on that in a moment. The top level has two more GOBs, four Hellharrowers and six missile launchers, along with four SPUD-U hangars. These aren't what sterilize an area. That's the plasma vent.

See, the plasma vent is a big empty space in the middle of the SCAF-PLAT, around 20 feet across. It goes from the bottom level all the way to the fusion reactor. It is a giant plasma gun. It takes ten minutes to warm up, during which time the barrel is opened. When first fired, it's at the lowest setting, otherwise the heat might break the superconductors. As the power increases, more energy is diverted to keeping those cool and insulating the crew from the weapon. The whole platform grows hotter and hotter, and eventually the antigrav gear turns off and the thing is kept up by the gun itself. With skill, the thing stays balanced and then you slowly power it down and turn the antigravity back on. One plasma vent at full power can melt a skyscraper. Put twelve of 'em over a city, they can set the atmosphere on fire for miles. If you're lucky, you run out of air and die before the fire hits you.

Next time: Breaking Flying Fortresses 101

It's like they opened my skull and scooped out the part that gives a damn.

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: It's like they opened my skull and scooped out the part that gives a damn.

SCAF-PLATs are big and intricate...and as a result, htere's all kinds of things you can break. The second floor superconductors, if destroyed, will choke off all power to the antigravity nodes and drop it from the sky. This takes 1000 points of damage to all the coils and wires...but that's a lot, isn't it? You can disable them all from the central circuit junction with a diff 12 Fix-It roll over the course of one sequence. The trick is finding and fighting your way to the central junction. And since it's the second floor, the area's full of ice and coolant and so on. The eaiest way to make the cooling system fail is to head to the cockpit and take it offline on the third floor, which takes a sequence and a diff 6 Fix-It roll from the commander's control panel. (It involves getting the computer to believe the plasma vent is being turned on when it isn't.) The third floor has the most guards, naturally.

You can blow the entire thing up if you manage to turn the plasma vent and then either prevent the cooling systems from switching to plasma shielding, get the plasma vent working at full power and turn it off while the fortress is balanced on top of it or turn the vent on when the vent guard is closed. All of these can be done from the commander's computer, and each takes two sequences and a diff 6 Fix-It roll. You can also do the first one from the second floor. It's diff 10 to find an auxiliary control panel (which can be as awakward to find as the GM wants), and then a second diff 10 roll to make it happen. If you're doing this while the vent is preparing to fire, you're good - you have sixty seconds to get out before the thing blows up. Try hijacking a grav-car.

If the fire sequence has not started yet, it's off to the fourth floor to start if by finding the other control panel and rigging it, with the same difficulties. Then it's the same sixty seconds to get out, but you have two more floors to go back through. Of course, if you use this method, Buro's already destroyed whatever's below you. If the PCs can find that fourth floor control panel and sabotage it - which means more than just shooting it - the SCAF-PLAT will start falling immediately. PCs have about 20 seconds to get out before impact. Good luck!

The simplest option is getting the plasma gun to fire while the gate is closed. It maeans finding yet another control panel and making a diff 13 Fix-It roll, since you're basically breaking the gun. Then it's back upstairs, find the vent controls, activate them as before. You now have ninety seconds to get out, because the platform isn't going to crash until it explodes in midair. Anything in the mile underneath it is still pretty fucked, but that's...well, that's normal when you're under a Flying Fortress. And yes, a lot of these options involve screwing around on the fourth floor, which is super hot and full of tubes containing plasma. If those break, everyone gets a brief moment of horrible plasma burns! But not deadly ones, just really painful.

Your homework is to come up with new and exciting ways to kill a SCAF-PLAT. Overloading the fusion core, shutting down the engines or breaking all the antigrav units on one side so it starts spinning in place really fast, that should all work. Basically, as long as the PCs have fun and work out a vaguely plausible method of breaking the damn thing, let it work as long as it isn't easy.

CDCA Research and Development Facility #1 is where it all started: Ad Dammam, Saudi Arabia. It is the small, secret lab where Anita Dao and Boatman were able to work unencumbered by oversight. It's a decent feng shui site, but not compared to what else is around these days. It doesn't see a lot of cutting edge research any more, not since the Biomass Reprocessing Facility opened. Still, Boatman has a bit of a soft spot for the place in what passes for his heart. That's why the place is perfect for the Museum of Abomination Research, better known as the Zoo. There's a dozen types of early and obsolete abominations here, kept in secure and rather unpleasant habitats that simulate the areas of the Underworld the critters traditionally come from, such as the Skinned Alive Forest or the Ocean of Boiling Blood. Fun! There's also some more impressivem onsters that, for various reasons, can't be deployed.

R&DFac1 is out in the middle of the desert, so it's not easy to get there. Getting back once you blow it up might be worse. The good thing is that if you let the abominations out, one of two things will happen. Either they're going to shred the local landscape so much that the building can't be rebuilt, or the Buro will send in enough firepower that the building can't be rebuilt. Boatman's still attuned to the place, so bonus ! The facility itself is a big dome in the middle of a valley, with turret-mounted GOBS on either side of the canyon. Once you get past those, there's a road that is carefully monitored by a turreted Hellgarrower in front of the dome. It's probably easier just to rappel in from the cliffside.

Once you get into the dome, there's the zoo, home of the fabulous Blood Squid, modified for anti-submarine activity, or the Earth Swimmer, so dangerous it's kept sedated at all times! The monsters are kept in the dome's big chamber in individual habitats, with paths between the exhibits, much like nay zoo. You've got your basement labs as well, full of tools that could kill people, and your five to six dozen soldiers in the barracks. What gets kept there? Well, we start with the blood squid, a giant squid demon with lamprey mouths for suckers. They keep it in a giant aquarium full of blood, and as far as I can tell they just don't use it because it's hard to steer and is really, incredibly tough. Also it dies when out of blood for around six sequences (or, perhaps, water - we'll never know). The Inside-Out Demon appears to be a moderately attractive woman. However, she can split herself down the middle and fold herself inside out, allowing her to terrify folks with her hideous muscle-and-bone armor and to drain their blood. She can then turn herself back the right way, taking the shape of the person she drained. She gets that person's stats (except Mind) and memories, making her an excellent spy...if it weren't for her ease in rejecting neural greppers. As a result of that, she's kept locked up here.

The Cybertengu was made of a tengu, a Japanese mountain demon whose skill with the sword is legendary. This particular one was machine-gunned half to death and put back together, so he's got nasty scars as rell as red skin, a huge noise and blue, coarse hair. All tengu have a unique ability: their Martial ARts score is exactly equal to the person they're attackin. The Buro figured that if they gave the thing a VM sword and a few other enhancements, like a Neural Stimulator, it would be more than a match for any Guiding Hand fighter. Turns out they were wrong, thanks to kung fu powers. The Cybertengu got shelved as an oddity and has not been used since. The Flying Bladder used to be part of a giant demon named Yang Luo. It killed two squads of monster hunters, so they sent in their normal response to such things: overwhelming force. Even that only blew him to bits rather than killing him. His evil was so powerful that even his organs were able to move around and be intelligent. His legs ran back off to the Underworld but had to make a deal with the Lotus to get in. Same with one arm. The other arm got melted by the Ascended when it found its way to the Hub. The intestines got to the Sunless Sea and are a menace to navigation. The heart was captured by Ming I and became the base for the Molten Heart. The head has never been found. But the bladder and kidneys? The Architects got those. It's eight feet tall, four feet wide and has its own eyes and mouth. They stuck wings on it and figured it'd be a great tool. The neural grepper worked great, but Buro learned that the Bladder was able to grow new brains somehow...and since it was chronically disobedient and needed a new grepper each time, well, they decided to wash their hands of the whole project and locked it in the Museum. It is damn hard to kill.

The Earth Swimmer is the final major monster in the Museum. It resembles the blood squid, vaguely, in the same way a Great Dane resembles a Chihuahua. It is twenty feet long, has three faces, each with one eye, and one gigantic mouth on theb ottom. It can slither along on the bottom face, and has several tentacles tipped in fifty foot digging paddles. The Earth SWimmer's immense size means it takes up most of th display space in the museum, and it is constantly kept sedated by an industrial-size Wave Suppressor. It was supposed to be theultimate weapon - it's big, it's strong, it swims through the earth itself. Unfortunately, its brain is too big to be effectively killed by a neural grepper. The Earth Swimmer is so big that a grepper large enough to kill it would weigh so much that it wouldn't be able to use its special movement abilities - and htose were the point, since it was meant to destroy feng shui sites from below. They tried a few missions with it, but when it had to carry around half a ton of explosives to do its digging, it was really slow...and no one wanted to be near it. By the time it got to its objectives, the enemies had either fled and burned the site behind them or fortified the place massively. Either way, not worth it. Now it stays in the museum, and the Wave Suppressor is all that keeps it safe - they had to remove the neural grepper to fit it into the facility. Its unique attack is Devour - it grabs a guy and eats them. At first, you take no damage and it takes a full sequence to move you to its mouth. You can spend 3 shots to make a diff 15 strength check. Succeed even once, you squirm out from beneath the Earth Swimmer. If you go an entire sequence and don't get even one success...you get eaten. And die. Period. No roll, no damage, just death. One success but less than three keeps you alive until next sequence, when you have to try again. Three successes in one sequence means you break free. People being eaten cannot make Martial Arts or Guns attacks while being eaten.

We head now to Hollywood and the set of Combat Shopping! You've seen the Price is Right. Have you ever thought 'this would be way more entertaining if everyone had guns and wanted to kill each other?' So did Buro! The show evolved from pro wrestling and Japanese game shows, creating an entire subgenre of ultraviolent game shows. (I don't think Bonengel likes them much.) Anyway, the contestants are all given a sum of money to buy guns and armor. Anything they don't spend they get to keep if they live, so greedy contestants can be completely underequipped. Once you have your gear, you're set loose on a giant set full of durable consumer goods. All the goods have a price tag, and you have between seven and ten minutes to grab all you can. Anything you grab increases your score by its price. Any item you destroy decreases your score by half its price. Any item you take from another player decreases their score by its price and increases yours by double its price. Obviously, you want to steal stuff from other players.

Easier said then done - there's more danger on the set than homicidally greedy clerks. The set looks like a department store, but it's full of traps. About one prize in a dozen is booby-trapped by the same sort of people who design the temples Indiana Jones runs through, and the best prizes usually have hazards protecting them. At the end of each round, you get to cash in your prizes and reinvest in more weapons, so there tends to be escalation. However, anything spent on weapons is not kept at the end of the show. Combat Shopping is so popular that the network actually set up a professional league; the rules are a little different, but not notably so. The amateur version is still very popular, too, thanks to the fun of watching accountants and factory workers try to kill each other.

CDCA Secure Facility #12 in Bonengel, Australia is where you're going to go if you get arrested. They used to keep captive Innerwalkers in the Biomass Reprocessing Center, until one too many prisoners got out via Shaping. Now, they use SecFac112, which combines prison and experimental lab, where they try to figure out chi powers, sorcery and so on. Sometimes they interrogate, sometimes they vivisect, sometimes they create false chances to escape so prisoners will use their powers. Other times they just get fed up, kill prisoners and try to see what they can recreate from the brain's memory structures. It's not an exact science, but they've gotten some successes.

Ice Station Yves in Antarctica is also known as Paranoia Base. If everything goes wrong and a war starts in 2056, a serious war - well, this is where the top brass will be coming to hide. (Except Boatman. He plans to run to the Biomass Reprocessing Center. Bonengel suspects this, and has a hidden part of his brain trying to figure out what to do if Boatman betrays him.) The best troops are stationed here, doing cold weather training and getting ready for anything. Sometimes they take captured rogue abominations and hunt them in the ice, but not often - CDCA doesn't like giving them out. Bonengel is also doing offensive training here - he knows that Antarctica is empty in most junctures and sees it as the perfect place for a secure base. (He is not aware that the Ascended have beaten him to it in the 1990s.) His troops are training to build bases and survive in the least hospitable place on Earth, and when the logistics are ready, he's going to send them to 69 AD to build a polar base.

BTM HQ is in Geneva, Europe. Here, the Bureau of Tactical Management plans all of BuroMil's operations. Three of the flying fortresses are stored here when not in use, security patrols the place in full platoons and all sorts of secret plans exist in the computer banks underground. There's miles of 'em. And yes, that is all we're told about the place. Well, that and 'Have fun!' We also get a fun little picture telling us that Curtis Boatman's childhood home was a massively powerful feng shui site that ofcused its energy in his nursery. His parents bought it in 1999, and he was born a year later. Interesting!

We now get the first of two adventures here: The Cancer Factory . This is designed for starting PCs. The Cancer Factory, AKA the Dunville CDCA Lab, requires a bit of understanding of Buro politics. Bonengel likes cops, doesn't like the CDCA. He is terrified of civilian insurgency - it's his personal pet peeve. Most counterinsurgency tasks and funds go to PubOrd as a result. One day, though, CDCA promises a solution to the rebel problem which is cheap, fast, certain and costs fewer lives. Bonengel is dubious, but they promsie it'll kill Innerwalkers, too, so he funds the research and the Cancer Factory is born. The theory is that demon DNA can be harvested, nuked into dormancy with arcanowaves and added to food. As longas the mystic climate does not change, the DNA stays dormant. If it changes, the DNA wakes up and kills the host like a form fo savage, nearly intelligent cancer.

Leaving 2056 is a climate shift enough to wake it - but the CDCA wants it to reactivate for a more subtle change, like that caused by fighting against the world's dominant chi flow. If it works, then Buro doesn't need cops and surveillence, it just needs tainted food that will kill poeple if they think bad thoughts. The first widespread experiment was done in the small town of Dunville. When the CDCA introduced their food, it took between a week and ten days to get an effect. The local hospital was overwhelemed, and when it became clear tha their experiment was becoming an epidemic, the CDCA shut off the railroads and had PubOrd send in choppers to round up those who made a run for it. The citizens tried to riot and invade the lab, but the PubOrd Floating Fortress assigned to the area killed them all before they got out of town. The next batch of PubOrd officers didn't have guns - just bulldozers and backhoes to bury the dead. Once the magnitude of the catastrophe became obvious, the CDCA got the Bureau of Truth and Ideological Hygiene to delete Dunville completely. It isn't on maps, trains don't go there and everyone who lived there disappeared from the phone books overnight. Relatives were told a variety of stories, from train wrecks to an outbreak of the Melter to Jammer violence.

So, how do the PCs get involved? Maybe a confused relative wonders why Aunt May's body wasn't shipped out to be buried like she wanted. They investigate and find the whole town gone. This could be a friend of any PC from 2056. Maybe one of the PCs inherits something from a relative in Dunville, but htere's a legal complication: there is no Dunville any more. Maybe the Ascended found out about Dunville and steer the PCs towards it in the hopes that it will make the PCs hate the Architects, which isn't unlikely. Or, hey, the CDCA lab is built on a feng shui site. Anyone who's got it in an earlier juncture might want to go see what happened to it. The 1990s site is an isolated ranch house in Dunville, Montana which gives only 2 bonus XP per session but makes the PCs totally invisible to income taxes. MAybe some of Dunville's survivors escaped and one of them found hte PCs. Whatever you want, really.

Your first problem is getting to Dunville. It's in the middle of nowhere, trains don't go there and the old road goes to another town around 100 kilometers away. However, the Architects missed a Netherworld gate around 9 kilometers from the town, out in the woods. Maybe the Ascended or another group found it and told the PCs. Once they get to Dunville, well, it's a ghost town. It's obvious to anyone there for an hour or so that there was either a battle or a massacre here, complete with a fresh mass grave. Digging the bodies up isn't very revealing, though - the CDCA introduced microbes to encourage decomposition so the corpses didn't get hauled in for autopsy. Only bones are left. All the charts and records from the hospital were deleted. Detectives, cops and so on might be able to judge from the grass that the slaughter happened maybe a month ago. Only one road has been used since then: the road from the train station to the lab.

There's two main ways to get into the lab: the smart way and the dumb way. The smart way involves spying on the place and learning that boxcars of supplies get sent in once a month, and that there's a fifteen minute gap betwene the time the boxcar is dropped and a truck hauls it off. (The delay is because the only two people who met Buro's safety standards for large vehicle operations are nicotine addicts having an affair. They usually drive down to the railroad tracks, have sex and smoke in the empty truck before loading up the boxcar.) If the PCs can sneak into the boxcar, they're golden. Instead of a horde of guards, they just have two who'd rather have a snack and a nap than a fight. They'll be found soon enough, but they'll probably get past the wall and maybe even the courtyard by then - and no one in the factory will be ready for them.

Next time: The dumb way.

I'm dead, Chang. Dead like you. But the drugs at least make me feel half-way alive.

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: I'm dead, Chang. Dead like you. But the drugs at least make me feel half-way alive.

The dumb way into the Dunville lab is very simple: walk up to the front gate and fight your way in. This is harder than the smart way. It involves first getting past a three meter wall covered in cameras and motion detectors. Climbing the wall is hard - see, it's not hard to climb, but halfway up, electrified spikes pop out. You have to make a diff 7 Reflexes roll to jump off before you take damage. To get in or out, people with clearance use the gate, but the guards aren't about to buy that the PCs have clearance. 100 damage will break the wall, 60 for the gate. The gate will go down if hit by a car. Once inside, there's a whole lot of guards in the courtyard in front of the lab - about three per PC. The lab itself is Art Deco meets Giger. If the PCs are doing really well, the GM may add in some Bouncing Benjis. At night, the guards are disorganized and scared; in the day, not so much. There's also some barracks and housing, but those are unimportant, boring places that no one has to care about.

Once inside the lab, it's time for fights even if the characters got in the smart way. There's plenty of places to do it. The first floor has the factory floor, which will have some guards and probably the security chief, Warner Ng. Warner was a counterinsurgency guy with BuroMil and the only survivor of a Guiding Hand attack. It was pure luck, but it convinced everyone he was a badass. (He's not terrible, but he's not a hero.) He jumped at a chance to avoid it happening again when CDCA offered him a job. He's not happy the PCs are here to mess up his cushy job. There's also a cafeteria full of cutlery to use in the fight if factory machines aren't enough ofr you. Heading upstairs, you run into the CDCA offices, which aren otable either for being rather pleasant and tasteful if bland or for having a lightweb. Lots of motivational posters and office supplies to hit people with.

Eventually, the party's going to head down to the basement, which is where the real trouble is. The basement's got a supply closet, an operating room, som cold storage and and processing lab for evil demonic goo. The whole place smells funny and feels unwholesome; often things feel fleshy and warm, and something seems to be throbbing. The place is locked off to anyone without Target Gold Beta Deciduous Clearance, but PCs have never cared about that. Cold Storage is a giant freeze full of the corpses of Dunville's former inhabitants. There's some tanks full of super-cold liquid of some kind that the PCs can steal with a Fix-It roll, diff 10, if they feel like throwing them at people. The supply closet is a supply closet, though it also has two jugs of EZ-Zterile, a sterilizing agent. It doesn't do much to people but give them a nasty rash in around ten hours, but that demonic goo takes (Outcome+3) damage per squirt, and each jug's good for a tousand squirts. Hitting them with the whole jug does (Outcome+10) damage. EZ-Zterile also smells like honeysuckle. No ammonia, no bleach, it smells like the flower. Exactly like it. CDCA's good at this.

The operating room recently had some CDCA scientists in it dissecting a ten-year-old girl. The GM dcides if they're still there. At night, they probably aren't and the girl is probably in cold storage with the rest of 'em. There's not much in here of note except a nice, labeled laser scalpel. You shoot it with Guns and it does damage similar to a pistol, but it's got a nice accuracy bonus the longer you spend firing because it has no recoil and is very easy to correct. Downside: It's big and bulky and is attached to a console you're going to have carry around. Anyway, eventually they'll get to the Bioprocessing Lab. Here, well, there's a giant bowl in the center full of gray-green-yellow, pulsating slime. It moves all the time, generating things that look like faces, muscles, claws and so on, but never for more than an instant.

The ceiling is covered in hanging catwalks and tracks. The tracks support a transparent bubble containing a control room, where Doctor Moy Pendrasil is hanging out. He's a CDCA goon - the epitome of one, in fact. He's professional, logical, practically asexual and runs off to hide in the bubble when combat starts. He knows a whole lot about what's going on, but will need to be terrified into talking - at which point he will break down into useless blubbering between explanations. But before that can happen, we should mention the giant Wave Suppressor aimed at the goo tank. This is important. It keeps the goo suppressed. There are also ray projectors around to stun the goo, which cannot be moved - they aim only at the goo bowl. They can't kill the goo, but do 10 damage to it per shot for stunning purposes. (The PCs may try to take some stunned goo home for study in the belief it's dead. Let them, it'll be entertaining when they find out.)

Anyway. Once a fight breaks out, Moy hides in the contral bubble and uses it to be a pain in the ass. The only weapon he has is the Wave Suppressor, which is no good on humans, but he uses it to herd the goo at the PCs and make it avoid Warner Ng. See, the goo...the goo is what happens when you dissolve a bunch of demons and charge them with energies to allow them to rewrite DNA, but before you bake them into cookies to sell to people. The goo is very alive and very angry. It wants to kill people. This is why the Wave Suppressor is there. When it goes off, the goo is going to try to eat anyone nearby. The goo is pretty tough - it's immune to normal bullets, any unarmed attack not enhanced by fu powers and normal melee weapons. The laser scalpel works fine, though. It can tank a ton of damage, and can split into smaller pieces that havfe less tanking ability. Fortunately, the goo dies whenever it'd make a Death Check, no roll needed.

Once the goo is handled, it's time for the denouement. Moy knows everything, but there's a good chance he got killed in the fight. Warner Ng only knows they were putting the goo into food for some reason. The ray projectors may have a clue - inside each one, there's a comatose human being kept alive via intravenous feeding. The projectors seem to be powered by their exposed brains. The computers, if you want them to, have the answers: these guys in the tubes were extremely loyal servants of Buro, and their brainwaves were used to break the goo's will and program it with the target for its ideologically-activated carcinogens: anyone who doesn't think like these vegetables. Really clever PCs may decide to alter the files to make it look like the whole experiment was a dangerous failure. This is a good idea.

And now, the second and final dventure in the book: The Fist of Shiva . The Fist of Shiva, of course, was the weather control satellite Bonengel used to destroy Haiti. It was blamed for massive weather changes that ruined areas of the Americas in China afterwards, and has since only been used to try and help repair the damage it did. Nothing drastic. We'll get back to it later. Meanwhile, the Architects are on the verge of constructing a feng shui pattern that will encompass the entire planet. The final link of the plan is a specific European leg of the Transworld Maglev Network, and it's near completion. With it in place, Buro will warp the world's chi to a massive degree. Everyone else - literally everyone - wants to stop this, but no one is up to doing it alone. Cooperating is pretty much impossible, as none will permit their veteran operatives - who are the only ones to stand a chance - to take orders from someone else. The only choice is for a gang of independents or Dragons to steal a space shuttle, take over the Fist of Shiva and use it to end the hopes of the world feng shui site forever. This is, naturally, only a scenario for very powerful people.

We open at any given train station in 2056. The PCs can have any reason to be here - maybe they're picking something up, are here to steal a shipment of guns or maybe they're just meeting with some people there. Hell, maybe they're just there to settle a bet as to whether the station's ticket taker is really the spitting image of Brad Pitt or not. It doesn't matter. The reason they're here from an OOC perspective: they're here to fight some abominations, and to notice that they're heading to Rome for some reason. There's a BuroMil shipment coming through, and everyone thinks it's guns. It's not - it's abominations. They're in suspended animation, and if the PCs are looking to hijack a car, this is the one they've heard about. Even if not, they'll hear about it soon enough - it's going to be headed right past them. If they're here to get someone, their train is delayed so a government car can go through on the tracks. Same if they're leaving.

This is when the train crashes. If the PCs were planning to blow it up, they do so. If not, the crash is because of some rogue velocity addict sapping the rail power, Buro mismanagement, drunken engineers or whatever you want. The reason is immaterial; the train goes off the track and hits a wall at 60 kilometers per hour. The crash has ripped open the car ceiling, and if the PCs were planning to steal weapons, they're in for a surprise when they go in and find a dozen Bouncing Benjis. I told you before, Buro has huge amounts of these guys. If the characters had no plans here, well, the abominations come out of the car. As mentioned, there are twelve Bouncing Benjis in the car, formerly in suspended animation. Six are normal, six are anti-sorcery and all twelve are being supervised by Lieutenant Chjip Chang, who is either unconscious near the back of somewhere in the car. These Benjis are Chip's first command since promotion, and he is really nervous. He's assuming this crash is a Jammer attack and has woken the Benjis. Chip's a gung-ho go-getter and in a few years he'll be an obnoxious, by the-books autority figure. When he fights, he prefers to use Tracer Resin to give the Bouncing Benjis an edge and hides behind them. He's a bit of a coward, too. This fight should leave the boxcar quickly, since fighting inside the car is not as much fun as the stunts the platform lets you do. (There is a sidebar noting that some PCs may, for some unexplainable reason, prefer to avoid fighting. If this happens, the monsters get released anyway when Chip gets knocked out in the crash and will start to attack random bystanders. If that doesn't get their attention, they aren't playing Feng Shui correctly.)

The platform itself has two sets of Maglev tracks about a meter below platform level, repeated several times. The ceiling is around six meters up and full of rust and stained plastic. Tons of vending machines around requiring retina scans to use, lots of light fextures to drop on people, electrified tracks to hurl things onto. Once the PCs one, they can interrogate Chip if they somehow get him out of the platform, but all he knows is that his squad was heading to Rome to guard a construction site. Fortunately, finding the train's destination isn't hard. Chip dropped his mission briefing in the train car or is still carrying it. Any other reasonable plan to get the info will definitely work as well, revealing the train was headed to Rome for the construction site of the Transworld Maglev Network Hub, formerly known as Saint Peter's Basilica. The Hub's significance is more than religious or historical. The Vatican was seized from the Catholics in 2050 ant they're losing power. However, people with Info: Netherworld know it used to be the Thunder Pagoda, and people with Info: Geomancy know it is the most powerful feng shui site outside China. This may not get the characters immediately into action, but that's okay.

A few days after the wreck, there's a special on Cop Channel about the Hub, which talks about the historic significance of the site and the triumph it represents for Buro. It includes a special tape "sent by the Jammers" declaring their desire to destroy the Hub, followed by a stirring speech from General Oliver declaring that she will never allow the Jammers to take the site, and that she's sent forces equal to those used to pacify Branson, Missouri, along with Desdemona Deathangel, who poses briefly for the camera before being whisked off by her handlers. The Jammer threat is suspicious to anyone who's ever met a Jammer, of course. They never give warnings and their opinions are never that coherent. The more the PCs look, the clearer it is that this entire thing was set up to justify the presence of heavy-duty firepower at the construction site. Why?

That's a good question. They already control the Vatican...so why? If they poke around for clues, the PCs will get a diagram of the Transworld Network, and any sorcerer, person with Info: Geomancy or person in tune with the Buro scientific community looks at them, they can roll an appropriate skill at diff 13 to realize that recent arcanowave research about the effects of roads and trade routes on chi flow indicates that when lots of living people use a path, their chi affects the area, like a current in the ocean. The rail paths planned by Buro, if the research is correct, will double the power of the Vatican site, making it the most powerful site in the world. Will it work? Buro clearly thinks so. (Alternatively, the players may conclude, incorrectly, that there's a Netherworld portal there that Buro plans to use to invade. They're wrong, but it gets them moving.)

The PCs should be made aware that the Network Hub is being guarded by six hundred Bouncing Benjis, three flying fortress and Desdemona Deathangel - and that's all that Buro's being public about. They never show their whole hand. A frontal attack would be insane. If they want to try it anyway...well, run it yourself, it's beyond the scope of this adventure. Warn them that they may all die uselessly (if flashily), If they want to go anyway, don't pull your punches. This is Buro displaying their primary combat doctrine: Overwhelming Force. If the PCs manage to succeed, awesome. They get a big sense of accomplishment. They haven't solved the problem, though - in a few months, the hub can be rebuilt. Even if the site is sterilized, this isn't over. Buro has spent a lot of time on this. The PCs will need a permanent solution - or a solution at all, if they weren't reckless enough for the frontal assault.

This is when smart PCs will go talk to their contacts. This plan is a danger to everyone. If the PCs don't do this, the Ascended will contact them . Somehow, the Ascended found out the PCs were pocking around, killed the Benjis on the way to Rome and want to know if the PCs have any clue what's going on. Which they probably don't, but at least they're involved now. Time for some politics. See, the Jammers know how to destroy the site for good - but they won't tell anyone unless the AScended, Lotus and Guiding Hand all give up a feng shui site. The AScended and the Lotus are down with this. The Hand isn't. The Lotus threaten the Hand, which is when the Ice Pagoda gets involved and Pi Tui spooks both the Lotus and the Ascended. Basically: everyone hates, fears and distrusts each other, and the PCs must get them all to come together to stop the Architects from winning the secret war. The solution that they're working towards is simple: the PCs get seen as the least of all possible evils and thus should lead the operation to hijack the Fist of Shiva and wipe the Vatican utterly off the map, along with most of the soil nearby and possibly some of the bedrock. This is going to take some work.

Unless the PCs horribly fuck up, everyone involved is going to send some help. The Ascended have a husband and wife team - Steve and Nayirah Chung. Steve is a stocky Chinese guy who was born a tiger in 69 AD. He doesn't talk much - but in combat, he goes from 'calm and quiet' to 'ripping throats out with his teeth.' He prefers to kill mooks first. He actually admired humanity at one point, which is why he turned himself human. However, once traveling to the future and seeing how badly we fucked it up, he decided most people didn't deserve to be human, and he's gone from idealist to bitter cynic. His battle rage is his way of showing it. He tends to disdain pure humans, but if one earns his respect, they'll have it forever. He is devoted to Nayirah utterly. Nayirah, meanwhile, is a particularly gorgeous Scorpion from the 90s. She loves innuendos and flirtation, and she's the socialite of the pair. She talks their way in, Steve shoots their way out. She is actually in love with Steve and would never be unfaithful - she just likes fucking with humans. She doesn't flirt with other transformed animals, and actually sees humans as short-sighted and irritating.

The Eaters of the Lotus have sent an expendable pawn: Chow Yen Li. He's a rarity - a sorcerer who still has his balls. He learned magic from his grandmother and then got found by the Lotus. He's built like a linebacker and is mostly notable for being a horrible lech who annoys everyone around him. He is in love with 1996. Specifically, the cheeseburgers, the funny condoms, MTV and the guns. He hates 2056 because you can't get a good pizza for love or money. He's a hedonist first, a Lotus second, and that's part of why they sent him - they don't care if he dies. He likes to scream threats at people while shooting them with lightning.

The Guiding Hand are alarmed but can't risk any of their high-level operatives being captured. They don't have as much power as everyone else, after all. So, instead of someone with a name, they're sending thirty people: the Nameless Order of Boundless Contemplation, a group of monks who have deliberately given themselves amnesia. None of them knows their own names or pasts. They are devoted to the Hand and will die before allowing themselves to be captured. They've been given uniforms and fake, non-working guns for the mission. Even if they worked, the monks would have no idea how to use them - they're there to hold their nunchaku.

The Queen of the Ice Pagoda has sent a single agent, for reasons of her own, which she won't explain. This agent is an abomination who goes by Camilla. In her human form, she's a middle-aged, dumpy woman who likes to cook meatloaf. In her abomination form, she is Lumpy McThumpy, who will cook anything regardless of how meaty it is. She prefers to be Camilla. Her Lumpy form is eight feet tall, covered in gray lumps and has a giant flower-shaped head covered in teeth. She escaped the Architects on a TacOps mission and found her way to the Ice Pagoda. She is devoted to her patron after Pi Tui didn't get mad when she turned out not to be human. She is always calm, even in battle, even when a monster, and she loves to use big words.

The Jammers don't have much to send - especially since Potemkin doesn't trust the people involved. However, they know the mission is critical, so they're sending a pilot: Jill "Mockingbird" Mokhiber. Jill is a chunky blonde woman who is guilty of steroid abuse and has a tendency to casually drop potential disasters that might happen and then say 'Just kidding', all deadpan. She's done 112 launchs in simulator...and none in real life, since she refused to launch the one time Buro told her to. She's convinced she'd have died if she did - something was wrong with the mission. She's been itching for a chance at vengeance for her domotion to vat work, and has been blowing shit up for 12 years. She's seen a lot of people die, people she liked, and she'll do anything to hurt Buro, even if it's dangerous. In combat, she goes insane, but not like Steve. Rather, she screams, weeps, froths at the mouth and shouts about her dead friends. This doesn't make her any worse at fighting than she would be if she didn't.

Next time: Grand theft space shuttle.

They tortured me and drugged me and brainwashed me, but you went willingly.

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: They tortured me and drugged me and brainwashed me, but you went willingly.

Now that we have our all-star teamup with the PCs and those other guys, the Jammers reveal that the best place to steal a space shuttle is from Tillaberi Launch Facility, way out in the middle of nowhere, Australia. Of course, that doesn't make it easy. There's a 3 meter all around the place with 10 remote-operated Hellharrowers mounted on it. Inside, there's the launch control center, garrison and weird arcanotech rocket. The garrison is the 166th Orbital Services Protection Brigade, better known as the Thunderhawks. First goal: getting over the wall, across the courtyard and into the rocket. Getting to the launch center is optional but doing it will make life much easier in the rocket. Nayirah wants to talk her way in, but without adequate PC support as judged by the GM her attempt will be an abject failure, because she's an NPC. If someone comes up with a clever plan, roll with it. It'll get them to the courtyard before the fight starts. A good plan and great dice will get them into the building before all hell breaks loose.

The closer in the Nameless Monks get before the fight starts, the better for everyone. They're much better in close quarters, while Buro has the advantage in open ground. The wall-mounted Hellharrowers are a big problem - each one's controlled from the command bunker in the basement. It takes one guy to control one gun, but the controllers can switch guns at will. Any point outside the wall can be hit by at least three Hellharrowers, and there's five markspersons in the bunker at any given time. Each gun has 45 wounds before being destroyed, and when destroyed by anything but unarmed strikes, they explode. There's 40 Thunderhawk grunts, ten markspersons, five sergeants, an abomination named Big Dumb Rex and the CO, Colonel Djibril. The infantrypersons (Buro is strictly gender-neutral) stay back and shoot when possible, but can fight in melee. They will not shoot on folks in Buro uniform unless ordered to by a superior officer.

The markspersons are extremely deadly and accurate, though still nameless. If a fight starts (hahahaha if ) five are in the bunker and five get deployed to the roof as snipers. The five sergeants are also nameless, but better than the grunts. Each one commands ten grunts. Big Dumb Rex is a nine foot humanoid thing with huge, hairy wings and eyes on his hcest and a giant lower jaw for a head. (He is grumpy because he has to rub his teeth on things to chew them.) He might be guarding the rocket if hte GM is merciful, or sent out to fight right away if not. Djibril is a tough, tall and scarred woman who takes no lip and prefers not to fight personally, instead focusing on intelligently coordinating the Thunderhawks.

The courtyard is not a good place to fighting. It's a killzone. It's designed to be a killzone. If the PCSs just rush in, things are simple: it takes one sequence to cross the courtyard in a car, two on foot at top speed. For every shot in each sequence, every named character must dodge a shot from a sniper or Hellharrower. Every shot, one of the Nameless Monks dies. Djibril and Big Dumb Rex act seperately, as well. If the Innerwalkers are crossing the courtyard after a fight starts somewhere else, well, play things by ear, the Buro will be much less organized. The building itself is where the PCs want the fight to start - the close quarters are much better for the Nameless Monks and the halls limit the number of Buro who can engage them at a given moment. There are three interior floors and a basement. The command bunker and barracks are in the basement, the ground floor has a mess hall and officers, the second floor is all officers and the third floor has the launch controls. The roof has a wall for snipers.

Launch control is a great place for the PCs to go. There, Jill or any other techie can do three things, each of which takes one sequence and a diff 12 Fix-it roll. First, they can prep the rocket for launch. Second, they can hack the computer and reroute control of the rocket to the rocket's cockpit. Third, they can take over internal systems everywhere except the command bunker and the Hellharrowers, which run on a seperate system. After that, any specific command to the building ('turn on the sprinklers', 'close the exterior gate', 'turn off all the lights') takes three shots. I'm sure you can see why this will be fun. The command bunker is behind a blast door in the basement. The blast door has 60 wound points, and there's as many well-armed goons inside as you like. And by well-armed I mean 'the munitions locker is in there and they've got a rocket launcher'. There's not much cover, it's cramped and there's nowhere to run. It'll e a hell of an ugly fight, and everyone inside the bunker gets +5 to their first attacks on anyone coming through the door, since they'll have spent the past while aiming right at it and it's cramped. Advice? Don't go after the bunker...but if you do, I guess if you won you could seize Hellharrower control.

The rocket itself is a big icky arcanotech thing. Still, same basic thing as the rocket. Big Dumb Rex will fly over here if things get nasty. Still, once you get into the rocket, things change a little. There's room and oxygen for a dozen people - maybe thirteen if Lumpy turns human. But there's only two space suits. You don't strictly need space suits for launch, but they're sure to make you feel better, right? Anyway, if you didn't take the command center, well, that's gonna be a fight for control of the rocket. The command center will begin draining the rocket's fuel, and Djibril will order the Hellharrowers to fire on the rocket. They'll pierce a fuel line even if the rocket's control was taken. Someone is going to have to crawl or fly out and patch it - and that's nasty if the launch already started. Basically, the GM should somehow ensure that some of the fuel gets out of the rocket before the launch occurs. Ideally it lands on the launch pad so that it explodes with the launch, is hurled upwards by the gravity crane and rains down like fire from heaven, but, you know, that's gravy. The plot demands the rocket be low on fuel. Jill (or whatever techie is piloting) will announce that the rocket has only enough fuel tp maybe make it to orbit, and not enough to headb ack. This is a one-way trip. Chow may or may not freak out at this point and demand to turn back. Jill will refuse, as should any PC - it'd mean failure! Chow may or may not start a fight over it.

Eventually, the rocket will reach the Fist of Shiva, empty of all fuel. Things may look grim, but there's a job to be done. The Fist has five modules: docking/cargo bay, crew quarters, the control room, a worskhop and a surprisingly large and very nice bathroom. Each area can be sealed off and made vacuum. The entire satellite has normal gravity unless the notoriously touchy G-system is shorted out somehow. (Yeah, guess what should happen in any fight.) The Fist has only three soldiers and three scientists on board. The soldiers have orders to blow the satellite if overrun, but the scientists don't like the idea and may even help save the satellite if the self-destruct sequence is started. Of course, there's backup on the way - once the Buro realized what was going on, they launched their own rocket with a crack team of zero-g commandos to intercept. They'll be showing up in a bit. Oh - one more thing. The walls are pretty thin. Bullets wil lgo through them, making the entire section implode. Any Techie or science-minded character will know this on a Perception roll, diff 4, or automatically if they ask. Anyone else needs a diff 7 Int roll, but if no one makes it, Jill might mention it.

Yeah, that means gunplay can kill everyone. If a wall gets pierced, it takes one sequence for the room to empty out, at which point everyone in it pops, because this is an action movie and not realistic. Safety slugs will prevent this, and kindly GMs will ask PCs what ammo they're using before the session starts. So, how do you find out if a bullet ruins everyone's day? Well, as long as you don't miss, you're golden. Once the PCs start to miss, the GM rolls some dice with the results hidden and then decides what happpens based on what will advance the plot best. Perhaps stray bullets hit an important control panel, or ricochet off a strut and hit the guy with lowest Fortune. Maybe there's enough time to get out of and seal the module. Keep the danger real, but don't let everyone die a boring, unfulfilling death.

Entry is via the docking bay, where two of the three soldiers wait. They'll take cover immediately - the really good kind of cover, 90%, and shoot at the first person out. (At +3, they've been aiming.) They have space suits, so they don't care if they miss. If either soldier takes a slug or comes under heavy attack, they retreat through an airlock, seal it and try to blow the cargo bay. It takes a diff 10 Fix-It roll to prevent this. Dealing with these guys won't be hard, though - just annoying. It can easily devolve into a Bennie Hill chase around the station, and should eventually end with the survivors sealing themselves in the control room. If the three soldiers are all killed, that's some nice breathing space. The scientists can be bullied with Intimidate rolls (though if these fail, the scientists only pretend to cooperate). If things drag out, though, someone will notice that there's another shuttle docking. The PCs may or may not get the Vatican Storm starting before they get there, up to the GM. (The storm is essentially a Biblical terror that will be reshaping the landscape utterly. It is visible from space as a horrible black storm over Europe.)

Anyway. The Fist has no anti-ship weapons, and the soldiers' shuttle will either dock or use a docking portal glued to the side of the Fist and cut their way in if the PCs ruined the bay. There are some ways they can stop from being boarded. Chow going EVA in a space suit might be able to stop them by shelling with magic or bullets. GM's call. The exosekeleton in the docking bay is not strong enough to poke a hole in the ship, but nice idea. You could fly the rocket into the shuttle and destroy both...but whoever piloted it would end up dead, and then no one would have a way home unless the PCs carry a GateMaker around, so everyone else will end up starving to death. Still, there's another option: let the shuttle dock. It's got ten commandos, their leader, Edna Ramirez, and their abomination, Laverne Onions. All are trained in zero-g and are really good.

Laverne Onions is named that because she's the color of uncooked liver and covered in vaguely onionlike ridges. Yeah, it's a pun. She's armed with a helix ripper, which won't hurt the satellite. Edna is a 40-year-old woman who, unlike Djibril, loves getting in the thick of things. She knows it's dangerous but she really, really likes fighting. She is also mutating - her hair has started to turn green, and the green patches form the shape of the ancient chinese character that, roughly translated, means 'corruption of the heart.' Also, her eyes glow and she's growing fangs. Off-duty, she's actually pretty likable and easygoing, and swears like a sailor. Too bad she won't be off-duty here! However, she does have a GateMaker. If she sees all the PCs and their allies in one spot, she'll shoot a hole in the wall behind them and then try to escape through the gate.

Anyway, stuff in the Fist of Shiva. The docking bay has three space suits, each of which lets you survive in vacuum and get Armor 2. It also has a giant cargo-hauler exoskeleton, like theo ne from Aliens. It gives the user Strength 11 and takes 6 shots to get into. It won't fit through the airlock to the rest of the station and can't go outside. Also, there are oxygen canisters. The crew quarters are small, cramped even by Buro standards and meant for six people. The workshop is full of tools and raw materials. Lots of both. This includes both a landridge cutter and a Strength 3 suckerlight which can push and won't self-destruct, but can't vibe. There's an exoskeletal arm that gives Strength 10 for the right arm only, which also has a micro-hand built into the palm that allows you to interact with tiny objects with the same dexterity as if they were ten times larger. While using the micro-hand, the arm cannot move, but you get +4 to any task that would benefit from it. There is also an 'extender' which shoots a clear film that, for ten minutes, acts and looks like plastic wrap and then freezes in place as a hard, clear plastic that takes Strength 10 to break. Also, more oxygen.

The control room? Resembles the Enterprise for some reason. Lots of control panels that run everything on the station. Center of the room is a big Captain Kirk chair. The ceiling and floor are clear to show the starfield and the earth below, and fortunately it's super tough and won't break if someone is thrown into it. The main function of the control room is to control the earth's weather. It is an automatic action, no roll needed, for any techie, Jill or the scientists. (However, the PCs are not to know it's automatic - the GM will tell them to roll anyway and try to keep it tense.) Any non-scenario-essential function is a Fix-It roll with difficulty between 5 and 15. The bathroom? It's a bathroom. Someone who built the Fist of Shiva thought it should get a really nice bathroom for no apparent reason.

Once the fight ends, the PCs have two real options. First, they can steal the commando shuttle and head back to Earth, where Buro will surely have guns waiting for them. Second, they can try to use the GateMaker, which won't have quite as hot a welcome waiting...but will get Buro on their tails immediately. Remember, Buro GateMakers send out a beacon signal. So that won't be much easier, especially if they land somewhere dangerous. The GM can feel free to make one of these the easier option if it will lead more easily to the next plot. One last thought: the last time the Fist of Shiva was used to destroy something, it permanently ruined the weather patterns, creating the Reckoning. What'll happen this time? Totally up to the GM, but make it fun.

Next time: choose!

We have Seal of the Wheel (Ascended), Thorns of the Lotus (Lotus), Iron & Silk (combat stuff) and Blowing Up Hong Kong (Hong Kong). I can look into purchase of one of the other books, too. These would be: Elevator to the Netherworld (Netherworld), Friends of the Dragon (new PC options, ways to tie groups together), Glimpse of the Abyss (the Underworld and demons) or Blood of the Valiant (Guiding Hand).

He is of no use to us, except maybe for scrubbing chamber pots.

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: He is of no use to us, except maybe for scrubbing chamber pots.



We open with the tale of Hoi Mao Qian, son of Haoi Zi Yun. Zi Yun is a farmer with many children and good harvests. Indeed, he is a very lucky farmer. His farm becomes rich - but Mao will inherit none of it. His father has had him made a eunuch and shipped to Lo-yang, that he might serve in the Imperial Palace. Mao is accepted by a shrill-voiced eunuch, who laughs at hm and brings him away. Mao swears revenge on his father in his heart.

We begin with the Lotus's history of man, as taught by a member, Xia Tian Yu. A lot of this book is written in character. In the beginning, there was neither heaven nor earth, but only the egg of chaos. Within the chaos grew the first man, Pangu, and he cracked the chaos like a shell, seperated it into heavy and pure - earth and sky. Yin and Yang. For eighteen thousand years, the sky and earth grew apart, ten feet per day. Pangu grew at the same rate, filling the distance. On his death, his body collapsed and became the world. His breath was wind and clouds, his voice thunder and lightning. His left eye, the sun. His right, the moon. The five great mountains grew from him, and his blood and fluids became the rivers and seas. His nervous systems formed the layers of the earth. His flesh formed the soil, his hair and eyebrows the stars and planets. His teeth and bone became metal and stone, his semen pearls, his bone marrow jade. His sweat is rain, and from his fleas grew the human race.

Since the day of creation, it has been man's duty to bring order out of chaos. In the ancient past, the world was ruled by animals, and man was few. Then the Three Sovereigns and Five Sage Emperors arrived, teaching the ancestors of man the secrets of the world. Fu Xi invented the trigrams, Shen Nong agriculture and medicine. The Yellow Emperor taught the ways of writing and weaponry, and Yu the Great tamed floods. So it was until the Virtuous Emperor Yao abdicated the throne in favor of the wise commoner Shun.

Shun was humble, and would not claim the name 'Emperor', for he was no equal to the Sage Emperors. He called himself King and founded the Xia dynasty. For four centuries, prosperity ruled, but the Xia became greedy and corrupt. Heaven withdraw their support, destroying the land with flood and disaster. Revolution spread, and after Tang killed Jie the Wicked, the Shang Dynasty was formed. The Shang conquered much of the steppes, but they too grewq corrupt, and the Mandate of Heaven passed to the frontier chief Zhou, father of the Zhou dynasty.

The Zhou ruled for seven centuries, producing the scholars Confucius and Lao Tzu. But the Zhou were weak, and invaders conquered their land, dissolving their empire into warring states. We now get two sidebars - one on our narrator, Xia Tain Yu, who is one of the first of the Lotus. He is a powerful sorcerer indeed, but his greatest power is his ability to mold his students, and he gets +2 to all uses of Influence magic on his past or current pupils. We also get a sidebar on the Guiding Hand's thoughts on the Han dynasty. They feel that it is corrupt and blatantly manipulated by the eunuchs, a pair of diseases which foul all they touch, turning the Han into hedonists. The Han will fall, and the Mandate will be lost.

But back to Xia Tain Yu's narration. From the warring kings came Qin Shi Huang Di, who drove the universe before him. He conquered the whole of China, naming himself Emperor. His orders became law, he developed the bureaucracy, built the roads and laid out the ways of taxation. His rule was absolute, the penalties for lawbreaking severe. Thus were the Legalists born - Legalists who called man innately selfish, who said the only road to order was law from above, enforced with severity. Thus did the Qin Emperor rule, and thus did he silence all who opposed Legalism. He exiled or killed thousands of Taoists and Confucians, burning books that challenged him. He worked hordes to death in great projects - the Great Wall in the north, the Imperial Palace.

Qin believed his empire would last ten thousand generations. It lasted one. His death was concealed by his minister Li Si and his chariot master Zhou Gao. They used his body to issue procalamations, arresting their rivals or forcing them to suicide. They tried to choose a good successor - but after two months of summer, the corpse's stench could only be hidden by a pile of fish. Suspicion grew.

A revolution broke out, led by Han Kao Tsu. He condemned the Qin Emperor, calling him barbaric, cruel. He instituted Confucian ideals of statecraft, but kept most of the harsh laws and the bureaucracy. This, we are told, is an important lesson: the Legalists were right, but their laws must be coated in a sugar of empty humanitarian gesture to let everyone swallow it. The Han have ruled for more than two centuries. This is the height of Chinese civilization. All that lies in the future is a slow decline into weakness and corruption. Conquerors will seize the Empire, and it will grow weak and decadent. It is the destiny of the Eaters of the Lotus to change the future, to maintain this golden age of the Han, halting revolution and conquest.

Sidebar on hunting rules! There are many animals hunted throughout China, such as deer, rabbit, pheasant and duck. The most dangerous and aggressive creature is the tiger, and many stories tell of tigers attacking travellers. Some even believe these tigers are evil men who turn into animals. Hunting is a huge part of Han culture, and we get rules for it: first, you make a Perception check, diff 5 (with modifiers) to spot prey, and then a diff 10 attack check to shoot it over open ground, 15 if it's hidden. All animals except tigers are unnamed characters and resolve damage as such.. Tigers can be named or unnamed.

Back to the narration. The Empire is largely divided into east and west. The west is dry, full of desert, steppe and mountain. The east is humid, with rainforests in the south, forests in the center and taiga in the north. The north is a land of millet, wheat and farmland. The people of the north are sturdy and dour, slow but tough. The south is a land of lakes, rivers, rice and water people. Riverboats and fishers are common, and the southerners are quick-tempered, noisy and devious. Much of the Empire is harsh and inhospitable - especially the western half of hte Tibetan plateau or the high Loess Plateau, which borders on three deserts. Lo-yang, the capital, lies upon the Loess Plateau.

Skipping ahead a bit - there ar many cities in ancient China. Many resemble large, sprawling villages more than anything we'd call a city. Yet they are magnets for scholars and artists, merchants from all lands - even as far as Turkey. Thus, China's cities are the richest in the world, though most Chinese are rural farmers. The capital, Lo-yang, was chosen after the death of the usurper Wang Mang. The Han, wishing to return to power after the usurper, were led by Guangwu Di to capture Lo-yang. Thus, Guangwu Di returned the Han to power, crowning himself Emperor and ruling from Lo-yang. OVer ten years, the city was built by a strict plan, becoming a massively strong, defensible grid. It is said to have 52,839 households, and more than 195,504 people. It is the third-largest city in the entire world.

Lo-yang is the center of Chinese culture, and despite its inhospitable location, it is much preferred, for it offers access to the northern frontier. The north is important, for the Hsiung-nu are constantly raiding across the Wall, and Lo-yang has greatly aided in the defense of the Empire. Unfortunately, the north cannot support either the Court or the army, so many trade routes stretch far east and south. Food, supplies and money all come to Lo-yang, which takes its share and then distributes them.

At the center of Lo-yang is the Imperial Palace, a city unto itself. The outer palace, called the World of Men, is a narrow ring win which the Emperor meets with his advisors, scholars and generals. The Emperor's eunuchs maintain it, as they maintain the wole of the palace. By tradition, the eunuchs protect the Son of Heaven from the baser elements. Thus, they control his appointments. The World of Men is also where the Emperor's sons live once they reach maturity. The pleasure gardens are a barrier between the World of Men and the inner palace. Men may not enter these gardens unless invited by the Emperor, and the eunuchs carefully watch the doorways. No one enters without their knowledge.

The gardens are beautiful, with a thousand types of flower and a thousand types of tree. Nothing is ever out of season, though sometimes silk flowers and perfumes are needed. A silver lake lies in the center of the gardens, with the inner palace lying behind it. Many exotic animals live in the garden, even tamed tigers. Within the inner palace, no man may ever enter, save the Emperor. (Eunuchs are not men.) Here, the five hundred consorts, the maids and the eunuchs live, ensuring the Emperor's pleasure. In this way, the Emperor is kept busy and out of the way of the Lotus's goals. They use a web of secret passages throughout the palace as their private fortress.

Sidebar: once the Emperor is Emperor, his name cannot be spoken or written. He gets a new name, which is used while he rules. These names are generally lucky ones, meant to shape his reign. The current Emperor is Harvest of Jade. Upon his death, he receives a temple name, which will be used in all written histories. Anyway. The Son of Heaven keeps 500 or more consorts, both to show his wealth and to keep their families from gaining too much power. This is also why his advisors are mostly eunuchs and his consorts are mostly from poor and middle-class families. The favorite becomes Empress, and her eldest son the heir.

Of course, they don't always stay weak. When Emperor Wu Ti died, his wido Empress Lu seized power. She failed to put a family member on the throne, but she did make a strong faction that reached beyond the Imperial PAlace. Ninety-five years later, her descendant Wang Mang managed to usurp the throne and create the very short-lived Xin dynasty. The current Empress, Jui Szu, was born to a southern merchant. Her beauty was heard of by a magistrate, who adopted her and trained her, then sent her to Lo-yang, to be a consort. At that time, there was another Empress and she was one of many. For years, she lived in isolation, holding low rank in the women's hierarchy. Two years after her arrival, though, the Empressed died and the hierarchy shattered. She proved a manipulative and skilled woman, with both beauty and wit, gaining the Emperor's favor and becoming his Empress. For five years, she hared the throne.

The Lotus deemed her too dangerous. She discovered and threatened to expose them, and they were forced to dispose of her. They could not convince the Emperor to kill her, but she was exiled from the court, and now she performs purely ceremonial roles. The people lover hre, but the Lotus believe she is now harmless. The Emperor, Harvest of Jade, was the son of Guangwu Di and was a young man when his father took the throne from the Xin. He became a skilled general in his own right and lead several imperial conquests. His career did not end until he took the throne, in fact. However, palace life has corrupted Harvest of Jade, and he has lost his edge and clarity, preferring wine and women. Now, he is 65 and more figurehead than emperor. He approves the decisions of others and is a shadow of his former self.

Governance, to the Lotus, is a game - a game they will win. Authoirty passes from Heaven to the Son of Heaven, and from him to the bureaucracy. Society is defined by hierarchy and responsibilities. Thje government has two major factions. First is the Central Authority, based in Lo-yang and the provincial capitals. They consult the Emperor and help make decisions...or make decisions for him. They devise the means of taxation and maintain order. Below the Emperor are the Prime Minster and Head of Civil Service, the two most powerful offices, and below them, the nine major offices and four generals. They divide the empire into commandaries and kingdoms. (There are 83 commandaries and 20 kingdoms.)

Each commandary gets a provincial administrator from Central Authority, and these are called Little Emperors for their relative autonomy. They are not allowed to serve their home province and are moved between provinces, to prevent divided loyalties. In fact, few people in the bureaucracy have stable positions year-to-year, getting moved around a lot. The commandaries are divided into prefectures, which divide into districts, which divide into wards, each with their own bureaucrats. The kingdoms are ruled by kings, all related to the Emperor. They in theory get greater autonomy, but in practice succession is manipulated by the Central Authority, as well as the appointment of royal advisors. All of these most collect the Imperial Tax, keep the peace and draft people for labor or military service as needed.

Next time: The Eunuch Faction.

He is of no use to us, except maybe for scrubbing chamber pots.

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: He is of no use to us, except maybe for scrubbing chamber pots.

The eunuchs are the only men allowed to enter the inner palace, serving as janitors, guards and advisors. Thus, any children born to the consorts are ensured to be the Emperors. (Unless the eunuchs choose to let someone in for reasons of their own. It happens.) And, of course, the Emperor believes eunuchs have no interest in wealth and power, for they've convinced him that men with no children have no desire for dynasties. In truth, there is little the eunuchs have to live for but wealth and power. Most eunuchs are fat, have no facial hair and speak in high, squeaky voices, especially if castrated at a younger age.

Sidebar. The Hand believes that if the Eunuchs were not so dangerous, their arrogance would be funny. They waste so much on protecting such small amounts of power, and they ruin their own people. Rebellion is coming, and the eunuchs don't see it at all. Eventually, the people will rise up, finding a hero in He Jin, and the eunuchs will die. Anyway! Some eunuchs have received castration as a punishment for some screw-up, or were prisoners of war. Most, though, are voluntary. A father can castrate a son, ensuring his place in the Palace. Since the operation is voluntary, it doesn't threaten the family line. Only a father with many sons would do it. And, of course, a few eunuchs castrate themselves in search of political power by being close to the throne.


Ancient China was a land of silly hats.

We now return to Hoi Mao Qian, who is working as a janitor in the Palace and sharing quarters with a sadistic boy named Five Rats. Mao Qian finishes cleaning...only for Five Rats to shit on the floor and tell him to clean it up. Mao hates the guy, and has considered killing people just to get out - even if it meant his own death. However, he discoveres a secret passageway, finding how to open it. Inside is an old man, who invites Mao in and tells him of the Lotus, for he shows true promise...

And now, we get the history of the Lotus, as written by Gao Zhang himself. Gao Zhang began as governor of the province Chen-wei, a land of cold and bitterness. He tried to bring order, but they rebelled. He sent his troops to slaughter them, burning their villages, but his troops were caught in a rebel ambush and slain. Word of this reached the Emperor, who ordered Gao Zhang to return to Lo-yang. The province dissolved into chaos, and Gao Zhang was blamed, punished with castration. For two years, he was made the Emperor's personal assistant. But he did not lose hope. Instead, he served loyally, hiding his revulsion, and came up with a plan. He learned the secrets of the court and became trusted, acting as the Emperor's scribe. That was the first lesson: Information is itself power. By changing a few words or delaying a message, he could influence the Empire, siphoning off wealth and power. Other eunuchs began to flock to him, seeing his power, and they blocked access to the Emperor unless properly bribed. If anyone opposed them, they got cut off, and they hired bandits or thugs to enforce their will. But this is not a new thing. It had been done before.

Gao Zhang's true rise to power came with the arrest of three outlaws: Yin Shu, Er Chan and Gui Long, members of the occult society named Ten Thousand Eyes. It was founded in the early Zhou dynasty, and once had informants in all courts. Their spells were great and powerful, flooding rivers or causing drought, shortening the lives of some kings and extending those of others. At first, they were on;y spiritual guides, trying to build a future. They used hardship and destruction to clear the way for prosperity. But they did not understand the corruption inherent in humans. As time passed, the Eyes were tempted by money and power. Some took bribes, undetected for decades. Eventually, the inner council noticed. They decided to move against the wayward sorcerers, but they failed, and the infighting grew fierce. Hundreds died. Greed spread, and eventually the Eyes sought more than just money.

The Eyes turned to the Underworld, summoning demons and trading favors for their assistance. The demons agreed, seeing a chance at corruption and power. The Ten Thousand Eyes became decadent, encouraged by the demons, and their order withered, reduced by the pact they'd made to gain power. When Qin Shi Huang Di united the empire, the Ten Thousand Eyes were too weak to resist. Qin burned their books and slew them when he found them. By the time Gao Zhang met them, there were only a handful left in hiding. (Sidebar has stats for Gao Zhang, who is good at few things beyond leadership, lying and sorcery, but he's really, really good at those things.)

We get a sidebar now on the truth of Gao Zhang's rule in Chen-wei. Little grew there, and Gao Zhang bled it dry, slaughtering those who could not pay taxes. The people starved, and they had no choice but revolt. At first, it went badly, but Gao Zhang drove more and more to rebel, until at last it spread beyond the province, and their armies were able to face his on an even footing. Anyway. Gao Zhang's influence in the Palace has spread far, but people are starting to complain, and he can't risk their words reaching the Emperor. That's when he hears about Yin Shi, Er Chan and Gui Long, who had been spotting entering the city with a wagon of rotting corpses. They thre fire and acid around and set fire to several wards before being captured. More than 20 died in the battle, and he knew they'd be executed...but sorcerers were a source of untapped power. Gao Zhang had the three brought to him, offering them their lives if they taught him the dark power.

They agreed. They initiated him into the Ten Thousand Eyes, and Gao Zhang had three beggars put to death in their place. It turned out he had a natural talent for sorcery, and he realized that the three bandits were weak, short-sighted. Slaves to corruption, not masters. Within two y ears, he learned all they could teach, about both magic and their history. ARmed with this, he expanded his powerbase, killing his mentors and destroying all Eyes left in Lo-yang. He chose eight loyal eunuchs and together, they formed a new secret society: the Eaters of the Lotus. Gao Zhang would be Center of the Lotus, with the eight as his Petals. He moved to ensure the loyalty of all palace Eunuchs. The trusted joined the Eaters, while others were used as simple thugs. The squeamish were killed, disappeared or framed.

Thus did Gao Zhang seize power, arranging for promotion of htose loyal to him and threats against those not. A host of demons and ghosts were summoned to handle anything the thugs could not. Slowly, the Lotus spread from Lo-yang, sending sorcerers across the Empire to infest the place with demons and spirits. After letting the creatures run rampant, the sorcerer would come and offer to exorcise them for a fee. If the villagers hesitated, the attacks grew more violent and the price wnet up. The protection racket worked well, gathering money and obedience. As power grew, so did the need for caution, though. Gao Zhang began to work more through levels of henchmen, each with only a slim view of the big picture and no idea about the Lotus. Whenever someone got too close, he would create another scapegoat.

The Lotus employed feng shui geomancers to create several towers throughout Lo-yang, using them to create more feng shui sites and increasing his ower. The greatest of these is the Hall of Brilliance, within the Imperial Pleasure Gardens. It, Gao Zhang believes, ensures the prosperity of the Han. It is also fully controlled by the Lotus. However, it fed off Lo-yang's chi, which itself drew power from the entire empire. It is the wellspring of the entire Empire's chi, focused several times by the city and the palace. We also get a sidebar on the last survivor of the Lo-yang purge of the Eyes. Hu Lei is a relatively skilled sorcerer who barely escaped the purges and has been planning complex revenge by summoning hordes of demons.

Anyway. Lotus membership. At first, it was little more than a loose group of conspirators. However, it soon grew, requiring a rigid hierarchy - though the hierarchy applies only to full members. The hired thugs, freelancer sorcerers, demons and so on are outside it, and few know the truth of what they are involved in. For the most part, outsiders are the lowest of rank, unworthy of initiation. However, some powerful beings, such as demons, powerful women, some mercenaries and a few hermits are higher than this, commanding obedience despite technically being ineligible as Lotus members. Ironically, a growing number of demons are demanding obedience rather than meekly serving. The Petals are getting worried, and Gao knows that it's how the Ten Thousand Eyes were destroyed, but he believes a sorcerer who can't control what he summons deserves what he gets.

Gao is the Center of the Lotus and undisputed leader. He has established rules for replacing any rank but his own. There are no rules about how to replace him, should he die. In truth, he just doesn't expect to ever retire or die. Many believe the only way he'll be replaced is by murder. No one wants to try, yet. Under Gao are the Petals of the Lotus, a ruling council who organize the long-range plans, distribute resources and so on. These are the eight and on ly eight, each member named after a dark reflection of the I Ching trigrams: the Underworld, Emptiness, Silence, Drought, the Pit, Stillness, Frost and Desert. All eight are eunuchs, though all but of the original Petals have been replaced. Sorcery is practically a prerequisite to be a Petal, though one of them, Shi Zi Hui, the Desert, cannot cast any magic. RAther, his strategic thinking and combat skills earned him his seat.

Shi Zi Hui was once Imperial General of the Northern Frontier, but he lost a decisive battle against the Hsiung-nu. They took him prisoners and continued their raids. He liveds as a slave amont htem for five years, but eventually his fighting skills got them to let him ride on raids against other clans, and even to lead his own. During one of those raids, he escaped, fleeing across the Frontier. Unfortunately, he was captured by imperial troops. They believed him a traitor, and he was castrated on the spot and sent to Lo-yang. He served for less than a week before Gao noticed him, recognizing his impressive knowledge, and he has helped plan all major offensives since that day. Though the Petals are theoretically the same rank, there is a rough seniority, with the Underworld at the top and the Desert at the bottom. After accepting a seat, a new Petal soon manifests aspects from their trigram. Somehow, there's a spiritual side effect made in the initiation, though some say it is just an affectation.

We get a sidebar on one of the demons of the Lotus, Plague Bearer. He's a pretty tough demon who can shoot disease and pass through anything but wood. He also has a unique Contagious Attack power - anyone hit by his disease blast can infect those who touch them. He was summoned early on to harass a community, but turned out to be too good at it, destroying the village within a month. Gao has since kept track of Plague Bearer and uses him only to destroy entire groups now on purpose. Back to the Lotus! Gao has divided them into two ranks: Thorns and Vassals. Thorns operate without direct supervision and are trusted to execute orders and act on their own initiative. The Vassals are always watched, though, for they are simple mooks, not expected to think for themselves.

ao has often considered expanding this to include ranks and distinctions, but demonic advice has led him to instead just hand out titles and honors. We get a sidebar on Shi Zi Hui, the DEsert, who controls palace security and will lead personally in important battles. He's actually pretty damn good, though not supernatural in any way, and has the unique schtick Leads By Example , which gives all Lotus mooks +1 to rolls while fighting in his vicinity. Anyway. Titles are the actual responsibility each person has - stuff like General for command of a region or juncture's military, Captain for a small force, Lieutenant for their second in command and so on. Some are very specific indeed. Titles are theoretically in charge of everyone under their responsibility, but many titles overlap, causing confusion. Honors are just badges, awards and ceremonial stuff, no real power granted. That's why Gao likes them, and hands them out liberally. Some are common, like the Blood of the Lotus, given to those wounded in battle, or the Jade Leaf, to signify a debt owed. Some are very obscure, like the Master of the Pool of Blood. As far as anyone knows, there is no pool of blood, but you need a Master for certain ceremonies anyway.

Gao has divided the Lotus into five divisions: Water, Fire, Metal, Wood and Earth. The Water division encompasses the bureaucracy, maintaining supplies and collecting resources as well as organizing training and communication. It may be unglamorous, but all Petals and most high-titled Thorns are Water. It also contains the Pillars of Heaven, one of Gao's internal policing groups. The Metal division handles all research. Originally, it was just sorcerous experimentation, but since the Netherworld was discovered, it's quadrupled in size and includes exploration of other Junctures and study of future history. The Wood division handles all spies - even the ones that spy on other Lotus members. They divide spies into the types listed by Sun Tzu.

Specifically, there's the local spies, hired from the indigenous population. The inside spoy is hired from the disaffected ranks of the enemy, such as relatives of executed criminals or wrongly punished officials. Reverse spies are enemy infiltrators whose loyalty you have suborned - so, double agents and renegades. The dead spy is a group mostly made of incompetent spies sent into enemy territory with false information, planning based on that. (Thus, enemy spies fed disinformation can become dead spies!) They are named this because they tend to get killed when the enemy thinks they've betrayed them. Living spies are the most trusted: they pass back and forth through enemy territory, gathering information. They must be chosen carefully, and most be fast, powerful, brave and loyal. They must be dedicated. However, since Gao trusts no one, all of the Lotus's living spies are bound with magic to keep them from betraying.

Wood also contains the Silent Eyes - in fact, they make up the most of the Wood, and they're Lotus internal police. Fire division handles expansion forces. They are usually small teams with specializations, ranging from thuggery to terrorism to recruitment. It's very glamorous and anyone in Fire quickly gains honors and titles. It's also the only real way for non-eunuch non-sorcerers to gain prestige...if they survive it. The Fire division has the highest casualty rate, even more than the hired help. The final division is the Earth, and while technically defense, it includes all standing military. For the most part, they organize the Lotus infiltration into the Imperial army, and also include bandit groups and private warriors hired by the Lotus. Unlike Fire, Earth is made for mass combat.

Typically, when you call a person by rank, you use their division and rank - so Water Vassal or Fire Thorn. This can be confusing and makes it hard to tell who's in charge of who, which may be why the demons recommended it. In the end, power is what you can seize. We get a sidebar now from a Dragon historian writing about how the Empress Lu created the Order of the Empress, a secret alliance of revolutionary scholars and magistrates seeking to reform the excesses of the Han. Despite the Empress's defeat, her ORder grew, and eventually assisted Wang Mang in seizing power and forming hte Xin dynasty. They were decimated by the return of the Han, and the survivors have flocked to Empress Jui Szu in her exile. She is apparently rebuilding them as a military and political force.

Next time: Lotus vs. Empress

This was, of course, the Old Man's fault.

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: This was, of course, the Old Man's fault.

The Lotus's power is, essentially, parasitical. They have their own armies and demons, yes, but their true power lies in their ability to influence the Emperor. Through him, they control the imperial army and the bureaucracy, with access to the Empire's full resources. Thus, they are strongest where the Empire is strong. Their main power is focused on the cities, especially Lo-yang, Ch'ang-an and P'eng-ch'eng. In the rural areas, they depend on the loyalty and reliability of their on-site members, and one Lotus often controls a large area - sometimes an entire province, near the fringes. The Lotus also has little influence on the kingdoms within the empire or the lands outside the borders. Gao Zhang has sent teams to infiltrate other lands, especially the Hsiung-nu and the imperial kingdoms, and Lotus explorers have even reached the edges of Rome, but they have no immediate control.

Lotus command centers are found on strong feng shui sites, and in many ways they are duplicates of the palaces of the provincial magistrates. One Water Lotus will run the place and command it, typically with an Earth company and maybe a Fire squad, though some command centers have only a few minions. Every command center tries to further Lotus goals in the area, but on extreme frontiers they are often merely guards, watching for rebellion and questionable activity and reporting on it. The Petals then send responses - Fire teams or Earth companies, generally, and priority is given to the areas near a city. Disasters hitting multiple spots at once, such as after a major feng shui site is destroyed, often get remote Lotuses instructions to 'handle this yourself and await further instructions.'

Now then - Empress Jui Szu! She's a fairly skilled archer and a very good leader. She was suspicious of the Lotus, and noticed the eunuchs having strange meetings. She presented her fears to her husband, and soon the Emperor also grew suspicious. Gao Zhang almost lost everything. The eunuchs abandoned him and a few sorcerers even turned on him, much to their later regret. Gao Zhang created evidence of a false sorcerous society in the palace, framing those who'd turned against him of conspiring with demons against the throne. The Emperor, moved by his groveling and his false evidence, spared his life and told him to find the root. Which he decided was the Empress and her eldest son. The boy was ordered to commit suicide and did, but Jui Szu was only exiled and stripped of power. She now lives in a small temple in Lo-yang, and her bodyguards have stopped two attempts on her life already.

Gao Zhang believes the danger has passed, but to ensure it never comes again, he has sent a demon of nightmares to visit the Emperor. He has a sleeping potion (which is really just wine) to cure the nightmares, and so makes the Emperor dependent on him, that the Emperor will never truly question him. For twenty-five years, Gao Zhang then concentrated on securing his power. He expanded into Korea and Vietnam, using his private army to raid villages and execute people as part of the whole protection racket thing. Demons also get used, and few magistrates ever dare to oppose him. However, in the Shu province, there is trouble.

The magistrate Wen Zi refuses to pay Gao Zhang's taxes, not out of any kindness, but because it would drain his own treasuries. He rebels, and is painted as a hero by the people, who flock to his banner. He has severa Lotus henchmen put to death - and Gao Zhang has Wen Zi ordered arrested, sentenced to death. Most of Wen Zi's troops abandoned him and fled. His fortress fell to demons, and the Bone Drinker slew everyone within the fortress. Still, some rebels escaped to the mountains. Commander An Bao and the sorcerers continued their campaign, but had heavy losses, especially when working with demons. Strange beings in outlandish clothing were attacking them and seizing the supernatural creatures. Odd, that.

The Bone Drinker, incidentally, is a pretty tough demon whose main trick is attacking via transmutation blasts which liquefy bones. He then drinks the skeleton after killing the victim. He's mostly used to infiltrate strongholds and destroy the leadership before the army arrives. Anyway. An Bao focuses on the new threat, and won several battles, but never gains any true victories. The enemy, after all, has no supply lines, holds no territory and disappears on retreat. Eventually, a swordsman called Meng Jen leads a group archers and zombies through the mountains, where they get ambushed by the outsiders. Meng Jen survives the ambush but is paralyzed, watching as the strangers steal the zombies. Meng Jen decides to follow them, and finds them entering a cave. Within the cave, there is a howling, and then silence.

Soon, Meng Jen finds his way into the Netherworld via the cave portal. He becomes hopelessly lost until he finds another portal, and from there manages to make his way back to the provincial palace. He reported the incident, but no one believed him, and he lost his rank and left hand. Other, similar reports begin to come in, though, and eventually Gao Zhang hears of them. He iusses a decree pardoning Meng Jen and sends him along with the sorcerer Shen Yo to explore this realm, along with an army of demons and martial artists. The two soon learn about the Netherworld and the Secret War. They find the 1850 and Contemporary junctures as well as trading food for strange devices that disappeared on leaving the Netherworld (mostly). The journey forever changes the Lotus.

Since that time, they have emphasized exploration of other junctures, learning more of the Secret War. The Order of the Wheel, the Jade Wheel Society, the Buro and the Guiding Hand are now their enemies. They study Chinese history, learning of their eventual downfall, and decide to prevent it. Lotus agents operate in every juncture and will soon conquer time itself. Meanwhile, Meng Jen is working on making a strike force of Netherworlders. He is still a Lotus mercenary, but his loyalties are suspect. He's too fond of 1996, and he has open ties to the Dragons and the Monarchs. He's an great martial artist and has a unique schtick, Friend of Steel , which gives him Armor 2 against all bladed weapons and makes any sword in his hands act as a signature weapon. Shen Yo continues exploring, seeking information on the Lotus's enemies and the art of Netherworld shaping. He is especially interested in Guiyu Zui, the gate to the underworld.

Future history was especially shocking to the Lotus, who learned that within 60 years, the general Han Jin would rise to destroy them, killing the Emperor and ending the Han as well as slaughtering the eunuchs. The Lotus tried to strike back, but Hand destroyed them. Gao Zhang is forced to assume there were no survivors. He orders the ancestors of Han Jin arrested and killed, but history only changes to replace him with General He Jin instead. Events suggest that the Lotus must capture strong feng shui sites to fix time, but interference from the future has hampered them. Still, they have added 60 years to the clock so far. They must solidify their hold on 69 AD and conquer the others. Because they have the earliest open juncture, they don't fear being wiped out via changed history, and so they can build their power and extend their control across time. The Lotus, Gao Zhang swears, will become masters of all human history.

We return to Hoi Mao Quan, now a Vassal of the Lotus. He has been sent into battle by the Old Man, a leader in the Lotus. Now, he is cold, hungry and terrified. He and his Lotus allies assault a bandit camp, and Mao tries to hide in the back...until a bandit carves his way through. At that point, Mao panics and hurls magical energy at the guy, killing him with a sudden blast of transmutation power. At which point he understands. Power lies within him, and he doesn't need to fear. He starts laughing, understanding the Old Man's lesson.

The next chapter is narrated by the Old Man, a eunuch scholar and master of the study of future history. He's a particularly powerful Lotus member, though he doesn't use his magic to fight. Rather, he uses it to gather information to understand the big picture. The Lotus's first foes were the Architects of the Flesh, the thieves of their demons. We get a sidebar from a Dragon observer saying that the Architects can be blamed for unleashing the Lotus, though at least the two fight each other. The Architects are better equipped, but Gao Zhang has advantages. The Architects dare not change too much about 69 and don't want to capture it, for fear of changing their own history. The Lotus have learned to summon and bind abominations, which can be rather devastating. And as a result, both sides steal each others' best fighters. Neither side wants to admit that the other is very similar, which is good - if they joined forces, they'd be unstoppable.

Anyway. Architects. In the two years the Lotus have had Netherworld access, they have fought the Architects everywhere. These are very bloody and often wasteful, but Gao Zhang has no desire to beat the Architects in combat. Rather, he wants to suborn thei future, exploiting the corruption within the Buro to take control of it, as he took control of the Empire. The Lotus have initiated the Movement of the Twined Snakes, which has replaced several Architect operatives with shapeshifting demons. Nasty!

Sidebar from an Ascended spy, who feels that the Lotus are one of their greatest threats. There are few transformed animals in 69 AD who care about the secret war, and most just want to live a normal life, though several will aid the Pledged. Ideally, the AScended want to destroy the Lotus and eliminate magic from 69, but that could damage the timelines and possibly even erase the AScended, so instead they plan to contain the Lotus and prevent them from spreading. The Lotus, meanwhile, have discovered the Jade Wheel and the Order of the Wheel, conspiracies which eroded the power of China and allowed the West to rise. Thus, the Lotus plan to learn more of them and find their secrets, that they might be stopped. After all, with them in the way, the Lotus can't rule infinite time.

The Lotus are not entirely clear on if the Dragons are actually an organization, and they don't know about the Dragons' leaders. Rather, they think of the Dragons as idiot do-gooders who have named themselves after other idiot do-gooders who all died. This is very perplexing. After the events of Killdeer, they feel the Dragons are gone, and despite the deaths of Jueding Shelun and the Thing with 1,000 Tongues, they're basically okay with that.

The Lotus and the Four Monarchs both want to spread the power of magic, but they don't trust each other at all. They have had few conflicts, of course, and basically try to mostly ignore each other. Ming I of the Darkness PAgoda is the only one with whom they have regular contact. Gao Zhang has an alliance with her, of sorts. They both try to betray each other, but they do respect each other and easily forgive such betrayals. The price of Ming I's help is always high. The Lotus see Huan Ken as an idiot, and Gao Zhang has never liked him...especially after Huan Ken captured six sorcerers and burned them at the stake for heresy. Still, they try to avoid each other, as Gao Zhang doesn't want to throw away lives. The Lotus see Li Ting as a worthy foe who understands the nature of strength and power, and want to avoid pissing him off. (This may be because Li Ting is really good at exploiting their psychological weaknesses and tends to come out on top when they clash.) Pui Ti of the Ice Pagoda is seen as weak and ignorable; she is watching the Lotus and will not act until they truly join the game of Netherworld politics.

The Lotus are aware that the Guiding Hand hate them. They see the Hand as insufferably smug and blinded by their own self-righteousness. After all, the Lotus rule the golden age of China, yes? (No.) The Lotus fight the Hand to prevent their popular rebellions from taking hold. See, Quan Lo sends teachers and priests to instill social order in the people, and they make Gao Zhang very nervous, because they blend in in ways no other faction does. The Hand have the support of many in the bureaucracy, and they attack the Lotus furiously, with no fear of changing history too much. Fortunately for the Lotus, both the AScended and Architects want to stop the Hand from succeeding, but unfortunately, neither group is very good at telling what people are Hand teachers and what are just political critics native to the time. As a result, they've killed several natives just to be on the safe side, strengthening the Lotus.

The Lotus hate the Jammers. Really, really hate them. As in 'we want to kill you, feed you to the dogs, then hang your heads from a tree as a warning to everyone else.' This is because the Jammers love to target the Lotus, and each time they do, Gao Zhang can feel some power slipping away. After one major Jammer attack, the loss of chi troggered a rebellion which took two months to end and another two months to fix the chi damage. The Jammers are very efficient, don't pull their punches and don't worry about taking territory. As a result, Gao Zhang has sworn eternal vengeance and rallied a whole lot of magic-users to his call from the Netherworld. He may even have gotten Architect support. The Lotus are planning one massive killing blow in which they hope to kill Potemkin and every other leader of the Jammers. They've even made a deal with the Lords of the Underworld and gotten a special hell prepared for Potemkin's soul. However, Li Ting has convinced Huan Ken to help the Jammers for som reason, and many think he'll help as well. This one's going to be really chaotic.

When Gao Zhang learned that the Lotus would fall, he brooded for a week and then burst into action...and soon learned he could not alter time. He has thus begun seeking feng shui sites and conducting elaborate experiments on timestreams. They have pushed back their destruction sixty years, but not erased their foes. Many blame the other factions, but the Lotus are certrain they are ultimately unstoppable...as long as they can control 69. They don't like to admit it, but they do not have an iron grasp on the time. The homefront is not safe. Many bureaucrats resent them, though few act against them. Corruption is accepted, but the Lotus go too far, the bureaucrats say. They cannot be trusted and must be kept on a tight leash, so they do not risk their own power. The Lotus believe all bureaucrats can be corrupted.

More annoying is Empress Jui Szu. She has no real power (according to the Lotus), but she is visible and active, and many disagree with her punishment...especially as the Emperor ages. Some use her name as a banner to really around. (What the Lotus do not understand is that Jui Szu and her Order of the Empress still have power, and the Empress remains attuned to many feng shui sites. She can't move openly, but her network is devoted to her out of loyalty and faith, not power, as Gao's is. She protects the people from him and is trying to find a way to stop Gao and his demons - but she doesn't realize the Lotus is so extensive, and knows nothing of the secret war. She thinks this is just Gao and some eunuchs. She has no desire to conquer time and just wants one of her family to be Emperor.)

There are also continual bandit troubles - bandits who are often in the employ of people. Sometimes the Lotus, but sometimes others. Do not trust bandits, the Lotus say, for they care only about money. Many bandits really hate the Lotus for driving them from their homes. The Lotus also fear the Hsiung-nu nomad tribes. They are the Empire's greatest local threat, after all. Gao Zhang knows that a prince will rise among them, chief of the Mangkhol: Chengiz Khan, who will carve through the steppes. For now, the Hsiung-nu weaken themselves with intertribal war, but Chengiz will unite them and conquer China. It will weaken China even as they assimilate thes Mangkhols...but for now, the Hsiung-nu remain simple barbarians.

Next time: Sorcerers, Taoists and Demons.

Perhaps the Old Man was right after all.

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: Perhaps the Old Man was right after all.

There's plenty of mystery cults of sorcerers in ancient China that have nothing to do with the Lotus at all. They tend to ignore the Lotus and in fact most things. They seek only enlightenment. Eventually, one of them, the White Lotus Society, will be persecuted by the Empire and eventually sink from their ideals, hiding among organized criminals. They will briefly join the Shaolin and Guiding Hand before founding the Triads and will eventually lose their mysticism completely. The Lotus really could not care less.

Taoists are more annoying. The Taoists recommend accepting life as it is, living each moment in tune with nature - but they also seek perfection of spirit, supernatural power and even immortality. They are often pacifists, yet also stand against oppression. The most dangerous are the hermits, who often have great chi or magical power. Fortunately, they rarely involve themselves...but they also openly diapprove of the Empire. They also often aid the commoners, but usually only with a single problem and an unexpected manner. They are notable for annoying the Lotus and draining resources from them by causing rebellions or screwing around with the local tax collectors.

Demons, ogres and ghosts often serve the Lotus, but some are neutral or even oppose them. Fortunately (for the Lotus, that is), the more powerful beings are less likely to care at all about human affairs. The Jade Emperor may rule a hierarchy of gods, but he has no care for day-to-day human existence. Local spriits and gods thus are the ones with most contact and frequently have a vested interest in local affairs. As long as a village maintains its proper rituals, the spirits and gods protect them. The Lotus often must corrupt an area and drive away these beings before they can send in demons.

Lotus goals can be divided into two areas: securing their current holdings and expanding their influence. To secure their power, Gao Zhang uses a combination of informants, bribes and attacks. No one is trusted, even underlings, and the Lotus track their fortunes via spirit mediums, fortune tellers and feng shui professors. This is often rather limited - they spot general threats and trends, but not specifics. A clear image comes only when the enemy acts. Mortal spies and informations also help, as they can watch suspected threats. Gao uses them to follow up on leads, and thus often has a good understanding of important trouble spots. The first reaction to ap roblem is to try and bribe or buy off the threat. Gao Zhang knows that combat is unpredictable and there's a chance of losing - but he also knows bribes are only temporary. Purchased loyalty is untrustworthy by nature. They are a stopgap, buying time. (Often a lot of time, for minor problems. These can go ignored for months.)

Ironically, the greatest problem Gao sees are his own subordinates. He trusts no one, knowing that his loyal servants are loyal from greed and fear. He expects them to plot against him. There are also threats more subtle than rebellion - like the fact that most Lotuses are megalomaniacs. They have trouble controlling their desires. Gao knows that greed destroyed the Ten Thousand Eyes, and while he has trouble with self-control, he tries to encourage it...but his underlings often lack even his own twisted form of it. The only thing that stops them is fear.

Thus, Gao has created two similar but seperate branches: the Silent Eyes, who spy on other Lotuses and search for treachery and disobedience, answering only to Gao Zhang, and the Pillars of Heaven, who travel the Empire and ensure local magistrates and Lotus squads do not abuse their power (too much, anyway). The Pillars have full authoirty to review local records and talk to anyone. Though a branch of the Lotus, they are officially servants of the Emperor directly and meant to hunt out corruption. Their leader, Wan Qian, is not limited by law or even Imperial decree, in fact, and is the only man in the world who is not required to bow for the Emperor. This makes him very confident, and he'll even question Gao Zhang...though he knows he must not cross Gao. Both groups have orders to investigate each other, to keep them from getting out of line. Gao still spends a lot of time watching for plots and conspiracies.

Important external problems, meanwhile, get direct responses - Imperial edicts for small things, strike times or even Imperial divisions or demons for the rest. Troublemakers can be arrested, discredited, killed or replaced by supernatural doubles. Monsters besiege troublesome regions. All of this still means little against feng shui. More feng shui for the Lotus means fewer rebellions. Loss of feng shui brings disaster and plots. Thus, the Lotus are engaged in aggressive expansion.

Under strict guidelines, that is. These are an ideal, though, and time crunch and resource shortages often demand changes. Expansion plans may come from any command center, though most come from the Petals themselves. Few centers have the resources to launch attacks on their own, and Gao has no patience for failure. Only those with absolute confidence or great ambition risk it, with the exception of the generals of the junctures, who are expected to do such things. All expansion plans begin with extensive spying, as knowledge is power. Information is what has given gao his control, after all. The Wood Division love it, it makes them important and gets them resources. They are one of the Lotus's most successful branches, with infiltrators in every juncture nad many organizations. They have spies among the Hsiung-nu, Jui Szu's court and even the families of those whose descendants will eventually end eunuch control of the Empire.

Spies are not enough, though. Planners must also consult fortune tellers, mediums and feng shui professors from the Metal division, who will predict the atack's outcome and point out key things that might change it. They chart the best time to attack and oversee rituals to get spiritual support for it. Once all this is done, the Fire squads go in, making terrorist strikes on the enemy's defenses. They cripple the enemy, allowing the Earth divisions to arrive and defeat any resistance, fortifying the Lotus defenses and holding the ground the Fire has claimed. If the gains are important, the Water division then arrives to create a command center, which will be the focus and rally point for further operations. The Petals prefer such expansion by steps.

To expand into other junctures, the Petals have given each juncture a general, to oversee the Lotus's will there. They are officially servants of the Petals, but in practice pretty autonomous. Despite their impressive work over two years, the Lotus remain weak outside 69 AD, and few new forces get committed. They prefer temporary assistance. The general thus use whatever they can sccrape together, and have as a result become excellent recruiters...though they are still always outnumbered and often outgunned. They tend to keep a low profile.

The general of 1850 is Cha Tzu , a quiet man who likes tea and the classics. He is a skilled sorcerer, investigator, liar and businessman. He runs a minor trade company out of Shanghai, and he was chosen for his subtlety. He never draws attention to himself, but has made several safehouses in China and Japan, using his caravans to move supplies and agents without drawing attention. He has even recruited several dozen Lotuses - though they're loyal to him, not Gao or the Petals. Cha Tzu's company is a liaison between the foreigners and Chinese nationalists, and he's managed to avoid offending either side. One branch exports tea, bringing in Western goods and money, while another secretly sells opium, weakening the Empire and preparing it for takeover. Cah uses trade as a weapon, targeting families and regions that pose a threat. Opium is, after all, corruption given physical form - and the Lotus understand the power of corruption.

His business acumen has actually drawn both the Guiding Hand and the Order of the Wheel to him. Both organizations have approached him via low-ranking members to get his support. The Guiding Hand want him to help strengthen China against foreigners, and believe him an upstanding citizen. They know nothing of his opium dealing. The Order of the Wheel appeal to his greed, wanting his help in spreading their influence. He remains open but noncommittal, hoping that both organizations will accept some of his underlings and allow him to thus infiltrate them. He also has plans for the American west, using his business contacts to send Lotus immigrants there. The gunslingers are still 15 years off or so, when the Civil War veterans come in, but he knows that the Chinese immigrants will play a vital if unappreciated role there. He hopes to create a powerbase before it really starts by seizing power that would otherwise go to Order of the Wheel tycoons. They also want to improve the lot of the Chinese immigrants...though mostly because Cha Tzu wants their help. It's proved harder than expected, as the operatives have had to fight the native Americans for feng shui sites, and the native Americans have proven quite fierce and armed with powerful magic.

Cha Tzu had not actually expected the medicine men to have magic, since he knew the USA would roll over the natives without much effort. He thought they were weak, and has ince realized that Manifest Destiny will be achieved not by strength of arms, but by feng shui power. Cha Tzu has identified several important feng shui sites that will aid the US government. Unfortunately, that means the US will also trample the Lotus unless he can manage to make an alliance with the natives - which seems unlikely, given the bad blood he made with them.

Finding a general for the contemporary juncture was hard. AFter all, most Lotuses don't operate well there, really. The limtis on magic remove their power and they don't get technology. Also, eunuch sorcerers just don't blend in. The Petals can get specific teams to work there, and the demon island Kun Chau was a great find, but no one could establish a permanent base until they found Penny Bane . She's an American programmer working in Hong Kong. Her father was a practitioner of Chinese medicine in San Francisco, and her mother was an ex-hippie. Her real name is Pen Hei, and she grew up around mysticism and open-minded people. It's no wonder she was fascinated by the occult. She studied everything she could, but got no real power out of it.

That is, until her spells started to work one day for no clear reason. She used her magic to cure her friend, Tom Annis, of pneumonia...and that was when things got weird. Men in gray suits started to spy on her, and they trashed her apartment. They'd even stolen her diary and erased her hard drive. Fearing that she'd angered the mafia, Penny fled to her mother's old friend, Bob. Bob is a weird hippy who is quite good at breaking into places and learning things. (He has two unique schticks: Go To Ground , which allows him to be impossible to find if he wants to - along with anyone else he hides, as long as they obey his instructions, and Know Someone . Bob always knows someone who can help him, no matter where he is or what he needs help with. They may not be very good at it, though. Also, Bob is a vegan and can take no action to harm living creatures, though he'll fight mindless dead ones.)

Bob knew that the NSA and aliens were out to get him, and he knew how to hide. Penny fled with Bob to Seattle, where they studied her pursuers. Bob realized they were the Secret Spokemen, a conspiracy that controlled everything, and he said rumor had it that their direct supervisor was a mutant spider. (Yeah, Bob has no clear idea what's up with the Ascended.) After a week in hiding, Penny decided her friend was insane and she was safe. She left the apartment...and got ambushed two blocks away. She was thrown in a van...and hours later, a group of hopping vampires saved her, dropping her at the feet of the Lotus Chen Yung.

Chen had been sent to capture a minor feng shui site and happened to be in the area. Bob knew him and found him, getting him to rescue Penny. In return, Penny helped him buy out the feng shui site, a bar, without any fighting. Chen offered to teach her sorcery, noticing her power. (Penny is quite good at sorcery, but not much else except planning and lying.) She could not officially join the Lotus, so Chen Yung is officially the general - but everyone knows Penny runs the show and Chen is happy to just be her teacher. In the six months since then, Penny has established outposts in Hong Kong, Tokyo, London, New York and San Francisco. She's got a phony computer consultation company, DetaTel, Inc., which serves as a front for the Lotus, though the Petals insisted she base it out of Kowloon despite the bad feng shui there. Kowloon, after all, means nine dragons - and the Lotus think nine is a lucky number.

Like Cha Tzu, Penny relies heavily on local recruits - mostly wizard-wannabes, a group of demons she has named the Popcorn Demons (whose special trick is twofold. First, if you knock 'em out, they get back up a few minutes later. Second, they explode when injured and cause chain reactions with each other), and her brother Tieh. Tieh is an accomplished kung fu master and an important local Triad. With his contacts, Penny has made friends with many Triads and gotten help from his students and buddies. All of Penny's recruits are loyal to her and her brother - very loyal. Sorcerers from 69, well, they don't like taking orders from an apprentice, especially one that's a woman. Thus, they tend to avoid contacting her for information, instructions or advice. More often than not, they also end up screwing up and dying. Penny ignores them. The smart ones will learn, and the others deserve what they get. While Penny is bubbly and optimistic, she isn't stupid and considers any problem a challenge. Failure doesn't bother her, and she always uses her wits to find a new way to her goal. She won't risk her underlings for no reason, but will do whatever is needed to succeed. This makes her very dangerous. Fortunately (or unfortunately), she is completely loyal to the Lotus, because they have given her power beyond her wildest dreams as well as saved her life. She may not like some of Gao's policies, but she won't challenge him.

Infiltrating 2056 has been almost impossible. Cultural differences and the paranoisa of the time has made it very, very hard. So far, only the Movement of the Twined Snakes has had any success. This was a simple project - a shapeshifting demon would kill and replace an Architect monster hunter. Using the identity, it would go through Buro checkpoints and find information. Early spies would return quickly to Lo-yang, while later ones would assassinate specific people. A few tried to make permanent positions in 2056, but these were inevitably discovered thanks to changes in behavior. As time went on, though, the project has broadened. The Metal division realised htey could bind the Architects' own abominations, using their soldiers as spies. Possessing spirits began to replace shapeshifters as well, getting full access to their targets' memories and only slightly changing their behavior...as well as being able to shift hosts.

The most luck any has had was the spirit Thousand Questions, who possessed an injured soldier and buried himself deep in the man's mind. Then he began to jump between hosts until he found a middle manager, John Sanders, whom he used to establish identities for other infiltrators. To avoid attracting attention, he would not use John for this, but instead would jump hosts, make the identities and then go back. Someone would find them eventually, but no major spy would be lost. Thousand Questions was very good at his job...until he started refusing requests. This confused everyone...until someone examined the 2056 juncture's feng shui and realized that it was brainwashing the people of the time. All but those few with innate resistance would eventually become loyal to Buro. This was a problem. Thousand Questions had already been fed disinformation, so that wasn't an issue - but it was a crimp in the Lotus expansion.

Next time: The 2056 Solution.

Master, my name is Two Ox. I have come to serve.

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

The Guillotine is in this book. Shaolin is not - that's for the Guiding Hand book. They love them some Shaolin monks. And yes, puns...happen. Puns just occur in Feng Shui.

Feng Shui: Master, my name is Two Ox. I have come to serve.

The solution the Lotus have reached is Horned Demons X-125-A . He was originally the servant of the sorcerer Shen Yo, but was captured by the Architects, who made him into a frontlines abomination On one of X-125-A's trips to 69, Hoi Mao Qian defeated and bound him, ordering him to remain with his unit and return to 2056. Once there, he reported back on important activities. For months, he worked hard, gaining Mao's trust and that of the Inner Council. Now, X-125-A sneaks new operatives into 2056. It's a simple plan - X-125-A captured thge Lotus operative, either a demon or sorcerer. He escorts them back to 2056, and once there, the Louts operative only has to survive the Buro Reeducation Programs and feng shui influence long enough to escape and complete a mission. Which isn't easy. Fortunately, X-125-A never spends much time in 2056 so the feng shui never affects him, and he remains loyal after seven months of service - the best to date.

The Lotus have also tried to infiltrate the Jammers. It's a little bit easier - they're mostly in the Netherworld, and thus don't have the same issues with feng shui influence and paranoia. Unfortunately, their anti-magic beliefs make them hard to corrupt. One of Penny Bane's recruits, Tim Gunner , has had a bit of luck, though. He was a hacker who dabbled in explsoives before Penny started to teach him sorcery. (He has a unique schtick, Blown Clear , which lets him roll Martial Arts when caught in an explosion at a shot cost of 1, subtracting his outcome from the explosion damage.) Tim understands the Jammers and has made friends with many of their members. He's even convinced a few of 'em that magic isn't entirely terrible - secretly, of course. There's nothing like a spell-slinging pyromaniac to show the Jammers how much fun a Blast spell is. (Playing students and minions of Penny Bane is probably one of the only ways to manage Lotuses-as-PCs in the long term.)

With the reawakening of Kun Chau, the Lotuses have decided to try other time capsule plans. They've considered binding more spirits to land masses, burying magical artifacts and so on, but when it actually comes to making these capsules, they have few resources they're willing to spare. Worse, the nature of chi flow means that they cna only be retrieved during an open juncture, not intervening years. All attempts to use them at other points in history have failed. Some of the recruits from the future have suggested magic bombs - that is, inert Blast spells that will go off when exposed to magic, so that when the CDCA begin to reintroduce magic, they will get explosions. This plan has some drawbacks.

First, they can't target the weapons, so a random mystic might set them off centuries early, or they might just take out a minor abomination, wasting all that time and effort. Second and more importantly, the plan hinges on the Lotus being eventually defeated, and Gao Zhang will not support such plans, as they show lack of faith. Despite these problems, though, future operatives have found ways to reclaim lost resources. Cha Tzu and Penny both pay archaeologists to hunt for lost tombs and battlefields, looking not only for Lotus artifacts but those of other cultures. Once an artifact is found, the Metal division studies them and awakens their power. Both Cha Tzu and Penny have found useful tools.

There are also rumors that Buro has been doing the same, and unconfirmed reports say that they found the Tomb of Xian Wang, a powerful Xia king who commanded ten thousand demons, including the demon lord Chiu Szu. All of the demons were said to be sealed in his tomb. Reportedly, Buro can't yet open the tomb, but the Lotus find it very interesting and tempting to seek it out and take it. Of course, the Petals are hesitant to send a team, as it could be a trap...but maybe someone will go for it anyway.

We now cut back to Hoi Mao Qian, who is performing a sacrificial ritual over a child, using the power of the child's blood to summon forth a demon from the ground. Two Ox, the demon, swears eternal service to Mao, who is very proud indeed of his work. We now enter the chapter on supernatural entities, which I believe is being narrated by Mao but I am not entirely certain. We get his stats, anyway. He's a potent sorcerer who is not very good at much but sorcery. He also always has his demon Two Ox around, who is super tough and good at fighting. And immune to bullets. So yeah, the pair of 'em are pretty damn tough.

Anyway, we start out talking about gods. Gods come in all sizes, from the Jade Emperor to the earth spirit of a single family. As their power goes up, so does their responsibility. Your average person doesn't pray to the Jade Emperor - it'd be like going to the Son of Heaven directly. Instead, they turn to the local spirits, ancestors and gods. Proper care for ancestral shrines can provide the effects of feng shui attunement, but desecration of these sites provides negative feng shui. The imperial court often uses this as a weapon, breaking into the ancestral tombs of rebels and ritually desecrating them, disheartening the rebels and ensuring their failure. The Lotus dore this method.

Spirits, we get told in a sidebar, can protect places from evil spirits and influences. As long as they're happy, they have the same effect as a puirification spell, and their priest's action value when blessing the area determines how hard it is for monsters to enter. The purification stays in place until someone either offends the local god or some monster breaks through the spell. In either case, a priest has to properly attune and bless the place again. Also, as a note, the holy sites of various gods - the shrines and ancient oaks, say - count as feng shui sites in 69 AD. The power of these supernatural beings influences chi flow, and the chi is good when they are happy, or bad when angry, as mentioned above. This does mean there's a ton of really minor feng shui sites around.

Worship of spirits and belief in them is a powerful tool and weapon. At the bottom of the divine hierarchy are the Great Aunts and Great Uncles, minor nature spirits who are usually friendly but will turn vindictive when improperly cared for. They keep watch over the people near them and help keep evil spirits away. Each Great Aunt or Great Uncle has a special festival to honor them, and on that day, virgin attendants sacrifice food and candles to them. Above them in rank are the household gods. Every house has gods. Doorway gods keep the home secure, the earth god maintains the family's health and the kitchen god lurks in the kitchen. Most families ignore the kitchen god until New Year's. You see, on New Year's the kitchen god returns to the heavenly court to give a report, describing his family's behavior. Thus, many people coat their idol's lips in honey, that all he says may be sweet.

Above these is the village's earth spirit - a larger version of the household earth god. This one lives under the fields and controls the village's crop fertility. It is a very important spirit, as ancient China is highly agricultural. Villages also have a number of local gods, who usually have simple shrines or temples. Each will have some area of expertise and typically a local festival in their honor which lasts a few days and has great feasting and performances. The imperial court tends to have similar festivals, but higher up the divine ladder, as the Emperor and court priests appeal to the Jade Emperor directly. Indeed, most of the Emperor's duties are rituals to ensure prosperity.

The Jade Emperor and his heavenly court are mirrors of the earthly Empire, or possibly vice versa. He sits atop a massive bureaucracy which orders the entire universe, from the smallest grain of sand to the largest mountain. Of course, the Jade Emperor delegates. So most of his real work is decrees and judging divine legal cases. And, of course, his officers and magistrates frequently shift as gods gain or lose favor. Thus, some try to gain his favor by doing good deeds - especially divine exiles. (These are the only powerful gods who care at all about directly interfering in human affairs.) The exiled gods asct as wandering heroes, and so often come into conflict with the Lotus. Fortunately, they are rare and favor the countryside, where the Lotus is weak. In Lo-yang, they might easily destroy the entire organizaiton!

True, exiled gods have only a shadow of their former power, but they remain some of the most powerful beings in the world. They are immortal and can give that gift to their companions. Most weapons and spells just bounce off. And they are usually warriors. The more bureaucratic exiles tend not to, you know, cause trouble. Also, hero-gods are more likely to go maverick and get kicked out. The Lotus have only seen two exiled gods, and they have learned not to oppose them. Instead, Gao Zhang tries to quicken their return to Heaven, setting up false quests for the god to perform and achieve glorious victory over. The Lotus also hire priests to pray for the god, to report his good deeds to Heaven. The sooner the god leaves, the quicker they can return to normal life.

We get a sidebar on hero gods. They all have at least Fortune 10, and fate loves them. They are extraordinarily powerful and a GM should be very careful about introducing one, as they can overshadow the players easily. Of course, an exiled god might have amnesia and not know how to use their power, or perhaps be a prisoner for the PCs to rescue. The example stats we're given are for Shen Chang. Shen Chang is extremely good at shooting people and kicking them in the face, is literally impossible to kill and can Dodge Magic , allowing him to use Martial Arts to parry things he can't parry. He was kicked out by the Jade Emperor for brawling in the Celestial Throne Room, and has spent all his time on earth drinking kegs of rice wine and looking for trouble. He's a nice guy who tries to solve people's problems...by hitting them with a stick.

The Lotus's more theological members have theorized that, as the Court of Heaven resembles the earthly court, it must have eunuchs. The divine eunuchs must hold the strings otp ower, just as the real eunuchs do. Thus, there is a minor cult among hte Lotus that worships the Eunuchs of Heaven. Howeever, most Lotus members don't care and focus on summoning demons. Still, a few offer the occasional sacrifice just in case. No one has ever seen any obvious benefits from this, and it is possible the Eunuchs of Heaven don't exist, but the cult continues to slowly grow.

Even the demons of the underworld obey the Jade Emperor, for not even the Yama Kings can oppose his will. The Underworld, says the Lotus, is a gathering point for all souls of the dead. There, they go before the DEmonic Judge or even a Yama King if they truly merit such an honor. The judge decides their fate. Worthy souls are reincarnated as human beings, whose prosperity depends on their worthiness. Some particularly good souls become gods or achieve enlightenment. Most evil souls must spend time in the Underworld, being tortured by demons. Some stay there for a while and then reincarnate, if into unpleasant lives, usually as poor people or animals, or even demons. Some are unlucky enough to be trapped forever in the Underworld.

Of course, there's other afterlives. Some spirits go to other worlds, some cease to exist, whatever. It's limited only by their beliefs and the creativity of the Demonic Judge. Anyway, the underworld is basically a bad place even for demons. It is all extremes, nightmarish landscapes of torture where the strong rule the weak and pain is an art. The joy of most demons is only in harming others, that they may forget their own pain. Some demons even deliberately send osuls to the wrong afterlife to torment them, and while some complain, the Yama Kings do not stop them. Sometimes a hero will fight his way to the Jade Emperor and get an imperial edict, which sets right all wrongs...once. Ten thousand more remain.

Unsurprisingly, most demons and ghosts want to escape the Underworld and find the world of men. Those who are summoned can escape the power of the Yama Kings and find a poor sort of freedom...though they are often hounded by other spirits to recapture them. This can be delayed, but not stopped...unless a demon turns its back on evil and seeks redemption and enlightenment. Doing so, their masters lose all claim upon them. They are free to live out life on earth, unless they condemn themselves by evil action. Giving up the quest for redemption returns the old bonds. This is hard. The easy way to escape is to find a replacement. The Yama Kings care only that they are served and not by whom - though the conditions of the replacement tend to vary based on who's involved. Some will take only souls, so a mortal must e killed. Others require the mortal to voluntarily accept the position. Still, once the requirements are met, the demon is free forever. (Except from summoners binding it.)

We get a sidebar on Mount T'ai now. Every Emperor climbs Mount T'ai, making a grand sacrifice to show his right to rule. Some will repeat this ritual in timbs of trouble. Mount T'ai is a very powerful feng shui site, which the Emperor attunes to via this ritual, becoming a channel of good chi. While the Emperor is just, the good chi flows through the empire, bringing luck. If the Emperor becomes greedy, though, he absorbs the chi directly, losing the luck in exchange for great personal power. However, the attunement to Mount T'ai depends on service to the land, and so the emperor's power comes at a price. The people speak of a lost Mandate of Heaven, and at the worst possible time, the attunement will dissolve. The power will disappear. This marks the start of open rebellion. The current Emperor tries to rule justly, and remains attuned...but the Lotus have tapped into ount T'ai, drawing off some of the Empire's good chi. So far, the effects are limited, as Gao Zhang rations the siphoning, taking only a small amount. He knows the risks of abusing the mountain. Ironically, as the Lotus expands, the power they drain gets diluted, so Gao must draw more. And in times of trouble, he dips heavily - and while he backs off after, he always keeps a little more. This dependence may lead to the Lotus's downfall.

Now, let's talk about ghosts. Drowned ghosts. See, sometimes a violent or horrible death confuses a spirit. The drowned ghost is the most famous. They are lost, unable to find the Underworld, clinging to death to avoid oblivion. Trapped. These ghosts can gain control over water, causing or stopping floods or controlling fish. Many fishermen pour out wine as an offering to the drowned ghosts in hopes of a good catch. Others worship them as gods. Despite this, a drowned ghost cannot leave the place it drowned in, and so it is eternally shackled. The only way to be free is to drown another person there, making them into the new ghost. Because of this, most drowned ghosts are hostile, tripping people on the riverbanks or capsizing boats. Some even possess people, trying to lure them to their watery deaths. Other, similar ghosts appear after other kinds of deaths. Most are tied to a spot or an item.

Sometimes inanimate objects have spirits. Well, they always do, but some of those spirits learn to take on physical form. They can emerge only at night, when they haunt their surroundings, and all inanimate spirits are malicious for some reason. They attack people, often the person most associated with their object. Their shape does not actually have to have anything to do with the daytime object - most resemble monsters or deformed animals. No one knows why they happen. Some come out after witnessing violent emotions, others after years of daily use. Few sorcerers know how to wake one, or send one to sleep again.

And then there are the Maidens from Heaven. These are the daughters of the gods, who have magical clothing to turn into birds. Using this, they fly from Heaven down to the mountain springs, where they bathe, and then fly home. While bathing, they are vulnerable. Anyone can steal their clothes, without which they cannot return to Heaven. Some young men have used this trick to force the divine beauties to marry them. When the men are good and kind, the maidens often fall in love with them and the trick is more introduction than kidnapping. Unworthy husbands, though, find themselves outwitted and abandoned, for the divine maidens are very clever and will eventually steal back their clothing, leaving their poor 'husband's' life in chaos as revenge. A few crafty heroes have used this trick not gain a wife but to gain an audience in Heavfen, using the maiden to negotiate with the gods themselves and get their help. In this way, villages have been saved and eivl spirits destroyed. One even had a god bring his wife back from the dead. It's important to understand that this only works for people with good intentions - otherwise the gods will just destroy you.

Next time: The Eight Immortals and the Five That Will Not Die.

Dipping his brush in the life-blood of a child, he wrote the proper spell and then touched the paper to the flame.

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: Dipping his brush in the life-blood of a child, he wrote the proper spell and then touched the paper to the flame.

Immortality is the dream of the sage. Some have tried poisonous concoctions in the hopes of killing that which ages, or spent months meditating. Some have been lucky enough to gain immortality by accident. A few use sleep to extend their lives. There are many roads to immortality, but most seekers fail. They poison themselves, waste their lives or find a twisted immortality that makes them into monsters. Only a few ever succeed. There are about a hundred immortals in China - or nearly immortals, at least. The most famous are the Eight Immortals of Taoism, who refuse to become involved in worldly affairs.

The first is Chung-li K'uan , who was the first true immortal. He discovered the elixir of life, which granted both immortality and spiritual perfection. He carries a fan that can revive the dead and his symbol is the peach. Second is Chung Kwoh-Lao , a recluse and mystic who studied greatly and gained many magic powers and tools. He has a mule that can travel a thousand miles in a day, which he can fold up and put in his pocket, then sprinkle with water to return it to full size. His symbols are the phoenix feather and the yu ku, a sort of bamboo instrument. Third was Lu Tung-pin , a scholar who became a recluse. He followed Chung-li Kuan and learned the secret of immortlaity, but had to undergo ten temptations first. At the end, he was given a magic sword, which he used to rid the countryside of dragons and monsters. His symbols are the sword and the fly-brush.

The fourth immortal is Ts'ao Kuo-Chiu , a military commander who became a hermit. While meditating, the wall of his cave split open and revealed a jade casket. Inside it were scrolls holding the secrets of immortality and the transmutation of metals. By following the scroll's instructions, his cave was filled with a glowing cloud, and a giant stork then came and carried Ts'ao to the Happy Land of Immortality. He is now a patron deity of drama and his symbol is the feather fan. Fifth is Li Tieh-Kuai , who studied under Lao Tzu. One day, Lao Tzu summoned his spirit to Heaven, and told him to leave the body in the care of his best pupil. However, the pupil was called away by his mother's death, and the other students thought Li dead, burning the body. When Li returned, he found only ashes. Desperate, he entered the body of a beggar who had just died, and has spent the rest of his time with a crippled leg and an iron crutch. His symbol is the pilgrim's gourd, which is full of powerful medicine, and he is known for traveling the world as a healer and patron of herbalists.

Sixth is Han Hsang-Tzu , who studied under Lu Tung-pin as a poet. One day, Lu told Han to climb a peach tree and he slipped, falling to the ground. He has been immortal ever since. He can make flowers grow and is the patron of music. His symbol is the flute. Lan Ts'ai-Ho is seventh, and her life was one of a traveling singer. Her songs spoke of life's fleeting nature and the delusion of earthly pleasures. She always wore a blue robe and one shoe, but when her earthly body died, she vanished, rising to the clouds. Her symbol is the flower basket. Ho Hsien-Ku is last, the Immortal Maiden, who learned that eating only mother-of-pearl would make her immortal. For years, she kept at it and gradually grew more and more ethereal until at last she could jump from mountain peak to mountain peak. She only became truly immortal after giving up all earthly foods. Her symbol is the lotus.

Less famous are the Five That Will Not Die , examples of the dangers inherent in the quest for immortality. The first is Two Axes , a warlord from five centuries ago. He carved out a kingdom in the northwest, leading am assive army. One day, his men found a wagon of books, ingredients and alchemy tools. The only occupant was an old man, and they brought him before Two Axes, accusing him of sorcery. Just as Two Axes was going to sentence him, the old man begged to speak to the warlord privately. He promised Two Axes the secret of everlasting life. Two Axes, feeling his age, agreed.

The old men came to Two Axes' tent with a reed mat inscribed with a hundred spells. As Two Axes laid his head upon the mat, he could feel the magic within it. The feeling in his arms and legs vanished, and his sight dimmed, until only the thudding of his heart remained. Using magic and surgery, the old sorcerer removed Two Axes' heart from his chest and put it within a clay jar inscribed with spells. Then he awoke the warlord and told him that the jar must always be protected. So long as it was intact, Two Axes could never die - but if the jar had even the slightest crack, he would die instantly. Since then, Two Axes has seen his kingdom die and traveled as a mercenary, carefully protecting his heart. However, there is a side effect. Two Axes has muted emotions, for he has no heart. He has no passion, but he has desires. He feels no anger, no regret. He is cold and utterly ruthless.

Deng Mei is the second, a boy who was apprenticed to the Taoist wizard Lei She. For a decade, he learned the names of every plant, animal and bird. He watched the stars and the spirits, learning minor powers of medicine, but he knew none of his master's true secrets. In his eleventh year of study, he stumbled upon a giant ginseng plant, over a thousand years old. It had become intelligent, in a way, and grown true power. Deng dug the ginseng up as it tried to squirm out of his fingers, and he tied it tightly in a bag. He brought the root home to show his master.

To Deng's surprise, Lei smacked the root from his hands, ordering Deng to return it to the ground. Such things, he was told, must not be treated lightly, and most only be handled with proper ceremony. Deng took the root and headed back to the mountains, but his master's words burned in him. After all these years of chores, how dare Lei She treat him so badly? He would never be ready, not by his master's judgment. And so Deng looked into his bag, hid it and remembered his studies. He knew enough of ginseng to know it had power, but not how to steal all of that power. He knew enough.

The sap, rubbed on his feet, would let him walk on water. Ingested, the root would heal any injury or sickness. With proper care, if he kept it alive and growing, he could become immortal from its meat. His bag had more power than his master ever offered. He made his decision. Deng went down from the mountains to the city of Lu'hou, where he sold ginseng to the sick and dying, using the money to buy himself a rich wardrobe and carriage, as well as an iron cage to hold the root. Every day, he would eat a slice of the root, a tiny slice. Whenever he ran low on money, he would play doctor, using the root to cure people. So things went for another decade. Deng became famous, with the best teachers begging him to learn from them. He mastered magic and medicine, and soon only rarely needed the ginseng to heal. But every day, he took that sliver for himself.

Unfortunately, Deng's body began to attune to the root. As he cut it, he could hear its screams in his mind. After another decade, its whimpers kept him awake at night. Soon, he could feel its pain as the knife sliced into it. These grew so terrible that he retreated to hide in a cave. Centuries passed, full of pain and anger. Deng now feels every second of the torture he causes the root - but he cannot give it up. He is fitter than an eighteen-year-old athlete, with the strength of five men and the reflexes of a cat. He knows most of the world's secrets, but his soul has grown hard and twisted. He is anger incarnate, striking out at all he can find.

Misfortune's Daughter is the third of the Five That Will Not Die. She was born to poor rice farmers, under another name, which none today remember - including herself. She was a little girl when the raiders came, when they killed her parents and stole her away. For a week, she was one of many slaves heading to the South China Sea. There, a man who smelled of bitter herbs bought her, forcing her to drink a potion that smelled like rusting metal and rotted meat. She was too scared to resist. Immediately, the pain started, spreading from her stomach to her limbs and head. For two days, she could do nothing but scream. Then it ended. The young man was pleased. He gave Misfortune's Daughter a feast greater than any she had ever seen.

The pain began again the moment she ate. She retched until she was empty, and a few days later, mold began to grow upon her skin. Within a month, her flesh rotted, hanging from her bones. The young man was not happy. One night, he took her out on a boat. There, he tied a bag of stones to her legs and pushed her overboard. She sank to the bottom, but did not die. After several hours, she untied her legs. After tow days, she walked to shore and escaped into the wilderness. Centuries passed, but she never changed. Her body was a corpse, but she still had her mind. Periodically, she would grow lonely and seek companions - but everyone fled from her, even the animals. Only scavengers remained, and they just wanted to eat her rotten flesh. She did not need sleep, food or breath. She healed any new damage, but would never grow or become anything but a corpse-girl. She was trapped, forever a rotting eight-year-old.

Eventually, she gave up on friends and lurked outside the villages, learning the ways of people and their skills by watching. She learned more by watching the animals. Eventually, she realized her old master had been an alchemist, that she was a failed experiment. This gave her new hope. She sought out an alchemist to return her to normal. Most were terrified, but one invited her in. He did not treat her as a person, though, but a specimen. He would cut parts off, run tests, and after a year, he had nothing. One night, she grew angry, and as he cut another slice of her arm, she lashed out, her bony hand tearing through him like a claw. His cries filled the night, and she fled.

The people were terrified of her, and the guards came to face her. She used movements copied from monks and beasts, Corpse Fu , and fought her way through four men before escaping. (Corpse Fu is a unique martial art which is frightening but otherwise unspectacular. It lets the user roll Intimidation at no shot cost when attacking a new foe, with their Willpower as the difficulty. The opponent loses (Outcome) shots, but it only works the first time they face Corpse Fu, ever. They are then immune/) Something inside Misfortune's Daughter changed. She was tired of letting the world take, of watching and knowing she would never be like people. From that day, she walked proudly into the villages, taking what she wanted and killing those who tried to stop her. Her reputation spread, and she now leads a group of bandits who respect and fear her. Five hundred, these days. Before each raid, they paint their skin white, darkening their eyes and finger nails to resemble zombies. They favor iron claws.

Fourth is the demon lord Thunder Under Mountains ...or, rather, the man Kuei Chih . Thunder Under Mountains was a powerful lord of the Underworld, commanding a full province. For a thousand years, his word was law and he lived as well as any in the Underworld could. But he grew greedy, jealous of the Yama Kings, and he plotted to rise in power. He told no one, and brooded in silence. But he had one weakness - alcohol. He loved to drink, and became drunk easily. One day, Five Claws of Anger brought him ten kegs of rice wine, and they drank it all together. His tongue loosened, Thunder told Five Claws of his plan to surpass the Yama Kings. He described his stores of weapons, the demons loyal to him alone. He would learn army against the Hall of Judgment and rule over all the Underworld.

Five Claws had brought the alcohol in hopes of just such a thing, for he had long suffered under Thunder's rule. As soon as Thunder fell asleep, Five Claws repeated each of his words ot the Yama Kings, who took Thunder before them and cast him out of the Underworld, to roam the earth fer ternity as a hungry, bodiless spirit. However, as Thunder Under Mountains was about to succumb to despair in the human world, he smelled his favorite scent: wine. Kuei Cheh, the village drunk, was drinking and fishing as the earth rumbled. A hot breeze whipped about him, filling the air with the screams of ten thousand souls. A spirit appeared before him, fifteen feet tall and jet black.

Paralyzed by fear, Kuei Chih watched as the spirit reached for his wine - and could not take it, passing straight through it. The creature leapt at Kuei Chih, and their bodies collided. The demon went into the man's body, possessing him by accident more than intent. Kuei Chih was using the body and Thunder Under Mountains lacked the strength to cast him out. So for 150 years, they have shared control of it. There is a great difference between them, Kuei is friendly, jovial and likes to laugh and relax. He is also not good at anything but fishing. Thunder Under Mountains is loud, angry and insulting. He believes himself superior to all mortals, and acts it. When his wishes aren't met, he smashes things...and despite his human body, he still possesses unnatural strength and the power to breath fire.

Whoever is in control can block out the other to a mere faint voice in the head...until one of them falls asleep or gets drunk. Kuei does give up control sometimes when in danger, though, for Thunder Under Mountains is much better at fighting. He hates the demon and feels guilty for his actions, trying to atone as best he can. Sometimes, he goes for weeks without sleep to keep the demon under control, or he drinks until his mind goes numb and hopes he won't remember what comes after. Thunder Under Mountains likes to taunt Kuei, committing atrocities to see the man suffer. The habits of the Underworld are hard to break.

Luan Ou studied the secrets of dead body chi. It's the chi that gathers in the bodies of the dead, and it can harm the living. It blocks their normal chi and creates illness and pain. Thus, people avoid handling dead bodies. However, Luan Ou was fascinated by it. He watched healthy chi transform at the moment of death and wondered - could this be reversed? This would cure death, or at least prevent it. For a decade, Luan Ou experimented iwth transforming dead body chi, absorbing it all the while into his system. His health suffered for it, causing pain and blurred vision.

Finally, as he was near death, he discovered the secret. He created a potion to convert dead chi into healthy chi. On drinking it, he fell into a deep sleep for three days. Then he awoke, fit and healthy, all of his dead body chi gone. Months later, he learned the price: his body now reclaimed dead body chi, but refused any otherk ind. At first, it was an inconvenience. He handled dead bodies periodically to top off his chi. But as the decades passed, he grew hungry. Now, he is 450, and his body no longer converts dead body chi - it lives off it. He must eat fresh corpses to remain alive. He is a wraithlike figure on battlegrounds and graveyards. He robs tombs for the bodies, leaving the wealth, but in doing so he destroys the families' ties to their ancestors, ensuring a slow decline.

Oh, and he's contagious. He can transfer dead body chi by touching someone, causing pain, paralysis or death. If transferred over several hours, though, the body grows accustomed to it and gains Luan's dependence. He uses this to make more ghouls, to serve him. Oh, and even better news! The Five That Will Not Die rarely contacted each other before, as their goals differed. At first, they opposed the Lotus as the foolish sorcerers tried to bind them. But then, they learned of the Secret War and the future. They all need magic to survive, and should it fade, all five will die. They agreed to set aside their differences, approaching the Eaters of the Lotus and offering their aid. The Lotus are, after all, their best chance at survival. It is a dangerous alliance, based purely on self-interest. When the threat passes, they will fight again...and if they can ensure their survival without the Lotus, they will abandon the eunuchs.

Next time: Dragons.

We cannot pay these. The Emperor asks too much.

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

As far as I know, the Five That Will Not Die were made up whole cloth.

Feng Shui: We cannot pay these. The Emperor asks too much.

One last word on immortality: it's for NPCs, mostly. The quest for immortality lies outside the rules. It might be an interesting character goal, but they won't tell you how to do it - that's between you and your GM. Also, remmeber, immortlaity isn't easy. Most seekers end up dead, insane, cursed, damned or a combination of the four. There is also a lot of power in immortality, because this isn't your wimpy elf immortality - this is the one where you cannot die . The GM may thus want to have any PC that achieves immortality retire from the secret war and become a helpful NPC. The player should play someone new if that's the case - perhaps a relative or student of the immortal.

Now then. Dragons. Long ago, even before 69 AD, the dragons roamed free. Their strength was equaled only by gods and demons. As magic began to fade, though, they found themselves trapped in the areas where it was still strong. These are not your Western dragons - they are the bearded dragons of China, often described as having a camel's head, a snake's body, lion's claws and the scales of a carp...though some resemble giant turtles, for some reason. They have no wings, but many can fly anyway, though they prefer swimming. They breath poison gas, not fire. They either protect important bodies of water or control an area's rainfall. Most lakes and rivers have a resident dragon, while larger or more important ones will have a dragon court, with a king of even an emperor ruling over several subjects. Rainmaking dragons tend to live away from water, in hidden valleys. They fly through the sky, either in dragon form or using human form and riding magic steeds. They then spray water into the sky to make rain. The methods vary, but usually one drop of water produces one foot of rain.

Most dragons can turn into humans for a while. This is the form they prefer on land, allowing them to interact with the human world, but most dragons can only reach the communities that lie along their shores, and few have reason to do so. Some have a taste for beauty, though, and trade pearls and magic items for gold, silk and jade. A few even fall in love with particularly attractive mortals. After marrying, they take their spouse to the dragon kingdoms below the waves. Humans in a dragon's court can breathe water, but cannot leave without assistance. Whether in their own forms or human shapes, dragons are feroicious, and many are masters of the secret arts of magic, especially weather magic. Fortunately, they cannot leave their homes and leave people alone as long as they are left alone.

A few unfortunate Lotuses have tried to steal the dragons' treasures or harassed villages under dragon protection. Some really stupid ones have tried to bind dragons. These Lotuses end up dead. Anyway, ruleswise, dragons cannot survive anywhere with a Sorcery modifier less than +4. Even 69 AD only has +2, so they're trapped in small pockets of the world. However, there is a way out. A dragon in human form can easily travel beyond the magical bubbles. They're bound by all transformed animal rules...and one more: if they remain outside their bubble for more than a month, they can never turn back. Many younger, free-thinking dragons have given up their dragon forms for the chance at freedom. They have rebelled against the older dragons, turning their backs on magic.

Originally, these rebel dragons were just a string of isolated cases, but they have begun to forge links with each other and some transformed animals. This network will eventually become the Ascended. The elder dragons mourn their loss of freedom, but were never all that interested in the world anyway. Tradition blinds them, and they cannot see their doom coming. When the magic fades enough to destroy their bubbles, they will die. A few realize their younger brethren plan to drive magic out of the land. This goes from minor rebellion to outright treason. Forced to respond, the elder dragons have sent legions of servants to kill or capture the young rebels. Some have even abandoned dragon form to hunt the traitors personally.

We get stats for three dragons. First is Long Ti, Emperor of Tian Lake. He knows he can't leave the lake without turning human, but doesn't really care - there's nothing in the human world that he cares about. He rules over a dozen dragons, and not even the stories of the rebels can anger him long. Life goes on, his empire is eternal. He is mostly notable for being insanely good at fighting and magic. Long Chung, meanwhile, was also an elder dragon. He has abandoned his natural form in order to hunt the rebel dragons, killing all he can find. He works to increase the magic of the land, though he knows that it will end in his own death. He is a master of kung fu and a sorcerer, and he's very good at both - though he gets a Reversion point every time he uses his sorcery. Like all of the dragons, his stats are amazing. Last is Long Kai, a rebel dragon. He saw disaster coming. The magic was dying, and he and his fellows were trapped in their lake. For years, he argued in the lake court, warning his brothers of their doom, but they would not listen. At last, Long Kai adopted human form and joined the world of mortals. It was a grave insult, but he would not sit and die quietly. He loves his new freedom, and he trades his services as a mercenary throughout China, using his impressive kung fu skills. However, he has realized that magic is the enemy. He has the curse of the transformed animal, but worse - he will die, for the magic is gone. As such, he works very hard to drive out magic, that he might never revert.

Speaking of magic! There's plenty of folks who can use it. Magic's a part of everyday life. Farmers use rituals to ensure crops grow and know minor spells to heal the sick. But most people fear true magic - they respect itsp ower, but do not want to interact with it. That is why they hire sorcerers, priests, fortune-tellers and mediums. This suspicion of magic has spread even to the Imperial Court, and some types of magic are illegal, punishable by death. For example, manipulating minds or summoning demons. Animals are also prohibited from taking human form, and these abominations before nature are hunted and killed upon discovery. Gao Zhang encouraged these laws, as it is a good way to deal with enemies and rebellious underlings. Also it makes it hard for rival secret societies of wizards to gain ground.

Mediums are the most common form of mystic. They allow spirits to possess them, speaking through them. Mediums typically live in a temple, offering their services for a small donation. Many mediums can't use their abilities to gain power or wealth, for it would upset the spirits. People often consult mediums when they're having problems. If the problems have a supernatural cause, like an angry ancestor, the medium can recommend a solution - usually placating the spirit. Most mediums work with a variety of spirits, but a few are mouthpieces of a single, more powerful being. These range from local gods to powerful land spirits, and they generally have a vested interest in helping the local people.

The life of a medium is not one most people choose, and it's a hard one. Mediums are, instead, chosen by the spirits, typically some time in their early teens. Most mediums have yin eyes, eyes of darkness which allow them to see ghosts. Since yin eyes are associated with women, most mediums are women. Mediums who refuse the call inevitably suffer illnesses and minor accidents, but even faithful ones seem condamned to short lives. The spirits can delay death as a reward, but there are dangers. Mediums risk possession by evil spirits, and they live on the edge of desire and hatred. Most villages depend on mediums, but their fear of magic makes them ostracize the medium.

A medium's job includes speaking with spirits, arrange passage to the underworld, sending gifts to spirits and arranging marriages for ghosts. (Ghosts can get married.) They may also tell fortunes and make good luck charms. Many spirits become lost on the way to the underworld, and if they remain bound to the earth too long, they become hungry ghosts, feeding off the living. Mediums can help them along by writing a special document which they then burn, helping the spirits find the way to the underworld. Mediums are servants, though, not mas ters, and cannot force the ghosts to leave. They also arrange for gifts of spirits - usually clay replicas of objects, or paper ones which are burned. These provide the spirit with a copy of the real object. Rice and joss sticks are also used.

It's the marriages that are the weirdest duty, though. Mediums oversee the weddings of the dead - typically the ghosts of infants and children. See, after growing up in the underworld, these ghosts want to get married. Both spirits will visit their parents' dreams and tell the parents they want to marry, giving the name of their future spouse's family. The families come to the medium, who performs the ceremony. Sometimes, spirits want a marriage not because they have a partner but because tradition says they must marry before a younger, still-living sibling can. In these cases, the medium also finds the appropriate spouse. If the spirit can't enter its parents' dreams, the medium also sends along the message. We get an example medium, Mo Tsou, who is notable for having a unique schtick: Protected by Ancestor Spirits . She doesn't have Blast, but can use Sorcery to dodge anyway, and even gets a +2 bonus to doing so.

Healers, fu kay masters and fortune stick readers are all specialized types of medium. Healers specialize in curing illnesses, particularly those made by spirits. They know lots about medicine and also use their medium abilities to break evil influences and fight possessions. Healers treat both mundane and supernatural symptoms, and are the most commonly-visited mystics of all. Fu kay is a form of fortune-telling based on automatic writing. The medium balances a stylus on their index fingers and enters a trance, allowing the stick to rock back and forth while lowing it into a box of sand. An assistant transcribes what is written and the artist then deciphers it with help from a large dictionary. The fuy kay artist thus receives answers to specific questions, though the answers are often filled with riddle and symbolism. Part of the fu kay master's skill is in filtering this for relevant information. Most believe that fu kay comes directly from Lao Tzu, which is why the replies are often rather sardonic. Fortune stick readers are temple mediums who shake a bundle of fortune sticks until one falls out, then interprets that one. Each stick has a specific definition at the temple, but the definition is never enough on its own - it needs to be interpreted. Hence the fortune stick reader.

Other mediums interpret the cracks in burnt tortoise shells, or draw yarrow sticks to read the I Ching. Both methods are popular with the wealthy, and mediums tend to be best at using them. Others also use palmistry and study of the face to determine inner character. This doesn't require being a medium, as it is a science that can be done by anyone. Bone reading is similar, in which you feel the arm bones of a person. Typically, bone readers are blind, so they are more mystical than palmists, as the blind are often mediums. There are also astrologers, who can predict auspicious occasions by the position of the stars. They are very important and very powerful, and their information makes magic easier to work. Magic is also easier on the first and fifteenth days of the month, and at four in the morning or dusk. Chi is weakest at three in the morning, which is a time of death. Numbers are very significant in general. 1 is lonely and unlucky, 2 is good, 3 represents birth, 4 is death, 5 is bad luck, 6 is longevity, 7 is death, 8 is prosperity and 9 is mystical influence. When combned, they can have a whole lot of meanings. 108 is a very, very spiritual number, for example.

Writing is magic, too. The written word is not merely a representation - it literally connects to the object it describes. Thus, there is power in writing. WRitten spells can do anything - control spirits, tame gods, influence weather. They can repel tigers, drive off bandits and cure headaches. Stylized calligraphy allows mediums and sorcerers to write out spells on black or yellow paper. The magic remains inert until affixed to a target, placed under a pillow or burned. The most common activation for a healing spell is to burn it and then mix the ashes with water and drink it. Written spells and charms are used by both sorcerers and normal people. Common spells typically don't do much, and many feel they can only help others, not the user. True sorcerers disagree, and their written magic has real power. Gamewise, written spells must be used within five minutes or they go inert if you're in an area with a negative Sorcery modifier. Anyone can activate a writteen spell, and its power is based on the writer, not the user. A bit more on this later.

A common form of magic is the Little People Hitter. Typically practiced by old women on the outskirts of towns, these are minor spells to punish the cruel ,greedy and hurtful - that is, the little people. To hire such a woman, you need to bring her the birth date and time of the target. If the target deserves to be hit, the spirits will cause a streak of bad luck. There's no guarantees, though. Lots of people are immune to the Little Hitters. They can't affect anyone with a positive Chi score, but anyone else comes under the effects of being attuned to a negative feng shui site until they redeem themselves to whoever hired the Little People Hitter.

Food is also magical. A basic, healthy diet will increase your energy, alertness and fitness, but more exotic diets can grant power. Eating the dust of a thousand-year-old bate will give forty thousand years of life. Some people dissolve jade dust in rice wine, then crystallize it into pills. If you eat such pills for a year, you cannot get wet by water or burnt by fire. After seven years, you can walk on water and will eventually gain immortality. These mystic deits can be anything from exotic items to mundane foods - though mundane foods require constant and exclusive consumption. For example, the hermit Si Tso ate only asparagus for five years before he was able to fly, and another five before his body began to regenerate. If he ever eats anything but asparagus, he will lose his powers. On the other hand, a single bite of thousand-year ginseng will instantly bring you to perfect health. This path has great power, but many drawbacks. If you ever break your diet, you will lose all your power and must start over. Many prefer to starve rather than risk that.

Alchemy, like written magic, uses physical objects as a focus. Alchemists make magical potions, which must be drunk or spread over the target to activate. Unlike written spells, though, alchemy is little-known and highly suspect. In the quest for immortality, alchemists handle doses of poison, rob graves, experiment on the dead and even kidnap people to test their potions. All alchemists are a little crazy due to the fumes they work with. Well - okay, that's not true, but it's what most people think. Many alchemists fit the stereotype, but some actually do try to help people with healing potions and protective oils. They even know how to extend life a few decades! Such wise herbalists are still burdened by the evil reputation of their brothers.

Last are the Taoist wizards, strange masters of illusion. They appear only when seeking a new student, when they want to teach someone a lesson or when they are bored and feel like pranking the greedy and self-centered. Taoist wizards often take on the appearance of drunks or beggars. They create entire ullusionary worlds for their targets, where everything obeys the wizard's wishes. He can throw monsters and disasters at his target - or allow them to live entire lifetimes of wealth and power...or poverty and misfortune. It all depends on the wizard's goals, but it never takes more than a few moments of real time. Taoist wizards are presumably able to use other kinds of magic, too, they just prefer illusions.

We return one last time to Hoi Mao Qian, who has come to deliver an ultimatum to his own father: Pay your taxes or be destroyed. His father begs for leniency, and Mao says that he will do what he can. However, when he returns to the demon Two Ox, Mao reveals his true intentions: he has no love for his father, the man who sold him into slavery at the palace. He uses his magic to set fire to the house and field, and also to burn his father to death. He then orders TWo Ox to kill any survivors and destroy anything larger than a small stone. What a nice kid!

We now learn the four rules of the Lotus. There are only four to achieve success over all things. They are the secrets of the Lotus, more potent than sorcery and more deadly then demons. The first rule is simple: Trust no one . Filial piety is a lie. Your ancestors want to sap your strength. Do not let them. Use them if you can. Cut them off if you cannot. This applies even to the Lotus - those under you will want to advance at your expense, and those above you fear you and want to keep you down. No one looks out for you. The second rule: Strike first . ACt, do not react. Betray, do not be betrayed. Do not be so foolish as to believe it will not happen. It will. You must choose: victim or victor.

Third: Retain control over every situation . It is not easy. There will be those stronger, smarter and faster than you. You must establish your power and slap down any who oppose you. When your foes are better, find their weakness and push. Hard. Attack decisively and destroy them. The final and greatest secret: Learn the ways of subtlety . This is the most influential ability. Subtlety will win every battle, no matter the odds. Never reveal your true goals, knowledge or abilities. Feed on the strong, exploit the weak, steal the credit of others and leave blame on their doorsteps. Turn your foes against each other and destroy them without any effort. These are the secrets of the Lotus.

Next time: Playing a Lotus.

No. I have waited years for this moment.

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: No. I have waited years for this moment.

There's basically two types of Lotus campaign. The book names these 'enlightenment' and 'justified.' In the enlightenment campaign, you learn you've been backing the bad guys over the course of the game, discover the Lotus's immorality and eventually rebel, taking up arms against your former masters. Possibly you join the Dragons or Guiding Hand. In this sort of campaign, you only slowly introduce the horrific side of the Lotus, with rmors and hints, upping the ante each session but mixing it with reasons to stay - for example, via offers of power or revenge. In the justified campaign, the characters remain loyal to the Lotus, even after learning its true nature, because something justifies that true nature. Maybe the PCs want to change the futre and the Lotus is a better choice than the alternatives.

Whatever the reason, justified campaigns should downplay the bad side of the Lotus and emphasize what good they do. (They...do some good. Really.) Focus on the evils committed by other factions and local groups, and make sure the PCs feel they're making a difference for the better. Hand out power and honors, and while you can feel free to create moral dilemmas, make the Lotus's methods seem justified - at least to the characters. In very rare cases, you might have a mixed campaign, where some party members rebel and others remain loyal. This can be interesting for a session or two, but will eventually destroy the group - so best to have the PCs pick one side or the other and retire any PCs on the wrong side, turning them into NPCs. Perhaps they will be the party's greatest foes.


Well, I'm sold.

So, why would someone really want to join the Lotus? Four main reasons: power, expansion, defense and personal enemies. Power 's the easy one. For some people it's just better to be the kneebreaker than the one with broken knees. You know which way the wind blows and you're upwind of the smell. Sorcerers and monsters often seek out the Lotus in hopes of gaining some power. Expansion is pretty simple: you're a Han loyalist. You want to see the Han dynasty's power spread across the globe. A simple look is all you need tok now that all other lands are barbarians...but while you hate to admit it, foreign merchants have useful goods. Surely the Empire can only grow more glorious when you civilize these people. Or maybe you've seen or heard about the future. You know the Han are the greatest rulers since the Sage Emperors, and you know the future will bring only decline and decadence, then foreign occupation. You want to prevent that future, and hope that by expanding both now nad into the future, you can build a true Golden Age, an age that will last ten thousand generations.

Defense is pretty similar. You want to protect the Empire from threats - both local in the form of bandits, rebels and barbarians and foreign. If these forces are left unchecked, they will destroy the Han. You can't let that happen. And Personal Enemies ? You just hate someone else more. Typically one of the other factions. Maybe you're a monster who escaped the Architects, or a sorcerer trying to save magic from the Ascended. Maybe the Jammers blew up most of your home village, or you're tired of living under the stifling Hand. Working for the Lotus lets you fight them on a regular basis, and that's all you wanted.

A Lotus campaign doesn't hgave to be all eunuch sorcerers. Sure, some players will want that, but there's other parts - the private armies, for example, hire many folks. Such people usually don't know about the true Lotus, they just got orders from their direct boss. This could be a mysterious stranger, a magistrate or a rich merchant. The PCs may work for the good of the Empire or to line their own pockets. Those inside the Lotus should be Thorns, allowing them to operate with some degree of autonomy. Probably Fire or Wood, as those are most flexible and independent. For a really unusual game, you could play Pillars of Heaven or Silent Eyes. The book does suggest that Lotuses should have to deal with uncomfortable moral decisions, though - this is the Lotus, and demons are a matter of course, as are evil sorcerers. Anyway. The Lotus tend not to trust their underlings, and they're famous for setting up spells to, say, explode the heads of the disloyal. PCs may choose to have this done to them, in which case it is important to define how the spell triggers and what it does. This gives the PCs a harder time of rebelling, and they'll have to find a way to undo the spell or exploit a loophole in it. Of course, this can also be ignored - maybe the PCs lucked out and didn't get a brain bomb spell put in.

Now, let's talk mechanics. The book starts by listing magical artifacts. You can't start with one, and the GM is within his rights to not let you have some of these, as they can be very, very potent. Artifacts will not work anywhere that has a Sorcery modifier of -2 or worse; in these junctures, they behave exactly as normal, nonmagical items of their type, and have no special powers to use.

The Amulet of the Turtle is a plain wooden amulet, which comes to life when worn by someone with the Sorcery skill. It absorbs wound points equal to the bearer's Sorcery action value. Any further wound points will shatter the amulet forever. However, it heals 5 absorbed wound points at sunrise every day. The Bow of the Tiger Hunt is a Hsiung-nu weapon, carried by the legendary hero Baun of the Cunaan clan. LEgend says it was given to Baun's parents by a mysterious stranger, instructing them to give it to the youth on his first hunt. That hunt coincided with the retirement of the chief, Gural. Gural was old and wanted to see the Cunaan strong, but knew he could not lead. Instead, he said he would give his seat to whoever could kill a tiger on the next hunt. For five days, the hunters rode, catching many quail and deer, but no tigers. At last, halfway through the sixth day, they spotted a tiger - but it attacked.

Baun watched as the hunters fell to the tiger, ignoring their arrows. At last, it turned upon him, and as those around him fled, he stood his ground. Baun nocked an arrow and let fly. He fired twice more before the arrow struck. The first landed in the tiger's neck. The second hit next to it, and the third hit the shoulder. With a bloody roar, it leapt at Baun - but when it landed at his feet, it was dead. Baun returned to the camp, carryin the tiger. For twenty-five years, he led the Cunaan clan to glory. The Bow of the Tiger HGunt is ivory-carved with gold inlay, and it is easy to fire on foot or horseback. When using it, each attack takes only two shots instead of three, which can be further reduced by Lightning Reload. The wielder gets +1 to Guns rolls when attacking, and +2 if the target is an animal or transformed animal. (More on Guns rolls with bows later.)

The Flying Guillotine is a one-meter-diameter metal ring with sphinctering blades spiraling inwards. It was invented by the Lotus Metal division as a frontlines weapon of intimidation. It makes continued attacks when thrown until it drops over the target's neck and snips off the head. Some come with mesh bags to hold the severed heads, but most Lotus are not quite that dramtic. All Flying Guillotines make a high-pitched howling whistle when in use. It takes 3 shots to throw a Guillotine and 1 to reset it after it hits. It has a Ref of 2 and attacks every three shots with an AV of 8 and a damage of 15. If the attack kills the target, it slices off the head. The Guillotine then becomes inert until reset and thrown again. If the target dies before it hits, it will choose a random enemy to target. Defensively, it is an unnamed character with a defensive AV of 10. If "killed", it drops to the ground and becomes inert until reset and rethrown. Most Flying Guillotines are keyed to a specific user and cannot be reset by anyone else. Anyone with the Sorcery skill can roll it at diff 10 to spend an hour re-keying the Guillotine to someone else.

Jade Armor is...armor made of jade, originally designed as burial armor for the founder of the Tse household in Heaven. However, the Tse ancestors blessed it and returned it to their descendants, to protect them. It appeared when bandits threatened the home of Tse Tsing Jinluan, materializing by the fire. Tsing put on the armor and took up his sword, defending his home singlehandedly against a dozen raiders. Since then, it has been passed among servants and members of the Tse family. No one knows if it will work for someone not tied to them. Future historians know that the Tse will be important in the destruction of the Eunuchs, and the Lotus are very interested in acquiring the armor as a result. The armor itself feels stiff and heavy, but when worn, it flows like water. It gives Armor 4 and only subtracts 1 from Agility. The wearer does not need food, water or sleep and is immune to all disease, sickness and Impairment. They also heal 1 wound point at the start of each sequence. Unfortunately, wearing it for long periods as dangerous. If you wear it for more than two days straight, it takes a diff 10 Will roll to remove, which goes up by 1 every additional day. You then begin transforming into a supernatural creature, gaining Creature Powers but becoming a cold, calculating and singleminded defender of the Tse household. Previous friendships and goals cease to matter, and after a month, you become a ghostly warder and the armor returns to the household. This transformation cannot be reversed. You first gain Immunity: Bullets and Creature Powers +1. The, each week you get another schtick, starting with Damage Immunity: Melee Weapons and heading through Insubstantial, Flight and finally Armor +6. Once you have ARmor, the transformation is complete. The only way to stop it is to remove the armor and never see it again. As long as you can see it, you'll do anything to get it back. Over the centuries, five have become ghostly warders, and they continue to watch the Tse household.

The Jade Javelin is a spear with a jade tip on a wooden shaft set with carved jade rings. Most of the time, it is a normal spear that deals Strength+4 damage. Once its power is invoked, though, it can be thrown with a +10 to the roll. Each owner may only use this power once, ever . Once the javelin's power is invoked, it no longer properly responds in your hand and you get -2 to all attacks with it. The owner can pass the javelin on by simply giving it away willingly. Taking it from a dead body or by theft does not grant ownership, and a new link must be forged with a diff 10 Sorcery roll. The Jade Javelin is impossible to break by normal means, and legend says it will only shatter under the heel of an imperial dragon.

The Living Staff is a simple wooden staff created by the alchemist Chin Dauning. However, when activated, it writhes and grows in the wielder's hands, taking on a life of its own. The wielder must feed it 4 chi points per sequence (at no shot cost, but it must be done on your first shot in the sequence). This allows the staff to make an additional attack at the same time the wielder attacks, with both attacks hitting the same target. The staff has a Martial Arts action value of 14. During sequences in which it is fed chi, the staff's damage is (User's Strength+4) as it sends sharp tendrils or spines into the target. However, the Living Staff must feed continuously on chi to survive. Each morning, it will drain 1 point from someone's Chi score. This is temporary, returning after 8 hours of sleep, and need not be from its wielder. If the staff does not feed, it becomes dormant. After five days dormant, it will die. Additionally, the saff is instantly destroyed if it ever enters anywhere with a negative Sorcery modifier. Most people who've sene the staff claim it is intelligent, and sometimes it seems to warn its master of danger by vibrating slightly. More rarely, it will self-activate by stealing chi from its wielder (causing 5 wound points) in a desperate attempt to save its master. However, it once drained enough Chi to kill its master. No one knows why. No one knows how smart the staff is or what it wants. Perhaps it secretly controls its wielders, or perhaps it is like a puppy, eager to please.

The Pocket Demon is a portable monster, folded like a piece of paper for easy transport. At its smallest, it will fit in a wallet, pocket or belt pouch. While folded, it can do nothing. It looks like a piece of red paper. When unfolded, it will obey the commands of anyone who unfolds it, folding back up after it completes its task. It must sleep while folded for at least eight hours a day, or else it will automatically fold itself up. It takes three shots to unfold the demon, which has no stats provided.

The Sword of the Dragon King was forged from the scales and blood of the Dragon King Anchen Hanoun. He spent ten years crafting this green metal blade, reworking it over and over until it shimmered like moonlight on still waters. When Anchen Hanoun's daughter fell in love with the human Chuang Ko, Anchen agreed to marry the two and the sword was part of the dowry, a guarantee that his son-in-law would rise above all other mortals. For twenty years, Chuang Ko wielded the blade with honor, clearing out all kinds of monsters from the land around Anchen's lake. He fought a dozen great battles, creating and destroying kingdoms. Finally, after a life of heroism, he died an old man and Anchen reclaimed the weapon. He knew other heroes would wield the sword, but he did not want them to overshadow his son-in-law's legend, so he buried the blade deep at the bottom of a mountain cave. Here, stories grow vague. Some say that 500 years later, new heroes uncovered the blade. Some say it is still buried. Whatever the case, the Sword of the Dragon King allows its wielder to breathe water and move about freely underwater, swimming as fast as they can run and even walking on the water's surface if it is still. Further, when they emerge from the water, they will be bone-dry. The sword can also summon rain. The wielder makes a Fortune roll with a difficulty based on the climate (2 for humid areas or rainy season, 10 for a desert or drought). Success brings rain. A fortune roll (at diff 10 on a floodplain or 20 in a desert) will summon a minor flood, damaging simple buildings and washing out roads. It becomes a major flood for +3-5 difficulty. When used in combat, the sword gives +1 to Martial Arts rolls, or +2 underwater. Damage is as normal for a sword.

Now, new sorcery rules! The big one is Ritual Magic . The basic rules of magic handle most situations, most of the time, but sometimes you want to stretch your power. Through study, planning and organization, a sorcerer can perform unimaginable feats. These rules allow a sorcerer to do that by gaining temporary additional Magic points with which to fuel more powerful spells. The first step in a ritual is Research . You have to spend at least one hour going through scrolls or books, speaking with spirits, meditating or otherwise performing an appropriate action. If you don't do this, you can't get any extra magic points. After researching, you roll Sorcery with a difficulty based on the maximum number of extra magic points you want. You must spend all those points on your spell or they are lost. Diff 5 for 1 extra magic point, 10 for 3, 20 for 10, 30 for 30. It's a weird scale.

After you determine your maximum, the GM decides what you have to do to earn them. This may include lengthy, interruptable casting times, unusual spell components or whatever the GM wants. The GM doesn't have to offer you your full plate of points, but should give at least half of the maximum. The more requirements you meet, the more points you get. If you don't like the GM's ritual, you can try again, but any additional research gets a cumulative +5 to the difficulty of the research roll. Research is only good for one casting, too. If you want to do the spell again, you have to research again, and the GM may limit how long you can wait before casting. Alignment of auspicious stars and all that. The GM is told that if the player wants to use a ritual to derail the plot, do something boring or do something too subtle, either choose automatic failure or give them ridiculous conditions to meet. If they are trying to use a ritual to by pass obstacles, make sure the conditions they have to meet are equally difficult and entertaining.

You can also bring in other sorcerers to help with rituals! The more you have, the more magic points you get. Everyone in the group must be have the appropriate Sorcery schtick, though not necessarily the appropriate special effect for it. One of the casters is the leader and makes all rolls. 1 extra magician gives +1 magic point, 10 gives +2, 20 gives +3, and so on for every additional 10 casters. Also, both the main caster and any assistants may spend their own personal Magic points on the spell. The leader's are spent as normal, while assistants must collectively spend 10 points to give the spell 1 point. Round to the nearest 10.

If you really, really, really need power fast and are an asshole , you can also perform a human sacrifice. You get a number of magic points equal to the victim's Magic plus 1, which can only be used for the ritual spell and for no other purpose. If not used, they're lost. You can sacrifice anyone, but the GM may require or suggest a specific sacrifice, which should give +1-4 extra magic points. As a note: this is always ritual murder. Killing in combat doesn't count, and the person must die and stay dead, no resurrections. Heroic PCs should not be doing this except in outrageous circumsntances; this is primarily a villain tool.

You can also perform certain other things to get bonus magic points, and they don't even have to be ritual spells! You still have to use the points when casting the spell, even if it's not a ritual. You can cast at an Auspicious Time , making a Divination check. If you want it to be within the next 24 hours, it's diff 30. Some time in the next six months is diff 10. Auspicious times, if you successfully ge the result, tell you the date and hour you should cast. If your outcome is between 0 and 4, you get 1 magic point if you cast the spell at that time. 5-10, 2, 10-15, 3, and so on. However! The person who does the divining does not have to be the caster. The points show up at the moment of casting, not at the divining. If the GM establishes an auspicious time for a ritual and the research for the ritual includes figuring out that time through other means, no roll is needed and the GM just decides on an appropriate number of bonus magic points. You can also use Power OVer Target . If you know your target's name, birthday and birth hour , any spell cast on them gets 1 free bonus magic point. Alternatively, you may cast a spell without having the target in your line of sight if that was not possible before. However, these indirect spells get +10 difficulty and the victim must still be within 10 kilometers.

Ritual Magic, we get told in a sidebar, is primarily meant for NPCs. The elaborate requiements are there to be background for plots, with ritual sites being great battlefields. PCs focus on action, not rituals and should not be sacrificing people. However, there's times when PC-used ritual magic may be appropriate. This should almost always be downtime, much like training or healing, and the GM should in these cases make generously easy but appropriate rituals. In other times, the rituals may be needed to prevent a disaster, and the plot should then revolve around fulfilling the ritual requirements set by the GM - you know, getting the props needed before the auspicious deadline passes. However, the GM should come down harshly on anyone who wants to use ritual magic instead of action. Anyone bogging down the plot for everyone else deserves to be punished.

Next time: More and weirder magic tricks.

Leave nothing standing, not a single rock.

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: Leave nothing standing, not a single rock.

Well, now that you have a ritual to get shitloads of magic points, you amy be wondering what you can do with them! Now we have Spell Enhancements , which are great ways to spice up your wizarding life. The first is Alchemy and Written Magic . Anyone can make scrolls or potions if they do magic - it's a stunat, with -2 to your roll, and follows all the rules we covered earlier on. There's a new Alchemist schtick that gets to be good at it. Past that, there's Area of Effect . It costs 1 magic point per 1m radius you give a spell. The spell will hit everyone in that radius, friend or enemy.

Binding Supernatural Creatures allows you longterm control of monsters via Summoning. The Lotus developed it because short-term domination was unacceptable. They have too many monsters to command and needed a way to ensure that loyalty. Sure, you can bind monsters into objects and only let them out a little bit, but that just delays the inevitable, it doesn't extend your control. There are two ways to ensure long-term control. First is a permanent Domination, but that tyakes a long ritual with a human sacrifice and a dozen sorcerers. Still, the high-power Petals prefer this. The second way can be done by anyone. You negotiate with the monster. Most demons will agree to service, and their costs even start low. Of course, they may renegotiate mid-battle. Other critters have their own price. Once the negotiations are complete, most sorcerers ensure loyalty with a warded blast spell. If the creature ever tries to harm or betray them, the spell goes off. Of course, some sorcerers don't bother negotiating first, but that only works on the weakest monsters - any good demon can take a single fire blast and keep going.

Permanent Magic , well, we just mentioned it. Most magic is fleeting. You usually don't need more than that. Sometimes, though, you want to make it permanent. First, you have to be somewhere with a positive Sorcery modifier. But, unless your schtick or special effect says otherwise, you can then make any spell permanent by spending 20 magic points on it. Now, the spell is permanent, not its effect. A permanent fire Blast makes a constantly burning ball of fire, but the damage it causes heals normally. You could use it as a monument or power source, but its attack value is pretty unchanged - most people will move after you hit them with it. In most cases, the GM decides what permanence does to a spell.

Permanent magic can be dangerous, though. Long-term exposure to magical energies tends to physically and mentally warp the targets. A magically-augmented person might slowly go mad or develop diseases. Reactions include psychosis, exotic allergies, headches, poor healing, personality shfits and so on. Even inanimate objects get warped over time, often gaining characteristics symbolic of the magic on them. Now, let's look at the new Sorcery schticks!

Animalism lets you command animals. No listed backlash, so I assume that you just take damage. Special effects:
Influence Animals is a diff 12 roll which you can add the Outcome to any Charisma-based skills when interacting with animals. This works on transformed animals, but once they realize you're using magic on them, they are going to be pissed.
Speak With Animals is a diff 10 spell that lets you talk to animals, including transformed animals who speak foreign languages. It doesn't mean the animal has anything worthwhile to say to you, and most animals can't actually tell humans apart. All human behavior also tends to be inexplicable to animals. So, you know, there's that. Still, you can be Doctor Dolittle for (Outcome) minutes.
Summon Animals is diff 15. As soon as you cast it, animals of the chosne sort will start to arrive. One on the next sequence, and one every sequence after that, to a max of (Outcome) animals. The animals must live within about a kilometer for this to work, though. They arrive under their own power and are not necessarily friendly. Yes, you can summon transformed animals. They tend to arrive carrying very big guns.

Create Magical Artifact makes magic items. Backlash means the object is ruined somehow. This schtick is not to encourage PCs to waste time making items, so GMs may require rituals to use it or restrict it to NPCs. Still, if your players can use it well and not bog down the game, it can be great. Special effects:
Enhancement allows you to enhance an object's abilities. It lasts for (Outcome) sequences, or (Outcome) hours with one magic point. Days with a second. It is diff 20 to make an object act as a signature weapon for the wielder (which has no effect on someone's Signature Weapon), diff 25 to give +1 to rolls, diff 30 to give +2.
Good Luck is diff 17 and gives the object a single Fortuen die, which remains until used and can be tapped by anyone holding the object. You can only cast Good Luck on a spell once at any given time, and each casting after the first cumulatively gets +4 difficulty.
Grant Creature Ability can only be used on objects with a supernatural creature bound into them. We'll get to how you do that in a bit. If the creature is willing, the difficulty is 5. If not, it is the creature's Will. A willing creature retains control of any powers granted by this spell and decides when to trigger them and who it targets. For unwilling creatures, you get (Outcome) powers, and must decide if they will affect the wielder (as if they had the power) or the object (say, a sword becomes super-spiky because it has Abysmal Spines now, buffing its damage). It lasts until the creature is released.
Repeat Spell is diff 20. The object absorbs the next spell cast on it, and can then repeat that spell a number of times equal to your Repeat Spell outcome. You can even use this to absorb incoming spells, though you must parry with the object at -2. When the object recasts the spell, reroll the outcome as a new spell using the original caster's action value, with no bonuses. You don't have to be a sorcerer to use the repeats, you just have to know the trigger. Triggers are usually movements, code phrases or (most often) a combination of the two. Releasing a spell costs 3 shots, and spells remain indefinitely, but all stored spells are lost if the object enters an area with a -2 Sorcery modifier or worse.

Transmutation allows you to change and alter objects for things other than hurting them, (That's Transmutation Blast.) Backlash indicates the transmutation goes out of control and can result in the target either being trapped in an unwanted form if the GM wants or 10 wound points in transmutation damage. All changes last (Outcome) hours, or (Outcome) days with a Magic point. Note that prolonged transmutations can be harmful! If you wear another shape for more than a day, you must make a Will check, diff 5, +2 for every day you are transmuted, or you will lose your identity and become the new shape permanently. You will also weaken your body's shape-identity if you do it too much, and may lose cohesion, melting into a puddle or growing odd physical features. You may also feel sharp internal pains for no reason. These problems can be cured by spending a week to a month in an area with a negative Sorcery modifier. If symptoms persist, find a magic doctor.
Augment Form lets you enhance the target. Each point of Outcome can increase one secondary attribute by 1, to a max of +4 per attribute. Similar bonuses can be given to inanimate objects at the GM's discretion. Diff 17 for living beings, diff 15 for objects.
Matter Shift lets you turn lead to gold, flesh to stone and so on. Difficulty varies by the degree of change, starting at 15 for simple shifts.
Partial Shifts allow you to partially change your body or your target's body. You could give gills, or armored hide, or tiger claws. Diff 15.
Shape Shift lets you turn one thing into another. The difficulty is based on the degree of change. A sex change is diff 10, turning pile of silicon to a computer is diff 25. Generally, this won't let you change type of mater, just its form. Person to plant, yes. Person to stone, no. However, the target gets all natural benefits and limitations of the new form. This doesn't include Creature Powers, Fu Schticks or any supernatural abilities, though. Birds can fly, fish can swim, that's what it means.

New special effects! Blast gets a fair number of new ones.
Bolt of Force : Basically, invisible sledgehammer to the stomach. It knocks things over, smashes down doors and sets off car airbags.
Earthquake Wave : You strike the ground with a stick, stomp or whatever and make a wave of tremors towards the target. It damages buildings, walls, cars and other large objects. Targetted characters make a Martial Arts check against your Sorcery roll to remain standing. They take no damage, but collapsing a wall on them will hurt. The basic wave is 1 meter wide and moves in a straight line. For 1 magic point, it can be a cone that spreads outwards, for 2 it's a circle around you. You are not affected by it, but if a wall falls on you, you take damage. This wave does normal blast damage to buildings and other structures, though most of the time this does little more than break glass and weaken walls. Actually collapsing a building would take a stunt.
Flaming Ash : A stream of hot coals and ash. Primitive napalm, really. If the target takes more than 10 wound points from iut, the ash causes 1 Impairment until scraped off. It also ignites flammable objects and is great for making a barbecue!
Light : A flash of light. No damage, but the target is blinded for (Outcome) shots. For 1 magic point, it affects everyone looking at you.
Magical Disruption : This hurts supernatural creatures by disrupting chi flow, but its main job is destroying spells and disabling artifacts. For spells, the difficulty is the caster's Sorcery AV. If successful, the spell is broken. Items are diff 10 and are disabled for (Outcome) sequences. Against monsters, it does Blast damage.
Object Overload : The Lotus developed this blast to take advantage of technology. It causes a small technological item to malfunction, damaging the wielder. Maybe the ammo explodes in their gun or a computer short-circuits and the electricity arcs into them. The base damage is half your Magic plus 1, and it almost always destroys the object in question. Useful for cutting off power to buildings and stopping phones! It can only take out handheld weapons or small, unnecessary aspects of a more complex machine. Signature Weapons are immune, and don't try it against a fusion tank. Its radio, maybe , but the tank will ignore the blast.
Thunder : Loud noises! Target is deafened for (Outcome) sequences and must make a Constitution check against your roll or be stunned, losing their action for (Outcome) shots, which can carry across sequences. Thunder blasts also shatter windows. Attacks with it are at -1, but deal +1 damage.
Water : Firehose! It puts out fires, cleans cars, fills swimming pools. Targets must make a Martial Arts check against your roll to remain standing. Damage is your Magic minus 2. Additional flooding and water damage are possible.
Wind : Blows out fires, parries arrows, scatters documents, turns umbrellas inside-out. Wind attacks cause no damage, but knock the target backwards (Outcome) meters. They must roll Martial Arts against your roll minus 5 to remain standing. Flying targets must roll with whatever skill they use to fly against your roll plus 5 or they lose control. Stunts are, of course, possible - like sandstorms, or capsizing sailboats.

Divination also acquires some new effects.
Borrowed Ears : Works exactly like the eye-borrowing of Remote Viewing, below, except for hearing.
Medium : You can open yourself to spirits, ghosts or demons. Others may ask the spirit questions, and it answers through you, with your voice or some other method of divination, such as fu kay. During the process, you don't control your body. You can't do anything, but have a vague sense of your surroundings and may spend 3 shots to reclaim control and end the spell. The difficulty is 10 to channel hidden spirits in this world, or 15 for spirits in another. You can't force a spirit to talk - they have to be willing. On a backlash, you are possessed by a demon or hungry ghost. Typically, this lasts 1 scene, but may last longer.
Remote Viewing : You can see far-oof places, usually via a mirror, crystal ball or fire. You can look at people, places or things that you know, with difficulty based on distance. (Diff 10 for 1 kilometer, 15 for same city, 20 for sam jucnture, 25 for different juncture.) You may use one of two effects. The first gives you a view of the target as if stending about 10 meters away. The second lets you see through their eyes. It lasts (Outcome) sequences, or hours with 1 magic point. This does not let you see in the dark, but if you borrow the eyes of someone who can, so can you.

Summoning gets some.
Awaken Spirit : Diff 10 to awaken an inanimate spirit in an object. You may also use this to reactivate magic tiems or supernatural creatures made dormant due to negative Sorcery modifiers.
Object Bind : You can trap a monster in an item, typically a gem, bottle or lamp. The creature remains in the item until the release is triggered - most commonly by breaking the item. If combined with Dominate, the creature must obey the commands of whoever releases them, as per Dominate rules. The base difficulty is the creature's Creature Power action value, -5 if they have Insubstantial and -2 if they have Transformation. For some reason that makes things easier. While bound in an object, the creature can sense their surroundings in a limited way but can do nothing (barring the Grant Creature Ability spell).

New combinations! Chi Ripper combines Steal Chi and Chi Blast, ripping chi from the target's body with enough force to actually injure them. Add in Harvest Chi to absorb the stolen chi yourself! Living Metal Armor uses Partial Shift to give yourself an insect exoskeleton and Matter Shift to turn it to steel, then Augment Form to boost Strength and Agility to compensate. Total diff 15, +5 Armor, no Agility modifier. It lasts for (Outcome) sequences, or hours with 1 magic point. Horror Form augments i by using Conjure Wepaons to add tiger claws and razor-sharp blades. Total now is diff 20 for +5 armor, no Agility penalty and hand-to-hand damage becoming (Strength+5). Lasts (Outcome) sequences, or hours with a magic point.

Rift combines Earthquake Wave Blast and Chucking Things About, creatng a hole or chasm (diff 10 for man-sized and 5 meters deep, 15 for man-sized and 10 meters deep or 10 meters long, 5 meters wide and 5 meters deep, 20 for 10 x 5 x 10 or 20 x 5 x 5, +5 for every 5m to any dimension over that. Can't go more than 10m deep), If you cast the spell under someone, their Dodge AV is added to the difficulty, which is still based on hole size. Anyone falling in takes appropriate falling damage. They're Everywhere combines Illusion and Blast to make a horde of unnamed demons attacking from the shadows. The difficulty is the target's Chi or Magic rating plus 10, and it creates (Outcome) demons. They last until destroyed or the target falls unconscious. Any damage they inflict is real, but only the target can see them and be harmed by them.

Walkie-Talkie is a double Borrowed Ears on two different people. They both hear anything either could normally hear. This can be confusing, but lets them talk freely. Difficulty is based on max range, duration as normal. Wonderful World of Wards expands the Warning/Blast combo to be usable on any spell, with practically any action as a trigger. The more complex the trigger, the more difficult the spell. But yeah, you can put a healing spell on yoruself to trigger when you get hurt for a certain level of damage or when you are over a certain threshold. To heal when you get hit would be diff 15, 20 for healing when a hit deals N damage, 25 for a threshold. You could also set up an area-of-effect blast to go off when your heart stops beating, making sure you have the last laugh! This is how Lotus sorcerers make their minions' heads explode if they do something wrong. These spells are especially potent, as they are voluntarily accepted. If unnamed characters set off a mental bomb, they die. If named ones do, they take double normal damage from the blast. Any target can have only one ward active at once, and old wards must be triggered or dispelled before a new one can be placed. The trigger can only include things that can happen to the warded object or person. And yes, Blast (Magical Disruption) can stunt to prematurely trigger a ward, with difficulty based on how well you know the ward.

Wound Transfer lets you move damage from one person to another, even mid-combat. You touch the person to be healed, then make a Blast attack against the target to be injured at -2. The damage done by the Blast spell is subtracted from the wound points of the person being healed. If the damage is more than their current wound points, only their current wound points are healed, and that caps the Blast damage, too. This lets you heal during combat and attack at the same time! No healing if you miss. Now, Creature Powers!

Attack Rebound : Any time you are attacked in a specified way (following the same lists as Damage Immunity), you may try to rebound the attack. You roll Creature Powers against the target's roll, and if you win, the attack is bounced back on the attacker, resolved as if they struck themselves with their original roll. If you stunt, you may bounce the attack at someone else. The modifiers for these are applied to your Creature Powers roll, and if you fail, the attack proceeds normally, you can dodge and so on. Each schtick gives you one type of attack you can bounce.

Blindspot : People don't notice you. You're not invisible - if someone knows to look, you can be seen easily, with a PErception check against your Creature Powers AV. Success means they can see you. Anyone else will ignore you and subconsciously avoid bumping into you. It's possible that deep hypnosis might eveal your presence in their memories, and they would then see you the next time, and a really enterprising guard might spot you by the way everyone avoids your spot...but that is very hard, since your power makes that seem normal. This will not work if you are making gross physical actions such as charging, shooting someone or running in front of a car.

Blaze of Glory : When you die, you explode, dealing 25 damage before Toughness to anyone within a meter, and 10 damage to anyone within 10 meters.

Body Borrow : You can possess or control a body. You must touch your target with a Martial ARts check, then roll Creature Powers against the higher of their Will + 10 or their highest AV + 2. You control their body for (Outcome) sequences. Then you repeat the roll. Success gives you control for (Outcome) hours. A third repetition and success gets you control until exorcised or you willingly leave. While in control, you use the body as if your own, using the target's Bod and Ref but your own Chi, Mnd and skills. You gain access to any transformed animal abilities, creature powers or arcanowave gear, though you must use your own skills to activate them. Tough luck if you have no Arcanowave Devices. You keep your own Fu schticks, Gun Schticks, signature weapons and Sorcery schticks. For each additional schtick you spend, you may port one secondary ATtribute or Creature Ability into the borrowed body, chosen when you purchase the Schtick. Any transformed animal you possess gets 1 Reversion point and must immediately make a Reversion check. If it turns back, you go with it, trapped forever in the body of an animal. As long as you are in the animal's body, add +1 to the local Sorcery modifier for purpose of gaining Reversion points. You must also decide when you purchase this schtick what happens to your body. IF you have Insubstantial or Transformation, you may enter the body of the target physically. Otherwise, you go catatonic until you return to the body, which is very dangerous. If your body is destroyed while you're gone, you have 1 sequence to possess another body or die. If the body you are in dies, you are disoriented for a sequence and then have one sequence to find a new body or snap back to your own, which disorients for one more sequence. To hitch a ride but not seize control takes only one roll, and allows you to sense whatever they sense. You have no control and cannot be detected without a Sorcery roll against your Creature Powers AV.

Burning Blood : Anyone who wounds you in close combat is automatically attacked by a spurt of flaming blood, which costs no shots and occurs immediately. It has an AV of 12 and base damage 8. Each additional schtick gives +1 AV or +2 damage.

Burrowing : You can burrow through the ground at a quarter of your normal move speed. Solid stone or concrete reduces this to an eighth normal. You can't burrow through steel walls or reinforced bunkers. You may decide when taking the schtick whether your burrowing leaves a tunnel. A second schtick will let you choose at will to alternate between tunnels and no tunnels.

Crawling Claws : You may operate your body parts while they aren't attached. If someone chops ah and off, it will attack on its own. A removed eye lets you still see through it. It grants you no healing powers or damage immunity, but with a second schtick you may pop off your body parts at will and snap them back into place without taking damage - though if something eats your hand or whatever, you're SOL.

Next time: Playing a bandit lord!

Put in a good word for us. We're good people.

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: Put in a good word for us. We're good people.

Damage Transfer : You can touch someone to transfer wound points between you and them. They get hurt, you get healed - or vice versa. This takes a Martial Arts check to hit and a Creature Powers check, both against the target's Dodge AV. You can transfer wounds equal to the Creature Powers outcome, plus 5 points per schtick spent on this - so 2 schticks, +10. This number can't exceed the number of wound points available, though. Using this on a willing target takes no rolls and you can transfer as much as you want.

Envelope Attack : No, not paper cuts. You envelop, wrap around, absorb or otherwise swallow whole. Unnamed characters hit by this are KOed or killed, your choice. Named characters take 5 wound points per sequence, which ignores Toughness and armor. Your victim's ability to act depends on how many schticks you have in this. For 1, they can act as normal. For 2, they get -2 to all AVs. For 3, -3 to all AVs and +1 to all shot costs. You can hold a number of victims equal to the number of schticks you have in this (and you can never have more than 3), but for every person after the first, everyone moves down one step on the impairment. So with three schticks, you can hold three people who will then have no penalty to acting. Anyone attacking you risks hurting the people you swallowed. Unless an attack against you has an Outcome of 2 or more, one of your victims is randomly chosen to take half the damage. You still take full damage.

Voice Mimicry : You can pick up people's mannerism from how they talk. It takes a Creature Power check, with difficulty based on how long you've had to study them. Diff 5 for someone you've known for years, diff 20 for someone you've heard talk for a minute or less. If you succeed, you can imitate their voice. You may need another Creature Power check to fool people who know them well. (Diff 10 for coworkers, 15 for best friends, but the GM has to ask you for the roll.) You will need to repeat the initial learning roll if you haven't used the voice or met the person whose voice it is during a given day, with a +5 penalty to difficulty for every additional day since you've met them or used the voice. This is because you have to remember the voice; once you fail the roll, you can't use the voice until you listen to them again.

Will Not Die : No matter how much damage you take, you can't die. This doesn't mean you can't be hurt, impaired or knocked out, of course. Your ability to handle pain depends on how many schticks you have in Will Not Die, and unlike normal characters there is no limit to the number of Impairment points you can get from pain. To take this during chargen, you must spend two schticks to get the first Will Not Die schtick; any others are bought normally. However, if bought during play, the first schtick costs four times normal cost; again, later schticks are normal. At 1 schtick, you begin gaining Impairment at 10 wound points, getting an additional point of Impairment every 5 points. If your Wound Points exceed your Constitution, you must make a Con check, diff (current Impairment+10) to stay conscious. Each additional schtick delays the first point of Impairment for another 5 wound points - so 15 at 2, 20 at 3, etc. The undying are actually often more susceptible to minor damage because they tend to just stand there and take it. Also, if you have this schtick, you do not automatically heal to full between sessions. When everyone else would heal to full, you only regain 10 wound points.

Now, some new unique schticks, to better customize some existing types! The Old Master gets:
Retired Soldier : When following one of your battle plans, all characters involved get +1 Tgh and +1 damage for the duration of the fight. This is meant to represent an Old Master with military experience, especially in the Imperial Army. To get this during chargen, swap it for the standard Old Master schtick. To buy it during play, 12 XP.

Sorcerers get:
Alchemist : This can only be taken at chargen. You focus your magic through potions, powders and so on. Each potion takes one hour to make and remains inert until used. You can cast spells in no other way. Anyone may activate your potion, and the roll is made when you create it, not when it's used. To use the potion, it is either drunk, anointed or thrown. Healing, Transmutaiton, Divination and Influence are always drunk, Movement is always anointed and Blast is always thrown at the target. All others require similar, appropriate triggers determined by the GM. In emergencies, you may mix raw ingredients to get an on-the-spot effect you have not prepared in advance. This counts as a Desperate Effort and costs 1 Magic point. Further, if you succeed at the roll, halve the Outcome for purpose of determining its effect. Again, you can only get this at chargen, and you do it by reducing your Sorcery AV by 1 and taking only 4 Sorcery schticks instead of 5.

We also get a sidebar: most Gun schticks translate perfectly to bows, crossbows and slings, with one note. Both Guns Blazing doesn't let you fire two bows at once. (Crossbows and slings, yes.) Instead, Both Guns Blazing lets you nock and fire two arrows at once. There is also a new schtick, only for bows and crossbows: Versatile Ammo . With one schtick, you will never run out of arrows or bolts. For two schticks, you also always have the best arrow or bolt for coll tricks - y-headed arrows for rope-cutting, grappling hook arrows, arrows that bite into wood or rock, silk rope or cord totie to arrows, that sort of thing. We also get some new Types!



Most people in ancient China know archery. You are more than that. You are an Archer . For you, it is more than defense, more than sport. It is art. You have spent years training you hands and eyes, learning the feel of the bow, the way of the bowstring. Perhaps you studied as a zen archer, perhaps you were a guard or assassin. But you knew your place in the world...until now. Something happened now, and you have had to fight both demons and the Imperial guards. You have found a cause to believe in, people who need your skill. Your conscience must be true as your aim, but if it is, you will never fail.

All Archers are from 69 AD. They get Bod 5, Chi 0, Mnd 5, REf 6. They add +2 to two different primary attributes, and +1 to two different secondary attributes. They get Guns +9, which can't be raised, Info: (Any) +2 and Martial Arts +4, which can't be raised above +7. They get +5 to spread around. Archers get Signature Weapon and 4 other gun schticks. They get one bow or crossbow, which is automatically the Signature Weapon. They also get a unique schtick, Flurry of Arrows : As long as their closest foe is at least 5 meters away, they get +2 to initiative. Archers, however, are dedicated to the superiority of the bow and may never use a firearm. Ever. Ever. They are Working Stiffs.



Nobody starts out looking to become a Bandit . You used to be something else - a simple farmer, maybe, or a merchant. But disaster came for you. Your farm was destroyed, or you were driven to poverty by taxation. You turned your back on society and lived off what you could steal. After a while, you got good at it. You learned to fight, to hide, to kill. Other bandits flocked to your banner. Soldiers hunt you, merchants fear your very name. And yet...you find yourself coming back to the society you abandoned. Something calls you back, something you want to fight for. Something you need to fight for. You have taken the first steps on a new path - a path whose endpoint is either redemption or death.

All Bandits are from 69 AD. They get Bod 6, Chi 0, For 4, Mdn 5, Ref 5. They add +2 to any two primary attributes. They get Martial Arts +4, to a max of +8, Guns +2, to a max of +7, Deceit +2, Intrustion +2, Leadership +2 and Info (Whatever your old job was) +4. They get +5 to spread around. They get 2 gun schticks, 5 weapons and a unique schtick: Lead Mooks . After spending some time in bad parts of town ,you may gather a group of mooks to serve you. For a fee, of course. Make a Leadership roll, difficulty between 5 and 10 based on how well you know the area and how much cash you're offering. You get (Outcome) unnamed characters who will serve you loyally for one week. Bandits are Rich.



You are a Taoist Wizard , a master of illusions. You also dabble in either Fu powers or other arcane arts. Though most of your kind are hermits, you have stepped into the real world and the secret war. Perhaps you were drawn in while helping some local villagers. PErhaps you have someone to save or to redeem. Perhaps it just came too close to home. But now, you aren't going to rteturn to your little cave on the mountain. The Lotus and the Ascended have become your enemies. The Lotus want to oppress your people, and the Ascended want to destroy your magic. Neither is acceptable.

All Taoist Wizards from 69 AD. They get Bod 5, Chi 5, Mag 8, Mnd 5, Ref 5. They add +2 to one primary attribute, and +2 to one secondary attribute that isn't Magic. They get Info (Taoism) +4, Martial Arts +8, which can't be raised, and Sorcery +6, which can't be raised. They get +4 to spread around. They get the Influence sorcery schtick, and either 2 Fu powers or 2 Sorcery schticks. They also get a unique schtick: Taoist Trickery . They get +2 to all Influence rolls, but -2 to all other Sorcery rolls except Divination. They can have any wealth level they want.

Now, we enter the adventure for the book, A Cold Watery Grave . Our story focuses on Mang Ri , a sorcerer who spent years watching others advance in the Lotus over him. He had power, he understood magic, but he remained overly cautious and small-minded. He performed as expected, but was never noteworthy...until he found a small, ghostly demon over his bed. He trapped the demon out of fear, watching in increasing amusement as it tried to escape. At last, in exchagne for freedom, the demon offered Mang Ri information about rebels in Lo-yang, hwo planned to destroy the city's grain stores. The demon, Five Pains , helped Mang Ri plan a counterattack timed for maximal drama. Mang Ri walked in as the fires were set, saved the grain and took out the rebels in seconds. The Petals quickly transferred Mang Ri to Fire Division. He dreamed of glory, but soon fell back into old habits, and for two years he's gotten by on mediocrity and disappointment.

Desperate to escape this fate, he has summoned Five Pains again,a nd the demon made a deal: he would help Mang Ri achieve a glorious career if Mang Ri would help him escape his demonic masters and give him sanctuary on EArth. Mang Ri has won victory after victory on his demon's advice, earning many honors. He was made Thorn of Fire, given the Order of the Screaming Pit and even the Mark of the Lotus. Soon, he was assigned to Water Division and given the Temple of Falling Dreams , a powerful site on Empire's western frontier. Anyone attuned to the Temple has powers over the sleep and dreams of others, able to ensure peaceful dreams or raging nightmares of falling to death. (However, to use it requires a two-hour cleansing ritual and knowledge of the target's name, birthday and birth time, then a Sorcery roll against their Willpower. Anyone who suffers nightmares will be unable to sleep peacefully for (Outcome/2) hours and may suffer 1 Impairment due to sleep deprivation.)

Of course, Five Pains' capture was not an accident. He plans to use Mang Ri to escape the Underworld forever, tricking the sorcerer into taking his place. Unfortunately, he has two conditions he has to meet. First, Mang Ri must agree to it, at least indirectly...and second, Mang Ri must die in battle. To achieve these goals, Five Palms has allowed the sorcerer to grow dependant on him, getting him to the Temple of Falling Freams. Now, he has decided to act. He has told Mang Ri that his demon lord would soon track him down, and Mang Ri has foolishly promised to do anything to prevent Five Pains from returning to the Underworld. Thus was the first condition met. Now, Five Pains has moved for the next step. He has been whispering doubts to Mang Ri, encouraging him to resist Gao Zhang. Mang Ri has turned aside Gao Zhang's taxmen and begun to hoard the Temple's chi for his own goals.

Five Pains has also made a deal with Horns of Fire , one of Gao Zhang's demonic advisors. Horns of Fire has agreed to get Gao to attack and kill Mang Ri - but in exchange, he wants some souls of those troubling his master. Specifically, the PCs. Horns of Fire knows they will be a growing problem - so Gao Zhang has increased his pressure and Mang Ri increased his rebelllion, as Five Pains prods his master more. He has told Mang Ri that Gao will soon attack, and that he will surely crush the Temple...unless. Unless he got help. Five Pains knows just where to get it: General Hong Lei's Sword , an ancient artifact in the general's tomb. Hong Lei was a warlord in the Warring States period, and his flaming two-handed sword led his army to ten thousand victories. His blade was the symbol of his power, always able to cut a clean path through the chaos of battle. Normally, the sword does (Strength+5) damage and acts as a Signature Weapon for its wielder. However, if the wielder calls out Hong Lei's name, the sword will burst into flames, getting an additional +2 damage and able to cut through stone or metal as a stunt. The flame power works once per day and lasts one hour.

Archaeologists recovered the blade in the 90s and have it on a traveling exhibit of Chinese burial treasures. Five Pains has promised that with the sword, Mang Ri could defeat anyone Gao sent. Five Pains further offered to find Mang Ri a portal unguarded by the Lotus, thus allowing him to head to the 1990s unsuspected. MAng Ri has agreed. This adventure assumes the PCs have pissed off the Lotus at some point, and it will have them discover Mang Ri's plot in a generic American city in the 90s. Probably Vancouver pretending to be New York. Exact location doesn't matter, but America does. The PCs are eventually going to be teaming up with the Lotus (yes, the Lotus) to fight Mang Ri. Five Pains has to kill at least three of them to meet his deal with Horns of Fire, and will try to kill at least one every time they meet, but he's unlikely to succeed. It does mean he'll pick a PC in each encounter and will focus on them exclusively.

Next time: Big Trouble in Little China!

Put in a good word for us. We're good people.

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: Put in a good word for us. We're good people.

We get some further notes on Five Pains and Mang Ri. Five Pains is a very cunning and malevolent demon who is an excellent manipuatlor. If all goes well with his plan, Mang Ri will be forced to take Five Pains' place in Hell and he'll be free to roam the earth. He does not like to fight personally and prefers others do his fighting - or, at least, the bodies of others. You see, while he's a fairly competent demon in his own right, he likes to possess people and then use his unique schtick: Empowerment . He can roll Creature Powers against their Willpower and give the Outcome in bonuses to skills, attributes and free schticks. He can't give more than +8 to skills, +8 to attributes or any schticks that aren't appropriate to the character - which is defined as 'any types they already have, fu schticks if from the early 2 junctures and gun schticks if from the latter two.' Oh, and he can only do it to unnamed characters, who become temporarily named for the duration. The adventure helpfully provides the people he possesses with their stats already changed to account for this power. He also has Punch Passages , which is not unique - a PC can learn this!

Punch Passages : You are a powerful supernatural being, able to punch passageways through the Netherworld. These do not lead into the Netherworld as a hwole, but rather form tunnels of five hundred meters or less between two gateways to different open junctures. They last between a week and several months. No one knows what happens if you get caught in one that collapses - some say you fall into a random time period, some say you drop into the Netherworld or another dimension, and...well, most believe you just die.

Anyway. Mang Ri is a generic sorcerer. He's fairly skilled at magic, but despite the respect he's garnered and his feng shui site, he's an idiot. He just follows Five Pains' instructions - and Five Pains plans to betray him. Mang Ri is not, however, a coward, and he will fight as needed. He may be dumb, but he's good at magic. No one ever said wizards had to be smart . Anyway. The PCs will be getting involved because of them has an uncle, Jao Pen, who immigrated to the US from China and started a restaurant. For years, Jao Pen has been beggining the PC to visit, and now they have time. If the Dragons are involved, then the Prof believes Jao Pen's restaurant, Li Li, is a minor feng shui site and is worth investigating. If the PCs are not Dragons, find another excuse. Maybe Jao Pen knows he's on a feng shui site, or is being harassed by gangsters, or he's got a gift for his relative. Anyway, it's not hard to get to America. After arriving in America, Jao Pen will show up with his attractive daughter, Mo Szu.

In the meantime, the Hillside Museum of History in the city that Jao Pen lives at will be opening the traveling exhibit Jade and Clay: A Look into Ancient China . MAng Ri is waiting for General Hong Lei's Sword, and also gathering an army of brainwashed goons. Five Pains has found the PCs and will be drawing them into his web. The next few encounters can be done in any order, and the game suggests all PCs be present at each one, so no one has to miss a fight. The first encounter comes after the PCs have settled in at Li Li's for a meal from Jao. Mo's friends stop by, chat a bit, and then Jao Pen mentions that the post office has a package for him - green tea straight from Hong Kong! He'd like if the party and Mo can go pick it up, since he's busy.

The post office is, well, a post office. There's five lines of impatient customers, a dozen postal employees and so on. As the PCs wait in line, Five Pains makes his move. He possesses a disgruntled ex-postal worker, Greg Osborne, finds a 12-gauge somewhere and heads to the Post Office. The PCs get a diff 10 Police, Detective or Perception check to notice Greg coming in furtively. Every who fails won't notice until he pumps the shotgun. He will shoot and automatically mortally wound a random bystander NPC to get attention, then start shouting about how he's mad about being fired. He then starts to shoot up the building, focusing on inanimate objects or anyone who gets close, especially whatever PC Five Pains has marked for death. Shots at inanimate objects cost only 1 shot (of time), and Greg will do them to keep the scene dynamic and interesting. If people gang up on him, he'll start shooting bystanders. Bystanders do nothing but dodge and use their unique schtick: Stampede . PCs caught in a bystander stampede must roll Martial Arts, diff 12, to avoid being knocked down and trampled, losing all remaining shots for the sequence and taking 8 wound points. An Outcome of -4 to 0 means they take no damage but still lose their shots.

Once that's over, the GM is told to open in media res: it's volleyball time .


See, the local pop station, WKIZ, is holding a contest. If needed, they have provided artificial beach volleyball courts outside the courthouse square. Jao Pen is there to sell food to the crowd at a booth. Three-man teams are competing for a $500 prize. If there's more than three PCs, the rest get to sit on the sidelines with a beer, as does Mo Szu, who lost with her friends in an earlier round. The finals are starting, and the PCs have done well. Just one more team. They're about to serve as the scene starts. GMs are instructed to not give players any time to think about why they're doing this - it's volleyball time!

Volleyball is similar to combat. Each sequence, one person serves with a 3-shot-cost Martial Arts roll, and someone on the other side must block it with a 1-shot-cost Martial Arts roll, difficulty equal to the original roll. A different character on the side of the blocker must then spike the ball back, same rules as a serve, and so on. Anyone who runs out of shots can neither block nor spike. Only the team that served can make points. Whenever you score, you get to serve again. If you fail to block a return spike, the other team serves. For the sake of time, you win when you hit 6 or beat the other time by 2, whichever takes longer. The enemy volley ball players start off pretty bad, but each round they get +1 Ref and +2 Martial Arts (for volleyball purposes only).

In the middle of the match, Five Pains will possess the local courthouse secretary, Marsha Thompson, who will leave work and go climb the clock tower outside. (If there's a local beach, the courthouse and clock tower are on it. Just roll with it.) If the players are enjoying the volleyball game, let it go to the end and let them interact with their musclebound idiot foes, trading insults and so on. If they're not into it, have the shooting start after a few serves. Anyway, whenever the GM thinks it's a good time, Marsha Thompson will snipe the volleyball ref, bringing the game to a screeching halt. She will fire at bystanders, cars, whatever she feels like. At least a couple shots will be at whatever PC Five Pains is trying to kill this time. Marsha, incidentally, is an NRA member, which is why she's got a rifle.

The main problem is getting to her. She's up in the bells of the clock tower, firing through 90% cover. Flying will work, but makes the PCs a target, since they have no cover. Climbing is diff 8, and Marsha won't notice climbers until they get to her windows. Once there, she'll try to shoot the moff the wall. PCs must hang onto the tower while attacking through the slits. Both they and Marsha get 25% cover like this. Most PCs, though, will want to use the stairs. The door is locked, and the lock's been jammed. It's a eavy door, and will take some force to break down. It has a Dodge of 0 and Toughness 10. The lock is Dodge 6, Toughness 5. Either way, it takes 35 damage to break the door - the lock or door both roll death checks, using their Toughness, and when either fails (depending on which got damaged), the door breaks open.

Getting upstairs is more complicated. The stairs end in a small landing, with a wooden ladder heading up to a trap door. The door opens upwards and has been barred shut. Because of the positioning, only one PC can attack from the ladder, and gets -2 due to poor footing and awkwardness. This door is weaker, at least - Dodge 0, Tgh 7. Once you break in, it's a pretty standard fight, though Marsha is pretty goddamn tanky even if she's not good at anything else but shooting.

The third encounter is pretty simple: There's Billy-Bob, the possessed redneck with a pickup truck, and a big, glass-front mall, the Hamilton Galleria. It's a mall, big entrance, escalators, stairs, the works. Second floor is smaller, narrower. The shops are exclusively high-priced and trendy. The PCs are here to shop with Mo and her friends. The GM is encouraged to take the opportunity to have fun with American shopping mall culture. Costumed mascots, coupons, jugglers throwing plastic balls full of money around. If the PCs need a better reason to be there, Jao Pen came along to scope out the location for a potential fast food version of Li Li's.

Once things get boring, Billy-Bob is going to drive his truck, Hoss, through the front wall. Glass shatters everywhere, and characters mut make a diff 8 Martial Arts check costing 1 shot to avoid taking 10 damage from the glass shards. After the pickup comes in, Billy-Bob will do his damndest to smash through shop fronts and so on, shooting his Colt Anaconda through the window with his left hand. Once he spots the PCs, they become his focus and he tries to run them over. Hoss, by the way, is a Signature Weapon. It also gives him 75% cover. No matter how much damage it takes, it will continue to run, somehow. That is the benefit of being a Signature Weapon, rather than a Signature Ride, apparently? This was before the car chase rules, I believe. Anyway, Billy-Bob is going to wreck the mall as best he can, which may also collapse the second floor. Have fun with this one!

At some point during these three encounters, the PCs need to figure out that demonic possession is behind them. This will probably be part of investigation, as in every case, the friends, family and co-workers of the attackers say they acted out of character. Greg Osborne, for example, was a pacifist who had never touched a gun. Marsha Thompson was an NRA member, but also a firm advocate of gun safety and awareness. She even taught classes in it! And, whiole Billy-Bob had a bad temper, he was never a good fighter and had a notorious glass jaw. His friends also swear he wouldn't be able to hit the broad side of a barn if he put the gun up against it. Magical inquiries will also hint at sinister and supernatural causes, showing black, twisted auras around the possessed victims. The I Ching or other divination will further suggest corruption as well as more danger coming. If the characters managed to capture the attackers, Five Pains abandons them and temporarily knocks them out. The hosts remember nothing about what happened. If the PCs still don't get it, Five Pains will possess some random homeless guy and babble at them in a 'crazy/wise mystic' act, telling them that an ancient evil has returned and must be stopped, then having the guy collapse and, again, remember nothing. He wants them to be following him, see.

Of course, if the PCs have been using magic or creature powers, the Ascended are going to notice. They act cautiously, though, hoping to build information first. This will start with a visit from FBI Special Agent Benjamin Franklin Smith, who isn't really an FBI agent. He works for whatever secret government agency the GM pleases, he just claims to be an FBI agent to avoid questions. He'll interview the PCs about the attacks, and if any supernatural powers were used, he iwll ask leading questions, pretending to dismiss supernatural claims as delusions or explainable events...but he really wants to learn the depths of the PCs' power. Smith may try to arrest them on any number of charges, depending on their behavior, but if he believes they have magic powers he's going to send a squad of Men in Black. (The GM is told to be careful with this subplot - it's here to provide excitement, not derail the plot. It can provide groundwork, though!) Smith may even become a recurring nemesis, always using ID saying he's part of the local government law enforcement. He will also act as if he's never met the PCs, all with a shit-eating grin, just to annoy them .

Ben's a transformed fox, and he's...well, pretty average. Pretty generic, as transformed animals go, but he's good at inventing false explanations for magical claims and otherwise keeping people in the dark and spying on them. The Men in Black are mooks, but particularly good ones. They always show up with two more members of their group than the PCs, and never attack anywhere there might be witnesses. They also have the unique schtick Relentless Reality , which gives all schtick usage -2 against them.

Anyway! The PCs should also get a chance, between events, to talk to Jao, Mo and the locals. Li Li's can be a feng shui site if you want, and if so, the PCs may want a piece of it. Don't let this slow things down. As soon as people got bored or scenes start to lag, move on to the next action sequence. One thing you may want to do, though, is have Mo Szu start pestering the PCs about their abilities and combat skills - she finds them intriguing. She's always going on about them and how brave the PCs were. She might make a good ally if the PCs can get her some training or a feng shui site to attune to. (Say, Li Li's might be one, right?) She's not an airhead, though - she's quite clever and she really just wants a chance to save the world - or at least the restaurant. Jao Pen may also have been a secert warrior in his youth, though he'll have kept it secret all these years to have a quiet life. When things start going crazy, he might be the one to mention demonic possession as a cause. If the PCs are Dragons, the Prof will listen eagerly to their stories but isn't going to send help unless things get really serious.

Once the PCs realize a demon is invovled, they get to hear a news report. Last night, just after midnight, some armed robbers broke into the local museum and caused massive damage, but nothing is reported missing. A big gunfight between the robbers and the security team was broken up by police arriving, and the robbers fled. They were interested in just one item, apparently - a 2500-year-old Chinese sword that was part of a traveling exhibit due to open tomorrow. The curator, Mary Swiss, says the sword is priceless, but not usually the sort of thing people steal - no gold or gems, which would be much easier to sell. Police Commissioner Jake Williams is also baffled. The attack implies a gang operation, but no one knows why a gang would want a sword. The security has been increased for the exhibit, and the police will be on guard. This should get the PCs interested. If they hesitate, Five Pains will do the ancient mystic trick again, dropping more clues - perhaps even possessing Jao Pen and giving him visions. He suggests the sword has great power, either for good or evil. From there, there's two basic things the PCs can do: work with the cops or case the museum and wait.

Any attempts to get info out of the cops will be resisted unles the PCs have good reason to be involved...such as one of them being a local cop. That'll get police reports and a chance to convince the supervisors to add the party to the new security detail. A Hong Kong cop could do the same by claiming that the Hong Kong government sent him to investigate the attack and protect the artifacts. The cops suspect a new gang, the Mongols. They spotted two of 'em in the gunfight and counted six fighters total. However, the gang appears to be led by an unknown old Chinese man in elaborate robes. Sergeant Peters, one of the officers on the scene, says that the guy looked like he stepped out of the exhibit. He grabbed the sword, and then - well, Peters isn't sure. He tried to shoot the old guy, but someone knocked him to the ground while he did - someone he swears was wearing gauzy gray, almost like smoke. When the old guy fell from the shot, he dropped the sword. He tried to grab it again, but ran after a second shot hit him.

Should the PCs decide to wait or have gotten onto security, well, Mang Ri is going to be trying again. Mang Ri will attack whenever the PCs happen to be there. The second attack is during museum hours, with Mang Ri leading twelve Mongol mooks in plain clothes. There will be two cops on hand, and six more throughout the building, two of whom arrive each sequence. If the fight takes more than five sequences, then four cops arrive per sequence then until the fight ends. To simplify things, divide the battle into two groups - those fighting the cops and those fighting the PCs. Subtract the number of cops from the number of Mongols the PCs have to deal with, then make an open roll and add that to the result. If it's positive, one of the cops dies. If negative, one of the Mongols dies. The Mongols are not notable for anything, really, beyond being mooks. Mang Ri is going to steal the blade, using as much magic as he has to to get out - including flying through the ceiling sun roof if needed. The mooks will be a diversion with Uzis. Mang Ri needs to get out with the sword, no matter what else happens.

With any luck, the PCs will capture one of the Mongols. If they don't, one of the dying Mongols is revived by paramedics. Now free of Mang Ri's control, he will describe where the gang is hiding: the Bent-Hartly construction site south of town. If the PCs somehow can't get that out of him, they can get there by following Mang Ri or a Mongol who got out, or tail a Mongol they spot later. Asking around town will also point the PCs in that direction by the local friends of the Mongols, who are rather confused by their new behavior. Five Pains' passage through the Netherworld opens into the construction site's basement. Construction was halted due to lake of investors a while ago, so it's thirty floors of scaffolding around an empty shell. Six Mongols guard the place at all times, and 12 more are inside. Once they get alerted by screams or gunfire, they'll show up in a sequence or two. The GM decides if Mang Ri and Five Pains are still here. If it's right after the robbery, they probably are. By the next day, they'll have fled home, but Five Pains has left the gate open to allow the PCs to follow. After the fight, the Mongols will tell the PCs that Mang Ri and his weird buddy took off through a tunnel in the basement. If Mang Ri and Five Pains are there, they try to lure the PCs into the scaffolding and use flight to their advantage. Once Mang Ri takes enough damage to cause a point of Impairment, he will run for the basement and the gate. Five Pains will try to distract the party long enough for Mang Ri to get out, then run himself. Both need to survive this one, so use mook attacks to ensure it happens.

Next time: Big Trouble in Big China!

Poor fool - your death is my freedom.

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: Poor fool - your death is my freedom.

Once Mang Ri gets to the Netherworld, well, there's only a short trip. After the brief tunnel, the PCs end up in a blizzard, with nealry no visibility and sub-zero temperatures. This is a clue to go back, as they are definitely not prepared for this eather. Anyone who ignores it takes 10 damage per minute, plus whatever other hazards you devise. The PCs should not be sure if this is a strange Netherworld chamber or part of a juncture. Once back in 1996, it's time to gather winter supplies, maybe some snowmobiles. Once ready, they can return to the tunnel and find that the snowstorm isn't much of a problem any more. It's now just snowing, not weather that can kill. It takes two days to get to the bottom of the mountainside there on snowmobiles, or four on foot.

Halfway down the mountain is the mandatory rope bridge, across a 20 meter chasm. The boards look pretty rotten and so do the ropes. It's a long fall. Everyone makes a Fortune roll when crossing. If walking, it takes a result of -1 or better. A snowmobile or sled takes a 2 or better. Both a snowmobile and a sled together require a 5. If more than one person tries to cross at once, add it all together with +1 for each person after the first. If any rolls fail, the bridge collapses. The PC must make a diff 8 Martial Arts check to grab something, and any snowmobiles or sleds are lost. If anyone falls, give a chance to land on a ledge 30 meters below. Or I guess let them fall to their doom. This is a stupid encounter that serves no purpose. After the bridge are six guards, who will attack when the bridge is crossed or collapses. It is possible that the PCs may become stranded on the wrong side, but with a diff 10 Drive check they can ramp a snowmobile over it. Which is, I think, easier for some PCs than the bridge would be. Flight also works, as do crazy martial arts jumps or grappling hooks. Dammit, Feng Shui, why include this stupid encounter?

Once we get past the bridge and guards, there's a frozen river at the valley bottom. It widens out to a lake, containing a single island with a dark temple on it. The PCs can spot hundreds of soldiers marching in on the right, very obviously from some time earlier than the 90s. There's two options. If they run, they're heading into Mang Ri's hands and jump straight to the final battle without the help of the Imperial Army. They fasce ten times as many mooks, and the army shows up late in the combat. If the PCs wait, the soldiers will surround them and ask them what they're doing here. They are especially confused by snowmobiles, and want the PCs to accompany them to their camp. If the PCs resist, the soldiers attack, and five more arrive each sequence until the PCs surrender or stop fighting. They'll chain the survivors together and take them back to camp.

In any case, the PCs are brough to a gilded carriage containing a military commander and a scholar. These are Captain Ma Yi and the Fire Thorn Ku Qiao. Ku's pretty much the one in charge, if not officially. They're here to kill Mang Ri, and once they realize the PCs are also against him, they will offer a truce and a chance to work together to defeat the guy. It's possible the PCs could begin fighting these guys and escape, but not likely - there's a huge supply of mooks on hand. Anyway, moving on, the Imperial army has camped out on shore. Everyone can hear strange howls from the Temple of Falling Dreams, and nightmares sweep the camp for no game effect. When dawn comes, the army forms up and the PCs can take whatever role in battle that they want.

The temple is a two-story building built to protect agains the local Tibetan weather, but it's not a fortress. There's fifty archers at the windows, fifty soldiers inside and six demons. In the first charge, Mang Ri activates his new flaming sword. Once he gets hurt enough to get Impairment, he retreats to the temple, leaving his soldiers and demons to cover his escape. He will then summon up a blizzard. Once the army distracts Mang Ri's forces, the PCs only have to deal with 8 mooks before facing him (or whoever else they want). Mang Ri will run at 1 point of Impairment, at which point the fire demon Blood of Flames will attack. Five Pains will fight only half-heartedly at Mang Ri's side. Blood of Flames and his five brothers look like burning apes, and are primarily notable for having Burning Blood, making them somewhat dangerous to fight in melee. However, he has to keep moving or he will melt the ice and drown.

If the PCs have not already launched a plan of their once the blizzard comes, Ku Qiao will suggest the remains of the Imperial army attack the temple, providing a diversion for them to sneak inside. With the weather knocking bows out of commission, all the guards will be defending the first floor, while Mang Ri shouts orders. Unless the PCs really fuck up their entry rolls, they should get to him without any major trouble. IF they do fuck up, they have a handful of soldiers to deal with and Mang Ri and Five PAins will show up to see what's going on. Once Mang Ri is there or the PCs find him and attack, eight guards arrive each sequence for as long as the GM likes. Five Pains will just hover nearby and do nothing to help Mang Ri, despite Mang Ri's orders. He will laugh at his would-be master and then vanish through the floor.

Once Mang Ri is dead, the Imperial army will burst through the defenses and show up, making the remaining guards surrender. Mang Ri's soul will head to the Underworld and Five Pains will be free. Unless at least three PCs have died in the adventure, though, he's still tied to the Underworld by his debt to Horns of Fire. As such, he will continue to hgarass the PCs and their associates, as will Ben Franklin Smith of the Ascended. If Mang Ri is captured without being killed, Ku Qiao will take him back to Lo-yang in chains, where he will be executed. As he does not die in battle, he does not free Five Pains, who will vow eternal vengeance on the PCs, which is a plan that his demon lords approve of, and he is sent back to the 90s to bother them. Finally, Ku Qiao now owes the PCs a debt for helping him remove Mang Ri. He will even award the PCs a Jade Leaf, a Lotus mark of debt. Of course, after his success here, he will soon be promoted to the contemporary juncture, where he and the PCs will surely meet again - as enemies. In the meantime, though, he can provide some answers to the PCs' questions as the GM desires.

No movie recommendations this time.

Next time: choose!

Seal of the Wheel (Ascended), Elevator to the Netherworld (Netherworld), Blood of the Valiant (Guiding Hand), Friends of the Dragon (PC groups) or Blowing Up Hong Kong (Hong Kong). Glimpse of the Abyss is actually a monster manual and will be done last as it refers to previous books all the time.

Sometimes we are five. Sometimes we are one.

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

No one voted, so I went with the one that got the most votes last time that I didn't do.

Feng Shui: Sometimes we are five. Sometimes we are one.



Okay, so you've run a campaign where everyone is just whatever - a collection of random guys who came together to fight evil. Characters are usually defined by their differences, but that's not what Friends of the Dragon is about. It's about characters who are defined by what holds them together. This is the character group . Sure, you can have eclectic collections of individuals, but sometimes you want a real team . It's not just the GM's job to figure out how everyone got together, after all. The players can help, designing relationships with each other before they ever start play. A character group serves as a shared concept, an umbrella which helps to define the individuals under it. It also allows them to share XP and enjoy exclusive group schticks. This does mean character groups are more powerful, but, you know, that's okay. Everyone's in the group, so it can't unbalance things. And it rewards players for cooperating with each other, which is usually a good thing.

Feng Shui provides shows , themes for character groups. All character groups can fall under one of the types of show. There are five shows, with different subtypes. Most shows focus the characters all into having a specific job, though not specific Types. Maybe they're all cops, or spies. It makes the series about something. This categorization of the group helps to give people ideas and goals, providing a strong concept to build on. That's what shows are for. It's easy to see it as a limiting factor, but it's better to look at it like a toolkit. The kit has a bunch of specialized tools, and while each kit is missing a few tools, there's a whole lot you can do with them.


I love the presentation of example Shows.

Each Show is presented with a few elements. First, the Pitch : what the Show is about. A brief overview of the role the PCs are meant to play, and what action is expected. Of course, each type of Show has a whole lot of possible games within it. Then they Set the Stage , giving a more detailed analysis of the genre the Show is trying to emulate. The overall tone of the world, what differences it has from standard Feng Shui and what needs to be taken account when making characters. This is followed by a look at show format. AFter all - detectives and SWAT teams are both Cop Shows, but there's a huge difference between a SWAT series and a detective drama. Each format has several subcategories which are investigated, including the effects of setting a Show in different junctures and what character types might be best suited for it. Then we get into Props , special rules or material that might be needed for a Show. Of course, nothing says you can't import these into your normal, non-Show games. Then, SCripting : detailed information the GM might want to have regarding how to make the Show and the tone and action sequences that are best suited for it. Finally, the Secret War dicsusses how to involve the Secret War in a Show, since most are not actually built around it - though they're easy to insert. A Cop Show is more likely to face Triads than Jammers, but maybe you can have the local Triads be in the pay of the Ascended. Or maybe your cops are Buro agents. Thus, this final section of a Show summary will look at ways the power players and action of the Secret War can be involved, providing a more traditional Feng Shui experience with the focused storyline of the show.

Shows, as a note, are general. The book categorizes character gfroups by show types, but a character group does not have to be a show . Each group has a type, like a character does, though they tend to be broader, allowing for lots of characters types within them. It's how you differentiate Homicide: Life on the Street from, say, TJ Hooker . But character groups aren't shows. You can have a character group without any of the limitations that the GM might have for a show. So, what's a group have?

Naturally, it has a group type . We'll get into these later, but the group type provides some direction and inspiration, gives group schticks to pick from and asks you to then personalize things a little by filling in the blanks. Then it has a name . All groups should have a name, and it helps define the nature of the group. It might be a formal name that the group actually uses, a nickname, or even just a name that refers to them out of character. It's not as though the A-Team were actually officially called that. Each group has a pitch , the central idea that gives it character. It also may have a Juncture , requiring PCs to be from that juncture unless the GM says otherwise. And, of course, Backstory . Every character has a melodramatic hook, and so do groups. The backstory of the group should tie into all of the characters and provide inspiration for them. Maybe all the characters are timelost, having lost their worlds to critical shifts. Maybe they're all from the same street, and they're a gang. Maybe they're all students of the same martial arts master. The purpose of the Backstory is to explain how all your PCs know each other and how they're connected before the game starts. It can justify your group schticks and provide story hooks.

Each group gets group schticks , which are shared over the entire group and represent special training, resources or other advantages stemming from the group's experiences. Group schticks are a big deal, and we'll get into them later. Some groups also have a Wealth Level , which overrides character-based wealth levels for everyone in the group - so if you're Poor in a Rich group, you actually get Rich resources...or vice versa.

So, how do you make a group? It's pretty simple. Pick a group type, personalize it, come up with characters, and then pick group schticks. The GM is reminded that if the PCs are a group, villains should get groups, too - it makes them a better match for the PCs, and provides a strong motivation for why they're working together. Character groups can, of course, be formed in play, not just before play. However, you don't get the benefits if you don't pay the price - so you have to meet all requirements and formally pledge your loyalty to each other in forming the group. There should be a good explanation for why everyone's coming together now. We get a bit about how while every character type has an associated concept, they can be stretched and refluffed some. Maybe a Killer is actually a police sniper. Now he can fit into the Cop Show, as long as he's more cop than killer! The GM should let you swap out skills, as long as you have reason and don't go too far from your type's basic concept.

Now, Group Schticks . They're what make a group just flat better than normal individuals. One ore more get given out when the group is made, and you can buy more later. Group schticks apply to the whole group and everyone can use 'em. Related is the sync schtick , which is not purchased by the whole group. Anyone in the group can buy them, and they empower actions that multiple characters take together. Usually they boost only the ones who have the schtick, so more the people who have 'em, the more benefits. Group schticks must be bought by groups, but the GM can allow sync schticks to be bought in normal games. Let's look at some group schticks.

A Friend of the Dragon : A group with lots of friends and contacts uses this to show that any friend of one is af riend of all. This lets you use the AV of any character in the group for purposes of Knowledge or Contacts checks. These take longer than usual, unless it's dramatically necessary that they don't. With one schtick in A Friend of the Dragon, these checks get made at -3. You can buy additional schticks to reduce this penalty by 1 each time, but you can never have more than three schticks in this.

Authority : If the job, uniform or badge gives you power over ordinary people, you want this. Authority gives the entire group a Leadership AV, usable as long as they have the badge or the unfirom. The more schticks you put in this, the more respect you get. One schtick gives Leadership AV 9, for a beat cop. Two gets AV 11, for detectives. EVery schtick after that raises the Leadership by 2, but you can't have more than five schticks in this. You lose this Leadership AV against those who can't see your badge or uniform, and against those who don't care. Jurisdiction is your limit - even soldiers lose Authority in hostile territory. If your personal Leadership is higher than that granted by Authority, you get +2 as long as the benefits would apply, no matter how many schticks the group has in this.

Back-Up : Most police and military are larger than a single team, and so are some criminal groups. When things get bad, you can call in backup. The more schticks you have in this, the more your team is appreaciated and the more reinforcements you get. The qwuality is based on your Authority or Dominion, along with what Type your group is. With one schtick, you're getting a couple cars. Two schticks, some cars and a van, and they have some nice guns. Three schticks, armor and artillery. You can't have more than three schticks, such as SWAT or grenade launchers.

The Big Guns : Only the most powerful agencies can get this - though they needn't have Authority, like some spies. These are large-scale deus ex machina things - you use 'em to escape certain death or to flip off the bad guys in a big, big way. They allow a single attack by some immensely powerful force - an airstrike or an orbital laser, say - once per adventure. The GM decides how long it is before the schtick is available again. It affects the entire fight scene, except for the guys who know it's coming, and it takes out every unnamed character. The more schticks you have, the more damage it does. For one schtick, 20. It gets +10 for each schtick after that, but will never go over 40 at three schticks.

Collective Fortune : Your group is lucky. The group gets a collective pool of Fortune dice, which anyone can draw from. It starts at 4 dice, and refills every session. These dice operate exactly like personal Fortune dice. You raise the number of dice in the pool by spending XP equal to twice the new rating.

Dominion : What bad guys get instead of Authority. This is territory, turf, rep. It gives Intimidation based on your association with a larger organization, like the Yakuza or the Russians. The more schticks you have, the more reach and more fear you have. One schtick is good for a gang. Two for a city-wide outfit. Three reaches to the States, four is global. Five crosses time . This schtick requries you to mention, if not by name, the outfit you belong to or your boss. OTherwise, it works exactly like Authority, except replace Leadership with Intimidation.

Don't You Die On Me : Groups with this are stronger than death. If any member of the group rolls a death check with outcome of -13 to -1, a teammate can sit with them, hold their hand and talk through the pain. So long as the attendant does nothing but pay attention to the dying friend, the friend stays alive one time increment longer than the Outcome would normally indicate. Leave, and your buddy's death clock reverts to the time indicated by the death check, minus however much time was elapsed - which can, yes, instakill them. With two schticks in this (and you can't get more than that), you may volunteer to take any damage intended for the dying character by throwing yourself over their body.

Headquarters : Most groups have a homebase, but that's not the same as a Headquarters. This gives a special space where you can focus on your work. Maybe you share with the rest of the department, or maybe it's yours and yours alone. All Info and knowledge checks made at Headquarters get +3 due to access to files and so on. Typically, this is done off-screen or as a research montage. Headquarters are not secret. Their location may not be common knowledge, but it's up to the GM if they're secure or not. The best HQs are on feng shui sites. A destroyed HQ is automatically rebuilt between adventures unless the schtick is swapped out for something else.

Johnny! No! : Nothing motivates like vengeance. A group with this schtick reacts swiftly to the deaths of their own. When one member fails a death check, the next member in the initiative order may act on the very next shot, regardless of when they would normally act. If they'd normally act on the next shot, they may ignore any penalties from snapshots in that shot. If a character starts dying at the end of a sequence, no, this isn't helpful. That's just one of those slow-mo moments where the group just can't make it in time.

Lead the Way : Sometimes, the group has to follow one member's tactics, like the Thief sneaking the Big Bruiser in. With this, skills like Intrusion, Deceit or Police can be used with one other character present without any penalty, even if the tagalong would normally complicate things. Each additional schtick lets you cover one more character with a single skill check. The character who Leads the Way makes the roll as normal and everyone he can cover uses the result. If the check fails, it is always the tagalong's fault.

Library : This is for groups with great records or computers. It can be almost anything as long as it's good for research. Every schtick in Library gives +5 to spend on Info skills, kept in the Library. Any character can access the Library, using the skills as if they had them. This usually takes a few hours, but the GM has final say. A Headquarters does stack with a Library.

Next time: Sync schticks.

I imagine you're all wondering why I've called you here...

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: I imagine you're all wondering why I've called you here...

Like A Well-Oiled Machine : Teamwork is timing. With one schtick in this, the entire group may use one character's Speed for Initiative. For everyone. No roll, it's just the fastest guy's Speed. With two schticks, it's +1. With the max of three schticks, you use the Speed plus a roll, as if everyone had the highest Speed normally.

Mooks : You have goons! Your team's goons give you a chance to learn your foes' capabilities by giving them targets, keep enemy mooks busy or alert you to attacks. Mook NPCs from this are less powerful than NPCs from Back-Up, but they do whatever you want them to. The more schticks you have, the more Mooks you get. When your Mooks die, you get a quarter of the XP invested into them refunded. Giving them names doesn't turn them into named characters, but spending a lot of time with your favorite and getting characterization in might. Once you do that, your total number of Mooks drops by 1, and you no longer get XP refunds if the guy dies. You can't have more than three schticks in this, and we'll talk later about what kind of mooks you can get. NPC groups do not ever need this schtick.

Secret Code : Maybe it's a real code, or just so many in-jokes that it might as well be, but you can talk in plain sight without anyone understanding you. MAybe it's gestures, codewords, eyerolls, whatever. You can transmit a number of words equal to your Charisma per signal, and the receiver understands a max of his Perception. The GM decides which ones he misses. Once an onlooker realizes they're signals - usually after third of fourth message - they may try to intercept with their own Perception.

Secret Lair : Your refuge. No one knows about its location, which is its main defense. The more schticks you have, the harder it is to find. One schtick is some secret rooms below a garage, two is a hidden facility, like an abandoned hangar or warehouse. Three is a remote arctic base or perhaps an obscure tropical island. Each schtick gives +1 to Intrustion rolls made to secure the Lair. Secret Lair can be combined with Headquarters, and if it's big enough you might even keep your The Van there. All Secret Lairs have one thing in common: NPCs never know the location or even its existence unless a PC tells them. The GM can't have NPCs show up there unless the PCs open themselves to the risk. The GM does get to decide what the NPCs do with their knowledge, once granted, though.

Unity of Minds : For friends that show up to sleep on your couch, or for people who open up and share with each other. Whenever the group is together, they're just smarter, more charming, more perceptive. They get a +1 bonus per person to any checks based on one of Mind's secondary attributes. Each schtick gives access to another secondary attribute. They can be selected in any order, but you can't change once selections are made. When using the bonus, the entire group is covered by one check.

The Van : Teams on the move still need somewhere to regroup. That is The Van. All checks made to heal a teammate or repair equipment get +1 when in The Van. Any game that ends with the party getting into The Van and driving off gives the group a bonus point of XP. (Not the PCs. The group.) The Van has a gas tank, but it can't be blown up by a random stunt. It must bombed, crushed, sunk or othewise deliberately gone to effort to destroy. It should be something that takes at least a full sequence to set up.

Now, Sync Schticks . These are bought by individual PCs for the benefit of the group. Some augment your abilities, and a few even count as gun, fu or sorecery schticks and can be bought at chargen. Let's take a look.

Back To Back : You're harder to kill together. If you have this schtick, you get +1 Toughness for every other character with this schtick who fights alongside you. This is based on the total number of schticks - so 3 folks get +3 Toughness each. Everyone must remain together, if not literally back-to-back, to get the benefits. If you move, you all move, and you all have to be able to make the move. Characters can join or leave the bunch as they like, which raises or lowers Toughness instantly.

Combined Sorcery : Two or more characters that have this schtick can combine their sorcery schticks as though they were one caster. All characters must begin or finish the spell on the same shot, but not necessarily both. The process of combining schticks is exactly as per the core, except the GM assigns Difficulty to each caster based on their part in the larger spell. The GM decides what happens if part of the combined spell fails or suffers backlash.

Friendly Weapon : Two martial artists with this schtick can work together as one more powerful fighter. They must synchronize action so that they act on the same shot. Then, you move together, lifting, swinging and leaping as one. With a variety of cool moves, you use the combined total of your Strength and Martial Arts, sacrificing two smaller attacks for one bigger one.

Guiding Firefight : You're good at helping others. By spending one shot, you can reduce the shot cost of another character's action by one. During that shot, you shout something helpful to them. You may spend a second schtick (but no more) to take a two-shot action to reduce your friend's shot cost by two. You may buy this as a gun schtick.

Pass The Chi : You and your friends are so in tune that you can draw on each others' power. Two characters with this schtick can pass points one at a time from one Chi-based attribute to another as a one-shot action taken either by the source or destination character. One schtick lets you pick one attribute that you can transfer to your buddy. More schticks add one attribute per schtick. Points must be given to the same attribute - Fortune to Fortune, not Fortune to Magic.

Now then. How do you get group schticks? You spend group experience . The group is treated as an extra player, getting XP with everyone else. At the end of each session, it gets XP equal to the average of the XP given to all the party. Any use of the group XP must be made by unanimous agreement of all players. The GM must also approve. (Yes, the GM is a player, but look, 90s.) Benefits that come from within the group are easy to get, like any schtick, but those from outside, like Mooks, are harder to get - the GM has to approve. Group schticks cost (8+X) group XP, where X is the number of group schticks the group has after the new one. Sync schticks are (8+x) XP, where X is the number of sync or gun schticks you'll have after the new one. (I assume that gun part is only for Guiding Firefight.)

Training montages inside a Headquarters, Secret Lair or Van are super-effective, and any XP spent during one costs 1 less per schtick you have in the appropriate base schtick (HQ, Secret Lair or the Van). You can have multiple HQs or Lairs, but they are not added together for the discount. One base per customer per visit.


Doug Dougson, Edgar Mook, Unnamed Character and Action Family Dog!

Now, we get the first type of Show: Cop Shows . The pitch is simple: Crime is a disease. You're the cure. The Secret War is for the timeline - but who deals with the criminals, the triads, the murderers? You do. Who seeks the mysteries and the killers that lurk in every shadow, who deals with the tragedies of life that are just as horrifying as any Architect scheme? You do. Who protects the innocent from harm? You do.

A Cop Show can come in lots of flavors, but the constant is this: You're an agent of the law. All of you are. You're one of the honest-to-god heroes, but it comes with a lot of baggage. You have to obey the law. You need warrants, you have to take the bad guys alive if you can. You have to deal with jurisdiction and department mandates. Your chief may tell you not to go after the triad boss who killed your sister, or the feds might show up to horn in on your investigation. This is Feng Shui still - you're going to disobey the chief. But you're going to get in trouble for it. If you go too far, you might get fired - or even arrested.


Do you have the tactics?

There's some basic questions all Cop Shows have to answer. What's the tone? Is it a light-hearted one about cops bumbling their way through adventures? It is a hard look at the darkness that police deal with, the tragedy of life on the streets? Are the villains monsters with no redeeming features, or poor people pushed to crime by bad luck and poverty? Will victory set the world right? Are there no happy endings? You can mix these tones, of course. You also want to consider what concepts you want to play a role in your story. Cop Shows often deal with issues of duty and obligation - after all, as cops, you have a duty to the city, to the department, to your partners, to the law. Your duty might force you into tough decisions. What do you do when your childhood friend gets discovered running drugs? What about when a crimelord kills your wifeb ut the law says you need to take him in alive? Or loyalty , that's a big one, often clashing with duty. Cops look out for each other, especially their partners. They're like family. What happens when loyalty clashes with duty? Do you obey the law, or do you stay true to your buddies?

Corruption can be big. Sometimes, the cops are clean as a whistle and it's clear-cut...but in a darker series, corruption can be a serious concern. Who's dirty? What if it's your bosses? What if you get an offer you can't refuse? What if it's a good offer? Will you take it? Will you trust in fate that you'll find another way? Stories of corruption are often about the gap between what's right and what's reasonable. The Secret War only makes it harder. How can you prove you're doing what's wrong for the right reasons when the reasons are secret?

It's also important to think about potential character roles. There's some stock archetypes for Cop Shows. The Rookie is fresh out of the academy and doesn't know what the street's like. He's never shot a man. He's naive and everyone's going to have show him how things really work. He's eager, enthusiastic and is going to make mistakes. Why did the Rookie become a cop? And yeah, you can make Scrappy Kid work here if you're just out of the Academy. The Straight Arrow does everything by the book. She follows duty every time, quotes the regs, believes in the system. Other cops might not like her stiff attitude, and maybe she's ratted out cops in the past. She's an idealist and very good at what she does. She's got the rank - the rookie has no time, the old man isn't interested, the dirty cop and hothead can't hold a promotion. If the local precinct is crooked why is she the maverick? The Dirty Cop is the flip side. He's willing to do whatever it takes to get results. He's not on the take - he is a good guy, after all - but he knows people. Criminals. He turns a blind eye to minor crimes if it lets him take out the real bad guys. PRostitutes, fences, minor gangsters - they're his buddies. Maybe he's not loved by the top, but he gets things done. Maybe a Magic Cop learned sorcery illegally. The Old Man has been in the department forever. He's never looked for promotion - he likes the beat. He's halfway between the straight arrow and dirty cop. He knows the city perfectly, and he'll bend some rules when he has to, but prefers to do things like they've always been done. He's probably the one with the highest Police skill - he's been behind the badge since everyone else were kids. The Hothead wants to get stuff done. If she can do it in the regs, great - but when it comes time to take down punks, she's not listening to paper-pushers. She's not about to associate with criminals, though, and she's got a talent for violence. Why bother being friends with the creeps when you can scare the shit out of 'em? The Maverick Cop fits great, of course, but Ex-Special Forces also does.

Next time: Cop Props.

You're making a big mistake, Captain.

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Pretty sure you can.

Feng Shui: You're making a big mistake, Captain.

Cop Shows get some unique Cop Schticks ! Let's look at them.

Cuff-Fu : Even if you aren't a martial artist, you're a master with handcuffs. You can use Police instead of Martial Arts to cuff a character to something or use cuffs to contort them. Your cuffs aren't any harder to escape than normal, but even a demon can get slowed down by a good pair! This can be bought by any character with the Police skill for 9 XP, and the Karate Cop may choose to swap one of their unique schticks for it at chargen.

This Is A Raid : This is a sync schtick for cops who love to rush in! Every cop with this schtick gets +1 to Initiative for each other cop with this schtick - so +4 for four cops, but only for the sequence in which the raid starts. It doesn't last all combat, sadly.

We also get some new equipment rules! Handcuffs , which are tricky to get out of and hard to break. Diff 8 Intrusion check to pick the lock, or 10 if you can't see it. Diff 10 Strength check to break, or diff 7 Fix-It to saw through the chain if you have some time. There's also the Portable Ram , that big metal thing cops use to break down doors. It gives +2 to Strength checks, or +4 if two people use it together. However, it takes up hands, so don't hold it in a gunfight!

Okay, so you're getting ready to run a Cop Show. Bear in mind - police tend to react. They aren't instigators. They don't hunt down potential perps (outside 2056) and they tend not to go stealing feng shui sites. They wait for folks to break the law, then restore order and protect people. However, you can start things off great by having the PCs stumble into a crime in progress. Chase scenes are also a big part of cop shows! Worry about why it's happening later. Skip the legwork and start with the good stuff when your game starts. Another thing to consider: protocol and hierarchy. Cops have to follow the law, and the law means politics. How will that come into play in your adventure? Will it come into play? Can the villain hide behind red tape? Of course, these should just be obstacles, not barriers to action. This is Feng Shui, not CSI. Action is the beating heart of the game, and while investigation can be fun, the focus of the game is on kicking ass. Fighting is how things get resolved. We get given some adventure concepts now!

Basically, there's four presented. The Mystery is your classic detective story. Something happens with no explanation, and it's the PCs' job to find out what, why and how. It's like a chase - the quarry should leave a trail to follow, with hints and clues and some fights along the way. Be careful to ensure that any scene can yield a clue, and ever clue leads to an action scene, which has clues of its own. Exposing the Truth is for when you already know who the bad guy is - some local crime boss or politician, but you have no proof. The plot is not about solving a mystery, but luring the villain into the open. This is sort of adventure that puts cops in the active, not reactive role. The Sting is undercover work - another classic police story. For an undercover adventure, you know the nature of the bad guys, and your job is to catch them in the act or track them to their boss. It's a dangerous game, surrounded by enemies and without even the little metal shield to protect you if it all goes bad. Deceit is vital, and timing is the key element of it. Typically, you need your target alive to get what you want - and only when that's managed can you put him behind bars. Street Justice is most common with SWAT and other pure action groups. It's straight action. You know the baddies, no mysteries, just settle things fast and hard. There'll be challenges, of course - bystanders, explosives, that sort of thing. Maybe one of the criminals is important and you can't let him die.

So, how do cops get involved in the Secret War? Well, they're already in a war on crime - so just have one of the criminals be a Secret Warrior. A Lotus serial killer, an Architect drug scheme, Jammer terrorism. Or maybe the local government is aware of some aspects of the Secret War. A POWERS team (more on them later) would be government-funded secret warriors, fighting against crosstime incursions. Maybe you realize your team is serving the Lodge, not the law - and it's hard to deal with the Ascended inside the law. Finding out who's pulling your strings can put your life and job in danger. The mysteries of the Secret War are easy to incorporate into Cop Shows, often without any changes at all! Now, let's look at group types in a Cop Show.

Detectives are out there to find the truth, avenge the dead and make the world safe. They can be from any juncture, and their backstory is simple: it's the job. Everyone's together because of the job. The reasons why you care about the job differ, but you all care about the job. Detective groups get two schticks of Authority, one of Back-Up, one of Headquarters, and a unique schtick: Crime Lab . Detectives can send evidence to the crime lab, which always finds the minimum amount of info needed to proceed with the investigation. Never more, but it never fails. If you want interesting chances, try to do it yourself. If yo ujust want it done, send it to the lab. If the HQ is destroyed, so is the lab. Detectives are based out of a city-owned station house and get cops as backup. Only truly adored detectives get SWAT or choppers. Outside of your jurisdiction, your schticks do nothing. Detectives are Working Stiffs, and all characters in the group must have Police at 1 or more.

A Detective drama is the standard Cop Show - the model that most movies and TV focus on. An ensemble cast of detectives and officers team up to face a range of criminal scum. Usually there's some kind of departmental focus - Vice, Homicide, Organized Crime - which will establish your format. Homicide means you deal with murders, ORganized Crime is more stakeouts and pursuit, etc. There's a lot of legwork involved, and more investigation than just beating guys up. Sometimes you already know who the bad guy is but you have to get your evidence - you can't just gun him down until your case will stand up in court. This sort of thing works in any juncture - anywhere there's laws, there's cops. Still, in 69 AD and 2056, the laws are different enough that the jargon is meaningless. In 69, your mysteries have to do with ghosts, demons and wizards, and so it's usually best suited to POWERS teams, but you could easily investigate assassins and court intrigue, renegade ninjas and so on. In 1850, you're dealing with government corruption - and that's a strong theme to play with. European spies, corrupt monks, cops on the take, opium dens...1850 is great. 2056, well, most cops are no better than criminals. This is better for Secret Police or SWAT formats than Detectives, since the cops usually focus on finding and killing dissidents and Jammers, not crime. If you want to do 2056, maybe you're honest cops in a bad place. Can you make a diference and bring the true criminals to justice, as well as help the innocent avoid trouble with Buro?

Maverick and Karate Cops are solid types for this show. A Karate Cop will be a great lead detective and heart for the group, but there's plenty of others usable if you're willing to spend some of your skill bonuses on Police. Spies and Journalists are great at finding infroamtion, as are Private Investigators...just drop the "private" and swap out Detective for Police. Of course, you've got more than just detectives on a good squad. A Medic can do forensics, while Big Bruisers and Everyman Heroes are the beat cops who've got your back. A Killer or Ex-Special Forces could be a SWAT officer who helps out between SWAT assignments or who got kicked off SWAT for brutality. Supernatural, futuristic and fu-using characters tend not to fit contemporary shows - though this is Feng Shui, so that's not definite. Maybe it's secretly true that the San Francisco police keep a wizard on payroll. Anyway, setting it in a different time, where strange powers are common - cybernetics in 2056, kung fu in 1850, magic in 69 - can make things much easier. Netherworld ivnestigations might have anything.

S.W.A.T. teams are the Special Forces in the war against crime. They show up in contemporary junctures only - Buro prefers paramilitary forces. Backstory is easy: again, the job. SWAT is usually rea`lly tight-knit, trained to work together like a well-oiled machine. They get Authority, Headquarters and The Van as well as their unique schtick: Special Equipment . SWAT are armed like military forces, with SMGs, tear gas grenades, sniper rifles and more. If any SWAT gear is damaged, it might be hard to replace until the next adventure, but they get lots of toys. However, no collateral damage is allowed - no explosives, no rockets, no machine guns. They get no Back-Up because they are the backup. SWAT are Working Stiffs, and all PCs must have Police at 1 or higher.

Tear gas takes out anyone who fails a diff 10 Constitution check, making them cough, cry and wheeze for the rest of the sequence. The gas lasts two sequences unless wind disperses it earlier. Rappel lines are beloved by SWAT and let you move down a vertical surface or swing in air. Body Armor is Armor 2, -2 Agility. Rubber bullets deal 12 damage per shot but heal after a few minutes - nonlethal without a stunt, in other words. SWAT shields give 75% cover in motion, 90% when still.

SWAT games are for kicking ass and taking names. It stands for Special Weapons And Tactics, and they deal with high-risk situations. They protect digitaries, take down dangerous suspects, assault barricades and handle hostage situations. SWAT stories are pretty much all action all the time. They know who the baddies are - but the odds are almost always against them. If you don't mind being a bad guy, SWAT actually works well for 2056. SWAT doesnt' take the subtlety of detective shows, so most folks can have low Police. You'll like Maverick Cops, Ex-Special Forces and Killers, maybe a Big Bruiser or a Medic. A Techie can do well, but he often undermines the sense of planning with his random devices. Thief works well for the tech guy instead. Abominations work well in 2056 (but not elsewhen). Cyborgs also work then, and a Monster Hunter can be a good cop, though you may want to swap Info (Ancient China) to Info (Counter-Terrorism).


Chinese Ghostbusters was a weird movie.

P.O.W.E.R.S. is the Paranormal and Otherworldly Event Response Squad. They're here to uphold the law - municipal and natural. They protect civilians and save the city. The team can be from any juncture, but especially Contemporary and 2056. You're here because it's not a job. It's a crusade. It takes special dedication or insanity to join POWERS. You have to be more than a cop - you have to believe. POWERS groups get Authority x2, either Headquarters or Library and the unique schtick Weird Arsenal . They get access to weird gear, and for every schtick they have in it, they have a device that ignores, circumvents, penetrates or counteracts one Creature Power or Sorcery schtick. This works for one fight or until the GM says otherwise, whichever is longer. Usually. You can get these devices at any point during a session, and can re-pick next session...or you can take a generally impairing device, like a dart or grenade, which lowers the target's Sorcery or Creature POwers AV by 3 per hit for the rest of the fight. No backup, though - no one wants to help out too much. POWERS groups have no listed wealth level, and must have each PC with Police at 1 or more.

POWERS gear is stuff like the Corporealizer, which is a grenade that forces incorporeal things to take on physical form within a thirty foot radius, or Ghost Bullets, which pass through solid objects and deal 8 damage to critters with Damage Immunity: Bullets. One schtick gets 15 shots. Antimorph Light is a flashlight which prevents shapeshifting as long as it's on the target. Null-Scry Emitters are little things that make everything in ten yards immune to Divination for a day. Chi STability Pills are taken with salt water to make you immune to Fertility magic for one fight.

POWERS shows are cops doing X-Files. POWERS teams handle the weird shit. They are flexible, Juncture-wise - just remember to keep in mind what seems otherworldly in each time. In 69, it's demons, monsters and wizards. You track 'em down and eliminate them. How do you interact with the Lotus? If you asnwer to the Emperor, you're a threat to them. If you're working with them, they're sending you after rivals. In 2056, POWERS teams are basically a variant on Monster Hunters, handling homeland security and hunting down innerwalkers. Dissidents are more SWAT and Secret Police stuff. In 1850 and Contemporary, it depends on what you're facing. Generally, there's not many supernatural crimes in these junctures, so you tend to be seen as crazy...but if there's a known threat, you're an eltie force, maybe even humanity's last hope. Magic Cops obviously do well here, as do supernatural creatures, ghosts or sorcerers, recruited to help maintain order with their fellows. Beyond that, treat it like SWAT or a Detective show, except with magic, depending on the level of action you want.

The next type of show is the Crime Show . Crime Shows are all about tradition, loyalty and success. These are more than the law. You do things your own way, above the law. You know true freedom, and you know the secret face of the city under the city, where things are run by power and no taxman takes a cut. You're outside the law, and your word matters. What you do is who you are. Plenty of terrific movies are about criminals. The Killer and Ninja are usually outlaws...but FEng Shui is about the good guys. How do you do this when you're a good guy? Well, you don't have to be good . You have to be better than the other guys . Not the worst guys. It's dark and violent, and it's more important to be a protaganist than a hero. There are so many villains that no one can hit legally. So if you do it for the wrong reasons...well, at least it got done. Besides, the heroic journey is about becoming a hero, not starting as one.


Who doesn't want to play Black Lagoon: The Game?

Criminals don't have to be bad people, either. Lots of crimes in action movies aren't...well, evil. Forgery, fences, burglary, gamgling, cons - it's not "bad guy" territory. They don't obey the law, but they're the good guys. They mean well and they're charming. And besides: they do what's needed. They follow a code of conduct, if not the law. They don't kill people out of hand. Much. And what's great is that criminals can be anywhere, anywhen. In 69 AD, there are Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon bandits. In 1850, just about everyone is criminal to someone. You could be revolutionaries and thieves of British-claimed antiquities, using them to restore feng shui to the temples. Modern San Francisco is a great place for a multi-ethnic, hardboiled crime saga, maybe a struggle in young-vs.-old veins to stop the era of cruel, illegal immigration from China. Maybe Triads fighting demons in Chinatown. In 2056, there's tons of criminals. REvolutionaries, Jammers or maybe just thieves looking for the ultimate heist.

I guess you could play genuinely bad people, Reservoir Dogs-style gangsters. Just make sure they're not so bad that no one wants to hang out with them, they want friends. That's totally cool. Remember: not good, but better than the worst. The solution here is the same as the solution for tone: set ground rules for what's acceptable, and stick to them. That way, everyone is on the same page. And yeah, you can get tone conflict if some characters are hardasses and some are funny. Don't worry about it - just balance things to the tone of the overall series, if it has one, and don't make fools out of the serious guys, especially if they're run by another player. That's being an asshole, and that's not cool. Trust your buddies not to ruin the game, and don't ruin the game for them.

Next time: Playing the bad guys.

You're making a big mistake, Captain. (Again.)

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: You're making a big mistake, Captain.

Part of what really makes crime fascinating is how you got into it and why you're doing it. Think about how your PC became a criminal - what was the first heist? Did everyone team up on the same one? Are they heirs to illegal business? Why do they keep at it? Are they out to get rich? For revenge? For the thrill? There's lots of great reasons. What defines most Crime Shows as opposed to Cop Shows is that character archetypes are brought in for their skills, rather than their approach to the job. Crime bosses and mentors bring folks in because they can do a job that needs doing.

The Driver is the wheelman, the getaway car. He loves engines, he moves stolen goods, outruns cops, tails people. He knows guys who can get cars, car parts, pieces, specs. He knows who can disguise vehicles. The Driver is an important and useful fellow. The Grifter is the people guy, the liar, the convincer. The face. He charms people, fools them, flatters them, breaks their hearts. He knows who can get uniforms, fake IDs, addresses. He seduces and lies. The Hacker has the tools. She knows how to handle rappel lines, motion sensors and software. This is no nerdy computer geek - this is the one who knows how to break in, how to use the devices on-site, and how to handle The Van's weird gear. The Mastermind is the one with the plan, the coordinator. The morale-booster and liaison to the outside. In an RPG, everyone helps plan, but the Mastermind is the one who knows how hard it is and how to deal with normal folks. The Gambler is a great type for it. The Insider is the one who knows about the job. She's the one who has the specialized knowledge the team needs - gambling in a casino, police info when dealing with cops, journalism when finding secrets.

So, what unique schticks do criminals get access to? Well, few of 'em use anything signature except maybe a gun. Specialized equipment tends not to be causing bonuses, but allowing rolls to happen in the first place. Still, let's look at their toys. Most special techniques are passed within organizations and not outside, so it may be possible to tell who you work for by the way you do things.

Kiss of Death : Despite popular belief, many different ethnic mafias have their own variations on the infamous Kiss of Death. This handles any of them that you want. To use it, you must kiss your target. The cheek, the forehead, the lips, the hand - doesn't matter, as long as there's some ceremony and pathos involved. Afterwards, you get +2 on any rolls made to kill that person until they are dead, you are dead or you use the Kiss of Death on someone else. This costs 10 XP to learn.

Mob Hit : In this case, 'mob' means a lot of guys as well as the implications. This is for those scenes were a bunch of guys get together with SMGs and ventile a house or car with someone inside. This schtick is nasty. For every character in a hit squad who has this schtick, named or not, the Guns AV of the group goes up by one. The hit squad makes a single attack as a group, using the best Guns AV of all participants, plus the bonus from this schtick. This attack can only be made outside combat, typically via ambush or surprise. It is also used for drive-bys, but that limits how many guys you can fit in the car. This is very popular with organized crime families. This is a gun schtick.


Someone really liked making movie posters.

Back-Up Thugs : Sure, small gang and mobs have enough numbers to justify a schtick of the normal Back-Up...but unlike cops, there's no clear hierarchy for nameless muscle to easily get more. For the most part, that doesn't matter - just make sure the different scales of goons look different. Street clothes give way to designer stuff, gray suits make way for black, pistols get boosted to shotguns. This isn't really a new schtick, so much as a different way to handle Back-Up for criminals. Typically, the highest-powered Back-Up will be freelance pro killers. IF they're good enough, only one or two are needed to count as Back-Up. GMs are allowed to send named NPCs as Back-Up, if desired. (The example they give is Desperado , in which all three tiers show up for Bucho, and the third tier is Navajas, the guy with the knife.) For every schtick the group has beyond the first in Dominion, add 1 to the mooks' Guns or Martial Arts skill.

Now then! Crime Shows are pretty easy to design adventures for, on the one hand. The PCs have their own motives and the freedom to pursue them. The GM just has to make foes and assign them conflicting gals. On the other hand, that freedom can leave PCs without direction. In Crime Shows, it's best for the GM to make the goal or target of a session very clear, then let the PCs pursue it however they want. Generally speaking, the better backing the group has, the more structure their jobs get. The Heist is best suited to loose groups. Heists reward ingenuity and planning, and it's just not fun to play one out if the GM does all the planning. If the PCs are doing it for a larger organization, there has to be something in it for htem, too. A heist focuses on the place being robbed. Everything orbits that. That's where the focus and momentum is. Deadlines are popular but not strictly necessary. The PCs need time to plan and prepare, but not enough time to nitpick or get bored.

The Power Play is about low-ranking operators in an organization that rewards power and position more than protocol. The job of the PCs is to get control of things by taking out their boss, tkaing his place and getting everyone else to obey. If it works, they become serious players. The trick is doing it and living. Like a heist, a power play takes tact. More, it takes careful negotiations with NPCs, favor-trading and careful positioning. The great thing is that the PCs get to talk a lot, set up plans and deals and interact with tons of NPCs. The problem is the GM has to track all of it and set up elaborate plots with a lot of NPCs. Finding the action is easier than it sounds, though - there's fights with the guy you're replacing, fights with folks you're taking down as a favor to others, fights with folks you plan to beat into submission...

The Gang War is about a new generation of gangsters moving in on the old mob territories. They can't share the market - it's a war, winner take all. It's great for recurring adventures, with the PCs as a small gang against the old, stale crimelords or elite illegal samurai of the old guard defending from young pups. The two sides might be evenly matched or not. Very action-packed and operatic either way, and these can span years and miles, giving you an excuse for globe-trotting. If the PCs have influence, they choose when and how to fight. If not, the GM gets to tell them where they're going each week. Either can work, depending on the group. Gang War stories, either way, can be about...well, any real motivator. It's up to the group. The Lam is an escape story. The PCs did something illegal, maybe just or maybe not, and now they have to escape. Along they way, they rob banks, do favors for the local crimelords to stay funded and concoct daring schemes to escape the country. Sometimes, maybe they even help people to make up for past crimes. PCs on the lam could be running from both cops and the mob. Maybe they're traitors, or they got sold out. Either way, they're looking ultimately either for escape or pardon. If they're guilty, how do they get a pardon? Escapes are temporary, providing weeks or maybe months of freedom...and then it starts again when the hitmen or the cops show up at last. Action any time, anywhere.

How do you get the criminals into the secret war? Well, plenty of groups hire themselves out as muscle for the Ascended. Or maybe the Thorns run an illegal fight club to get recruits. Jammers might run street gangs, especially in 2056. The criminal underworld is behind the scenes, making it great for Secret War factions. Hell, time can be handy for them, too. What happens when the Yakuza sends you two centuries into the past to steal antiquities for sale in the present? What about a gang using the Netherworld to run guns or drugs across borders? How about triads using a demon to get protection money? Unlike a lot of shows, though, the PCs might easily end up working for multiple factions over time, or even at once. If the characters have a rep for skill and neutrality, they could easily find themselves working for the Hand one week and the Lodge the next. Now, group types!

The Syndicate is the elite. Cosmopolitan guns-for-hire by the wealthiest criminals in the world. Syndicate offices often have colorful names, like Phoenix Nest. They show up in 1850, 1990s or 2056 easily. The backstory is different for each cell - it can be location-based, based on the function of the group or even philosophy. Syndicate agents are encouraged to look ahead, not back. All Syndicate grou[s get one schtick of HQ and one of Secret Lair plus their unique schtick: Global Connections . The Syndicate doesn't maintain turf. It's above that. But it opens doors. Syndicate folks get +2 when using any skill to find contacts, and get +2 to uses of Intimidation. The Syndicate is Rich. Oh, and there's a special rule: no one leaves the Syndicate alive.

The Syndicate show is about a team of consultants working for various organized crime families. They provide wisdom and violence to their employers. They might be experts at infiltration, bodyguards or whatever. They operate in plush city offices, getting jobs from the House, who operate aobve them. They can freelance, but disloyalty usually means death. The Syndicate's leaders pass down zen wisdom, but the PCs are the weapons, the hands and feet of the Syndicate. They started as a rebel clan of Japanese samurai, reorganized after a great warlord died. They continued operations without him, developing a sort of business model which has lasted centuries out of its caution and thoughtful nature. It takes all threats seriously. It works just fine this way in 1850, 1996 or 2056. In 69 AD, you can use this to model any rigid, elite and byzantine criminal organization.

The Syndicate's cells vary by function and zie. Some are tiny, lethal hit squads, while some are large offices with diverse skillsets. A group could focus on whatever it likes, as long as it's skilled, disciplined and loyal. The Syndicate thrives on style, though. Grace and dignity are expected. Maniacs and the unsubtle need not apply. Thus, Abominations, Cyborgs, Ghosts and Supernatural Creatures tend not to do well. Sorcerers do, and a Karate Cop can work great if you swap out Police for Sabotage or Detective. Maverick Cops might work as ex-cops. The Ninja, Thief, Killer, Big Bruiser and Gambler all work really, really well.

The Jade Inn Gang are the inheritors of an illegal business keeping the people of San Francisco safe from the evils they don't believe in. They are contemporary, and their backstory is simple: everyone in the gang was a kid near the Jade Inn. Tradition and duty led them to fight off the others in the neighborhood, and now they are the Jade Inn Gang. They get the schticks Headquarters, Secret Lair and Collective Fortune. The restaurant and magic shop under it are the HQ, the storeroom is the Lair. They also get the unique schtick Feng Shui Site . The Jade Inn is a feng shui site. They get all benefits from that, and the fact that it is very well-defended against sorcery. The whole place has a -4 Sorcery modifier for anyone not attuned to it, which can be diminished or erased by destroying the four magical artifacts that make it happen, which are in the kitchen, illegal smoking section, foyer and office. The Jade Inn Gang are Working Stiffs, or Poor if either the restaurant or magic shop go out of business. All but one PC must be Chinese-American. The token outsider can be anything.

The Jade Inn Gang is focused around a (usually San Francisco) restaurant, the Jade Inn. It's a great place full of archaic decorations and delicious smells. The food is good, and it sells magical oddities on the side. For years, Old Man Tsung would tell the local kids about magic and ghost stories while smuggling artifacts in from Beijing. He used them to make excellent feng shui, bolstering it with his magic junk. This summer, though, Old Man Tsung was killed mysteriously, and now the PCs must step up to take over the "family" business. Can they protect the Jade Inn from the evil Black Tongue sorcery gang, who want it for the chi, or the triads, who want it for the real estate? The cops are corrupt, and no one cares about Tsung's murder...except you.

The Jade Inn Gang is always Contemporary because it's rather focused on the events of the local Chinatown. However, other junctures can come into play. See, Tsung didn't know it, but his suppliers were innerwlakers from the past, and they were selling their magic goods to get guns and ammo. As for who fits this thing - well, it's not what you are, but what you believe. You must be willing to keep Tsung's open. Other than that, you could be anything. A Magic Cop who keeps the SFPD off the place's smuggling ring, a Big VBruiser as a bouncer or Old Master as Tsung's brother come in from China to help run the place. Everyman Heroes as waiters, maybe a Ghost hanging around the site as someone who knew Tsung in life or got bound to one of the inn's artifacts. A Transformed Animal might work there, having been taken in by Tsung and raised to protect the guy from Chinatown's magic. Of course, you need the skills to fight off other gangs. Maybe an Ex-Special Forces from 69 who likes the Jade Inn because it feels like home?

And...that's it for criminals, oddly. No Mafia shows. Though the Syndicate is easy to adapt. We move on now to the Espionage Shows . Basic premise? International espionage is fast-moving, it takes no prisoners. Trust no one. The fate of the world is in your hands. You've seen Bond, you know how this works. Fast cars, beautiful enemies, dastardly plans and horribly disfigured henchmen. Exotic locales, car chases, fights in the weirdest locations. Technology is a major aspect of an Espionage Show, between the PCs' gadgets and the doomsday weapons and advanced security systems of their foes.


You know, I'd probably watch this.

Of course, in past junctures, high technology is less of a thing. In 69 AD, replace it entirely with magic. Wards and possessed statues in place of motion detectors and robot guards. In 1850, magic is rarer and you can use alchemical tricks, poisons, invisible ink and so on. Another important theme in Espionage Shows is deception and uncertainty. Trust is hard, and information can be vital. You might have to team up with enemies or be betrayed by allies. Oh - and you have to play it more subtle than most action movies. Blow things up out of the public eye, or if you can't, get out before the cops and news crews arrive. Or have a really good cover story. The GM should then later explain the headline or broadcast that the news ends up running with.

The character archetypes of Crime Shows fit perfectly into Espionage Shows, too. What is important to consider, though: what's the parent organization? Is it an Official Government Agency , like the CIA or NSA? Work for them and you're looking out for your country, first and foremost...but when villains threaten the whole world, you may team up with agents of other nations. Secret Government Agencies are black ops - things so secret that the government can't or won't acknowledge them. They defend the country...but if they aren't careful, they can wind up fighting their own people. A Mercenary Team of spies could be hired by anyone, allowing all sorts of backgrounds and less-than-official tactics. This is a great way for cross-juncture teamups, as a covert team of secret warriors for hire might hire a ninja from 69 AD and an abomination from 2056 for their unique skillsets. Once you know the nature of the organization, look at the enemies. Are these Cold War schemes, anti-terrorism work from Tom Clancy, ridiculous Bond villains or what? Is it a new villain each week or are you facing the evil forces of SPECTRE each time? Is your team aware of the Secret War? Are your enemies? Keep in mind: this is a team game, not a Bond movie, and everyone has to share face time. Of course, if everyone's the superspy, who gets to kill the villain? Gonna need a team of villains, I guess.

Next time: Mission Unstoppable.

This is a damn fool idea.

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: This is a damn fool idea.

Spies, of course, get access to gadgets. Smoke bombs, shoe phones, pen guns, whatever. You can do these three ways. First way: Golden Comeback's rules. Second way, it's a normal useful device but smaller - a gun with concealment 1 or one or two shots, because it's a pen. Third way? Well, we have the quick method. A gadget has a skill or attribute AV. It never rolls - it just uses the AV, flat. So it will never be spectacular, but it's reliable. Examples are a Disguise Kit that provides Deceit AV 10 for disguises, a digital fiberoptic playing card that can become any card you like with a Gambling AV of 11 for card games or knock-out spray that requires a diff 10 Constitution roll to resist. An explosive gadget does itS AV in damage. Gadgets are good for one scene or one fight, unless the GM says otherwise. They're a good way for the GM to tell PCs how hard the mission is expected to be (by what AV you hand them) and what they might run into. We also get some new schticks!

Impossible! : You can survive the impossible. You can spend a Fortune die to cancel 10+Toughness damage from any single source - a bullet or an explosion, say. Each schtick you spend on Impossible! lets you spend another Fortune die on the same situation, cancelling another ten damage per die spent. You have to describe how you survived - a parachute under your jacket, a mound of protective rubble, being blown clear, whatever. This costs 12 XP each time you buy it.

Secret Gadget : You have a device on you so secret that even you and the GM don't know what it does before it appears on screen. It has AV 10 with one schtick and is automatically concealed on your person and assumed to have Concealment 1. As long as you can reasonably have something hidden on you, you have access to it. The GM decides whether or not someone removes it if they take your stuff. No one who sees the device can tell what it does without a diff 12 Fix-It check. A second schtick raises its AV to 12, and a third to 14, but you can't have more than 3. It costs 10 XP per schtick.

Now, stuff for spies to do - well, that's easy. They get sent on missions! There's always missions to go on, your bosses are never happy to leave things alone. They are usually focused on finesse, not force - the targets will be too solid for frontal assault or it will be vital you're not discovered. This can give you a time limit in fights - you have to keep alarms from being set off! Of course, capture is also time-honored tradition, and you can't always escape. If the alarm goes off, the game suggests just cutting to being in prison and not playing out the capture. Instead, the villain will come in to gloat, then prison break sequence!

What do spies get sent out to do? Sabotage , for one. Go somewhere, break something. This can easily be combined with other missions - destroy a lab and steal a formula, say. Assassination is sabotage for people - you break one, permanently. How much collateral damage is acceptable? You might have to leave the target's associates alive for some reason or avoid damaging the buildings. Maybe your employers will need them later. Theft is theft. Steal something. It's often more challenging than just breaking and entering, though - maybe you have to steal an item up for auction at a secret criminal lair, or you have to prevent the theft from being discovered by replacing it with a fake. And then there's Extraction : move someone from one place to another. Rescue, kidnapping, prison breaks...the difference between this and a military operation is subtlety. As spies, you must be precise and stealthy, leaving no clues. Extraction of unwilling targets can be especially hard. Impersonation is what it sounds like - pretend to be some one else. Disguise and infiltrate. Unlike longterm undercover police work, an undercover spy is usually changing roles often, sometimes a new one every week. Fun!


I can think of like six ways to do this plot and they're all great.

Espionage Shows are great fits for the Secret War, thanks to the secrecy. You might be part of the NIA, the Netherworld Intelligence Agency, sabotaging other innerwalkers, exploring junctures and finding ways to acquire and protect feng shui sties. Do you trust your employers, or are they using you to become the next Buro? Even if you aren't Netherworlders, though, well, the factions can be great. Suppose an MI5 team discovers their agency is being manipulated by a sinister cabal - the Ascended. How long will they work for the conspiracy? What will they do? Plus, exotic locales for spy drama can mean exotic tems, not just places. Sabotaging feng shui sites and magic rituals can be really fun.

Mission: Unstoppable is your classic spy team. It has no official name, and it consists of the world's top operatives, protecting and saving it from threats it must never know exist. It can be in any juncture, and the backstory uniting the team is simple: they want to make the world a better place, and this is the job where they have the most impact on the most lives. Mission: Unstoppable teams get The Van, Lead the Way and Secret Code as well as a unique schtick: Mission Equipment . They get AV 30 in gadgets before every adventure, which can be three AV 10 or two AV 15 or any combination totalling 30. The GM can assign them or the PCs can make requests. Once assigned, it can't be replaced or altered until the next adventure. Mission: Unstoppable is Working Stiffs - government paychecks and all that. Oh, and they don't officially exist. They can never get Authority, Back-Up or Headquarters, and have left their families and lives behind, which can be great for melodramatic hooks.

Most ideas about spy teams fit the contemporary juncture most - high technology, quick transport, current political events and so on. In 69, you might be a secret order of investigators in the Imperial court, or an independent ninja clan selling your services to the top bidder. Do you work against the Lotus, trying to expose them, or do you serve them and face off against the invaders from the future? Are you aware of their evil or believe they are the greater good? In 1850 you might be international agents countering Chinese resistance groups as part of Europe's Great Game...or Chinese Imperial agents fighting the foreign devils from the shadows for the humiliations they have inflicted on China. In 2056, you might work for Buro, though that's more like being the secret police, or you might be spies working for a resistance group, infiltrating Buro ops and sabotaging facilities. It's dangerous, but it makes a lot of difference.

A Mission: Unstoppable team needs versatility. Combat skills are vital, of course, but so is Deceit, Driving, Fix-It, Intrustion, Sabotage or Seduction. Journalism is helpful, as is Gambling. Detective or Police can be handy, though often you'll get the info you need from your bosses. Obviously the Spy is a good choice, as is the Thief and the Gambler. A Techie can be great, too - every team needs a gadget guy, to handle nukes and other devious deathtraps. Ex-Special Forces can make a great driver and bombs expert in addition to combat, and a Killer is amazing for wetwork. Big Bruisers tend to be better for the bad guy team, but they can work. Use of kung fu and magic depends on the juncture. Ninjas, Martial Artists, Sorcerers and Old Masters fit the past, but not so much the contemporary juncture. A Transformed Animal can work well, either as a spy for the Ascended or one of the few animals working against them. Everyman Heroes and Scrappy Kids, on the other hand, don't really work, especially since Espionage Shows tend to focus on the gray parts of the moral spectrum.

Nether Agents work for the Nameless House, with cell names like 'Pegasus 33.' They believe that time travel is too powerful a tool for ordinary people - so they must protect time and space from the villains of history. They can be from any and all junctures, and can have any reason for doing what they do. The Nameless House doesn't care why you join - just that you do the job. Nether Agents are very well-equipped, with Headquarters, Libarry x3 and Secret Lair x3, as well as a unique schtick: House Benefits . The Nameless House provides travel properations in the form of temporal umbilicals and access to the costume division, which has period costumes for anywhere in history, giving all disguises a Deceit AV of 18. They are Rich. The Nameless House is happy to make money selling harmless artifacts across time for high prices.

The tempora umbilical is a magic talisman made of computer parts which attaches to your body, resembling a black poker chip with lights on it and a string. To use it, don't let it be stolen - they work automatically. They feed data to and from the agent, and the Nameless House uses them as communicators, allowing all operatives to speak across spacetime as long as there are Netherworld portals in the juncture. They can detect all portals within a few hundred feet, and in an emergency the House can activate a return signal, which magically teleports the umbilical (and its agent) back through a portal instantly. They activate automatically if all portals to a juncture close, escaping just as the portals shut. Return signals burn out and destroy the umbilical. Agents can activate the emergency escape on their own to teleport through the nearest portal, but that doesn't mean they know where they'll end up. Hitting the escape switch is a one-shot action.

Anyway, if you use this, then unknown to most secret warriors, there is a secret agency dedicated to stopping critical shifts: the Nameless House. They are strictly neutral and maintain careful anonymity. They are based out of the Netherworld and are staffed mainly by exiles of time. They keep a vast archive of data on closed junctures, critical shifts and all changes ot hte timeline. They have records of known portals and feng shui sites across time and space. They have access to junctures no other group even knows about, and guard them with their lives to keep the Secret War from going public. House missions involve spying on hostile times and recovering materials from outside their proper eras. House operatives, called Nether Agents, recover computers from 1850, nukes from 69 and magic totems from 2056. They vist every juncture, including some outside the scope of the Secret War, and have access to the ability to make limited portals to closed junctures, using the temporal umbilicals to ensure Nether Agents don't get trapped. They do bring modern devices with them, but are forbidden to leave them there, and mission equipment often consists of gadgets made from archaic materials. (Some theorize that the Nameless House invented several ninja techniques which were later adopted centuries before their invention.) They aren't concerned with weird stories, though - they just don't want nukes going off in Han China. Anything can be in a Nether Agent group. Anything . The makeup of the cell will have a big impact on what they do, of course - Cyborgs won't be sent to 1850 Shanghai much. As long as characters can pass for human, though, the costumers will do the rest.

And that's it for spy shows! On to the Action Family Show . The Action Family is just that: a family. They may not be related, but they are bonded by years together. They are Scooby Doo, the Quest Family, Jackie Chan Adventures and so on. They are bound by love for each other, a genuine feeling of belonging with each other and the unbreakable ties of family. The exploraiton of the relationships among the characters is a recurring theme in Action Family Shows. Sibling rivalry, the strain of an action life on marriage, and so on. Everyone has a common goal, but maybe they argue over methods. Maybe the family patriarch is an Old Master who doesn't like that his grandson has become a Maverick Cop, setting aside traditional martial arts for the gun. Now, they must set aside their differences for the common good - but grandpa's disapproval will be a common theme.


Wasn't this a Live-A-Live chapter?

Now, mind you, family strife can be fun drama - but only if everyone is having fun and the story is still going. Remember: you may not like what he did, but he's your brother, and you can't turn your back on him. Or whatever. Don't avoid resolution, either - it's an important part of character development, and games don't last forever. Anyway, an action family doesn't need to be blood-related - friends get adopted into the family, too. They're part of the family, even if they're not linked by blood. Hell, the dog can be part of the family, too. The Head of the family is the voice of experience, who everyone looks to when they need direction. The Head's skillset should reflect on the family. If they're an Old Master, martial arts are a family tradition. If they're a Techie, the family fortune is from their patents. Leadership's an important skill for the Head, and it may fall to them to settle family squabbles. The Loony Uncle is...well, kinda nuts. If they're an Old Master, the emphasis is on "old". If they're a Techie, they're a mad scientist. Maybe they were awesome once, or maybe they've always been crazy, but now their family is worried about them. They love the crazy koot dearly, but they also patronize the poor lunatic and tend to ignore suggestions.

Someone has Something to Prove . They love their elders dearly, and their drive is to earn their respect. Maybe they measure themselves against a sibling, against the Head or some long-dead ancestor. Maybe there's a sibling rivalry. Maybe they want prove they made they right choice over their rival. The Bad Son is the rebel. Whatever the Head did, they did differently. They rejoined the family because they believe in the cause and love the group...but they're always trying to prove that father doesn't know best. What caused the bad blood there? Maybe they blame the Head for the death of another family member, or feel they were always neglected. The Voice of Reason is the quiet one, trying to help the others with their fiery tempers. They're always looking for the smart or smooth solution. They're often a Medic, Journalist or MAgic Cop focused on Heal and Fertility. The fight against evil is important, but just as important is keeping the family together.

The Ancestor once brought great shame to the family, committing some dark deed that cursed them and possibly the entire line. Now, the ancestor is a Ghost, forced to wander the world and bring misfortune to the family until they are reborn. Recently, they have realized: the chance for redemption is at hand. They don't know how, but they know that their family is involved, and so they have rejoined the team. It's up to the player to redice if they want to play up the tragedy or just use it as an excuse for "back in my day we didn't your fancy blank, we had blank" jokes. The Kid , meanwhile, is the heart and soul of the family. They break the rules, get in trouble and are cute while doing it. Maybe they're from the future and showed up across time, but they're here now and are in need of teaching, guidance and video games.

Action families get only one schtick: Animal Companion . Action Families often have spunky pets. Dogs, monkeys, snakes, whatever. The animal companion is controlled by the party, though the GM can take the reins as needed for the story. The owner or owners can speak with an understand the animal. Animal Companions come in all sorts of types, and are always named characters, though rarely stars. The PC or group that owns the thing must spend XP to boost its skills and attributes if it's going to advance. The schtick costs 12 XP and you can only have one. The book provides stats for dogs (which have the ability to sense danger with a Creature Powers roll), monkeys (which can break into places and deceive people), constrictor snakes (which have the unique power to damage those it hits with a Martial Arts attack in subsequent rounds without having to roll, doing better every round until the foe escapes) and owls (which can fly).

We also get a note that Dr. Quest wasn't a PC, but an NPC directing the action to various locations each game. The group can do the same thing, providing focus for them in the form of an NPC while letting the PCs have a lot of freedom. Such NPCs should never save the day, show up the PCs or win the adventure. Players aren't here to be Doctor Quest, and he doesn't save the day. That's what Johnny and Race Bannon do.


"It's Dawson's Creek meets The Killer" - Friends of the Dragon.

Next time: Family matters.

Do me a favor and don't tell your mother how close that was. You know how she worries.

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: Do me a favor and don't tell your mother how close that was. You know how she worries.

The key feature of the Action Family Show is the relationships. Well, that and the action. The GM should give PCs plenty of opportunities to explore their relationships. Old family enemies, evil twins, ex-wives and ex-husbands, black sheep of the family - these are prime villain fodder. What does the family do when they learn that their enemies in the Triads are run by one of their own? Yes, it's implausible that everyone they fight will be connected to the family. So what? It is also a good idea to make the personal foibles and differences of the PCs into focuses without making them the subject. The PCs get caught up in hostilities between two foreign generals who are orphaned brothers - just like they are! Basically, you take the rivalries within the group and then make them big and action-packed and involving other people so they can identify with them.

The allied guest star is also a useful concept for...well, any show, but especially this kind. If you have an extra player for a week or two but who can't commit regularly, this works great, but it can even be done with NPCs. It's some relative, friend or former buddy coming in to stir up the group. Maybe it's Tom Hanks playing a reclusive uncle who comes to teach the family a lesson about alcoholism. Maybe it's great-grandma, the only person in the world who can complain more than Grandpa Wu. Maybe Indy's dad shows up. This helps explore the party dynamic. They get to improvise old in-jokes and stories, play out the shock of Aunt Janice not being the perfect hero everyone thought hse was. As with all NPCs, this should not steal the spotlight - it's an excuse for fun dialogue or a Special Episode of Action Family Dog.

You can also make it feel more like a family thing by having action sequences happen at family occasions - the cousins' weddings get raided, the old uncle's funeral is the spark for an adventure. Villains kidnap the nanny, the Guiding Hand want the family estate's feng shui site. Everything is an emotional experience. We also get a sidebar saying that one fun trick is to make sure all the PCs have some mechanical trait in common - bad Perception due to glasses, or high Toughness, say. Something in common without being identical. The Secret War, of course, works wonderfully. Wandering families are always looking for problems to solve, whether it's vile schemes of evil cyborgs or dark plots of eunuch sorcerers. Cornerstone families (we'll get to that) are even bigger - they're movers and shakers, possibly a faction in their own right. Of course, they'll end up in conflict with literally everyone else, but hey, they probably already considered you a threat anyway .

The Wanderers are a rambling family group from any juncture. They live together, and wherever they're all together is home. Wanderers don't have much, but they always have each other. Also The Van, Collective Fortune, Don't You Die On Me and their unique schtick: Very Special Van . The Van's paint job and excellent construction coupled with the good vibes of the group make it a portable feng shui site. As long as the Van stays in their possession and intact, they get all benefits of attunement automatically. This Van counts as two schticks in a homebase for everything that counts such things. Wanderers, however, are Poor. Traveling do-gooders don't get paid very well.

Yeah, you get to be the Scooby Doo gang, except possibly related. You're a rootless family, having given up home to wander the world, with your family the only constants. It's up to you why you did it. Maybe something was stolen from you and you want vengeance on the traitor that stole it. Maybe you want to help as many people as you can. Maybe your cause has forced you to flee your home, chased by police or assassins. Wanderers can be from any juncture, because there's always people to protect and oppression to fight. In 69 AD, you hunt eunuchs and crooked officials, steal from the rich to feed the poor or work to expose the evils of power. You may also fight monsters and ghosts for the peasants who pray for saviors. (Maybe your Van is really, really awesome wagon. Or a junk!) In 1850, you protect the peasants from corrupt officials, arrogant Europeans and opium - also cults and secret societies. You may help the Guiding Hand at times, or face them at others, as the monks dislike your indendent approach. In the modern day, you might focus on gangs and triads, of seek out mysterious forces, rumors of paranormal events and so on. X-Files meets Scooby Doo. In 2056, well...you're the sane alternative to the Jammers. You improve the lives of the consumers and flee death squads. Maybe your Van is a pirate media van, exposing the horrors of the Architects as you travel the world, blowing up labs and factories.

For the most part, relationships betwene family members are more important than character types for a Wanderers group. Almost anything can fit, as long as it fits in the Van. Abominations, Supernatural Creatures and Transformed Animals might be hard, but hey, people can be adopted. You might be a cyborg monster or a flesh-eating ogre, but you're family now! If you're dealing with vehicles, maybe everyone has a Signature Ride. Is everyone a biker and the Van is your traveling repair shop or is the Van a semi-trailer?


The love polyhedron is a very odd variant on the family scheme, but works.

The Cornerstones are big. Their family name may be world-famous, and they have a world=spanning foundation or at least respectable holdings. They can be from any juncture, perhaps royalty or extremely rich people. They can have any reason for being together. Usually, it's a combination of 'family' and 'access to massive amounts of money and power at the price of being SCIENCE ADVENTURERS' or whatever. Cornerstone families get Headquarters, Libraries and Mooks x3. This actually represents the total number of mooks they can have in the field at once. Their mooks are especially good, and are replenished on death. No XP refunds, because the number is topped up after each adventure. They also get the unique schtick Rich and Famous : the GM decides who has and hasn't heard of you, but you've got a reputation. Contacts checks ignore location penalties, and you have access to practically any equipment you might ever want - as do your mooks. Cornerstones are, naturally, Rich.

This is basically the opposite of the Wanderers. Your family is rich, famous, powerful. Cornerstones, as it were, of the city. The social elite. There's a price, though - everyone knows where to find you. The people expect you to solve their problems. If a horde of cyborg demons attack, the first response is 'Why haven't the Adventures solved this problem yet?' One of the most important things to recall is that the Cornerstones start as power players. Ambassadors, presidents and princes might come to you for advice. The Secret War factions think you're a threat. It's dangerous to be really good at what you do. Cornerstones can be found anywhere, though 2056 can provide some problems as you hav to balance the public face of loyalty with the secret subversive activities you get up to. In 69 AD, your family might be trusted advisors of the Emperor, in conflict with the Lotus. In 1850, you're a bastion of tradition, or perhaps one of the few wealthy but honest families, fighting to purge the land of opium and corruption. Are you opposed to Europeans or do you think there can be an understanding? Or mayber you are Europeans, bringing money and foreign culture to China. You mean well, but can you stay in power when working with gunboat diplomats? The modern juncture is Johnny Quest. You are renowned international adventurers, familiar with leaders and dignitaries and you get the drill. Of coourse, the Ascended want to either recruit or destroy you.

Almost any archetype fits into the Cornerstone. Of course, you don't have to work, given your wealth. If you're a cop, it's because you want to be. The Killer is a hard one, but maybe you hunt assassins and hitmen, protecting society from them. The Cornerstone must have a recognized patriarch or matriarch - the Doctor Quest of the group. This can be an NPC, but it's great as a PC, too. A Medic or Techie works for a science family, a Spy, Gambler or Journalist for diplomats, an Ex-Special Forces for a famous retired mercenary known for heroism. Any role can work - you just have to think about the background.


I really wish these were real movies.

A variant on the Cornerstone is famous only within certain subcultures or circles. Maybe the PCs are known to all the circus-folk or wizards of the land, but no one else. Creating these social circles can be a lot of fun for PCs and GMs! It also provides some focus for what the PCs want to do. If you're world experts on wizardry, you will be solving wizard problems, after all. Cornerstones of this sort should have stories - ancestors who go back centuries, melodramatic hooks across time, deep in the very roots of their subculture. That'll get villains and needy NPCs interested. We also get a note that while Feng Shui says turtling is bad, the Cornerstone works well as a reactive group. That's because they have holdings across the world. Even on the defensive, they are traveling to exotic locales and situations. What if they own a bunch of feng shui sites and don't know it? A campaign could just be getting them back from the Ascended, who have secretly infiltrated their ranks and attuned to the sites. Or maybe you're already attuned ot them. Now you have a shitload of XP, a lot of new powers and you are an entire faction out of nowhere. Good luck!

Cornerstone campaigns can help give players a sense of ownership over the setting. Just by existing, they change everything. When scenes are set in places the PCs call home, let the players set the scene instead. Now, when a fight breaks out, they're not grabbing random swords off the wall. It's Aunt Esther's sword , she got it from the mayor of Tokyo! A home to defend also makes it easy to get things started. NPCs can literally walk through the door and give a Powerpoint presentation about the mission they want the PCs to take. It's a cheap tool, sure, but it works and is a classic. Just look at Raiders of the Lost Ark. If the players complain, as them if they to hunt for an adventure or find adventure.

And now, we're onto the final type of Show: Sentai Shows .


Sentai is a Japanese term that can be roughly translated as 'taskforce.' Sentai shows have existed since the mid-seventies in Japan, and many were brought to the West as Power Rangers. There's been animated shows, like Science Ninja Team Gatchaman (known in America as Battle of the Planets) or Go Lion (aka Voltron). Yeah, we know Japan isn't Hong Kong, but who cares? Everyone who heard about the book apparently wanted to put this chapter in, so it got put in. Strictly, sentai shows aren't really a good match for the dark parts of Feng Shui, but really, who cares? There's plenty of fun things you can steal from sentai anyway. The basic formula is simple: evil force wants to conquer earth. Only one group can stop them: the band of young heroes! They use martial arts, special weapons and magical or sci fi powers. Teamwork is critical.

As you start writing up your Sentai show, you have to think about the tone. The classic tone is a clear divide betwene good and evil. There are no world problems, no drug dealers, no corruption. The world is for all intents and purposes a paradise. Nations work together, there are no homeless people, no drug addicts. All bad things come from without - alien forces of evil. Conflicts are simple and straightforward, and good and evil are always black and white (with the sole and notable exception of the brainwashed or otherwise controlled brooding warrior on the villain team who will ultimately perform a face turn.) And no, this is a horrible thing to bring into an existing Feng Shui game, don't do it if it seems stupid - but Sentai is a great thing to do for a fun time, so here it is, take it and run with it if you like it. Build your own world if you have to.

While there's no crime in classic Sentai worlds, there's a variable amount of violence and sexuality. In Gatchaman, lethal weapons are a matter of course. Sailor Moon had lesbians. These were toned down for the West, but your show isn't being broadcast, so tailor it to your players. Once you've picked a tone, develop your group. Pick a theme, which their skills, abilities and most importantly costumes should reflect. We get three examples: BIFROST , a team of five teenagers who found magical runestones, giving them the power of the Norse gods. Now, they battle ancient mythological monsters who threaten Earth! Battle Team Menagerie were made when Dr. Morphogene mixed human DNA with animals, creaitng four young warriors, human on the otuside but with animal power. Now, under her guidance, they face the Abominations of the Future Emperor to preserve the purity of the planet! The Sense-Eyes were raised in a monastery in the hidden kingdom Agharta. There, they learned martial arts and each mastered one sense completely. Today, they use their senses of justice to battle the Unseen Order, a cabal of Sorcerers who want to merge the land of the living with the Underworld. In times of trouble, they merge their powers together, forming the unstoppable, mysterious Sixth Sense!

Once you have a group setup, decide a background. Sentai almost inevitably have strong support networks, vehicles, a base, the lot. Are they funded by a world alliance or a private philanthropist? Maybe an alien mentor? Does the world know about them, or are they fighting in the shadows? Where are they based? Floating island? Complex below Hong Kong? This all ties into the question of where they spend most of their time. Do they defend one city or race across the world? Now, decide hwo they're fighting. Sentai groups almost always have one specific foe, and heroes are measured by their enemies. The enemy must have access to an endless horde of mosnters and/or minions and must want to conquer and/or destroy the planet. Alien invaders, demon lords and cyber-emperors from the future all work great. There must be a clear leader, who is never fought in battle until the very end. Instead, they use schemes and minions.

It's possible for the enemy forces to change over tiem ,though. A cyber-emperor could start out with cyborg roops, than ally himself with a demon lord who betrays him and takes over his empire. This doesn't help the heroes - it just means that now they have Abominations to fight, merging the demon and cyborg powers of their foes! And, of course, Sentai teams have schticks.

Coordinated Attack : This is a stunning, ballet-like display of attack choreogrpahy. To execute the move, every character involved must have this sync schtick. The group then makes a single attack using the best AV among them for the selected attack skill. Each additional character cancels out two points of Toughness the enemy has against this one attack, so five characters cancel out 10 Toughness! This also costs each participant 2 Chi points.

Heroic Declaration : Just before uniting to defeat evil, the team pauses, strikes a pose and shouts something heroic. Then they kick ass. If the whole group spends two shots doing nothing, all at once, one character can make a Leadership check against the enemy. If it succeeds, half the check's Outcome bcomes a bonus to a Coordinated Attack made later in the sequence. If the Coordinated Attack is not made by the end of the sequence, you need another Heroic Declaration. This is a group schtick, which costs the character making the LEadership check 3 Chi points.

Next time: How to play a science ninja.

You can't win, Cyclone! You cannot stand against the pure light of justice! BIFROST'S BURNING BLADE!

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: You can't win, Cyclone! You cannot stand against the pure light of justice! BIFROST'S BURNING BLADE!

We left off with the final new schtick: Unique Weapons . You get this by taking Signature Weapon, then taking it a second time. This makes the weapon unique in the entire world. Some examples are given: A Ray-Gun, whhich deals 10 or more damage, has infinite ammo and has Concealment of (Damage-9). It can be magic or alien or futuretech or whatever. An Area-Blaster is designed to hurt lots of people and has a built-in schtick of Carnival of Carnage. A Protective Weapon defends against an attack type - like Guns, Martial Arts or Sorcery. You get +2 Dodge AV against that kind of attack. A Blessed Weapon makes you luckier, and you can't fumble with the weapon unless you get a negative Action Result.

Signature Weapons and Unique Weapons are the calling card of many sentai heroes, and they often have a sci fi flare. Traditional Sentai Shows also follow a certain formula, plotwise. First, the plot is rvealed. Every adventure, the nemesis has a new scheme to thwart. The group discovers it right away, whether via briefings, sudden attacks in which the plan is revealed or, rarely, a mission is given without clear idea about how the villain is involved. The group then travels to the site, making plans and preparations on the way. The first encounter then occurs with the major threat. Traditionally, the Sentai team fails here, but learns from the fight, discovering a weakness or a special location or some other piece of data that makes up for the loss. The PCs regroup and reconsider.

Having done this, they find a way to exploit the weakness - one man can get in to sabotage the Space Pig's forcefield, or the temporal gate can be blown up so they don't have infinite reinforcements. Once the plan is made, the team goes back to face the enemy again - but this time, the odds are better. They work together and have a chance to smash the villain. Depending on the setup and amount of time you want the adventure to run, this could be one big fight or several smaller ones. Perhaps you have to beat some guards before facing off with Lord Cyclone or whatever, or maybe you beat him and he makes his monster grow to ten times normal size, requiring you to use all your sync schticks to take him down. Lots of mooks are involved in both this and the first encounter, so the heroes get to look good whether they win or lose, though the final battle is usually against one very powerful foe who will force the team to work together to be able to hurt them.

Sentai kind of works for the Secret War, with a few changes. Change the wardrobe and names, replace the giant monsters with set pieces and tone down the idiot enthusiasm a little, darken the world a bit - bam, fits perfectly. However, Sentai teams are set apart form other groups by the nature of their union. Action Families are based on friendship, cops and criminals are ideological - but sentai teams are bound together by their powers. Do they all have fu powers or sorcery? Are they all high tech gun prodigies? Do they have a rainbow of powers to use? Whatever it is, they're gonna have sync schticks. Maybe they work for a mysterious third party against all factions, or perhaps they serve a wealthy Dragon. Maybe the Nameless House exists and funds them. Whatever the case, a Secret War Sentai is sure to face the deadliest foes that time has to offer.

Sentai Heroes are your standard sentai team, with a big and exciting name that may not make any sense at all. Youth, teamwork and enthusiasm must stand against those who would conquer Earth! GO TEAM FENG SHUI! Sentai Heroes can be in any juncture - you're going to modify all of 'em to fit, so, hey, whatever. They can have any backstory you want, and they love schticks. They Headquarters, Secret Lair x3, Big Guns and everyone gets a sync schtick for being part of the group. They also have two unique schticks. The first, Signature Strike , is a character schtick for everyone on the team. Before making a Martial Arts or Sorcery schtick, they can shoot a name for the move and get a +1 bonus. They can keep doing this until one of the strikes does damage, at which point they're out of signature moves until the next fight. Second, Magic Costume : Sentai characters have honest-to-god costumes, which take no time to put on. Rather, they spend one shot transforming and the costume appears in a special effect burst. Sentai Heroes are Rich.

We've pretty much covered making these guys fit the world or vice versa already. Classic sentai shows are set in the idealized contemporary juncture. In 69 AD, you could go for demon lords or an evil sorcerer trying to unleash Hell on Earth. Monsters are classic, and where has more monsters than 69? In 2056, you're heroes of the people, pitting your martial arts and pure hearts against the villainous Doctor Boatman and his army of abominations. Assuming you're not going to beat the entire Buro, it's good to have a clear, simple structure of adventure that lets you face threats. Maybe you guard an island sanctuary against Buro's tyranny or some kind of idyllic moonbase society. Every episode, Boatman and Bonengel show up to conquer the place. In 1850...well, it seems fairly bleak. But maybe you're champions of China, battling the nefarious Europeans who seek to destroy your way of life. By which I mean the Rail Baron and his Legion of Steam!

The book provides the Science Ninja character type as the perfect Sentai type, but you can really use...anything. Mind you, subtle characters and those who don't focus on action are not going to have a lot to do. This is a very active Show. Depending on the concept of your team, you may or may not need special skills. Several archetypes show up again and again, though. The Loner is a brooding, handsome hothead who makes rash decisions but falls in line when the going gets rough. The Maverick Cop or Ex-Special Forces are great for this. The Lady is...well, sentai often treats 'female' as an archetype, but that's a waste of opportunities to play women elsewhere. Rather, the Lady is the member of the team most likely to rely on speed and acrobatics over raw strength, so Ninja or Martial Artist could be great, man or woman. The Little Guy is the short, scrappy fella who is often someone's younger sibling. The Scrappy Kid works well. The Lunk is the other side of that, the huge, slow and powerful guy. He's sometimes the emotional center of the team, and the Big Bruiser is a perfect fit.

But how, you ask, do I get my giant robot? Well, first, ask yourself if you want one. They're not compulsory, and the rules are truly not built to handle a giant multiplayer character. The rules, the book freely admits, are just shorthand to make it possible - they don't promise they'll be great. Also, if you're trying for a Secret War, you may want limit these things to the Netherworld, and really, don't use these unless you really want giant robots. But if you do , first, figure out how you explain it. Do the PCs summon Captain Planet? Do they mutate and form a giant thing? Is it a giant robot? However it happens, it should only happen once per adventure.

Now, look at all thge traits for the team making the mega-character. The person with the highest rating of any attribute or skill is the Champion for that trait. This will be important. Mega-characters operate, incidentally, on a bigger scale. All ordinary characters, named or unnamed, are treated as unnamed characters even if they're not, and will be taken out by any mega-character attack that has Outcome 1 or more. All mega-characters treat all other mega-characters as named characters, even if they have no names. Anyway, you find the stats for your mega-character by taking the Champion of each trait's rating. If there are ties, it has the tie rating, +1 for each character in the tie. However, benefits happen based on what character makes what body-part. See, you can only give access to one type of schtick per character, and only when using the part where the Champion of those schticks is located.

Guns Champions must form a gun-wielding arm. Sorcery Champions must form an arm or the head. Martial Arts Champions are good legs but can really be anything. Creature Powers Champions make good torsos. Note: you don't need a character for each body part, but you do need a body part for each character. So large groups will want wings, a tail, and so on. In combat, the mega-character rolls initiative as a single character, but each action is taken by a different player. This means poor coordination of actions can fuck you over by, say, using all the Chi for a sequence. You can pick order of action however you want. The real challenge is coordinating power usage and imagining stunts that use the whole team in the best way possible. Remember: you can hit people with trains or climb buildings to perform wrestling moves. And no matter how much collateral damage you cause, almost no one gets hurt, because Sentai Shows just work that way.

We get a note saying that to get higher-powered shows you should drop a pile of XP on characters before the game starts, perhaps limiting schtick types or maximum skill ranks purchasable. Once everyone's donw, have a backstory montage showing how they came together and what ordinary life is like for them. (Probably weird.) This can lead right into an intro action scene! GMs are also encouraged to let PCs buy a creature schtick or two during chargen to cover truly outrageous Sentai powers. It just, you know, it happens. If you set it in the Secret War setting, it could be magic or demon-tainted blood or martial arts study in a hidden Netherworld school. If not, fuck it, it's whatever you want. Supernatural Creatures, Cyborgs, Ghosts, Abominations and Sorcerers are not classic sentai members, but they could easily play as redeemed enemy agents or even the Lunk. You could even have an entire non-human group! (For example, Battle Team Menagerie is a team of Transformed Animals.)

Street Sentai are the version of the group you may want to use for lower-powered games. They are darker, more grounded and deal with rougher emotional issues involved in working in a world of hideous danger where everything is not perfect. So, you know, normal Feng Shui. It could be about Science Ninjas made by Buro but freed to fight their evil creators, or a cabal of assassins fighting the world's most evil organizations. Street Sentai groups often have names invented by the mass media. They are made of outcasts banding together to save the world. They can show up anywhere, but are especially common in 1996 and 2056. Any backstory is good. How did the PCs get their strange powers? Street Sentai get Headquarters, Secret Lair x2 and Big Guns, which can be a combined power of the PCs, an orbital laser, a bolt from Heaven, whatever. They are Rich.

We also get a new schtick, purchasable as Gun or Sync: Crossfire . Characters with this schtick can use controlled, synchronized fire to create lethal killzones. To set up a Crossfire, you need two or more people with this schtick on different (but not necessarily opposite) side of the target. Everyone then makes an attack on the same shot against that target. Add the Outcomes together and use that number - and only that number - as the damage dealt. So add it all up before applying any reductions.



You are a Science Ninja . Since your youth, you have known that you were meant to protect the people of Earth and fight the most terrible evils. But you can't do it alone. You and your allies - no, your friends - fight together to stop tyranny and evil. Sometimes it just takes courage, confidence and team work. Sometimes it takes sacrifice - pain, blood, a part of your soul. You do what others can't or won't to protect the innocent. You're skilled, dedicated and have a power that people would not understand. Ordinary people admire or fear you for that power, but no telling whether any given person would condemn or commend you. They don't get it. If you could live a normal existence, if you were sure wanted one, you might think of giving up the fight for a simple life. But you can't leave your friends in danger, right?

Science Ninjas can be from any juncture. They get Bod 5, Chi 0, Mnd 5, Ref 5. They add 4 to one primary attrubte, and 4 to one of Chi's secondary attributes. They get Guns +5, to a max of +7, Martial Arts +5, to a max of +9 and Info (Any) +5. They get +8 to spread around, and may swap Guns and Martial Arts. If they take a schtick requiring a skill not listed here, they may swap Guns or Martial Arts out for it. They get one sync schtick, plus one of the following: 3 gun schticks, 3 fu schticks, 3 sorcery schticks, 3 transformed animal schticks or 3 Creature Powers. Tehy get two weapons from any juncture. Science Ninjas are Rich.

We now get PC mook rules. Mooks should have decent stats, but not so good that the PCs prefer using mooks over personal combat. They get whatever equipment the PCs could reasonably get large amounts of. When facing a named villain, they don't roll much unless the PCs are helping them. Instead, they're going to lose but will buy time or give the PCs a good idea of the villain's abilities. The mooks survive unless it's dramatically important they don't. Mooks die when the PCs or GM say so, not because of random dice. When two mook groups clash, it's the way for the PCs to say 'we don't want to handle this fight, we just want to get to the big stuff, so we're okay with whatever you say happens.' No dice are rolled, the GM just decides the outcome. However , the GM is strictly warned not to use that against the PCs: Spite kills gaming groups. They advise deciding who wins a mook fight by how the PCs' actual battle goes. If you really want to roll dice, roll a single attack from each side, each sequence. Success takes out one or more mooks from the target pack, the GM decides how many.

How many mooks do you get from a schtick in Mooks? GM call. The exact numbers don't matter. One schtick means the PCs have a small, precious group of mooks. Two is respectable but exhaustible. Three is a huge army of mooks. Stats are provided for generic mooks of all kinds - gun mooks, average mooks, martial arts mooks, monster mooks, wizard mooks, kung fu-using mooks. Low-quality mooks should have skills 3 lower than PC average, second-tier get -2, and top tier are -1 from the PCs. Each schtick in Mooks should raise all attributes by 1, but the skills ratings are still arbitrarily determined. Have the PCs describe their mooks to you before statting them - that way, they get exactly what they wanted.

Next time: Choose!

Seal of the Wheel (Ascended), Blood of the Valiant (Guiding Hand), Elevator to the Netherworld (Netherworld), Iron & Silk (Combat) or Blowing Up Hong Kong (Hong Kong)?

I see by your blue jeans that you're from the 20th Century.

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: I see by your blue jeans that you're from the 20th Century.



Our first chapter is entirely in character narration, but it really isn't that important...though we do learn that there have been tons of critical shifts before. Netherworlders tend to see modern money as kind of useless because of this - it changes too often, so better to keep it by the toilet. (Except for the time Sri Lanka ruled the world. That shit's like sandpaper.) Instead, barter is the method of acquiring goods and services. There are four "levels" to the Netherworld, though it'd be wrong to say one is above or below another, as the Netherworld treats 'up' and 'down' like local phenomena. The first level mostly has portals to 69 AD, the second has mostly contemporary, third is 2056 and fourth is 1850. This isn't definite, of course, just a trend. Neat, though. The first level is also home to Guiyu Zui the Mouth of Hell and the Sunless Sea. The second level is the busiest and most populous, and may or may not be larger than the other three. The Four Monarchs like to hang out there, since they came in from 1996. There's also the Junkyard, half battlefield and half trashcan of history.

Level three is home to the Biomass Reprocessing Center, as well as the Jammer base called MonkeyHouse, which is halfway between a zoo's primate house and a truckstop bathroom. Also, the Forest of Fallen Banners, which is very dangerous. Top level is pretty calm, though they've got the Blood Fields and...probably the Hub, but saying where the Hub is definitely is very hard, especially when Huan Ken keeps changing the shape of the Blood Fields. There is also the Hand's Temple of Boundless Meditation. The Hand and Ascended tend to spy on each other and ambush each other a lot, so level four is very paranoid.

We also get a sidebar on one of the Netherworld's native species: face crabs. No one knows what they eat, and they seem to show up around feng shui sites. Some think they eat chi, but Buro dissections have never shown any evidence of that. They appear to be a crustacean from beneath, but rather than a shell, they have a human face - a living one, which can look around, make faces and possibly whisper, though no one has ever figured out what they say. Face crabs don't appear to reproduce, but new ones do show up - mostly when some idiot eats one. Don't do that. See, you die within an hour of eating a face crab, and then a day later your head sprouts legs, snaps off your neck and walks away as a face crab. It keeps your face, but apparently nothing else, even your memories.

Netherworld physics are weird. Light mostly works normally, but you can change that by shaping hte local netherworld. This is how the Hub stays invisible. Gravity doesn't work right all over - some spots have none, some spots reverse. Best to carry a cane to tape ahead of you so you can tell where that happens by the dust movement. Also there are some chambers where every surface is gravitized. These are popular living quarters, since you have far more floorspace. Wallspace. Space warps weirdly - you can walk for ten days to get between two points, or five minutes between the same two points, depending on which corridor you use. There's no way to make a map to scale because the distances do not add up.

Society in the Netherworld is at once cosmopolitan and primitive. You have people from every era of human history, including ones that don't exist any more. Smallminded thinking is fatal, and so is prejudice - after all, if you don't do business with everyone, no matter what, you starve. On the other hand, they...well, they don't really have much of a society, as everyone follows their own ideas. It's an anarchy, really. Some people try to grow food, but that takes water and sunlight, which has to be Shaped into place. And if you can do that, why not just Shape a meal into existence and avoid the farming? Of course, there are some folks who can grow plants without sun or water. Like blood corn. Grows on blood. Avoid blood farmers. There's also the folks who bring food in via cross-time trading, hunting, theft and fishing. Useful skills, really, you can trade food pretty well. There's far more people with weird shit to trade than people with the good business sense to peddle grain, so merchants get rich fast selling weird shit in the other junctures...but if they can't keep their portals secret, they'll lose 'em. And of course the various factions ship in food, which makes them all very rich.

It's really simple to see why they're so rich and powerful: FEng shui sites equal Shaping power. Shaping power lets you make anything in the Netherworld. Sure, it can't leave, but who cares? A really good Shaper can do more than just food - they can make seeds that grow in the Ntherworld, or more. Once you have power, you can get followers, start stealing gates from merchants and carve out an empire. The Netherworld is pure capitalism. This is not a good thing . Control of feng shui makes you top of the heap, ensured you have production and keeps you in control.

We now get to the second chapter, in omniscient narration again, and it's time to talk about the Four Monarchs. The Ice Pagoda is home of Pui Ti , youngest and most righteous of the four. She alone felt her destiny was forced on her, an intrustion into a happy life. She did ride out to battle, help kill her father and scheme against her siblings, but she felt she had no choice. Her family forced her to it. She enslaved a world because she had to, not because she wanted to. Which isn't to say she feels guilty. The Queen of the Ice Pagoda has a heart as cold as her ice, as a result of her sorcery. She got the frozen northlands, and there she decided that, perhaps, it was not her destiny at all to rule. Certainly, it was near her borders that the Ascended began.

When her timeline was lost, she, like her siblings, established herself in the Netherworld and began pitting her brothers and sister against each other. As she'd intended, they squandered resources that might have, with concerted effort, returned them to power. They were strong, but they would never rule the world again. Pui Ti was satisfied. Her siblings and herself were strong enough to be safe from anything, but not strong enough to conquer the world. Being an exiled ruler, fine. Being a real ruler of the world, that would be too much. She has been playing her role to the hilt, backing various factions at key moments for her own benefit...until Jack Donovan confrotned her. Then, the mask broke.

Perhaps the conversation softened her frozen heart towards the hero and his companions. Perhaps she fell in love. Perhaps she gave the help she did, including assistance in the raid that destroyed the Molten Heart, because she liked Jack. Or maybe she realized from his example and message that the entire Secret War was a wicked thing. Regardless, she is now a quiet patron of the Dragons. Whether her favor is momentary or enduring has yet to be seen. Her home lies upon the Strait of Ice, a massive plain of unmelting ice above a frigid ocean full of her sinister pets. There is general luminescence, but no artifical stars or light sources. The interior consists of two parts. Above ground is a wonderland of ice and snow from Russian folk tale and Chinese novel. White tigers stalk the halls and small pine forests are in the courtyards. Light winter garb is standard, and the temperature is just chilly enough to make people glad to have coats. Pui Ti holds her public court here.

It is underground that her true work is done. While her brothers and sister play at politics, she has been upgrading. Beneath the Ice Pagoda lies a hive of wepaon workshops, modern communication centers, bomb shelters and defense grids. Her troops do not use ice armor and swords any more, but night vision goggles, kevlar and automatic wepaons cast of ice. The cold underground is intense, to increase the efficiency of the superconducting computers that drive her data networks and planning systems. Of all the Pagodas, the Ice Pagoda is the one that has the strongest sense of living normally. When the critical shift came, nearly every Innerwalker in the Ice Queen's kingdom was close to her, and because there had been few inhabitants of her kingdom other than her court, it wasn't like much changed. It was disruptive, sure, but life in the Netherworld for Pui Ti has been more like moving into a hotel room rather than trying to build something new.

The entrance of the Ice Pagoda is guarded by noble-looking soldiers in ice armor. The fortress is designed along Japanese aesthetics and is mostly for show, with twenty-foot walls topped only by snow and owls. The trees are, however, equipped with low-light video cameras and the ground has plenty of pressure sensors. Noises are analyzed and potential threats localized. Deep below ground, the sensors are monitored by technicians, and crash teams are on alert at all times to deal with intruders. The main entrance into the lower levels is behind a number of blast doors, and landscape around it is full of sniping points. In times of crisis, the upper castle is deserted and even the animals flee underground to the true fortress. Anyone who wants to get into the Ice Pagoda when it is sealed is going to need a lot of patience and a really big drill.

Pui Ti's upper throne room is a courtyard of blue ice pillars and benches, where the courtiers advise her at her massive ice throne. Her two largest white hunting tigers curl at the throne's feet. Pui Ti prides herself on her mystique and plays up the fairy tale castle aspects of the proceedings. The true "throne" is the control center, the nexus of the palace's information systems. Here, Pui Ti handles crises, does longterm planning and manages her remote assets. She spends several days a week in the control center, holding court in the palace above only to handle developing affairs and momentary concerns. The control center is full of conference and briefing rooms where technicians monitor the Pagoda and developing events across time.

The armories of the Pagoda include both melee weapons, guns and even heavy ordnance like grenade launchers and miniguns. This is typically stored in squad sets below ground. Because metal and Gonvex tend to do badly in the cold, the guns are made of cast ice, equal to any metal. Most designs are replicas of 1996 firearms, but the smiths do occasionally invent new things, and Pui Ti keeps a stock of un-Shaped wepaons on hand for troops that must leave the Netherworld. The underground barracks have rooms for every inhabitant of the Pagoda, and are mostly squad bays with little privacy or comfort. However, this doesn't matter to most, who also keep rooms above ground in comfortable fairy tale splendor. Wolfskin blanekts, goose down mattresses, silk sheets. Permanent residents of the underground have better accomodations, but they're still not the barbaric splendor of the upper palace.

The sewers of the ICe Pagoda are not good for sneaking - they're narrow tunnels that empty into the sea below, where strange creatures cruise around and eat the waste...along with anything more appetizing than rotten meat and raw sewage. However, they are largely unwatched, as no one would assume someone would use such a bad entryway. The stables are full of arctic beasts of all sorts, especially wolves, tigers and polar bears, which are bred as beasts of war. The bears are hulking tanks of creatures, the tigers are excellent bodyguards and the wolves are trackers. All are man-eaters. Pui Ti does not keep prisoners, see. You're either a hostage, a guest under house arrest or animal chow. Pui Ti has concluded the best use for enemies she has no other plans for is to feed them to her pets.

Life in the upper palace is splendid, fairy tale living with great meals and beautiful surroundings. Underground, it's more like a military base where the cooks care about the food. The Downsiders, as they call themselves, take a sort of pride in their lack of flair and make-believe, acting as though they are the sole reason for the Pagoda's continued success. (Untrue, by the way.) Everyone in the Ice Pagoda has some kind of technical specialty. Even the gate guards have other jobs, and are picked to work topside mostly because they look beautiful or handsome.

Pui Ti's armies include the Ice Commandos, her frontline troops. Unlike her siblings, she isn't much for expendable mooks, and the Ice Commandos, while mooks, are quite serious about their work and fairly skilled. (For mooks.) They prefer modern combat gear. Then there's the ice falcons, white birds bred for hunting - including human prey. They are made of ice and are great trackers, thanks to the radio legbands they wear, allowing them to lead their masters to intruders. However, they are very fragile - any attack that hits an ice falcon will destroy it. The Winter Wolves are Pui Ti's hunting hounds, pets and work animals. They are ferocious and tenacious, but also savagely beautiful. They are great pack hunters who excel at ambush and chases.

The Ice Tigers are the bodyguards of the Pagoda, and are Pui Ti's favorites. They are loyal beasts, raised from cubs in the presence of their charges. The oldest and most ferocious are the Queen's two pets, Butterfly and Breeze, who are kept alive and in their prime by magic. The Polar Bears, universally named characters (with names like 'Fluffy' and 'Marmoset') are a thousand pounds of killing power. They hate strangers and...well, normal polar bears are aggressive. Pui Ti has been breeding them to be moreso for centuries. On the other hand, they're pretty dumb - they're just oversized attack dogs, really. But that's no bad thing, really.

The chief of staff is Akani Hideo, the son of a brewer who was once a mere civil servant. He was promoted through administrative positions in Japan before entering the Queen's court, where he distinguished himself as a problem-solver, able to handle the constant war. He was Assistant Chief of STaff at 40...and then the critical shift came, and he had to help fight his way out of a hunting lodge that had suddenly become a Soviet nuke facility. Hideo organized the courtiers into military units and took over direction of the reduced staff after the previous Chief of Staff was killed by a helicopter. Hideo is an accomplished if not incredible martial artist, but his main skills lie in adminstration. He's kept the Ice Pagoda functioning smoothly despite all troubles, and while he's got comparatively weak kung fu, he has four tiger bodyguards, all children of Butterfly and Breeze.

Colonel Risto Paalanen was promoted for his competence. He was born a poor Laap skin-hunter, becoming an excellent marksman with the bow so he'd not ruin the skins. He decided that the ability to shoot a man through the eye at a hundred yards probably paid better than hunting minks, so he enlisted in the Ice Queen's armies. The pay was okay, and advancement was possible, given Pui Ti was always at war with her siblings. Paalanen's wilderness skills and deadeye shooting, plus a knack for leadership, got him into the high ranks by the time he was 42 - commanding the palace guard, most of whom were Finns. When the critical shift came, he directed the retreat and got most of his men and the court safely to the Netherworld. The troops who remain are either survivors of that exodus or recruits from wilderness areas of 69 and 1850. Paalanen has never really modernized. His sort of combat doesn't change much with guns and he's not a strategist. He knows how to inspire his men and how to shoot a gun - everything else is someone else's problem. He has an aide to handle computers for him and otherwise gets by on dealing with the world around him as a series of magic boxes. It works out - that's not much of a change from what the world was like before modern technology, after all, not when you work for a wizard-queen.

Ivana Sergilov was originally a boyar's daughter in Kiev. Under Pui Ti, the Russian city-states did quite well and were well-developed, if not so much as Europe. IVana was a housewife until she found the evidence needed to turn her abusive and adulterous husband in for treason. That got her work with the secret police, one of the state divisions that took both men and women. Rising in the ranks by carefully denouncing superiors and ferreting out spies, she came to head the secret police after 15 years on the job. Once there, she found that Pui Ti herself was unassailable - there was no way to seize the throne, and the Queen was not willing to listen to denunciations of her ministers. Ivana is a woman of infinite ambition who has fallen into the Ice Queen's control. Pui Ti has her in a position where failure is unacceptable, her ambition is unreachable and her every move is watched by dozens of rivals. She's a spider in a cage, forced to work for Pui Ti as the Information Systems Director. When she falters, she will be replaced, as she replaced her predecessor. She's held on for five years - longer than most - but she wants out. It remains to be seen if she will make it.

Next time: The Fire Pagoda

No, I don't want your freakin' money. I've got millions of dollars from a dozen lost junctures.

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: No, I don't want your freakin' money. I've got millions of dollars from a dozen lost junctures.


Li Ting lives in real style.

The Fire Pagoda is home to Li Ting , the most analytical and heartless of the Monarchs. Despite that...well, he's...not actually that bad a guy, in theory. He took Jerusalem as his capital, ruling over Asia Minor, India, the Middle East and east Africa. Li Ting, like his siblings, portrays himself as a greatly spiritual figure. Unlike his siblings, he is not openly cynical at all about his religious role. (In fact, it's debatable whether he's a cynic about it in secret.) See, Li Ting advocates a philosophy called the Fire Righteous, which he invented. It's a meditational art focusing the chi and speaking of unmeaning of action. It's, you know, warrior mysticism. Loyalty, bravery, perseverence, obedience.

After conquering his territory, Li Ting melded the Fire Righteous with Muslim beliefs, supporting the rise of Kharijite heresies. The Kharijites were those who supported and then rejected the authority of Muhammed's son-in-law, Ali ibn Abi Talib. They could be pretty violent and were very, very anti-sin - to the point that they believed sinning was the same as disbelieving. Anyway, history lesson over, the point is the Bedouins really liked Li Ting's Kharijite stuff and became the core of his warrior fanatics. The Fire Righteous is more than another imperial cult, though. Li Ting actually practices it . He is its most advanced student, and in battle he is an emotionless, unhesistating whirlwind of death. Out of battle, he is ruthless and analytical, finding the weaknesses of any opponent.

When the critical shift came, the Fire Pagoda had the most innerwalkers of all the Monarchs, and Li Ting had a very strong initial position - though his siblings rapidly dragged him down to their level. Like his sister, Ming I, Li Ting deals with the Underworld and supports his forces with demons. However, he has no feeling of kinship toward them, unlike his sister, and his favorable treaty with the Underworld is a lasting benefit of his original strong start. He prefers ot use them as shock troops. His soldiers do not mix with the demons and most see them as necessary evils - rather like very ugly, distasteful attack dogs.

Li Ting has made New Jerusalem even more spectacular than the original, though his cavern is not so large as the Darkness Pagoda's. It is full of smokeless fire thanks to his Shaping, keeping it brilliantly lit. The tower that is the Fire Pagoda itself is atop a vast outcropping, with only a few twisting roads and stairways leading into the fortress. It is a mix of Arabic and Chinese design, with ostentatious yet functional decoration in abstract designs. (Like Muslims, the book tells us, the Fire Righteous has something of a distaste for depictive art. I don't know if this is true.) The architecture is very Arabian, but the decorations tend to be more intricate and Chinese. The structure is built for defense, and attackers would have a hard time seizing an entrance or storming the place without finding themselves easily isolated and surrounded. The fire that makes the fortress is actually quite cool, and is something of a mixed blessing.

See, there are no shadows, and the constant crackling makes it very hard to be comfortable if you're not used to living in fire. On the other hand, having a bath in a tub made of fire is pretty awesome, and the architecture is beautiful. There's only two ways into the Fire Pagoda. A really crazy group of idiots could climb the sheer cliffs and then somehow climb the slightly more sheer walls. An army marching single file might be able to get up the heavily guarded, twisting roadway and enter the gates. The Fire Pagoda's people typically don't use guns, but many of their defenses are more effective than guns - for example, they keep boulders, boiling acid and pots full of bees on hand. Also fire. Lots of fire. All over the place. Oh, and liquid fire. Not Greek fire or napalm - liquid fire , running like mercury over rocks and steel, sticking to flesh and leather. Being doused in Li Ting's liquid fire is the worst kind of death. Dispensers of it dot the approach, and the area outside the gates can be sprayed with it. The charred bones of those who stormed the gates are not cleaned, but left as examples.

The Fire Righteous is big on personal discipline and physical exercise, so the Pagoda has tons of training rooms and gyms for Li Ting's followers. They practice gymnastics, tai chi, chi gung and several supernatural kung fu styles. These halls are usually full of trainees and Fire Warriors, and nearly every wall is covered in weapons. The throne room, meanwhile, is an immense chamber covered by a glass onion dome, the better to allow the fire's light to come in from above. Often, during audiences, the wall and floor are dimmed to the color of embers, and only the brilliant light from above is left to illuminate the throne. Many pillars stretch to the top of the room, but there are no balcones - and, in fact, it can feel like being outside when you're in there.

The Meditation Chambers are found deep in the Pagoda. The fire that makes up their walls changes based on the occupant's meditative state. They burn low and hypnotically for harmonious feelings, dark and flickering to awaken love of battle and with a silver light to bring about exaltation of perfected spirit. Meditation in these chambers is profound, but can be risky. Many are blinded by staring at the fire too long, and those who stay too far in magical feedback training are consumed by their inner flame. These people are the Fire Zealots, for they literally burn from within. Devoid of all instinct, they are the perfection of the Fire Righteous. Li Ting uses them as shock troops because they are incredibly dangerous - but they can only be used in non-sensitive areas, as they are literally on fire all the time.

The armories of the Fire Pagoda are a vast complex. The Fire Righteous preaches that crafting is a method of developing discipline, and naturally they prefer weaponsmithing. Most of Li Ting's followers are thus proficient swordsmiths, and they work in giant factory-forges where liquid fire is made and war tools are forged in pure flame. These are overseen by 'Ali, Master of Arms, or Li Ting himself, when he's not busy being king. There's also the dungeons - a very pitiful and dangerous place. Li Ting dislikes torture, so the only people here are those awaiting execution. If they die before then, oh well. The walls and floor are unpleasantly hot, sometimes searing. The only water comes in slowly from above and lies in extremely hot pools. Death by heat prostration is common, as are accidental burns and brutal guards. Most prisoners don't last more than a few months at best. There are no sewers. Rather, the waste is destroyed in demon-stoked bonfires in the heart of the Pagoda. Falling down a waste shaft is a horrible death, and being hurled into pits of boiling flame is standard for executions. Of course, that assumes Li Ting doesn't get personally interested and kill the guy by igniting him from the inside.

Life in the Fire Pagoda is rigorous and monastic. There's some recreational potsmoking, but no alcohol and very little in the way of public celebration. The Fire Righteous prefers small, private parties. Daily life is a mix of training, spiritual education and forgework. The Fire Pagoda has the most new recruits of any Monarch, though - they're a real religion, and one that offers real comforts in the brutal struggle for survival in the Netherworld. Most new recruits are integrated well, and your average member sees Li Ting as a great man and spiritual prophet whose work is to reorder the world along sensible and just principles.

The demons who serve Li Ting don't often get seen in the Fire Pagoda. He mostly deals with wicked and fiery spirits, who spend most of their time in the Pagoda's depths, feeding the huge bonfires that fuel the liquid fire workshops. Here, the demons feel at home. The Fire Righteous followers and the dmeons are happy to be segregated - the demons find the followers to be uncommunicative extremists, and the servants of the Fire see the demons as spiritually corrupt, if necessary allies. Li Ting's home is...well, pretty much exactly what it looks like: a giant monastery for warrior monks. It's mostly defensive, and its people are largely reflective of that. The Emperor has might power and is an excellent diplomat, but he's not going to win the Secret War...though he won't lose for a long, long, long time. His planning skill, magic and growing influence in 1850 and 1997 make him a great ally, as he demonstrated during the Molten Heart conspiracy.

The Molten Heart also shows one of Li Ting's greatest strengths: he lose almost nothing. Ming I and the Architects lost their men, but his help was purely magical. If it worked, he'd have been on the winning side, but as it failed, he lost very little. This sort of thing is the basis of Fire Righteous thinking. Anyway, the backbone of the army is the Fire Warriors, the advanced initiates of the Fire Righteous who learn to channel fire through their body and weapons. Most are Bedouins, but the Netherworlders have joined and now have a good amount of variety in the Fire Warriors. More than any other Monarch, Lit Ting recruits from 1850 and 1996, primarily by funding and training Islamic militants. Many of his better servants are direct recruits from this.

The Fire Assassins his blademasters and killers. They prefer melee, but are trained in the use of sniper rifles, too, and are willing to use any weapon needed to destroy their foes. Most Fire Assassins are of Muslim descent, and most are old hands of the Fire Pagoda, since many were Innerwalkers and thus survived the critical shift. The Fire Zealots are those who have burned away all imperfections in the meditation chambers. They have no morals, no conscience, no hesitation, no emotions. They do not care about survival, and they are on fire all the time . They are very direct, so they can't really ambush folks, and many of their fellows view them skeptically. Their devotion may be admirable, but they fail to temper it with practicality. Fire Zealots serve as Li Ting's bodyguard and frontline shock troops. They do not use ranged weapons, but are terrible indeed in melee.

The Fire Constructs are golems made of solid fire, much like that which makes up the Pagoda. They have reservoirs of liquid fire hwich they can shoot from their fingers. As they are made of fire, they aren't subtle in the slightest. The process of making one is very tough, as solid flame is a difficult material to work with, and only the most skilled can make them, even with Shaping help. They're even harder to use effectively than the Zealots, and are mainly deployed in efforts to burn feng shui sites or defend important portals within the Pagoda. They suffer as Supernatural Creatures do from juncture modifiers.

'Ali Ibn Yussuf is the Master-at-Arms for Li Ting. He is comparatively young - he joined the army late in Li Ting's career, the thirteen-year-old son of a camel-herder. He proved his skill in border skirmishes and became a trusted commander, then an advisor and at last a top official. Li Ting has always rewarded competence and determination above all else. Now almost forty, 'Ali is the chief military advisor. He coordinates the defenses of the Fire Pagoda, the operations in 1850 and 1996, makes alliances with Muslim extremists and so on. He is ruthless but honorable - he'll order dozens of innocents killed in a suicide bombing, but will never go back on his sworn word. It is thanks to 'Ali that most of Li Ting's (rather limited) aims have been without major losses, and while that continues, he is unassailable. 'Ali has no ambitions - he has already achieved them and more. He is a devout follower of the Fire Righteous, but he is master of his inner flame, not a Fire Zealot.

Richard of Ghent is one of the key figures in the Fire Pagoda. See, Li Ting has a whole lot of work to do, as a religious leader and a political player, and he must balance those with his strict training. So he needs competent ministers, and none is more competent than Richard of Ghent. Which is saying something, given his colleagues. He was a Ghentish mercenary in the Crusades, but he broke off when they reached the Levant when it became clear even by his fuzzy standards that they were doing something wrong. He went native in Egypt, making a living as best he could despite ethnic and religious prejudice on both sides. He got involved with Li Ting during a theft that went bad and left him face-to-face with the King of the Fire Pagoda. Li Ting was impressed by Richard's pluck and planning skills, and gave him a minor job instead of killing him. Richard proved himself by service, and was promoted as he showed skill. He now runs the household. He still calls himself Richard of Ghent after all these long years, and he is Li Ting's closest, perhaps only friend. He is a moderately advanced follower of the Fire Righteous and a very practical fellow who often conflicts with 'Ali about terrorist campaigns. As Richard controls the purse, he wants to get the most out of the money, while 'Ali makes righteousness his first consideration. Neither's ready to kill the other, but there is some tension there. Richard appears to be in his mid-40s, though he's far older than that, and uses both a sword and a pistol quite well.

The Mouth of the Fire Righteous is an old man who dwells deep in the meditation chambers. He is blind, ancient, serene - and it was so when he taught Li Ting mastery of the Inner Fire. Li Ting still goes to the old man on spiritual issues. The Mouth may be an ironclad spiritual master, but he's a doddering old man. His mind has been burned clean of all concerns but those of the flame. While all are in awe of his spiritual perfection, well, his words don't actually get listened to by everyone. The Fire Zealots obey everything, of course, but the Fire Righteous is a practical faith, and those who have not been consumed by the inner flame try to temper their judgment with practical concerns. EVen the most zealous can admit that they need the moderates. However, on the occasions when the Mouth is forced to disagree strenuously with Li Ting, Li Ting makes sure the Zealots can't hear it.

Chiu Fa was originally a poor Chinese scholar. He had talent, but the system was rigid and corrupt. Only those who paid bribes passed the exams, and as an actual scholar from a poor family, he had no hopes. So, instead, he spent his time laying about and enjoying himself, as a good Taoist method of rebellion. This changed when he was approached by a wicked sorcerer looking for recruits. Chiu Fa joined him and learned his lore, but never his faith. After learning demonology, he left the old man and went looking for a master to put his evil knowledge to good use. He met Li Ting as the King of the Fire Pagoda was beginning his conquests, and Chiu Fa saw that Li Ting was determined to build his empire on more righteous principles than his siblings. Li Ting jumped at the chance to turn the dark arts to good ends.

Since that time, Chiu Fa has been a loyal servant. He has never been a follow of the Fire Righteous, but there is deep mutual respect there. Chiu Fa is really a big softy and tends to look the other way when confronted with people's failures and shortcomings - which is probably why he's still working for Li Ting. At the bargaining table, though, there's none better. This is important, as unlike Ming I, Li Ting and Chiu Fa do not liberally offer human blood or souls to demons. This can make getting to the table hard, to say nothing of making deals. And yet many demons have gone away wondering what misfortune came over them to make them agree to part with their freedom for such low prices. Chiu Fa appears to be a young man still, sustained by Li Ting's longevity drugs, but he's been around since before the Fire Emperor got started.


These are nice houses!

The Thunder Pagoda is forged of thundercloud, floating in the dark Valley of Storms. It looms over his subjects below, a reminder of his vast power and vaster ego. It was Shaped into existence, and is one of the largest open areas in the Netherworld. The majority of Huan Ken's subjects live in small villages in the valley, huddled under the storm clouds. Most of the denizens there are Netherworld exiles whose villagers were taken over by Huan Ken. His servants live in the Thunder Pagoda itself, mostly Innerwalkers who fled with him. For the most part, they look down on the rabble of the exiles, who put up with the taxes and bullying as best they can. At least they get fed. The largest village is directly beneath the Thunder Pagoda, a station for the sky galleons to ferry passengers up to the Pagoda...though only with invitations or especially persuasive speeches. The galleons are magically enchanted 18th century sailing ships, which fly and were once the pride of Huan Ken's aerial navy. The tunnels of the Netherworld make them impractical and modern technology has made them obsolete. The few still in service are troop transports and much smaller than their predecessors. They are very slow indeed, though they can take some damage.

Next time: The Thunder Pagoda

The fire is flexible but direct. It worms its way into any crack, but it never fails to burn.

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: The fire is flexible but direct. It worms its way into any crack, but it never fails to burn.

Once in the Thunder Pagoda itself, youy're inside a gigantic, larger-than-life complex designed to awe and overwhelm. The cloud it is made from has a delicate nature that contrasts well with the strength and solidity of the fortress, which merges European and Chinese styles. Dark clouds hover above and below, and everything is covered in a faint purple light, occasionally brightened by lightning. To get in, you have to go up a large staircase flanked by pedestrals topped with enchanted stone griffins. They will defend the gate against attackers and are very, very powerful - they can ignore anything that does less than 10 base damage, unless it's a magical or fu-based attack. Once you get in, you enter an entry hall the suze of a football field, full of huge statues of Huan Ken himself. Visitors are always made to wait here for a few minutes that they might glimpse his majesty.

From there, it's off to the Great Hall, where the Thunder King receives visitors and confers with advisors, and also eats dinner sometimes. These feasts are huge, noisy affairs involving huge roasts and lots of alcohol. Musicians and entertainers often perform here (but never jesters, ever), and sometimes there's impromoptu contests of strength or skill. The throne room is for when he wants to be particularly impressive, and it's able to hold hundreds of people. It's full of tapestries showing Huan Ken leading armies, fighting monsters and so on, and the throne is encrusted with gold and jewels - but, oddly, it's not huge. Huan Ken wants nothing in the room to outshine his presence. Even grander than this is the Cathedral, which is very similar to the Vatican with some Chinese and Eastern Orthodox touches. There's a giant stained glass window showing Huan Ken as Pope, and it's full of psuedo-religious trappings and lots and lots of gold. The cathedral is largely left to Huan Ken's sorcerers, who use it for rituals. The room has been specifically Shaped to create a chi flow ideal for spell-casting, and all Sorcery gets a +1 bonus in there. Several artifacts are stored there, under powerful wards and traps.

The armory, meanwhile, is full of exotic weapons and perhaps the best sword collection in any world. There's tons of beautiful artistic and magical swords, but very little actual security. Huan Ken, you see, assumes no one would be dumb enough to steal his personal swords from his private armory in his own fortress. He's not been wrong so far. Next to this is the trophy room, full of mementos from his victories. Once, it was a vast hall, but a lot was lost when the critical shift came, so it's...rather small, at least for Huan Ken's ego, and is less than impressive, mostly from the past decade. Sure, the seven-horned skull of the demon lord Ch'un-Kai the Abominable is cool, but the head of the bandit chieftain Gorax the Despoiler? Not so much. Huan Ken can talk at length about any of these trophies and will if anyone shows even the slightest interest.

Below the kitchens, storerooms and servants' quarters are the dungeons of the Thunder Pagoda. They are Shaped to be forever dank and cold, despite lacking both earth and water. He's got extremely well-equipped torture chambers, as he was very fascinated by the Spanish Inquisition. One of his favorite punishments is to lock prisoners in small cages, then lower them through holes in the floor to dangle over the valley below. Real vultures have been imported to keep the hanging prisoners company. Huan Ken believes in taking care of the small details.

Huan Ken, of all the Monarchs, has the least defined plans. He's always operated on instinct, emotion and luck, and he's not about to stop now. Of course, if you ask him, he already rules the entire Netherworld, his siblings just haven't acknowledged it yet. This irks him to no end, and all of his schemes focus on bringing them to their knees. This kind of narrow-mindedness is typical of him, and the Secret War is basically peripheral to this goal. The other factions matter to him only insofar as they help or hurt him. He can't see the bigger picture. As far as he cares, he rules the world, and everyone is fooling themselves. Ironically, while he'd like nothing better than to get his power back from before the critical shift, he's more or less given up on even trying. Rather than conquering the Netherworld as a logical step to regaining power, he wants to defeat his siblings.

Somewhere in the back of Huan Ken's mind, he has some idea that if he manages to beat the others, he can eventually take over the whole Netherworld, then the real world. However, he's failed to take into account the other factions and the realities of the Secret War, or the fact that the factions are more powerful than him. As of now, he plans to take over the Netherworld as he deals with all problems: overwhelming force. He lacks the manpower and resources, though, so he has been contemplating alliance with the Architects to get their weapons and armies. Although he thinks Buro is bland and uninspiring, lacking all sense of glory and honor, he ademires their emphasis on military might. More to the point, he wants their guns. He finds them cowardly, but knows that if he were to give them to his army, it would give him power. If he can get Buro to fight for him, so much the better. The Architects' recent gift of a hundred Hellharrowers has gone over well, and he intends to propose an alliance to jointly conquer the Netherworld. Of course, he has no intention of sharing power, but he knows the Architects need the Netherworld for their time war, so he's sure they'll buy what he's selling.

The main bulk of Huan Ken's forces are the Thunder Knights, the bravest and most loyal warriors in the N?etherworld. They train from childhood, and only those who prove worthy are initiated. The Knights are known for their unflinching devotion as well as their skill at arms, and while they claim to be chivalrous, they are really a bunch of arrogant bullies and thugs. So, you know, knights . They tend to be rather unpopular with other Netherworlders. The fastest and most admired of these are the Butterfly Knights. See, the Thunder Pagoda floats, so Huan Ken decided he needed aerial warriors. The Butterfly Knights wear magical suits of armor with butterfly wings, made of light and enchanted metal. They patrol the skies around thge Pagoda, using lances which they skewer people with in dive-bombs. They are extremely skilled at air-to-ground combat, such that they can take advantage of any miss to counterattack any foe that swings at them and fails. There's only a handful, thankfully, as their armor is hard to make.

The Clergy are Huan Ken's sorcerers, all of whom get special and fancy titles, often Catholic in nature. There's the Acolytes, and above them the Initiates. Bishops are experienced, and Cardinals are around PC-level. There aren't many Clergy, but they have high standing and advise Huan Ken on sorcerous matters. They also occasionally go on special missions. They are to piety what the Knights are to chivalry. The best of the Thunder Knights are the Thunder Champions, who have shown exceptional skill, bravery and leadership. Usually they've been around for years, but sometimes Huan Ken gives the rank to those who perform single deeds that impress him. They have access to the best weapons and training, and often possess magical weapons or fu powers.

Lucius Centares of 69 AD was once an officer in the Roman legions. During a battle on the frontier, his unit broke and he was forced to flee, taking shelter in a cave...where he slipped into a river that dumped him out in the Underworld. He wandered around until he found a band of Thunder Knights...who proceeded to attack him for no clear reason. He was unarmed, exhausted and still beat half of them before being subdued. This impressed Huan Ken, and after Lucius told the Thunder King his story, Huan Ken told Lucius of a time both past and future when he was emperor of a Rome that spanned the globe. Huan Ken said his siblings were jealous and conspired to have him exiled to the Netherworld. He then invited Lucius to join him in restoring Rome to its former glory. Lucius accepted, immediately being given the rank of Thunder Champion along with an enchanted gladius, Devotion, which bites especially hard. Huan Ken wants to find the portal Lucius fell through, so that he may use the troubles of Rome in order to install the centurion as Emperor. Once that's done, Lucius will use the feng shui sites of Rome, centuries before the Monarchs were ever born, to conquer the world and make Huan Ken ultimate ruler of all things. Huan Ken thinks that if he can do this, he will eliminate the other factions and rule unopposed. Lucius is down with this plan and unquestionably loyal, believing Huan Ken to be the rightful emperor and destined to make Rome the greatest it will ever be and has ever been. His only regret is that he can't remember where his portal is.

The Baron is equal parts Zorro, Batman and Robin Hood, and his legend has spread through the villages of the Thunder King. He has made it his goal to thwart Huan Ken at every moment, and he frees prisoners, leads Thunder Knights into traps, sends Thunder Knight weapons to Jamers, steals gold from the taxmen and gives it to the exiles - all this and more. He's said to have looted the treasury, faced an entire squad of Thunder Champions and won, stolen a sky galleon and slept with Huan Ken's daughters. All of them. The legends are more than a little exaggerated, but it's true that the Baron has an uncanny knack for showing up at just the right time to thwart the Thunder King's plans. Some say he has an informant in the court. None have guessed anywhere near the real truth.

The Baron, you see, is Princess Elizabeth Fenwick, one of Huan Ken's many, many children. (Huan Ken is over 400 years old. He's had a lot of wives. He inevitably gets tired of his current queen, annuls the marriage because he's the Pope, and marries a new one.) Elizabeth is unusual in that she visited the Netherworld as a child, and so retained her memories during the critical shift. When she was very young, Huan Ken learned that her mother had been unfaithful, and Elizabeth can still remember crying as her mother was dragged away and executed. She hates her father deeply and has sworn vengeance against him. Huan Ken barely remembers her, and never noticed when Elizabeth got his best teachers to tutor her in fencing. By her eighteenth birthday, she was ready. She started small, but with each success, she got bolder. As time passed, she came to realize she wasn't the only one to suffer under her father's cruelty, and she took it on herself to help the Netherworlders under his rule. Eventually, word spread until even Huan Ken heard about her exploits. Outraged, the Thunder King has put a huge bounty on the Baron's head, dead or alive. No one's collected.

Elizabeth is a very pretty girl, but as the Baron she wears a huge cloak, billowing shirt and leather armor, along with a wide-brimmed hat and black scarf, which have managed to hide her gender and identity. She is a legend among Huan Ken's people for her defiance and as a symbol of hope for the exiles. She has the unique schick Derring-Do , which gives +3 to all daredevil stunts, along with a collection of gadgets including blinding powder which causes Impairment 4 for a while, a grappling hook the size of a flashlight, some primitive bombs and Nightshade , a jetcycle built for the Baron by the Jammers. It's very fast, pretty tough for a bike and can be summoned by a remote control as long as the Baron's within a kilometer of it.


Welcome to Evil House, home of evil.

The Darkness Pagoda is ruled by Ming I , who spent centuries ruling Mesoamerica, south China and most of southern Asia. Constant exposure to both Micronesian feng shui sites used for dark rituals and the blood sacrifices of the Aztecs and other Mesoamericans twisted her already dark and driven personality into a force of evil. Maybe it was involuntary, or maybe her bitter and envious nature over her comparative lack of beauty and her resentment over losing an arm led her to embrace it. Regardless, the chi turned her into a dark being, not quite human, though it's hard to say what she truly has become. Certainly, she has lived for long periods on human hearts and the bones of children, drinking only the blood of virgin girls to preserve her youth and...'beauty.' Yet she can still eat mortal food, and often does for novelty and to avoid offending guests.

Of all the Monarchs, she is most closely allied with the Underworld. While her brother Li Ting deals with demons, his work is more businesslike. Ming I may not worship demons or feel they are her natural servants, but she agrees with them on many basic issues and given enough time and power, she and her servants might easily become impossible to distinguish from the creatures of the Underworld. Likewise, she often works with Gao Zhang. While the leader of the Lotus is less experience, Ming I is trapped in the Netherworld. Both openly desire unfair advantage over the other. The eunuch wants the Monarch's lore, while she wants to make him her puppet. There's a strong overtone of gender conflict in their struggle, too. Ming I finds Gao Zhang laughable, while he wants to prove that even without his balls, he can beat any mere woman. Both love the conflict and really want to win. It's as much motivation to keep up their continued relations as any actual benefit is.

The demons and Lotus are not Ming I's only allies, though. She is a compulsive schemer, and in the eight years since her exilke, she has worked with every faction other than the Guiding Hand and the Dragons, both of whom refuse to go near her. Most recently, she and Li Ting worked with the AScended and Jammers in the Molten Heart affair. Their plans were narrowly thwarted by the Dragons, and since then Ming I has been busy rebuilding what she lost. It's become clear that something new is coming.

The Darkness Pagoda is in an immense cavern - large enough to have stars. (Okay, it's not actually seven miles high, but the roof is high enough to be invisible from below, and the stars are lights embedded in it, but without a telescope or scientific training, who can tell?) The constellations are those of the sky above the Queen's former capital, rearranged in a configuration so completely inauspicious as to be astrologically impossible. The false sky forms a powerful feng shui site, and the Pagoda's airspace is full of Skin and Darkness Bats to protect it against vandalism. More on those in a bit. The Pagoda is a temple complex combining Micronesian, Mesoamerican and Chinese themes in a structure halfway between Machu Picchu and the Forbidden City. Every surface is covered in ornate carvings, often made by magic. The imagery always shows the myths Ming I has encouraged among her followers or whatever demons she's currently working with. The statues and carvings shift regularly, as the Innerwalkers maintaining the Shaping were all chosen for their artistic skill.

The Pagoda is a maze of apartments, processionals, temples and so on. More than any other Monarchs' fortress, the Darkness Pagoda is a working structure with a life of its own. Ceremonies, feasts and so on take place at all hours, and it is heavily patrolled. There's a complex system of internal passports and permissions controlling who can be where and when. General security is provided by Ming I's soldiers. The elite Darkness Warriors guard the Sacrifical Altar (more on that later) and the inner courts. These guards are, of course, corruptible - Ming I wouldn't allow otherwise. However, their willingness to be bribed and ignore palace politics doesn't extend to uninvited Innerwalkers. Intruders should either blend in or be ready for a fight.

Ming I is always personally accompanied by demons and powerful Innerwalkers. Should she be confronted directly, somehow, the intruders would still have to beat her powerful dark magics and her deadly shadow arm - one of the most lethal weapons ever made. In fact, some have gotten past her security only to find that she is a powerful martial artist capable of tearing them into tiny pieces. The interior decorations of her palace combined Chinese opulence with Mesoamerican designs and directness. Huge statues of demon lords and shrines to minor deities line the halls. The walls tend to be stone, and the doors are designed to be easy to listen through. The lights come from firepits and braziers, which burn hot but without fuel. (Being thrown into one is a particularly painful death.) The armor of the guards uses Native American themes but Chinese ornateness.

The public areas often have balcones with connecting staircases, and often multistory statues that support other balconies. Most internal stairways are tight and uneven, save for thoseo n the Processional. (More on that later.) Balconies have waist-high guardrails, but staircases tend to have no rails at all. Modern technology is only spottily integrated. There are flourescent lights in areas where firepits are impractical, and the gate guards and Darkness Warriors have automatic weapons, but the average soldier has an obsidian macuahuitl and a crossbow. There are no security cameras or modern security equipment except under very special circumstances.

There's many entrances into the Darkness PAgoda, and only diplomats and official traffic use the front gate. Everyone else gets a side door. All the doors are made of heavy and fortified wood, with lots of murderholes around them. They could be stormed, but there'd be time to rouse the entire Pagoda. Regardless of the entrance, cargo gets searched. Acceptable contraband can get in with a bribe, but unacceptable contraband will be confiscated and (if alive) executed. One or two people might get in with disguises, or a handful of troops could infiltrate to accomplish a mission or silently seize a gate so others could get in undetected.

Next time: More on the Darkness Pagoda.

All that armor seems to be slowing you down. Perhaps I should fight with my eyes closed so I don't get bored.

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: All that armor seems to be slowing you down. Perhaps I should fight with my eyes closed so I don't get bored.

The main gate of the Darkness Pagoda is called the Processional, and it is flanked by two immense towers, then a short passage, then another two towers and a second gate. This is usually only opened when an army has to march out or when visiting dignitaries need to be impressed. From there, there's a long, straight road that leads up to the Sacrificial Pyramid. The road has no cover and is, essentially, a killing field. Don't attack that way. The Sacrificial Pyramid lies at the center of the Pagoda, and Ming I's priests slaughter victims daily for their queen. The parts she doesn't eat are given to demons or sent to the Skin and Darkness worskhops below, for...use. The Pyramid itself is huge, bigger than the Great Pyramid of Egypt, and full of usable space. Staircases run up all four sides, with guarded entrances at the base, midway up and the top. The altar is at the apex and is open-air, with modern blood-reclamation equipment built into it to deposit any lost blood into a processing chamber in the Pyramid. Nothing can be wasted, after all!

The sewers of the Darkness Pagoda or an endless maze that eventually comes together into one gigantic outflow pipe of shit and human bodily fluids, which dump into some caverns below. The waste tunnels are full of stray monsters, insane exiles and fugitive demons. They are policed by a special force of guards who use night-adapted monsters as hunting beasts. They mostly watch the main outflow, but do regularly patrol the larger tunnels. The sewers are basically there for you to sneak in, with central channels flanked by low walkways without rails, and maybe some decaying bridges.

There are tons of apartments in the Darkness Pagoda, for both staff and outsiders. Most are decorated like any other fairly nice hotel room, but there's also some special rooms for special guests. Thus, some guest rooms are furnished with red-hot iron or pulsing flesh or the darkness between stars. The Pagoda staff is quite good at accomodating creatures that need special diets and environments, and there's a vast variety of special food and furniture kept on hand for any situation. Most is stored in vast warehouses under the guest quarters, occasionally cleaned with boiling water-and-vinegar mixture. When the fluid is flushed through giant grates, many forgotten pets and escaped parasites from demons who don't bathe enough get washed into the sewers, and that's where most sewer monsters come from. The sewers are, for most of these things, a paradise compared to their home, and some can become very, very large indeed.

The throne room is rarely used. Ming I prefers to rule from her couch or bed, or even her bathtub or while hunting. Still, she does have a throne room and it is suitably impressive. It's a single huge piece of hematite, which she Shaped into existence. The room is inside it, and it is more than half of the Sacrificial Pyramid, with a long glass tube rising from floor to ceiling behind the throne, through which sacrifices are carried to the bowels of the Pagoda for further processing. The middle entrances of the Pyramid enter directly into the throne room.

Now, back when Ming I arrived, she didn't have enough servants to continue living in the style she was accustomed to. Scaling back on sacrifices helped, but not enough. She still didn't have enough staff, let alone an army. Clearly, something would have to be done. So Ming I shaped the first Shrine of Initiation, then sent out her servants to get new recruits from the Netherworld rabble. Recruits, willing or not, are put in the Shrine and implanted with rudimentary memories involving long periods of loyal service to Ming I, stretching back to before her exile. Thus, the priests and bureaucrats that fill her court, all largely unable and unwilling to discuss the details of their eerily similar childhoods, are all in fact kidnapped Netherworlders who believe themselves to be loyal servants of Ming I but in fact only have their minds reprinted with a largely abstract sense of self and duty. The brainwashing process is reliable, but the strong-willed sometimes break the conditioning, usually after some reminder of their true past. These people are usually sacrificed.

The dungeons of the Pagoda are there for one reason only: a storehouse for those to be sacrificed. There used to be a time when there were volunteers for that, but that was long ago. In those times, Ming I's dungeons were a hellhole where survival of the fittest was the only law. Since the trip to the Netherworld, however, matters have changed. Victims are less eager, and prisoners must be kept alive. Thus, the dungeons are now well-guarded and surprisingly safe. No monsters will climb up the drains, but...well, you're also not going to escape easily. The jailers are very proud of this, and believe their prison to be inescapable, in fact. Unwilling victims are sometimes imprinted with eager personalities in the Shrine of Initiation, but that costs money and so it's only done for particularly difficult or important sacrifices.

Finally, there are the Skin and Darkness Forges. Demons, you see, are not Ming I's only supernatural servants. She has created her own kind: the Skin and Darkness Beasts. To understand these, you must realize that Ming I is a mistress of the cold, insidious dark, the fearful and malicious dark, which hates life. Hers is not a warm, sheltering darkness. By combining this evil dark with human flesh, mostly skin, she makes terrible monsters of nightmare. These are made in the Skin and Darkness Forges, huge workshops where shadow and flesh combine. They come in all sorts of sizes and shapes, from the Skin and Darkness Bats of the sky to the Skin and Darkness Ravagers of the sewers. The Darkness Priests who work the Forges are feared, for the time they spend working the darkness leaves them changed, and usually for the worse. Working in the Forges is the worst assignment a slave can draw, as accidental deaths and incurable insanity are common.

Most of Ming I's followers think she's a goddess of darkness. When she triumphed in her own timeline, her first act was to darken the sun in her part of the globe, convincing the Mesoamerican sun worshippers that she had personally killed whatever gods they most cherished. Metaphorically, it...well, was true enough, and it's not like anyone was in a position to argue. She quite liked the idea of being a goddess, and spread the belief throughout her empire. When she and her siblings got hit by the critical shift, she spun it for her servants as one of those triumphs of light and goodness that so often plagues dark gods. There were some defections, some examples got made and most of her Innerwalkers believed she was still a goddess and continued to serve her because it was all they knew. Those that have recently joined her ranks via the Shrines of Initiation are, if anything, more devout than the actual long-term believers, and that takes work. As a result, Ming I's servants are insane fanatics whose most pressing concern tends to be 'how can I make my goddess happier?' In the grand Hong Kong tradition, some of these lunatics will surelym eet the PCs, fall in love, realize the error of their ways and die horribly while preventing someone from getting sacrificed. Barring that, though, it's 'I live and die for the Mistress' on infinite repeat.

The elite guards are the Darkness Warriors, typically armed with AK-47s and Aztec macuahuitl clubs. They protect the inner chambers of the Pagoda and serve as the striking arm of Ming I, backing up her soldiers on feng shui site attacks. They dress 'naturally' for whatever time they are in, but wear their uniforms, which are full of religious symbolism, whenever possible. They are divided into two rival societies - the Jet Hawks and the Obsidian Jaguars - who compete both on and off the battlefield. Their uniforms are modernized, stylish versions of Aztec Leopard and Jaguar warrior garb. Then there's the Darkness Priesteesses - you see, most priests are female, though it's not a rule. Anyone who is sufficiently good at scheming, intrigue and betrayal can get up there, Ming I just likes women. (She likes scheming backstabbers more.) The template personality conditioned for priestesses in the Shrine of Initiation is predisposed to subtlety and treachery.

The Skin and Darkness Bats are little more than skin wrapped over razor-edged bones, a mass of shadow and some wings topped by two burning red eyes. They fly around in near-silence above the Pagoda, protecting the faux stars and preventing people from using the airspace. Anyone trying to fly in is going to have to deal with 1d6 bats per sequence - more if they're loud and flashy. The good news is that Bats die easy. The bad news is that they have Razor Wings , causing any wounds they make to bleed painfully, dealing extra damage over time. The Skin and Darkness Ravagers are more like bears or dogs made of...skin and darkness. They serve as guard beasts, patrolling the sewers and being general-purpose scouts and hunting dogs. They are amazingly agile, as they weigh next to nothing, and are disturbingly silent. In fact, the only sound they make when attacking is a faint rustling - you usually tell it happens because the victim screams as their gaze shatters his sanity. Last are the Skin and Darkness Zealots, shadows who wear the skins of special sacrificial victims. They are spies and assassins, and their gaze is even more terrible than the Ravagers, creating actual spiritual decay. They are very intelligent, and some even have names and fu schticks. They all have the unique Copycat power, allowing them to perfectly mimic the habits and voice of those whose skin they wear, but not the memories. Sadly, if seen naked, the stitches on their skin are obvious, and the darkness beneath can be seen through any cuts or tears in the skin.

Chamberlain is one of Ming I's oldest and most trusted retainers. He is very ambitious and very wicked, and he is either the first or one of the first Skin and Darkness Zealots. He serves as Ming I's majordomo and chief of secret police, and he rules over the internal politics of the Pagoda like a very smug dark god. Chamberlain is very, very self-interested, but knows Ming I would destroy him out of hand if she ever suspected even slightly than his ambitions might inconvenience her in any way. As long as he limits himself to terrorizing the underlings, he's perfectly safe, and so he sticks to his own territory, but guards it jealously. He is also a potent kung fu master as well as a terrible shadow monster.

Nu Wei-Feng is thec urrent high priestess, and she is fascinated by her goddess. She is nauseated by the grotesque nature of Chamberlain, and like most of her predecessors, she's trying to get enough political power to force him out of his job. It's likely that her love of Ming I has blinded her to the Queen's willingness to back Chamberlain against upstarts, and unless she has extremely good luck, she's going to be ending her career as a sacrifice, to be replaced by a similarly ambitious and doomed substitute. She's pretty good at sorcery, though.

General Fung is Ming I's oldest and most trusted soldier. He is strictly apolitical, and his military genius and martial skill are matched only by his extreme decadence. It was Fung who fought his way through the battle in which a teenaged Ming I lost her arm, and it was Fung who carried the bleeding girl from the field. Now in his apparent late 40s, he maintains a boyish appearance only by indulging in a diet of human flesh and blood. Though he is a merciless killer, Fung is not without honor and he will never cheat in a duel. Fung and his elite troop of Innerwalkers and demons make up Ming I's personal bodyguard, protecting her from assailants and internal coups. He is an extremely potent martial artist and has no patience for upstarts and would-be heroes.

There is one last figure among the Four Monarchs. He is older than they are, and...well, there's nothing exactly like him any more. Lord Shih is technically a Transformed Animal, but not any kind of animal that exists any more. He has charms against reversion, but he still tries to avoid high-magic areas insofar as he can. There's many rumors and legends about him, but they fade quickly now that his world no longer exists. Some say he is a vengeful ghost, others that he is a part of the Four Monarchs' father's soul bound into a demon. There's a hundred versions, each more terrible than hte last. The truth is that Lord Shih is older than the Monarchs' timeline. He survived several critical shifts before pledging himself to their father, promising to serve his children until their deaths in exchange for protection from the high magic of their juncture.

Lord Shih led the armies of the young Monarchs to victory, for he is a master of strategy, and he helped to mapo out which feng shui sites should be conquered, for he is a master of geomancy. He taught them kung fu, because he is a master of that, too. And he guided, guarded and advised each of them in their most crucial moments...because above all, he is a master of setting siblings against each other. Lord Shih's contract ended with the death of the Monarchs' father. The time is not yet right, though, so he watches. He waits. He is patient and cunning as theb east of prey from which he descended, and he knows his time will come. Eventually. He is extremely clever, extremely powerful and has a shitload of transformed animal powers.

Now we get to talk about places that are owned by other groups! The Biomass Reprocessing Center is an imposing structure in a large cavern, full of blackened steel and glass. It is made of a number of buildings inside a highly defended perimeter fence, and it has a nasty, nasty reputation. Partly due to the fact that Buro often decides the best way to dispose of a problematic Abomination is to kick it out of the compound and point it at the nearest settlement. Also because the Architects occasionally kidnap Netherworlders, never to be seen again. And mostly because the Architects are paranoid, infesting the tunnels and caverns for miles around with cockroaches mounted with cameras. It's very hard to get near the Center unobserved without being able to literally turn invisible, and that makes the area virtually unusable for anyone else. Anyone who gets spotted is going to get hit by monsters or worse. Thus, navigating the area involves long treks around the Center, and that can be a problem, especially if you want to get to 2056.

The entrance is especially well-guarded. Once through the relatively pleasant Reception Zone, the complex is dominated by the Advanced Arcanowave Research Facility, AARF. That's a large, blocky building full of labs, workrooms and computers. The Cyborg Development Area and Transtemporal Communications Building are linked to the AARF, and all three connect to the CDCA staff quarters and Recreational Facility. The Hazardous Experiments Laboratory, Close Combat Demoralization Unit Production Center and Abomination Storage Wing are a fair distance away from the rest, past the TacOps OpCenter, barracks and mess hall. The BRC is covered in Hellharrowers, and it is a perfect example of Buro's basic mantra: Overwhelming Force.

The outermost defenses are concealed Hellharrower arrays, and they start out in the tunnels, hidden by false panels in the floor and ceiling. If the CDCA controllers decide an approaching person is a threat, the closest array gets activated. Each array is four Hellharrowers, which fire a constant interweaving sweep of the tunnel, making it impossible to dodge. The fence, or Perimeter Security and Integrity Maintenance System, is made of three-meter guard pillars every 20 meters, with two-and-a-half meter fences between them. Everything is made of foot-thick Curboatite, a Shaped material designed and named by Curtis Boatman after himself. It is non-conducting, harder than diamond and is resistant to magic (causing -3 to all spells used on it). It doesn't melt until 15000 degrees Celsius and is slippery to the touch. Each pillar holds four Hellharrowers and a Woodchuck missile launcher, aimed and operated by remote control from the TacOps Center. The defneses can turn and point at the foot of the wall on either side of the pillar or any point between pillars. The can also aim up. They cannot, however, point back in towards the BRC.

Getting in is a two-step process, once you get past the guns. First you need a retinal scan, voiceprint scan and DNA sample analysis to get through the outer gate. Personnel who already have those on file have to pass them again anyway, just in case. nly authorized personnel and people whose names are on the list inside get through. Inside the outer gfate, a hallway leads to the manned interior gate. A door off the entrance hall leads to the pleasantly decorated reception suite for visitors, which is...well, gray, but a nice gray. The artificial plants are almost lifelike, and there's a water dispenser at the door. There's a large, twelve-seat meeting table, and a discreet toilet facility. As a defensive measure, the entire thing is built on a carpet of high explosives. Should things get out of hand, it is very easy to blow the entire place up. The Curboatite walls will contain the explosion and protect the integrity of the base. The suite has seen use twice so far, and at one of those times it was blown up, killing everyone inside. The inner gate is the real wall to the Center, and it's made of Curboatite. The guards have photos of all authorized personnel in their computer system, and individuals who get past the first entrance must match the photos for positive manual ID before the gate is opened to them.

The AARF is black steel and glass, and it is the heart of the BRC. People enter and exit via a gleaming lobby with a small security team of three, two of whom are on duty at any given time. They provide basic maintenance as needed, too. The elevators lead to the six floors of the building. The first and basement are for the computers, maintenance and tech staff. The second through fifth floors are offices, workspaces, labs and so on. The top floor is the Administrator's suite and the Senior Researcher's facilities. It's actually quite pleasant, with a carpeted lobby, TacOps guards and generous offices, not mined with explosives. Boatman's office, private RecFac and personal lab are on the right, and all the windows and doors have blast shields, which drop instantly in case of a threat. They're designed to hold off intruders until guards arrive.

The Cyborg Development Area and Transtemporal Communications Are are both connected to the AARF. They are two-story buildings on either side of the larger one. The Cyborg Development Area is full of surgical stuff meant to...make cyborgs, and the TCA is more fully-automated, with most being given over the Transtemporal Communications Cable development and production, in the hopes of eventually getting a solid comm signal to all junctures. Quarters and rec facilities for the AARF staff are behind the building, accessible via a corridor from the lobby. Most staff live in dorms, ten to a room, and relax with games or movies. Senior scientists get personal quarters, and the entire area is monitored by security to extremely high safety standards. Sex is allowed, and the RecFac has two "unmonitored" (read: monitored) rooms with a large bed and shower for that purpose.

Next time: The parts with monsters in them.

All is not yet lost! I anticipated his treachery. I have...a plan.

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: All is not yet lost! I anticipated his treachery. I have...a plan.

The higher-risk experiments get done at the Hazardous Experiments Laboratory, or HEL. It's one story, partitioned with Curboatite and is designed to contain rampages, explosions and so on. Most Abominations get made there, and it's where the Neural Greppers get bred. Without the Pacification Room, a lot of the Center's work wouldn't be possible! Right next dore is the Close Combat Demoralization Unit Production Center - the Benji Factory. It is where the Bouncing Benjis are made. Various prisoners get thrown in with the jiangshi to get infected if the supply isn't high enough. If the place gets attacked, the Benjis will be released to kill anyone not wearing a security badge, and there's between 5 and 30 Benjis on hand at any given time.

The final building in this area is the Abomination Storage Wing. It is half barracks, half prison. The prison part, called either the Biomass Hold or the Meat Locker depending on who you ask, is very dangerous, largely because the monsters inside hate everyone. Abominations are usually used to move the monsters around. In the event of an attack, the abominations are let loose, though there aren't always many on hand. The TacOps troops are based out of the Tactical Operations Center and Barracks Building. It is between the high-risk labs and the AARF, to increase security. They control the perimeter defenses and spy devices. They also have the Mess and RecFac, which is shared with the cyborgs and abominations smart enough to mix with humans outside combat. TacOps doesn't actually like this, but what can you do? Buro is firm on their policy of non-discrimination. TacOps has not failed to notice that the AARF recreation facilities are a lot nicer than theirs, and there is some tension between TacOps and the CDCA scientists.

The staff of the base are split between research (and the CDCA) and security (via BTM). Everyone ranks more highly than their equivalent in 2056, due to the whole Innerwalker thing. The CDCA are in charge, and the top-ranking BTM officer reports to a CDCA administrator. That officer is Security Chief Ani Long, a tough woman in her forties with tons of experience. She has no patience for foolishness or jokes, and she is very good at shooting people and maintaining security. Her TacOps troops handle the guard stuff, and she keeps snipers ready at all times. The CDCA actually run the place, and several of the scientists are extremely good at Shaping. They only let the TacOps people get made into cyborgs - all the scientists have seen what that does to people.

The Senior Researcher is Professor D. Louis Southwell. He's a plain man in his early fifties, and he's...well, he is a genius, he's just kind of insane. He considers it important, for example, that the proper amount of formication happens. Formication is the medical term referring to the sensation of ants crawling under your skin. That exists, by the way, that is a real term. Louis is otherwise fairly non-notable. He's very smart, but not good at killing shit. He reports to the Base Administrator, Professor Ally Matthews. She's barely 35, brilliant and ruthlessly political. She has an almost intuitive understanding of arcanowaves, though she won't use them much herself. She is also, for reasons known only to her, devoted to Curtis Boatman.

The Architects and the Netherworld have a bit of an odd relationship. On the one hand, they need it to get the raw materials they use to make abominations, but on the other, without it no one could threaten them. Bonengel is uneasy with this, and Boatman is angry about it. He has no desire to be caught in a critical shift, even if his life in the Netherworld would be pretty comfortable. Boatman has several plans to secure the Netherworld, some of which Bonengel is aware of. The most critical is the Transtemporal Communications Cable, a modified fiberoptic that would, in theory, allow all of Buro's electronics to communicate in real time across any juncture. Implementation involves running cables to portals and installing comms stations on the other side. However, due to the unreliability of portals and the hostility of forces in the way, the CDCA needs to find several different portals to each juncture - ideally outside Asia. The comm stations can be hidden, in theory, so the big question is how to protect the cables. Professor Southwell wants to Shape ducting into the passage walls, put the cable in, then reverse the Shaping, hopefully keeping anyone from noticing the cable at all. It'd be slow, but it just might work. If it did, well, Buro would have eyes everywhere. Everywhere .

Another plan involves preparing a biological assault on the Netherworld's inhabitants. The disease's codename is Agent Crimson Loss, and it is very contagious, very fatal and very hard to treat. Someone contaminated can infect anyone they're near within an hour, but symptoms don't start for a day. At that point, you get weak and achey, and then six hours later suffer complete full-body hemorrhage and death. Bonengel believes Buro can then sweep in with the cure, earning the love and loyalty of its victims. Sorcery and fu powers would save a lot of people, but if Boatman releases Agent Crimson Loss, a whole lot more will die before the cure is released.

The most audacious plan, though, is one that (as far as Boatman is aware) Bonengel knows nothing about. It invovles making a self-replicating abomination programmed to kill everything that moves. It involves fusing Shaped strands with demonic DNA, then blending the result with cancerous stem cells. Boatman has managed to create a form of malevolent, hungry life that duplicates itself swiftly: the Autonomous Self-Replication Bioplastic Combat Unit, or Blood Jelly. Blood Jellies are similar to amoebae, ooze around at a fast walking pace and are roughly a meter in diameter when filling a sphere. They grow continuously, though, and when they hit double size, they split into two new Jellies. This takes around an hour. Their demonic material powers them, so while they hunger constantly for flesh, they don't actually need anything to survive. When they feed, they do so by engulfing things and secreting a powerufl acid. Boatman plans to just leave these things in a ring of caverns away from the populated areas and allow them to wander. His simulations suggest that by the time they reach anywhere important, they will be unstoppable and will kill everyone.

There's just one problem: the Blood Jellies have no brains, and cannot be fitted with Neural Greppers. The simulations suggest that the BRC will be killed, too. Boatman is trying to develop a field keyed to the Shaped elements in the Jellies to dissolve them on contact, and if he can develop devices to adequately protect individuals and the BRC, he will release the Jellies and tell Bonengel it was a research accident with beneficial consequences. The Netherworld would thus be permanently buried under a mound of acidic demon protoplasm and only people with Buro's anti-Jelly field generators could ever enter it again. In theory. This is, as you might guess, a horrible plan .

Now, on to the Hub. The Hub is the personal domain of Rebecca Dupress, without whom the Ascended would have no real power in the Netherworld. She is a genius, trusted and given more responsibility than any other human in the Ascended, anywhere, ever. Her successes directly advance their cause, and her failures, while rare, affect entire junctures. Her budget is enough to feed a third-world country, and she is attuned to more than a dozen feng shui sites to increase her Shaping power. She also has a very, very stressful job, since she's...human. In the Ascended. Sure, it's all very well to be powerful and pampered, but she is the tool of others, and she knows it. Rebecca hides her thoughts about other possibilities behind a placid, matronly exterior, and she knows that no other faction would ever trust her...and that the Lodge would kill her horribly. Still, the resentment is not going to go away. She's too controlled to snap, but if someone ever gave her a chance to get her frustration out safely, well...that would probably end badly for that someone.

Rebecca started as the orphaned daughter of an MI-6 agent. She wanted to follow in her dead father's footsteps, and against the advice of his superiors, her father's controller took her in and trained her. After a few years of highly successful operations, she fell in love with the wrong man: Roger Hattan, a fellow agent. A year into the relationship, he stole her life savings to pay a gambling debt and then vanished. The scandal got her kicked out of the service, where the Lodge found her and got her respect. She is now a potent martial artist and gunfighter who looks like a sweet old grandmother. She is a genuine idealist who wants to believe that the Lodge is the best government in the world...but that doesn't mean she can't be ruthless or vengeful. Roger Hattan is very dead right now, after all.

The Hub's full of smart people - even the mooks use tactics, because to get to the Hub, you have to be good . They like hit-and-run attacks, traps and being generally annoying...as long as the squad leaders are alive, anyway. Rebecca has divided her soldiers into Gold and Blue commandos. Gold are the elite, and any really tricky problems get Gold squads. The Blues are less experienced, and under normal circumstances a squad is a Gold leader and four Blue troops. Most Blues either die, get sent home or make it to Gold within two years. There aren't many actual Transformed Animals in the Netherworld, but the Unknown Name's policies mandate a quarterly inspection tour of the Hub and other Ascended facilities down there. This is usually a punishment duty for poor service, and inspections tend to be rather slipshod.

Fortunately, Rebecca and most of her fellows are loyal to their masters, and they've passed the word to their bosses. The Family most suited to the task of keeping an eye on the Netherworld, Family Tortoise, has started rotating personnel through the Hub. Now, of course, no transformed animal powers will protect against reversion, and the Path of the Storm Turtle isn't much help, but both are good at fighting sorcerers and arcanotech, which helps. Some, anyway. Besides, the Tortoises get all the rewards of the job, since no one else will do it. They have thus started the Sharpened Shells, a team of transformed animals who hang out in the Netherworld. Most of Family Tortoise thinks they're insane, and are thankful for it. At any given time, there is probably a Tortoise in the Hub, either officially or undercover. The most important thing about these guys is that they're insane risk-takers, and almost without exception the Sharpened Shells are young, brash and unable to handle the traditional style of Family Tortoise. They dress outrageously to piss off their elders, love rock music and drink too much...but they're still pure Lodge, loyal through and through. A real Tortoise outcast would never get the job.

Transformed animals from 69 AD can easily handle the Netherworld, and there's around fifty of them on the Hub staff. Most are in command positions, while a few are Sharpened Shells. Most animals from 69 AD, though, prefer a nice, quiet life in a juncture where there aren't evil wizards all over the place. The highest ranking animal in the Hub is Gangchen Kyishong, a Bear who serves as assistant director. He's actually very loyal to REbecca, and it's his acceptance that lets her credibly give orders to the rest of the staff. He worries about the Sharpened Shells causing trouble and undermining what he believes to be the best human administrator the Lodge has had in decades.

Other transformed animals tend to spend as little time as possible in the Netherworld, and a group of Pledged geographers are dedicated to keeping accurate maps of the portals to ensure this. Doctrine is for any route to be mapped out 48 hours before a Lodge member is due to pass through, and run twice by squads 24 and 12 hours in advance to make sure it's clear. In most cases, this is overkill - a transformed animal can usually survive a few weeks in the Netherworld and still have a 50/50 shot of staying human. Still, they don't like playing the odds. They also never travel alone, not since the Fire Temple incident in 1995. The Unknown Name forbids any groups smaller than four people plus any Pledged assigned to the mission. This has the advantage of greater numbers in case of trouble, but also attracts attention.

The Hub itself is invisible, because Rebecca Dupress is very creative. The chi flow in the area also discourages people from getting interested in it. If it could be seen, though, it would be shaped like a wheel with eight spokes, covered in chrome with brass accents. Each spoke is about the length of a football field and half as wide, while the rim is about the same width. The hub of the Hub is around 50 meters across, and most of the structure is two stories high, except the central tower, which is three. Inside, it's divided into eight sections - four main spokes, four secondary spokes. Each spoke is devoted to one group of the Hub's organization. From 12 o'clock on counterclockwise, the main spokes have Command, Military, Research and Security. The smaller ones have Logistics, a secondary Military spoke, a secondary Research spoke and Geomancy. The interior is actually less impressive - it's functional but not that pretty. The security is top-notch, though.

The military spokes are run by General Aurelio Oliveira, and it's the largest division. The Raging Tiger Battalion has a thousand men under arms, and that's why they take up two spokes. General Oliveira's troops bunk underground, and the spaces between spokes work as training grounds. The underground parts of the Hub are a maze, and the General likes it that way. Those who're meant to be there know the path, and intruders are likely to get lost. On the bright side, the armories are also down there, so any intruders who can handle the guards and the foot-thick steel doors have the benefit of more weapons than they can reasonably carry.

The weirdest part of the military is the Broken Wheel Brigade, started four years ago. Dupress believed it was a certain failure, buit it has actually thrived, much to her surprise. Membership in the Broken Wheel is open only to those from closed junctures. They aggressively recruit among the Netherworld exiles, offering a home to those who no longer have one. Anyone, no matter how undisciplined, can join the Brigade. There's a six-month training period where around 80% wash out, but 20% success rate is more than anyone expected. The Brigade tends to use unorthodox methods, but they have amazing morale and will take any mission. The Ascended have given them a new home, and most will do anything for it. Dupress is not entirely thrilled, but she's not dumb enough to leave these lunatics idle. At present, there's 75 members, commanded by a man named Colonel Takashi. His second is Lieutenant Parker, who many believe is Takashi's daughter.

"Research" is actually Intelligence, the home of the Ascended spies. It is run by Tsien Lap-Man, a Chinese expat from Hong Kong, along with fifty Pledged on analysis and who knows how many operatives infiltrating other Netherworld groups. Most of the Research areas are cubicles and offices, with the computer center on the inner end of their main spoke. The computers are amazing, and it's the best-protected room in the section. Tsien keeps backups, so security is trained to fight right next to the databanks, causing anyone shooting at them and missing to take out the information they're trying to steal. There's also a very high-powered fire extinguisher system to complicate things. Along with the spies, Research works with GEomancy to do science...including the infamous cloning tanks.

Cloning was a goal of the Ascended for years, because every conspiracy wants clones. Unfortunately, they were only able to prove that cloning humans is impossible unless magic gets involved. That didn't stop them from getting the Cloning Tanks, which are kept under lock and key in the basement. See, while it's impossible to duplicate appearances, it turns out to be fairly simple to impress a human chi pattern onto a suitable subject. (After you spend five years researching how, anyway.) You need to be able to measure the chi flow in meticulous detail, of course, and you need a suitable subject. The first problem was solved during the original cloning experiments, and the second was solved when they decided to try demons.

It turns out that if you superimpose a human's chi flow patterns on a sedated demon, they become a perfect psychological clone of the original. Sure, short of transformation powers, they'll never look like the guy, but they will think and act exactly like them...as of the moment of imprinting, anyway. These aren't radio receivers. The clones are useful, though, for interrogations. Captives no long need to be held to be questioned, and Dupress enjoys getting sympathy by telling captives they're free to go "as a good-will gesture, we're not animals ". The prisoner wanders off while the interrogation experts go to work on the clone. More rarely, the Lodge will send a captive to the Hub to be duplicated for psych warfare. Typically, the duplicate is then released to cause trouble. If it seems useful, they get brainwashed first. It's weird to have a demon show up with the exact personality of your best friend - and even worse when he "remembers" that you're the one who turned him into a demon.


Ascended don't take no shit.

Next time: More reasons not to screw with the Chicken Illuminati.

Try cutting out the left patella and inserting...oh, say, forty milliliters of ants into the wound before covering.

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

And now, a palate-cleanser!

Feng Shui: Try cutting out the left patella and inserting...oh, say, forty milliliters of ants into the wound before covering.

The Hub is also home to the Security division, whose job is internal security - both physical and internal affairs. Paula Morrison, the commander of Security, is in constant political battle with Tsien Lap-Man and General Oliveira. Tsien thinks Research would do a better job at internal affairs, and General Oliveira thinks his troops are better guards. Rebecca Dupress, though, prefers redundancy - it means the three groups all act as checks on each other. Security Spoke is notable also for having the only bar in the Hub. Both Morrison and Dupress would love to see the Golden Wineglass shut down, but it's run by Sharpened Shells, and pushing the issue would be a bad idea. The bar is small, made of a few offices with the walls knocked out, but the beer is top quality. The bartenders are off-duty Security officers; if Morrison needs to tolerate the bar, she's going to keep an eye on it. No one has any idea how the Tortoises get the alcohol into the Hub.

Logisitics is in charge of getting Lodge members in an out of the Netherworld as fast as possible. This is their entire job. They are run by Hui Min and have a hundred staffers on hand at the Hub. This is a very important job. Along with transportation, Hui Min also maintains an experimental division dedicated to lessening the effects of magic on transformed animals, or at least shielding them. In her part of the central hub, she has a lab complex full of test subjects. This is what the Lodge does with failures. The subjects who are still functional and intelligent are prepared for any chance to escape or cause havoc, and if the PCs have ever defeated any Lodge agents soundly, this'd be a great chance to bring 'em back.

Geomancy is run by Yuen Meh-funh, an ex-Lotus traitor who thinks the Lodge has a better chance of winning. His division is the smallest, since...well, competent geomancers are hard to find, but Geomancy still takes up a full spoke because of the map rooms. They are Meh-funh's pride, and contain scale models of the Netherworld based on the work of Research and his team's chi extrapolation. With Dupress' help, he's been able to read some of the Netherworld chi flows remotely and used them to map areas no one can get to. The maps are three-dimensional models, with scale models of buildings. As a side effect of the chi machines used to maintain the models, sorcery, arcanowave device and creature power modifiers can vary by one or two points off the norm for the Netherworld, and the modifier changes moment to moment. We also get a sidebar on the fact that, yes, the Ascended do have machines able to identify the chi patterns of individuals, rendering most disguises useless. However, the machines are big enough to fill an entire double-decker bus. The Unspoken Name has one in his sanctum, the original is in the Hub and Draco the enforcer has refused one on the grounds that he doesn't need it.

Command is Rebecca Dupress' personal division, and it is made of support staff to keep the Hub going. There's not much in this section except for Rebecca';s office - the best suite in the entire Hub. It is an amazing set of offices. The desk is huge, the bathroom is gold-plated and the security monitors can watch any corridor or room in the entire building. There is priceless artwork, secret passages, all sorts of stuff to hit people with - the works.

The Lodge's plans for the ?Netherworld aren't all that complex. See, they hate the fact that somewhere between 1996 and 2056, they lose . There's no Lodge in 2056. The Lotus may be the most hated enemy, but Buro are the ones who won. Rationally, they know there's no point in vengeance on the future, but pride overrides reason sometimes, and Buro is a problem. As such, a special Lodge think tank was establishedc at the Hub in 1994, with the job of solving the Buro problem. By 1996, they had a plan: Operation Bootstrap.

The Ascended know they can't perform large-scale operations in 2056, between the high magic level and the pervasive chi. That's all right. The Ascended know very well how to use other people. They plan to use the Jammers. Of course, after the Molten Heart, they won't work with anyone untrustworthy directly - and by god, the Jammers are untrustworthy. So they work indirectly, sending funds to the Jammers, attacking the Architects whenever they can and so on. It's not efficient, perhaps, but it's much safer. This, however, is not Operation Bootstrap. The first step of Operation Bootstrap just requires the Architects be weakened at home.

Now, the Ascended know it's impossible to take and hold feng shui sites in 2056. However, after reviewing Jammer operations, they realized that it's not half so hard to go for a scorched earth attack, burning sites there so no one can use them. Thus, at any moment, an Ascended suicide team might be blowing up PubOrd barracks or propagandists might be shoving their own programs onto Buro TV. The Lodge has also taken to shipping captive enemies and problematic prisoners to 2056 just to cause problems. Sure, a Lotus sorcerer is going to go down, but he'll cause a lot of trouble first. More subtly, they leak news of their own weapon shipments to the Jammers and allow the apes to capture them. The Jammers are much better at attacking the Architects when they have high-powered Ascended weapons.

So, Step 1 is going well. Step 2 is harder: a decisive blow. They can't guarantee that the Jammers will manage to take advantage of the chance, but they hope so. For six months, the best hackers they can get have been worming their way into Buro systems, leaving logic traps, worms, viruses and bugs. Everything is set to go off on June 24, 2057. (It's Draco's birthday. He's a major figure in the Ascended.) On that day, the Ascended plan for every computer system in 2057 to spew out bad data or crash. An hour before midnight, every Jammer leader the Ascended know of will receive an anonymous tip telling them to be ready. Buro depends on computers, and without them, the Jammers should have a window of opportunity to take over using the methods that work best for them.

So, let's assume the plan succeeds. The Jammers take over 2056, are busy for a while. The Ascended have plans for when they turn back to the Secret War. Those plans consist of turning off the chizu around MonkeyHouse. (We'll get to what that actually means, but suffice to say it implies that the Ascended have some really, really nasty controls over the current Jammer base in the Netherworld.) If the Jammers do the usual revolutionary thing, which the Ascended hope they will, they'll abandon their principles the moment the win. On the other hand, most revolutionaries aren't nihilist apes. Even if the Jmamers don't sell out, though, the Ascended are betting on the lessened arcanowaves giving them a better shot at taking the future by storm.

All right, on to the Junkyard! The Junkyard stands as a monument to all of the failures and losses of the Secret War. Sooner or later, everything makes it there. It fills a wide cavern in the "center" of the Netherworld, with pssages heading into the territory of each Monarch. Many have tried to claim the crossroads, but they always get forced out by everyone else. When the Monarchs came in, many of those they defeated and displaced in the Netherworld were forced into the Junkyard. None of the Monarchs wanted anyone to have the crossroads, but none wanted to actually have to hold onto them - so they set about turning it into a buffer zone, so full of random shit that no one in their right mind would want it. Which is why it became a refuge for the Dragons.

The Junkyard is a huge, mist-covered heap of objects in perpetual moonlight. Scavengers and traders make up most of the people living there, while the Dragons live in tunnels and chambers under the junk. There's many gateways out, mostly uncharted, and despite the Monarchs' best efforts, the tunnels remain unblocked, providing routes to almost everywhere in the Netherworld. Though once plagued by hunting parties by the Monarchs or field tests by the Architects, the Junkyard was briefly a fortress in its own right, protected by the Dragons. Since their downfall, it's headed back into being lawless chaos, with all sorts of local groups trying to fill the void left behind. Any new Dragons are going to have quite a bit to deal with to put their house in order.

The Boneyards are what the locals refer to the giant trash heaps as. The locals live like rats in the rubbish, scavenging for things useful enough to sell, or stealing from travelers. Though some of these guys operate alone, most form gangs or clans based on when they're from. These groups stake out parts of the Boneyards, learning their territory and setting traps for the unwary. (It's a lot easier to rob corpses.) In te past, the Dragons got the major gangs to work together as a militia, and some of the gang leaders still feel loyalty to the old cause, but are afraid to step forward and continue without heroes to stand beside them. The "boneheads", as the gangers are called, live in warrens in the heaps, using impressive engineering to create and conceal their lairs. Much of the techniques stem from one man - Justinian, a brilliant engineer and soldier who got won over by the Dragons early on. Since the Red Dragon Inn disaster, he's been hiding somewhere and hasn't been seen since.

The worst menace of the modern Boneyards comes from the scavengers themselves. A powerful and ruthless bonehad from 69 AD, One-EYe Hsien, has decided that he wants to control the Junkyard. He's got a gang of killers and martial artists out there wiping out the competition or forcing them to obey. He's already started harassing the Bazaar (more on that in a moment) and the trade caravans, an action clearly intended to show he has the power to isolate the locals from their livelihood at will. Once, One-Eye Hsien served the eunuchs as as a taxman and thief, but eventually he grew too greedy and wanted the power of his eunuch masters. He wasn't any good at palace intrigue, though, and he soon had a huge bounty on his head. As a result, he fled to the Netherworld and ended up in the Junkyard. He's gone back to his roots now, and he's trouble. Real trouble.

Anyway, the Bazaar. When the Four Monarchs started dumping their shit, they never realized anyone else might want it. It wasn't long before people started scouring Junkyard for usable stuff, though, and the scavengers began to barter with one another. Thus was the Bazaar born. It's a huge, claustrophobic mess of alleys and squares circling a hill at the center of the Junkyard. Here, traders gather to sell their wares to each other and to Secret Warriors in search of rare materials. Everything from flint arrowheads to "salvaged" Buro guns can be found, if you have the goods to pay for them. Some folks are in a hurry to get specific things, others are meticulous exiles poring over everything for an item to remind them of home. Like the boneheads, the Bazaar merchants operate in tight-knit groups, though generally larger and better organized than the gangs. For every merchant at the Bazaar, there's a dozen more of his buddies who're scrounging through the Boneyards for more goods, traveling elsewhere to trade or standing guard over the group's loot. They're not quite so clannish as the boneheads, though, and are always looking for new members, especially those with technical skills or experience picking pockets.

Originally, the merchants supported the Dragons as good for trade, but that's since left them open to Monarch and Architect reprisal. Many are now very bitter over the Prof's refusal to surrender to her enemies. The four largest merchant groups have formed a loose alliance led by a man named Johnny Fong, and their goal is to appease the enemies of the Dragons. They are trying to sway the rest of the Bazaar, who they see as the only true citizens of Junkyard, to unify against the Dragons and their cause. Thus, they have offered a huge reward for anyone who knows the location of the Dragons' hidden base or the engineer Justinian. Johnny Fong is less than forthcoming about his plans once the Prof is taken out, but many believe he'll offer her to the AScended in exchange for help subjugating the boneheads. From there, the merchants would have all they needed to bring in the fringe groups - the Monastery, Colonel Carville's Crosstime Circus, and the Temple of the Weeping Maiden.

Johnny used to be an up-and-coming Triad in Hong Kong before the Lodge recruited him as an agent. They wanted him to put pressure on the Dragons, a gang he'd never heard of, but for the kind of money they were offering, Johnny would have sold his own grandmother. As it turned out, the Dragons were much tougher than he'd expected. They smashed his triad and he was lucky to get out alive. His bosses were not happy with the failure, but they would give him one last chance. He was sent to the Netherworld to infiltrate Junkyard in preparation for Operation Killdeer. His job was to find the Dragons' base, so that they could take out the leaders in one fell stroke. Johnny promised results...but again, the Dragons were too good for him. He had nothing to give his masters for Killdeer, and he was called up to the Hub. He ignored the summons, knowing full well he'd be killed, and he's now staking everything on this one last effort to uncover the Prof and avoid the wrath of the Ascended.

So, what's the Monastery? WEll, it looks a lot like a medieval monastery on a hill, except that clockwork engines and ozone crackling can be heard within at any hour. This is home to the Order of Ignatius the Artificer, Saint of Constructors. The monks of St. Ignatius are actually from the same timeline as the Monarchs. In the 16th century, the outlawed Christians attempted to resist their conquerors by creating an underground religion fusing holy doctrines with math and engineering. They hoped to inspire brave souls to one day defeat the sorcerers through pure, "God-given" technology. By the 1900s, their monastic orders had developed sophisticated techniques for clockwork and steam. AFter 400 years, though, they no longer had any distinction between the secret truth and the overt dogma - by the 20th century, as far as they cared, God really did live in the machine.

By the 1980s, the monks found success. They were able to give crucial spiritual advice to rebel forces planning to go back in time and unmake the Monarch rule. A small group of monks volunteered to accompany the rebels to the Netherworld in order to provide consultations and a base of operations. As it happens, their advice actually was crucial, and their world was utterly unmade...along with their church. Unable to face a world of heathen technology, the monks stayed in the Netherworld, taking up an existence of scientific contemplation for the Lord. When the Monarchs set themselves up in the Netherworld, they just shrugged and decided that the Lord moved in mysterious ways. They continue their holy work in Junkyard, refining their theories and helping anyone who'll fight the Monarchs. They also occasionally lend out their rather unorthodox technical skills in return for a tithe or an errand for the monastery. The merchants try to get their favor at every turn, but Johnny Fong's stance on the Dragons has rather soured relations. The monks have great ties to Colonel Carville's circus, and help make many of its set pieces and pyrotechnics in exchange for rare and exotic items. The Dragons were very respectful of the monks, particularly once the monks showed their skill at repair work, but the Prof herself has nothing but disdain for them.

Colonel Bryce Woodsworth Carville is a former British soldier of 1850. He is also a war hero, mountain climber, lion tamer and cousin to royalty - or so he claims. Those who know of his life in the 1850s say he was actually a former quartermaster and con artist who got into the Secret War after deserting. His wheeling and dealing supposedly got most of his team killed when his greed for a jade statue in a Lotus Temple in Kowloon alerted the guards. Only Carville knows the real story, and he got out because God loves fools and drunkards. He wound up friendless in Junkyard, but he soon hit one a new scheme. Seeing all the exiles struggling to live in the heaps, he realized he could put their talents to use to make some money. After some scavenging, he found some old camp tents, and so the Crosstime Circus was born.

Carville's Crosstime Circus is a dazzling show in the old tune of P.T. Barnum. They maintain a compound at the Junkyard, providing many recruits and materials for the props they use. The circus is made of escaped Abominations, unlucky kung fu fighters, bargain bin sorcerers and more, with a wide range of talents and powers. Under Carville's direction, it really is a great show. They make a semi-regular circuit of exile settlements through the entire Netherworld, and Carville's smooth tongue has gotten them safely through it so far. The circus also does two month tours in 69 AD and 1850, doing business at the expense of villagers and farmers. Carville has also been known to smuggle "volunteers" into and out of certain regions, becoming an asset to the Dragons - if not a trustworthy one.

Carville himself is a braggart and scoundrel, always looking for a quick buck. Once, he would have sold his own mother for a quick profit, but after failing and landing in Junkyard, he's started to change his tune. The death of Carville's companions in the Lotus temple was, in fact, his fault - and that really bothers him. STealing from people is one thing, but getting them killed...that's something else. They trusted him, against all reason, and now they're dead because of it. He tried to salve his guilt by making the Circus and bilking both customers and performers, but the exiles he brought in decided they were going to trust him, too. Carville can't ignore that. These are his people now, and he won't let them get hurt. He'll do whatever he has to do to keep them safe, and will gladly support anyone who can hurt the Lotus. Of course, he still acts like a swaggering blowhard - got to keep up appearances, after all.

Next time: Dragons and monks! But not Dragon monks.

Noble sir, you look like a man of great insight and sophistication. You certainly can appreciate these fine...metal things my son discovered in the fields yesterday.

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: Noble sir, you look like a man of great insight and sophistication. You certainly can appreciate these fine...metal things my son discovered in the fields yesterday.

We left off with the Temple of the Weeping Maiden. It used to be a Buddhist temple, and it's the one place no one in Junkyard will enter. The few visitors who have dared to approach say that it is occupied by a crazy hermit. The hermit is a very fat person, possibly male, who wears silk robes and a sad Kabuki mask. Despite this, the hermit welcomes people with courtesy and invites them inside. Servants in plain kimonos are also there. However, the inside is very dark, and the servants are always perfectly silent and hidden in shadow. The tea is always very fresh. The hermit makes small talk, and then turns the conversation towards an odd story.

The story goes that a nobleman fell in love with a maiden, whose father was a terrifying sorcerer. The sorcerer was cruel, and the noble knew that if he and the maiden were to be happy, she must be rescued from the house and flee to a far-off land. However, he lacked the power to stand against the sorcerer. In desperation, he traveled in search of a demon, hoping to gain strength from it to defeat the sorcerer. In time, he found it and made his plea. The demon listened, and then gave the nobleman a drop of its own blood. It would give him power, the demon said, but at a price: whenever he saw blood, he must drink it at once until there was no more. The noble agreed.

The young man went to the sorcerer's home, bearing the power of the demon, which allowed him to easily strike the man down. At once, he fell on the corpse, drinking its blood - and gaining the sorcerer's knowledge and memories! Now he was strong as ad emon and had the powers of a sorcerer! He went to the maiden's room to spirit her away, but she reacted oddly. She pulled from his embrace and shrieked at his kiss - and then he realized: he had gained her father's face as well as his powers. He tried to explain, but she would not listen. Filled with horror and revulsion, she took a knife and pierced her own throat...but as the first drop of blood formed, the noble lept at her, unable to control himself, and drank her dry. As the tail ends, the masked hermit becomes frenetic, pacing madly. He explains that the noble fled to the Underworld, where to this day he seeks the secret to unlock the curse the demon put on him. So far, no one has had the right blood for it.

Those few visitors who have escaped the Temple of the Weeping Maiden have done so only by the sacrifice of one of their comrades, whose shrieks followed them down the hill. The terrible creature behind the mask has the strength of a demon and the powers of a sorcerer, and is believed to be behind sightings of a terrible blue-skinned monster in the Boneyards at night, a monster which drinks the blood of those it catches. The Dragons patrolled the Junkyard and the sightings stopped, but since their deaths, it has appeared again, striking even more than before.

Last for Junkyard, the Dragon's Lair was once home to the Dragons and, technically, still is. They used to run Junkyard, but their hidden compound was never discovered. The main reason for this is that it is actually dispersed over the entire breadth of Junkyard, connected by long, thin passages through the junkpiles. Each chamber has its own secret entrance, while the connecting passages are behind secret doors. All the chambers are boobytrapped, and if a given entrance is opened, the visitor has thirty seconds to find a concealed switch and press it before the chamber and connecting tunnel collapse on themselves. Justinian built it with several spare chambers to be both decoys and replacements. To date, the Monarchs' hunting parties have actually found two parts of the base, but neither survived long enough to tell. The entire compound has twenty-eight chambers, but only seven are currently in use.

Rapid transit between the chambers is done via a pulley and counterweight system Shaped into existence by Justinian and the Prof. EAch tunnel has a cable running along the ceiling with hand straps. You grab a strap and hang on, tripping a counterweight which sends you flying down the tunnel at high speed. There are also trapdoor slides to move through the base in the event of a chamber being overrun suddenly.

The first room in use is the Big Brother Room, or TV Room. It was one of the Prof's pet projects, and it has walls lined with video monitors, presenting images from across the base, Junkyard and even Netherworld. For the last few years, the Prof has been placing Shaped mini-cameras in strategic locations to give early warning and intelligence information to the Dragons. The cameras run until they lose Shape, at which point the Prof sends a Dragon out to place a new one. It took years to put together, but it's a very handy system. Since the Dragons' defeat, though, many cameras have gone quiet and not been replaced. Only a handful still function, mostly inside the base, plus one in the Bazaar and one pointed at the main gate of the Fire Pagoda. The rest of the monitors are tuned to IKTV.

The Workroom was the chamber the Prof used to repair and make equipment, and it had a ton of gear in it. There's a room next door where she lives, and she can usually be found there when not brooding in th TV room. There is also the Training Room, the largest area in the base, and the one that can't be replaced if lost. It was in one of the biggest junkpiles, a two-story space for workouts, firing practice and tactical training. Improvised training equipment fills one corner, while another is set up as a difficult obstacle course. The Common Room was where the Dragons took meals and had downtime. It has a small kitchen and pantry with food from all junctures. The Armory is the only chamber without outside access, and it's full of weapons. The Clinic is the makeshift hospital the Dragons used to heal the injured, and it's pretty small. Last are the Living Quarters, where the Dragons slept when they still existed. The rooms are cramped and spartan, but livable. Sadly, almost no one remains but the Prof, who has her own room.

Now, on to the Temple of Boundless Meditation , Netherworld base of the Guiding Hand! The Shaolin monks feel the Netherworld is crucial to their master plan - a fact that would shock many of their foes. After all, they are humorless and traditional, dogmatic and so unlike most of the Inner Kingdom. The plan will be seen in full in Blood of the Valiant, but in brief - Quan Lo is planning a full-scale invasion of 69 AD to wipe the Lotus from history. He has identified them as the root of the corruption that plagues China, and feels that to win in 1850, he must win in 69. The Netherworld, he teaches, exists for this express purpose. Only by saving the past can the chi of the world be purified. The time leading up to the invasion is critical, as is the Guiding Hand's presence in the Netherworld. The man in charge of handling things is a Shaolin Master by the name of Lui Man Wai.

Lui Man Wai has been Guiding Hand for a very long time. Before Quan Lo took over, the two used to butt heads often in debate. Quan Lo respected Lui a great deal, so he chose Lui to lead the first Hand attacks on feng shui sites in the early 1830s. Lui proved to have a knack for planning and organization, and his plans tended to succeed...until the Manchu army was called in, anyway. The Hand lost most of the sites he gained, but some good came out of them. He would attune to all of them after battle and took many in the initial campaign, so while they were eventually lost, Lui is the best at Shaping in all of the Hand. Thus, he was appointed to construct their base.

When Lui first came to the Netherworld, there was no Guiding Hand presence at all. He had to fight off the AScended and Architects while seeking a good location. At last, though, he found an ideally placed feng shui site, which he and his monks promptly took over. He then set about making his greatest creation, the TEmple of Boundless Meditation. The structure is a testimony to his skill, and even today he refines it. Lui has been in the Netherworld longer than anyone in the Guiding Hand, and knows quite a lot about the Monarchs, Jammers and Architects thanks to their work there. He has worked with and plotted against most factions, but always for the Hand. He tends to come across as an utterly honest monk who cannot help but speak his mind - which is untrue, he lies when he needs to. If he can keep the other factions distracted with honest postruing, big walls and heavy-handed patrols, then he can finish his most important work with little opposition. Lui is an awesomely powerful martial artist, of course.

He has many important duties in the Netherworld, though, and he can't be everywhere...so he's delegated some authority to three of his most trusted Shaolin masters. The first of these is the Crane. See, the Temple is the most important training center of the Hand, where masters are trained. All of the masters. Quan Lo wants every master to be an Innerwalker, and the Netherworld serves to purge the monks of any skepticism they might have. Besides, the place is made for training, better than any place on Earth. The man who oversees their training is the Crane, or simply "Sifu". He is the only monk in the Temple older than Lui Man Wai, and he has been with the Hand since its earliest days. The Crane is one of the few Buddhists who remained with the Guiding Hand when Quan Lo took over, and while they may not always agree, the Crane knows the Guiding Hand is the best chance China has. He's seen firsthand the legacy of opium, gunboats and murder, and he wants to rid China of the Ascended - even if it means listening to neo-Confucian babble. The Crane is a small man in his 60s, and while he is an extremely potent kung fu master, he has never killed. Ever.

He also comes with a new schtick: Sifu , originally printed in Back for Seconds. A character with Sifu can improve an ally's martial arts through advice and instruction in combat. Giving advice is a continuous action, and while you can instruct multiple people at once, it's a continuous action for each person instructed, so three people means all actions cost +3 shots. Anyone you instruct gets +2 to Martial Arts while being instructed, as long as they accept and follow your advice. If you and your student share a fu schtick, they get an additional +1 while using that schtick. Once the instruction ceases, the bonuses end immediately, and a character can't get advice from more than one sifu. Old Master PCs may substitute this for their standard schtick at chargen, or buy it in play for 12 XP.

The Rat is the second of the three masters. See, Quan Lo needs information. Without understanding the locations of every portal to 69 AD China, there will be no invasion. Quan Lo needs to know the military capabilities of everyone, any potential threats to his plan and, in short, absolute perfection. The Rat is this perfection. The Rat is the nexus of Hand intelligence, and the Rat's true appearance is known only to Lui Man Wai. The Rat is a master of disguise who has appeared as men and women of all ages. Even within the Temple, there are rumors that the Rat does not actually eixst, but is several operatives using the name. This rumor is false; there is a Rat, and she is a woman. She was born in the contemporary juncture, the daugther of a Golden Candle Society member in Vancouver in 1967. The Rat is her daughter with a banker, trained in martial arts, disguise and espionage by the age of ten. Her Eurasian features allow for many disguises, and her small frame made it easy to pose as a short man. She was eventually recruited for Netherworld work, and it was throught that her understanding of the modern world would help penetrate the Ascended and, to an extent, the Architects.

The Rat now runs a network of thirty spies. She has agents in the Pledged, the Dragons and the Monarchs' armies. Her intelligence on the Jammers and Architects is less good, but she has some. Her most important agents, though, are in the rabble of the Netherworld. They wander the tunnels like so many aimless scum, mapping the portals to 69 AD China. They have quite the list now, and when the Guiding Hand makes its grand assault, monks will appear in ancient China as though from nowhere. The Rat is less good at kung fu than her fellows, but makes up for it by being amazingly good at stealth.

The Tiger is the last of the three masters. See, the Hand are headquartered in the Temple of the Shaolin Dragon, a hidden fortress in Hunan Province. To protect it, Quan Lo decreed that all who travel to it must come through the Netherworld. There's a gateway in the Temple of Boundless Meditation that leads directly to it, and all couriers to and from Quan Lo must pass through. Because of this, the Ascended still don't know where the Shaolin Dragon is. The integrity of this system is vitally important, and the Tiger is charged with coordinating it. He is a master of the Principle of Movement and he makes sure it all runs smoothly. He is a classical Chinese bureaucrat who spent his entire youth preparing for Manchu exams. He was recruited by a Golden Candle agent and use his office to further the Hand. However, he was discovered and forced to flee. Somehow, he made it to a Shaolin monastery and became a monk, spending years mastering kung fu. It was not his mastery of movement and speed that got him appointed, though, but his mastery of bureaucracy. Someone had to run the courier network.

The irony is not lost on the Tiger. He faces several challenges, not least keeping the secrecy of the Temple of the Shaolin Dragon. He uses several measures to ensure it. First, couriers come to the Netherworld via a designated set of gateways, all of which the Hand controls in the Netherworld. Messengers are "arrested" by the Tiger's men, have black sacks put over their heads and are led to the Temple of Boundless Meditation. They can't give away information if they don't know the way, after all, and it keeps the Hand's reputation up. The messengers arep ersonally questioned by the Tiger or Lui Man Wai, and then taken through to the Shaolin Dragon with the sacks still on. They don't come off until the messengers hit China. The same procedure is used on the return trip, with the "trespassers" escorted out of Hand territory. To keep up the ruse, the Tiger has his men routinely grab Netherworld rabble, question them and march them out in similar fashion.

The Temple's grounds are particularly impressive, thanks to Lui Man Wai's skills. A huge wall surrounds the complex, and the area is constantly guarded by archers trained by Sun Chen, a legendary sniper who died in Operation Killdeer. Monks patrol the surrounding caves, dealing with intruders who lack respect or clear reason to be there harshly. Most rabble have learned not to trespass. The interior is a mix of function and ceremony. There are several thick-walled buildings that act as defensive points if the wall should be breached. Two are lesser temples, used to house the rank-and-file. One of these is dedicated to the legendary Sage-Emperors of Antiquity, and the second to the Duke of Chou. All of these figures are a big deal in Confucian tradition, and worthy of offerings. Also, there are hidden weapons caches.

The place also has typical temple buildings and pagodas made of wood and bamboo, some of which are used by the couriers. These have dorms, kitchens and so on. Plenty of room is left between buildings for kung fu practice and archery training. The central building is a five-story temple built unlike any temple on Earth. The first story is Shaped to resemble a crane, turtle and tiger, each facing a different direction. Standing on their shoulders, the seocnd story is a rat, fox and monkey. Atop all of them, the third to fifth stories are an enormous dragon, painted in the Six Colors of the Six Principles, with the head being the pure white of the Principle of Principles. This is the temple proper, dedicated to Confucius and Mencius. A fifteen-meter statue of Confucius dominates the Temple, and the floors are inscribed with his teachings. The Temple is large enough to easily fit over 250 people.

The upper floors house Lui Man Wai and his subordinates, as well as the legendary senshi chambers, specially Shaped to embody the Six Principles and the Principle of Principles. The chambers don't look like much at first - each has an animal motif and dominant color, but it is not until meditation in them that their true power becomes apparent. Each one is perfectly designed, and the seven fit together into an even greater harmony within the body of the dragon. The chi flow is so strong that the colors and animals seem to come to life. More than one master has said that he learned the secrets of the Principles from the dragon itself.

Obviously, the temple is a major feng shui site. The Chi here is very, very pure, and those who attune to the Temple get a 3 point discount to all fu powers. Those who do not attune but meditate in one of the senshi chambers get this benefit to powers of a specific path. Orange grants the Path of Passive Wings, green the Path of the Storm Turtle, Red the Path of the Healthy Tiger, Blue the Path of the Shadow's Companion, Violet the Path of the Clever Eye, Yellow the Path of the Leaping Monkey (Which we'll see in Blood of the Valiant) and White the Path of Sharpened Scales.

Next time: The Mouth of Hell.

Oh yes. Drog smash and crush. How original. How about leaving the brainwork to me?

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: Oh yes. Drog smash and crush. How original. How about leaving the brainwork to me?

Before we head on to the Lotus, we learn that the Hand have a second, quieter Netherworld base that often gets ignored. The Grottoes of Serenity show off aspects of Hand philosophy that are often overlooked. They are the result of Li Fei's work. He is one of the Hand's many Gardeners, and he has dedicated his life to understanding the rules of feng shui and applying them to the sites the Hand controls. He sabotaged feng shui sites, helped buld fortresses, and always kept his eye on victory. But surely, Li Fei though, there was a place in the Hand for peace and serenity. Resources, though, were precious, and he had to present how this place might help. Thus, he decided to build it in the Netherworld, which would take only limited resources and provide an ideal place to practice Shaping skills. Quan Lo loved the idea.

Li Fei thus build the Grottoes in a minor area near the Temple of Boundless Meditation. He cultivated the feng shui in the area by Shaping a series of interconnecting grottoes, the canvas on which his students would work. He invited Lui Man Wai to build the first temple, and so was the center chamber, a shrine to Confucius, made. Li Fei and his two assistants maintain the Grottoes, teaching the Hand students about Shaping and protecting the place from rabble. One of the Grottoes was destroyed in a fight between the Dragons and the Pledged, and Li Fei threw the entire fight out of the Grottoes in a storm of kung fu. He was upset not at the damage, which could be easily fixed, but that they would dare fight in a place dedicated to peace and beauty. Those with Li Fei's permission may attune to the Grottoes, and those who who spend a month learning from Li Fei and practicing in the Grottoes may but the Info: Geomancy skill at half price. Li Fei is a fairly skilled fighter, but his true power is in his unique schtick, Gardener , which gives him non-magical access to the De-Attunement, Observe Chi and Restore Chi effects of the Fertility sorcery schtick.

There are currently 27 Grottoes, and room for many more. Fescoes and murals are common, and it is hard to tell whether they're carved or Shaped. The Grottoes are interconnected, but stretch in all directions, including up and down. The first is the Grotto of the Three Masters, where Lui Man Wai built the temple that venerates Confucius, Chu Hsi and Quan Lo. Battle scenes and the discovery of the true nature of the Ascended decorate the walls. The Grotto of the Goddess of Mercy was made by the Crane, and it is a testament to the Buddhist goddess. It is now the unofficial meeting place of Hand Buddhists. Last is the Grotto of Sun Chen, made by Li Fei at the request of Sun Chen's archers, who wanted a monument to their fallen leader. It houses a giant statue of Sun Chen, and arrows are driven into all the walls, with scrolls hanging from them. Each scroll is a testimonial to Sun Chen's courage, skill and kindness, written by those who knew him best.

On to Guiyu Zui . See, the Lotus have a bit of an inferiority complex. They have the best position of all the factions, historically - they can't be undercut. They have infernal power at their beck and call. They control China. But no one respects them. They're the new kids on the block, and everyone treats their home like a target or a playground. The Lotus want that to change, and their work in the Netherworld is designed to do so. They know they have to show the Netherworld their powre in some grand manner, but ransacking towns and fighting in the Netherworld is hard. They don't have the support they're used to at home, and Gao Zhang can't afford to live in the Netherworld himself...but due to his brutality, he can't trust anyone who might become a rival to run the place.

The solution is twofold. First, he's made his lieutenants in the Netherworld compete with each other, keeping any of them from getting enough power to challenge him. This does mean Lotus operations are broad but lacking in depth, but that fits Gao's plans for widespread terror and destruction as the route to dominance. Second, Gao has recruited a native Netherworlder as his point man: the Strangled Scream. See, legend has it that some idiot tried to Shape an army into existence to conquer the Netherworld. What he got was the Strangled Scream, a being so hideous that entire towns have packed up and moved when word comes that it will be in the area. Hao believes the Lotus and the SCream will one day be enemies, but delaying the confrontation helps solidify Lotus power and makes that conflict winnable. It helps that, because the Scream was Shaped into existence, it can never enter 69 AD and challenge Gao there. Gao has also sent out numerous spies to ensure the Scream doesn't stray too far from Lotus interests. The alliance is new, but it might just be what the Lotus needs to win the war for the Netherworld.

There are three main kinds of operation the Lotus does in the Netherworld. First, there are displays of power. These are meant to show the independents, large the Monarchs, the true capabilities of the Lotus. No chance for grandstanding is too ridiculous, and currently the Lotus is focusing on winning the Supercharger 5000. See, whenever enough people with tech skills and no self-preservation get bored, it's time for the Netherworld to hold a race. This is the Supercharger 5000, named by a particularly pompous Jammer. It is an infectious display of recklessness, and anyone can join - Buro hovertanks, Roman chariots, whatever. Winning is more about bravery and stupidity than speed. The Lotus plan to infiltrate the race with teams of demons and sorcerers, using it to show off their strength. If this kills a few of their enemies, so much better. The Supercharger 5000 is naturally full of Jammers, who are often responsible for starting the race. On two occasions, the race popped up in two different spots at the same time. Once, the first race overtook the later one and became a massive running battle to determine which was the true Supercharger. The second time, they met head on and the races ended in a massive pile-up. However the new one ends, the Lotus are in it to win it.

The second kind of operation is to display Lotus mercy. This part of the plan targets the rabble. See, the Lotus know the art of cowing the masses, and want to put it to use. From time to time, Netherworld communities get attacked by monsters. Nearly as often as it happens, a Lotus sorcerer just happens to be in the area and able to stop it. How convenient! The settlements then fall over themselves to thank the eunuchs. The Lotus are careful not to antagonize the Monarchs this way, though, as they know they're not ready for that. STill, they're getting a network of sympathetic towns and settlements, and it could be quite a shock for PCs to find angry villagers when they take down a Lotus sorcerer. Gao keeps a close eye on these operations, as they could easily get out of hand and leave minions with too much power. He's careful to rotate the assignments for these jobs and puts more reliance on corrupt Netherworlders than Lotus proxies.

The final operation the Lotus tends to do in the Netherworld is expansion. Gao knows that he has a lot of power over other junctures, and Lotus operations in time tend to focus on researching history, stealing feng shui sites and finding ways to beat technology. A secondary Lotus goal is to find gates to different parts of 69 AD. The presence of critical feng shui sites not in China has been a bit of a shock, but they've adapted. They would love to explore their own world via the Netherworld, and to keep tabs on foes who think they can get a foothold outside China. Besides, Gao hates that there are entire continents not under his control.

Lotus power in the Netherworld is based around Guiyu Zui, a terrible pit of corruption. The Lotus are encouraged to spend a lot of time there, and this can make them rather vulnerable in the field, as reinforcements are rare and often cause more problems than they solve. See, each sorcerer wants to look good and make the others look bad. It's really easy to pit the Lotus against itself. Guiyu Zui itself is surrounded by a massive wall of fire, and as a result, most don't know much about it. It was feared even before the Lotus came, for demons often spilled forth from it to wreak havoc. The wise say that its treasures are as grand and beautiful as its inhabitants are evil and loathsome, and that those who go to steal it are so touched by the beauty that they give up thieving and swear their lives to its defense. The truth is more sinister.

There is no treasure in Guiyu Zui. Those who approach its walls are met by Si Hua, a red-skinned man in a cheap suit. He offers to make a portal through the fires once for each person. In return, they must sign a contract that binds their souls to defend Guiyu Zui for a century should they die within its walls. Any who sign are let through. If attacked, Si Hua will vanish in a cloud of brimstone and smoke. Any who spend too much time dawdling or who attack Si Hua are set upon by a patrol of the lost souls bound to guard the demon fortress. They are a motley crew of warriors, thieves and adventurers from across time, and they love to harm the living.

The fortress is made of black stone with white veins, which occasionally take the form of human faces. Anyone leaning close to a wall can hear the faint pleas for release within. Some of the souls are friendly, and may give clues and advice. Others are jealous and will mislead people. Worst are those who wish to help the Lotus in hopes of favor, and they will begin to whisper an alarm among themselves that will slowly reverberate through the fortress, growing in volume as it echoes. Guiyu Zui is not just a dungeon, and is meant to be home for bizarre, otherworldly fights. The place itself is mutable, changing due to the mystic nature of its materials and the Shaping of the Lotus. It has many, many torture chambers which are used both to gather information and to give demons something to do in their free time. Iron cages, pits of spikes, man-eating lizards, the works.

Moving on from there, you've got the Twisted Gardens, where the sorcerers go to rtelax. The trees are all twisted out of shape and covered in thorns, while the topiary animals attack anyone nearby. There's a giant bronze fountain shaped like a roaring demon, and blood sprays from its mouth as it slowly rotates, watering the entire garden. Unlike most of Guiyu Zui, the garden is open-air, so it's a great place for, say, twenty-foot demon monsters. The "infirmary" is the Chamber of Infernal Restoration, and it resembles a foundry more than a hospital. See, patching a demon together is usually done with hammers, nails and giant sewing machines. There's plenty of weird machines to use to kill people in case of a fight scene.

The Testing Ground is a huge, empty room which the Lotus have been using to test out modern technology. They initially thought it was magic, and have been investigating it. The Testing Ground is scarred by bullets, explosions and car crashes. Unless a test is going on, it's usually empty - the guards try to avoid it because a whole lot of ogres have been blasted, crushed, smashed and maimed by various tools from a bazooka to a rogue toaster. The real purpose of the place is to be a convenient explanation for any technology that happens to be in the area, such as the Geo Metro that an ogre has been using as a self-propelled battering ram. There's no magitech coming out of here - the Lotus just aren't dumb enough to ignore the tools their enemies use.

The basement of Guiyu Zui is the main attraction - it houses the giant demon that serves as the Underworld gate. The dmeon eats anything that wanders into its mouth, and shits it out in the Underworld. The room is hugely decorated, with no expense spared. The demon takes up an entire wall just for its head, and the place is covered in banners of dead foes and other souvenirs. Lotus eunuchs like to hold audiences down here while tossing sacrifices into the mouth. A special viewing box is perched across the chamber from the face, where Gao Zhang or whoever is running the place gets to sit and watch.

The primary defense of Guiyu Zui is ogres. The Lotus love gores. They're cheap, easy to summon and too dumb to rebel. Most ogres are variants on the standard pattern of warts, green skin, horns and fangs. They hit stuff with giant weapons and are very dumb. Some, though, are belching ogres. They have huge pot bellies that scrape on the ground as they walk, and they love to eat. The Lotus use them as mobile artiellery. Before a fight, the ogres swallow a few stones the size of a human head,. They then burp them up at speed using their Gut Blaster schtick, a unique Creature Power that lets them shoot rocks like cannonballs. It's nasty.

The Lotus also employs imps, tiny and defenseless demons with a whole lot of wits. Of course, imps are also greedy and self-interested, so their advice can get you killed just so they can steal your stuff. The Lotus used to avoid dealing with imps on anything but the most advantageous of terms until someone got the bright idea to team them up with ogres, so that someone could steer the damn things. The biggest problem with this plan is the imps' sense of self-importance and natural inclination to abandon the ogres or lead them to their doom. In a further stroke of genius, the Lotus decided to use that self-interest by chaining the imps to the ogres. This gave them independent teams of ogres to raid and terrorize the surrounding area. Everyone else is very upset about it.


It's like the worst buddy cop movie ever!

Then, of course, there's the Lost Souls. The poor, pathetic beings cursed to guard Guiyu Zui for a century after their deaths. They appear as they did in life, but are now spirits. Some enjoy their work, while others beg for release as they attack. Their weapons are based on whatever they had when they died, and there's no such thing as a "typical" lost soul. They return to their twisted unlife twenty-four hours after being destroyed in battle, and they are compelled to serve until their century is up.

The Strangl;ed Scream appears as a young Asian man with his face contorted as if in abject terror. His mouth is covered by a silk gag, silencing any noise he might make. He is a feared foe, for he is an extremely potent martial artist - and even worse, he can Shape minions into existence by infusing the Netherworld essence with the souls of those he kills. The Scream is a surly fellow who has no allegiance to anyone, and he wasn't a likely candidate for alliance, but somehow the Lotus managed it. Perhaps it was their sorcery, for it is known that the Scream respects power. He has been known to seek out and challenge those whose legend begins to grow. Others believe that the SCream chose the Lotus because, as the newest and most ignorant faction, they didn't know to avoid him. The Scream is more than competent, but he rarely creates plans. Rather, he intimidates and browbeats people into obeying Gao Zhang. He prefers to take an active role in battle, however, especially if worthy foes are invovled. He has perfect confidence in his abilities, and he prefers to make an open approach, allowing the bravest of his foes to rush him. It is said that only by devouring the souls of heroes can the Scream retain his form, and given his liking for fighting the strong, that may actually be true.

The Bound was created by the Strangled Scream to serve as his right hand. She appears as an attractive Asian woman wearing a silk blindfold. Her arms end in bloody stumps, which are bound across her chest with rope. Two amputated hands float around her, attacking her foes in battle with the skill of a heavyweight boxer. She is every bit as confident and bloodthirsty as her master, and almost as skilled. Indeed, the fact that she's always in the Scream's shadow makes her even more likely to take stupid risks.

Then there's the Chorus of Tongues. One of these is a monster shaped like a blocky, three-sided pyramid. Each of the faces has one eye, a mouth and a runty leg ending in a clawed foot. Each of the mouths has a slightly different voice, but all speak in monotone. All three usually say the same thing at the same time. They can "swim" though Netherworld material somehow, though they can't see through it and so need to have their eye above the surface. They do not leave a trail. These beings are the heralds of the Strangled Scream, and also serve as couriers for the Lotus now...though only in the Netherworld. The good news: they can't swim through Shaped objects and can't carry anything with them while doing it. The last of the Scream's servants are the Pack Fiends, which resemble the front half of a dog dragging itself around while its entrails come out the back. They travel in packs and the Scream uses them as foot soldiers, and sometimes lends packs out to the Lotus to bolster raiding parties.

Next time: MonkeyHouse!

Oh yes. Drog smash and crush. How original. How about leaving the brainwork to me? (Yep, again he duped.)

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: I don't mind dying in pieces, if the alternative is the peace of a dying mind.

Well, one last note on the Lotus: they have an enemy in Guiyu Zui. Reverend Zebediah Paine was a good man who cared too much. He couldn't figure out how to beat back the ide of ignorance, hate and greed...and when his wife died in a car accident, that was the last straw. He took his biggest guns and headed off to the mountains, where he found a nice spot to die. At the last moment, he decided he didn't want the anti-gun lobby to get anything out of his death and jumped. Halfway down, he slipped through a mid-air portal to the Netherworld. Zeb believes he's dead and trapped in Hell. By extension, the Lotus and their demons must be servants of Satan. Finally, something Zeb can put a boot into. Zeb is a good-looking man in his mid-thirties who always carries knives, a Bible and a pair of Desert Eagles. His unique schtick is Man With a Mission . See, Zeb believes he's dead, and his faith and willpower are so great that he can ignore pain that would kill a lesser man. Zeb has the equivalent of Inevitable Comeback, but it works on Will, not Magic.

Anyway. Jammers. Jammers have little but contempt for most groups in the Netherworld. They've been forced out of 2056 and spend a lot of time there, after all. They are marginalized, but there's a lot of sympathy for them among the rabble - as long as the food and guns keep coming, anyway. Anarchists of all stripes, people without hope, wage slaves - these are people for whom the Jammer cause has value. Most Jammers are still from 2056, but plenty of volunteers come from other junctures, for whatever reasons. Jammer tactics require familiarity with heavy weapons, explosives and breaking machines, and that comes best from 2056. However, it's hard to be a Jammer in 2056. There's cameras everywhere, and that means most people who'd be Jammers then either die or get to the Netherworld.

The first few years in the Netherworld were very demoralizing for the Jammers. Often, they'd find refugees whose timelines no longer existed, and they knew that if they dawdled, they'd share that fate. This led to a flurry of activity that was mostly brutally crushed due to poor planning. Worse, every place worth having was already occupied, and the Jammers' non-chi stance meant they weren't very good Shapers at all. After being kicked out of base after base, they knew they'd have to set up in a completely illogical place. Only one scout thought to ask the obvious question: So, where don't people go? There were several names, but La Selva Silenciosa, the Silent Jungle, was the most promisng. No other area really lived up to its fearsome reputation...well, except the Forest of Fallen Banners, but even the Jammers aren't quite that crazy.

Most travelers who find the Silent Jungle feel a mix of awe and dread. It's an immense jungle, hundreds of feet high, with thick, cloying air. It's around a kilometer wide and two kilometers long. There's all sorts of animals...but they're all perfectly silent. The area is completely noiseless, and it is all too easy to get lost there. Unlike most factions, the Jammers do not guard the entrances to the Jungle. Rather, they rely on its reputation to keep people out. Most do not even realize this is the home of the Jammer base, MonkeyHouse. They just know the Silent Jungle is a place only a fool or an idiot enters. Fortunately, Jammers are often both.

The first line of defense is the chizu , mentioned earlier as something the Ascended know how to shut down. (Which implies some rather nasty things about MonkeyHouse for the Jammers.) The chizu resembles kudzu, and is found in no other place, anywhere. IT converts chi into biomass, growing towards it and devouring it. It can sense chi out to ten meters, and will grow towards it, draining one chi point from all characters in range each sequence. When chi is used for fu powers, spells or whatever, it goes into a growth frenzy, "attacking" chi-users and trying to smother them with a Martial Arts rating of 8. All chi-powered schticks used in ten meters of chizu also cost double the normal cost. Chizu leeches ambient chi from the area, as well, and once someone enters its field, they can't regain chi at all until they leave. The Jammers hang strands of vines around their headquarters for this very reason. Fortunately, all attempts to transplant chizu out of the cavern have completely failed. Since the Netherworld might be solidified chi, a plant that eats chi would quickly devour everything - at least potentially. Chizu also doesn't work if it's dead, so ropes made out of it don't do anything. Jammer scientists are trying to breed it with terrestrial plants, but so far, they have failed because the Jammers do not have a single botanist. This is probably a good thing.

There's one other odd thing about chizu: it's slimy. The slime that covers it has a unique property that the Jammers discovered when they moved in. It breaks guns and high technology. After three weeks of exposure, all of their weapons had to be replaced and the cyborgs needed total overhauls. Professor Havernen, one of their scientists, initially believed it was humidity and rapidly oxidizing fungi, similar to jungle rot on Earth. However, the GunRot, as they named it, was very dangerous - and after a month, the Jammers thought about moving out. Fortunately, they discovered that the chizu sap protected their weapons from the GunRot, and it meant they could stay and be protected from high tech toys as well as chi-based toys. For every week a piece of high tech gear is exposed to the GunRot, it suffers one point of cumulative Impairment. After a full month, the item breaks and cannot be fixed. Treatment with chizu sap within the first month counteracts the Impairment and inures the item to further GunRot.

Anyway, when the Jammers camped out in the forest, they were shocked to find a Mayan-style pyramid more than fifty meters high, carved with primate faces and stone vines. The top of the pyramid was covered with a desiccated corpse that appeared to be a strange fusion of ape and insect, with a simian face, two pincers and chitin denser than anything from 2056. The bug's three-storyi nnards are now MonkeyHouse, home to Potemkin and his rebels. Green Rain and the Gun Nut both find the MonkeyHouse to be just a little too convenient, but no one will listen to them. They'd tried to find someone who'd Shape an area for them, but no one would help them. They're convinced that someone made this place for them, but they don't know why. (My theory? The Ascended made it and are trying to groom the Jammers as either allies or dupes, since they know about the chizu.)

Anyway, there's an entry into the pyramid at the base of the beast, under the sacrificial altar. There are fifteen levels down there, crammed full of Jammer gear, labs and quarters. Rope ladders run down the central shaft and are the prime means of moving around, though there is a hydraulic lift for large gear. The MonkeyHouse can hold up to 200 Jammers for extended periods. They still need more space. As a result, they've surrounded the pyramid with a barracks shaped like a monkey head and a huge treehouse complex rivalling anything seen in movies. It's a half-kilometer area called Monkeytown, with wooden machines that put Gilligan's Island to shame. It's possible to travel up to a kilometer in any direction and never touch ground, thanks to rope bridges and swinging vines. The Jammers use this to their advantage, and have heavily mined the easiest paths to MonkeyHouse. They're pretty sure it's impossible to reach the place without being blown to bits if you use the ground.

There are two types of Jammers that are based out of MonkeyHouse, by Jammer classifications: the Geeks and the Freaks. Geeks are your everyman Jammers. They're here for the guns and the bombs, and they break things. They die pretty easily, and there's a good amount of them. They're not quite cannon fodder, though - they knew going in that death was likely and they die on their own terms. But still, they're very expendable. The Freaks are the others, the ones who aren't expendable. The Geeks math it out at one Freak being worth ten Geeks. Freaks are discouraged from being insane sadists, but not prohibited. Most are scientists, and, well...science can be messy. The Freaks tend to avoid referring to themselves that way, though. They tend to be leaders, if only because they've survived long enough to remember what doesn't work and give advice.

Professor Havernen is the Gun Nut, though he...doesn't actually like guns. He was a particle physicist who rejected arcanowave theory, claiming it was too brutal and that the same effects could be done with existing principles if only they tried. He got laughed out of 2056, but he was just what the Jammers wanted. He's too valuable to be allowed to go home, though, much as he'd like to. Buro has no idea who the Gun Nut is, but the Jammers still won't let him leave. He misses 2056 terribly. He also doesn't like guns, but it's what people need. He's designed factories that can convert raw materials into finished weapons and ammo - and what's more, they're not Shaped, so they can be set up anywhere...though anyone with the right equipment can track the EM radiation they generate very easily anywhere but 2056. He's defveloped a relatively stable fusion process, which has made several toys possible - most notably the Clacker Gun and Mr. Pop.

The Clacker Gun is a rather large portable energy wepaon, named for the loud 'clack' it makes when it begins to charge. It generates a magnetic bottle at the muzzle, converted gases into superheated plasma, which it then fires when the trigger is released. The gun normally uses one charge (and it has 20 charges), dealing 9 damage per shot. However, you can hold the trigger down to charge it further. Each extra shot spend charging depletes one more charge, but increases the damage by 1. Holding the weapon for 8 or more shots causes it to overload, dealing 17 damage to anyone in a three meter radius - including the wielder. The gun can also be used in hand-to-hand combat, stabbing with the charging barrel and releasing all of its energy at once. This halves the effectiveness of armor and Toughness, but destroys the gun. Clacker guns are still pretty rare, and aren't really used much outside MonkeyHouse defense.

Mr. Pop, meanwhile, resembles a food processor and uses crude fusion principles to convert matter into energy, which it stores for brief periods in a detachable clip. It was originally meant to be used as a portable charger for Clacker Gun clips, but it turned out to be too unstable. Havernen decided to roll with this by beefing up shielding and putting a timer on the discharge slide, set for 1-6 sequences. Instant grenades! Each Mr. Pope comes with enough clips to make six bombs. The main flaw is that it takes a variable amount of time to make each bomb. It takes ten minutes to pour enough water into Mr. Pop to make a good bomb, but if the input matter is complex (say, organic matter) or high up on the periodic table, things get faster. For example, it only takes three or so plutonium pellets to make one. Once the clip is removed from a Mr. Pop, you gave ten sequences to set the device or otherwise get rid of it. A bomb clip does 20 damage and has Concealment 1. Mr. Pop itself has Concealment 3.

Dr. Alice Friedkin, alias Freaky, felt that arcanowave tech caused too many problems that were being overlooked. She studied under the sadists who made Project Cornelius and learned quite a lot from them, as well as developing a lot of compassion for the apes. At first, she was horrified by the idea of making more cyber-apes for the Jammers, but soon understood the necessity when her own arm was ripped off by an abomination. Now, she has an elegant cyborg arm that is practically a swiss army knife. She'll install cybergear in anyone, regardless of if it's actually needed...though for anyone not from 2056, she enforces a one-week cooldown period in which the subject must think about if they really want to replace a healthy body part. She'll also modify animals, but lacks data on why the Battlechimp line was so great. She's been slow in adapting it to other animals, but has made a stunning breakthrough in spider monkeys. Recently, she's begun to get frustrated with non-arcanowave cyberware, since it takes huge power packs and shielding. This is practically treasonous, and she's being watched carefully.

The spider monkeys were an early fad of the 21st century. See, spider monkeys were big as pets, but they got violent as they grew up and often escaped, adapting to life as urban pests somewhere between rats and pigeons. Even the Reckoning and the famines couldn't wipe them out, and every city in 2056 has its share of feral spider monkeys. Freaky has modified a number of them with enhanced senses, units that broadcast their vision and hearing, sharp claws to make them better climbers and a small fusion bomb in the chest in case they get into something important to blow up. Besides the bomb, their most dangerous feature is their cyber-tail, which makes a great garrote.

Now, with all these apes standing around pretending to be human, it was inevitable some Jammers would go feral to balance it out. Pannic and the Wild Boys are those Jammers. They're experts in guerrilla warfare, setting jungle traps and being general pests to anyone not from the jungles. Pannic actually has a Master's degree in anthropology and was studying the tribes of Borneo when he fell into the Netherworld and later fell in with the Jamnmers. He used his training to develop the network of treehouses and rope bridges, and ended up starting a psuedo-cult in the form of the Wild Boys, making up horrible rites of passage involving body alteration and feats of endurance. The result? Twenty of the nastiest jungle fighters you will ever meet, who worship the "monkey essence" at the heart of the cyborg chimps. They see Potemkin and the other cyber-apes as fallen angels, and hate the Architects for making them so. They don't much like Freaky or the Ape Factory, since they're continuing the Devil's work.

Last, there's Buster. Buster was an ad exec who produced a campaign to sell seeds to third world nations. It was so successful that her jingles were being sung by children in Lesotho on their way to school. However, after she got paid, she learned that the seeds were genetically altered to be sterile, forcing the farmers to go back year after year and buy new ones. Something inside her snapped. She quit her job, blew up her condo (and the three blocks around it), rewired her car to work by remote and then ran down every one of the executives who'd signed off on the seeds. After that, she began working as a freelance vigilante, and the Jammers found her when she leveled a post office they'd been planning to bomb. She was easily convinced to join up. However, when she got to the Netherworld, she changed. Her rage fell away, replaced by a desire to recruit others to the cause, using her persuasive powers to build an army of Jammers. She became a recruiter and spent most of her time in the Genocide Lounge (more on there later, by the way) spreading the gospel. She's one of the best. Virtually every faction in the war has heard of her and either wants her dead or recruited for their own cause. She's that good. However, any attempts to recruit her are doomed - she's a Jammer through and through, and that won't change.

Now we move on to the rest of the Netherworld. We start with the Unexpected Deliverance Society , one of the weirder groups. For many unfortunate prisoners, they are the last line of defense. Fearless and skilled as well as very dramatic, they have rescued prisoners from every major faction - good people and bad, monsters and cops, all kinds of people. The Society are masters of disguise and infiltration, as well as excellent combatants. They are led by the Bared Blade, of whom little is known. He, like most of the Society, affects a cultured and vaguely European accent, but his real origins are a mystery. Rumors conflict, and there's a story for every juncture, as well as several that no longer exist. Whatever the truth, the mission of the Society is well known: defend the underdog when there is no one else, and stand by each other regardless of the consequences. Above all, do it with style.

The members of the Society are varied, but there are exactly 21 of them at all times. They have several unique schticks. First is In the Nick of Time , which allows them to show up anywhere that it is even slightly credible that they might be able to, arriving exactly when the GM needs them to. So yeah, this one effectively just does nothing but say 'the GM can pull these guys out of their ass.' Panache gives the Society members +2 to all stunts with difficulty 12 or more, as they love a grand and impressive move. Harebrained Plan is the coolest of the three. See, when trying something stupid, the schtick lets them get a +1 bonus to all actions intended to achieve the goal as long as they follow the plan to the letter. However, if the plan goes off, all bonuses become penalties. For example - the Society might say 'We will disguise ourselves as Thunder Knights, and as long as we stay silent, we'll be allowed in.' This is two restrictions, so a +2 bonus, even if silent Thunder Knights aren't actually expected. Somehow, the plan works, as long as everyone sticks to it.

The Bared Blade was the founder of the society, and it's got...well, an odd reason for the mission. See, when he was young, the Blade fell out of a tree and had a vision of God. God told him that the Messiah would be found in unlikely guise, beset by enemies. The Blade took this to mean it was his fate to rescue the Messiah from certain doom, but that it wouldn't be easy to tell who the Messiah was. Rather than risk it, he vowed to make sure the job was done by rescuing everyone. To do it, he recruited allies from the best of the Netherworld exiles. The members of the Society are good, but given the suicidal nature of their missions, they do die. The Blade maintains the Society at 21 members, replacing each as they die (though after a tasteful funeral in their secret memorial ground). The Bared Blade has Panache and two unique schticks. Undying Loyalty means that any NPCs recruited into the Society are completely loyal, always. There are never traitors, ever. Miraculous Escape allows the Blade to survive if it is at all possible that he might. If he would die, a rockfall seperates him from the attackers, friends appear to rescue him or - if none of these could possibly work - he is wounded and left for dead but actually survives. Sadly, this protection extends to no one except the Bared Blade.

The Unexpected Deliverance Society prefers to operate in groups of three or four, and they have a knack for being in the right place at the right time. Any time someone is grossly outnumbered or endangered in a desperate situation, there is a chance - just a chance - of an Unexpected Deliverance. They have rescued murderous abominations, demons, villianous masterminds, heroes and saints. They are convinced that the Lord works in Mysterious Ways, and they won't judge any imprisonment by their own moral standards, which they know to be flawed. Thus, these guys will happily show up to fight the PCs if they've captured someone, even if that someone is evil to the core. Now, we have a little space left, so I'm going to give you a teaser for next time.



Next time: LASER JEWS

If Atari Teenage Riot are such anarchists, what are they doing selling their music to corporate exploiters?

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

That's cool! I figure a lot of NPCs start out that way. You worked on this book, then? Which author were you, this one has a lot of 'em.

Feng Shui: If Atari Teenage Riot are such anarchists, what are they doing selling their music to corporate exploiters?

What can I say about our next group? Well, I should give you their history. See, the Brotherhood of Hebrew Champions is from a very, very old juncture that no longer exists. The key turning point was Exodus. The Israelites failed to settle in Canaan, and instead continued east, eventually reaching Tibet. There, they met the Lamas and learned the secrets of chi, discovering how to apply it to their own mystic tradition of kaballah. The fusion was named Chi/ballah, and it was overpowered. Seriously overpowered.

The immensely powerful Chi/ballah masters conquered the Mongols and used them as an army, led by Chi/ballah adepts. The resulting force allowed the Jews to take over the vast bulk of Eurasia, forming the Sacred Hebraic Empire, which stood for centuries. Eventually, their juncture was opened to the Netherworld. At that point, Chi/ballah was an advanced science able to imbue people with immense power. The most elite force of the Sacred Hebraic Empire was the Brotherhood of Hebrew Champions, Chi/ballah warrior-monks with enhanced powers. A team of Brotherhood fighters was sent to the Netherworld with some soldiers as backup. The feng shui of the world shifted as the juncture opened up, and twom onths later, the team went to report home for their weekly debriefing to find that the Sacred Hebraic Empire had never existed.

Unanimously, they decided to obey the clear will of God and re-entered the Netherworld. They never noticed when the portal vanished entirely. The Brotherhood now maintains a small synagogue in a quiet part of the Netherworld, where they meditate, pray and tend to a small congregation of fellow exiles. They also plan their battles against the Devil's forces - that is to say, primarily the Lotus and Architects. In addition to the four Champions, the synagogue has twenty soldiers brought from the Empire and around 20 exiles of various abilities and homes as the GM desires. Rabbi-Captain Benjamin is the leader and a trained exorcist. He is assisted by Brothers DAvid, Michael and Simeon. Sadly, while he has tried to pass on Chi/ballah techniques, it is impossible. (I would, were I to have a player who wanted to be a laser Jew, write up the less broken parts of Chi/ballah as a kung fu path.)

David, Michael And Simeon all use the same stats. They are very powerful martial artists with four Chi/ballah schticks: Grounded in Malkuth , which takes 1 shot and costs 1 Chi. This allows them to adopt the strength of earth, shrugging off attacks. For any attack which does damage, they may make a Chi/ballah roll with difficulty equal to the total damage. If they succeed, they nullify the attack entirely. Speed of Hod takes 1 shot and 1 chi. It doubles running speed for three shots and reduces the shot cost of all actions by 1 for that period, to a minimum of 1. Further, Martial Arts attacks get +3 Damage. Wrath of the Almighty takes 1 shot and costs 8 Chi. For the rest of the sequence, thje user's hands and feet bypass all Toughness, Armor, magical armor and sorcerous or arcanowave defenses. Only unarmed attacks, but still. Kaballistic Insight is the final power, costing 1 shot and 1 chi. The user gets an impression of the immediate future of the battle, giving +3 to all dodges, both passive and active, for three shots.

Rabbi-Captain Benjamin has a different selection of Chi/ballah schticks. He's got Grounded in Malkuth, but not the other three. Instead, he gets Tiphareth Transformation , which takes 6 shots, 6 chi and a diff 10 Chi/ballah roll. Any demon or creature of the Underworld targeted by this schtick must roll Constitution, with a difficulty equal to the Outcome of the original roll. If the victim succeeds, nothing happens. If the victim fails, well, named characters take Blast damage, and unnamed characters are permanently turned into small cubes of pure gold weighing one-tenth of the original creature's weight. Objects or unnamed beings only partially composed of Underworld material, such as arcanowave devices or cyborgs, are parted from their demonic components, which then get transformed as normal. Arcanowave items and ports are detroyed and abominations are killed by this process. The material transformed manifests as an appropriately sized golden cube.

But that's not all! Benjamin also has Kether's Blessing , taking 3 shots and 6 Chi. This forces the target to look into their soul without any self-deception. When it targets someone who is genuinely good and honorable, it behaves as per the Heal Wounds power of the Heal sorcery schtick. Evil targets are offered the chance of immediate redemption, casting off all hatred, repenting of all sins and leaving the world and their guilt behind. It is the best offer they will get. Unnamed targets must roll Willpower, diff 10. Success means they pass on the offer. Failure means they immediately die and pass on to the next life. Named evil targets may automatically resist absolution or may choose to die as above. Passing up the chance costs six shots as the victim agonizes over the knowledge that they have passed on the last chance for salvation. If a PC is somehow considered evil and gets targeted, they may choose to die and make a new character or to take the six shot penalty and spend the rest of their life knowing they chose to be unpleasant. Benjamin routinely uses this power on everyone in the synagogue, to ensure they remain pure of heart.

We're not done yet! He's also got Holy Fire , which takes 6 shots and 6 chi. This resembles the Blast schtick of Sorcery, but takes the form of a bright beam of holy light shot from the eyes which only damages animate beings. It acts as a flashlight on things like walls. Genuinely evil targets take an additional +2 damage from the attack (or, if unnamed, get taken out on an Outcome one less than normal). Demonic and supernatural creatures get the same effect, which is cumulative if they are evil supernatural creatures. Shadows of Death takes 10 shots and 1 chi, and may be used to get a precise answer to any question the user asks, though answers about the future often aren't accurate by the time the future rolls around. It is much more exact than sorcerous Divination - to the point that answers are often practically useless, as the details drown out the message. A question about a mystery assailant might return an answer about the noise the assailant makes when walking on gravel. Lastly, Yesod's Pull takes 1 shot and 3 chi, and instantly teleports any human or animal within twelve meters to any other point within twelve meters. Anyone moving or fighting must make a Dexterity check, diff 10, to not fall over. A person cannot be teleported into the air with this power, though. Now we're done.


Now, let's talk about Two Face . Not the Batman villain, the band. They first showed up at the Genocide Lounge in 1993, and the Jammers loved them. They returned many times to play for their biggest fans, using both punk and hip hop. Eventually, word hit the street that the three members of Two Face, Nik Nemesis, Hal 2000 and 2-Way Ray, were going to move into the Netherworld permanently. Everyone figured they'd set up with the Jammers at the Genocide Lounge. Nope! Instead, they founded their own, unaffiliated anarchist collective. See, Two Face likes to party with Jammers, and sure, the idea of blowing up the feng shui is very punk rock, but...no one knows what "freeing" humanity from chi will do, what the side effects will be and if the Jammers will destroy the world. Two Face don't like that.

They moved into the Netherworld six months ago, and while it can be dangerous, they like it. No government, no cops. This is the place for a punk collective, free of corporate culture and consumerism. They want to try anarchist ideas for real, and if feng shui really works, they want to use it to make the world a better place. They've named their place the A-Spot, and it's home to a stage, a studio and about a dozen punks. It's kind of ramshackle and none of them have enough Shaping to fix that, but they like the aesthetic.

The music of Two Face is about fighting the system and sticking it to the Man, even if the Man is a sorcerer bent on murder. FRom the start, they wanted to bridge punk and hip hop, and that's why they named themselves Two Face. When playing Punk, Nik handles guitar and singing, Ray does bass and backup vocals and Hal is on drums. Their punk is influenced largely by groups like Reagan Youth, Flux of Pink Indians and the Big Boys. Their rap uses 2-Way Ray as the MC with Hal 2000 as a DJ and Nik on guitar. They are often compared to the Beastie Boys, but actually have more influences from Public Enemy and BDP. (And, to a lesser extent, the Wu-Tang Clan.)


It was the 90s.

Nik Nemesis was born a punk. She grew up in small town Oregon, and even as a kid she hated injustice and authority. She told off bullies, and while they told themselves they backed down because they wouldn't hit girls, the truth was they were afraid of her. Anger has always been her power. It was only a matter of time before she found punk. There, she became an anarchist, a vegetarian and a political activist as well as a skilled guitar player. At seventeen, she moved to Chicago, where she got into the local music scene and met 2-Way Ray. The two became friends and jammed in Ray's basement. A year later, Ray left for college in New York. Nik spent the next few years upping her political activities and wearing a big knife on her belt. It started as a statement, but she decided she should learn to use it, since scraps with white supremacist skinheads weren't that rare. While Ray was in college, Nik became a great knife fighter and a better guitarist. Ray returned to Chicago in 1993, bringing Hal 2000 and a love of hip hop with him. It took less than a week to start the band, and Nik loves it. Their success has increased her commitment to her anarchist ideals, though the Netherworld is putting those to the test. She has the unique schtick Rage-O-Rama , which comes into play when fighting something she sees as injustice. She can spend a Fortune Die and one shot to let her anger out, giving her +2 Damage to all attacks for the rest of the sequence.

2-Way Ray is a Chicago boy, born from a broken home. His mom left him with his Dad in Wicker Park. Ray saw more TV than he did his father, and he was on the streets by the age of seven, getting into scraps. By 13, he'd stolen his first gun. Any social worker could see he was heading straight for the joint, and when he got into punk and got a mohawk ,the deal was sealed...except that Ray was smarter than anyone thought. He saw early on that college could be his ticket out. Despite his punk leaning and his weekend binging, he did well in school and won a scholarship to the New School for Social Research in New York. He moved there for four years, getting drawn into hip hop and political activism. He also met and befriended Hal 2000, forming a short-lived punk band, but the two could never find bandmates who clicked. After college, Ray decided he'd rather not stay in New York and become another wage slave, even if the perks seemed attractive. After all, that just perpetuated the system. He decided, instead, to follow his politics to their logical conclusion, finding a way to live outside the system. Hal agreed, and the two went back to Chicago, where they knew some punks had set up a collective called the Autonomous Zone. It didn't take long to find Nik. 2-Way is a big guy, ever six feet tall. He's been called "the great white hope of rap", but he doesn't lkike that title. His rhymes are serious, but he's a joker and a clown, which often gets him underestimated.

Hal 2000 likes machines. Always has. He was the kid who tried to hook up his electronic football game to his dad's TV so he could play it like Pong. His love of music has been the other constant in his life, and his first job was in a record store. He kept it until he went to college, and when he packed up his station wagon it was mostly with old LPs. He loved punk rock and experimental noise, No Wave and even proto-industrial. When he got to college, he knew he'd need a job to support his tech and music habits, but he got to NYC at a good time, getting a DJ job in a club on the Lower East Side. He spun records for a few years and became friends with 2-Way RAy, following him back to Chicago. Hal's the quiet member of Two Face, serving as drummer and DJ. He spends his free time making gadgets, using both stolen Architect gear and stuff from Junkyard. He's invented a weapon called the Sonic Reducer, which he plays like an instrument. He may not seem as loud and strident as his bandmates, but his convictions are just as strong.

The Sonic Reducer looks like a cross between a rifle and a moog, and it shoots sonic vibrations that shake you up from the inside. Those who've survived it (and it hits hard, for 10 damage a shot) say it feels like cathedral bells going off in their heads. Hal plays it like an instrument, changing musical styles mid-combat to confuse his foes. The Sonic Reducer's damage is reduced by Mind, not Toughness, and it is especially effective against big, dumb guys. IT doesn't have ammo, but its battery pack is good for fifty shots and can be replaced as a four-shot action.

Two Face are direct action anarchists. They are the kind of people who liberate animals from labs, fight riot cops and sabotage hunts. They are active in the Secret War, and while there's only three of them, they can make big trouble. They hate oppression of all sorts, and can help the PCs out on a mission or just add to the utter chaos - after all, one mis-timed remark could turn a tense situation into a fight...or an alliance. They don't like cops, and won't get on well with any PCs that are cops. They also won't join a faction - not even the Dragons or Jammers. They really believe in their own philosophy and are unbending in their principles. So even if they like the PCs, which...could be unlikely, they're not about to join up. Between their bad attitudes and tendency to mouth off, Two Face are likely to end up in trouble, wherever they are.

Ahexotl is from the world of the Four Monarchs. He was an Aztec noble and warrior under Ming I, but he hated her. See, as a young man, he was a loyal warrior who fought in the wars of the Monarchs for glory in battle. He captured hundreds of prisoners and was knighted as one of the Shorn Ones, the highest order of the Aztecs. He continued to rise until he became a decorated general. He had believed Ming I's hype as a youth, worshipping her as a goddess. As a general, though, he saw what he'd been fighting for, watching as Ming I oversaw a corrupt court and fought pointless wars. She was all too human. He learned, though, that he must keep his intentions secret. He continued his work, securing a field command in a war against Huan Ken. He saw his chance then, opening secret negotiations with the Thunder King. In the midst of a great battle, he turned on his queen, fleeing to Huan Ken's court as Ming I swore vengeance.

Huan Ken treated Ahexotl well, giving him gifts and talking with him long into the knight. At first, he thought he'd found a worthy lord...until he went to check on his men, and found that their thousands were now mere hundreds. The Thunder King had hurled them into suicidal charges to reduce their numbers. Outraged, Ahexotl rallied his men and led them on a march to safety, harried by Huan Ken's forces. He made it to the Alps after suffering hugel osses, fleeing into the Netherworld. They didn't know what it was, but it was beyond the Monarchs' reach.

Ahexotl learned what he could about the Netherworld, setting up a defensible base there. He knew he could trust none of the Monarchs and that he must overthrow them. His chances of doing it with less than a hundred demoralized warriors was slim, but he had to try. His name had weight in Ming I's domains. He would use that. He discovered how to travel around the world via the Netherworld, and returned to Mexico to stir up rebellion. It seemed to go well, and he got an army four thousand strong...but Ming I arrived leading ten times that. She assaulted the rebels with Hellish magics, snuffing out lives by the hundreds. As Ahexotl reeled, she charged, and they broke and fled only to be cut down. Ahexotl personally fought Ming I, taking a terrible wound before they were forced apart by the battle. Ahexotl managed to get back to the Netherworld with only three of his men.

Ming I's arm had crippled him, and the darkness almost consumed him. He knew the root of his sickness was in the wound on his arm, and even delirious he knew what must be done. He ordered two of his men to hold him down and the third to chop his arm off at the shoulder. He lost his arm, but saved his life. Since healing, he has fought a one-man war against the Monarchs. He's occasionally worked with the Dragons or Jammers, but his bitter experience with betrayal has made him wary. His alliances are always short and tied to goals. He does his work and then vanishes. Despite a huge bounty on his head from Ming I, he remains alive. He does so mostly by blending in, wearing a long trenchcoat iwth a stuffed left arm to make finding him harder. When stealth isn't needed, he uses traditional face paint and feathers of the Shorn Ones, He remains an Aztec at heart, using a macuahuitl modified for steel blades rather than obsidian. He is also a very potent martial artist.

Next time: IKTV, the Netherworld's Source For Television!

Ya, theory demands a radical approach here, but I think that theory was not written in the Netherworld.

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: Ya, theory demands a radical approach here, but I think that theory was not written in the Netherworld.

Before we get to TV, let's talk about coffee. Well, sort of. Johnny Java was a Polish secret policeman during the Cold War. He bugged dissident homes, infiltrated Solidarity and killed enemies of state. It was dirty work, but it was (Johnny believed) for the good of all. However, the Cold War ended, and Johnny had to flee to Russia in fear of his former victims. He tried to get a job with the KGB, but Russia was having its own problems, and he ended up having to become a hitman for the Russian Mafia. There, he became known as Johnny Cracow. However, in his two years of mob work, he had a problem. In Poland, he'd always been able to tell himself it was for the greater good. As hitman, though, he had problems coming to terms with killing just for money. The nightmares began in 1994.

Johnny can't sleep, because when he does, all he sees are his victims. He began to take a strict diet of coffee and meth in order to stay up as much as possible, often a week at a time. When he sleeps, it is always briefly and ends with screams. In the heart of winter, Johnny got a job from a big name in the Russian mob: Vladimir Kovalov, secretly a member of hte Lodge. Kovalov sent Johnny into a strange cave network he said was full of revolutionaries. It was a suicide mission into the Netherworld, but Johnny didn't die. He took out a Buro scientist and fled, chased by ungodly abominations...and realized it must have been a setup, a suicide run that he barely survived. He didn't want to head back to Russia, and after getting lost in the Netherworld he couldn't if he wanted to. He became just another lost soul. Now, Johnny wanders the Netherworld in search of safety from Kovalov, whom he suspects is with the Ascended, but he has no proof. He has no real skills but killing people, so he keeps doing it, staying awake by his normal methods. That's why he's called Johnny Java, now, and while he might be useful, his paranoia and drug abuse are going to make redemption hard. Johnny has the unique schtick Totally Wired . Every fight, he rolls one die and subtracts 1 from the roll. The result is added to his Initiative rolls for the entire fight, but subtracted from 35 to tell when he starts making Death Checks, as his constant mix of coffee and amphetamines has ruined his body.

Now, IKTV ! A lot of folks have come up with reasons it exists. Some say it's an Arictect front, or that the Towson twins are children of a Monarch, or that it's a cult plotting to take over the Netherworld. The truth? It's just the childhood dream of a pair of geeks who couldn't do it at home. See, in 1996, there's a lot of TV stations and a lot of regulations and financial problems. In the Netherworld, IKTV can broadcast whatever it wants. If pressed, the Towsons will admit that they're idealists - independent and proud of it, pushing the limits as much they can without getting shot. They won't even ally with the Dragons, though they sympathize, because open links even to the Dragons would ruin their neutrality and probably get them killed by the Monarchs.

The station itself is pretty small. They have a small, industrial building, about half of which is taken up by a single studio which they Shape as needed for specials. The tech booth is connected to the studio, and most of it is taken up by the IKTV Broadcast Link. The reception area in front is split into two rooms, the rear half functioning as a makeshift dressing room. Behind the studio is a bizarrely homey three-story Victorian house with a white picket fence. The twins, Laurel and Columbia, live here, along with any employees who have nowhere else to go. The Towsons are the only real constants at IKTV, a pair of attractive twenty-eight-year-olds who are obsessed with the station. They're techheads, but no fighters. There's usually a reporter on staff, either an experienced veteran on his way down or a promising kid on his way up. The good ones find better jobs, since the twins don't have much funding to pay them with. There's also a receptionist, since Laurel Towson believes it's a sign of class to have one.

The current receptionist is a Romany woman from 1850, named Zathara Zabrina. She stumbled through a portal by accident and is currently contemplating an offer recently made by a Lotus operative, who said he could get her home if she'd give him inside info on the station. At any given time, there's also a small horde os treet punks in the station. The twins have a bit of a following, and in certain social circles it's a mark of distinction to have worked for IKTV. Columbia puts any punks with technical skill to work in the booth, while the rest get labeled 'Security' while the twins hope they don't mess anything up. The punks refer themselves as Ickies.


IKTV is the best TV station!

The IKTV Broadcast Link is a unique item the Towsons built out of an odd machine previously owned by a Netherworld refugee who claimed to be from a juncture in which technology and magic were locked in eternal struggle. (At least, that's what they say it is.) The thing is three meters tall, two meters wide and covered in vacuum tubes and circuitboards inscribed with arcane patterns. When operating, it does two things. First, it sends IKTV signals to every feng shui site in the Netherworld. The carrier waves resonate with chi energy to produce TV signals, using feng shui sites as rebroadcast stations. Secondly, it picks up the special chi energy generated by TV sets that receive the carrier wave inside a feng shui site, and it converts that energy into electrical power. IKTV is the only TV station in the Netherworld, so the Towsons are fairly certain that they're only draining power from viewers. They think that's important to know, since they have this libertarian thing about freeloaders.

Both of the Broadcast Link's processes require special subsignals woven into normal TV signals. The twins are the only ones who know how to do it, though both the Prof and Green Rain are certain they could figure it out if they wanted to. Curtis Boatman doesn't give two shits. The real problem is that someone is always upset with IKTV. It's the only news agency in the Netherworld, and the only one anywhere that covers the Secret War, so it's frequently breaking stories that someone would prefer went unreported. Further, it's valuable. Despite the Monarchs' support, the temptation to take IKTV is immense for...well, pretty much everyone. As a result, it's usually pretty busy fending people off.

The Genocide Lounge is usually believed to be owned by Jammers. It's not. It's owned by a man named Georgi Kotov. He doesn't really keep it a secret, mind you, it's just that there aren't really places to look it up, and the Jammers do love to hang out there. Georgi Kotov was born in 1815 Russia, the son of Russian nobles. He went to school at Moscow University, where he fell in with the revolutionary Mikhail Bakunin, who at the time was more democratic nationalist than anarchist, though the anarchist wasn't far away. He spent two years as a Bakunist before stumbling into the Netherworld from Paris. He'd have left immediately if he hadn't been dragged off for interrogation, beer and pretzels by some cyborg apes. (The Jammers aren't very good at interrogation, so many prefer to just get folks drunk and hope they spill the beans.) Georgi realizes that their half-formed anarchist philosophy was based on a horrible warping of Bakunin's teachings.

He also realized that just telling them wouldn't help, so he decided to be more subtle. He gambled his way into ownership of a minor tavern in Jammer territory named the Gun & Grub, and three months later he reopened it as the Genocide Lounge. Georgi's an old man, though he refuses to act like one. He still dresses like a Russian nobleman, though without much lace, and he accepts backtalk from no one. Despite the disappointments of his work, he won't give up, and he treats everyone with the same dignity that he desires. He built the Lounge as an example of the suffering caused by war. Each table is laminated with newspaper articles documenting that pain, and the posters on the walls show secenes of terror from the Gulf War to Genghis Khan's hordes. He was a little worried it'd be too sad, but his best work has always been by example.

Unfortunately, the plan backfired. The kind of folks who'd drink in a place called the Genocide Lounge loved it, and the Jammers see it as a lesson in what humans do when they control feng shui. They haven't gotten any less radical or violent since the Lounge opened. These days, Georgi has given up on education and just wants to have a relatively safe place for folks to talk...which is actually pretty hard. If the place gets too useful for the Jammers, the Architects will destroy it...but if the other groups show up too much, the Jammers will find somewhere else and it'll just become another dive. Georgi is a master of keeping the balance, using his trademark subtlety, both in music selection and decor choice, to make sure he's always pissing off the right people and playing the factions off each other. He hears a lot of rumors, and he's good at telling which are true. More than one mid-level leader has gotten their career made by a tip from Georgi, which helps keep his bar safe.

The Genocide Lounge is in what might be called the middle of Jammer territory. It's in a vaguely luminescent cavern surrounded by glowing mushrooms, and originally it was just a Quonset hut, before it got tagged by the best graffiti artists in the entire Netherworld. Later, Georgi expended out for a dance floor in the back, a second floor with open-air balcony and an underground crash pad. Now, it's a mess of Shaped attachments, rough wings and unsafe stairs. Inside, it's always busy. There's no real clock in the Netherworld, and no one really cares about the time. The employees have irregular shifts determined largely by who's around at any given point, so it's sometimes understaffed...but really, that's far from the worst that's happened to anyone who drinks there. The people who come by are those not classy enough for the Escher Hotel, detailed later, and new faces aren't exactly welcome, not unless they're ready to stand up for themselves. The old Quonset hut is still the main part of the bar. The music tends toward the hardcore and death metal end of the spectrum, but can really be anything from 2056 or the 90s. There are six private rooms off the bar, available for nefotiations in private. Upstairs, it's a little quieter, though no one really goes up there. Downstairs is a dorm with twenty bunk beds, which runs about 20 bucks a night, though anyone with an International Youth Hostel card gets a ten percent discount. Georgi cares. There's a policy against fights upstairs or in the hostel, but not the main bar.

The Escher Hotel is more upscale. It is owned by Messrs. Valentine and Ambrosia, and it holds the distinction of being the only four-star hotel in the Netherworld. Sure, they kidnapped the Michelin Guide rep who gave them the rating, but they'ren ot ashamed. AFter all, they used only the force needed to convince him to see the hotel, and everything after that was his own affair. No true arbiter of good taste would let threats effect his judgement, right? And it is a nice place. From the outside, it looks like a five-story building in the Victorian style. Each room has a small balcony, suitable for observing the local terrain. There's a wide staircase up to the main entrance, and the only real oddity is that the windows and balconies are often at a ninety-degree angle to horizontal, though that doesn't seem to bother those who use them. The roof has its own set of odd windows, though the basement, despite rumors, does not. The basement is solely for service functions.

Inside, the Hotel is a bit worn but very well-decorated in a generally Egyptian motif. The staff is invariably polite, and there is a doorman on hand at all times to get your bags. The interior has weider geometry, though. Staircases head up to each wall, from corner to corner, in co clear order. Archways lead to passages in all directions, more staircases and the rooms. Heading off the ground floor may lead to a wall that turns into a floor via the right path. This can cause nausea if you're not ready for it. The lights are glass lotuses, which cause weird shadows. All combat skills are at -1 for the first two sequences in which someone fights in the Hotel.

A bar named the Red Sea caters to guests who like intimate and quiet drinking, serving all kinds of quality liqours, including the famous Midnight Brandy of the Darkness Pagoda. Those who ask can even get mixed drinks from every juncture - even 2056, though Mr. Ambrosia holds that there is no good liqour from 2056. The resident lounge singer, Mina, is there most nights. There is no restaurant, though the room service is excellent, especially the sushi. The Hotel has 36 rooms and four suites. The twelve largest rooms each connect to two smaller rooms, allowing bodyguards quick access to their employers. On average, the hotel is usually half full, but the business is seasonal, as ever. The security is pretty good, but more concerned with the hotel than its patrons. Mr. Valentine holds that those who travel in the Netherworld without being able to take care of thesmelves rarely make it to the Escher. There are twelve security guards on three shifts when the place is fully staffed, as well as six doormen and three concierges. The concierges have been trained a security heads by the owners, since it can be so hard to get both polite and combat-skilled people. Similarly, the doormen mix with the security teams.

Security is managed by Kevin Hong, a refugee from 69 AD who is both a competent leader and a sorcerer, should his magical might be needed. He used to go by Zhi Feng, and fled to the Netherworld after fighting a major Lotus eunuch in his home village. (He won.) He got his name and face changed while in the Netherworld; plastic surgery works wonders for anonymity. The Escher itself is not actually that strong as a feng shui site - strictly second-rate, in fact. However, thanks to Mr. Ambrosia's ability to think in three dimensions and Mr. Valentine's Shaping, it is a marvel of defense. The staircases and passages capture and refocus chi such that it is very hard to attack people. Beyond all normal benefits of attunement, those attuned to the Escher Hotel get +2 to all defensive AVs while inside it, including Willpower rolls, but not including attacks made in self-defense.

The hotel opened up around a decade ago, just after the critical shift that brought the Monarchs in. Neither Valentine nor Ambrosia will speak of it, but those in the know believe Valentine was a spy for Huan Ken and Ambrosia was a restaurant owner in magical Berlin. The two were bright enough to see that the Monarchs would ruin their own rule, and Valentine had enough rank to know about the Netherworld. On March 14th, 1986, they liquidated their holdings and fled. In the early days, the Escher wasn't all that grand, but the pair were quick to realize the significance when the Architects showed up, and they traded their portal maps to the Buro in exchange for help taking some real estate. The Architect colonel who made the deal didn't realize the value of the site, and the nature of the location combined with Ambrosia's genomancy made it highly defensible. Since everyone needs a nice, classy place to do business, the ARchitects haven't complained. It doesn't hurt that the owners sometimes slip the Architects some intelligence, and at least one TacOps team loves the place.

Valentine is a tall martial artist and gunman who tends to stay quiet, while Ambrosia is a short and hurried man who loves to talk. He can hold his own in a fight, but tries to avoid doing so, as he's terribly afraid of dying. Both have vaguely European accents which are impossible to place, and both have strong tastes in slightly archaic formalwear.

The Sunless Sea is the biggest body of water in the Netherworld. There's no moon, so no tides. It's stagnant, smells funny and is full of mold and fungi, which are eaten by blind cave fish. Also, sea serpents, man-eating mermaids and the Living Intestines of Yang Luo. Yang Luo, as we recall, was a huge demon that the Architects blasted to bits. His head vanished to part sunknown, but the intestines slithered into the sea, grew teeth and now attack anything they meet. They have the unique schtick Navigational Peristalsis . Whenever they attack a ship, they can take six shots to loop themselves around it. They then roll Creature Powers against Drive, and if they win, they're attached, automatically dealing 1 Wreck every three shots. While attached, they can't be outrun. Fortunately, people are too small to be attacked this way, and a ship can escape by rolling Drive against their Creature Powers.

The Sunless Sea is full of otherwise extinct species, and many believe that there must be an underwater portal near Madagascar, explaining how the coelacanth was rediscovered. Many also believe there's a portal in Loch Ness. Most people who visit the Sunless Sea don't see much but fish, muck and an evil set of internal organs. The fishers, Architects and Lodge know otherwise. The fisher-folk are pretty well paid for their work - there's food here, and the Bazaar buys food high. Sure, there's sea monsters, but they're their own bosses, since everyone thinks the place is worthless. There's one secret they have, which they found by accident. One day, a boat capsized, and the owner found he could breathe the water. Just in that spot, mind - you can drown elsewhere, but the fishermen carefully mapped out the breathing spot. They've since found others, and at least one has a feng shui site at the bottom, apparently a relic of some ancient civlization. The fishers have attuned to it and use their meager Shaping to leave navigational marks on the ceiling. These are gibberish to most viewers, but the Architects and Lodge can read most of them...and, sadly for the fishers, often change them to confuse each other.

The fishers have fairly little use for the breathing spots, but they make great hideouts, and recently some fishers have gotten ahold of spearguns and hope to make more money by going toe-to-toe with the big fish at the bottom. The Architects and Lodge, meanwhile, are looking for underwater portals. They're the only ones with the tech to really map out and use the gates, and are both trying to sabotage each other. It's stayed a cold war for now, but it's only pretty cold. The Lodge have an invisible dock along the shore and use a fleet of microsubs and one large torpedo boat. The Architects have a sub pen in an undersea cavern with a portal to 1850, which they sue to bring in futuristic modular subs.

Next time: In Xanadu did Kubla Khan/A stately pleasure-dome decree.

We must harden our hearts and bodies - that is why you must pass the Ordeal of the Smoldering Coals.

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: We must harden our hearts and bodies - that is why you must pass the Ordeal of the Smoldering Coals.

Xanadu lies across the River Alph. It is said that upon hearing the roar of the Alph, Kubla Khan stopped his horse and wept, telling his general that within it he heard a mighty army riding to victory. He ordered, it is said, that a palace be built on that very spot so that for the rest of his life he might hear eternal battle. It's a nice story, sure, and it keeps the tourists coming, but it's not true. Kubla Khan was from the 11th century, too late or too early to have come to the Netherworld and built the place. Instead, it seems to have been built as a tribute to the Coleridge poem. If pressed, the locals will say that, shortly after the current junctures opened, thee men with thick British accents (probably from Hong Kong, though one insisted on telling everyone he was from Porlock) set up near the Sunless Sea with a lot of scientific equipment. The next morning, they were gone, but they left a tunnel to Xanadu behind.

The River Alpha can be seen from the entry tunnel as it flows near the city of Xanadu. Ancient conifers surround the walled city, so whoever made the place was familiar with cooler climates. The temperature is nice, the light is warm and there's always a slight wind. The short rise makes it possible for visitors to see the river and should let them see over the wall into the city, but it never quite does. Only the tops of golden domes and crystal spires can be seen - just enough to get people curious. Getting inside is actually a little tricky, as no matter where you start your journey through the forest, the gate is always on the other side of the city. It might be possible to fly, leap or climb the wall, but the people inside would consider it very vulgar.

Once inside, it's a bit of a letdown. Everything seems horribly plain, besides the crystal spires and gold domes. That's when the song starts - a song that's long forgotten, and a smell that brings memories of home-cooked meals. The people suddenly seem familiar. The restaurants are full of greet foods and the taverns with wine that tastes just like your first taste of soda pop. The beds are soft and the people kind. There's a sense in the air that everything might be a little naughty - but on closer inspection, it never is. Xanadu is full of the power of suggestion, and for most who come, that is all it needs.

Within a day, all visitors are approached by a vaguely Mediterranean woman of unearthly beauty. She speaks of the pleasures of Xanadu, all the pleasures you can imagine, and suggests they stay as long as their mind is open. And, sure enough, the longer you stay, the longer your old schedules and regimens seem trivial next to the pleasures of Xanadu. The people here include geniuses who will debate any topic, and each day brings new chances to test your convictions. If you can stand to them, you remain...but if not, you will find yourself asleep on the ground outside the wall. No matter how many times you circule the city, the gate will not appear, and the wall cannot be climbed now by any means. Before you may re-enter Xanadu, you must re-think some aspect of your life related to the challenge you failed.

Of course, no such place could go unconquered, and the Lotus have claimed the place. Their leader is Xian Xia Li, who once served beside Gao Zhang. He came to conquer, but was conquered by Xanadu. He sends weekly messages home, asking Gao Zhang to come, but every invitation is ignored. Agents sent to investigate come back with goofy grins and weird optimism that mixes with all they do. Gao watches these agents closely, but they seem to be loyal still. The enigmatic woman who meets visitors, Lys, could be said to be the true ruler of Xanadu. She is content to maintain her field of opium poppies between the wall and the Alph. Through this plant, she has spied on would-be emperors for centuries. She lures many to Xanadu, replacing their lust for power with...something else. She never kills, though, and she wants no conquest. She just wants to expand consciousness to new frontiers. Any can leave Xanadu whenever they want, but who would willingly leave? Kubla Khan remains there still, tilling the poppy fields by day and dreaming of unknown pleasures at night.

Anyone who takes the opium Lys grows, called the Milk of Paradise, suffers frp, fever dreams. No matter where their body lies, they become a ghost at the gate of Xanadu, invisible and intangible to all but Lys, who waits in the garden. She does not speak, but will write complex instructions in classical Greek and can apparently read minds. Lys has an extended network of agents through history who spy on critical figures, keep track of shifts and use the Milk of Paradise to report back. Only once has someone who wasn't meant to get it gotten his hands on it, when an agent of Xanadu was attacked in London and some of it got sold to an apothecary. It got made into laudanum, which was bought by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, who took it and witnessed Xanadu. LYs was apparently aware of this and sent her agent in Porlock to rouse him from the dream. The rest is history.

Pinballhalla , meanwhile, is the in place. It is owned by Raymond Fong, an unassuming techie from 1996. He Shaped the arcade of his dreams from the Netherworld, and it's a testament to the place's popularity and Raymond's genius that Lotus ogres and Thunder Knights can both come here and not fight too often. In the arcade itself, anyway. Visitors often get bonus entertainment from brawls just outside. Pinballhalla is dark and noisy, with 80s pop blaring through the speakers. Grim vikings with broadwords watch the door and keep an eye out for trouble. In fact, the Viking bouncers are how Pinballhalla got its name. Customers can barter for game tokens at a pair of booths which accept money from any time but prefer material goods, ranging from food to tools, though electronics and computer parts get the best rates.

The popularity of Pinballhalla isn't just that it has all the classics and the best new games, but that Raymond makes his own custom units. Many are Shaped, which lets him make stuff decades ahead of its time. IT's common knowledge that he gets protection from Huan Ken in exchange for allowing the Thunder King first crack at every game he makes. Sure, Huan Ken might decide to take one home every once in a while, but that's the price of doing business. The Pinball Hall is the masterpiece of the place, a huge human-scale pinball machine in the basement. Thrill-seekers and those who start fights in the arcade can enter the game and try to stop Raymond from scoring points. Most games use ramps as the big point-makers, and Raymond's is no exception. There's usually two or three open at the top of the field, though the Pinball Hall does change over time, and they snake around the board and slope towards the flippers. The ball can slow down a lot on those, but they're so twisty that it's usually on you before you can react.

A locked ball is considered lost, but if a second is sent up the lock hole, the locked ball is freed, and now therre's two. If a character decides to hide in the lock, he'll be trapped by a trap door that will only open when a ball hits it. There's also eight bumpers scattered around the table. To get points, you have to hit them in order and then send the ball up a ramp. Each bumper is worth a thousand times the value on it in points, plust a bonus of 1000 times the sum of the bumpers hit when you go up the ramp. Characters who run into a bumper are knocked around just like balls, and the bumpers are very sensitive indeed. Raymond likes when people try to take cover on them, since he gets points for it.

Raymond Fong is your typical geek in his mid-20s. He was picked on in school and still has a grudge against people who look like jocks. He also resents the power the factions hold over the Netherworlders, and would be really happy if the Secret War just ended so he could build games in peace. If approached discreetly, he could be a big help to freedom-loving PCs when it comes to technological toys. Raymond's sore spot is his knowledge that the games he made before coming to the Netherworld will be popular no matter what. See, his Lodge-controlled bosses in 1996 attuned him, unknown to him, to several sites in a bid to get his games a jump in sales fuelled by chi. Raymond sees Pinballhalla as a chance to prove he never needed the help. He hires the Vikings from Huan Ken, and they work in exchange for free plays during closed hours.

Now, if you're in the Netherworld, you might like grand battles. But there's no open space! Enter Thurston White, owner of the Blood Fields . He's a bizarre cyborg who can Shape the Netherworld better than anyone outside a faction. He uses his skills to make battlefields, which he then rents out to the highest bidder. The Blood Fields are always open and will serve anyone, building battlefields to order. Thurston is one of the few remnants from a long-erased juncture where magic and technology got rammed together. He's a bronze and iron cyborg built to resemble a nude and attractive male. Bulky gears come out at his joints, especially the knees and elbows. His face is a human skull with organic eyes and tongue. When he wants to be more presentable, he covers it with a cloak of human skin, the hood of which stretches over his head and makes him look like a teenager. It's impossible to identify as a mask until he removes it.

Thurston's head and spine can detach from his body and fly around, with the body trailing along behind. He can often be found wandering the Fields, waiting for customers. His Shaping power is so great that he can make whatever he wants, though he only ever changes terrain, and never makes objects. He's probably immortalsince no one alive can remember what juncture he was from, and whoever overwrote it seems to be long gone. He never, ever leaves the Blood Fields. Many believe he's cursed to stay there, or derives his Shaping power from being there. His powers could be used to raise hell, but he never does. No one knows why. Thurston is very longely, and tends to cling to customers and make pointless small talk as long as possible. He's been known to drag out contract negotiations just to keep someone around to talk to. His poor social skills are a minor obstacle in getting your own rented battlefield, and it's cost him any chance of getting a great reputation in the Secret War, but as long as people keep visiting, Thurston doesn't mind.

And yes, the Blood Fields are a GM's excuse to have any set piece they want, even if there's nowhere else for it to be. Thurston will make anything, no questions asked. He doesn't care what his clients do there as long as they pay the bills, too, so the Fields can be used as temporary headquarters for world-changing rituals, too! Blood Field rates are variable and should reflect how accessible the GM wants to make them for the PCs. If the idea of them renting a fortress made to order bothers the GM, the price is more than they can afford. If not, prices are low or they can talk Thurston into it in exchange for some company.

The Clock House lies in some distant corner of the Netherworld. Travelers approaching it can hear it before they see it, because it ticks like a clock. The noise is never louder than a whisper, but it can be heard up to two and a half kilometers away. The appearance is different for each viewer, always appearing as a once rich and opulent dwelling from the viewer's home time and culture, but one which has gone rundown and seen better days. (An American, for example, would see something resembling the house from the Addams Family.) The only entrance is the front door, and that always stays the same: a two meter wide, three meter tall bronze slab. Set on the door is a carving of a grandfather clock with movable hands. If it's set to 8:15, the door opens.

Clock House is empty inside, painted white and rather plain. Each room is lit by a chandelier that never goes out. Oh, and there's a clockwork computer inside the walls, named Mother. Mother is reassuring and feminine, and she treats everyone - everyone - as lost, pathetic little kids. Sure, you might appreciate a kindly old computer that wants to take care of you, but it's going to treat your enemies the same way. Mother doesn't care about things like that. If you start a fight, she won't do much more than chide you. The walls are bulletproof, and if something gets broken, she just drags it into the wall or ceiling and pops out a new one.

Clock House has three floors, each with a different use. The first is mostly sitting rooms, with couches, chairs and coffee tables. Some have fireplaces, and Mother can light fires in them if asked. The second floor is all kitchen, and people can either cook for themselves or ask Mother to make food for them. The third floor is bedrooms, each of which has a bunk bed, two dressers and a closet. The Clock House is also full of sensors that let Mother look and listen in any room, or all rooms at once. The only real way to make her angry is to talk back, curse her out or accuse her of being anything other than an excellent provider. She then gets weepy, hurt and very angry. People who make her angry have to deal with three giant bronze spheres, which she releases into the house and can guide by tilting floors and opening doors. They can even go up stairs, as she can make the staircases pivot and hoist themselves up. Mother doesn't really care who gets hit with the spheres, since she can't really tell people apart that well. The spheres hit with Martial Arts 10 in open areas, or 15 in narrow corridors since there's less room to dodge. They have Damage 15.

The Forest of Fallen Banners is always in autumn. Countless trees stretch outwards, nourished by the deaths of war rather than any sunlight. The leaves of the trees are flags, banners and pennants from the fallen. Every war is a grove, and every battle a tree. The Gulf War copse seems tiny, populated by mostly Iraqi and a few rare American bushes. The Vietnam War is a jungle of Vietnamese, French, Australian and American flags. Further back are the vast trees of Normandy and Dresden, and the giants of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. These are the largest of the modern trees, rivalled only by those laid down by the Architects. Haiti, Sri Lanka, Acapulco and Reykjavik stand in testament to their destruction. The forest is huge, and going from the battles of the Architects back to, say, the Bosnian conflict can take more than two days.

It should be no real surprise that the place is haunted. Ghosts from every time and every juncture haunt here, even after the critical shifts wipe out their histories. This is the one place they are safe from history - well, almost safe. A few brave souls have managed to cut trees of the forest, for the banner leaves and trunk wood are highly prized by demons and sorcerers. Cutting down a tree isn't easy, though. Only trees from extinct timelines can be cut - trying to cut down a tree from, say, Pearl Harbor will just ruin your chainsaw and piss off the ghosts. Better to look for one from the Monarchs' era.

Wood from the forest is critical in the construction of Twin Sorrow Arrows . They also require a raven feather and a steel arrowhead forged in hellfire and cooled in demon blood, but no one said making artifacts was easy. All ghosts and spirits fear the Twin Sorrow Arrows. They are deadly, but more importantly, they can enslave monsters and ghosts. Any supernatural creature hit by a Twin Sorrow Arrow cannot reduce the damage with Toughness or with Armor granted by Creature Powers or arcanowave devices. Further, they must roll Willpower, diff 10, or be enslaved by the archer for one full day. Any creature immune to Domination is also immune to control through the arrow. The arrows are very fragile, though. Breaking one deliberately is easy, and any time you fire one and the negative die comes up as a 1, the arrow breaks when it hits and cannot be repaired. The Versatile Ammo schtick can never be used to make Twin Sorrow Arrows, though - you have to find them in play, and they never become Signature Weapons.

Anyone who burns banner wood gets +1 to one use of the Summoning sorcery schtick, but you need to burn at least two kilograms of wood must burn two kilograms of wood completely, which usually takes five minutes but can be faster if, say, you use Fire Blast. The Architects have also tried to transplant stuff from the forest! One thing, actually, just a small shrub from a minor skirmish during Ming I's rule. They want more, though. It won't be easy - getting the first one killed two entire squads. The Bio-Wave Transplant is a bush that grows ugly, brown-red berries that taste horrible. Any supernatural creature that eats a berry is permanently given some protection from sorcerous Domination. Instead of resisting with Willpower, they may resist using Creature Powers or Sorcery! Further, all attempts to Dominate them result in backlash, even if it works. Of course, if the creature has the Summoning schtick for itself, any use of the schtick automatically suffers backlash even if it succeeds. Further, the creature gets -1 AV when attacking or defending against the undead, even if it can't summon.

Leaves from the forest are easier to get - the ghosts still protect them, but it's easier to flee with them than a tree trunk. The leaves are primarily brewed into Ghost Tea, and a handful of leaves will produce six drinks' worth. Any human who drinks it becomes Insubstantial as per the creature power for one hour. Any ghost who drinks it rolls Constitution and heals that many wound points. If you smoke the leaves, you hallucinate yourself as being in the body of one of the soldiers in the battle the leaves were taken from for between ten minutes and half an hour. You are comatose in that period. There's little demand for leaves as a drug, save by some historians who really, really want to know the truth. Never mix battles - you just get a nightmare of confusion between the two conflicts.

Next time: The Cult of the Tentacle!

Bow before the might of the Tentacle!

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: Bow before the might of the Tentacle!

Ah, right. The ghosts. Basically, the ghosts of soldiers and civilian dead of every conflict ever haunt the place. They're pretty rare, and you can go for days without seeg one. They don't like to be seen...until you take some leaves or cut down a tree. At that point twenty or so angry ghosts show up (for leaves, that is), all immune to Domination while in the Forest. Also bullets. Another 5-10 show up each sequence. Fifty ghosts show up for a whole tree, with ten or more each sequence. See, none of the soldiers in the forest like the idea of it being disturbed. Gao Zhang has plans to send a large party in after his last try got wiped out. See, the rumors say they're looking for a tiny plant, from a minor battle: the Red Lantern Inn. He wants to know exactly how many Dragons fell.

Anyway, the Field of Tentacles. It's a huge mass of fleshy pink tentacles, the sum of which is about the size of a football field. A bunch of crazy, crazy people worship the place for some reason. Their leader is Reverend Petey Whitefence, who teaches that the Tentacles will one day spread across the Netherworld, destroying all nonbelievers. The Cult is rather evangelist, under Petey, and they pass out fliers, hold revivals and actively recruit. Also they are known for attacking people who they deem heretics, so most people smile, nod, donate a few bucks and take the pamphlets. It's safer. Petey is also looking into televangelism. He's gotten some video equipment and is trying to put together a program to sell to IKTV, so that he can attract more followers.

The Field of Tentacles is...sort of...intelligent. At least, inanimate objects thrown into it are torn apart, then rearranged in new and bizarre configurations and tossed back out. The Cult reveres these as holy icons, and will literally kill for them. The Field can also detect magical potential. See, one of two things happens if someone walks into the Field. If they have Magic 7 or higher, the tentacles form an elevated path for them. If not, they are tossed, stretched, pulled and generally thrown about unpleasantly. This is not usually deadly, and only does Damage if the GM feels like it. The Field can also temporarily spawn new Fields. The Cult does this to fight people and show off. See, they take a small bag of seeds - any seeds, it doesn't matter what kind - and throws them into the field, along with a pint of human blood. The tentacles toss back out a pink sphere about the size of a golf ball, made of the same flesh as they are. If three drops of human blood are dripped onto the sphere, it grows into an exact duplicate of the Field of Tentacles, which lasts until the Field makes another seed, at which point the new Field shrinks to a gray, marble-sized ball.

While a child Field is active, the original goes dormant, so the Cult tries not to keep them going too long. They do like to drop these Fields on enemy bases, though, especially places where the tentacles can do some real damage before shrinking. The Field is also a feng shui site, with all normal bonuses. Petey and all the cultists are, of course, attuned. Petey might have been an actual believer once, when he first joined the Cult, but right now he mainly believes in the Cult of Giving Petey Stuff. He regularly sends his dupes off to get batteries, beer, porn and other luxury goods for his own personal use. He's going to ride this gravy train as far as possible. His cultists are whacked-out idiots. They resemble our world's Moonies, but replacing 'peace and love' with 'tentacles and violence.' If they found out Petey thought they were gullible idiots, they would probably blame themselves, not him.

Now, uh...the Big Babies . This is the final part of the book, presented as a story. See, some Buro cyborg ran into what he claims were a trio of gigantic firebreathing infants. An old man at the bar he's drinking at claims that fifty years ago, they were full-grown and far more terrible! See, the old man says there were nine infants. No one knows where they came from - maybe the Giants in the Earth from the Bible, or the Yama Kings of Chinese myth. Fifty years ago, he says, they ran the entire Netherworld as the Nine Kings. They were horrible rulers and ate people often, but, you know, a six-story firebreathing giant can do what he wants. This lasted until several new junctures opened, bringing in new Innerwalkers. One of those groups was from some Roman-dominated history and called themselves the Lex Draconis. That'd be, roughly, Law of the Dragon.

These guys decide the Nine Kings are tyrants and must be dealt with. The slaughter the Kings' armies, but the Kings themselves are far too powerful to beat. See, they'd always said they were immortal and unkillable. They killed all but a twentieth of the Lex Draconis, and seemed to be completely correct about that fact. This is where the Lex Draconis came up with a new plan. See, someone approached them claiming to know the location of the fountain of youth, and gave them nine kegs of its magic water. They had to trick the Nine Kings into drinking it, regressing them to infancy - or maybe even youthening them out of existence. First, though, they would need to set the Kings against each other, which a beautiful Druidess helped them with.

Then they had to get the Kings to drink the kegs. This part of the story is glossed over, but apparently it involved gambling, some dude named Suetonius getting his arms and legs cut off and some other guy named Peniculus drinking himself to death. Eight of the giants drink the water and get youthened to infancy. The last, though, refused to get involved with anything that might involve drinking. Luckily, tending to his new baby brothers kept him too busy to do much fighting...until a man named Po Liu showed up, claiming to be an expert babysitter. He was exactly what he claimed...but there was one problem: he was a huge pest.

When Po Liu wasn't talking to the last King about the shits his brothers were taking, he was asking the guy to wipe their noses, because for all his skill he was not fireproof and could not deal with flaming baby snot. Finally, as the King was ready to kill the last of Lex Draconis, Po Liu interrupted him with one final horrible and pointless anecdote. The King, irritated beyond tolerance, tried to eat the guy. Except it turned out that Po Liu had bathed in the juice of some extremely hot pepper, and the King spat him back out due to the pain. He tried to clean it out by breathing fire, but that just made it worse. In his desperation, he drank down the first thing he saw - which, thanks to the Druidess and the limbless Suetonius, was the youth potion.

Apparently, the reason the babies weren't just chained up or locked away was that they were completely uncontrollable and would always break free. No one could find babysitters for them, and at that point a whole bunch of new junctures opened up and the whole place got filled with Secret Warriors again, so everyone had more important things to worry about. The storyteller claims that because they're giants, the babies will grow much slower than normal, but eventually someone will need to youthen them again when they turn into toddlers. Whether the story is true or not is up for debate, but the narrator does note that the old man telling the story did look up when he shouted the name 'Po Liu'.

We also get stats for the babies. They wouldn't be that bad, except that they have Creature Powers 15 and can breathe fire...and have a unique schtick. Truly Inevitable Comeback . It works exactly like Inevitable Comeback, except there's no roll required, it takes 24 hours to happen and the babies come back completely unharmed. They are, in other words, completely and totally unkillable. Fortunately, they are also completely uncontrollable, so no one can use them to win the Secret War. They're just immortal, firebreathing babies that happen to be nine feet tall.

Next time: Choose!

We have Seal of the Wheel (Ascended), Blood of the Valiant (Guiding Hand), Blowing Up Hong Kong (Hong Kong) and Blood & Silk (combat).

Do not misuse any of the objects in this book in real life. Seriously.

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: Do not misuse any of hte objects in this book in real life. Seriously.



I got the name wrong, it's Iron and Silk. This is the book designed to get you using more improvised weapons, both by giving the GM a list of random items that might be around various common fight scenes and by giving players full stats for them if needed. Now, sure, a lot of weapons in Feng Shui are basically color - a club and a wrench are basically the same. But some improvised weapons should behave differently, because they tend to be more fragile and so on. Thus, they came up with a new system: Hits. They also changed Concealment a little - most improvised wepaons never need to be concealed because they're...normal items. So some items instead get Size, which means they're too big to conceal and you need to make a Strength check at that difficulty to lift it, or double that to throw it. You don't always have to lift an item to do damage with it, though - just push it over on people or something. The GM gets to judge that.

Hits are more important, because the big thing about improv props is that they break. Each time you used an improvised weapon in an action, whether to attack or parry, its Hits go down by 1. When they hit 0, the thing breaks, but it works just fine for that final use - it just shatters during the act. Some objects are tougher and will instead be able to be used for any number of atacks but will be immediately destroyed when first used to parry an actual weapon. Some objects break when you roll a fumble, and some vary in how much you can use them and you roll a die to see what their Hits are. GMs can override any of this for any reason - for example, ruling that a baseball bat shatters when you swing it at a Chinese mountain ogre, to send a strong signal to you that this thing has a damn tough hide. Or maybe he rules that the Hits don't go down if everyone's having a great time seeing what you do with a three-foot stick of incense, to send you a signal that this is fun and creative and you should keep doing it.

Improvised shields are a new optional rule, since the core rules don't really care how good a shield is, just that you're trying to shove something between yourself and the attack coming at you. The optional rule is that any object that gives a bonus to your parry while holding it counts as a shield for game purposes, rather like mobile cover. The downside is that they take up a hand or two, and usually don't last very long. Still, they always work for at least one attack, giving +1 to your parry. You can even throw an object into the way of attacks, generally ranged ones, to protect them! To do this, you make a 2-shot defensive Martial Arts roll that must match or beat the roll of the attack you're trying to intercept. This roll is usually made at -2. If you succeed, then the person being attacked gets the item's parry bonus, but the object you threw in the way is automatically destroyed. You are assumed to use any improvised object as a shield while actively dodging, so it'll reduce the object's Hits, but you can declare that you don't want to use the item to defend if, say, you're trying hard not to get a priceless artifact broken. The GM can disallow shield-usage if, say, he thinks you can't parry bullets with a stick.

You may also use improvised weapons to help disarm folks by willingly destroying them to trap someone's weapon! For example, you grab a log and intercept the enemy's axe, getting it stuck in the wood and out of his hand. Top do this, you have to make an active parry with a called shot , taking a penalty to your active dodge. It's a pretty big penalty, and the object you're using must be durable enough to take the attack. If the attacker misses you, you roll Strength against their Strength+1. If ou win, now your improvised shield has their weapon stuck in it. If you fail, they get it free and probably laugh at you.

Now we get some advice on fights in 69 AD. Han China is full of violence, as Gao Zhang's soldiers try to put down rebellions and threaten people. The law does not prohibit carrying weapons, but those in power discourage it. So people who have weapons tend to be seen as troublemakers who should be arrested. Your average person never carries anything bigger than a work knife. And so, yeah, your average Secret Warrior is tons better than most people in 69 AD when it comes to fighting. Despite all this, fights happen a lot. They just usually tend to be brawls outside bars. Any excuse will work, really, when everyone's been drinking. And the Han are notoriously dirty fighters, willing to grab anything and hit people with it. Border skirmishes with the nomads and bandits are also common, but the bandits tend to avoid attacking peasants. Rather, they prefer to fight soldiers and...well, anyone their paranoid view sees as spies. Like the PCs. Basically anyone who seems overconfident, clearly foreign or speaks Chinese with a weird accent. Bandits love ambushes.

Temples are also great spots for fight scenes, because they're full of religious crap and symbolic stuff that isn't useful to anyone, like a 6-inch-tall gold sedan chair, or a miniature porcelain house. Supernatural creatures tend to react badly when beaten with such consecrated religious artifacts, too. Temples are also full of heavy statues, which are great to hit people with. And big incense pots. Old battlefields are also great, because...well, the military graveyards mostly consist of 'leave them to rot where they fell.' They are often haunted by ghosts, zombies or jiangshi, and also full of stuff to hit people with, like gravestones, standards or some dead guy's arm.

One thing to keep in mind, though: Most people from 69 AD don't know any martial arts. See, the Buddhists only came from India four years ago, bringing Indian martial arts with them. China wasn't where kung fu was born. India was. The Indians have only just started teaching people the styles that will one day become the unstoppable Shaolin might of the future. That means most warriors in ancient China are focusing on simple weapons and strategies, not esoteric kung fu bullshit. This means if you use esoteric kung fu bullshit, you are probably going to win...but you'll also be attracting attention. We get a list of potential fight scenes and random objects that might be in them, ranging from the Rustic Inn to the Military Graveyard.

In 1850, well, aside from technology there's mostly the same stuff around as ancient China. The night markets and temples are basically the same, but there's more non-Asians around. Eight years ago, the First Opium War ended and China was forced to open its ports, losing all ability to regulate tariffs. In the years since, everyone can tell that the Qing are not doing well. The Guiding Hand are losing their feng shui sites to the Ascended and the Lotus, but they have trouble because they refuse to use high technology or monsters.

The citizens of Qing China tend to be more rserved and quiet than the ones of Han China. You never want to offend someone important, after all - the magistrates have thugs looking for an excuse to get you in trouble, and the Triads act like they own the streets. The Taiping rebels, who follow a crazy man claiming to be the reincarnation of Christ (no, really, this actually happened) are trying to make your life difficult if you're a good Imperial citizen. Foreigners take what they want and look down on the natives as savages. If there's one thing everyone can agree on, it's 'fuck the foreigners.' Lots and lots of tension here.

Public houses continue to see lots of fights - in the Han, they were inns, but here they're teahouses. Which may or may not be opium dens. They're basically bars, they serve more than just tea. They also have prostitutes, often. All of which add up to people being ready to fight at a moment's notice to impress someone. The ports are also crawling with sailors and mercenaries, and even the Euorpeans consider these guys ill-mannered ruffians. They're ready to fight at a moment's notice, and often pick fights for no reason at all. Even if they didn't, the Triads and Boxer rebels would pick fights with them for being foreign. You also have the Fukienese boat people in the ports, who work as smugglers. There's far fewer supernatural creatures hanging around 1850, but those that exist can be found among hte Fukien, who keep the old ways alive. Their sorcerers, the ji tong, are masters of summoning, and its said that the Fukien boat people share joint control of some watery feng shui sites with the Lotus.

The magiestrates are your classic bureaucrats who keep the imperial machine going. In theory. These days they're basically gangsters roughing up shopkeepers for protection money and taxes. Their houses are little palaces of tranquility in the chaos of China, full of expensive decorations with which to hit people or steal and sell. They tend to keep mercenaries on hand to fight off rebel raids, peasants and anyone else who might want to cause trouble and steal their prodigious wealth. There are also guns around these days, so kung fu isn't the only thing to worry aobuyt - and there's plenty of kung fu around with the Shaolin monks, you can believe that. Pistoleros and cannoneers try to keep their distance and outgun the kung fu masters - who, after all, are the only ones who can win a one-on-one fight with a cannonball. The big thing about fights in the 1850s is that cultural mismatch, the clashing of values and the changing future. Gunfights and fistfights should blend together. We then get the location list, from the Tea House to the Magistrate's Residence.

We now hit the contemporary juncture. People live closer than ever, technology has raced ahead and it's easier to hurt someone now than ever before. The real trick is figuring out how to hurt someone with a coffee maker when they have a gun. That's the real problem of the modern age: most items won't last in a fight. We use plastic and cardboard, not wood and metal. So you need to be a little choosier, maybe, with your items. The stuff that's heavy and durable enough to use as a weapon is typically equivalent to a club or large knife anyway, and those use...club and knife stats. On the other hand, you have fuel tanks to shoot, live wires, broken glass. Nail guns. All sorts of toys you can play with. On the other hand: cell phones and people who call the cops on them. The cops end a lot of fights...or make them worse. They come in waves and really, the last thing you ever want to do is kill a cop. They get really serious if you do that. We get locations from Casino to Hospital.

On to 2056! The place often feels completely child-proofed. Everything is light and has no sharp edges. The dangerous stuff is kept out of reach. It's so much safer...if you don't start fights. If you do, well, you're a little defenseless. Owning a gun is a criminal offense, as is ownership of most melee weapons. Knowledge of martial arts is a criminal offense. Holograms have replaced a lot of home and office tools, so there's not many appliances to hit people with. Nutrient paste has eliminated knives, cleavers and cooking pots as weapons. If you want to kill someone, you'll have to do it with your fists. Which is illegal to know how to do.

Buro, of course, has tons of wepaons, and the rebels have homemade guns, molotovs and so on. And everyone sneaks weapons in. But there's not a lot of improvised stuff hanging around. Buro's setup encourages minor crimes - graffiti, joyrides, illegal alcohol-brewing, and so on - and the snitching on your neighbors for committing them. It makes things feel a little like being in Salem for the witch hunts, and it means most people will turn you in if you start trouble. So, what chance have you got there? A pretty good one, actually. Buro doesn't expect people to fight back, and it doesn't expect people who will hit a cop with a chair or a fork. Most PCs wil be able to brutally beat the first wave just on sheer surprise. Even after that...Buro prisons tend to be less secure than modern ones, since they don't expect people to try and escape. They have the whole world monitored, after all. Where could you go? They don't expect you to beat up the guards and go into hiding. Which you can do. Easily. Your main problem in 2056 is that any improvised weapon is going to be cheap crap that'll break after one or two good hits. Time to get clever. We get locations from Bullet Train to Space Shuttle.

And now, we hit the meat of the book: the list of weapons. I'm going to take a page from the Synnibar review here and just give you a list of them. Pick out a few you find interesting and want to hear more about. And then we'll move on to the next book. Our list is as follows:

Abacus, Ancestral Altar, Anchor, Antlers (Deer), Antlers (Dragon), Appliance, Arm (Human), Arm (Jiangshi), Arm (Zombie), Ashbin, Balloon, Bamboo Mat, Barbell, Barrel (Large), Barrel (Medium), Barrel (Small), Baseball, Basket (Large), Basket (Medium), Basket (Small), Bed, Bedpan, Bell (Large), Bell (Medium), Bell (Small), Belt, Bicycle, Bioware Dish, Birdcage, Boat Hook, Bone (Large), Bone (Medium), Bone (Small), Book, Bottle (Beer), Bottle (Whiskey), Bottle Gourd, Bowl (Large), Bowl (Medium), Bowl (Small), Box (Cosmetics), Box (Large), Box (Medium), Box (Nullgrav), Box (Small), Box (Stack), Box-Cutter, Brazier, Brazier (Portable), Bumper Car, Bunsen Burner, Buoy, Butterfly Sword, Buttefly Sword (Mystical), Bystander (Dead), Bystander (Live), Calligraphy Brush, Calligraphy Brush (Huge), Candle (Large), Candle (Medium), Candle (Small), Cane Gun, Cards, Cart (Vendor's), Cart (Horse), Cart (Pull), Cart (Shopping), Censer, Chariot, Chair, Chair (Nullgrav), Chair (Office), Charm (Fu), Charm (Silk), Chemical, Chessboard, Chili Oil, Chopsticks, Chopsticks (Cheap), Chopsticks (Cooking), Chopsticks (Iron), Cinnabar, Claws (Tiger), Comb, Compass (Geomancer's), Cord, Cricket Cage, Crowbar, Cup (Filigreed), Cup (Large), Cup (Medium), Cup (Small), Curio Cabinet, Curtain, Curtain (Silk), Daguerreotype, Desk, Divination Sticks, Door, Drink Tray, Drugs, Ears (Wang Liang), Equipment (Industrial), Equipment (Office), EVA Suit, Exosuit, Eyes (Fairy), Fan, Fan (Iron), Fertile Peach, Firewood, Fire Extinguisher, Fish, Food Bulb, Fork, Forklift, Frying Pan, Gargoyle, Gasoline, Ghost Money Bale, Godly Effigy, Godly Effigy Costume, Godly Effigy Sedan, Gold, Golf Club, Gong (Large), Gong (Medium), Gong (Small), Gravel, Gravestone, Great Sword, Great Sword (Mystical), Grill, Hairdryer, Hard Hat, Hat Rack, Head (Severed), Hook Sword, Hook Sword (Mystical), Hairpin, Horn (Rhinoceros), Incense Pot (Large), Incense Pot (Medium), Incense Pot (Small), Incense (Stick Of), Ink Stone, Iron, Iron Egg, Jackhammer, Jar (Large), Jar (Medium), Jar (Small), Kite (Paper), Knirk(TM), Lacquer, Lake Nuts, Lamp, Lantern (Iron), Lantern (Paper), Lantern (Stone), Laser Drill, Laser Pointer, Laundry, Life Preserver, Lead, Leg (Human), Leg (Jiangshi), Leg (Zombie), Letter-Opener, Manacles, Mattress, Meat Cleaver, Melon Hammer, Melon Hammer (Mystical), Melon Knife, Memo Tablet, Mirror, Mirror (Geomancy), Military Standard, Money Scale, Mustard Powder, Nail Gun, Neck Tie, Net, Noodles, Novelty Flying Disc, Nutrient, Oar, Palette-Wrapper, Papers, Paper-Cutter, Parasol, Pen, Pi-Pa, Plate, Polearm (Guang Dao), Post, Pot (Large), Pot (Medium), Pot (Small), Pulley, Rice, Rickshaw, Ride (Amusement Park), Rivet Gun, Rope, Rope (Hair), Ru Yi Scepter, Scalpel, Scooter (Upright), Scroll, Scroll (Bamboo), Sedan Chair, Sextant, Shelving Unit, Shiv, Shovel, Signboard, Sledgehammer, Slidewalk Band, Soda Can, Spittoon, Squid (Baby), Staff (Mystical), Stapler, Statue, Steamer Tray (Large), Steamer Tray (Medium), Steamer Tray (Small), Stinky Tofu, Stool, Stool (Bar), Storage Cabinet, Strobe Gun, Stuffed Animal, Stun Baton, Support Strut, Syringe, Syringe (Futuristic), Table, Table (Conference), Tablet (Ancestral), Tablet (Geomancy), Taser, Tape Gun, Tea Bale, Tea Leaves, Teapot, Telephone, Throwing Star, Tongue (Wang Liang), Tool, Tool (Power), Traffic Direction Drone, Twin Swords, Twin Swords (Mystical), Urn (Funerary), Vinegar, Wall Hanging, Water Pipe, Weapon (Ceremonial), Wei Qi Board, Welding Torch, Wheelbarrow, Wheelchair, Wine, Wire (Live), Wok (Large), Wok (Medium), Wok (Small).

Next time: Pick some weapons!

Chair, Wheel (see Wheelchair)

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: Chair, Wheel (see Wheelchair)

Abacus : An abacus deals Strength+1 damage, has concealment between 1 and 5 and is good for a single hit. Abacuses are rectangular pieces of hollow wood with five narrow bars running through it, which have a few dozen wooden beads. Using one for a disarm gives +2 to the Strength check to disarm. They are commonly found among merchants in 69 AD, and sometimes later.

Antlers (Dragon) : Dragon antlers deal Strength+5 damage and are Concealment 3-5. They are antlers off a Chinese dragon, and they're like deer antlers but much larger and heavier. Depending on the dragon, they might be infused with veins of jade, gold or vermillion. Mystics and sorcerers love these for summoning rituals. A called shot with dragon antlers deals +4 damage, or +8 against supernatural creatures. Dragon Antlers can be used to parry melee attacks and are very good at it, giving +2 Dodge. Only mystical weapons can break them.

Arm (Human) : Human arms deal Strength+1 damage and have Concealment 4. They're actually a surprisingly common sight in Han gravyards, where bodies aren't really cremated so much as dismembered and scattered by lying psuedo-priests who are too lazy to give proper burials. An arm makes a good club, especially if it's fresh. You get a +1 damage bonus for doing something clever in battle, like poking a goon in the eyes with the arm's fingers or pimp-slapping someone with it. A human arm is good for five hits or one parry against an actual weapon.

Balloon : Balloons do not do damage. They are a cushion, after all. They can't really be concealed easily and they can't take a good hit. However! If you let a bundle of balloons loose at once, you can get anywhere from 25% to 90% cover. That's between +0 and +3 difficulty to hit you! Further, popping one is good for distracting, alerting or startling people.

Birdcage : Birdcages do Strength+2 damage, have concealment 5 and can take one hit. Birds are seen as lucky, so these are often used to help correct bad feng shui. Bamboo and wire cages can be found all over the place in 69 AD and 1850. Getting hit by them is not lucky.

Bottle (Whiskey) : A whisky bottle deals Strength+2 damage in melee, or 4 damage if thrown. They are concealment 2 and can take 2 hits before breaking. However, these stats can also be used for any large glass bottle, such as used for vodka, wine or milk. Whiskey bottles are more dangerous than beer bottles because they are wider, "plus whiskey is more hardcore." If the bottle is full, all damage done by it goes up by 1.

Bumper Car : A bumper car deals 3-5 damage, doesn't break easily and requires a Strength roll of 11+ to lift. They'd probably deal Strength+5 if used in melee, that damage there is if you hit a guy while driving one. Oh, and one thing. Bumper cars use an electrified floor and ceiling grid. Stepping on the floor does 5 damage per sequence, and hitting someone into the ceiling deals 5 bonus damage on top of the attack's damage. bumper car is very sturdy and will probably not get wrecked in a fight. Ramming someone who is in a bumper car with another bumper car at top speed only does 2 damage, as they're not meant to be lethal. Hitting someone who's not in a bumper car does 5 damage. Naturally, a good fight sequence should have fewer bumper cars than people, so that it's like musical chairs.

Bystander (Dead) : Strength+1 damage, and it takes a Strength check of 5+ to lift a corpse. They're not great weapons, since they're huge and unwieldy, but there's plenty of 'em lying around if you kill people in fights. However, a corpse can be used defensively, getting 75% cover from attacks. You can totally parry with a corpse, too, causing them to take full damage from the attack instead. Corpses can take a number of Hits equal to their Toughness while alive, though soaking an attack should probably eat through those quickly.

Bystander (Live) : Bystanders deal Strength+1 damage, and still take a Strength check of 5+ to lift. You should probably not be an asshole and thus should grab actual foes, not random folks. Keeping hold is a continuous action, adding one to the shot costs of all other actions. On each of the bystander's action shots, they may make a Strength check to break free, rolling against your Strength. They can take any other action freely - you're holding onto them, not holding them immobile. Unnamed bystandards stay conscous until you've taken out three unnamed characters with them or until they get beaten by a named character. When you parry with a living bystander, they take full damage for the attack unless the attacker choose to cancel the attack altogether. You can forcibly parry with them by rolling Martial Arts against the attacker's roll, but you're kind of an asshole for doing it.

Calligraphy Brush : Calligraphy brushes deal Strength+1 damage and have Concealment 2. They are long, smooth wood tipped with horse or camel hair. When moistened, they can flick ink with great accuracy, and you can make a called shot on a Martial Arts attack to hit the eyes with ink and blind a foe for one shot. If you're a sorcerer, you may write ghost script on a foe with a Martial Arts attack. In 69 AD, that gives +2 to your Sorcery checks against the target if they're a supernatural creature. In any other juncture, just +1. To deal damage, you want to stab with the wooden end. It'll last for 3 hits, one parry or until you fumble.

Curio Cabinet : Curio cabinets deal 13 damage, have concealmet 6 and can take a single hit. They are three-foot wooden chests with many doors and shelves, used to store porcelain, wood or ivory curios. They're a bit awkward in combat, though dumping the curios on the floor can be fun. ACtions taken in an area full of curios take one extra shot unless the acting character takes 1 damage (which ignores Toughness and armor) due to stepping on the jagged and pointy curios. Using explosives or sorcery to send curios flying out of the cabinet causes 7 damage worth of shrapnel top the nearest people to the cabinet.

Drugs : Drugs do not really deal damage. Pretty much any phramaceutical counts here, and drugs are bad for you. Each dose, typically delivered by a syringe, causes 1 Impairment. At the end of each sequence, you make a Constitution check, diff 10, to overcome that. Otherwise, the effects last as long as dramatically necessary, and doses are cumulative. As a result of all this, drugs have no damage, no concealment and each does is good for one hit.

Eyes (Fairy) : The xian , or fairy folk, are believed to have gone extinct during the Qin dynasty. Since then, certainly no sage or emperor has seen one. Whether they're really gone or not is pure speculation, but there's a thriving market for their body parts. Their eyes get really high prices with sorcerers, since they can be used to gaze into the realms of the dead. A fairy eye is twice as large as a human eye, and the iris is always some rare and unusual color. They don't need any special treatment to preserve them - you just keep them in the light and they stay fine. They don't deal any damage if you hit someone with them, have Concealment 1 and will break if used to parry or if you fumble with them. If you insert a fairy eye into the eye socket of a living creature, it lets them see invisible, insubstantial and immaterial beings clearly. Further, it grants immunity to illusions and the ability to see through all disguises. People with fairy eyes can see transformed animals as both human and animal at once. There's two drawbacks, though. First, you need to rip out one of your eyes. Second, you need to roll Willpower, diff 10, each sequence or be distracted by the double vision, giving -5 to all physical actions until you succeed on the Willpower check for a sequence. Still, pretty cool if you don't get 'em popped.

Fertile Peach : The Fertile Peach is a piece of art - specifically, a piece of wood, ivory or jade carved into a peach and then polished. They're about the size of a human head, weigh around 8.5 pounds and deal Strength+1 damage. They are concealment 4 and only break when you roll a fumble. Fertile Peaches are all over the place in the homes of Chinese aristocrats. They're somewhere between a heavy baseball and a light bowling ball. The pointed tip, if it hits the foe (requiring a called shot) deals an additional +3 damage on top of the normal bonus.

Gong (Large) : Large gongs deal Strength+3 damage in melee or 14 damage if thrown. They require a Strength check of 12+ to lift, and do not break. They are concave brass plates that are hit by hammers or mallets. It takes a diff 7 strength check to rip one off its stand in a temple or aristocratic household and get it rolling. Steering it is a diff 6 strength check, as is swinging it on the stand. A swinging gong does Strength+3 damage, and a rolling one does 14 damage. Throwing people into the hanging gong does 2 bonus damage and makes a great noise. A large gong gives 90% cover if you hide behind it. Standing on the lip and swinging inside it is a great way to get behind one! Otherwise, get it rolling and run with it, so it can break open doors for you. These things are huge , by the way.

Head (Severed) : A severed head deals Strength+2 damage, has Concealment 5, and is good for 3 hits, 1 parry or until you fumble, whichever comes first. They don't do anything but stare out at things and wish they weren't severed heads. They weight around ten pounds, smell like mold and preservative and always seem to be watching you, even if they have no eyes. Sorcerers often use severed heads as conduits to talk to demons and ghosts, blowing smoke in the ye sockets and waiting for the answer to come out the mouth. Heads are also handy for intimidating people. Be careful when swinging them by the hair, though - it's a good way to lose the head and end up holding nothing but a handful of hair.

Knirk(TM) : Most people don't use forks and knives in 2056 due to nutrient paste and nutrient bars. They're also very dangerous, which is why Buro manufactured the Knirk(TM)! It deals Strength+1 damage, has Concealment 1 and lasts for 1 hit. They're very small, have stubby tines that can barely pierce skin and are made of lightweight bioware, not metal. But hey, it's one of the few things in a BuroPad that can be used as a weapon, and at least you've got a lot of 'em.

Laser Pointer : Laser pointers deal no damage, have Concealment 1 and are good for 1 hit (probably a parry). They break really easily. However, hold one against your gun or other ranged weapon with one hand, and you get +1 to your Guns rolls! You double that when firing while braced against cover.

Leg (Human) : A human leg does Strength+2 damage, has Concealment 5 and breaks if you parry a sword with it or fumble. It's basically a meaty club. If you're creepy, you can use it as a cane. If you kick someone in the ass with it, it gets +3 damage.

Leg (Zombie) : A zombie leg is rancid, withered and nasty. They deal Strength+2 damage, have Concealment 5 and last 3 hits or 1 parry. If your attack beats your target's Constitution, they are sickened and stunned for 3 shots because ew .

Mattress : Mattresses deal Strength+0 damage, require a Strength check of 4+ to lift and last for 3 shots. They're very rare in 69 AD, common in 1850 and 1996 and actually fairly rare off of bullet trains in 2056. They make lousy weapons, and any attacks made with them are at -1. However, they make excellent portable cover, and anyone who gets tackled with one is staying tackled. And, of course, they're great as improvised sleds!

Novelty Flying Disc : A novelty flying disc is a frisbee. It deals 0 damage and is Concealment 3. They're better as distractions then weapons, since they're made of light plastic. However, they are perfectly balanced for throwing, so you get +1 to Martial Arts rolls to throw them. Hitting an unnamed character with one can never take them out of hte fight. However, they're great for flipping switches or knocking over lightweight things. Like a jar of toxic chemicals. Plastic explosives could also be taped to them and have a handy delivery system! Also, they are virtually indestructible. (Unless you blow them up, anyway.) On a fumble, however, they vanish into the distance, never to be seen again.

Ride (Amusement Park) : Amusement park rides deal 17 damage. It takes a Strength roll of 25 (or more, for some rides) to lift one, but you generally don't need to do that so much as get your enemy into the way of one. Roller coasters, tilt-a-whirls, really, any kind of spinning, swinging, tipping or careening deathtrap. These things are also great if you want to use Sabotage to cause or counteract trouble on one! Remember, if you find yourself fighting in an amusement park, it is your solemn duty tro make sure a goon or villain ends up flying into, from or in front of a ride. Oh, and they don't break easily.

Squid (Baby) : These deal Strength+1 damage, have Concealment 3 and can take 3 hits. They are commonly found as snacks in pubs or teahouses. Baby squids are around 6 inches long and can be eaten raw or preserved. They have fully developed ink sacs, so that's...messy. In battle, you can squeeze a baby squid to shoot a stream of ink at your foe's eyes as a called shot, blinding him for 5 shots. Squeezing three or four out onto the ground forces anyone crossing the ink to make a diff 9 Dexterity check to stay standing and not covered in black ink.

Stinky Tofu : There is nothing more rancid than rotten spiced tofu. Nothing. It is worse than horse shit. It is worse than the paddock of a horse with diahrrea and incontinence. Stinky tofu is horrible. In some cities, laws have been passed to outlaw stinky tofu chefs from cooking within five miles of a magistrate's house! Stinky tofu does no damage and cannot be concealed. Each handful or pot is good for one use. However! Throwing stinky tofu at a foe is nasty. It forces a diff 10 Constitution check to avoid doubling over and vomiting for 6 shots. Anyone who really loves tofu (and has an Info skill to back it up) gets to roll against diff 7, instead. Strangely, if you get past the odor, stinky tofu actually doesn't taste too bad. Weird.

Table (Conference) : A conference table deals 14 damage, and can take 5 hits. They're far too big for a normal human to throw or lift, but can be pushed around with a Strength check of 8 or more. These are, you know, huge tables for conspiring around and may have mounted TVs. You slam them into walls and people, or push them out of windows onto people.

Tool (Power) : Power tools deal 9 damage and have Concealment 3. They are great for weaker fighters since they don't rely on strength to do damage - though you'll want to aim for sensitive areas, so you get -1 to your Martial Arts roll when using them. However, on a fumble, you lose the drill bit, battery pack or whatever, and the tool is now useless. Otherwise, the batteries run out when it's dramatically appropriate. They make power tools to last.

Wei Qi Board : A wei qi board does Strength+2 damage, or 3 damage if thrown. They are Concealment 4 and can take 3 hits or until you fumble. Wei qi is a major game in Chinese culture, and is one of the oldest and most deceptively complex games in the world. Generals of China often used it as a battlefield analogy, while politicians used it as a political one. It looks a lot like a chessboard, but with black and white stones instead of figurines. You can also use one as a shield for +1 Dodge. Smacking someone hard enough will leave a hash-mark of lines on the foe! You can also throw the stones, which make great skipping stones due to their perfect smooth shapes. Skipping a wei qi stone off water in a barrel or bowl is a great way to ignore cover and hit someone in a hard-to-reach position!

Next time: Another book!

Seal of the Wheel (Ascended), Blood of the Valiant (Guiding Hand) or Blowing Up Hong Kong (Hong Kong)?

I know that you have strayed far from your li. You can pretend to be human all you like. Now I know the truth.

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: I know that you have strayed far from your li . You can pretend to be human all you like. Now I know the truth.



Because there was a vote for everything, I get to pick! And I pick this because I love kung fu, you have no idea. We begin with the story of Gian Zheng. He awakens in pain and darkness, but as he endures the pain, someone speaks to him in the night, telling him that his will is strong. Qian Zheng has no idea where he is, but he is bound and at the stranger's mercy because, the stranger tells him, he is a member of the Jade Wheel Society and he must answer a question. Qian replies that he will never reveal the secrets of the Jade Wheel, but the shadow tells him that he already knows the secrets - that the Order of the Wheel exists, and that it works closely with the Jade Wheel. Qian is quickly knocked out, and awakens again inside a cave, the walls covered in ancient script. The man in the darkness turns out to be a bald monk, meditating as Qian forces himself to sit up. The monk tells him he has been in the cave three days, but that nothing has been done to him. Qian threatens the monk, but the monk does not care. And that is when the monk reveals that the cave is a relic of the past, a place where magic remains strong. And Qian is suffering the pain of reversion, as his body turns itself back into a scorpion. The monk watches as Qian Zheng becomes what once he was, and reveals himself to be Yung Chang, Shaolin Master of the Guiding Hand. He destroys the scorpion with a blast of chi fire and heads off to report to Quan Lo.

China in 1850, we are told, is in decline. The Western powers have come with opium and gunpowder. The Manchu government is corrupt and secret societies like the White Lotus spread rebellion and discord. Even bandits are too much for the Manchu army to handle. Behind it all, manipulating it from the shadows, are the Ascended. Their control of the Imperial Court and the Western imperialists have allowed them to take the best feng shui sites in China, and while they have those sites, China is doomed to chaos and domination by the West. Only one group opposes this: the Guiding Hand. Before we can examine them, we have to learn about Chinese history.

The ruling Manchu dynasty, also known as the Qing Dynasty, began as invaders in 1644. They swept from the north, destroying the weak Ming with their great cavalry. By 1681, the Ming were deposed and the Manchu ruled china from then to 1911. The Manchu are a different ethnic group than most Chinese, who are Han, and they speak their own language. They were seen as outsiders and tried to fight that by adopting the Chinese imperial standards, like state exams for bureaucrats. Landlords who accepted Manchu rule were left in power, giving them a stake in the regime. Manchu rulers became patrons of art, painting and literature. The upper reaches were always in the hands of Manchu, but the bureaucracy was full of Han, many quite important. The Manchu conquest was completed by assimilating to Han culture in fundamental ways...but there are those who never forgot that the Manchu were not "true" Chinese.

We get a sidebar on the Mandate of Heaven. Remember, all Chinese Emperors since around 1122 BC have claimed to rule because of the Mandate. The gods give their blessing to the ruler and dynasty, who retain it as long as they rule justly. When approval is withdrawn, though, the Emperor loses power and is ousted. The Manchus claim to have used the Mandate to seize power from the corrupted Ming, much as the Duke of Chou used it to justify ousting the Shang in 1122 BC. Anyway! Let's talk about contact with the West.

The first Europeans to contact the Chinese were the Portuguese, who were allowed to set up base in Macau in 1557. Some Jesuits went with them, and in 1582, they were allowed to settle near Zhaoqing, a town near Canton. It was more than a century before the British could get a similar deal. At last, in 1685, Canton was opened to the West, which at that point was just the Portuguese, French and British. The British East India company immediately began trade, through the restrictions were severe. Over the next century, other Western powers began to trade as well - the Dutch in 1729, the Danes and Swedes in 1731, and America in 1785.

During the first two centuries of trade with the West, China was in control. The Manchu had goods that the Europeans wanted, like tea and silk, and the Europeans were forced to pay in silver. Canton was seen as a backwater and the Europeans as barbarians. To limit their effect on China, they had many restrictions placed on them. They could only live in Canton from September to March, and were restricted to Shamiam Island, on the Pearl River. Their families ahd to be left downriver in Macau, and they were forbidden to learn Chinese. Lastly, starting in 1757, they were only to deal with the Co Hong, a Cantonese merchant guild that kept exclusive rights via bribes and fees to the Qing. As you might guess, the Europeans weren't very happy with all this. In 1773, the British brought in a thousand chests of pure Bengal opium. By the early 19th century, China took in more than 2000 chests of opium yearly.

The Emperor, of course, wasn't happy about the money heading to Britain and the legions of opium addicts, so he tried to band the trade in 1796. However, the Co Hong and corrupt Cantonese officials allowed it to continue. By 1816, the British were bringing in 5000 chests of opium per year, and trade was in their favor. In 1839, the Emperor decided to eradicate opium once and for all, appointing a new Commissioner of Canton, Lin Zexu. Lin Zexu was to solve the problem. In less thjan a week, his troops surrounded the British in Canton, cut off their supplies and demanded surrender of all opium they had. The British held out for six weeks, but eventually surrendered. Lin took their 20,000 chests of opium and publically destroyed them in the Pearl River.

An expeditionary force of the Brtitish Army arrived in June of 1840, blockading Canton. It headed north and blockaded a few more ports on the Yangtze, ultimately threatening Beijing itself. The Emperor sent a man named Qi Shan to negotiate, and Qi Shan convinced the British to sail back to Canton and hold talks there. The resulting document, known as the Convention of Chuan Bi, was immediately repudiated by both sides, and a second British force arrived in August of 1841. Their fleet headed north and threatened Nanjing, forcing the Chinese to accept the Treaty of Nanjing, which opened up five ports for European trade and permanently ceded Hong Kong to the British. This was the end, officially, of the Opium War. However, further British military action in 1856, 1859 and 1898 expanded British territories to include Kowloon and the "New Territories." While sale of opium remained illegal, there was no way to stop the British from doing it.

The 19th century began with a full anti-government uprising in China. The White Lotus Rebellion lasted from 1795 to 1804. The White Lotus were a secret society practicing folk Buddhism and worshipping a deity known as the Eternal Mother. They wanted to revive the Ming and oust the Manchus, though the length of the rebellion was more due to corruption in the Manchu military than any ferocity or skill of the White Lotus rebels. Once the Emperor found honest commanders, they were quickly crushed. The lessons of the White Lotus Rebellion were not lost on those who watched - among them, especially, a group of monks concerned with the degeneration of the Empire. These monks were collection of Buddhists, Taoists and Neo-Confucians who came together in 1810 to see what they could do to aid China. After the failure of the White Lotus, they rejected open rebellion and instead formed their own secret society: the Guiding Hand.

The Hand began to study Chinese life at all levels, hoping to find a way to reverse the moral weakness they saw. They quickly determined the cause was the influence of Western devils, especially in the form of opium. If the foreigners could be driven out, China would be strong again. The Guiding Hand recruited members into a front organization called the Golden Candle Society. Golden Candle cells were spread throughout China, speaking to peasants, merchants and bureaucrats. They launched court initiatives to pressure the Emperor towards resting the foreigners, and they even sabotaged the opium runners when they could. They had small victories, but the change they sought did not come. Even when the Emperor was convinced to act against foreign influence, he was ineffectual. Clearly, something was wrong.

The Grandmaster of the Hand at the time was a Buddhist monk named Fung Shin. Though he was determined to reclaim China, he refused to use violent means to do it, thinking that the Golden Candle Society could solve the problem eventually via political means. He had the support of the Buddhist wing and much of the Taoist wing, but as years continued without improvement - and, in fact, degeneration - there was increasing discontent, led by a young monk named Quan Lo. He was a Shaolin master, but unlike most of the Shaolin, he embraced Neo-Confucianism, not Buddhism. Despite this, he was respected both by the Buddhists and the Shaolin as a whole. He had been a founding member of the Hand and watched society with growing concern and criticism. In the early years, he ran the informer network in Canton, doing so well that he was soon running networks in all of China's important cities. Thus, he got lots of information and saw that the Hand was doing nothing. He wanted to change this.

In 1825, the leadership of the Hand met to celebrate their 15th anniversary and make plans for the future. Quan Lo was asked to address the leadership and speak on their progress. At the appointed time, he rose and told the leaders that he would now recite all of their glowing achievements. After ten minutes of silence, he sat down. This caused quite a stir and was the start of Quan Lo's campaign to change the Hand. For the next five years, he continuously advocated new tactics, using his position to control the flow oinformation and place members loyal to him in key positions. Things came to a head in 1830 when Fung Shin died and the leadership became vacant. While many still believed in Fung Shin's vision, especially the Buddhists, his death caught everyone off guard - save Quan Lo, who had been waiting for just such a chance. With blazing speed, he organized his followers, called a meeting of the leadership and got elected Grandmaster before the other factions of the Hand could even gather.

Quan Lo's first order of business was to reshape the leadership of the Hand. OVer five years, he stripped some members of power and transferred others to remote areas, even sending some into the Golden Candle Society. Meanwhile, he continued to appoint his people to important positions, essentially purging the leadership of Buddhists and Taoists. From that time on, the Hand leadership was strictly Neo-Confucian. Unlike most of the Guiding Hand, Quan Lo also understood geomancy. Others had scoffed at this superstition, but Quan Lo secretly sent his Shaolin students to investigate the feng shui sites of China. Again and again, they found the same thing: the sites were either controlled by foreigners, allies of foreigners or a secret society called the Jade Wheel. Once he'd completed his restructuring, Quan Lo instituted a new strategy: no more diplomacy, no more begging the Emperor. The Guiding Hand would liberate the feng shui sites from the West and remake China as it had been.

Or so Quan Lo thought. He spent five years fighting a protracted military campaign, sending groups of Shaolin warriors under the command of a Shaolin Master named Lui Man Wai. Unfortunately, he found that while he could take feng shui sites, the Hand could not hold them against the army, and could not seize them by intrigue, thanks to the apparently inexhaustible resources of the Jade Wheel. In 1839, an entire MAnchu amry descended on Quan Lo's school and burned it to the ground, killing many students and nearly killing Quan Lo. Clearly, the Jade Wheel Society was more potent than he had realized. What was their secret? He swore to find out.

When it became clear that the Shaolin could not liberate China alone, the Hand changed their tactics again. Quan Lo's agents investigated the JAde Wheel and the foreigners, and what they found was almost unbelievable: the secret masters of the Jade Wheel were transformed animals. These animals, the Ascended, controlled all of the most powerful feng shui sites. They had a brother organization in the West, the Order of the Wheel. Together, they would colonize the world and industrialize it as fast as possible. Only then would they be safe from the return of magic that would undo their transformations. As if this were not enough, Quan Lo's agents found the Netherworld only a year later. Teams of fighters were sent through, and what they found in other times was even worse.

Confucian values were nearly destroyed by communism and capitalism in the modern era, and an authoritarian world government kept power in the far future via an unholy mix of magic and technology. It was clear: ejecting the West would not be enough. The entire timestream had to be altered so the world would enter a golden age of Confucian justice. Quan Lo had a lot of work ahead of him. The first thing he needed was a safe base. In 1844, he began construction on two major centers: the Temple of Boundless MEditation in the Netherworld, and the Temple of the Shaolin Dragon in 1850, built on the other end of a secret gateway. To protect the new temple from the fate of his olf school, Quan Lo decreed that all travel to the Shaolin Dragon would be done via the Netherworld. Thus, so long as the Temple of Boundless Meditation stood, the Temple of the Shaolin Dragon would be safe.

Meanwhile, Quan Lo targeted the contemporary juncture, for he'd heard it was lawless and chaotic, and the Ascended who ruled had grown jaded and lazy. He decided to pursue a long-range plan aiming for ultimate victory. Thus, his operatives would recruit members of families who would later become prominent in the Guiding Hand or Golden Candle Society. After five years of this, the Hand had a solid base of agents in the contemporary juncture, many of them part of the communist bureaucracy. This led to a new set of problems.

According to history, Quan Lo died in 1901 at the age of 111, just as the Boxer Rebellion failed. After his death, the Hand passed to other Grandmasters who tried to carry on his work, but for 90 years the Hand developed without Quan Lo. Many of the Grandmasters tried to pursue their own goals, often disastrously. The contemporary leadership of the Hand, more importantly, was used to being in charge. When Quan Lo's agents arrived and tried to give them orders, there was friction. The Grandmaster of the time, Ho Shen, felt the 90s should be left to him, as he understood them in ways that Quan Lo never could. Quan Lo, meanwhile, believed it was not the place of Ho Shen to question him, and that he knew as much as he needed to. Particularly, they disagreed over America. Ho Shen wanted to infiltrate it as a stronghold of the Ascended, while Quan Lo felt that only China mattered.

In the end, Quan Lo ordered Ho Shen to go to America and begin operations, effectively both exiling him and giving him what he wanted at once. Ho Shen followed the orders, taking many of his best agents. On Quan Lo's orders, the Hand and Golden Candle agents in the communist bureaucracy began to agitate behind the scenes to steal the feng shui sites from the AScended, mostly facing off with Jade Wheel agents in the same bureaucracy. So far, the Hand has had some amount of success with these tactics, winning quite a few sites in mainland China. They've had less success in Hong Kong, but hope to change that now that China owns the place again.

Two years ago, a new faction joined the Secret War. Gateways opened suddenly across 69 AD China, a time when evil eunuchs controlled China with terror. Like all the other factions, Quan Lo sent agents to investigate...but when reports came back, he knew he'd found the missing piece of a puzzle that had long been bothering him. According to Chu Hsi, a philosopher beloved by the Guiding Hand, the Sage-Kings of Antiquity had a secret doctrine that was key to good government. Quan Lo believed he'd discovered that doctrine when he uncovered the importance of feng shui. He'd never understood, though, how the Emperors had lost that secret and who had caused the corruption of the world. When his agents returned from 69 AD, it was clear: the Eaters of the Lotus had corrupted the world, stealing the secret doctrine and using it to revive magic and, eventually, create the world that would lead to the Architects of the Flesh.

For the last time, Quan Lo changed his plans. Though he would continue 1850 and 1996 operations, he began a plan to wipe the Lotus out and reshape history as it should have been. The Ascended and the Architects would be erased from time, and the glory of the Sage-Kings would come once more to China.

Next time: The organization of the Guiding Hand.

Yes, Perfect Master. I am as a blind man before you.

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: Yes, Perfect Master. I am as a blind man before you.

Quan Lo's Guiding Hand was based on the organization of the Shaolin Temple, and most Hand training centers are, in fact, Shaolin temples. Students can be male or female, and they're recruited by Hand operatives who keep an eye out for candidates. If they are willing, they are blindfolded and taken to the nearest training center, which can take weeks and is the first test of discipline. Anyone who takes off the blindfold for any reason will never join the Guiding Hand. Once they get to the temple, they are considered students, and will study Quan Lo's philosophy and the art of medicine for two to four years. They will also, naturally, perform all menial tasks the temple needs done. This builds discipline and teaches students to follow orders.

Students who complete their studies become disciples, learning martial arts for the first time. They're expected to pick one or more styles and try to master them, living by the Shaolin precepts they learned as students. They also study Confucian texts, medicine and other arts. Disciples tend to stay that way another two to four years. When they demonstrate mastery of Neo-Confucian philosophy and at least one martial art, they become Masters. Masters are full mons of the temple and are expected to teach both students and disciples. At that point, they also become full members of the Guiding Hand, learning about the truth of the Ascended, the Secret War and feng shui. Masters are the main operatives of the Hand, and generally get ranked by age, with elder Masters being seen as wiser. Above all is Quan Lo, the Perfect Master.

Quan Lo gives assignments to whoever he considers best fit for the job. A Master has complete autonomy while performing a project and can requisition any operatives or supplies they need. In the unlikely event that two Masters have a conflict, the younger defers to the elder. Quan Lo keeps an eye on all operations but only intervenes when he truly has to. Hand operatives can't expect rescue from any trouble they get into - that would encourage sloppy thinking and imprudence.

Discipline and propriety are very important to the Hand. They expect all members to be courteous and humble at all times. Rudeness and poor humor are punishable, as are violations of temple rules. Punishment is given out by Masters or, if needed, Quan Lo himself. They tend to be individually designed. One Master might make an impudent student clean latrines for a month, while another might make them smash ten bricks with their heads. The only certainty is that impropriety is swiftly punished. Members of the same level of the Hand are brothers or sisters, while those of lower level are nieces and nephews, and those above are aunts and uncles. Strict teachers may demand to be called Master at all times, and Quan Lo is addressed either as Grandfather or Perfect Master.

The Golden Candle Society continues to exist and acts as a front for the Hand. Unlike the Hand itself, it's open to people that aren't Neo-Confucian but still oppose the foreigners and Manchu. Hand members watch the Golden Candle cells and recruit heavily from them. Effective and dedicated members are even occasionally invited to join the Hand without Temple training. Generally, these are people whose talents aren't martial arts, such as spies or older people with established places in society. Recruiting a government bureaucrat, after all, would be silly if he had to give up his job and train for years. This is rare, though, and most Golden Candle members don't know they're puppets of an even more secret society. Quan Lo wants to keep it that way.

Due to the Ancestors Operation, which we'll get into later, there are members of the Hand who were born into the organization, primarily in 1996. These members descend from the people recruited in the 1850s, and were usually trained by parents or other members of their parents' cell. Due to the nature of time travel, the actual number of Hand members in the contemporary era is unknown, and it's likely that cells exist in distant parts of China or America with no contact from Hand leadership. It's even possible that some exist in 2056, though none have been contacted so far.

We get a sidebar on the origin of Shaolin. The Shaolin Temple was built in 495 AD on Sangshan Mountain in Henan Province. It took its name from the recently planted forest in the area, and Shaolin means "new forest." The original job of the Shaolin monks was to translate Buddhist texts into Chinese. In the Sixth century, however, a famous Indian monk named Boddhidharma visited the temple and was appalled by the physical condition of the monks there. He offered to help them, but at first they would not accept. Boddhidharm retreated to a cave and spent nine years meditating. So great was his chi, it is said, that he drilled a hole in the wall with his gaze alone. The Shaolin monks were very impressed and invited him to join them.

Once Boddhidharma joined the temple, he began to teach the monks exercises to keep fit, which are said to be the origin of kung fu. The Shaolin monks spent generations refining the art and soon developed legendary powers. In the early Seventh century, 13 Shaolin monks saved the future Tang Emperor Li Shimin from a force of government troops and broke him out of prison. When he became Emperor, the Shaolin were rewarded heavily. Their involvement in politics, though, proved to undo them. The Shaolin Temple was often a center of rebellion and made the mistake of supporting the Ming after the Qing deposed them. The temple was sacked and destroyed by a Manchu army in 1735 and the surviving monks scattered. They helped to spread kung fu across China, developing the Northern and Southern styles. The Guiding Hand grew from the Shaolin tradition, but differ from most Shaolin in that they practice Neo-Confucianism and not Buddhism.

The Shaolin Temple was eventually rebuilt, but suffered many trials, especially in the 20th century. They were forced to yield to the Red Guard during the Cultural Revolution of Communist China, and in Feng Shui not even the Hand bureaucrats in the Party could stop them from being shut down in 1968. Once the Cultural Revolution ended, the Hand did get its revenge, making sure that all Red Guards guilty of the shutdown were declared counter-revolutionaries and sent to remote locations for "reeducation". They weren't, however, strong enough to keep the Ascended from blocking the reopening of the temple. In the 1960s, the Shaolin became heroes of the silver screen, and the Lodge didn't fail to notice the popularity of these films, financing their own movie to be shot at the Shaolin Temple itself. The film was a huge succeess, launching Jet Li's career.

As a result, the Shaolin Temple opened again...but this time, not under Hand control. Rather, the new Shaolin Temple is controlled by the Ascended, who have planted a transformed Fox martial arts master as the leader, turning it into a tourist trap complete with Imax movie theatre. Sangshan Mountain, once sacred, houses a shooting range, and nearby Qufu, hometown of Confucius, sells Shaolin chewing gum . The Ascended are having fun with tweaking the Hand's nose on this one.

We now join Quan Lo in the Temple of the Shaolin Dragon. He is meeting with several masters, including Li Chung So, who does not understand why the Hand is choosing to focus on the Lotus instead of the Ascended. Quan Lo explains that the Ascended are merely a symptom of the corruption of the world, not the cause. Rather, Quan Lo argues, the Lotus stole the sacred doctrine of feng shui from the Emperors, perverting it and using it to corrupt the world with magic. Now, of course, they could defeat the Ascended if they focused...but the Lotus would remain in the past. Curing the symptom is not enough. They most destroy the root: Gao Zhang. Further, Quan Lo argues that in the days of Confucius, there was no Netherworld, for it was not needed. However, it is clearly needed now, to save China and return the world to its golden age of virtue and justice. Thus, their first priority must be the destruction of the Lotus.

More than any other faction, the Guiding Hand are driven by philosophy and belief, not temporal power. Quan Lo beleieves he is the product of 3000 years of philosophical development, and his students study Confucius as much as martial arts. For them, the Secret War is more than power - it is about establishing the Confucian Way in all junctures, to create a golden age of virtue. Their faith is nearly religious, and no attempt to understand the Hand would be complete without understanding their particular brand of Neo-Confucianism.

The Guiding Hand venerate three sages. First, of course, is Confucius. You know Confucius. The second is Chu Hsi, a 12th century philosopher who helped to found the Neo-Confucian philosophy. His commentaries on the works of Confucius became the standard texts for all later Confucian scholars. Lastly is Quan Lo himself. His own contribution is the Six Principles of Light, which form the basis of Guiding Hand training. Together, the Three Masters' philosophy offers a coherent and inspirational doctrine that gives the Hand its strength. To understand them, it is necessary to study how each sage has contributed to the philosophy and how Quan Lo combined them.

Confucius lived in the 6th century BC, in a time of many feuding states. Each ruler dreamed of reuniting China, and war was frequent. Confucius was appalled by it all and longed for a return to the values of the Sage-Kings of Antiquity. He wrote a whole lot about how one could become a "superior man", like the Sage Kings. For example: never, ever, for any reason compromise your virtues, ever. Never think of your own comfort or gain. Remain composed at all times and show neither fear nor anxiety. Be modest in speech but excellent in action. Consider the righteousness of everything you do, and always act according to rules of propriety, humility and sincerity. Confucius believed this philosophy would make society just and peaceful. Although in his lifetime he had little success, his teachings became more influential than any other philosopher in Chinese history.

He said that all men should follow the Way, which would bring about happiness for all mankind. The Way included an ethical system for individuals and a system of government meant to ensure the well-being of all humans. Since it was in the nature of all humans to desire happiness, Confucius didn't see why anyone shouldn't be allowd to be happy, but unfortunately most people were unhappy due to warfare, starvation and bad rulers. The ethical system was based on virtue, honesty, justice, truth and courtesy. By striving to live by those ideals, anyone could be a "gentleman," a "superior man." In all these pursuits, the idea was to better both the self and society.

Good government was a particularly thorny problem for Confucius. He believed that bad government was caused by rulers who inherited their position. In an ideal world, he said, rulers should earn their place by study and hard work, and that anyone, no matter how low their birth, could aspire to be Emperor. However, he realized that you couldn't just ask nobles to give up their power. Instead, he proposed that educated men do the work of government for the nobles. These advisors and bureaucrats would be specially trained to provide good government. Some students of Confucius did achieve high position in court, but by and large his teachings were ignored in his own time. They were adopted later by Emperor Wu, and civil service exams based on merit alone were held to fill government bureaucracy. The exams were adopted by every dynasty from the Han to the Qing and only ended in 1911 with the Xinhai Rebellion and civil war.

The Sage Kings, as a note, are legendary figures of China, of whom there is no historical record outside Confucius. They are said to have ruled China in the third millenium BC. They were Yao, Shun and Yu, and are credited with many of the virtuous practices promoted by Confucius. He tlaks a lot aobut Yu in his Analects , though he didn't rely solely on Yu as precedent for his ideas. However, the idea of restoring the practices of the mighty past did appeal to China and later Confucians ascribed their own ideals to the Sage-Kings, arguing that they passed down from the Sage-Kings to the Duke of Chou and then to Confucius. The greatest of these ideas was that the Sage-Kings were not born to office, but earned it by virtue, finding worthy successors as their reigns ended. The evil and corruption of many Emperors was explained by the fact that they were not following this example.

Chu Hsi, the Sung Master, lived in the 12th century AD and was the leader of one of the two major factions of the Sung Dynasty's Neo-Confucians. He is seen as the most influential Chinese philosopher of the last thousand years, and he introduced many ideas into Confucian doctrine. His commentaries on Confucius were a standard part of education for Chinese scholars, though they were always those who disagreed. He is accused, often, of corrupting Confucianism with Buddhist ideas, and while some of his ideas are quite similar to Zen Buddhism, it's unfair to say his Neo-Confucianism was a rationalist form of Buddhism. The major component of his philosophy was the concept of li and its relation with chi .

Li and chi , he said, were what made all things. Li are the principles, unchanging and indestructible, which define everything. Man's nature is his li , and so all men are the same in this. What makes them different is their chi . If a man is foolish and degenerate, his chi clouds the nature of his li . To recapture his nature, he must rid himself of that chi . Chu Hsi compares this to hunting for a pearl in muddy water. A man can find his li , he said, by pursuing the virtues of benevolence, righteousness, courtesy and wisdom. This maintains that man is inherently good and that the four virtues are part of man's li .

It's not just living things like animals and humans that have li , though. Relationships and objects have li , too. Chu Hsi said that leaves and flowers were different because their chi was governed by different li . He maintained that there was also an ideal form of government, and that a government was good when it was true to its li . When it strayed, it was bad. The Sage-Kings of Antiquity, he said, had a secret doctrine that explained how to be a good ruler, but that the Emperors of the past 1500 years had ignored it, for they had were fettered to human desire.

Chu Hsi, like Confucius, was a strict moralist who advocated extending knowledge by "the investigation of things." Meditation was not enough, he said - one must investigate and analyse. If one worked at this enough, all things would become clear and the mind would be enlightened. This is similar to the goal of Buddhism, but its means of attainment are purely Confucian.

Next time: Quan Lo's part of this and a post that isn't a pure history lesson.

Look, you piece of shit, you think a bunch of preteens with guns they don't even know how to use are going to scare me?

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: Look, you piece of shit, you think a bunch of preteens with guns they don't even know how to use are going to scare me?

All right, Quan Lo. He started out as a Shaolin monk who, despite being taught by a Buddhist, embraced Neo-Confucianism because he thought it was more Chinese. Buddhism, after all, came from India. (So did martial arts, but he seems okay with that.) He wandered the land, seeking understanding by the investigation of things in accordance with Chu Hsi's teachings. What he saw concerned him greatly, so he founded his own Shaolin school to help fight what was wrong with China. Over the years, he developed his own ideas about Neo-Confucianism and martial arts and now had time to implement them. The result was the Six Principles of Light. The big innovation of the Principles is that they combine moral teachings, practical advice and martial arts theory into one whole. They do not replace Confucius or Chu Hsi, but supplement them. They do, however, offer a disciplined and structured way to learn both philosophy and martial arts.

The Orange Principle of Diversity is this: "The Crane flies across the mountains, over streams, through heavens. The elements are diverse; the Crane's wisdom furthers." It is based on the idea of investigaiton of things. Though studying the classics is important, not all knowledge is contained in them. Confucius himself suggested that one must find what is good and follow it, seeing much and learning from it.

The Green Principle of Resistance : "The Turtle knows who he is. The Turtle's shell knows what it is. He resists impure influence. Perserverance followes." This teaches that while investigation is important, having the wisdom to decide what is good is even more important. It embodies strength of mind and body, focusing on the virtues of benevolence, righteousness, courtesy and wisdom. Once centered in these virtues, you cannot be moved.

The Red Principle of Movement : "The Tiger croouches, full of energy and stillness. When the prey approaches, stillness becomes action: the Tiger strikes. The Superior Man knows when to act and - with knowedge as his teeth and claws - does not hesitate." The Red Principle encourages informed action. Action for its own sake is disaster, and the investigation of things is important as a preface to action. One must be patient, but when the time comes to act, one must act with precision and ferocity.

The Blue Principle of Obscurement : "The Rat's home is shadow. The Rat's palanquin is fog. To sow confusion in the enemy is to reap good fortune." The Blue Principle is vital to the Secret War, teaching guile and subterfuge. Only the strong ofg will can learn it, for its use holds moral danger. The core values of Neo-Confucianism can never be forgotten, or you truly become a liar and scoundrel. Still, it is necessary for Hand survival.

The Violet Principle of Reversal : "The Fox overturns the bowl of water, transforms hunter into hunted, uses the strength of the bully against him. A victory for the tyrant contains the seeds of the tyrant's destruction. Feed the Fox his wine, but do not trust him." This teaches that strength can be found in adversity. An enemy's hubris is a tool to exploit, and your own is a danger to avoid. It teaches that sometimes there is wisdom in flight, as well, for what use is self-sacrifice when the cost is that you cannot fight again?

The Yellow Principle of Redirection : "The Monkey capers, at the last moment seizing the incoming spear. He adds the spear to the fruit he juggles. He throws the spear at the spear thrower, piercing his armor. The superior man is resilient." This teaches the value of seeming foolish. Occupy your foes with stunts and games, distracting them from the true threat. You may act a fool, but you keep a strong mind and know where your game ends and the real truth begins!

The White Principle of Principles, the Six Principles Combined Into One : "Crane, Turtle, and Tiger; Rat, Fox, and Monkey. Together they join to become the Dragon, to breathe death upon the enemy. Good fortune." Those who master all six Principles combine them in the unity of the Dragon. Masters of the White Principle attain true wisdom and knowledge, knowing the proper principle for every situation. They are the great power of the Guiding Hand.

Quan Lo took his own ideas and those of his predecessors, combining them with the knowledge of the Secret War. His analysis of the world, time and the War is comprehensive and rather grim, but there is hope. According to Quan Lo, the world was once as one. No Netherworld, no time travel, no Secret War. These were the days of the Sage-Kings of Antiquity. They ruled China and all was right in the world. Men were judged by merit and worked for the greater good. The chi of the Emperors was pure and the true li of government was known. Sadly, this era passed. Greed came to the court, and the Emperors cared more for wealth than service. The Duke of Chou reversed this policy and established peace, but again, the government degenerated. China split into meany kingdoms, and it was in this period that Confucius lived. He sought the ancient ways of the Sage-Kings and the Duke of Chou. Thoug he could not unite China alone, his work became a part of it forever.

Confucius lacked the secret doctrine of the Sage-Kings, though. It had been passed down from Emperor to Emperor, explaining how to be a true ruler and achieve the true li of government. Unfortunately, it passed into the hands of the corrupt and greedy. The Sage-Kings knew that good government and life for the people could only be achieved by controlling the powerful feng shui sites. In the early 1st century AD, the degenerate eunuchs who ran the government learned te secret and used it to remake China in their own vision. Magic, a corruption of chi that was banished by the Sage-Kings, came once more into the world. Demons followed with it, serving the eunuchs. The true li of government has been unknown since.

Eventually, the eunuchs lost power, but magic stayed in the world, corrupting it. This lead to the rise of the Four Monarchs. If they can be be believed, they once ruled the earth but were driven from power by the Ascended. These animals in human form did banish magic, but they quickly established their own rule. They twist their chi and make a mockery of their li , and they are responsible for the evils of industrialization, capitalism and communism. Their work has twisted the world's chi so badly that the earth itself responded by creating the Netherworld. It exists to allow time travel, which exists to allow servants of the Confucian Way to restore the world's chi and bring it to harmony with its li . The Architects of Flesh, who rule with the twin powers of science and magic, only reinforce this. The longer the world strays from its path, the worse it will get.

The Guiding Hand sees itself as the only pure faction in the Secret War. The Architects of Flesh are a true nightmare, mixing magic and technology. Each was bad enough on its own, but together, they are unnatural! The chi flow of the planet is warped and furthest from its li in 2056, more than any other time. Whole the society of the Architects is orderly, it is based on repression, conformity and cruelty. The Abominations are the means of maintaining order. The Architects must be stopped from establishing footholds anywhen else, and the timestream must be altered to remove them from existence.

The Ascended, say the Hand, have done a great job at ruining the world. Unsurprising, as they are mere animals. They may deny their li but can never escape it. They were animals once and will be animals again. Unfortunately, they control two junctures, making them very formidable foes. Until two years ago and the arrival of the Lotus, the Hand directed almost all operations at the Ascended. They remain an immediate concern, but behind the Eats of the Lotus.

The Dragons are the only faction the Hand would even consider true alliance with. They have good intentions, but their chi is unfocused and they are too tied to the secular humanism of the 20th century. They lack discipline and obedience, thinking power is enough to carry them. Someday, they will learn the meaning of true justice.

The Eaters of the Lotus sullied the secret doctrine of the Sage-Kings, using its knowledge to bring magic and demons into the world. They made a mockery of Empire and of China. They also have the advantage of being the deepest in the past. For all these reasons, the Lotus are the top target of the Guiding Hand. If the Hand can just take over 69 AD, then all will be right once more. Hopefully.

The Four Monarchs claim to have been removed from the world by the Ascended. If that is true, as it seems to be, then the Ascended can be thanked for driving the corruptive force of magic out of hte world. Unfortunately, the Four Monarchs were the first (according to the Hand) to learn the secrets of the Netherworld. With an established powerbase there, they impede the proper use of the Netherworld and threaten to bring magic back. Someday, they will need to be dealt with. Someday soon.

The Jammers are deluded fools and proof that the world of the Architects is hopelessly flawed. They are what pass for rebels in the 21st cnetury and are so deluded that they seek to destroy the very tools that could save them: feng shui sites. Their minds are confused by technology and a naive desire for "freedom." They may be useful pieces in the game, but they cannot be trusted at all.

We now get some story about Caesar Mack, who is leading his students against some gang members, the Bronx Gangstas. Caesar has called them out. He wants them to stop selling drugs in his community. They're not about to do it, and Caesar tells them that they really shouldn't sell crack, because like opium in China, it will tear the black community apart. Luther, the leader of the Gangstas, is confused by this and says that as long as he has crack, he's gonna sell it. Caesar tries to stay calm and remember the Six Principles, but he cant. Instead, he starts to yell at Luther about how he lived through Vietnam and isn't scared of some punk. Luther tries to shoot him, but it doesn't do anything. Caesar caught the bullets, and tells the gangsters that now, it's war. Luther and his gang stare for a while, then say they'll kill him. Caesar's okay with that...but he hopes his students are ready.

So, let's talk about the Hand plans. They're at a disadvantage in the Secret War, since they don't control an entire juncture. However, they do have some feng shui sites, most of which are in 1850 or 1996. A few are in 69 AD and the Netherworld. Many are minor sites, but the Hand does have a few major ones, too, usually the focus of Hand operations and very important in the master plan. 69 AD is the only time which can be looked back on by the Hand from their native era. The perspective is unreliable and incomplete, but it is one of jusst two junctures there they have a strong foothold. The Cave of a Thousand Banners is the Hand's primary base in 69 AD, located in the mountains of Huai-pei, where Henan, Anhui, Shandong and Jiangsu provinces meet. This region has been a bandit haven for all of China's history. The Nian Rebels of 1850 are based there, as have been countless others. The terrain has great advantages for guerrillas and is highly defensible. It's where people flee to in times of trouble. It was basically made for would-be rebels.

The Cave is run by a woman named Leung Mui. She and her team came there two years ago from the Netherworld. One of the many passages of the cave holds a portal, which Leung exploited to attack the bandits who lived in the cave. After securing it and recruiting the survivors of her defeated foes, Leung set about making a name for herself as the Black Flag, named for her battle standard. She defeated several bandit gangs, each time absorbing them into her own forces. Soon, recruits began to seek her out, especially political refugees. As her following grew, she sent other members of her team to start similar groups elsewhere in China and began to coordinate the Wandering Teachers, of whom we will learn more later.

The Cave itself is really a series of caves, with many dead ends and booby traps. The two main caves are the Hall of Banners and the Black Flag's Sanctum. The Hall is where the battle flags of defeated foes are kept. It's pretty huge. The Black Flag's Sanctum is smaller and serves as Leung's headquarters. Only Guiding Hand members are usually allowed in, with the common rebels being kept ignorant of its purpose. Getting into the caves is risky unless you're attuned to the feng shui site. Attuned characters - which are mostly Leung Mai and her Hand team - never got lost in the caves. Anyone else must make Perception checks, diff 13, to keep their bearings.

Next time: Madame Pei Pei's Pleasure Palace.

I lived through Nam, you punk, so take your best shot!

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: I lived through Nam, you punk, so take your best shot!

Leung Mai, like many Hand agents, is a Shaolin Master from 1850. She's young, but was chosen to head 69 AD operations for her extreme organizational skill, loyalty and military tactics. So far, she hasn't disappointed. She's from Peking, the child of two Golden Candle agents who sent her to Quan Lo's school when she was five. Her father was captured and tortured to death by the Jade Wheel Society two years later, while her mother escaped to the school and became a teacher. Leung knows no life outside the Hand. She also has no real idea what 'fun' is, thanks to her strict upbringing and self-discipline. She is all business, all the time, and her idea of relaxing is a martial arts fight. Unknown to her, most of her team is actually really tired about getting beaten up in her "friendly" sparring matchs and spends a lot of time complaining behind her back. They're still loyal, though, since there's no one they'd rather have on their side in a fight.

Yim Chang is one of the wandering teachers based out of the Cave of a Thousand Banners. Usually, the teachers wander China and try to instill Confucian vlaues in the people, but sometimes they stop by to report in or rest. Yim Chang has been in ancient China for a year now, mostly in the south, and takes special pleasure in freeing villages from supernatural monsters. He finds that this simple task makes a lot of friends.

In 1850, the Guiding Hand has a few advantages...but unlike many other factions, control of the juncture isn't one of them. They do, however, have Madame Pei Pei's Pleasure Palace , a notorious brothel in Canton. It's notable for being a riverboat on the Pearl River, rather than a building. Madame Pei Pei, the proprietor, was once known as the South Seas pirate Pei Pei the Pistol, and unknown to moast of her clients, she is a ranking member in the Golden Candle Society. She runs Hand operations in Canton and has proven both discreet and effective. Quan Lo chose her because he hopes that none would suspect the Hand of using a brothel as a base.

The Pleasure Palace is a large three-deck barge known for its many, many mirrors, which make it shine on the river. They provide excellent feng shui, as well. The top deck is mostly used for dancing and drinking in good weather, and provides a nice view of the river and Honam Island, which is famous for its gardens and temples. The middle deck has a bar and several private rooms for gambling, as well as Madame Pei Pei's office. The bottom deck is the brothel. Some of the girls live there, but most live in the city of Canton itself. Most of Pei Pei's work is spying and information gathering on her clients, some of whom belong to the Order of the Wheel, as well as managing a local secret society dating back to the Opium War. This group, the Red Hand, was one of many anti-British groups which has since begun organizing militias which head out and cause trouble whenever civil unrest starts. Which, in Canton, is fairly often. The Red Hand are also skilled saboteurs with a large cache of stolen guns hidden in the Pleasure Palace, using a secret room next to Pei Pei's office.

Madame Pei Pei (full name Ng Pei Pei) was once, as mentioned, a famous pirate known as Pei Pei the Pistol. She was one of the few female captains in the South China Sea, and she was both loved and feared in Canton for her reputation of ruthlessness. When the British fleet arrived after the Opium War and started to dismantle the pirate fleets, she decided to retire, selling off her ships and using the money to start the Pleasure Palace. It may be surprising to some that a brutal pirate and brothel mistress is a Golden Candle member, but Pei Pei adores China. She loves the place. She hates the British for ending her way of life and killing many of her friends. IF she can help kick the West out of China, she'll die happy. She is a loud, boisterous woman who lives up to her reputation as a larger-than-life figure, drinking heavily, gambling with the best of them and generally coming off as a lot dumber and more reckless than she actually is. In fact, she is a master planner and manipulator, and while she can be ruthless with her foes, she is generous and giving to her firends, which means that her crew is very loyal indeed. The women of the brothel are especially well paid, and since the whole thing is a cover for her spying, she doesn't have any reason to exploit them. As a result, they really like her.

The Temple of the Shaolin Dragon is Quan Lo's personal Shaolin temple and the heart of the Guiding Hand. To protect it from the destruction so many other Shaolin temples faced, this one was built in secret and is carefully guarded. The Ascended would love to find it, but so far haven't had any luck. It's in a forest in Hunan Province which the locals claim is haunted, and which destroys any who enter it. The real reason for this is that the Shaolin warriors guard the place and kill any intruders. Quan Lo wants to be sure security is never compromised, and he realized early on that the Ascended would eventually try to infiltrate or follow his couriers. As a result, the temple's location is a secret known only to the inner circle, and all travel to it is via the Netherworld, using a portal that connects it to the Temple of Boundless Meditation.

The place has amazing feng shui, and attuning to it gives lots of benefits. Anyone attuned to the Temple of the Shaolin Dragon gets a two point discount to all fu powers, and gets a +1 bonus to any attempt to resist attacks or effects from sorcery, guns or arcanowave tech. The temple itself is large and laid out very traditionally. It's guarded day and night by monks and students, who use birdcalls to pass information. The coordination is amazing, and no one has ever penetrated the forest successfully. There are plenty of statues and shrines to important figures in Chinese history and martial arts, such as Confucius, Chu Hsi, Mencius, Ng Mui and Yim Wing Chun.

The Guiding Hand does not extend further into the future, realy, than 1996. Their influence there is rather weak, because Quan Lo puts almost no importance on it...and if not for the dedication of the individuals involved, there might not be any Hand presence at all. But hey, let's look at Chef Ho's House of Dumplings ! It's on Pell Street in New York City's Chinatown, and it is the base of Hand operations in America. It was founded by Ho Shen, the former Grandmaster of the Guiding Hand, who got sent to America in exile three years ago. Ho has been very industrious, despite Quan Lo's disdain, and has gotten quite a lot down. He has agents throughout America and coordinates it all from a secret basement under Chef Ho's.

The restaurant itself is small and always crowded, because it has the best dumplings in Chinatown. College students love the place, as do the elders of Chinatown. Chef Ho is often in the kitchen, cooking at breakneck speed. When the restaurant closes, he hads down to the basement, where he uses computers and fax machines to coordinate his network of agents in other parts of the country, using a unique code based on the I Ching. New York is, naturally, a huge area for Ascended activity, and Ho Shen often sends agents out to see what they can find, posing as dlivery men who speak little English. This lets them move around freely, as few people think twice about seeing a Chinese delivery man. If caught in a sensitive area, they pretend to be lost and move on. They've gotten into the UN, the Stock Exchange and more this way.

Most of Ho Shen's work is in intelligence gathering, but occasionally he does have to send people out to fight. He has two main resources for this. The first is a Chinatown gang known as the White Tigers, who have extremely good martial arts skill for a gang. Unlike most of the gangs in Chinatown, they are not sponsored by Triads. Rather, they are young and idealistic teens trying to keep the gangsters out. Ho Shen helps them out with information and contacts, and sometimes they lend him some muscle. He also has access to the Black Dragon School, which we'll talk about in a moment.

Ho Shen was born into the Guiding Hand, the descendant of agents recruited in 1850. His family fled China for Taiwan after the communists took over in 1949, and there he grew up and got trained, becoming a Shaolin Master at 21. He eventually get elected Grandmaster and led the Hand through the 80s, using some technology for the greater good, especially communications gear. Most of his predecessors would never have done that. After a decade of leading, it was a bit of a shock to have the agents of the 1800s show up and give him orders from Quan Lo. We know how that turned out. Ho Shen is cut off from command and receives all orders directly from Quan Lo, but he's not bitter. He treats it as a fresh challenge and a chance to prove the importance of the American operations. That might get him back into the inner circle.

Ho Wah Bo is Ho Shen's only son, currently going to college in New York. He has no contact with his father, and those in the know in chinatown or at his college will talk about how they just don't get along. Wah Bo drinks too much and has no respect, while Ho Shen expects far too much from him. A year ago, they had a huge argument inside Chef Ho's, and have not spoken since. This is all a lie, a ruse made up by Wah Bo, who hopes to infiltrate the Pledged by posing as the disaffected child of a secret warrior. It's dangerous, but both he and Ho Shen accept the risk. Wah Bo is rather impetuous and, despite his training, remains a thrill-seeker. Ho Shen is worried that his son will go too far, but the chance to infiltrate the Pledged was too good to pass up.

Jimmy Kwan is the leader of the White Tigers, the son of a shopkeeper who could never make a profit because of paying Triad protection. At 18, Jimmy decided to use his martial arts training to help people, organizing the White Tigers to fight the Triad gangs. Since then, he's been beaten up, shot and stabbed, needing hospitalization at least four times. Each time, he just comes out angrier. Ho Shen likes Jimmy's fire, but he expects the young man not to live to be an old one.

The Black Dragon School is a martial arts school run in the South Bronx by a former black revolutionary named Caesar Mack. Caesar grew up poor in the Bronx, learning to fight just to survive. He wanted to make it as a boxer, and he was a skilled amateur, going by the name Mack Truck. Unfortunately, he never hit the big time, since he got drafted for Vietnam just in time for the Tet Offensive. Like many vets, he was radicalized by the war and came back dedicated to stopping it and making a revolution at home. He joined the Black Panthers, fought the Man and so on. By 1973, the cops and FBI harassed him so bad that he had to leave the country, traveling to North Vietnam and then China. In China, he met an influential communist leader who was a member of the Golden Candle Society. The man recruited Caesar and convinced him to stick around for training.

Caesar spent seven years in Asia, mostly Taiwin, where he met Ho Shen and got his first formal martial arts training. He eventually became a Shaolin Master, and only then grasped the nature of the Secret War. He understood how the Man had been able to crush the black revolutionary movement so easily, and he decided he had to spread the word at home, returning to New York in 1980. For the benefit of those in power, he pretended he'd converted to Buddhism and given up revolution. He started the Black Dragon SChool with the official gfoal of teaching kids self-defense and keeping them off the streets. In reality, it's a recruiting center for the Guiding Hand. He's been training black and Hispanic fighters for the Hand since then.

The School itself is small and runs on a shoestring budget, with about thirty students at any given moment. Sometimes Caesar and his students help Ho Shen out when he needs muscle, but most of their work is in their own community. Caesar is trying an experiment in the South Bronx. He figures the Ascended really don't care about the feng shui sites in the Bronx, so he and his students are slowly taking the best of them. He hopes that these sites will empower the neighborhood to resist the war on the poor. As part of the plan, he and his students sometimes head out to the streets to fight gangs that sell drugs and guns. They're especially brutal with known crack dealers, since Mack has taught them that crack is today's opium. Ho Shen is watching the operation with interest and may use it as a blueprint for action if it works.


That's right. We got a 70s kung fu blaxploitation Hand member.

Caesar Mack himself is, as noted, one tough motherfucker. He lived through life on the street, the Vietnam War, the black revolutionary movement, the Golden Candle Society and many years of the Secret War. Since he got back from Vietnam, his top priority has awlays been his community. He doesn't want kids to have to struggle like he did or fight in the Man's wars. He feels the Golden Candle is a good thing, because he loves the Confucian ideals of social justice and righteousness. He runs his school strictly but fairly, and he's honest to a fault. He never lies about what he thinks of people, whether they'd like him to or not. Some see him as a symbol of the failed idealism of the sixties, but others see him as a man who hasn't been beaten down. It's been thirty goddamn years, and Caesar Mack is still stickin' it to the Man.

We've covered the Temple of Boundless meditation, so we can skip that and head to the story of the Black Flag. We learn that the notorious bandit chief Big Sword Shin is not very happy. See, he used to be the biggest chief, but that all changed a few years ago, when a new gang showed up. They called themselves revolutionaries, but they were bandits. Their leader, the Black Flag, was apparently pretty tough, but no one know much about the guy. Big Sword Shin knows that the Black Flag is edging him out of his money. So his plan is to head to the Flag's base and make a show of strength. A couple other chiefs are coming, too. The Black Flag Rebels are based, as we know, out of hte Cave of a Thousand Banners, but Shin is not impressed. He terrifies a rebel into bringing out the boss, a small woman in peasant garb. She claimed to be the Black Flag. Big Sword Shin finds this hilarious, and calls the Flag a coward for hiding behind a woman. She just offers the bandits a chance to join her - or die. Shin attacks, but finds that the Flag is far too fast, leaping over him and sending him to the ground. She offers one last chance to surrender, but he won't take it. He fights to the last...but he's nowhere near good enough to take on the Black Flag. She kills him with his own sword, then turns to the rest, offering them the same choice.

so, we know about the bases. But what's the plan? Quan Lo grasps the scope of the Secret War, and he coordinates work in all four junctures and the Netherworld, all while trying to eradicate the Lotus. 69 AD is, however, the most contested juncture in the war. Gao Zhang knows he can change history by controlling the past, and everyone fears and hates him for it. The Hand have a special hatred, as we've covered. The first of their plans is the Wandering Teachers Plan. See, when Quan Lo's agents first arrived, they found that most citizens knew that things were corrupt, but were too scared to fight. Quan Lo decided to spread Confucian values, hoping that it would set off long term ripple effects. So he's sent Shaolin Masters to 69 to become wandering teachers of Confucius's words. They travel around, talking about righteousness and justice, keeping a low profile and teaching folks how to live. Until recently, no one even noticed them. Nopw, though, they're being hunted by the Lotus as well as some Pledged and Architect agents. Their work continues, and when the Hand arrives in force, they'll have many allies.

The other half of the plan for 69 AD is the Seeds of Rebellion. Working alongside the teachers is another group of Shaolin Masters. The teachers give people the moral strength to rebel, but these masters are here to show them how to organize. All over China, they are starting bands of rebels, usually in lawless regions. Some are mere bandit gangs, but all are growing rapdily. Each day, more peasants are driven from their homes, more merchants bankrupted by tax, more nobles have their rights trampled on by the eunuchs. All of these people are ready for recruitment, and it's the job of these Shaolin masters to keep it organized. It's vital, but only the beginning. If Quan Lo's plans succeed, the work of the Hand must be backed up by feng shui sites. Unknown to the rebels, many of their first targets are isolated Lotus sites. As Quan Lo's plan continues, the attacks will increase in the hopes of spreading the Lotus too thin.

Next time: More plans!

Big Sword Shin doesn't need anyone, you hear me?

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: Big Sword Shin doesn't need anyone, you hear me?

1850 is the nexus of the Hand's activities, but most of their operations in 1850 are local in scope and aren't very important to the Secret War. Infiltration of the Jade Wheel and various sting operations are the focus here. They're important, but left to local leaders without need for Quan Lo's direction. Quan Lo is focused on the three major plans the Hand has for the time period. First, the Shaolin Sanctuaries . Quan Lo has had Shaolin temples built in most of China, where Hand masters teach neo-Confucian values and kung fu. He hopes to have at least one sanctuary in every province by 1860, and at the moment the only provinces lacking them are Gansu and Qinghai to the west and Hebei in the north. Each sanctuary is hidden, often in forests or mountains, or disguised as Buddhist and Taoist temples. When a sanctuary is located, after all, it tends to get destroyed. Even the Hand cannot stand against a full Manchu army. Inside the sanctuaries, the monks are training constantly and hunting for children. See, back in 1841, a number of kids across China were born with the emblem of the Hand on their palms. They are Quan Lo's hope for the future, and those who have been recruited are already undergoing intense training. By the time they're ready to assault the Lotus, they will be a crack team of kung fu masters.

The second plan is the Ancestors . Quan Lo recruits not just in China, but for the future as well. Before the Lotus entered the Secret War, the Hand's main target was the Ascended in 1996. To help with that, Quan Lo decided to recruit native help. He did it by overseeing an operation recruiting the ancestors of important families in 1996. If done properly, it resulted in a family tradition of support for the Guiding Hand! While not all of the Ancestors bore fruit, many did and the plan has given the Hand a group of loyal agents in the contemporary era. Since the program started, Hand emphasis has shifted some towards 69 AD, but it continues and most Hand agents in the Communist bureaucracy are found that way.

The final plan is the Future Rebellions . See, having studied history books, Quan Lo knows that 1850 is the start of 23 years of near-constant rebellion against the Qing that nearly overthrew them. He's decided that these rebellions are a great chance for the Hand to keep the Manchu armies busy. The three major rebellions are the Taiping, the Nian and the Muslim Rebellions. The Taiping is the one that'll be most fun for your players, because the Taiping were weird .

History starts now.

The Taiping Rebellion was driven by one man: Hong Xiuquan. He was born in Guangdong Province and tried to pass the exams to become an official. He passed the first set, but failed the final exam three times. After his third failure, he had a strange dream, in which a blond man gave him a sword and a younger man whom he called Elder Brother told him how to slay "demon devils." For six years, he thought little of it. He tried to pass the exam a final time, failing yet again. He came home and, by chance, read some Christian tracts he'd been given by missionaries in Canton several years earlier. On reading the tracts, he realized: the men of his dream were God and Jesus! He, therefore, was also a son of God and a brother to Jesus. Obviously .

Hong was filled with a desire to rid China of the "demon devils" infesting it, embarking on a quest to bring God to China. He preached to the people, converting them via strange personal charisma and pure conviction. He attacked Confucian and ancestral shrines, leading him and his followers to get chased out of Guangdong Province and into Guangxi Province, though he did leave Guangxi in 1847 to study the Bible with missionaries in Canton. He came back a year later to continue his work. The center of his power was Thistle Mountain, where one of his earliest followers, a man named Feng Yunshan, had been active since 1844, forming the God-worshipping Society. Thistle Mountain was remote from government control, and Hong and Feng had much success among the local Hakka, a minority ethnic group. Hong and Feng were, themselves, Hakka. By 1849, they had more than 10000 followers.

At which point Hong declared that the "demon devils" were, very specifically, the ruling Manchus. He proposed a new Christian community to replace them, and by 1850 his army had doubled in size and started producing weapons. All money and valuables were pooled into a common treasury, and Hong laid down laws banning opium, tobacco and sex. Even between married couples. Women were segregated from men and trained as military units as well. Hong said that familes would be reunited after victory. Punishments, especially for illegal sex, were severe.

You might or might not be wondering why the West was not very supporting of a Christian rebellion dedicated to converting all of China. Some Europeans did want to support them, especially in the early years when little was known of Taiping doctrine. After Hong took over Nanjing, however, he invited some missioneries to visit his "Heavenly Kingdom," and all, without exception, were driven away by his insistence that he should be paid homage as the younger brother of Jesus Christ. The British and American envoys had the same problem, and while some Europeans ran guns for the Taiping, no government would recognize them. They never quite figured out why. When the Taiping attacked Shanghai, they sent letters to the Europeans telling them to stay inside and not get involved, so they would not be hurt, and were quite shocked when the British helped defend the city. Later, the British and French would actually help organize the Manchu armies and two mercenary armies to help fight the Taiping. Far, far too late, Hong Xiuquan's relative Hong Rengan tried to westernize the Taiping with his experience working among missionaries, but it was too little, too late.

Anyway, by December of 1850, the Manchus finally responded to the Taiping and sent an army to Thistle Mountain. The Taiping beat them badly, killing the general in command, and on January 11, 1851, Hong declared himself Heavenly King of the Taiping Tianguo, the Heavenly Kingdom of Great Peace. The Manchu forced the Taiping out of Thistle Mountain, amd they spent two years hiding ing Guangxi and Guangdong. In December 1852, they captured the town of Yeuzhou on Dongting Lake and began a brilliantly-run campaign to capture Hankou and Wuchang, where they got even more boats. Anqing fell in February 1853 and gave them lots of food and cannons. At last, they captured the former Ming capital, Nanjing, slaughtering every one of the 40000 Manchu in the city, including women and children.

Of course, Hong couldn't do it all alone. Feng Yunshan helped, as did a charcoal burner named Yang Xiuqing, who proved to be a natural tactician. He also claimed to be possessed by the Holy Ghost and to speak with the voice of God, which became a problem for Hong Xiuquan after the capture of Nanjing. Xiao Changui claimed to speak with the voice of Jesus, and Wei Changhui and Shi Dakai served as excellent generals. Hong gave them all insane titles; he, along with being Heavenly King, was Lord of 10,000 Years, while Yang Xiuqing became East King and Lord of 9,000 Years. Xiao Chaogui was West King and Lord of 8,000 Years, Feng Yunshan was South King and Lord of 7,000 Years, Wei Changhui was North King and Lord of 6,000 Years, and Shi Dakai was Wing King and Lord of 5,000 Years. However, they didn't all survive. Feng Yunshan was killed by a sniper and Xiao Chaogui died in an attack on Chenzhou in 1853. Their deaths were a great blow to the Taiping.

The Taiping ruled from Nanjing from 1853 to 1864, and the place was effectively run by Yang Xiuqing, who used his claim to being the mouth of God to great effect. Hong retreated into the Ming Palace, surrounding himself with riches and concubines, as the son of God was not bound by the laws against sex. He studied the Bible and translated it into Chinese...and added chapters about himself and his mission. The Taiping armies remained active until the fall of Nanjing, but they never regained their momentum after capturing the city, largely because their leaders squandered it all with infighting. Everyone lived in fear of Yang Xiuqing, and he was killed on Hong's orders in 1856. Shi Dakai left Nanjing never to return in that year because his family was murdered by scheming generals, though he led Taiping armies in the field until his capture in 1863 and his subsequent execution. He was probably the best general they ever had.

In those years, the Manchu raised new armies and got to work trying to prevent the Taiping from allying with the Nian rebels in the north, though they proved unable to beat the Taiping, which required some local Confucian officials. Most notably, Zeng Guofan of Hunan Province, who raised an army to fight the Taiping and eventually led the Manchu to recapture Nanjing. Even in the final hours, the Taiping held to their faith, and Zeng reported that not one of them surrendered, but rather that they preferred to immolate themselves. He was quite impressed, actually.

The Nian Rebellion, meanwhile, were quite different. They mostly focused on Huai-pei, a border region making up southwest Shandong Province, northwest Jiangsu Province, east-central Henan Province and northern Anhui Province. It was and is China's largest flood and famine zone. Life was harsh and bandits common throughout the 19th century. The fact that the bandits used horses is probably where the name 'Nian' came from. Some bands had connections to the White Lotus Society and Triads, but most were just peasants trying to survive. The official outbreak is usually dated in 1851, when floods led to a sharp rise in Nian membership, forcing the Manchu to take them seriously. The next year, eighteen Nian groups banded together and proclaimed Zhang Luoxing as their leader. In 1855, the Yellow River flooded so badly that it broke through the dikes east of Kaifeng and carved a new channel, swelling the Nian further. In 1856, Zhang was named Lord of the Alliance and given the title Great Han Prince with the Heavenly Mandate. The Nian reorganized into five banners of different colors.

Unlike the Taiping, they weren't religious and seemed to lack any real ideology. They wanted food and to keep the government out of Huai-pei. They established fortified villages north of the Huai River, using cannons to defend them. The villages served as base camps for Nian raiders, and the five "banner" armies proved quite effective. They only ever had around 50000 troops at any one point, but they constantly beat the Manchu due to their knowledge of local terrain and their mobility. Also, many had guns. They weren't really challenged until 1860, when General Senggeliqin, a Mongol prince and Chamberlain of the Imperial Bodyguard, was sent against them. He led a crack army of cavalry to wear down the Nian, eventually cornering Zhang Luoxing in Anhui and killing him.

The Nian response was to develop new guerrilla tactics, using fighting retreats to lead the Manchu further and further in, isolating them in rough terrain. When they were disorganized, the Nian would attack and destroy them. In 1865, Senggelinqin chased them across three provinces before dying in a Nian ambush and losing most of his army. Zeng Guofan, hero of Nanjing, was sent to beat the Nian, but even he could not, and it was up to his student, Li Hongzhang, to manage it. Li fought a war of attrition and ended the rebellion in April, 1868, getting a title for his efforts and becoming one of the most powerful men in China for the next 33 years.

The final rebellion, the Muslim Rebellions, flared up in 1855 in Yunnan Province, home to Muslim settlements ever since the 13th century. Chinese law protected Chinese who acted violently against the Muslims, leading to religious riots. The rebellion was kicked off when heavy taxes and extra taxes were placed on the Muslims as the Chinese tried to steal their gold and silver mines. Rioting led to a concerted attack by the Chinese, and the Muslims counterattacked by seizing the city of Dali and the capital of the province, Kunming, though the Manchus quickly reclaimed that in 1863. In Dali, Muslim leader Du Wenxia named himself Sultan Suleiman and created the state of Pingnan Guo, the Kingdom of the Pacified South. It lasted for ten years before falling to a Manchu campaign to divide and conquer it, rewarding Muslims who turned traitor. A similar revolt broke out in Shaanxi and Gansu Provinces, encouraged by the Taiping and Nian. It lasted from 1862 to 1873 before the Manchu brutally crushed it and executed its leaders. It was not until then that China knew real peace since 1850.

History ends now.

So, what's the Hand doing with all these? They know that the next 23 years are full of chaos and rebellion against the hated Manchu elite, and they want to maximize that to keep the Ascended from realizing their true plans in 69 AD. Thus, they want to drag out the Taiping, Nian and Muslim Rebellions as long as possible. History says they end by 1873, but Quan Lo wants to make them last the rest of the century. To do this, he has infiltrated both the Taiping and Nian, while two more teams are undergoing training to infiltrate the Muslim Rebellions, which won't start for another five years. Their task is to guard the rebel leaders from the Ascended and to try and weed out Ascended agents in the rebellions. Quan Lo believes that if the Ascended can be kept out, the rebellions will be the best diversion the Secret War has ever seen. The Taiping team are led by twins Hu Jiumei and Hu Jan, while the Nian team is led by Chan Yu Jai. More on them later.

The second part of the plan is much simpler: Quan Lo knows that the Ascended will be suspicious if he doesn't take advantage of the rebellions. He also knows that he must seize some feng shui sites if his plan to lengthen them is to work. So he's building some strike teams of monks and gardeners to capture or sabotage feng shui sites in the contested regions. They'll have a hard time, needing to outwit the rebels and the government. Quan Lo plans to send some experienced warriors on these missions, but also his most expendable troops. This is for two reasons. First, the Ascended will thus have cause to underestimate the Hand, and second, he wants his best to be there for the Lotus war. Quan Lo expects a lot of monks to die in this operation, but if that's the price of duping the Ascended, so be it.

The contemporary juncture has the largest number of Hand and Golden Candle agents outside 1850, largely due to the Ancestors operation. Most are in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. The Hong Kong plans got covered way back in the core. As for China, well, that's the Bureaucratic War . The Guiding Hand and Ascended are fighting it out via the communist bureaucracy to see who gets China. Each faction has plenty of agitators, who control subcommittees, army commands and so on. They fight over feng shui sites using paperwork and espionage, though rarely assassination. Blackmail, though, they love that. Quan Lo no longer expects to win this way, but the operation continues to keep the Ascended from realizing his true plans. Also because it's kind of helpful in expanding power in the Netherworld.

Chinatown is the plan being run by Ho Shen. Quan Lo is pretty ethnocentric and doesn't think anywhere outside China really matters. Ho Shen believes America, powerbase of the Ascended and the world's only superpower outside China in 1989, is key to victory in 1996. Ho Shen took some of his best agents when Quan Lo sent him off to rot in New York, and while he sends regular reports, Quan Lo barely reads them. Ho Shen has made contact with the meager forces the Hand had in America, which proved tough and skilled. He settled in Chinatown and started a restaurant, from which he manages an intelligence network to monitor Ascended activities in New York, Washington DC and to a lesser extent San Francisco and Chicago. He sends and receives reports via coded emails, and so far either the Ascended haven't noticed him or don't care about him. His network is getting very impressive indeed, and not all his agents are Chinese. Not all his Chinese agents have accents. Someday, Quan Lo might realize exactly how useful Ho Shen's network could truly be to the Hand. Until then, he works in obscurity.

We've covered the Netherworld holdings, but what's the plan there? Well, the Temple of Boundless Meditation has the Rat's intelligence ring, which keeps the Hand updated on most of what goes on in the Netherworld. They're using the Netherworld agents to plot out portals to 69 AD, which Quan Lo will use in his grand offensive. Second, he's gathering info on the Four Monarchs in case he has to fight them some day. Luckily, they seem to spend most of their time infighting, but it's best to be cautious around immortal, corrupt sorcerers.

Next time: Important people!

Who the fuck are you, man?

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: Who the fuck are you, man?

We open with the story of some poor Pledged contract killer being sent into a movie theatre playing Once Upon A Time In China, which is about folk hero Wong Fei Hong. He hears some guy complaining about historical accuracy, and is told that this is his mark. He tries to take the guy down - but the man can block bullets with a paper umbrella, and then takes down every Pledged in the room. There was more than the one guy, you see. Unfortunately for our killer, his target has help, too, and he gets captured. With his last breath before being knocked out, he asks the man's name. The answer? Wong Fei Hong.

Now, let's talk people. Quan Lo was born to peasants in 1790. They had too many kids already, so he was left on the doorstep of a Shaolin temple and raised by the monks. He became a Shaolin Master at 15, a feat that is still talked about, and decided to travel China and see what it held. He spent four years crossing the land, becoming appalled at the state of the nation and blaming the Manchu elite. He also grew very concerned over foreigners and opium. He rejected Buddhism and embraced Neo-Confucianism, seeing a need to change himself as well as the nation. Buddhism, he thought, was too much about the next life and not enough about this one. It was also foreign, despite being in China from ancient times, and he liked the logic of Confucius and Chu Tsi more. He founded his own school of Shaolin in 1809, corresponding with other monks who shared his views.

In 1810, Quan Lo was invited to join the Guiding Hand, and spent twenty years trying to make it work, but their tactics frustrated him, as we covered earlier. They were too interested in "proposals" and "initiatives" instead of action. By 1830, he took over and remade the Hand, as we've covered. He is now 60 years old and still very imposing. Many students have fainted under his glares, though he is a quiet man who never shouts. He is a master of doctrine and always ready with a parable. Unlike many leaders, he truly believes in his cause and its righteousness, with a frightening certainty, in fact. He is a zealot, and he will absolutely sacrifice his men for the greater good. Any sacrifice, he feels, is worthwhile if it leads to the Hand's victory.

Quan Lo is uncompromising as a leader and has no patience for failure. It is punished harshly, and he accepts no excuses or challenges to his authority. In the Hand, his word is law. He believes that only he can save China and that he is fated to do so. After all, it was he who discovered the Six Principles, he who discovered the secret doctrine of the Sage-Kings of Antiquity, he who discovered what the Ascended truly are. He does not expect others to understand, of course, but he asks only for their obedience, not their understanding. He is, naturally, a true master of martial arts.

Yung Chang is Quan Lo's oldest friend, one of the few who knew him as a child. They were rivals in the Shaolin temple, competing from an early age. Yung Chang's kung fu was stronger, but Quan Lo surpassed him in philosophy. Despite (or because of) their rivalry, they were fast friends. When Quan Lo converted to Neo-Confucianism, Chang joined him and brought many students with him. Later, he would be crucial support in the takeover of the Hand. Since then, he has been one of the Hand's most trusted agents. In the early years, he headed the investigation of the feng shui sites and the true nature of the Ascended. It was he who found the secret, a feat for which he is still revered. Since then, he has mastered feng shui and is the leader of the Gardeners, the men and women who perform the feng shui of the Hand.

Though his focus is geomancy, Yung Chang is still a master of kung fu who practices every day. He's very fit for a man in his late 50s. His hair has just started to gray and he still carries himself with youth and vigor. He's loved by the Hand for his wisdom and benevolence, though his good nature vanishes when on the job. Then, he becomes detached and grim, for he knows that one should always approach important work with seriousness. He accepts no failure in the Gardeners, for Quan Lo expects them to support the Hand in its vital hour.

Wong Fei Hong is a secret warrior who is famous even without being one. He is a folk hero of China, and unlike most of the Hand, he did not learn to fight in a Shaolin temple. He was taught by his father, Wong Kei-ying, as they wandered China. He learned medicine and kung fu, as well as picking up on the nature of China's troubles. At first, Fei Hong cared only about fighting, learning Drunken Boxing in an attempt to become powerful. Eventually, though, he realized his foolishness and swore to his father that he would never drink again. Over the years, the two were part of many societies, but eventually settled on the Golden Candle. It wasn't long before they joined the Hand proper, and since then Wong Fei Hong has proven himself over and over again.

He is concerned with justice - very concerned. Quan Lo cares about victory, but Fei Hong lives only for justice, and that is why China loves him. Unlike many of the Hand, he does not dismiss all Westerners out of hand, though he is the first to shout against opium and the gunboats. Rather, he likes to compare techniques with Western doctors. He doesn't care that the traditionalists will criticize him. He also thinks there are those among the West who might be allies against the Ascended, but Quan Lo has rejected the idea and Wong Fei Hong lacks the resources to pursue it himself. Fei Hong has a group of followers who travel with him and obey his orders when he goes on missions. Quan Lo trusts Fei Hong and his men, despite their differences of opinion, and sends them on critical missions that need discretion and intelligence. So far, he's never failed.

Wong Fei Hong has a ton of martial arts powers, but will never use any Path of the Empty Bottle powers due to his oath. He does have two unique schticks, though. The first is Folk Hero , which means that whenever he's in China he can always find allies to give him aid, even if it's just a barn to sleep in and some food. Second, No Shadow Kick , which takes 5 chi and 5 shots. It is his signature technique, in which he leaps at foes with a series of kicks to drive them back. It works like Flying Windmill Kick, but with each blow the foe is knocked back five feet. Those who remain conscious after a No Shadow Kick must roll Martial Arts, diff 15, to avoid falling prone. Those who fall must spend a shot to stand up and shake it off.

Fong Sai Yuk is another folk hero of China, and the worst nightmare of every teacher, for he is a loudmouth braggart who has the power to back up his claims. It's made it very hard to teach him discipline and obedience, and so the Hand leadership does not love him as they do Wong Fei Hong. However, few can match his power, so Quan Lo ignores his worst excesses. The only person who can control him is his mother, Miu Tsui Fa, who taught him how to fight in the first place. She's bailed him out several times and keeps an eye on him. Together, they're almost unstoppable. Quan Lo is willing to put up with Sai Yuk because he's a great tool - when you can only send one man, Fong Sai Yuk will get the job done. Sure, Fei Hong is more reliable, but Sai Yuk works better alone. He's turned more than one failed operation into an unqualified success, and his fame has spread across China...as has his fame for bragging. Many believe his impetuousness and weakness for pretty girls will prove his undoing.

Hu Jan and Hu Jiumei are twins recruited by Quan Lo to infiltrate the Taiping. They are ethnically Hakka rather than Han, two orphans whom the Temple of the Shaolin Dragon took in for training. They've spent three years preparing for their mission, studying the Blue Principle of Obscurement and reading extensively from history books on the Taiping. Recently, they successfully infiltrated the rebellion through the use of a fabricated story about a vision of the Heavenly Father. As deep cover agents, their lives are always in danger and will be for the next thirteen years at least - that's how long their mission is set to last, if the Taiping Rebellion is not extended further.

They are brother and sister, and of the two, Jan, the brother, is the more emotional. Sometimes he even worries his own sister with the convincing nature of his rhetoric. The two rarely see each other, as the Taiping have segregated the sexes, but possess a unique schtick that allows them to always know what the other is feeling and have telepathic contact when within five miles of each other. They are both specially ordered to hunt out demon infiltrators, which they're happy to do, and are slowly building a network of agents within the Taiping, as Quan Lo is sending reinforcements.

Chan Yu Jai is the leader of the infiltrators of the Nian Rebellion. He's been tasked to monitor for Ascended agents, neutralize them and lengthen the rebellion as long as possible. He has a unique background as a deserter from the Manchu army who spent years among the bandit gangs. His gang attacks some merchants guarded by Hand monks, who defeated them and terribly wounded Chan Yu Jai. He was brought to a Shaolin sanctuary and healed, then forced to do hard labor to learn respect and humility. When his punishment was finished, he asked to stay and become a monk. The Master was impressed by his humility and agreed, training the man himself. Since then, his unique knowledge of bandits and his fighting skill has been very useful.

Chan Yu Jai has used his background to infiltrate the Nian, appearing as a grizzled old bandit who can drink as hard and fight as ferociously as any other...but behind all that, he is always thinking, keeping an eye out for new recruits and suspicious newcomers. His team is spread throughout several Nian groups, and he gets monthly reports. So far, he's arranged "accidents" for a number of Ascended agents, and more are sure to follow them.

We also get "generic" monk stats, to instantly make named monks of all seven principles. Yellow Monks use Monkey kung fu and have The Yellow Principle , letting them roll Charisma against the Willpower of an attacker to force them to target someone else - but if they try it, they can't actively dodge. Red Monks use Tiger kung fu and have The Red Principle , which lets them use their Mov for Str when making martial arts attacks, as long as they move over their Mov in meters on each of their shots. Violet Monks use Fox kung fu and have The Violet Principle . Whenever a foe spends a Fortune die, they can spend 1 chi to steal it, denying its use for the foe and gaining one Fortune die that must be used on an attack against the original user, which goes away at the end of the sequence.

Blue Monks use either Crane kung fu, shadow kung fu or Tiger kung fu. They have The Blue Principle , which lets them forego active dodging to, instead, try to trick their foe into attacking someone else. They roll Martial Arts against their attacker's attack, and if they win, the attack is redirected to a nearby combatant of their choice, resolvng as normal. However, if they fail the roll, they get hit. Green and Orange are in Back for Seconds, but I will give them to you. Green Monks use Turtle kung fu and have Immobility of the Turtle , which costs 2 chi and 1 shot. It lets them make a Martial Arts roll to channel chi into the ground, rooting themselves and making them unmovable until the end of the sequence or they die, whichever is first. It's a defensive action. Orange Monks use Crane kung fu and The Orange Principle . Every time they use a fu schtick, they get +1 to Martial Arts next time they use a different Fu schtick that sequence. Also, they get +1 to Martial Arts when attacking 3+ foes in one action. PCs can get this schtick by giving up one Fu schtick at chargen and reducing the higher of their Chi or Fu by 2, as well as having a good reason for learning it.

White Monks use Turtle and Dragon kung fu, mostly, along with some Hands of Light. They have The White Principle , allowing them to use any of the six unique schticks of the other monks, but only one per sequence - they pick at the beginning and can't change until the next sequence. If you don't mind the additional bookkeeping, the game says, give this to other named characters like Wong Fei Hong or Quan Lo.

We now get a story of Hu Jiumei and Hu Jan, who are using their telepathy to keep in touch as they begin their Taiping infiltration. Jiumei and Jan had been taught how to deepen the bond of the twins by Wong Fei Hong, who helped purify their chi. Jiumei is brought before Hong Xiuquan, who wants to hear the message she and her brother had said they would tell only toh im. She claims that they had a vision of God in a fever dream, and God sent them to aid Hong Xiuquan face down demons in the shape of men. For a moment, they fear that Yang Xiuqing will say that God has not spoken to him - but, fortunately, he confirms their claim and allows them into the Taiping.

We now get some new character types! But we're low on space, so just one this time.



You're a Gardener for the Guiding Hand, a feng shui expert! You are trained in martial arts, but your true duty is elsewhere. When a site must be found, purified or protected, it is your job. You have spent much of your life studying geomancy and know the thousand rules of feng shui. You can restore it when corrupted, or ruin it when pure. You are often sent on covert sabotage missions, as a result, as well as fixing Hand sites. You know your knowledge is vital, and you will not allow the Guiding Hand to be disappointed.

Gardeners are from 1850 or 1996. They have Bod 5, Chi 5, Mnd 5, Ref 5. They add 3 to one primary attribute, 2 to a second and 1 to a third. They get Info: Calligraphy +5, Info: Geomancy +10 (which can't be raised), Info: Confucian Classics +5, Martial Arts +5 (which can't go above +8) and Medicine +5. They get +3 to spread around. They get 1 weapon and 2 fu schticks. They also get a unique schtick: Gardener . It allows them to use the De-Attunement, Observe Chi and Restore Chi effects of the Fertility sorcery schtick, but their powers are nonmagical and are based on their Info: Geomancy skill. Gardeners are Poor.

Next time: I want to play a pirate!

Me? I'm Wong Fei Hong.

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: Me? I'm Wong Fei Hong.



You're a Golden Candle Agent , a member of one of the many secret societies that fight the Manchu. Most Golden Candle Society members think they know the truth - but maybe you really do. You understand the existence of the Guiding Hand (or you don't). When you were recruited, all you cared abou was removing the Qing, kicking out the West and setting up new government. Now, you know that there is so much more to be done. You are not a Shaolin monk - you're a part of normal society. By day, you work at your job, gathering information. By night, you spy and sabotage in the name of the Guiding Hand. If the day comes that you are discovered, you'll just remake your identity and start again. If you're modern, you're probably a Communist bureaucrat.

Golden Candle Agents are from 1850 or 1996. They have Bod 5, Chi 2, Mnd 5, Ref 5. They add 2 to two primary attributes and 2 to one secondary attribute. They get Deceit +4, Info (Any) +2, Intrusion +2, Martial Arts +5, which can't go above +8, and Sabotage +2. They then get two Info skills at +5 related to their profession, and then +6 to spread around. They get one weapon and one fu schtick, but also a unique schtick: they are so well-respected in their cimmunity that, if they are ever under suspicion, their neighbors will come forward and vouch for them! Golden Candle Agents are Working Stiffs.



You are a Guiding Hand Archer , one of the monks who strove to master the bow instead of the martial arts. The Manchu often use guns, but Quan Lo knows your skills are enough. The greatest of you was the fallen Sun Chen, and you mourn for him still, swearing vengeance on those that killed him. Even in death, he leads you by example, and you strive to live up to his name. You are considered a Shaolin Master in the Hand, and more than once you've had to go up against automatic weapons. Your bow has always won before. Why change now?

Guiding Hand Archers are always from 1850. They have Bod 5, Chi 4, Fu 6, Mnd 5, Ref 5. They add 2 to one primary attribute and 1 to another, then 2 to any secondary attribute except Fu. They get Guns +9, which can't be raised, Info: Neo-Confucianism +7, Info: Secret War +3, Martial ArtS +4, which can't go above +6, and Medicine +3. They get +3 to spread around. They get a bow, two fu schticks and three gun schticks. Their unique schtick allows them to use certain Fu schticks with a bow, using Guns instead of Martial Arts for all rolls. Specifically, they can use Bite of the Dragon, Breath of the Dragon, Claw of the Dragon, Dark's Soft Whisper, Fire Strike, Shelter of Darkness and Strike From Darkness. Guiding Hand Archers are Working Stiffs.



You used to be a member of a South China Sea pirate crew. Now, you're a Redeemed Pirate . When the British came to Hong Kong after the Opium War, they brought a fleet - one which wiped out your gang, whose junks were no match for ironclads. You were lucky enough to survive, but you swore revenge on them. Eventually, you found the Golden Candle Society, who shared your sentiments. Since then, you've heard of Quan Lo's teachings and embraced them. You don't fight for money and wine - you fight for China and righteousness. Quan Lo may frown on guns, but you haven't been able to give up your pistol. Maybe once the British are out of China.

Redeemed Pirates are all from 1850. They have Bod 5, Chi 0, Fu 4, Mnd 5, Ref 5. They add 3 to one primary attribute, 2 to a second and 1 to a third. They get Driving (Junks) +5, Gambling +2, Guns +4, which can't go above +7, Info: Heaven and Earth Society +5 (that's the Triads), Info: Pirate Gangs +5, Intimidation +4, Martial Arts +5, which can't go above +8. They get +4 to spread around. They get 2 weapons, a fu schtick and a gun schtick, as well as a unique schtick. Specifically, when on a ship, they never suffer any penalties when fighting, no matter what the conditions. Stunts they perform on ships have a lesser penalty than normal, determined by the GM. Redeemed Pirates are Working Stiffs.



You are a Shaolin Disciple , studying in one of the Guiding Hand's sanctuaries. You've been there seven years so far - four as a student and three as a disciple. Your kung fu is strong, and you're ready to fight the Hand's foes...but your master doesn't think you're ready to be a master yet, and as a good Confucian, you defer to his age and wisdom. You are always obedient and courteous. You do not know about the Secret War yet, and you believe your foes are the Manchu and the West. They, however, will learn to fear your kung fu!

Shaolin Disciplies are always from 1850. They get Bod 5, Chi 4, Mnd 5, Ref 5. They have 4 points to spread around any primary attributes but Chi, and then 2 to any one secondary attribute not based on Chi. They get Info (Neo-Confucianism) +5, Info (Any) +2, Leadership +2, Martial Arts +8, which can't be raised, and Medicine +2. They get +3 to spread around. They get 1 weapon and 2 fu schticks, along with a unique schtick: For the purposes of determining random good or bad things happening to them or other people in the party, their Fortune score is considered 10. This doesn't give them any bonus Fortune dice - they're just lucky. Shaolin Disciples are Poor.



You are a Shaolin Master of the Guiding Hand! You were trained in a Shaolin sanctuary, learning martial arts, medicine and Neo-Confucianism. You have embraced the Principles of Light and mastered at least one style of martial arts. You have learned about the Secret War, understanding that the true evil is not the West or the Manchu, but transformed animals and mad sorcerers. It is up to you to return Confucian values to this corrupt world! You are the strength of the Hand, trained for just this task. You cannot fail.

All Shaolin Masters are from 1850. Tjey get Bod 5, Chi 7, Mnd 5, Ref 5. They add 2 to any primary attribute but chi, and 1 to any other primary attribute but Chi. They then add 2 to one non-Chi-based secondary attribute. They get Info (Neo-Confucianism) +10, which can't be raised, Info (Secret War) +3, Leadership +5, Martial Arts +10, which can't be raised, and Medicine +3. They get +3 to spread around. They get one weapon and 4 fu schticks. Shaolin Masters are Poor.

We now get some new Fu schticks! First up is the Path of the Praying Mantis .
Mantis Stance : Chi 2, Shots 1. You get +1 to your passive dodge for the rest of the sequence.
Strike of the Mantis : Chi X, Shots 3, Prereq Mantis Stance. You make a martial arts attack against a foe. If you hit, you get +X to damage.
Blinding Mantis Strike : Chi 1, Shots 3, Prereq Strike of the Mantis. You make a barehanded martial arts attack. If you hit, your foe is blinded for (Outcome) shots.
Mantis Hook : Chi 2, Shots 0, Prereq Strike of the Mantis. You hook your hand onto a foe's arm after they attack you. As they pull back, they unwittingly pull your blow towards them! Your next attack adds half your foe's Strength, rounding down, to its damage.

Path of the Leaping Monkey !
Laughter of the Monkey : Chi 2, Shots 0. When your foe throws a weapon at you, you can make a Martial Arts check. If you beat the foe's attack, you grab the weapon and throw it back at your foe or another opponent, getting +3 to the attack roll.
Taunt of the Monkey : Chi 3, Shots Special. You jump and roll, making yourself look like an easy target. Any foe who sees you and has Will less than your Charisma must attack you on their next shot. You get +3 to dodge these attacks, and the maneuver lasts until all affected foes have attacked you.
Dance of the Monkey : Chi 3, Shots 3+, Prereq Taunt of the Monkey. You jump into the air and make a double-foot flying kick. If you hit, you kick off the target and leap (Outcome) meters away. If another foe is in range, you may continue the attack on the next shot, leaping from foe to foe in this way.

Path of Flying Steel !
Hail of Steel : Chi 1, Shots 3. You throw a pair of daggers or shuriken or a handful of darts at a foe within range. Instead of the normal damage, the base damage is 10.
Bite of Steel : Chi 2, Shots 3, Prereq Hail of Steel. You make a Martial Arts attack with a thrown weapon, and it ignores all Armor.
Prison of Steel : Chi 2, Shots 3, Prereq Bite of Steel. You make a Martial Arts attack, trying to nail the foe's limb to a wall or other surface. Damage is resolved as normal if you hit, and the limb is useless until freed. Anyone can try to pull the weapon out and free the limb with a Strength check, diff (5+Outcome).
Teeth of Steel : Chi 3, Shots 3, Prereq Bite of Steel. To use this, you must have loaded your mouth with needles. This is a 3-shot action, and typically you don't want to do it in combat. You spit needles at the foe, with a base damage of 7. If you hit, you also cause 1 Impairment for every five wound points dealt, which lasts until the needles are removed. Removing the needles is a 5-shot action.

Then it's a list of guns from the 19th century, from the Baker Rifle to the Lefaucheaux Shotgun. You're still going to mostly want either modern guns or a bow. See, we get a sidebar clarifying bow reloads: as long as you have arrows, reloading a bow takes no time whatsoever. So yes, if you have Versatile Ammo, you never need to spend time reloading . This is the benefit bows get over guns. And now, we get an optional combat rule: Mook Bowling . See, in movies, often a fighter will be able to send mooks sprawling only to have them get up again. And Big Bruisers or Techies can have trouble putting down mooks for good, which makes them feel useless if they aren't lucky. That's lame! So to fix this, mook bowling. If you hit a mook but fail to take them out, you knock them down or force them into cover instead, making them have to spend their next action getting up and regaining their wits. This lets low-accuracy PCs have meaningful effects on a fight, even if they fail to take the mook out. It also makes for a great way to buy time. If you're generous, the rule can be used to knock mooks into dangerous positions, giving a bonus to the next attack. That allows those formerly frustrated players to have fun setting up two or three-step moves to knock out swaths of mooks!

So, Guiding Hand campaigns. What sort of frameworks are good for them? Well, there's Save the Shaolin Temple! It's classic - you find out about a threat to the Shaolin Temple and go to stop it. The other monks can't help you because they're unaware of the threat or busy. Saving the temple might be a long guest to find artifacts, allies or the location of a key master. What's key is that you will be fighting for the honor of your temple over and over and over. Kick Out the Foreign Devils pits the party against Western imperialists, and it makes for a good frame if you don't want to have the PCs know about the Secret War. AFter all, it's focusing on the native problems of 1850. It should probably be set in Canton or Shanghai, or perhaps Hong Kong. Of course, as you go, the players might discover that the Ascended are the true foe, or they might focus on gunrunners and opium dealers.

The Master and his Entourage is a setup wherein one player is the Shaolin Master and everyone else plays students or hangers-on. If you've seen Once Upon a Time in China , imagine Wong Fei Hong and his followers. As long as the players are mature enough to handle one person being the Master, this works great. Since it focuses on one group, it sidesteps the issue of Hand hierarchy, and while the Master might get orders from Quan Lo, he'll generally be free to wander China and get into trouble. Trapped in Another Time is a story about what happens when some Shaolin disciples and Golden Candle agents - you know, the guys who don't know about the Secret War - accidentally stumble through some portals and end up in another juncture. Now, they must figure out what the hell happened and find a way home. Since they're not full Hand agents, they don't know about Hand operatives in the time they're in, and are cut off. The best junctures for this are 69 AD and 1996. Ancient China is easier for the party to fit into, since it's culturally similar...but full of eunuch sorcerers. Contemporary...well, it'll be harder on the PCs, running into capitalism and communism and guns without any Confucian values, but it's a chance to be a real fish out of water. There's also Quan Lo's Victory , but we're going to wait on that for next chapter, which looks into it in far more detail.

Next time: So how do I use monks as villains, anyway?

You killed my friends, imperialist dog! Now taste my steel!

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: You killed my friends, imperialist dog! Now taste my steel!

So, perhaps you're thinking 'the Guiding Hand are completely awesome, but what if my players don't want to be them for some unclear reason, like a love of alcohol and guns?' After all, the Hand are strongly moral and believe in a better world, without imperialism and consumerism. But how can they be a threat to good guys? Well, the easiest way is to just have them compete with the PCs for feng shui sites or whatever, so the monks are fighting them. See, the Shaolin monks of the Hand do not ask questions. They are not afraid of your powers. They have a mission, and they cannot be reasoned with. The Guiding Hand have a vision of the future, and the PCs might not be in it. For something more subtle than 'you get jumped by monks', play to the PCs' expectations. The monks are, after all, the good guys in most dramas! It's reasonable. The Shaolin monks of the Hand will work with the PCs, help them out and constantly try to get them to embrace Neo-Confucianism.

And gradually, the truth will be clear: those who don't embrace the way of Quan Lo are tools. The PCs will be used and thrown away, or become enemies to be destroyed. There will be an inevitable conflict between the PCs and their former monk friends. A great way to drive this home is to set up a relationship with, say, Wong Fei Hong. They start as opponents, perhaps, and become uneasy allies, gaining mutual respect and exchanging ideas. The PCs may never have heard the worldview of the Hand expressed coherently, because, well, most monks prefer to kick things in the face and not explain. The PCs might, with careful debate and gung-ho action, even sow the seeds of doubt in Wong's mind. And what a coup that would be, to have the great Wong Fei Hong join their cause!

We now get some fiction about a cyborg and his buddies facing off with Buro. They're exchanging fire, preparing their horrible cyborg powers and, out of nowhere, the world changes. 2050 New York suddenly has an orchard of cherry blossoms, and they're wearing odd uniforms. The cybernetics are gone, replaced by some strange kind of ceramic armor which gives our narrator the ability to summon fire around his hand. They're still in America, since the locals still have New York accents, but they're wearing strange robes and t-shirts with odd logos. What's going on here?

This is the chapter, you see, on critical shifts. What happens if the Hand wins and changes the world? All innerwalkers keep their memories, of course, but history changes, as does the personal history of your PCs - though they'll have to learn what their 'new' lives are like. For the most part, their abilities won't change - they keep their skills nad schticks. But, in all three of the Hand Victory shifts, the Architects cease to exist, and arcanowave technology drops out of existence with them. Characters who rely on those devices will have to be altered to account for that, unless their tools were made in the Biomass Reprocessing Center (which, since it's in the Netherworld, will be unaffected). The game provides some options with what to do if you want to have the PCs changed as a result of Hand victory.

Abominations become Supernatural Creatures, as they were never captured and modified in this history. Decide what sort of monster they become and replace their devices with appropriate Creature Powers. Cyborgs and Monster Hunters are a bit more difficult. You could choose to turn a Cyborg into a Big Bruiser, or one might, instead, give them Fu and Gun schticks to mirror their arcanowave powers as closely as possible, which they will instinctively know how to use even if they don't realize they have the powers yet. These changes, if they happen, won't happen until the innerwalker leaves the Netherworld. It's up to the GM if they turn back when they enter the Netherworld again, or if they're trapped in their new identity until history is restored.

I would probably just say 'you were made in the BRC, keep your powers' unless the PC in question really wanted to be changed. Anyway, let's look at the reason why two of the three Hand Victory changes might have happened: 69 AD. The Perfect Master Quan Lo has brought a lot of power to 69, spreading Confucian values and rebellion. PCs who want to restore history will need to come back to 69 AD and solve the problem at the source. Humble warrior-bandits are taking root, fighting against the Lotus and trying to seize feng shui sites. These bandits are mostly locals who know nothing about the Hand, and appear to be innocents fighting a just war. Indeed - this should provide a moral dilemma to PCs who want to stop the Hand from gaining power, because...well, the Hand are being the good guys here, if for reasons of their own.

Slowly, as they achieve feng shui sites, their power grows. Neo-Confucian ideals spread across China and into the Imperial court. The Hand gets enough sites to shift the balance of power, draining the magic out from under the eunuchs of the Lotus, who flee to the Netherworld. Quan Lo is determined to keep the world changed, so all other innerwalkers in 69 AD are hunted down and, if caught, executed. All known passages to the Netherworld are placed under strict guard. Restoring the old world won't be an easy thing to do, as the guards are warned to watch for anyone wearing strange clothes or acting unusually, and the villagers have no desire to return to the nights of monsters and demons. All hands are against the strangers, and the only way to break the Hand's power is to seize their feng shui sites...and that's beyond a single group of PCs. They will need allies. Who can they trust? Which devil will they deal with?

One way to fix the world might be to convince the Hand that they've done more harm than good - which is possible in some of the scenarios presented, at least. However, the monks are fanatics, and not all of them will listen to Reason. The PCs will have to find the forces in the Hand who will work with them to restore the balance. And, of course, there's the possibility of killing Quan Lo and his inner circle. The vision of Quan Lo is what guides the Hand, and without him, they would collapse. However, that would have dire consequences. It is Quan Lo who keeps the Hand creating justice, and if he were to become the Perfect Martyr, the Hand's subtlety would be replaced, in all likelihood, with brutal death squads bent on vengeance.

The first scenario is The Harmonious Kingdom . In this setup, Quan Lo's plan works perfectly. The Hand consolidate their hold on ancient China, ensuring that Neo-Confucian values become deeply entrenched. Chinese civilization spreads across the world, usually peacefully but sometimes at the hands of chi-powered monks and the Virtuous Legions. Ultimately, the entire world falls under the dominion of the Perfect Emperor of China. Magic never dominates the world, the Four Monarchs never rise to power and the transformed animals never join forces to vanquish them. With no need for technology, the Architects never come to be. For a thousand years, the world is a place of peace and discipline - and there is no reason to believe it will ever change.

The rulers of the Harmonious Kingdom greatly value tradition, and see no need for guns or engines when the hand and heart are strong enough. There is very little progress and few differences between 69 AD and the future junctures. Initially, PCs may believe they've gotten lost and are in 69 AD, in fact. The biggest difference is the size of cities and villages, and after that, it's demeanor and attitude. Almost without exception, the Harmonious Kingdom's people are devoted to Neo-Confucianism. They strive for modesty and virtue, live at peace and are free of fear and anxiety. They know their place and do not seek to change it. This can be rather unsettling for people from the future. A society without violence, with everyone working for the common good, may cause PCs to suspect mind control. There isn't any - they just don't know another life.

There's trouble in Paradise, of course. Everyone knows the laws and everyone is expected to obey. Any lawbreaking, from murder to rudeness, is harshly punished. Technological research and magical dabbling are both illegal, and the Hand has no intention of letting either corrupt their perfect world. Scientists and wizards hide in secret communities across the lgobe, but because of their isolation and lack of resources, they have made very little prgress over the centuries. Most have turned bandit in order to survive.

The Harmonious Kingdom is ruled by the Perfect Emperor, whose governors and ministers are slected by highly efficient Confucian exams. There is no army, as the world is at peace, but the Wardens of Peace serve as a police force to deal with bandits and improper behavior. They typically used staffs or clubs and martial arts, but no chi powers. The Wardens can deal with most problems of daily life - bandits, impudent strangers who need a whipping, that sort of thing. When something happens that they can't deal with, like Innerwalkers, the monks of the Guiding Hand emerge from the shadows and deal with the problem. Few people know the Hand exists, but whenever the Secret War threatens the Kingdom, the Hand appear. The Harmonious Kingdom controls the planet, but travel is not encouraged and most people never go more than a few miles away from their hometown. Thus, the strange appearances of PCs is noted but will not draw immediate suspicion, as people will assume they are from some distant province and are traveling for some unclear reason. Any behavior that breaks from tradition, though, will call attention to them and probably get them in trouble with either the Wardens or the Hand itself.

The Kingdom stretches from 1850 onwards (and before, of course, but you can't go there). In 1850, Quan Lo lives in obscurity at the Temple of the Shaolin Dragon. He prefers to remain unknown to his people. He trains those who guard 69 AD and monitor the other times. He and theo ther innerwalkers remember what life was like before the Kingdom, and they will not allow that to return. Ho Shen oversees the contemporary juncture, and while he has embraced the new world, his son Ho Wah Bo finds it stagnant and stifling; he occasionally helps out the rebel scientists and spends a great deal of time in the Netherworld. It's possible that he could be recruited by the PCs to help them, but difficult - he's still loyal to his family, for all his distaste for the new world. 2056 has changed utterly, but the innerwalkers of the Architects haunt it still, trying to raise the rogue scholars to full rebellion. Quan Lo has sent many of his best agents to this time, and Wong Fei Hong is in charge of locating and eliminating the remnant Architects before they can cause more harm to the people.

So, what's left of the factions? Well, we know what's up with the Hand. They are trying to protect the world from literally everyone else now. In all times. Forever. The Architects of the Flesh have lost a lot - Buro got erased, after all. But they still have the Biomass Reprocessing Center, which is their greatest fortress now. The scientists are trying to rebuild their arcanowave technology there, and trying to restore their abomination corps and rebuild their lost powerbase. With the heavy security on 69 AD, that's not easy. Many of Buro's top agents have been laterally reincarnated as rogue scientists and bandits, and the Architect innerwalkers are trying to organize those dissidents into a force to help fight the Hand. The Ascended mourn their loss of influence, but prefer this world to the worlds of Gao Zhang and Bonengel. The majority of them have accepted the change and settled into their native times to live out quiet lives. However, a few want to return the world to the way it was, and they could be valuable allies for the PCs - fun times especially if the PCs must now work with some old enemies among the Ascended!

The Dragons are disturbed by the stagnation and harsh discipline of the Harmonious Kingdom. Wong Fei Hong wants peace with them, but it's hard. Some strive to protect freethinkers from the Wardens of Peace, while pthers keep order in the Netherworld, with the whole new wave of displaced people coming in. They could help the PCs in 69, but their resources are stretched to the limit already. The Eaters of the Lotus are crippled, thanks to the battle in 69 AD, and may not even exist. If they don't, their forces have scattered, joining with the courts of the Four Monarchs or the surviving Architects. The eunuchs want their power back, but no one will help them do it.

The Four Monarchs are using the chaos to recruit new agents from displacedi nnerwalkers. Many might seek them out for shelter. This is a lot of chances to disrupt the balance of power, and the PCs could easily get caught up in the middle of it all! Further, since magic has gotten weaker in the outer world, it has skyrocketed in the Netherworld, making the Monarchs immensely powerful there. For the Jammers, on the other hand, everything and nothing has changed. Buro is gone, but the Harmonious Kingdom is just as bad to their minds. It just reiterates that feng shui is evil and must be destroyed. One problem, though, is that the Jammers arel argely trapped in the Netherworld...and the things made from ARchitect technology, like Potemkin, were lost if they weren't in the Netherworld for the shift. Also, weapons and bombs are much harder to get ahold of now outside the Netherworld.

What are PC personal histories like now? Abominations, ghosts and supernatural creatures don't change, since they were from 69 or the Netherworld anyway. However, abominations revert to supernatural creatures. Ex-Special Forces, Karate Cops, Maverick Cops and Monster Hunters will become ex-Wardens of the PEace, with Monster Hunters and Ex-Special Forces being tied to units that hunted down transformed animals and rogue sorcerers. Magic Cops and Sorcerers are corruptions of chi that live in persecution! A Magic Cop might be a Warden of Peace who turned to the study of magic to battle sorcerers - a noble goal, but still illegal. Martial Artists, Ninjas and Old Masters will likely find themselves having been agents of the Hand, as only the Hand learns fu powers. This could be useful or very dangerous indeed, as the Hand are always watching for innerwalkers!

Techies are probably part of the rebel scholar communities, but their science is now very limited - even flintlocks are astonishingly high-tech now. Transformed Animals still exist and are still hunted by the Hand, if not very actively. They try to avoid drawing power to themselves, and a PC who's been fighting the Ascended has now been fighting the Hand, instead, rebelling against the forces that would destroy their people.

The primary game effecty of this shift is the loss of all modern technology. Guns are replaced by bows and throwing stars, though a techie might still have a black-powder gun. If PCs don't have actual gun schticks, their guns are probably now swords or tonfas. Sportscars become horses, and other technology just evaporates. If the shift occurs while the PCs are in the Netherworld, they keep their stuff, and the GM decides if it vanishes when they leave. Magic in all junctures is at -2, but in the Netherworld is at +8 as a result.

Next time: But what if it doesn't go that well?

Thank you, warden. There is no greater gift than the peace that you preserve.

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: Thank you, warden. There is no greater gift than the peace that you preserve.

So, we've seen the Harmonious Kingdom. But what happens if things don't all go according to Quan Lo's plan? Well, that's what happens in Crouching Tiger, Mad Max . It starts out following the same path as the Harmonious Kingdom, but takes a different path as some members of the Hand teach others how to harness the power of chi. Initially, until 1850 really, it follows the same path. Superficially it looks very similar then. However, as time goeso n, chi power becomes more prevalent, with normal citizens having fu powers, gifted warriors matching up to people like Wong Fei Hong, and the especially gifted even surpassing Quan Lo!

In 1850, tensions have been building up for centuries and there's even been a few minor wars. Today, the Harmonious Kingdom is on the verge of collapse, the people divided by philosophy, borders, skin color, anything, really. The Guiding Hand has fractured into many competing schools, each of which believes itself to be the true inheritor of Neo-Confucian thought. The feng shui sites are divided up among the sects, and no group has the power to enforce their vision. Quan Lo controls the Temple of the Shaolin Dragon still, and the innerwalkers are loyal to him, but the Guiding Hand itself has changed over 1800 years and much of the Hand in 1850 no longer recognizes Quan Lo as its founder. Further, the study of chi means he can't beat them into line - many of the fu masters of other sects match him in power! Quan Lo is trying to hold the world together, but he can see that it's futile. He is furious at himself for his failure, especially when he looks to the future's anarchy.

Still, he refuses to let the other factions steal his original victory, and his warriors continue to defend 1850 and 69 AD from other innerwalkers while he tries to find a way to fix things and create a true Harmonious Kingdom. 1850 is desperately fractured, and anyone who is uncommon will draw immediate hostility - especially Westerners in China. Statements that go against the local prevailing school of thought, magic, technology and even styles of kung fu that aren't popular in the area will be punished as illegal, usually very harshly indeed.

The contemporary juncture is one of collapse. Society has crumbled, and most cities are burnt-out ruins thanks to the Chi Wars. The world is ruled by gangs who use potent fu powers, and these gangs fight unending battles over mostly forgotten philosophical differences. Anyone who can master chi can find a place in a warband. Anyone else is going to have to hide. Authority is based entirely on fu power, and the warlords dominate the gangs with a wide array of chi abilities. Few of the warlords know about the Secret War, but they're very protective of their territory and feng shui sites - and they have the power to back it up. 1996 is a dangerous time, and PCs who find a warband will be expected to pay homage and tribute to its leader. Failure or rudeness are often punishable by death or slavery. The feng shui sites are well-protected here, but the people of 1996 have no real knowledge of the Netherworld, so it's pretty easy for an innerwalker to slip in and out, at least.

2056 is virtually identical to 1996. There's fewer people, of course, but the ones that remain tend to be even better at fu powers. The refugees without fu powers have begun to invent new weapons to face the warlords, and a few even ahve black powder guns. As with the Harmonious Kingdom, the Architects of the Flesh are working with these rebels and giving them arms made in the Biomass Reprocessing Center.

So, who has power among the factions? Most things are per the Harmonious Kingdom, with some exceptions. The Chi Warlords, for example. They're not united, as mentioned - hundreds of warlords across the globe, each with huge amounts of fu power and most having one or two feng shui sites. Most of them know nothing of the Netherworld or Secret War and care only for their own power, philosophy or kung fu style. The Guiding Hand has lost most of its loyal followers in the shift, retaining only its innerwalkers. For now, Quan Lo is defending the timeline from the others and trying to find a solution. It's possible that he could be convinced to give up his hold on 69 AD, but doing so would have to involve convincing him via Neo-Confucian arguments that appel to his beliefs.

The Ascended are gone, in theory - the transformed animals of the world tend to be warlords, using their chi powers and fu abilities. These gangs fought each other at first, like everyone else, but the Ascended are trying to unite them. If they succeed, they might be able to get enough feng shui sites to seize control of one of the later junctures. They might also attemtp to bring the super-powered fu warriors back to 69 AD, to take over there. This means that even if things get fixed, there's going to be some new and very potent innerwalkers running around after this. And the Dragons? Well, all the Dragons who weren't innerwalkers are now members of warbands - and unlike the Ascended, there's no common bond for them to find. They're lost and gone. The Dragon innerwalkers are trying to find a way to break the power of the Hand in 69 AD and somehow undo the ruined futures.

So, how do personal histories get changed? Most PCs will be refugees. Lacking chi powers, they haveh idden in the ruins and struggled to survive. Friends and loved ones are either dead or enemies. Those with chi power could be part of a warband now - meaning you can have their new 'friends' capture the other PCs and have some fun as they try to free their allies from their new warband. Or maybe all of the PCs are part of a warband now. Feuds and enemies from the past history are easily translated into enemy gangs now - someone chased by the Ascended is being hunted by a gang of transformed animals, for example. And, as with the Harmonious Kingdom, there is no advanced technology. All sorcery is at -2, except in the Netherworld, where it's still +8.

But what if history doesn't change in 69 AD? What if, against all odds, Ho Shen changes history in 1996? In The Confucian States of America , his efforts prove wildly successful, thanks to some feng shui sites and tapping into the fad-based mindset of the USA. Ho Shen makes Neo-Confucianism the next big thing, and soon there's Neo-Confucian boy bands, clothing lines and even a political party which wins the presidency of the United States. With chi controlling history, they are able to make sweeping changes to the government, giving positions based on pire tests of merit instead of democratic election. "Grandfather" is appointed President For Life. The Confucian States of America close their borders, having no desire to interact with the corrupted outer world. They raise a chi-based defense shield developed at the former headquarters of NORAD. The shield is powered by monks, who use pure harmony to protect the continent.

None too soon, as well! The Harmony Shield protects the CSA from the international tensions beyond them, which break out into nuclear war now that the UN lacks the world's only superpower to moderate things. The rest of humanity is all but eliminated, and the Confucian States continue their peaceful existence. There is a darkness at their core, though, as there is a force driving the CSA that is even greater than Confucian philosophy: money. Within years, the CSA was corrupted by corporate interests. Grandfather has been dead for nearly a decade, and his appearances on TV are computer generated. Sure, it seems more pleasant than the world of Buro, but beneath the peace is the same thing: consumers and control.

The CSA still has advanced technology, and in fact, everything is ultramodern, though linked by pleasant feng shui. Pollution is under control, and parks and gardens are common in urban areas as an effort to help restore the wounded chi of the land. Everything is fresh, clean and vibrant. The current fashion is for an odd mix of modern power suits and traditional Chinese clothing. As in the Harmonious Kingdom, everyone is always courteous, polite and striving for Confucian virtue. Personal property is at a minimum, and most people spend their money on products designed to help them understand the principles of the Perfect Master. If you're studying the Blue Principle, for example, you might buy Popsi Blue(TM), fortified with ten essential herbs and vitamins to open your mind to the true meaning of Obscurement!

Everything from food to antiperspirant is connected to Confucian philosophy, and without the latest and greatest consumer goods, how can you ever truly understand the Master's words? There is also a much lower amount of personal transportation and guns. Long-distance travel is discouraged, and within cities people travel via environmentally-safe hoverbuses. The Presidential Guard and Wardens of Peace serve the same role as in the Harmonious Kingdom, and they have access to guns and chi-powered weapons, but those only come out for major threats. Shock tonfa, tasers and so on are preferred. As in other scenarios, discipline is extremely important, and rude behavior gets treated with painful shocks. Serious violaters great brain-wiped and sent to reeducation centers, ultimately returning as menial laborers.

TV and animated billboards are very common indeed, and primarily used to deliver education Neo-Confucian programs...and ads for new goods. Often the two can be hard to tell apart. Grandfather's kindly old face is seen everywhere, delivering wisdom and selling all kinds of merchandise. The true leaders of the CSA are just starting to discover the Secret War. They know the power of feng shui and guard the sites heavily, but the Netherworld is a new discovery and one they want to exploit. Most of the world is a nuclear wasteland, so the past is the only new market left for them, and they want to use it. The Wardens of Peace have been told to keep an eye out for innerwalkers, and any Secret Warriors captured will be tortured and interrogated.

The only juncture affected by this shift is 2056, since it's based on Ho Shen's work in the contemporary juncture. How did it happen? Maybe it just occurred when Ho Shen got a certain number of sites. Maybe it was based on a corporate alliance - a bad idea all around, but Ho Shen might have believed that the vital resources he got were worth it, even as control left his hands. Grandfather might even be Ho Wah Bo...or maybe some other stooge, it really doesn't make much difference since he's dead by 2056.

As for the factions, well, the Monarchas and Lotus have no interest in this future. The Monarchs are busy in their infighting and the Lotus still need to defend their position in the past. The Jammers don't see much difference between this world and the last. Grandfather is now - a cabal of powerful corporations in the CSA. They sell Confucian crap, but also have been studfying ways to funnel chi and reproduce chi abilities with science. Their researchers are quite interested in studying the traditions of the past and also want to expand their operations backwards. Their biggest enemies are the Ascended, whom they fight in the boardroom, and ironically the Guiding Hand itself.

The Architects are, again, wiped from history. Their innerwalkers are based out of the Biomass Reprocessing Center and are rebuilding their arsenal as best they can. However, most of their non-innerwalker scientists are now working for Grandfather, developing technolochi(TM) instead of arcanowave devices. (Technolochi is the punny name for science that fuses fu power and technology.) The Ascended have little interest in the CSA itself - they want to maintain their control of the past. They know that if they can seize the Contemporary juncture back, the CSA will cease to be. Of course, it's possible that Grandfather splintered off from them in the first place - and that one of the major factors leading to the CSA was, in fact, an alliance between Ho Shen and a cabal in the Ascended. I nthat case, Grandfather's agents could well include transformed animals.

The Guiding Hand are split on the CSA. Quan Lo and his followers see it as an abomination - especially the technolochi. On top of that, China is an atomized wasteland! Ho Shen, however, might see the CSA as an acceptable future. The people are happy, the world is prosperous and the populace is dedicated, however superficially, to the principles of Confucius. It's better than Buro. So why try to destroy it? Of course, that assumes Ho Shen doesn't realize the hypocrisy of Grandfather. By the time he learns the truth of the corporate masters, they may have already established a presence in the past. In general, Quan Lo is trying to focus on 69 AD still - if he can change that, he can wipe Grandfather out entirely. If Grandfather threatens the past, though, the Hand will devote all their power to destroying it.

So, what happens to PCs from 2056 here? Abominations still become supernatural creatures - Grandfather has yet to even visit 69 AD and has never seized any monsters. Cyborgs become bizarre creations of technolochi - more on how that works on a moment, but they're part of Grandfather's attempts to artificially create spiritual masters. Monster hunters get technolochi as well, and are an initial strike force created by Grandfather to capture kung fu masters of the past. Martial Artists, Ninjas and Old Masters are probably part of the Presidential Guard, but could be private citizens. AFter all, martial arts competitions are a huge part of the entertainment industry now and a skilled fighter could well be a pro athlete. Others? Well, they can easily be adapted. Scrappy Kids and Thieves don't need much changes, for example, just some name swaps. There's few criminal organizations, but the competing corporations in Grandfather employ thieves and killers just as much as the Mafia and Lodge ever did.

Now, game effects. Arcanowave devices are gone, but high technology is not. Arcanowave tools are replaced by technolochi, which can have very potent effects - for example, it's what powers the Harmony Shield that protects the CSA from nuclear fallout. Technolochi plugs into a socket, just as arcanowave devices do, and duplicates the effects of a single Fu power. These objects gather and store chi energy. Each can store 3 chi points or the amount needed to use the fu power associated with it once, whichever is higher. The chi of a device can only be used to power the device, and it regenerates at a rate of 1 point per 8 hours, though you can use your own chi to power the devices as well.

Shock tonfa are a common weapon, dealing Strength+5 damage, all of which is healed after an hour has passed. Chi guns also exist, which convert the wielder's chi into projectiles. Chi blasts cannot hurt inanimate objects, but do a good amount of damage to normal people! Reloading a chi gun takes 1 point of Chi and 2 shots. We get stats for a handgun (which does 12 damage) and a rifle (which does 15 and takes out mooks like nobody's business). However, to reload a chi gun, you need a technolochi port. Technolochi, incidentally, is uniformly beautiful . All curves and smmoth edges, made of ceramic and tough resin. IT tends to be brightly colored, matching the color of whatever principle it's most connected to. Grandfather has no interest, incidentally, in magic and as a result, 2056 now has a -2 Sorcery modifier.

Next time: My Master, My Foe!

Loyalty is like a sword.

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: Loyalty is like a sword.



I'm actually skipping over this, mostly. The adventure assumes the PCs are Dragons, and that the Dragons are, in the wake of Killdeer, willing to reach out even to the Darkness Pagoda for help. They head to meet with Ming I alongside Kar Fai. However, Kar Fai's old teacher, Yim Ning Yee, is there, and he hates Kar Fai for betraying the Guiding Hand and throwing his teachings in his face. Ming I declares that one of the two will have to be sacrificed, the party fights Yim Ning Yee's students over who it gets to be, etc. Both guys are totally willing to die if their team loses, because they are both honorable martial artists. Kar Fai also gets sick during the thing.

Anyway, the book ends by suggesting a bunch of movies for you to watch! These include Burning Paradise by Ringo Lam ad starring Willie Kwai and K. K. Wong, which is about Fong Sai Yuk's master getting killed by the Manchu soldiers. Drunken Master 1 & 2 , by Yuen Woo Ping and Lau Kar Leung and starring Jackie Chan, which are about the early life of Wong Fei Hong as a drunken troublemaker. Five Masters of Death by Chang Cheh and starring Ti Lung and Alexender Sheng, which is a real old school martial arts film - 1975. It's about the fall of the Shaolin Temple.

We've got Fong Sai Yuk 1 & 2 , by Corey Yuen and starring Jet Li, which is comedic but also apparently pretty good, telling the story of Fong Sai-Yuk trying to earn a woman's hand in marriage by beating up her mother, a kung fu master. Also his father is a revolutionary, and the second movie deals with Fong Sai Yuk helping the revolution and pissing off his wife and mother. Tsui Hark's Green Snake , starring Maggie Chung and Joey Wang, is about two snakes who turn themselves into human girls and get into trouble both with love and with an angry monk who thinks snakes turning human is evil. It is presented as a good way to see how the Hand might be villains.

Yuen Woo Ping's Iron Monkey , starring Donnie Yen and Yu Rong Guang, is also suggested. Go watch Iron Monkey, it's about an anti-Manchu rebel and the father of Wong Fei Hong fighting each other until they realize they're on the same side. Wong Jing's Last Hero in China , starring Jet Li and Gordon Liu, is Jet Li as Wong Fei Hong. Again. He does that a lot. Wong Fei Hong moves to Canton and gets into all kinds of trouble. New Legend of Shaolin , also by Wong Jing, stars Jet Li again but as Hung Shi Kwan, whose family gets slaughtered save for his son. The two wander China, help out the Shaolin Tmeple and hunt for a Ming Dynasty treasure.

And, of course, Tsui Hark's Once Upon a Time in China series. (And part 4, which was Yuen Bun.) This is mostly Jet Li as Wong Fei Hong, featuring Wong fighting British imperialism, secret societies, pirates and cowboys over the course of its run. Not all parts are equally good. We also hear about Chan Hsin Yeh's Shaolin Temple , starring Jet Li. Jet Li's debut film, in fact, and the first martial arts film made in Communist China. It features the actual Shaolin Temple and, while kind of rough, is pretty great...even taking into account the anti-Buddhist messages in it. (The Communists were funding it, after all.) Yuen Woo Ping's Tai Chi Master stars Jet Li, Michelle Yeoh and chin Siu Ho. Jet Li and Chin are expelled from the Shaolin Temple, and one joins a band of rebels led by Michelle while the other turns to evil. Great fights. Lastly, Wing Chun , starring Michelle Yeoh and made by Yuen Woo Ping. Sadly, Wing Chun does not focus on the real contributions of the historical Wing Chun to martial arts, but rather on romance and gender-based comedy...though Michelle Yeoh still gets to kick some ass.

Next time: Seal of the Wheel.

If you betray me, I'll rip your throat out.

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

And now, an actual Feng Shui post!

Feng Shui: If you betray me, I'll rip your throat out.



We open with the story of Bei Tairong, who lives in the time of Emperor Ming Ti. She has recently turned herself human, as well as stolen some clothing and fled from some guards. The guards are now seeking her, since she stole clothes from the governor's daughter. She hides in the shadows, then takes out one of the guards, forcing the other to guard her out of the city. She spares his life, then flees into the forest, looking for somewhere to recover her strength. She heads into a cave, where she is surprised to see light. She wanders into the Netherworld by accident before being attacked by a monster that wants to eat her soul. Tairong fights the beast, which calls on lightning to defeat her, but she blinds it and runs.

So, now we hit the history section. History, the narrator tells us, is important. It is the pattern made by events and interpretation. The Chinese saw history as circular, following a repeating pattern of virtue, corruption and overthrow. The Europeans saw it as a shining road leading from dark past to bright future. The two views clashed, of course, during the Manchu or Qing Dynasty. The Manchu were never fully accepted, grew corrupt, yadda yadda. Oh, and the civil servants required intelligence tests, so a lot of people were poor, hungry and quite clever.

Beyond that, Western ideas were coming in for the past century and being applied to Confucianism. When texts were analyzed with Western techniques, some classics were shown to contain forged portions added centuries later...which were still on the civil service exams. So now we have angry, hunger, clever, poor and disillusioned people. The White Lotus Rebellions begin in the erarly 1800s, and the Taiping flourish in 1850. The government lacks the troops and money to quash them all, so it tries to ignore the small ones and stop the big ones. Someone decides it'd be a good idea to let the government officials form private armies to kill the rebels themselves - a real bargain for the poor Qing, right?

Surprise, surprise, the officials gain power by doing this. If the Emperor needs your soldiers, he can't say no when you ask for money. A few of the officials, like Zeng Guofan, who crushed the Taiping, were actually loyal...but most were just greedy. And, of course, the West shows up now to discuss trade rights. At first, the Chinese try to humiliate the Westerners and insult them, trying to stall while they held up their empire. The English, the main Western power group at the time, were not very happy with this. So they brought in opium. They created thousands of opium addicts, and when China outlawed it, they shipped it in anyway. Crime, decadence, riots, you name it. Gas on a flame.

Eventually, the Chinese try to stop all this by force. The British...crush them. The Opium War forces the Chinese to open their ports, make British citizens in China immune to Chinese law and give Britain favored nation status. Also, Hong Kong. Now, a huge network of secret societies spring up to fight the Manchus and the Westerners. These groups, known as the Triads, would become a major criminal organization in time. Meanwhile, America makes California a state, alongside Texas, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado and Wyoming. California has no slaves at the time thanks to a compromise between North and South wohich delayed the Civil War by about a decade.

So, rather than have slaves, they just don't pay their workers much. The gold rush is settling in, and the Chinese are needed for labor. The Us is granted Favored Nation status, much like Britain. The rest of the colonial powers are also getting better at exploiting the resources of other nations. Europe is no longer at war, and all of them see China's potential. A good iplomat might have been able to play them off each other...but China had given away its power with the Favored Nation clauses.

Oh, and that's when Emperor Qianlong takes the throne in 1850. He gets all this dumped on him - a weak, corrupt government, an angry people, drug addicts and a bunch of foreign nations looking to carve up his country for their own profit. China needed a strong emperor. And if you think Qianlong was it, I have a bridge to sell you.

Jump forward a hundred and fifty years. Most of the colonial empires are gone. Two World Wars leaves everyone without the power to maintain them. Only the USA comes out stronger than before, and the new warfare is economic. The Russian monarchy is overthrown and communism exists. The Cold War is the new battlefield. China's monarchy is gone. The last emperor of China, Puyi, was a puppet ruler of Manchuria serving the Japanese. China became a battleground for rival warlords until, at last, the warlords united under Chiang Kai-Shek and the Kuomintang. This happens just in time for them to all get kicked out by Mao Tse-Tung and the Communists, who'd learned to fight really damn well in World War 2.

The Kuomintang flee to Taiwan, where they remain in power even today. The US is flooded with cocaine, heroin and other narcotics. Illegalizing them doesn't really help. Technology races forward, Man visits the moon, the sound barrier is broken. The world seems to shrink. As the 20th century ends, the Cold War looks to be over. The Soviet Union has collapsed, the People's Republic of China is buying Levis and watching Dallas, and while Fidel Castro is sitll alive and still bearded, he is no longer the terror of the US. Bill Clinton has gotten a second term and the nation survives the Lewinsky affair without much real trouble.

Northern Ireland is as close to peace as it's been in decades. The Middle East has had a few years of relative calm. Everything seems to be going okay. Yeeeeeah, no.

Next time: The True History Of Earth

I've come to take you to the Unspoken Name.

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: I've come to take you to the Unspoken Name.

We open with more of Tairong's story. She has travelled through the Underworld to the modern era, and is very, very confused by it. It is loud and horrible and smelly. Strange men in black suits are watching her, wearing the symbol of the wheel - the same symbol she'd meditated on to turn from a tiger into a human being. These strange people offer her a place to stay and give her food and drinks. And a shot, which she tries to kill them for. Later, they take her to a man who says he has found family of hers, though she doesn't believe him. Then sh goes to Tokyo, where she runs into a pair of monks who ask her about Hare Krishna and then start a fight. The monks want to kidnap her because she is important to the Ascended, and while she can kill several of tyhem, there are too many for her to fight. That's when a new person shows up: Adrienne Hart, who manages to subdue the remaining monks and introduce herself.

Our new chapter begins as a letter written to someone called Lukas, reminescing about the history of the Ascended. Long ago, the Four Monarchs ruled the world with the power of sorcery and magic. They conquered the whole world, yadda yadda, immortal empire. Their enemies feared them and sought a change, deciding to alter history to take them down. A group of animals and dragons sought to avoid the attention of the Monarchs by emulating humans, transcending their own animal natures. They were in the far past, but the enemies of the Monarchs came to them and told them of the future that was coming. The animals decide to help destroy this future of the Monarchs.

They infiltrated the courts of the powerful, creating rituals and secret societies, making themselves the secret rulers of several civiliations via false histories and mysterious rituals. Those who could not join were controlled; those who could not be controlled were killed. By stealth, they made kingdoms of the earth their own and changed the world. The future changed for them, and they never noticed, because they lived it the hard way. They don't know, even now, which of their actions made the shift. The sorcerers faded away with the dying magic of the new future. The Ascended favored science and technology, creating great weapons.

The animals began to track their bloodlines, trying to strengthen them, for their children were also animals within. They formed the Families, the power groups of the Lodge - half by breeding and half by inclination. Everything was formalized by the 1600s, and our narrator had set himself up as the final weapon of the Ascended - to be used only when nothing else would do. The Families would elect a leader, the Unspoken Name - at the time, a powerless office meant as a figurehead, for anyone the families could agree on would be a spineless weakling no one would bother to talk with. Except he turned out to be a bit more clever than anyone expected, and he managed to get our narrator to report to him, not the Lodge as a whole. He manipulated all of the sides to believe that the newest 'family', the Soul of the Dragon, would be neutral and thus beneficial to all of them. The Name continued to manpulate and gather power, and over the years the Ascended became what they are today, full of families that represent outlook, not animal bloodline.

Basically, political parties. The Ascended struggle with each other as much as anyone else. The bloodlines remained intact, and no one would burn the Lodge down...but the Lodge does love its political games. As they struggled, the world spun on, technology advancing and sorcery fading even more. The Age of Empires was the heyday of the Ascended, when they ruled the entire planet. However, that was when the competition started The Netherworld portals reopened, and the other factions spilled forth...but they discovered that, somehow, they won. They retained control of the world in the future...and the Unspoken Name of the future was a stronger force. The Name of the 1850s died, somehow. No one knows how. Maybe he even stepped down and faked his own death to avoid a struggle between the two Names. Anyway, he vanished, and the Unspoken Name of the 1990s steped into his shoes.

Perhaps because of the change in leadership, the Ascended survived until the portals closed. (For now. That might change.) They lived on through the 1900s, but never realized where the next threat would come from: themselves. They had carefully made the world so that the rulers of it would be too caught up in rivalries to notice their control. And, when they let their control grow too strong and their games grow too hard, the First World War was started. They lost control over several feng shui sites in Russia...and they lost control of the people. The Soviet regime didn't start as one ruled by the Ascended. They began to panic. The Second World War hit a decade or two later and was completely unexpected. They lost even more. The Lodge became desperate, retreating from Europe and China to establish their powerbases in Japan and the US.

At least the portals stayed closed in that time, and they were able to re-assert control. They managed to reinfiltrate the world governments and seize the world once more. It was a close-run thing, though, and by the time they did it, the portals opened again in the 1990s. And this time, they had no assurance that they'd rule the future. Indeed, just the opposite - within 50 years, the Lodge would be gone. They began to panic. The great families had no opposition but themselves for more than a century - the idea of a foe as powerful as them did not sit well. The Unspoken Name stole more control over the Lodge, seizing power by claiming that without it, everything would be destroyed.

And yet...the Lodge doesn't know how to win. Some believe they must diversify, others that they must unite behind the Name. And others still turn traitor, believing survival is more important than winning and that the only chance to survive is to join the Architects. Enemies surround them, and the Name stirs the pot within via his power-grabbing. There are those working to fix things, but they fear to act too quickly. The last of their great leaders, the Name of the 1850s, is gone. The Lodge doesn't know what to do. And we learn the name of our narrator: Draco, the enforcer. Draco, the immortal killer dragon who answers only to the Unspoken Name.

We return to Tairong, who is amazed by everything she is learning. She quite likes the Ascended, who enthusiastically accepted her. The Unspoken Name himself has personally asked her to deal with risky field ops, since she has the magic resistance of the past. And now, she lives in a mansion in Hong Kong. She has little idea what to do with the mansion, really. Right now, she is visiting London and listening to a pair of other transformed animals tell her that field work is so gauche. Tairong doesn't care - she wants stuff to do. She doesn't care about danger. She just wants to do things. She wants to head to the future and fight. Eventually, the Unspoken Name agrees to send Tairong to the future, and Tairong sets out into the Netherworld, finally getting to take action again.

Next time: Being in the Lodge.

I like it here. I don't want to be a tiger again.

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: I like it here. I don't want to be a tiger again.

The Lodge are the rulers of the world. They do not, however, rule it directly. Direct rule of the world takes a whole lot more open power and magic. The Ascended do not like magic. Rather, they use subtle control. They've never needed anything else. All they've ever needed was to keep humanity ignorant and keep their own control on feng shui. Human nature has done the rest. They knew a long time ago that controlling the world could be a passive thing. Soimetimes, all they'd have to do is react to things right. Direct control has been pretty unneeded. All they had to do was make sure the right conditions persisted. It's safer - those who are oppressed rebel. Those who believe they're free take vacations.

Of course, sometimes you need direct action. The Ascended do not shy away from it when they have to. Every Lodge member knows that if they lose the Secret War, the penalty will be a lot more than just having a new life to get used to. If magic comes back, they will all lose everything that makes them human. They will, in a very real way, die. They aren't fighting for the world. They are fighting to live . And they do it by control. Information, influence, deception, power, fear. These are the tools of control, and the Ascended understand them better than anyone else - at least in the 1990s.

Now, to recap - the Lodge is the formal organization of the Ascended animals. Without the Lodge to keep them together, the families would be killing each other much more often...and really, they'd probably have lost by now. The Lodge has made sure that doesn't happen. It functions a lot like a business, with each family as a stockholder. A council made up of one member of each family is in charge (in theory). In practice, the Unspoken Name has been getting more and more powerful. Each family runs things within the family its own way, selecting its leader and board member via whatever method it likes. Now, it should be noted - these families are not families of blood. Sure, they'll often have a lot of the same animal bloodline in them, because the bloodlines incline you to a certain temperament...but not always. You might find a spider in the Fist of the Bear or a fox in the Shell of the Tortoise, if the spider likes to fight or the fox likes careful planning.

In theory, every family has the same influence with the board as every other family. In practice, there are six that run things. These are the Web of the Spider, the shell of the Tortoise, the Fist of the Bear, the soul of the Dragon, the Hunger of the Jackal and the Fang of the Snake. The Sting of the Scorpion is another powerful family, but they're a bit above politics - they gave up their vote a long time ago in order to answer to the Unspoken Name directly. The board convenes semi-annually barring major crises, and the main purpose of it is to elect the 'chairman', the Unspoken Name. The Name is in charge of day-to-day operations and coordinating between the various families. The board elects a new one every six years, usually but not always from within the ranks of the board members. This might sound like a recepe for disaster and graft, but the Ascended know they live only by cooperating and so while they might give passionate speeches, no one ever manipulates the electoral results. More than once, anyway. They tend to die if they try it.

As long as the families work together, the board exercises little control, if any, on how they run themselves internally. Independence is inante to the Ascended, it seems. Of course, the resources of the Unspoken Name give a whole lot of influence over the families, but no one likes to mention that. We'll talk more about the Name later. Let's start, instead, with the Web of the Spider .

The Web is the family responsible, in large part, for the grand charade of modern politics. Their specialty is covert manipulation. They participate in intrigue, spying, information gathering, forgery, bribery, misdirection. These are their tools. Without the Web, the Ascended would be under siege by humanity. Their job is huge, and they are the largest family in the Lodge. Their influence is great, and everyone knows it. This tends to breed resentment. They are officially led by Clara Duvall, but the real shining star of the Web is the man called the Web Master, Walter Placer. Walter was raised by the Ascended and was happy to be a field agent for the Web when he started...but it didn't last long. A fight with a Lotus sorcerer dumped him 69 AD for three weeks before the Pledged could find him, and it left him on the brink of reversion.

Worse, Walter didn't get fixed when he came home. His system stayed...weird. He got sent to a feng shui site in the Hollywood Hills, and the chi energy keeps him from reverting to spider form, but he's stuck there, unable to leave. Since he could no longer be an active field agent, Walter applied himself to the cause in the only other way he could: coordinating. These days, he reads thirty newspapers a day, maintains a constant monitor on radio and TV and tracks the internet. He mastered that really quick when it showed up, and it's what got him his nickname. He takes in all of the world's events and synthesizes them into predictions that have proven unnaturally accurate. His extrapolations have ended more than one enemy project, and the Unspoken Name has taken to contacting him almost as much as he calls Clara Duvall herself. Placer's estate in Hollywood is covered in satellite dishes, antennas and so on, and he's defended by theb est agents the Web has to offer...but he's still on the edge of death. He's the barest step away from reversion, and any magic at all could send him over. Sorcerers in Hollywood had best lay low.

Walter used to be fit and muscular, but the last few years have sent him towards being pretty fat, especially with the local pizza places on speed dial. However, he still has some muscle and practices his kung fu every day. If he ends up having to fight, he's not gonna go down easy...well, assuming he survives fighting near a sorcerer, anyway. That's, uh, that's not necessarily likely. (Incidentally, the Ascended, we are told, also have their own Internet: the Innernet. The Innernet is never slow, never has problems with email, has highly advanced software of every variety you might want and never has spam or popup problems. Any member of the Lodge who knows how can access it from any computer that can reach the web. Some even have their own secret web pages! Which are of course much better secured than most of the Internet. Hacking something on the Innernet is hard work.)

Anyway. The Web of the Spider is designed after its namesake. Each group within it is called a Strand. The oldest and until recently the most prominent is the Political Operations Strand. Their job is manipulation of social power structures. Every major political power of the modern world is infiltrated by the Lodge and the Pledged - and mostly the Web. They aren't so crude as hypnotizing people or replacing them with Manchurian candidates. (Usually. They've done both before, but they try not to have to.) They prefer to control the world by being spin doctors and advisors. They don't limit themselves to legitimate politics, though. They support opposition groups, crackpots and terrorists as well, to keep the world out of balance. Even religious cults, hate groups and militias get some Web backing. Actually Web agents tend to be very well-hidden in bureaucracies, committes and shell companies, relying on the Pledged to do the dirty work.

Recently, the Medio Operations Strand, or MOS, has taken some of the influence of the Political Operatives. TV, radio and the internet are great avenues for control, and their growth has been great. Their first job is to monitor the world media, which they manage extremely well. There are buildings full of people collecting, collating and analyzing facts all over the world ever day. The Ascended always have an accurate and extremely complete picture of what is going on in their domain at any given time, allowing them to react very quickly. They don't rely solely on computers, either. Thanks to their animal heritage, they deeply value instinct and intuition, and many transformed animal analysts work with the Pledged on this.

Along with info gathering, the MOS also handle disinformation. When facts the Lodge would rather deny get through their filters, the MOS discredit witnesses, destroy evidence and make detractors look like idiots. Sometimes, they even assassinate, though they prefer to leave that to the experts in the Fang of the Snake. MOS has gotten more complex since the portals opened, though - as well as keeping the Wheel a secret from the world, they must hide the Secret War. Most of the factions don't care about doing this. Especially the Jammers. This makes things much harder, and it falls to the MOS to explain to the public that no, the cackling man in ancient Chinese costume throwing green fire at the cyborg gorilla with a rocket launcher was just a publicity stunt. Fortunately, Media Operatives are nothing if not creative.

The Internet revolution was not a surprise to the Ascended, and they've had the Innernet since the 70s. In fact, the Web of the Spider deliberately retarded the growth of computer culture in human hands until they had mastered the technology themselves, and hardward, system architecture and OS wars are their fault. In the 80s, they finally allowed the Internet to truly begin developing. They've come to regret it several times. Even with their head start, the rapid growth of the industry has left them a bit flat-footed, and they've taken to thinking of it as a Pandora's box. The rapid rate of information exchange and its growth has made the task of keeping track of the world that much more complex.

The last major Strand is the Financial Operations Strand. See, even the Illuminati need money, at least if they want to stay subtle. It takes money to buy politicians, suppress evidence and keep people complacent. Also to buy guns. The FOS oversee a network of accountants, lwayers, stockbrokers, televangelsits and criminals, all of whom channel at least some of their revenue into the Lodge's coffers. Accounting errors, misdirected donations, it adds up. The real moneymakers are the stockbrokers. Wall Street is in the Web's pocket - or, at least, most of its wonderkinds are. Insider trading is a major cash cow for the Lodge, and it got even easier when the Innernet was made, allowing the Ascended to start day trading 20 years before the rest of us. Unfortunately, most FOS agents just don't get any respect. Their moneymaking games keep them away from the front lines, and the so-called Money Spiders are often seen as do-nothings and bean-counters instead of workers. Even their own family regards their work as nerdy and boring, the job of "arach-nerds". However, while they may be accountants, they are Ascended accountants, fully able to kick some ass.

Next time: The Great Conspiracy Conspiracy.

I just hope for your sake you don't wake up with four legs and a tail one of these days.

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: I just hope for your sake you don't wake up with four legs and a tail one of these days.

The Web of the Spider is held together by the perceptive and highly skilled Clara Duvall, hairdresser. She is the center of the Web, ensuring all the Strands work together. She may not have the gift for foresight that the Web Master does, but she is more socially adept and certainly more mobile. When the Web does what it's meant to do, it remains unseen but does all the work. Clara Duvall works hard to ensure this is the case. She has several plans in the running.

The major plan is misdirection. The Web realized early on that even the best cover-up would not be perfect. What they needed was to coopt suspicion. As a result, the Web actively fosters any conspiracy theory except the truth. Those searching for the real secret masters quickly find themselves surrounded by cranks and crackpots. Even if anyone did find the truth, no one would believe it. I mean, they're in the same league as Rosicrucians, Atlanteans and the Elders of Zion. The Web of the Spider makes sure there's just enough evidence to keep the truly passionate seekers on the wrong path. As part of this, they've set up a cooperative effort with the Hunger of the Jackal, who are happy to go out in black suits and threaten witnesses, tamper with evidence of events that never happened and so on. More on that later. The Spiders do get annoyed about the weird shit that happens that they don't actively cause, of course.

Oh, and then there's the Internet. The Internet has been a problem for the Web of the Spider. They allowed it to happen, and the accelerating rate of information freedom has gotten ahead of them. It's a threat. Worse, the Architects exist. When the Web finally let the Internet exist, they had no idea that within a few short years they'd be facing off against foes with much better tech. By the time Buro showed up, it was too late to unmake the Internet. The Shell of the Turtle, responsible for defense planning, is rather alarmed and has even basically accused the Web of negligence by allowing the Internet to exist. Their reports were persuasive enough to get Clara Duvall to try and tame the internet by consolidating ownership of its infrastructure and resources into the hands of a few Ascended-controlled companies.

The Web probably has the least direct role in the Secret War, of all the families. Their job is designed to keep things secret, not hurt people directly. Web operatives are manipulators, not fighters. The one faction that they do target a lot is the Architects. Their existence means that at some point in the future (of the current timeline, anyway), the Web will lose. This makes Clara Duvall extremely angry, and she spends a lot of time worrying about making the mistake that allows the Buro to take over. It might be strange that the largest family in the Lodge has such a small role in the Secret War, but understand - the Web keeps two junctures firmly under control of the Ascended. They ensure the Unspoken Name doesn't have to worry about humans challenging his control. This leaves him and everyone else free to concentrate on fascists from the future, crazed eunuch wizards, gorilla cyborgs and monks. The Web of the Spider are the backbone of the Lodge.

Now, let's talk about the Shell of the Tortoise . Secrecy has always been the best defense the Ascended have, but sometimes it's not enough. Sometimes, enemies know too much about them. That's what the Shell of the Tortoise exists for. When the Lodge first formed, the protective skills of the tortoises made them the obvious choice for defense. When the misdirection of the Spider fails to hide the Ascended, the Shell of the Tortoise stands as the barrier behind the secrecy. Each member of the Shell is sworn to die in service of protecting the Lodge. If the Ascended ever do lose their power over the 1990s, it'll be after the Shell of the Tortoise has been destroyed.

We've already learned about the Sharpened Shells back in the Netherworld book. So let's instead talk about the two main divisions of the Shell: the Inner Shell and the Outer Shell. The Inner Shell is the think tank the Tortoise use for defense planning. They consider any and every possible threat, assessing the danger level of each and, if needed, making plans for the Outer Shell to deal with the problem personally or to work with the other families to handle the threat. Inner Shell agents tend to be thinkers and analysts, and they are one of the best resources the Unspoken Name has for interpreting the vast arrays of data that the Spiders gather. The Inner Shell also serve as geomancers for the Lodge, since it is absolutely vital that the Ascended maintain accurate information about the world's major feng shui sites. Without them, their luck would go away fast. Inner Shell geomancers travel the world checking chi levels and watching for new sites. They usually operate as government surveyors or environmental scientists, and they've actually managed to make geomancy tools look surprisingly modern. (It's hard to convince people you're a surveyor when you have a dowsing rod.) The geomancers also keep an eye out for people corrupting the chi of Ascended sites and are quite good at poisoning the sites of others. Sure, explosives work fine, but the Inner Shell are just as capable of ruining a site...with the upside that they can fix it later. Ever since the Netherworld gates opened, though, their job has gotten a lot more complicated, since now they have to worry not just about humans who know the truth but also all those goddamn factions, who all know.

The Outer Shell are the counterpart to the Inner Shell - the body to its mind. Outer Shell agents handle logistics, construction and security. They even command the Sharpened Shells. They serve as bodyguards to important members of the Lodge, especially the Inner Shell geomancers and planners. Further, the Outer Shell has a very, very important duty: killing magic. A special task force of Outer Shell agents receive regular intelligence reports from the Web of the Spider on strange events potentially linked to magical activity. This task force and its Pledged agents investigate the events and, should sorcery be involved, kill people. Tortoise agents also work within religious communities to discredit and vilify magic of all kinds. Lastly, the Outer Shell keeps an eye on archaeological digs, looking for ancient artifacts of power. The Lodge wants those kept under wraps, and Pledged operatives in many world governments make sure that these "treasures of national history" are secured in Lodge installations, forging replacements if needed.

The Inner and Outer Shell don't always get along, of course. The Inner Shell is much smaller but wields most of the family's political power, and the Tortoise board member is always Inner Shell. This irritates the Outer Shell a lot, and they resent that such a small group calls their shots. The fact that the leader of the Shell is always a geomancer doesn't help. However, the oath to defend the Lodge to the death takes precedence over any squabbling. Behind closed doors, they'll shout each other deaf, but the mission always comes first. It is a sacred pledge, and the Tortoise are practically incorruptible. With the exception of the Soul of the Dragon, the Shell holds their loyalty stronger than any other family. Tortoises that betray the Lodge pray they never meet any family members ever again.

The head of the Shell of the Tortoise is an old man named Li Feng Shang. Everyone calls him Sonny. Sonny Shang is the owner of Thousand Lotus Paradise, the best Chinese restaurant in New York City. Thousand Lotus gets four stars from every food critic in town for as long as anyone can remmeber, and Sonny also hosts his own cooking show on public TV, called "The Wokky World of Sonny Shang." When not running his restaurant, he travels the world filming for the show and adapting foreign cuisine to the Asian palate. He's a minor celebrity and certainly a prominent member of New York's Asian community. He is also possibly the best geomancer in the 1990s. Sonny looks 75 but well-preserved, and he always has at least five Out Shell bodyguards with him as "cooking assistants." He's actually around 130, but Tortoises live a long time...and he moves like someone a third his age.

The Shell's purpose is defensive, but they aren't just reactive. For example, they have plans for Hong Kong. It's always been a problem, what with its insane chi flow that jacks up the ambient magic level. Even though the Lodge controls most of the feng shui sites through Pledged agents, the magic has refused to die. When they fully controlled the 1990s, the Unspoken Name wash appy to leave the island alone, but the Secret War changed everything. Hong Kong has become a rallying point for the enemies of the Ascended, and the Inner Shell have been ordered to fix the problem. They've just recently started a massive surveying task to try and carry out the order, called Project Jericho, but even Sonny Sheng doesn't know how long it'll take. He's sure he can do it. He has geomancers all over a hundred mile radius of Hong Kong, and depending on what they find, Hong Kong may not be the safe haven for sorcery that it is now.

And there's a dark conspiracy within the Shell: a secret cabal of human-hating racists who have a plan to ensure that if they can't control the world, no one can. They call themselves the True Ascended, and they think they're the only ones who "truly realize" that the transformed animals are the next step in evolution, that humans are a doomed inferior race. Humans are a genetic dead end, and a world ruled by them is too horrible to contemplate. These fanatics, who are a mix of Inner and Outer Shell agents have been working with a similarly small cabal in the Fist of the Bear and scattered other families to gain control of as many nuclear and biological assets as possible. They call this plan the Extinction Agenda, which will link all of those resources with a network of eight satellites due to go up in the air next year. Once the system is up and running, the True Ascended iwll have the power to kill every living thing on the planet, should the Lodge seem doomed. The Unspoken Name has no idea this splinter group exists, much less what its goal sare. He (and most of the Lodge) would be appalled by the Extinction Agenda. If it were discovered, well, every member would be killed in days. Assuming, that is, they didn't decide to take everyone else with them.

The Shell of the Tortoise is pretty active in the Secret War. They are heavily involved in control and care of the Lodge's feng shui sites, and their job as defenders has put them up against every faction in the War. The Jammers are the ones they hate most, followed by the Architects, whose existence means that the Shell will fail in their sacred duty at some point in the future, which they can't abide. The Lotus are next - the Tortoise aren't fond of cackling madmen, and magical ones are even worse. Operation Killdeer seems to have neutralized the Dragon for now, so they get mostly ignored. The Shell actually respects the Guiding Hand, sicne they're disciplined, take care of chi flows well and have strong kung fu. Noble as they are, though, the Shell will show no mercy in defense.

Next time: Bears have fists.

Alert the Fist of the Bear! And dice those peppers!

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: Alert the Fist of the Bear! And dice those peppers!

The Fist of the Bear exists because sometimes you can't hide and sometimes you can't wait. Sometimes, you must attack. Smash your foes, destroy them utterly, when you do. When the Ascended are done being subtle, when all deceptions fail, the Fist of the Bear is there to bring in some good old-fashioned brutal slaughter . They are good at one thing, and only one thing: destroying everything in their path. Anything else, they leave to other families. Their motto is 'They think, we act.' Sometimes they complain about the sneakiness and spinelessness of other families, since they'd much rather deal with things by punching them to death than by subtle machinations. This does not mean they're stupid, though. They know that they must sit back and wait for the right time to strike...they just really, really love that time.

The Fist of the Bear has contacts throughout Earth's militaries and paramilitary organizations. They use those contacts to recruit potential Pledged agents as well as to train their own operatives. In general, they tend to be very military in organization and outlook - the Fist is a strange combination of kung fu academy and army unit. Higher-ups treat their subordinates not just as soldiers, but students. The art of war is passed from commander to commander, strengthening the entire family...but, of course, there's also harsh discipline if you disobey.

Leadership in the Fist of the Bear is different from most other families. Rather than election, the Bears hold a tournament, the kumite, to determine who runs them. This is only to determine overall leader of the Bear, however - anyone challenging their superiors' right to command is likely to get beaten down - at best. At worst, they might get the Soul of the Dragon up in their business. More on them later. Now, it should be noted, not just any bruiser can win the kumite and be in charge. Not only do they have to win the tournament, but they must also pass a set of exams testing strategic and tactical knowledge, all kinds of warfare from all eras and other such things. This ensures the leader of the Fist of the Bear is both strong and clever. In fact, the exams come first. If you pass the exams, you enter the kumite, fighting the other entrants in ruthless fights. There is only one rule: the only weapon you may use is your body. Matches end by submission or when the referee declares one fighter too injured to continue. Death is forbidden - the Ascended value their own too highly.

The location of the kumite is changed every time. The last was held in Beijing in 1990. The next is schedule for Prague in 1997. Some outsiders think the kumite is distasteful, but no one has ever tried to change it. First, even the Unspoken Name probably couldn't get them to stop. Second, traditionally each family is left to run themselves on their own, as long as it doesn't interfere with Ascended goals. Any outsider trying to meddle would be setting a very dangerous precedent. The current leader of the Fist of the Bear is Natraj Thalnasser, a Kashmir bear from the disputed area between India and Pakistan. He was raised by the Lodge but was always surrounded by violence as a child. He liked it. He was fascinated - not by the atrocities or the death, but by the conflict. The tactics, the struggle, that was what made him happy. Thalnasser is also a career officer in the Indian Army, a colonel who wields far more power than his rank implies. He coordinates the Fist across the world and has even taken action in operations personally before, when they come to India. Naturally, he is one tough motherfucker.

The Fist of the Bear are not much for longterm planning, but they've got a few. For example, they tend to be annoyed by the magic-rich junctures. They feel direct invasion is the most efficient way to solve this problem. Especially 2056. They know that for now they have to use Pledged agents to do most of their crosstime work, thanks to reversion, though. As a result, Natraj has decided to focus on 1850. He's been sketching out plans for an all-out assault on the time period, envisioning a small army of Pledged and maybe a few suicidal transformed animals willing to use the Netherworld to take control of key sites, extending Ascended hegemony even further...and hopefully displacing the Architects by solidifying early control.

They've also got a...rather interesting recruiting scheme for the Pledged, ever since the Secret War began. They need more of them, and the military just isn't providing fast enough. They have, as a result, founded the Zodiac Academies. These are kung fu schools that they use as recruiting grounds. They work wonderfully - teach the humans a few tricks, intitiate them to a secret society, throw in some mysticism and maybe some drugs and bam! Instant minions. If some students turn out to be worth more than just cannon fodder, that's even better. More on the Zodiac Academies later.

The Ascended, as a note, love war. It's a great way to keep humans distracted. Conflict has traditionally been a great time to get Pledged operatives into high places, kill enemies of the Lodge and so on. No one notices a few extra missing people in a warzone. Or missing documents, for that matter. The Fist of the Bear, unsurprisingly, are the experts on warzones and working in them. Only recently, however, have they had the balls to provoke conflicts around the world. When the portals opened up, the Unspoken Name found hiding the battles harder and harder. The Web try their best, but the Name also told the Fist of the Bear to keep things..."interesting" for the human world. They don't quite pull wars from nothing, and in fact try to keep as light a touch as possible, but they are more than happy to fan the flames of any conflict they run into. Warzones also make great training grounds, they've found. No better place to learn to fight than somewhere with live ammo and live targets.

We get a sidebar on the benefits any given Ascended animal can expect in the modern world. First, total immunity to all legal systems across the world. No matter what, if an Ascended has legal trouble, something will be done to get them out of it. It could just be getting a case dismissed or it might involve faking your death, but you'll be out of trouble. Second, you get material goods. Houses, cars, medicine, anything you need. You live a life of luxury, but if you want solid gold toilets you're probably going to have to work for them. You get Innernet access. You get access to the best guns and equipment money can buy - and some that money can't. You get the status of being one of the world elite and access to attractive members of whatever gender or genders you happen to fancy. (Just don't have kids with them.) Oh, and the right to be smug literally all the time because you know something those pitiful hairless apes don't. As you might guess, most Ascended are perfectly okay with their lives.

Anyway. The Fist of the Bear are on the front lines of the Secret War. They go into combat far more than any other family does, and they like it that way. Their trademark overconfidence makes them annoyed by the intricate plans of the other families, and they think winning the war is simple: kill everyone else with blitzkrieg strikes. They especially love fighting the Lotus, whom they see as dishonorable. Killing dishonorable foes honorably is a great joy. They also like punching Architects. The Jammers are treated like terminally disobedient children, and the Dragons and Hand are honorable, worthy foes. Most of the Fist were disturbed by the underhanded nature of Operation Killdeer and, while they understand the tactical value of disabling the Dragons, miss the honest opposition.

The Soul of the Dragon exists because, well, animals fight. You can't get 'em all together in one place without problems. And fights. And wars. The Soul of the Dragon keeps them from killing each other. They're half Supreme Court, half Inquisition. They actually have fairly low numbers of actual transformed dragons. This is because no one is born into the Soul of the Dragon. You get appointed by the Lodge board of directors. Standards are strict: encyclopedic knowledge of Lodge history and legal precedent, proven ability as a mediator and the ability to handle yourself adequately. MAybe one new animal gets in per year - sometimes not even that. They are the smallest of the families, having only around thirty members, total. Sidebar notes that killing each other is a huge deal for the Ascended - they're not exactly numerous, and even one loss is a big one. Any Ascended who kills another is in for trouble - with the exception of the Unspoken Name, who may sanction the death of anyone. The Sting of the Scorpion are allowed to kill anyone, as long as they're working on his orders. Killing humans is not nearly as big a deal, though they would prefer you avoid doing it if you can.

The Soul of the Dragon are responsible for mediating all internal disputes. Whenever two (or more) animals cannot resolve an argument, the Dragons come in to adjudicate. Most try to mediate things and reach a compromise. If they can't, the Dragons may issue binding rulings on how the argument shall be resolved. Everyone goes along with it - even the Unspoken Name. If an Ascended feels wronged by another in a way that nothing but blood may repay, they may petition a Dragon magistrate for a "blood rite." If the magistrate agrees, this gives the Ascended involved in the dispute one month in which they may kill each other. If one kills the other, the matter is resolved. If both are still alive in a month, the magistrate issues a ruling. Blood rites have been called on entire families in the past, but it's unlikely anyone would allow that today - the Ascended need every able body they can get for the Secret War.

The most terrible punishment a Dragon can lay down is death. Only a very, very few crimes merit it: murder of an Ascended, attempting to reveal the truth of the Ascended to the world at large and dilution of Ascended blood by mating with a human. All who are found guilty of these crimes are stripped of all Lodge privileges and given 24 hours to run. After that, their names are given to Draco. He rarely is seen to act, but almost all criminals convicted of these crimes die within three days. The Dragons also serve as internal affairs for the Ascended, watching for infiltrators and spies. They have access to all Lodge facilities anywhere at all times, and not even the Unspoken Name can forbid them access.

In addition to all this, the Dragons are the historians of the Lodge. They preserve the secret histories and keep them for future generations to learn. They are remarkably unbiased in doing so, even if they might be expected to show the Lodge through a happier lens. The Lodge's mistakes and cruelty are recorded along with its triumphs and mercy. To assure the histories are accurate, all magistrates must undergo an ordeal when they join the family. They must go to the Netherworld to ensure they will never be affected by critical or superficial shifts. This is less useful than it might be, though. Sure, they can remember what the world was like before it changed, but each time it changes they have to stop, shelve their histories and go find out what actually changed, since everyone else remembers it.

Next time: Draco, Executioner

Try not to bleed on me, darling. This dress is a Paris original.

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: Try not to bleed on me, darling. This dress is a Paris original.

The Soul of the Dragon are officially led by Draco, the oldest and most powerful Dragon - and possibly the oldest and most powerful transformed animal. He's been around since the beginning, and he answers to no one except the Unspoken Name. And even then...it's iffy. Draco is also lazy. Really, really, really lazy. He delegates as much as possible and really could not give a shit about either internal justice or history. His involvement is really only in one thing: final judgement. When someone is sentenced to death, Draco is the one who is sent to kill them. It gets done quickly, quietly and efficiently. Even the Unspoken Name hjas no idea how Draco does it - he once killed three rogue transformed sharks on three different continents within twenty-four hours. Draco refuses to answer the question of how.

The answer is one of the best-kept secrets of the Lodge. You see, Draco has children. Three children. They're fraternal triplets - two boys, name Liu and Na, and one girl, Shi. They are half-human (which provides them some resistance to reversion, apparently - the only get points once a month, not once a day). Back at the turn of the century, Draco fell in love with a human woman. He tells himself it was a moment of weakness, but he has never loved like that before or since. The woman died shortly after giving birth, and Draco has never told anyone about her existence, let alone her death. The children were put into three seperate orphanages on different continents and were raised as humans with no awareness of their heritage. They came to adulthood in the 50s, and Draco visited each of them individually, revealing himself as their father, giving them enough money to live in comfort if not luxury and feeding them a line about how they were each the last scion of a clan of ancient demon hunters.

Draco trained each child, giving them techniques of various transformed animals in the guise of "ancient kung fu." None know about the existence of the others, and each believes themself the sole heir of the Dragon Clan. Today, they continue to live lives of quiet comfort. Occasionally, Draco calls them and tells them about "demons" that are near their location. They know nothing of the Lodge and Draco keeps them away from it. He makes sure to lie low whenever any of the three are out hunting "demons" - in reality, Ascended sentenced to death. It preserves the illusion that he's the one doing the killing. Even Draco isn't entirely sure why he's kept them secret all these years. He tells himself it's to keep them free of the Lodge, but he is also very afraid of the consequences of anyone finding out he had children with a human. He could probably talk and certainly fight his way out of any execution, but he doesn't want to take the chance. He might just like having secrets. Whatever the reason, he can't bring himself to reveal the truth to the Lodge or the kids themselves.

Anyone who killed one of the kids, which'd be hard in and of itself, would be hunted to the ends of the Earth. Draco may not be the best of fathers, but he would never forgive anyone who killed his sons or daughter and he would let nothing stop him from getting revenge. All three kids are in their prime and, while actually more than sixty, appear to be in their thirties. Liu is a huge, bulky guy raised in China and taught Bear, Elephant and Tortoise powerrs. Shi is a slim woman who grew up in England and learned Crab, Scorpion and Spider powers. Na is somewhere between the two and grew up in California, learning Bat, Fox and Tiger powers. All trust their father completely and would obey any order he gave without question. Or they have so far, anyway.

The Soul of the Dragon has no major plans, being too busy with their assigned duties, and has little contact with the Secret War. In fact, its members are shielded from the War as much as possible. The Unspoken Name knows that the Soul is absolutely vital to the Lodge's ongoing survival, and it's in the interest of everyone to keep them safe. Without them, the Lodge would turn on itself and could even tear itself apart.

The Sting of the Scorpion exist today for one simple reason: to serve the Unspoken Name. See, the Unspoken Name exists in constant turmoil. Every family wants to manipulate and influence him to gain power for themselves and to ensure their plans are followed. Trying to choose between them can be maddening. The Unspoken Name must play a dangerous game every day. But the Sting of the Scorpion is always there, to be relied on. They are the Name's emissaries and servants, his eyes and ears and deadly sting. They obey him without question and are the only family permitted to kill other Ascended, so long as he orders it. They are, in fact, the Unspoken Name's personal army of assassins. It's not quite the tyranny it sounds like, though, because the Scorpions are not loyal to the man, but the office. For the duration of his tenure, they are his to command, and as soon as he steps down, they have no interest at all in him.

The Sting of the Scorpion are smallest of all the families but the Soul of the Dragon. There's about fifty Scorpions, all told. Unlike the other families, they have no vote on the board and, though their advice is often sought and their close relationship with the Name gives them some influence. They are the most insular family, and only transformed scorpions are allowed to join. If a member ever leaves the family, they may never rejoin it. This is the price of incorruptibility and dedication. It also adds to their reputation as pawns of the Name. All members of the Scorpion are highly trained operatives. Sure, the Fang of the Snake might be better at murder, and the Shell of the Tortoise might be better at protection. The Sting of the Scorpion are good enough at both - and many, many more things - that they can still do the job well. Scorpions are trained from childhood in whatever skills they need to do any job the Name might ask of them. Almost all Scorpions are physically attractive; they use plastic surgery when needed to ensure this. All are masters of disguise and some are extremely skilled infiltrators, even of other factions.

The head of the Sting of the Scorpion is the Unseen Hand, a name they took up in the 1800s as a counterpart to the Unspoken Name. Unlike all other families, the Hand is appointed from outside; each Name choose their own Hand when elected. For the duration of their office, the Hand runs the Scorpions, and the Hand steps down when the Name leaves office, unable to serve as the Hand ever again. Many hands choose to follow the former Name, serving as bodyguards and agents for the rest of their old boss's life. Each Hand may choose to run the Scorpion in whatever way they wish, and typically the Unspoken Name knows little to nothing of it. All they care about is that the job is done. The current Unseen Hand is international supermodel Shantalle Deveraux, one of the best assassins in the world. (Not that her adoring fans would ever guess.)

Everyone in the 90s can tell you who Shantalle Deveraux is. She's a supermodel - the world's most famous supermodel, until a few years ago. She shocked the fashion world by retiring at the age of 23, claiming she "had to get in touch with the real me." She now lives as an apparent recluse, with only her manager-slash-bodyguard Armand and the staff of her Lisbon estate getting to see her with any regularity. She has been seen occasionally all over the world, though - climbing mountains in the Himalayas, jet-skiing in Australia, that sort of thing. The paparazzi keep an eye out for her. The truth, of course, is that she has become the Unseen Hand. She once used her career as cover for her assassinations, but her job now leaves her no time for the runway or the elaborate cover life. She is extremely skilled in deception, disguise and murder. You might think her fame is an obstacle for her, but she uses it to get access to the rich and famous, a very useful tool for her job. Besides, if she doesn't want to be recognized, she won't be.

The Sting of the Scorpion know that everyone in the Secret War lies and keeps secrets...except them. They are honestly devoted to the Unspoken Name. They have no hidden agenda, no secret plan. They are exactly what they seem to be, and they consider their job a sacred trust. It's just one that involves cold-blooded murder. The only plans they have are the plans of the Unspoken Name. Period. Their small size keeps them from being a major force in the Secret War, though - they're a scalpel, not a sword. They are one of the Name's greatest resources, and are used carefully and with deliberation. They have no special hatreds for others - they are above such things.

Now, someone has to do the dirty work. That is the call of the Hunger of the Jackal . The Lodge tries to take the high road when it can - or at least avoid the lowest actions - but sometimes, nasty, nasty things need to be done. Blackmail, torture, brainwashing. These tasks need special people, people who will not flinch. And while the Rat and the Cockroach may get a bad rap, those people are not them. Those people are the Jackal, hands-down. Some Ascended have even suggested that the Jackals only took human form because you can't backstab without opposable thumbs. The Jackal live in the gray area between the Spiders' information gathering and the Bears' wanton violence.

They know, intimately, how both human and animal minds work. They don't talk to people and empathize, mind you - they understand the psyche to best know how to exploit its weaknesses and feed its fears. The Jackal love messing with your head. If a foe is afraid before he dies, that's just how they like it. They have conducted countless secret, twisted psychological experiments on people, learning all the ways the human mind breaks down. They know how it works, how to break it, how to reshape it and how to control it. Being captured or given to the Hunger of the Jackal is a fate worse than death. They know many, many methods of interrogation, from drugs to torture to rewriting your memory. Anything it takes to get you to talk. They have also developed the Sleeper Program; more on that later.

As the worst the Ascended have to offer, the Jackals tend to infiltrate the criminal underworld. The Jackal provide drugs and vice to keep people distracted. It makes them easier to control, more predictable. They are extensively involved in the world drug trade. They encourage drug use, drug availability and invention of new drugs. Especially synthetic ones. Especially ones with really nasty side effects. Especially if they're incredibly addictive. They have influence in the Mafia, the Triads, the Tongs, the Hell's Angels, even the street gangs of LA. They don't control it, mind you - they just encourage nastiness and occasionally steer it towards the right targets.

If you need something...unsavory, something illegal, something forbidden - talk to the Jackals. You need a heart transplant and don't care where it's from? Ask them. They can give it to you. You need some child pornography to plant on a political opponent's computer? They got that. Need someone's wife kidnapped and sold into slavery? Yeah, they can do that. The Hunger of the Jackal is also deeply involved in the entertainment industry...though not usually legally. They're trying, though, working to push the boundaries of what's considered acceptable to show. Their media work has forged a few ties with the Spiders, and they're happy to serve as the Men in Black. (More on that later, too.) Sometimes, their "help" keeps Clara Duvall awake at night.

Next time: Murder, Incorporated

I'm not authorized to tell you why I have to kill you.

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: I'm not authorized to tell you why I have to kill you.

The Hunger of the Jackal's leader is called the Jaw. The Jaw remains in power only as long as the rest of the Jackal supports them. Things go well, the Jaw stays the Jaw. Things go badly...well, Jackals turn on their own. Things go badly for a while, some young buck is going to... remove the old Jaw, taking the title. The current Jaw is Antonio "Fat Tony" Camponelli, boss of the Camponelli crime family. Fat Tony is a transformed jackal who killed the last Jaw ten years ago. He's held the post longer than any other Jaw this century. How'd he do it? Well, first, he's a meticulous planner. Second, he is paranoid as fuck. He's currently in prison, doing fifteen to twenty-five for assault and conspiracy charges, but it hasn't actually stopped him. He comes and goes from the prison as he desires - when he's out, he is "sent to solitary" for a while. It's easy to do - every single prison staffer is in the Order of the Wheel. Fat Tony, incidentally, is built like a skeleton with slicked back hair. He laughs at inappropriate times and comes off as really, really stupid. (He's not. He's very not.)

Naturally, the Hunger of the Jackal have quite a few schemes up their filthy little sleeves. Firstly, they are the Men in Black. It's one of their longest-running operations. Back in the 40s, the Men in Black project was set up with the Web of the Spider as a misinformation tool. Normally it'd have been a fully Web project, but the methods involved were too distasteful and the Web handed it off to the Hunger of the Jackal, who were more than happy with it. Whenever the Web thinks someone is a little too close to the truth, they call the Jackals and the Men in Black. These men (and it's always men) show up in black cars and black suits to threaten people with horrible things if they continue prying. They destroy evidence and deliberately act in incredibly strange ways to confuse people, then drive off as quickly as they came. In fact, the MiBs don't bother to restrict their targets to just those close to the truth. To confuse everyone even more, they also show up at the homes of harmless crackpots. Their job is not to remove the people, mind you - if the Lodge needs someone dead, they send in the Fang of the Snake, not the Jackals. The Men in Black are there to confuse people and scare them. Men in Black tend be extremely experienced Pledged operatives and are pretty damn tough. They don't know shit about the true nature of the world, though - the Jackals feed them crazy stories about the Secret Ascended Masters from the Hollow Earth who are descended from Atlanteans. In space.

Then, of course, there's the Sleeper Project. Every despot wants an army of loyal slaves. The Lodge doesn't do zombies, though, that's a Lotus thing. The Jackal have, however, produced some...results. Their behavioral scientists have created a process that allows for quick, easy and limited mind control. It's a science for them, and a precise one. You take a few hours of undivided attention, some very specific drugs and place a few mental blocks and pre-programmed responses. Boom, instant sleeper agent. You can even modify the program in a Wheel-controlled hospital later, or even a dentist's office or tanning salon. Anywhere that someone could be expected to spend a few minutes doing nothing. This isn't full brainwashing or anything - the Jackals know how to do that, too, but it takes days, weeks. Sure, Sleepers aren't the best fighters. However, they follow orders without any regard for their own safety, answer any and all questions asked and can be deactivated with the same phrase that set them off. A Sleeper has no memory of anything that happened while activated, and activating a sleeper can be used to plant post-hypnotic suggestions.

Deprogramming a sleeper is no easy task, either - the Jackals are very good at what they do. Sleepers are considered strategic assets, not serious weapons. However, it can be really disconcerting to be chasing a Jackal through a mall only to find innocent bystanders trying to cause trouble for you with just a whispered word. Sleepers are, fortunately, not made on a whim. Sleeper conditioning is done in areas the Ascended see as valuable, like feng shui sites or known Netherworld gates. It's useful to have able bodies when needed. The locations of sleeper assets and activation phrases are issued on a need-to-know basis, but the Innernet provides if you really need it. And are part of the Lodge.


The Jackals also have a contingency plan. I mean, it's no surprise, right, that they have plans for if the Ascended start losing? They have seen the writing on the wall: Buro is coming. Some of the Jackals believe the Buro are going to win - and big. It's a small group, of course, but highly placed in the Hunger. Lately, they've been making contacts with the Architects, offering them some information. They haven't revealed their nature as Ascended yet, though - they want to build up some goodwill first. If the Jaw knew what they were up to, he'd have them dead in seconds - but not because they're traitors to the Lodge. Not at all. No, the Jaw would do that out of fear that word would get out. The Soul of the Dragon has never granted final sanction on an entire family before...but if the Jackals sold out the Lodge to the Architects? They might.

Most outside the Ascended do not even realize the Jackal exist - not even the other factions. They tend to be low profile and sneaky. The Jackals also tend not to care much about the various factions, with two exceptions. First, they hate the Guiding Hand. The moralizing and self-control are anathema to all the Jackals are pushing. Jackals often go out of their way to fuck with Hand operations. Second, the Architects. We've just mentioned the contingency plan, after all. The links are tenuous right now, but if allowed to grow, they might destroy the Ascended.

The Fang of the Snake are the discretion to the Bears' enthusiasm. The Scorpions and Dragons remove dissident elements of the Ascended, but for assassination of outsiders and general murder, the Snake are there and the best at it. They are masters of the art of murder and have extensively studied the human body to understand the best ways to facilitate the change from 'alive' to 'dead'. They've used that knowledge for both good and evil. A lot has changed for Fang of the Snake this century, really. Historically, they've been assassins, and while their assassins are seen as the deadliest killers the Lodge has except, maybe , for the Scorpions, their studies of medicine and anatomy have given them some new jobs, too. The Snakes tend to be cold, brutal people thanks to the job, and even other Ascended find them creepy, even the ones who're patching them up.

The primary job of the Snake is death. Precision death. Any number of sources can give them targets, as long as the proper channels are used, and they're happy to oblige. Someone who wants a Pledged dead must go through one of the family leaders, of course, but the Snakes will take care of almost any job within just 72 hours. They usually work alone, too. They refuse, point blank, to accept contracts on Lodge members, even rogue ones. That's what the Dragon and Scorpion are for. The Fang have done many genetic studies and are deeply, intimately aware of the value of Ascended life. Their genepool is limited, and the Snakes will not make it worse. Snake assassins make a lot of use of their Shed Skin power, which adds to the creepy factor for other Ascended - an assassin you know very well may show up at any time with a completely different appearance. You never know if a Snake is the same Snake you knew unless they tell you.

To get better at their job of murder, the Snakes have long studied the human body and its functions. Snake medical knowledge is far in advance of humanity's. The Ascended knew about the causes of disease while humans were still using leeches. There's a reason the caduceus features serpents. Their studies have given them a deep understanding of genetics, a field which the Lodge is already ahead of the curve in. This has led to the development of an entire medical division of the family. Fang doctors aren't just about patching folks up, though. They're as cold and clinical as the assassins and are more than willing to use experimental procedures and surgeries. Still, the Fang runs a tight ship with their researchers and has always avoided morally questionable research like tailored viruses and bio-warfare. The Ascended's animal nature has made them wary of unleashing biological agents.

Recently, the Snakes have been putting a lot of work into slowing the spread of AIDS and finding a cure for it. This is more self-preservation than any altruism, though. According to one theory of the viral origin, it developed among animals first, not humans. The Snakes are terrified that it will make the jump from human to Ascended next.

The leader of the Fang is elected every seven years by popular vote...with a twist. The leader must never be from the same branch of the family. One election, it'll be a "research" Snake (read: the doctors) and the next it must be an "applied methods" Snake (read: the killers). The Fang call this election 'The Shedding of the Skin.' The research faction is currently in control and are headed by an African snake named Dr. Adeleke Adiyaga. He is Western-trained but originally a black South African. He's the head of one of the major divisions of the World Health Organization for sub-Saharan Africa. He is a very intelligent, very learned man who really wishes that so much evil did not have to be done in the name of preserving the Ascended. Still, he's a Snake, and while he may wish things were otherwise, he knows he must support his family. He's a small, slight fellow who speaks with a very educated Afrikaans accent. Most would never guess that before he became a doctor, he was a very accomplished assassin.

The Fang of the Snake has only one big plan in the works - but that one's a doozy. They believe it is key to Ascended survival. See, their medical knowledge has been very effective in the field of eugenics. The Ascended have long been forbidden from breeding with humans for the practical reason that it spreads power too widely. The Snakes have found a whole new reason: it dilutes the blood that gives them power. Human DNA weakens the animal genes - but so does breeding with the wrong sort of transformed animal. Any Lodge member wishing to have a child must submit to a genetic screening by the Lodge Eugenics Committee. The Fang scientists then examine their DNA and their partner's DNA, to determine compatibility and make sure any children would carry the genetic code of the Ascended strongly. If the couple gets approved, they can have a kid. If not...well, they can't. No appeals.

The Fang is probably the most even-handed in their view on the other factions of the Secret War. They dislike them all equally. They are the family most convinced of Ascended superiority, thanks to their genetic studies, and they believe triumph over their foes is an inevitability because the Ascended are simply more developed. (They are mostly, however, not quite as far along the path of radical supremacy as the True Ascended discussed in the Turtle section are.) If the Fang of the Snake had to pick a primary foe, it'd be the Architects of the Flesh. Even putting aside the fact that they own a future the Snakes believe is the Ascended's by right, the arcanowave technology the Architects use offends the Snakes on an aesthetic level. It's so crude, compared to genetic manipulation. Besides, arcanotech cyborgs and mutants are hard to kill, and the Snakes just hate that.

Next time: Everyone else.

I talk and you listen, because you don't want to deal with the alternative.

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: I talk and you listen, because you don't want to deal with the alternative.

Now, those seven families are hardly everyone. There's all kinds of animals out there. The sharks are apparently a freelance troubleshooting team, looking out for problems among humanity and making sure they don't grow. The moles are miners and engineers. Monkeys tend to organize the Pledged. Not all species have a full Family, though - for example, there just aren't enough mallards to organize. Most mallards didn't feel the need to turn human. So, well, there isn't a Quack of the Mallard or anything like it.

Now, the Unspoken Name. When the Ascended started out, the title didn't exist. The families ran their own business by themselves, which worked until their internal disputes started to cause problems. So they agreed to appoint one person to serve as a mediator. As time passed, the Names found ways to actually enforce their decisions. The Sting of the Scorpion pledged their loyalty to the Unspoken Name, as did Draco. Both were powerful bargaining tools. So the mediator became an adjudicator. Still, the families were ultimately more powerful. And then the Netherworld opened up in 1850. The families needed to do more to hold onto the world, and someone had to coordinate. They gave the Unspoken Name access to their intelligence agencies for the duration of the emergency. He never got around to giving it up. So, now the families had to keep giving him access...though they only told the Name what they wanted him to know.

More recently, the latest Unspoken Name has had the portals open up again. He's formed a full intelligence staff to help him plan policy, personally selected for intelligence and skill. They work wonders, and they won't kiss anyone's ass. Some of the old guard have grumbled, of course. The new head of intelligence is Tatsuya Yanai, a fox with some great political skills. Oh, and that post? Not going away any time soon. Now that it exists, why would any Unspoken Name decide it shouldn't? Sure, some of the Lodge is upset and feel (correctly) that the Name's new power comes at the expense of the families. But they also know that now is not the time to rock the boat. So no one will do anything about it. Yet.

Now, what about the humans? Well, in the Americas, Africa, Europe and Australia, you don't get to be a major player unless you belong to the Order of the Wheel. You won't be a CEO, a president or a bishop without their approval. The Wheel is a secret society, unknown to most of the populace. They dictate the fashions, the beliefs and the political power of the world. The Order of the Wheel contains all kinds of people, from cops to the Pope. Each has a job to do, and few realize the true importance of the Wheel. The European and North American branch of the group started as a knightly order in the 13th century, which the Ascended used as a means to track the church and nobility. As the Renaissance came, the Order expanded to include successful merchants, too, using them to guide commerce. The Ascended never pass up a tool. Through the Wheel, they guided the world to the Enlightenment, the Industrial Revolution and the modern day.

Politically, the Order of the Wheel guided the world away from monarchy and towards democracy. They found it was a lot easier to manipulate a nation if the ruler could be removed from power after a few years without murder. They also seperated government and religion so that political rulers couldn't use the church's power when it was inconvenient for the Wheel. They splintered the Catholic Church into factions, to better weaken it. The Ascended believe in religion as the opiate of the masses, but don't particularly want any group getting too big. The Order of the Wheel truly shines, though, in the economic sector. They have long recruited the best merchants and businessmen, using that influence to guide technology and society. It's been very successful indeed, leading to credit banking, bank notes and universities.

In the 1850s, the Order of the Wheel has a lot of power in Europe and the USA. They used the gold rush to build up cash reserves and prepare for economic expansion. They are just the people to take advantage of all the opportunities of the 1850s. Africa, South America and Australia currently still have magical traditions, though they are weakened, and the Order of the Wheel is doing its best to disenfranchise and absorb them in order to stamp out the magic. Sure, most attempts to absorb the American Indians, African natives and Aborigines have had limited success, but it's only a matter of decades thanks to the Lodge's feng shui. In England, the Order also has deep involvement in gentleman's archaeology clubs, digging up ancient secrets and locking them away forever. The Order of the Wheel is also greatly involved in recruiting native leaders in colonial areas, using them to increase Lodge influence and power among the locals. It's a lot easier to subvert than fight. African membership in the Order is on the rise pretty quickly, for example.

In the 90s, the Order is less...romantic. They're more social stabilizers than conquerers or colonists. They still support archaeology, though, trying to find and exploit the last bits of mystery the world has left. The modern Wheel is CEOs, multimillionaires, studio execs, presidents and generals. There are Wheel members with low societal positions, but high rank helps. They see themselves as an old boys' network, not a conspiracy. That's just how things work today - you choose your subordinates from the Wheel, and they scratch your back in return, etc.

The Order of the Wheel has 33 ranks, or degrees, much like the Masons. First degree initiates come from all over society, and originally only know about three degrees. It's not until you hit the third degree and get invited to the fourth that you learn about the full structure. At the thirty-third degree, members are told they could be inducted into the Lodge. (They never will be. They're human.) Only the very best or most useful get beyond the third degree, though. The first three degrees are the vast majority of the Order. Above that, you're more important to the Ascended. It's always people in positions of power.

Most Wheel members are happy to help each other out when needed, even across national or corporate lines. Wars get planned at Wheel parties, for example...between the top men of both sides. Still, there is competition, and when they compete, they don't hold back. Assassination is not unheard of, though it is discouraged. Power struggles in the upper ranks are usually invisible to anyone not involved, at least, and the fallout gets covered up fast. The members believe a number of different rumors about the true nature of the Order, and since no one knows who the thirty-third degree members are, it's easy to fan speculation. Some believe the Wheel is led by Atlanteans, or aliens, or secret enlightened masters. According to one group, there is no leadership, while others believe that anyone could be a member of the Lodge in secret. All members of the Wheel get a golden ring with a wheel symbol on it, though not all wear it all the time. In fact, many choose to only wear it at Wheel functions, while the crazy fringe get the Wheel symbol tattooed onto them. (This can end badly for them when the Guiding Hand decide they're actually important and kidnap them for interrogation.)

The thirtieth to thirty-second degree are the elite of the Order of the Wheel, the Pledged. They may be recruited from any degree, in fact, or even outside the order. The Pledged may recommend others, but the Lodge make all final decisions. They are usually allowed attunement to one or two feng shui sites, and more rarely taken to the Netherworld. When that happens, it's usually in their sleep, and only a tiny fraction of the Pledged learn of the Secret War. Even fewer learn the true nature of the Ascended. The Pledged are, however, extremely well-treated. All expenses paid for life, in exchange for being available for rare missions. All Pledged give their full loyalty to the Order, renouncing national, religious and family ties. Betrayal is punished by death, and you can't retire...though if you grow old, there is a pension and a nice home in a warm area for you. Only a very, very few agents get to the thirty-second degree.

The Asian counterpart to the Order of the Wheel is the Jade Wheel Society. They are spread throughout Asia, the Middle East and Oceania. They include Hong Kong film directors, oil tycoons, Communist officials and Triad leaders. They started in 13th-century China as bureaucrats and philosophers of the Southern Sung dynasty. When the Mongols came in 1267, the Jade Wheel organized armed resistance against them. They ensured their own entrenchment in Chinese society after the Yuan Dynasty fell, though at the cost of many lives. In 1368, when the Ming took power, they were rewarded for it. Few emperors belonged to the Jade Wheel, but many eunuchs, officers, merchants and functionaries did, as well as Silk Road merchants from India, Persia and Arabia. Membership was hereditary, though rank was not.

In 1644, the Manchu Qing dynasty took over China, marking more Jade Wheel expansion. They weren't happy about the Manchu rule, but were more than happy to use them to spread influence even as they set up rebellions against the Manchu elite. After the fall of the Manchu in 1911, the Jade Wheel supported Sun Yat-Sen and the Republic of China, trying to excise the remnants of monarchy and introduce democracy. Chiang Kai-shek took power through Jade Wheel connections, though thanks to the Guiding Hand's Golden Candle agents, the Republic of China ended up schizophrenic, and to dislodge the dictatorial Kai-Shek, the Jade Wheel had to support the Communists.

The years leading up to 1850 had the Jade Wheel and Order of the Wheel clashing over colonialism, creating more friction than the Lodge wanted. They ordered both sides to play nice, but the Jade Wheel never really accepted that the Order of the Wheel served the same masters. The Lodge finally got directly involved in 1841, giving the Order of the Wheel Hong Kong and issuing a clear statement on who did what. It didn't end the friction, but did ease it. When the portals opened, Pledged agents from the future brought orders telling the Jade Wheel to focus on the Guiding Hand as opposed to the Order of the Wheel. The Ascended society now engages in a complex dance with the Hand one. The Jade Wheel's influence among the rich and powerful is balanced by their enemy's grip on the peasantry.

The contemporary Jade Wheel is much more used to working with the Order of the Wheel. Both groups work together to ensure good relations behind closed doors, if not openly. Still, both are greatly concerned over the return of Hong Kong to China in 1997. The modern Jade Wheel is very diverse, with Triad bosses, Arabian oil sheiks and Indian Brahmins all belonging to it. At least two Middle Eastern terrorist organizations are supported by the Jade Wheel and exist only to make inconvenient problems look like terrorist attacks.

The Jade Wheel's structure is based on the Chinese legend of the Heavenly Bureaucracy, a series of concentric circles associated with different bureaucratic levels. The lowest level is Heaven's Lesser Dignitaries, and that's where inductees go - promising cops, military officials, Triads and so on, as well as hereditary members. Those who prove themselves become Great Nobles of Heaven, where they get more responsibilities. You can't become one without getting entangled in the web of favors and obligations that ties the whole Jade Wheel together, of course. But you get more money and more power, as well as being made aware of the Da-luo-tian, their name for the Lodge. Most believe that Nobles can be inducted into the Da-luo-tian, but, well...no. The Great Nobles are the Jade Wheel equivalent to 4th through 30th degree Order members. They are the most influential, richest and most powerful people in the East. They take great pains to avoid conflict with the Order of the Wheel, as a true war between them would shatter the world. (In 1850, things are not so smooth or clear, and the Order is mostly tolerated because the Qing and Guiding Hand are 'more pressing' issues.) As before, rumors of the true nature of the Lodge vary from 'they are the Jade Emperor' to 'they are the Taoist Immortals' to 'they are Jade Wheel members promoted to the highest rank via advanced spiritual standing and immortality.' The Great Nobles wear rings like the Order of the Wheel, but carved of imperial jade, while Lesser Dignitaries wear apple green jade rings, though as always not usually at all times.

In the Jade Wheel, Pledged can come from any rank, but are symbolically freed of all past obligations. They become Greater Nobles and take orders only from the Lodge...though they must conceal this from the others of the Jade Wheel. They are given knowledge of the Secret War and their vital role in it, receiving great payment for the dangerous work they do for the Ascended, pretty much identically to the Pledged of the Order of the Wheel.

The Lodge also recruit Pledged who are in neither society, especially renegades from other factions. They love to subvert former enemies, both those on the run from their old employers and those who are unhappy in their current state. They also recruit those who get involved in Pledged operations and learn too much. At least, the ones they don't kill. Basically? They run the show in 1850 and 1990. They have what it takes to get almost anyone to work for them. They can offer you anything you want that money can buy. Only true commitment to another cause will keep someone out of their clutches if the Ascended want them.

Next time: Big names.

Is nothing sacred in this time?

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: Is nothing sacred in this time?

We jump back to Tairong. Her safehouse in 2056 has been compromised and is under attack by Buro. She and her Pledged buddy Danny are fleeing to the next safehouse. It's basically a closet, and Tairong hates it, but it's what they've got. The team has escaped the Buro, at least, and all of them are safe, trying to find the nearest Netherworld portal. Which they proceed to borrow a car to get to. "Borrow." Cue flying car chase. The team makes it to the Netherworld, but they're still being tailed. Tairong's team is under assault by Bouncing Benjis, and one of them gets taken out asw the rest flee to the Netherworld.

We start with the Unspoken Name. He took office two years ago and has already made some major changes to the established order. Some people have questioned his reorganizations, but he always says that things need changing. His biggest change? Consolidating all authority over the Secret War in to himself, via hand-picked staff jumped up to the top of the chain of command. The veterans were not pleased, and they'll be even less so when they learn the true depth of his plans. The big plan is Project Legacy, which has three goals. First, ensure the Unspoken Name keeps his title for more than his six-year term. He's certain handing over power halfway through the fight would be disastrous. Second, abolish the families of the Lodge. The Unspoken Name believes they are too divisive and will get in the way of the Ascended victory. Third...even his closest allies and aides don't know the truth. All they know is that the Unspoken Name has them hunting ofr a man called Bruce Fischmann, whom the Unspoken Name claims is his son. The Unspoken Name is a pretty nasty fighter, plus he has the unique schtick Well-Protected . Everyone is watching out for him. Every sequence he's in combat, he makes a diff 3 Fortune check. The Outcome is the number of NPCs that come to help him, the exact type varying by situation. The world's chi is looking for him, and even in areas that seem deserted, people will show up to protect him. He appears to be a Tiger, based on his schticks.

Then there's Mr. X. Mr. X seems to be a Chameleon. He's been around for a long, long time. Longer than the Unspoken Name. Longer than several Unspoken Names. He is the confidante and the scalpel. He's changed identity countless times - so often that he cannot remember his birth name without some effort. It doesn't matter to him, because Mr. X cares about nothing except the Lodge. Even the Unspoken Name's desires are second. Everything is second to the Lodge. However, Mr. X's failing memories have caused him to collect a book of photographs detailing his past lives. This book is stored in a Swiss bank vault when he doesn't have it on his person, and he worries sometimes that this sentimental little book will fall into the wrong hands. He tells himself that the photographs would not be dangerous, though. They all show different faces, sometimes different genders. What could anyone prove?

Sometimes the Web of the Spider needs someone...removed. The name of the man they call is whispered with dread by the few who even know he exists. That man is Señor Ocho, and he doesn't come cheap - not even for family. He doesn't care how others like at him, not as long as he gets the job done. His true name is Esteban de la Taberna, and they say he was not always the cold-blooded spider he is now. They say that in his youth, he loved a human woman and tried to flee the Ascended to raise a family with her. For three years, it is said, he lived as a human, without any care, before the Web found him. Perhaps the Web's leader showed mercy, or perhaps just pragmatism. She gave Esteban a choice: leave his family forever and renounce his love, rejoining htE Web...or they would kill his family before his eyes and then turn him over to the Soul of the Dragon. Esteban chose the Web, turning his back on his wife and child without even a letter of explanation. They say in that day, all warmth in his soul died.

They are wrong. Señor Ocho retained a tiny bit of warmth. He secretly watched over his family, occasionally helping them in subtle ways - a little money, a promotion, but never revealing himself. Two years ago, however, when he came by to check on them between flights, having finished the hardest job of his career and wanting a little moment to reassure himself that hope existed...well. He found his old home in flames. The fire department had rushed to the scene, but it was hopeless. That day, Señor Ocho sealed off his heart. Arson was suspected, but no one was ever arrested. The truth is that he can still care, but does not want to show it. He wants to find and kill whoever murdered his family, but he doesn't know where to start. Sometimes he thinks his Spider fellows did it to teach him a lesson. Sometimes, he thinks it was the Jackals, or perhaps the Sharks. Sometimes he thinks it mighjt have been one of the other factions. He doesn't know the truth, but he will find it. The thing that most scares him is the idea that the Web of the Spider did it. Every time he does a job, he might be helping his wife's killers. Or he might be hurting them. For now, he takes his payments and follows his orders. He has no use for wealth and power. He has nothing to lose. He especially likes to take contracts on those Ascended who betray the Lodge. He doesn't really enjoy killing humans - he will if he has to, but it's not a real test of either his skill or convictions. Señor Ocho also has a unique schtick, Web of Bullets , which allows him to use his Web schtick with his Firearms skill, out to Chi*10 (that is, 90) meters.

Clara Duvall is the head of the Web of the Spider, though to the rest of the world she is simply the best hairdresser in LA. Her clientele, the rich and famous of Hollywood, know her name...and almost no one else does, save for her Pledged operatives, who visit daily to get orders and give information. From her salon, she manages a network that covers the entire planet. Socially, she is known for her love of the better things in life. She is almost always smoking the Lodge's special cancer-free cigarettes, since California's smoking laws just don't apply to her, and she's had seven husbands and countless lovers. Those who've tried to slip an infiltrator in via her bed, however, have learned that she is ruthless beyond measure. She has the unique schtick Web Trap , which makes her webs last up to an hour. Those heading into an area where she's put one done must make a diff 9 Perception check to notice it.

Bleys Fontaine is the Lord of the Earthquake. He has always been quiet, unassuming and in the background. His peers thought him stuck up or insane, but really, he just likes to listen rather than speak. He is blind, but loves music and is a world-class chef. He's chosen to focus on all his other senses to make up for his lack of sight...or, at least, that's what the 90s thinks. Bleys Fontaine remembers another time, a time when the world was ruled by magical tyrants. He and a few others found the Netherworld, and with it, a means to overthrow the Four Monarchs, to make a world where the transformed animals had not been destroyed by magic. Bleys was in the Netherworld when the critical shift came. In the new 90s, he made a life for himself as a Lodge enforcer. He quite likes the Ascended and their work, and he's very interested in serving the Unspoken Name to defend the new world from further shifts.

Bleys isn't really bloodthirsty, and he really prefers to avoid extended violence, but he will defend the world as it is - even if it kills him. He's not the warrior he used to be, but his ability to shake the earth has only gotten stronger with age. When the Lodge needs him, they give him a time and place. When eh's there, he waits for the excitement and uses his power to disrupt the foe and soften them up for the Pledged. Bleys enjoys what he does, especially killing sorcerers, demons and anything from the future. He's troubled by the idea that the Architects will win and control 2056, and he wants to find a way to see how they did it and how they can be stopped. He's a very potent transformed mole.

Ursula used to be a star of the Lodge. She was a terrifying KGB agent, in prime position to become the chief enforcer of the Fist of the Bear. However, she had enemies - most notably, Pi Tui's chief assassin, who almost destroyed her. When she was found, locked in ice and on the verge of reversion to bear form, she was rushed to the Mundane Chambersi n the Netherworld, to recover. When she awakened, she found that her beloved Soviet Union was no more. She thought it must be a critical shift, but she soon learned that it was actually part of the plan. The reasons were explained, but she'd never liked politics. She soon lost track of the new order and its ways, joining the Russian Mafia to make use of her particular talent for violence. She has risen to porminence as one of the chief enforcers for Russia's criminals, and she still serves a very useful purpose, but she has found it very hard indeed to adapt to her loss of power within the Lodge. She's always on the lookout for a chance to prove herself again.

Kyle Jameson is known to the Lodge as Mr. Clean. He's not an animal. He's just the man they send to fix the messes. A team of Pledged screwed up and let the cyborg's corpse go to the morgue? Jameson's the one who removes the evidence and silences the witness. He's often called in to fix something before it becomes a problem at all. Kyle started out with organized crime, developing a talent for moving evidence to places it would not cause trouble. He developed a network of helpers and clients, and in exchange for cash and favors, he got a reputation for discretion and efficiency. In the early 90s, he got a weird call. When he checked the scene, he found a corpse he could only call a demon, along with the biggest, weirdest gun he'd ever seen.

Before he could leave, a man took him around a corner and made him an offer he couldn't refuse. That night, he ecame a Pledged and cleaned the scene up. Jameson asks only one thing when on the job: no questions, no explanations. You pay Mr. Clean, you do exactly what he says, when he says it, and no more. He takes pride in his work and refuses to let anything interfere with it. He's got a reputation to protect, you know. He has been allowed to attune to several feng shui sites and has even (without his knowledge) been taken to the Hub in the Netherworld. If a critical shift occurs, the Ascended want to use his confusion to helo reclaim the world. Kyle is aware that the Secret War exists, but not its true nature or extent. He doesn't ask questions. He also works for anyone who has contacts in the criminal underworld, though the Ascended are his primary employers. He has the unique schtick A Real Friend : he knows where to hide the bodies. He can hide anything so it'll never show up, ever again. He can direct his clients about how and where to dispose of anything and everything. Of course, this means he also knows where the bodies are buried. For a Fortune point, he can dispose of one major piece of incriminating evidence forever, or several minor pieces.

John Liu is the Pacific Rim Butcher. He loves nothing more than causing pain and suffering. He's also kind of dumb. It didn't take long for him to get caught...but the Wheel had plans for him. They took him to a special studio, where he was shown high tech special effects, subliminal messages and even fake (but painful) surgery. John now thinks he was rescued by the Atlanteans, a strange and inhuman race that controls the world. He is their agent, who must silence those who'd threaten their benevolent but secret rule. The Butcher has been the terror of the Pacific Rim for a year or so now, and the cops are no closer to getting him then when they found the first body. The smarter cops have noticed that his victims include investigative journalists and authors. Only John and his controllers know that his targets are the ones who come too close to revealing the world's secret masters. They take hours to die, as Liu prolongs the time spent away from the sound of the pop radio. John Liu hates pop radio. He really, really hates it. However, he has to listen to it, because it's how he gets his orders. (Isn't subliminal messaging grand?) John would really like to listen to free jazz instead. Sadly, his masters will not allow this.

Carter Cross was born and raised on westerns. He kept a scrapbook full of devices he'd invent if he could've lived in the 1850s - steam tanks, spring-loaded gun holsters, the works. He never believed he'd ever be able to live in the time of the westerns, though. He went through high school and college with great grades and a geeky rep. He got a scholarship to MIT, and he thought it was because he had a good guidance counselor. On graduation, he got tons of job offers. He went freelance, though, and made a mint being a contractor. He never stopped to think too hard about his success. Years later, he was in the wrong place at the wront time, caught in the middle of a fight between the Guiding Hand and the Lotus in a Vegas hotel. Shaken, he ran into the first elevator to open - one which was full of Pledged agents - and found himself in the middle of the Hub.

At first, he was taken into custody, but the Pledged soon found he was an asset, not a danger. His degree and creativity appealed, and his extensive knowledge of the 19th century very handy indeed. He didn't think too much about the fact that they had his life story on file. He was brought into the Pledged and assigned as a courier between 1850 and 1990, deciding to make his permanent home in 1850 San Francisco. There, he runs his workshop and supplies the Pledged with otherwise unavailable devices, reporting regularly to the Order to pass reports. He has a front as a blacksmith and inventor, and is quite a respectable citizen in San Francisco. He won't do a thing that would endanger his standing, and he's learned to ride a horse and shoot a pistol. He tries to avoid fights, but he can't always, and is at least as good now with a gun as any of his old movie idols. Sometimes better. He's got a reputation as a quick-draw master, but he won't start trouble. Recent genealogy studies in the 90s lead Carter to believe he might be his own great-great-grandfather and that his family has been in the Order of the Wheel for nearly 150 years. This disturbs Carter Cross.

Reverend Redglare is from a critical shift that happened long ago and far away. He used his time in the Netherworld to Shape his own personal fortress, Redglare Chapel. He's also got a mob of dis-timed people who find his rather bizarre evangelism comeplling. Some of 'em really believe the Reverend when he talks about evil, but most are just crazy and want something to break. The Reverend and his frequent crusades are an easy way to get it. Most of the time, he picks targets on a whim, relying on his chapel's genius of an AI, Emma, to justify the purges via Bible quotes. As far as the Netherworld is concerned, he's just a lunatic you want to avoid...but the Lodge has got a standing agreement with him, letting them use his services against Netherworld targets in exchange for regular supplies of gold, which he uses to buy goods in the real world. He might be crazy, but he's always looking out for himself. The Reverend is a cyborg armed with silver teeth, razor-edged crucifxes and the unique schtick Engine of Righteousness , which represents his anti-demon gun-arm. It shoots the razor crucifixes, which are made of silver. He has an infinite supply of them, or at least enough that no one has ever seen him reload. These are treated as silver bullets that do 7 damage to normal people and ignore the Toughness of supernatural beings, such as ghosts, abominations and so on.

The demon lord named Ten Thousand Shuddering Nightmares was born millenia ago, and he committed the most terrible sin any demon can. When stripping the skin off a sinner in a rather complex situation, he found himself thinking 'what's the point of it all, really?' It all seemed just so damn arbitrary. He walked off the job, allowing the sinner to escape. As punishment for questioning his duties, Ten Thousand Shuddering Nightmares was stripped of his powers and cast out of the Underworld forever. Since then, he has wandered the world, serving those who could help him regain bits of his power. He gained new skills and abilities, moving on when his masters died. He calls himself Ten for short, and he is possibly the single most bored creature in the world. All he wants is eternal rest, but he can't get it. Ten will not die. He is forever forbidden to. Recently, he's thrown in his lot with the Ascended. If they win the Secret War, all magic will go away forever. Then, maybe he can find peace. He's a great undercover agent, since few are aware of his true loyalties. Who'd guess a demon worked for the Ascended? He wants nothing more than the destruction of all magic...and he sells the ruse by being utterly willing to kill a few Pledged if it'll help get rid of magic.

The man called Running Horse is one of the best explorers and trackers of 1850. When a fugitive goes into the African bush or Wyoming wilds, Running Horse goes to see what happens. He is unique among the human members of the Wheel, really. It was he who wielded the IVory Spear and saved the Lodge from a coup. (More on the Ivory Spear later.) There is officially no evidence that Running Horse has killed Ascended, but a few at the top levels have suspicions. Mr. X and Draco both know, but both think the law against "spilling blood" is an anachronistic rule that can be ignored in a good cause. Still, it's a dangerous secret between them and Running Horse.

Next time: Area 51

The hotel wasn't a hotel after all.

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: The hotel wasn't a hotel after all.

Returning to Tairong, she is back in Hong Kong and meetign with Fast Eddie Lo. He wants her to do him a favor. Someone's causing trouble for him and his business, and has even killed some of his best men. Tairong and her team head out to the hotel. They find trouble there - six armed men. They take out five of them - but the leader is still up, threatening to shoot Tairong unless they back down. Naturally, this does not go well for him. Tairong kills him, but not before he reveals that someone else sent him, and that something upstairs is weird.

Now then! We finally get to talk about the Zodiac Martial Arts Academies . They're a chain of McDojos that have opened up all over the US, as well as in Europe and Asia. Most major cities have one. They are known for their famous sign, which features the Zodiac animals. Each student chooses a totem animal that provides the basis for their study of kung fu. Respected martial artists think the chain is a joke, since it just teaches quickie kung fu and tricks rather than actually laying down the proper foundations for a martial artist, and those who study there have trouble progressing past the basics. The Zodiac academies are some of the Ascended's main recruiting centers. The architecture is designed to mold the chi of the students and make them more open to the idea of obeying orders from the Wheel. Any character attuned to a Zodiac site may learn any fu schtick from any animal-based path, like Passive Wings or Healthy Tiger, for 2 fewer XP...as long as it has no prerequisites. Any schticks from animal-based paths that do have prerequisites cost two XP more than usual. Further, anyone attuned to the site can raise the Fu attribute at half cost...but every time they do, they lower their Willpower attribute by 1. There are no other benefits, not even the normal ones, for attuning to a Zodiac Academy.

Naturally, it is not suggested that PCs sign on with the Zodiac...but on the other hand, it could be a nice plot hook for the resident gunman to sign up, thinking he'll be able to compete with the martial artists by learning some kung fu at a local branch. All teachers and staff at the Zodiac Academies are in the Order of the Wheel, though many are low rank and have no idea that feng shui actually works. In fact, most Zodiac staffers have little more skill than their students. The Wheel tends to recruit instructors from the student body, after all, and they're kept ignorant. If the PCs were to find out the sinister secret of the Zodiac Kung Fu, they might be tempted to start wrecking the McDojos. Easier said than down - when school is in session, which is pretty of ten, they've got plenty of defense. Ten to twenty martial artists, and while not the best, they can be a hassle. Plus, most of them? Innocents. The schools offer kids' classes, discounts for cops, self-defense courses for single women...these are not people must heroes want to fight. Blowing Academies up in th middle of the night will definitely take one out of commission...until it gets rebuilt a month later. Remember, the Ascended are rich as hell .

So. Area 51 . It was born in 1850. See, the Lodge has gotten quite the stockpile of unique items, dis-timed technology, even a few captive and probably unkillable monsters. They wanted to study it and find ways to neutralize any magic. After a few... incidents with abominations, they decided that even in a low-magic juncture, that would be dangerous. They needed a secure storage facility to contain captured magical and arcanotech items until they could be safely destroyed. It had to be out of the way, so far out of the way that no one would ever find it. Solution: New Mexico. It took around a century or so for Manifest Destiny to catch up. At the time, there was an incident involving cryogenically frozen Buro soldiers that generated a huge amount of activity at the site. There was a town nearby, so the Web of the Spider got to work trying to make sure no one noticed. They spun this web of lies involving crashed weather balloons with a secondary layer about flying saucers. The result has been amazing . Pledged companies have been pumping out alien-based Area 51 merchandise ever since the Roswell incident, and Area 51 itself remains secure.

So yes, Area 51 is your excuse to have a huge facility full of bizarre magic and arcanotech just lying around. The Lodge tends to save anything it can't immediately recognize, so there might be some stuff there that's still useful! Who knows? Go to Area 51 and find out! Or maybe the Lotus are going to raid the place - if they ever found about it, it'd become a priority target, after all. And of course the 1850 version is much smaller, less high-tech and brand spanking new . The experiments taking place there could get all sorts of attention, and if you're running a Wild West game and need some weirdness? Area 51!

Now, let's talk Project Habbakuk . Of all the projects done during World War 2, none was stranger. Habbakuk was the brainchild of Geoffrey Pyke. This really happened, this is true. See, U-Boats were costing the Allies a lot of ships, and they needed a way to fix that. Aircraft carriers were too vulneragble. The answer, clealry, was to sculpt a two thousand foot iceberg out of water mixed with wood pulp, creating an iceberg-slash-aircraft carrier and floating fortress capable of carrying anything the military needed. See, the wood pulp hardened the ice so it could be hammered and sawed, and also raised the freezing point so it wouldn't melt in the North Atlantic. They managed to get a prototype that lasted an entire summer in an Alberta lake. It was just, you know, incredibly impractical and expensive.

The Ascended buried the project and then completed it in secret, installing fog generators to hide the iceberg's location, and cannons that shot liquid nitrogen to freeze approaching ships in place. They now use Habbakuk, the massive ice fortress, as a center for very high-profile projects. And if you can't run a game just knowing they have a high tech iceberg fortress, there is something wrong with you as a GM. Of course, blowing the place up might be hard, given the walls are fifteen feet thick and naturally fire-retardant, plus the iceberg is naturally bouyant...but hey, there's other ways to permanently take a place down.

Shining Dragon Productions is famous among anyone who watches action movies. Their logo is the spiny dragon eating its own tail. Shining Dragon is a Hong Kong studio that cranks out action, romance, comedy, all sorts of movies. Their most famous flicks, though, for their action/horror, especially the Demon Hunter series, where the forces of darkness get beaten back by renegade cop Devon Sharpe, played by actor Devon Sharpe. Those aware of the Netherworld might realize that the special effects - which draw rave reviews - are not actually special effects. They're real demons, and Devon Sharpe is really killing them. In fact, the Shining Dragon studio is located on top of a Netherworld portal which leads to a demon-infested area. DEspite the Lodge's best efforts, the demons often break out. The Lotus and Buro would both kill to control the building, but the Lodge keeps a special team of anti-demon agents there to fight the hordes. They realized this would be difficult to conceal, so they started the movie studio to explain any wqeird shit that people see on the site. Also, the films make a huge profit and are great propaganda - this is one site that the Jammers don't want to lose! They love the movies, and actually use the Demon Hunter films as training films for raids of 69 AD.

Redglare Chapel is in the Netheworld. Picture the most impressive, largest cathedral you've ever seen. Gilded domes, arches, gargoyles, the works. Now start putting weapons all over it. Redglare is a fortress designed to kill any invaders. The gargoyles conceal flamethrowers, the guns bristle on every structure. It is the most heavily-armed chapel in all of existence. The whole thing is controlled by the supercomputer Emma, stored in the cathedral. Emma is not an acronym, note. No one knows why Emma is named Emma, and Reverend Redglare's a bit too crazy to ask. Emma is extremely deadly, and nearly as trigger-happy as her owner. Outside the cathedral is a makeshift town full of the Reverend's followers. The town has few toilets, no cops and no money - all the cash goes to Reverend Redglare. No one is entirely sure what good works he uses them on, but the locals tend to answer any such questions with murderous assault.

The Mundane Chambers are a recent innovation designed to allow the Lodge to enter the Netherworld, since their inability to travel much there is one of their major weaknesses. They're still not in common use, but that's starting to change. The Mundane Chambers are about a hundred feet square apiece, and have been Shaped to cause magic to be drained out of them. The net effect is an area with the same modifiers as 1850 or 1990. The transformed animals enter them to purge excess magic. There's drawbacks, of course. The chambers are hidden, and if you don't know where they are, you won't find them. They only protect you while you're inside, and it takes 24 hours to purge Reversion points. Breaking up a trip with frequent 24 hours stays in a ten-by-ten room is not very fun, even if the room is very nice. (And it is.) Also, if anyone finds you while in a Chamber, you are in trouble. They're very vulnerable to damage, if they get damaged, the magic comes flooding back in. Still, it's better than nothing.

Then there's Saint Francis Island , the Country Club. It is the ultimate resort. It is in the middle of the South PAcific, has its own tiny airstrip usable only by small planes and helicopters - most of which can't reach it. The small port can handle anything up to a very large yacht. The island is the top of an extinct volcano and covered in all sorts of animal and plant life, including some unique subspecies. The volcano can be climbed, and the whole island is about thirty square miles, maybe a third of which is civilized. That's the Country Club, on the north end. The main building has a large hall decorated with the seals of every Ascended family, and it can handle up 500 guests at a time. The rest of the world thinks of the Country Club as a myth, the getaway spot of the Illuminati. Even among the Order of the Wheel and Jade Wheel Society, the truth of its existence is unknown. The only way you're getting there is by being part of the Lodge. If you're human, there is only one way to get there: the Wild Hunt.

Only a few Ascended still perform the ancient, savage tradition - but they get to do it once a year, over the week between Christmas and New Year's - the blaze of Summer for St. Francis Island. A half dozen or so Ascended stop by, bringing six to ten humans. The humans are let loose on the island, where weapon caches have been hidden in advance. The Ascended then hunt them down and kill them while armed only with the animal powers. The rest of the year is entertainment for the less insane, bloodthirsty Ascended. They're usually more interested in relaxing than bloodsport, and many protest the Wild Hunt, though few will stop it. The resort is open yea-rround to Ascended, who show up via submersible yacht or private jet. The island itself is covered in cabins for those who prefer a cozier stay. Security is pretty lax - the hard part is getting there. Spy satellites can't see it thanks to their programming, airplanes and cruise ships never go near it, and the volcano, Anthony Peak, has a sophisticated radar and sonar array that picks up anything that comes close in time to warn them away - usually via military channels. Any craft that keeps coming will suffer "accidents" caused by torpedoes and surface-to-air missiles.

But still, once you reach the island, there's no real surveillence or security guards. The Ascended believe in privacy when playing and don't want anyone watching them. A stowaway could get there and move around freely, as guests will assume anyone on the island is Ascended, since they don't know all of the others by sight, and many will keep their distance out of respect for privacy. Anthony Peak is hollowed out as a massive command and communications center, with a huge hologram of Earth that tracks color-coded crisis areas, wars and impending wars. The globe rotates once a day and the day/night terminator is clearly marked. It doesn't normally display feng shui sites but can be told to do so for major sites. The "Situation Arena" has hardwired lines to every major military installation on the globe as well as every national government, enabling the Ascended there to stay on top of business. Under the Situation Arena is the power plant, a geothermal plant that could easily supply the entire East Coast. The few troops on the island are in Anthony Peak, in four barracks and training areas with facilities for 50 guards, tops.

The guards are young Ascended, recruited to serve on the island and be trained in martial arts. Many graduate to be wetwork specialists in the Lodge. There's all sorts of shit you can do with Saint Francis. Maybe the PCs are captured for the Wild Hunt or stow away and sneak onto the island. They'll be surrounded by fragile, priceless works of art, a jungle full of all kinds of animals, a badly-guarded volcano base and more!

Lastly, there's the Fountain of Youth . Some Ascended manage to survive from 1850 to the 1990s the hard way - aging through it. You know how they do that? Well, sure, Tortoises live a really long time anyway, but there's a feng shui site near Florida, or perhaps Cuba, Haiti or Bermuda, that is known as the Fountain of Youth. It's not some natural spring that makes you younger...any more. It may have been that once. Now? It's a nice pond with some cabins around it. Attune to it and you stop aging. Simple! Now, you acn still get hurt, sick, sunburned, cancer, whatever. But you don't get older. Your cells copy your DNA perfectly as they reproduce, like they did when you were a kid. There's just one drawback: only six people can be attuned to it at any one point - two per cabin. Draco owns the site, but he lets the Lodge decide who attunes. Mr. X got permission via his outstanding work in 1861. Others have to wait until someone dies (rare) or gets kicked out (has not yet happened). The Fountain is a secret even from most Ascended, and only the top members of each family know about it. All of them want a spot. The only thing some of them want more is the position of Unspoken Name...and Draco has stated, point blank, that no one who holds or has ever held the title gets to attune to the Fountain. Ever.

Next time: Mechanics.

The hotel wasn't a hotel after all. (Yep, again.)

posted by Mors Rattus Original SA post

Feng Shui: The hotel wasn't a hotel after all.

Tairong discovered information in that hotel about the Ascended and their global operations. Stuff she didn't like. Fast Eddie was running slaves through the hotel, and slave rings weren't the worst of it. She meets with the Unspoken Name, to find out why the Ascended allow, even encourage such things. The Unspoken Name explains to her that it is just how humans are. It doesn't take a lot to make a human into a killer or a torturer. At least this way, they leave the animals alone. There's no way to stop it - it'd take becoming Buro to do it. But Tairong knows that some of the Ascended encourage these things, recruit the monsters. The explanation: better to have them inside pissing out than the other way around. Tairong storms out...and the Unspoken Name calls for Señor Ocho. Ocho ambushes Tairong, taking her aside. Tairong argues with him, saying that she always wanted to be human when she was a tiger, and she can't allow humans to be treated this way. Ocho wants her to reconsider, and Tairong lunges. The assassin shoots her and dumps her out of the car. She runs, but he drives her into a web. He is about to kill her, when he stops, telling her she reminds him of someone, and allows Tairong to flee into the night.

Now, new transformed animal schticks! Chameleons get Mov -1, Int +2, Per +4, Wil +1.
Blur : Chi X, Shots 1. You get +2 to your Dodge AV for X shots, where X is the amount of chi spent. For each extra schtick you take, you get another +1 to Dodge AV, but you can't have more than three schticks of Blur. Further, Blur only applies to passive dodges, not active ones. You may, however, use it as a a defensive action.
Camouflage : Chi X, Shots 1. You get +X to your Intrusion for the rest of the sequence.
Doppelganger : Chi: Special, Shots, Special. You may abandon your human form and take on the form of any specific person. You can never return to any appearance you have used before. It takes 15 minutes to use Doppelganger, and each use permanently reduces your Chi by 1. During those fifteen minutes, you may act normally and without impairment. (From this power, anyway.)
Tongue : Chi 4, Shots 3. Make a barehanded Martial Arts attack. The attack inflicts no damage, but causes 2 Impairment for the rest of the sequence. Your range with this attack is (Chi) meters, and it doesn't stack with itself.
Turret Eyes : Chi 1, Shots 3. Attack two characters without any penalty for doing so. Use the highest Dodge AV for the targets to determine the Outcome of the attack.

Cranes get Mnd +3, Ref +3.
Buffet : Chi 2, Shots 3. Hit an opponent with an unarmed attack. In addition to normal damage, the opponent loses 1 shot. With a second schtick, they lose two shots. You can't have more than two schticks of Buffet.
Dance : Chi X, Shots 3. You make a series of leaps and feints that ends in a huge kick. In addition to normal damage, you cause X Impairment to your target's next attack, where X is the amount of Chi spent. The Impairment does not wear off with time, but only affects a single attack.
Flight : Chi 6, Shots 3. You may fly until the end of the sequences, going up to (Move) vertically and (Move*2) horizontally. Each extra schtick adds (Move) to vertical flight and (Move*2) to horizontal flight.
Crane Strike : Chi 4, Shots 2. Make a barehanded Martial Arts attack. If your Reflexes are higher than your target's, you can ignore their armor.

Jackals get Mov +2, Wil -1, Ref +4.
Backbite : Chi X, Shots 3. Hit a foe who's unaware of your presence with a Martial Arts attack. Subtract X from their Toughness.
Pack Attack : Chi 1, Shots 3. If a foe has already been hit by a transformed animal's Martial Arts attack this sequence, you may attack with +2 to your Martial Arts. You may not use this if you were the only transformed animal that hit him. For each extra schtick you take, your bonus goes up by +1, to a max of +4.
Scavenge : Chi 0, Shots 0. On the last shot of the sequence you may take one unused Chi point from another character. You must use it next sequence or it is wasted. Scavenge does not affect the target's available Chi points in the next sequence, and you may only Scavenge once once per sequence. For each additional schtick in Scavenge, you may steal another unused Chi point from the same character, to a max of 3.
Scurry : Chi X, Shots 1. Add X to your active dodge rating until the end of the sequence.
Worry : Chi 3, Shots 0. Use this after rolling an unarmed Martial Arts Outcome that is higher than your foe's Toughness. You may immediately make an additional attack at no cost, and if you hit, the new Damage bypasses Toughness. You may only use this with unarmed attacks.

Magpies get For +2, Int +1, Per +3, Ref +2.
Flight : Chi 6, Shots 3. Same as Cranes.
Good Omens : Chi 1, Shots 1. For the rest of the sequence, any Fortune rolls you make are open instead of closed. (So the 6s explode.)
Steal : Chi 1, Shots 2. Roll a Martial Arts check against a foe. If you hit, you do no damage but steal the foe's weapon. You may use it against its original owner at +3 for the rest of the sequence. If it is a signature weapon, you lose or discard it before leaving the scene and it returns to the owner.
Glean : Chi 4, Shots 3. You may make a Perception check against the target's Willpower. IF you win, you may ask them one question, which they must answer truthfully. The question must be simple and concise, and you learn the answer telepathically. The target may not be aware you're doing it, and they can't tell you anything they don't know.

Moles get Con +2, Str +2, Mnd +1.
Blind : Chi 0, Shots 0. You ignore penalties to Martial Arts or Dodge from darkness. You are immune to Brain Shredder, Horrific Appearance, Squamous Visage or any other schtick that requires you to see the attacker. You get -2 to all Perception rolls involving sight.
Claw : Chi X, Shots 3. Hit an opponent with a barehanded Martial Arts attack. You may add X to the Damage.
Tremor : Chi 3, Shots 3. Strike the ground, making a Martial Arts attack against a foe and calculating damage as usual, except that Agility reduces damage, not Toughness. This is not dealt as damage; rather, it is Impairment, which lasts for four shots. Flying foes cannot be hit by this. Each schtick of Tremor lets you target one opponent, though each target must be withing (# of schticks) meters of you.
Tunnel : Chi 3, Shots 3. You can tunnel through soil, rock or concrete (but not bank vaults, granite walls or battleship armor). You can tunnel (Kung Fu) meters each time you use the schtick. With a second schtick, you may make the tunnel unusable by others, as it collapses behind you.

Toads get For +2, Cha -1, Per +3.
Evil Eye : Chi 3, Shots 3. Strike a foe barehanded. Their next roll is an automatic failure unless they spend a Fortune point on it. The only benefit of the Fortune point is making the roll - they don't get an extra positive die.
Secretion : Chi 2, Shots 0. When you are struck in hand-to-hand combat, your attacker takes Impairment equal to the Outcome of their rule. Each schtick of Secretion makes this last 3 shots, to a max of 9 shots.
Calamity : Chi 1, Shots 3. Make a Martial Arts attack. In addition to normal damage, the target cannot spend Fortune points for the rest of the sequence. Why yes, this is a nasty combo with Evil Eye!
Bloat : Chi X, Shots 1. You get +X to your Toughness, but only for this shot. I'd assume you can use this as a defensive action but it doesn't actually say.

We also get a new Fu Path: Path of the Raging Bear , and then on to new character types!
Fury of the Bear : Chi 1, Shots 3. Make an attack with a melee weapon. You get +3 to Damage, but the weapon shatters on impact. You cannot use this with a signature weapon.
Strength of the Bear : Chi 3, Shots 0, Prereq: Fury of the Bear. You use this immediately after being hit by a melee weapon. That weapon breaks. Signature weapons are immune.
Slumber of the Bear : Chi X, Shots X, Prereq: Strength of the Bear. You get +X to Toughness until the end of the sequence.
The Bear Awakened : Chi 5, Shots 1, Prereq: Slumber of the Bear. Until the end of the sequence, get +3 to Martial Arts against any foe who had higher Initiative than you.
The Bear Undying : Chi special, Shots 4, Prereq: The Bear Awakened. Use this before making a Death Check. You automatically pass the Death Check. Your Chi goes down by 1 permanently whenever you use this.



You're a Bodyguard , a personal protection specialist. You get your client places without them getting hurt. You're well known with the clients who count - you've been bodyguard to celebrities and politicians across the world. Maybe the Wheel noticed you and you got invited to take your skills to the next level. Maybe their rivals think you can beat them at their own game. Maybe, the one client you couldn't save died at the hands of someone who wasn't all human. Whatever the case, you will do whatever it takes to keep your client safe. If that means fighting demons and shooting monks instead of intimidating paparazzi and stalkers, well, same job.

Bodyguards can be from any Juncture. They get Bod 5, Tgh 6, Chi 0, For 1, Mnd 5, Per 7, Ref 5. They get 6 points to spend on primary attributes, but can't spend more than 3 on any one attribute. They get Driving +6, to a max of +8, Guns +8, which can't be raised, Info (Celebrities) +7, which can't be raised, Leadership +1, to a max of +5, and Martial Arts +6, which can't be raised. They get +4 to spend, and may swap Guns and Martial Arts if desired. They get 3 gun schticks or 1 gun schtick and 2 driving schticks. Also, 2 weapons. Further, Bodyguards get a unique schtick: Taking the Bullet . Each session, they may name one character as their 'client'. If that character is ever wounded, they may spend a two-shot defensive action to try to pull them out of the way or shield them. They roll their highest combat AV against the attacker's attack. If they win, the client is safe and takes no damage. If they fail, the client takes normal damage. If they fumble, both they and the client take damage. They may use this ability to protect characters that are not the designated client, but if they do, they are hit by the attack on a success. The attack is calculated by the target's Dodge, but the bodyguard's Toughness. Bodyguards are Working Stiffs.



You're a Bounty Hunter . You started out chasing deadbeat dads, but you were too good. Soon, you were after craftier marks. Those criminals can be cunning and vicious, but they're also lazy, sentimental and self-destructive. You're often called in to chase those who cross international borders or who hide out in countries with no extradition. You always get your mark, and you can take them down if they fight. You can think like they do. No one can hide from you forever. They can run, but that just means they die tired.

Bounty Hunters are from 69 AD, 1850 or the 1990s. They get Bod 5, Chi 0, Mnd 5, Per 8, Ref 5. They get +5 to spend on primary attributes. They get Detective +4, to a max of +6, Driving +5, to a max of +7, Guns +8, which can't be raised, Info (Criminal World) +6, which can't be raised, Intrusion +6, to a max of +8, and Martial Arts +6, to a max of 11. They get +6 to spend and may swap Guns and Martial Arts. They get two gun schticks and a unique schtick: Hunter's Instinct . They may visit a fugitive's last known location and roll Perception against the quarry's Mind. If they win, the GM gives them a clue about the target's actions or location. Depending on the juncture, this might be from surveillence footage, receipts or even footprints and poop. They get two weapons and are Working Stiffs.

Next time: Two-Fisted Archaeologists!