Prefered weapon: Dao. (The knife/sword type, though I wouldn't mind having two if it's allowed.)
Sun Wukong "Handsome Monkey King"No. Be funny, not stupid.
Name: Yuan "Waster" JieAccepted, but a 10 foot pole will be cumbersome. Be warned.
Pobiega, do you not know about Journey to the West? Wukong is a real mythological figure. From china.I know that he's a real mythical figure, but that doesn't mean you're allowed to play him. I realize this "rule" wasn't stated, so I edited into the mainpost. Please make a normal character if you still wish to play.
Leave and stake out the entrance.[Fit:1+1] You stake out the entrance but clumsily manage to bump into the marketstall you were hiding behind. The thugs just about to enter the hideout noticed you staring at them.
Whilst enjoying some baijiu, ask around about the Hua Clan[Cha:5-1] You lounge around the sparsly populated tavern, enjoying your baijiu and casually asking questions about the Hua clan.
Wonder who the hideout belongs to.[Wit:5+1] The hideout must belong to the hēi lián, "The Black Lotus", the crime syndicate who kicked you out of Suzhou a while back. The man who delivered the information must be a henchman of one of your former associates in Haimen, the man known as Yīng jūn, "The Great Eagle".
Stake out the main entrance and gather intel. Notably, I want to know roughly how many use the hideout, how many sleep there, how many use it in general, what supplies they're bringing in, and how cautious they are.[Fit:4] You arrive at the stakeout just as Ko attracts the attention of the comming thugs. They havn't noticed you yet.
Grab Twin Hooks, which are stored in a convenient location nearby.[No roll] You grab your hooks.
"Who exactly are we facing?"
Approach the bartender and kindly buy everyone drinks, then ask them what business the Hua clan did and what the "Affair" that set them back was.[Cha:3] You spend some of the coins in your already feather light coinpouch to buy the locals some baijiu in hopes to loosen their tongues.
Wait to see what they do.The three thugs approach menacingly, one of them cracking his knuckles while talking to you.
"Ah, but you see, this is my business as well, tell me, what would 3 such individual's such as yourselves be doing around here?"[Cha:2 vs Com:4] "And you expect me to believe your prying eyes or questions belong here? I think it's time to teach this 'old man' a lesson!"
Sneak near the old man, make sure the three men don't do anything they'd regretYou set off towards the back alley behind the weavers shop. Who knows what will be there when you arrive.
"I have forgotten something," deduces Jie. Obviously, the answer is to act.
Stand my pole upright, then climb it with the grace of an adept pole climber to take a look around. Go outside beforehand if not already outside. Try to find whoever it was I'm working for.
GM NOTICE
The back alley scene is currently paused until Nirur Torir has a chance to act or I get bored at work tomorrow, whatever happens first. Nidilap will arrive after one "turn" of events.
Surprise attack the armed thug.[Fit:5] With great stealth and precision, you ready and throw a knife at the bat-wielding thug, hitting him straight in the side of his neck, downing him instantly. One of the remaining thugs charge in your direction.
((I think that it's probably best to refrain from using colours that the players have taken to save us some confusion.))((Agreed. I used "your" colors to indicate that "you" were speaking. I've been using brown and purple for NPCs and would like to continue that so if Nidilap could pick another color, that'd be great))
"Thank you all for your cooperation, but I just have one question, what are the local gangs around here?"
Stab the bat thug in the head and use his bat to shove away the other two.[Fit:5+1] You brandish your hidden claws in a blazing flurry of swiftness and stab at the bat-wielding thug only to see him hit by a throwing knife in the neck! You quickly grab the bat and swing it gracefully at the thug still focused on you, hitting him cleanly in the solar plexus and immobilizing him with pain.
((That's fine, but shouldn't I get a bonus to Charisma rolls?))((I realize I never stated how stats affect rolls but a stat value of 2 is "average human", meaning you don't get a bonus. You get a penalty for having a 1 (below average) instead! Currently you enjoy a +1 to Wit rolls due to your above average smarts.))
Leave the bar behind me and enter the streets of the city.
See if anyone came out of the hideout.You head over to the entrance. No one has entered or exited the "sewers" since you arrived at the scene, as far as you are aware and can tell.
Hold the pole by the middle horizontally to bar the escape of this individual in addition to moving to intercept him, at least while I discern his intentions.[10fp:1+1] ((The 10-foot pole roll. Used to decide if a 10 foot pole is suitable or not in a given situation. Here it describes if it can reasonably be turned sideways without hitting anything. +1 from fitness because that seems reasonable here.))
A clean, Horizontal slash at the ruffian[Fit:6+1] A clean, horizontal slash would be one way to describe the event. Another way would be to say that the blade barely left the tosogu and returned in a blink, leaving the ruffian with little but a narrow cut... that happened to sever everything cleanly. As "Lucky 7" sheathed his blade, the bandit collapsed in two.
"Multitudinous apologies! I am a putz, you see."[Cha:2-1] Your apologies matter little to the merchant who starts yelling loudly and angrily. In mere seconds two guardsmen come running...
Damn these narrow streets! Hold the pole as a pike, preparing to keep any running people back by poking rather than barring.
Reinforce my allies at the fighting location.
Leave the bar behind me and enter the streets of the city.Angry shouting turns your head towards a scene where you see Yuan Jie being cornered by two guardsmen and an angry merchant yelling profanities.
Point at scene of hideous violence.((I was going to abduct the living guy for information. Now I cannot.))
"By the gods! Someone's been murdered!"
Run away in the opposite direction from the hideous violence if they're distracted. Run away even if they're not, actually.
((I was going to abduct the living guy for information. Now I cannot.))
SCENE UPDATE: Back alley
One thug bleeding from the neck, seemingly dead. Another downed, gasping for his breath and wincing in pain. With his two allies downed, the remaining thug makes a break for it and jumps over a marketstall, knocking over several cabbages. Just as the turns the corner, he meets a young man unsheathing a katana. Not far behind walks another young man with a 10-foot pole...
No, the other guy.
This thread literally is swearing at readers. Gǔn actually means "fuck off" in Chinese. Fights start over saying 滚 to a person.
Zhi (掷) is used for rolling dice. Zhi shaizi. (掷色子)
This thread literally is swearing at readers. Gǔn actually means "fuck off" in Chinese. Fights start over saying 滚 to a person.((As you've noticed, I don't speak chinese. Gǔn chōng rén was, according to google translate (I know it's not accurate), "roll to punch people". If you're bothered by my butchering of the chinese language, you are more than welcome to post the correct phrases and I'll update it :) My limited chinese allows me to say ni hao and know that a "cow's cunt" is like the dog's bollocks, aka good shit.))
Zhi (掷) is used for rolling dice. Zhi shaizi. (掷色子)
Sneakily cut holes in whatever bags the annoying merchant is carrying to cause a few spills. Perfect distraction.[Fit:3+1] You sneak up to the shouting merchant and try cutting holes in his bag. Unfortunately, you spent most of your grace doing that perfect slice moments before and manage to instead cut the shoulderstrap of the bag. The bag hits the ground with a crash and you hastily blend with the crowd.
Point at scene of hideous violence.[NPC Com:2] The guards both run over to the split man. You [Fit:4+1] get away to a safe distance before they even notice you've left.
"By the gods! Someone's been murdered!"
Run away in the opposite direction from the hideous violence if they're distracted. Run away even if they're not, actually.
Head to the shadier parts of the city.[Wit:4+1] You navigate the city, heading towards what seems to be the shadier district. You find yourself in a slum a few minutes walk away from the now infamous weaver's shop.
Jump onto a guard, slice at him with both blades.You push through the crowd until you reach the bloody scene. One guard is kneeling down, examining the corpse. The other is keeping the gathering crowd at bay.
Grab one of the corpses and throw it into the hideout.((As far as I can follow, you are still in the back alley, meaning there is only one corpse, the guy who got hit by the throwing knife. The other guy is just incapacitated. Do you mean that corpse?))
Grab one of the corpses and throw it into the hideout.You grab the dead guy and drag him over to the sewer grate. [Fit:2+1] The grate is heavy and you only manage to slide it slightly, not enough to fit the corpse in there. However...
Ignore the shop for the moment and visit someone that owes me money if anyone comes to mind.You don't know very many people in Haimen, but Yīng jūn was your main man here. Perhaps he can be of use?
Seek those other people I was drinking with. They seemed preoccupied with something.You remember seeing both Hua Lee and Shao Zhou at the scene. Where exactly they went, you don't know.. [Wit:4] Perhaps you can disguise yourself and sneak back there and see if you can find them. The pole might give you away thou..
Time to head to that hideout. Sneak into the hideout and see what's going on in there.You sneak back into the back alley and locate the sewer grate. Not very hard, as you see Zian trying to get it open. [Fit:4+1] The grate is heavy and not at all as easy to remove as you expected, but together with Zian you manage without too much noise.
...Don't do that. Locate other teammates instead.You spot Lee heading into the back alley and follow him. You see Zian and Lee when you turn the corner, pulling the grate off the sewer entrance, followed by Zian throwing a body down the hole..
Hey, wait a minute. Where in China are we?Currently in the city of Haimen, Jiangsu province. Coastal region on the east-most part of modern China.
Wait and see what happens.You stand back and eagerly await any possible reaction from whatever may lurk down in the fake sewers. Before any such reaction occurs, Lee runs up and jumps down the hole.
Who else do I know, then? Anybody I would benefit from finding? If so, seek them!Well, there's your female companion Tai Zhāng, who last you saw at the tavern. She could probably use a hand with whatever she's doing. You decide that finding her is your best bet and go look around for her.
Hop down into the manhole and begin slicing and dicing any foes I findYou rush up to the manhole and leap down, stumbling slightly as you land on a corpse. Fortunately it's a short distance to the ground and you find yourself in a poorly lit tunnel, leading only one way into the darkness. It smells of dirt and kerosene and you just barely sense a light at the end of the tunnel. You stealthily move up the tunnel, looking for something to slice but you find only a turn and then a locked door, lit by a hanging kerosene lamp.
Pay Yīng jūn a friendly and hope that he doesn't come at me with a weapon.Having been to Haimen only a few times before, it takes a while to find a landmark that can help you find the lair of the Great Eagle. You finally find the obelisk-like statue in the slums. Next to it stands a confused and, when having spotted you, happy young man with a 10-foot pole. Jie runs over to you and greets you. Having an extra body on your side can only be a good thing if Yīng Jūn doesn't remember you as fondly as you remember him... You find your way easily with the help of the landmarks and end up outside an unexpectedly nice looking teahouse with two armed thugs standing outside. You recognize the talon-shaped emblems they wear - the mark of the Eagle.
Look around and see if there are bounties on anyone likely to be in the enemy hideout.[Wit:5] You remember Tai Zhāng saying the hideout belonged to the Hēi Lián, a criminal syndicate. You head to the local marketplace and find a bountyboard posted by the guardsmen.. Sure enough, you find two wanted posters of alleged members. The bounties are not massive but also more than pocket change. You grab a copy of both and head back towards the entrance.
See what my teammates plans are for moving forward.You and Zian are outside the entrance, Lee just having leapt down. Diŕn went to the local market and you currently don't have a clear idea of what Zhāng or Jie are doing.
Wear a face of displeasure like a mask and start poking the nearest thug in the chest.[Cha:5] The thug is surprised at first but promptly bows and heads inside. He comes back out after a minute or two.
"Hey! You! Tell your boss that Lady Dragonfly wants to speak to him!"
Knock on the door, pretending to be a scout.You bang on the door and yell. You hear a faint noise and a tiny hatch in the door slides open.
LEMME IN, LEMME IN! THE LADY IS COMING!!!!
Wait a second. Be ready to test out the usefulness of a ten foot pole in yet another dangerous situation.You ready yourself mentally and spiritually for whatever may occur. You're then asked to step inside. [10FP:3] The pole is likely to cause trouble inside the teahouse, usually full of stuff you don't want to knock over.
Lower myself into the hole.With little problems you go down the hole using the ladder conveniently located on the side. Up ahead you can hear someone banging on what sounds like a wooden door and yelling.
Shove my blades through the wood and into the person on the other side.[Fit:1+1] You ready your claws and shove them into the door with all your might. Unfortunately, you hit it at a weird angle and also managing to hit the metal bands that keep the door together. Not a single blade goes through but instead you manage to bend two of the claws on the right claw! Hey, atleast they didn't get stuck...
Return his bow with one of my own and enter.
Bow and gracefully enter the teahouse, maneuvering through its interior with skill and precision./b]You enter the teahouse. The modestly lit teahouse smells of several fragrances, all nicer than the other, supplementing the subtle works of art that decorate the walls and hallways. Two more thugs, these better dressed, motion you towards a pair of double doors and slide them open as you pass. Before you is a room with five tables, one at the end of the room and the other four spread out in front of it. A man enjoying a cup of tea and some pastries sits with two what appears to be bodyguards at the end table. The other tables are unoccupied. The man finishes the pastry he was eating and speaks.
Stab through the door where the sound originates.[Fit:6+1] With Zian having tried, failed and moved out of the way, you brandish your katana and, with surgical accuracy, stick it into the door at throat-level. The blade goes through flawlessly and without resistance, having hit perfectly a weakspot in the wood. You withdraw the katana and sheath it again, confident that the doorkeeper is no longer a threat or an obstacle.
Follow my companions into the sewer so I can keep them from getting themselves killed.You join the party of two down by the door.
Sneak towards the enemy stronghold.You join the party of three down by the door.
Kick open the door.[Fit:5+1] With a swift and powerful kick you unhinge the door perfectly, causing it to shatter as it flies into the now exposed room.
Remain silent, yet unintimidating. Have a spot of tea. Jolly good, yes.It's an unusual flavour, some kind of.. vanilla? Very tasty.
Tai Zhāng takes a seat to the opposite of Yīng.[Cha:3]
"I think it best that we go straight down to business, you remember the gang that sabotaged my work? The hēi lián? I need you to distract them for a while, "take care" of their leaders, steal their tools, whatever possible to take their attention away from more pressing matters, such as "The Lady" rising again in power. In exchange I will grant you access to all of their hideouts and places of profit when I deal with them, the territory will surely be of use to you. What do you think?"
Drink some of that tea he offered.
Prepare to toss a knife at anything that moves after the door goes down.
Enter through the door, ready to slash at anything potentially dangerous crossing my path, be it man, arrow, dagger, or bullet.
Get into fight stance. Be prepared for anyone who comes to investigate.
Vanilla? How would a commoner such as myself know how something that expensive tastes?[Wits:5] This must be vanilla. You've never tasted it before, only smelt it, but this is what you imagine what it must taste like. It's everything you ever hoped it would be. +1 to current mood due to amazing tea.
Hm! Shenanigans, mayhap? Or is this actually seasoned with vanilla? Seems a bit suspect, I would say! Oh yes! Analyze the feeling and the taste of this concoction.
Examine the sleeping rolls, if there is no one, wait inside in ambush.They are all empty, that much is clear from a purely ocular investigation (they are rolled up). You pick the one that is the least smelly, unroll it and crawl inside. The other members of your party look funnily at you while you do so.
"What forces do I have? Currently?"[Cha:6] Jūn laughs again. "Ever the ambitious! But thats what I like about you, Lady Dragonfly. Unlike the other would-be crimelords or shadow emperors or whatever titles they choose to give themselves, only you would walk into Haimen with only a single henchman and try to evict the Hēi Lián from their headquarters. If nothing else, this will be too exciting to miss. I'll help you, one one condition: I get to rule Haimen when you move on to greater goals. What do you say?"
Jerk a thumb towards Yuan Jie.
"This guy, maybe, my plans for Haimen? Well, to be frank, I wish throw out all gangs not allied with me and rule it with the ones that are, and then possibly move on to the rest of China, but I'm getting ahead of myself. My general plan will, if you'll aid me, require you to covertly distract the Hēi Lián while I roam Haimen and sharpen my sword instead of my mind, I intend to recover my reputation and hire mercenaries to attack the Hēi Lián while I work on assassinating their leaders."
Examine the papers.There are many papers thrown about the place, everything from shipping manifests for grain to lists of debts. Of particular interest is some documents detailing a plan to hijack a government carriage that will pass by Haimen in two days time.
Examine the room for anything of value. Documents, money, a hidden switch?You find a small amount of money in some pouches. Together with Sane Willow you go over the papers. It's everything from shipping manifests for grain to lists of debts. Of particular interest is some documents detailing a plan to hijack a government carriage that will pass by Haimen in two days time.
Go up to the door and stab him from behind when he comes through.
Stand up and prepare to leave.
Finish my tea and follow the crazy woman. She's probably off to have misadventures, after all. Can't leave the demented on their own.You leave the teahouse. How to proceed from here, that is the question.
Enter the room, investigate anything interesting or suspicious that may help us learn more about these bandits.You look around, your focus drifting towards the documents spread around the room. By far the most interesting are the ones detailing the carriage-heist.
Hide near the door.
Duck behind a table and prepare to throw sharp things.
Sheath my blade and wait to see who comes. If I dont like it, I'll slash.You all hide and ready yourselves for combat as the sound of approach draw nearer. As the source of the sound turns the corner, you all sneak a peek at what can only be described as a giant. About 7 feet tall, wearing a leather harness of sorts and two flails attached to his belt, the giant enters the room with little grace.
Leap onto his back and try to pin him to the floor.[Fit:3+1] vs [Fit:2+1] You manage to leap onto his back, but he is too strong for you to force him to the ground. He draws a flail with his right hand and tries to grab you with his left.
Swiftly aim at his neck for a decapitation. He's quite large, so I'll add extra force to my slice.[Fit:2+1] vs [Fit:3+1] You muster a powerful slice towards his neck, but he sees the attack coming and parries with his flail.
Sneak attack to his right arm, hopefully disabling it.[Fit:5] vs [Fit:3+1] You throw a dagger, hitting the upper right arm! Dŕshān howls with anger and/or pain and seems to have some trouble swinging his flail with that arm.
Head for a market place, preferably one with a lack of guards in the general area.You head to the local market, being in the slums it's usually not heavily guarded.
See what I can find out about this carriage heist.Well, you've found some documents detailing the heist, however you keep getting distracted by the massive fight taking place while you try to read.
Catch/redirect Zian's momentum, so he lands advantageously.[Fit:3] You try to catch Zian flying and flailing wildly in your general direction. Unforunately you don't manage perfectly and instead stop his flying body with your own, sending you both sprawling on the floor.
Get up and make a running slide underneath him, make a...uncivilized strike underneath him.You get up from the slide, gather your senses and charge towards the giant. ((Delayed action, you will strike last due to being thrown away))
Slash the knees, aiming to cut off both legs, then move back[Fit:2+1] You once again slice at the giant, this time at the knees. Your blade hits at an awkward angle and not with enough force, only managing to bleed him a little.
Get involved in the fight, assist with my Twin Hooks.[Fit:4] You attack with your hooks, causing visible damage to him and snapping some of the leather straps, destabilizing his harness.
Attempt to locate a market stall selling shady stuff.[Luck:5] You find a stall selling.. pottery. The merchant claims to sell specialized "pottery" for any purpose.
Help the lady shop. Try to gently steer her away from trouble.[Wit:4] You're fairly sure she's already in a lot of trouble and would have it no other way.
Observe mysterious pottery. What is this strange man selling?[Wit:5] You're fairly sure it isn't just pottery and that the pots are just symbolic goods - what you pay for is probably contraband, information or services. The merchant is very proud of his "specialized pots for any situation or need".
Try to start on the right foot with the shopkeeper by using my beauty.
"Excuse me, do you happen to know where anyone of notable power would reside currently? And on another note, what are you selling?"
Get up and focus on avoiding a incoming blow.You push yourself off the ground and take a defensive posture, preparing to dodge if Dŕshān strikes at you.
Throw a knife at his leg.[Fit:6] You throw with the might of a thousand bulls and hit his right leg in the thigh, the blade penetrating deep into the leg and severing several muscles! Dŕshān howls in pain and falls to the ground, unable to balance himself.
use Zian's sacrifice to the full extent! Stab the giant in the heart, and drag the blade upwards.((I assume you mean Zhou, as Zian is still fine.)) [Fit:6+1] You leap onto the fallen giant, stabbing with furious force into his heart - ribcage and leather harness be damned, you sink the blade deep and you can feel it hit the ground on the other side. Dŕshān stops moving.
Hack the hooks at his throat.You would, but it's difficult with you being unconscious and all.
"You know, great political or social standing, I'm willing to pay of course, but if you lie then just remember I'm entitled to come back and kill you.""Well, the governor would fit both of those requirements. As would the captain of the guards. You can usually find them both in the town hall. "
Do not look complicit in any threats of murder.You do your best, but you're unsure if your message of peace gets across.
"That was Grand Mountain, a Hēi Lián lieutenant. He has a bounty, I think I have the wanted poster here."
Pull out and flourish the wanted poster before seeing if my fallen ally needs first aid.
Check to see that the giant is truly dead, get Zhou awake afterwards.You walk up to the downed giant and [Wit:4]check for a pulse. You find none and he doesn't seem to be breathing either.. Yeah, pretty dead. Zhou is pretty out of it but with a little help and gentle faceslapping he wakes up.
Loot the corpse for any info on my clan. A few coins ain't too bad, either.You check the pouches on his harness and find a few coins and some pebbles.
Gain consciousness.GOTTA DODGE THA-- Yeah, you probably missed that dodge. Your head hurts something fierce and your jaw feels even worse.
"That was Grand Mountain, a Hēi Lián lieutenant. He has a bounty, I think I have the wanted poster here."You unroll the poster and show it to the rest of the gang. 1000 Wen, that's a pretty hefty sum. Zian is tending to Zhou who has now started to wake up.
Pull out and flourish the wanted poster before seeing if my fallen ally needs first aid.
Actually, this could work in our favor...
Cut the Hua Clan's symbol onto the chest of the carcass.
"Thank you, I'll keep you in mind if I need anything else to purchase."You give him your last coins (2 wen) and head across the marketplace where there is a rundown boozeshack some people might call a tavern.
Slip him some cash and head for the nearest tavern.
Follow. Twirl pole uncertainly while keeping it in a strictly vertical orientation until we reach the tavern, at which point a horizontal orientation is to be adopted.You do as such.
Exit with the documentsYou gather up the documents and collectively leave the room in the sewers. What is your next step from here?
Enter the "tavern" and observe the locals, look specifically for anything suspicious.Finding anything that doesn't look suspicious is harder in this place - the entire "tavern" is highly shady.
Have a drink at the tavern while keeping an eye out for the suspicious dealings of that lady.You order up some refreshments while keeping an eye on the lady - probably a good idea, this entire place stinks of backstabbing and deceit.
Follow Lucky 7.
Search for Lady DragonFly. We need to regroup
Recover.
Stick with the group, helping Zhou up the ladder.Collectively, you leave the underground room and search for Lady Dragonfly and her loyal
Search for any guards that look like they have a chip on their shoulder.Inside the tavern there are no guards, so you take a look outside. To your suprise you see the rest of the gang standing outside, looking slightly confused and lost. There are also two guards leaning against a wall further down the road.
"I'm busy, what do you want?"
"What mountain? Nevermind, what's this about documents?"
((Me?))((Anyone really))
Take the offered documents and examine them.
Make sure no suspicious individuals are observing us.[Comp:3-1]You look around and whilst some people on the quite busy street do look your way at times, they don't seem overly interested in your doings.
Meditate briefly.You sit down on the wooden porch and briefly meditate on the meaning of life, the universe and everything. [Wits:6+1] 42.
Pay a visit to the guards down the road and (legally) attract their attention."Huh?"
"Hey, you two! I need to talk to you!"
Go off and look for information brokers.Yuan points you in the direction of the nearby "potter", whom greets you with a warm smile.
Use my beauty to make the guards agree to my demands."At once! Come with me to the ministry, you can speak to the captain there."
"I have come across some important information regarding the Hēi Lián gang, so I want to speak to your superior so I can make sure that I'm getting the credit for handing in these documents detailing the location of stolen objects and where a robbery will soon go down in two days."