Wuxia One-Shot

[devlin1]

I have way too much free time the week after Christmas-- my office is closed and class doesn't start again for me until January 10th-- so I was thinking I'd maybe do a one-shot of something or other. I'm gravitating towards some kind of wuxia game (equal parts Once Upon a Time in China, Kung Fu Hustle, Swordsman II, and God of Cookery) but I'm not 100% on what system I'd use. I'm most comfortable with HERO, because I've run a little wuxia game with it before for a couple guys who had no familiarity with the system (and still don't) but who both enjoyed it nonetheless, but another part of me wants to buy Weapons of the Gods and just go nuts with it. So I dunno. Anyway, regardless of the game system, would anyone be up for that?

[mordraine]

*raises hand*

I'd play whatever system, but would be especially excited about WotG.

[devlin1]

[quote="mordraine"]*raises hand*



I'd play whatever system, but would be especially excited about WotG.[/quote]
Yeah... it is one of the things that got me started thinking about this....



Anyone know if Game Towne has it? That might sound like a joke, considering the discussion that's been taking place in another thread, but I'm serious. I'm going to be down in SD within a few hours and was thinking of stopping by. I'm curious to see it, but if it doesn't really do what I want it to do (i.e., it might be slanted towards a different kind of wuxia game than what I have in mind) I'll use HERO. But I'll still probably buy it.

[Cthulhu]

I'd be up for this.

[mordraine]

[quote="devlin1"]Anyone know if Game Towne has it?[/quote]

Not sure at all. I got mine at Game Empire (and even got pretty nice service too), and I believe it was the last one, unless they had some in the back somewhere.



But you can always call 'em.



GE: (858) 576-1525

GT: (619) 291-1666



Both stores will set aside a copy for ya, as I'm sure you know.

[Skyman]

Sounds cool

[jimmy corrigan]

i'm down.

wotg is fine and good, but might i make a suggestion?

[devlin1]

[quote="jimmy corrigan"]i'm down.



wotg is fine and good, but might i make a suggestion?

[img]http://home.earthlink.net/~tzeentch666/east.jpg[/img][/quote]
Ah, me so solly, most honolable sir! I make for you #1 best-quarity game!

[jimmy corrigan]

ah so. cha-lee tank yu belly much.

*gong*

[jimmy corrigan]

i want to play a 9th lvl dry cleaner! or a shuriken wielding waiter... so many choices.

[devlin1]

[quote="jimmy corrigan"]i want to play a 9th lvl dry cleaner! or a shuriken wielding waiter... so many choices.[/quote]
I have just the character for you. I will say no more.



*gong*







Heh. "Gong."

[cczernia]

I'm interested. I'll be free later in the week.

My vote is for WotG if Dev can find a copy. I'm also up for super deformed Kindred of the East using HERO 3rd edition.

[devlin1]

[quote="cczernia"]I'm interested. I'll be free later in the week.



My vote is for WotG if Dev can find a copy. I'm also up for super deformed Kindred of the East using HERO 3rd edition.[/quote]
3rd? Heretic!



Incidentally, whatever the system, I'll make the characters ahead of time and try to keep the mechanics on my side of the screen as much as possible.

[jimmy corrigan]

[quote="devlin1"]Incidentally, whatever the system, I'll make the characters ahead of time and try to keep the mechanics on my side of the screen as much as possible.[/quote]now that's what i like to hear. game mechanics? we don't need no stinkin' game mechanics. just give me my hobb thief character sheet and let me at those gems... that somehow got into the belly of an alligator. i think having just admitted all this possibly makes me out to be the most lazy gamer evar.

[mordraine]

With WotG, it'll be difficult to keep a lot of mechanics behind the GM screen. Some of it is player interactive. It's pretty easy to grok though.

[cczernia]

[quote="mordraine"]With WotG, it'll be difficult to keep a lot of mechanics behind the GM screen. Some of it is player interactive. It's pretty easy to grok though.[/quote]

In that case, since Dev doesn't have the book we'll just roll for his NPCs :mrgreen:

[devlin1]

[quote="cczernia"]In that case, since Dev doesn't have the book we'll just roll for his NPCs :mrgreen:[/quote]
Not so fast, shithead! If I can't find the book, I'll buy the PDF. I do want it either way, though, and I figure if I'm going to spend the money, I might as well spend a little more and have an actual, tangible book at the end of the transaction.



Getting it doesn't mean I'd use it, although I have some ideas for incorporating some of its elements into a HERO game.

[devlin1]

Actually, I've come up with a variation for HERO that's so brilliantly simple and has so much potential that it's almost a lock that I'll want to go with HERO. But no guarantees. Whatever-- you'll all have fun regardless, so what do you care, really?

[Count Zero]

I will play if... I love kung fu movies.

[devlin1]

[quote="Count Zero"]I will play if... I love kung fu movies.[/quote]
Well, figure out if you love kung fu movies, and get back to me.

[jimmy corrigan]

[quote="devlin1"]Well, figure out if you love kung fu movies, and get back to me.[/quote]
i think i understand the miscommunication here. devlin, i think what count zero was [i]trying[/i] to say is this:



[url=http://homestarrunner.com/sbemail10.html]I will play if... I love kung fu movies. I am a vampire and[/url]

[Skyman]

Oh shit are you telling me Count Zero has a stake thru teh heart?!!!



Oh no. In Memoriam of Count Zero

[Count Zero]

[quote="devlin1"]Well, figure out if you love kung fu movies, and get back to me.[/quote]

I think I do... damn typos

[Skyman]

[smartmonkey]

I'd be totally down to play WOTG - or HERO, or whatever. There -was- a good freebie rules lite Wuxia game floating around the intarweb for awhile (click here for it - opens straight to the zip it's in). It's focused on the emotional conflicts/drama over the kung-fu badassitude bits, but it's a cool little system.

So, yeah. I'm down. Pending my busy social life.

[devlin1]

Well, GE's out of WotG until after C. I'll check GT tomorrow when I'm in Old Town(e). If I can't find it there either, then... I'll try Game Castle in Anaheim. They have a pretty good stock. And if I can't find it there, then I'll look at Mord's while we play HERO. I'm kinda tempted to buy the PDF, but it seems like the kind of book that's fancy-pantsed enough for me to want to own in printed form. Suitable for coffee tables, etc.

[smartmonkey]

It's full color, with lots of comic-booksy art. *shrugs* It's no Nobilis, but it's still nice enough to look at.

[cczernia]

[quote="devlin1"]Not so fast, shithead! If I can't find the book, I'll buy the PDF. [/quote]

PDF??? Damn you technology!:eek:

[devlin1]

Okay, let's get this shit nailed down.

We seem to have some interest happening here, so what night next week would work for everyone? Note that Thursday and Friday nights are right out.

[smartmonkey]

Where are we thinking, location wise?

[devlin1]

[quote="smartmonkey"]Where are we thinking, location wise?[/quote]
I don't know yet. One thing at a time. Or will location determine when you can make it?

[smartmonkey]

It might - basically, the closer to downtown San Diego, the later in the week I can make it.

[devlin1]

[quote="smartmonkey"]It might - basically, the closer to downtown San Diego, the later in the week I can make it.[/quote]
Noted!

[mordraine]

My house is open for the place, if'n everyone is okay with driving all the way down to Chulajuana.

I'm good for any night next week. Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday. They all work with me.

[jimmy corrigan]

wednesday please.

[devlin1]

Okay, that's two birds with one stone. I'm going to say it's on Wednesday because that's my day of choice, Mord can host, and at least one person has expressed an ability to play that night.

Also, I picked up WotG today at Game Castle in Anaheim. They had a copy just casually lying around. "Oh, this? You want this? Huh."

[smartmonkey]

I'll be there. Listening to the Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon OST.

[devlin1]

[quote="smartmonkey"]I'll be there. Listening to the Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon OST.[/quote]
Bring it!



I'll post character descriptions in the next few days. By Tuesday, at the latest. So be on the lookout for that.

[smartmonkey]

If I've been a good boy this year, I might even have a copy of WOTG...

[devlin1]

[quote="smartmonkey"]If I've been a good boy this year, I might even have a copy of WOTG...[/quote]
I.e., probably not.

[mordraine]

So are you running WotG or HERO?

[devlin1]

I'm still reading through WotG. I already have about six characters built for a HERO game. The setting I have in mind is quite a bit different from WotG's: theirs is set in a relatively early period in Mythic China's history (around the 4th Century AD, IIRC), and mine's set shortly after the Qin invasion about a thousand years later. Not that setting couldn't be changed-- it's the game mechanics we're really interested in here, but even in that regard, if it's a HERO game, mechanically it'll be a very WotG-ish version of the HERO system.

So I dunno.

[Skyman]

Ok Wednesday will groove for me...expect me to do some kungfu fighting

[Skyman]

[quote="smartmonkey"]I'll be there. Listening to the Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon OST.[/quote]
Yes bring it baby! Yo Yo Ma got it going with the cello

[devlin1]

Alright, here are the character descriptions for tomorrow night's game. Most of them, anyway. The last will be up later today. I'm including all the textual information that'll be included on the character sheet, which is why it might be a little more detailed than you'd expect. However, since most of these characters are martial artists, it's important to know what they can do in combat and how their various style differ.

Also, I'm definitely using HERO, as WotG seems a lot more cartoony (not that that's a bad thing) than what I'm going for. But fear not. Like I said, we'll keep most of the game mechanics on my side of the screen. I'm up for another one-shot of WotG at a later date.

----

Fu Jin

BACKGROUND
Fu Jin's always lived on the fringe of society. When he was just a child his father abandoned the family, leaving Mother Fu to look after them on her own. His two older brothers filled the void by working hard in the family's laundry business (which was profitable but by no means a huge success), but even from a young age Jin's nature followed the path of his father. In other words, he's a drunkard, a gambler, a layabout, and the shame of his family. Somehow, he still greets the world with a smile. Maybe it's all the wine.

Jin learned Eight Drunken Fairies kung fu from a local master; although he wasn't able to afford lessons, the master was impressed with how quickly the boy took to the stances of this difficult style. Since students were hard to come by, he agreed to accept payment in barter, with the understanding that he'd never ask Fu Jin where or how he was acquiring rice balls and wine on a regular basis if Fu Jin promised not to volunteer the information.

PERSONALITY
Fu Jin's hard-scrabble life hasn't left much room for luxuries like morality. Impoverished and tempted all too often by thievery, he has no delusions of honor or integrity. Despite this, he can't lie to his mother, and it's not unusual for him to receive a beating at her hands for a theft he'd never admit to the authorities. On those rare occasions when he does manage to accumulate some cash, he's more likely to spend it on drink and companionship than on the necessities of life, and setting money aside is seemingly beyond his capacity. Regardless, he's a friendly, gregarious sort, and can get along with anyone-- provided they're not chasing after him shouting "Stop, thief!"

QUOTE
"Drinking gives Herculean strength!"

POWERS/TACTICS
Fu Jin is most effective when drunk. If you get into a fight, probably the best thing you can do during the first Turn is to start drinking, assuming alcohol's available. While you can use your Eight Drunken Fairies kung fu sober, it's much more effective when you've got a good buzz going. Because of your special training, you suffer none of the ill effects of inebriation, but instead become a stronger, faster, more effective martial artist.

Eight Drunken Fairies kung fu involves a lot of staggering around and surprise moves. Because of the unpredictability of your seemingly off-balance footwork, you're able to catch opponents off guard and exploit their weaknesses. To reflect this, your bonuses in hand-to-hand combat ("I Fight Better Drunk") must always favor offense over defense.

FAST STRIKE is your basic punch or kick.
LEGSWEEP does damage (but not as much as Fast Strike) and knocks your opponent prone.
SACRIFICE STRIKE is an all-out attack that makes you more vulnerable, but also does the most damage.
MARTIAL BLOCK is a defensive move you can use in response to being attacked.

The special powers you acquire when drunk are fueled by your ch'i, which, as a practitioner of Eight Drunken Fairies, you replenish by drinking alcohol. Each morning your Ch'i END Reserve starts at zero, but by drinking you build up enough ch'i to power your abilities for several minutes.

DRUNKEN TOUGHNESS represents your ability to shrug off some damage (through Armor and 25% Damage Reduction) while drunk.
DRUNKEN SURPRISE lets you pick up a chair, footstool, or other handy nearby object for use as an improvised weapon.
DRUNKEN FIRE BREATH involves taking a mouthful of alcohol and, by focusing your ch'i, igniting it as you spit it at your foes. It creates a broad cone that can catch multiple targets within a short range. This is a difficult technique that requires strong kung fu, which is why you need to make a roll on your KS: Eight Drunken Fairies Style to successfully use it.
DRUNKEN LUCK lets you fight multiple opponents more effectively. Remind your GM about it every time you're hit while fighting more than one guy.

[devlin1]

Old Fox

BACKGROUND
Youngsters don't respect their elders these days. Specifically, Old Fox's First Grandson clearly doesn't, because he had the gall to marry a termigant shrew like Pei Yi. As is customary, Old Fox has lived in their house for a few years now, and Pei Yi's constant nagging and disapproval of his lifestyle choice-- that is, sleeping, drinking, and eating all day while expecting to be waited on hand and foot-- has gone far beyond getting on his nerves. What's more, she seems to think he should help out around the house! Plus, her cooking is lousy and she never keeps enough rice wine on hand. Sometimes he wonders (aloud) if she's aware she's dealing with a kung fu master who's dedicated decades of his life to kung fu training.

Well, Old Fox has had enough. As soon as he received word that Second Grandson was about to get married in Nanjiang, he immediately made arrangements for the journey (this mostly involved calling First Grandson a weakling and a coward, and telling Pei Yi she wouldn't make a fit wife for a swine). Second Grandson doesn't know he's coming, of course, but there's certainly nothing wrong with attending his grandson's wedding. As Grandfather, it's Old Fox's right to demand shelter. And food. And wine. With any luck, Second Grandson has a better head on his shoulders-- and better taste in women-- than First Grandson.

PERSONALITY
Old Fox is an irascible curmudgeon who seems to want nothing more than to be left alone to sleep and drink. If provoked, however, he'll make sure whoever did the provoking understands the error of his ways.

QUOTE
"God damn it-- he sure knows his kung fu!"

POWERS/TACTICS
Old Fox's martial arts abilities are as varied and extensive as they are bizarre. His Sleeping Fist style isn't widely practiced. Those few who are familiar with it consider it somewhat comical and inferior, but masters like Old Fox are as deadly as any Shaolin warrior-monk, if not more so. The Legsweep and Punch maneuvers may be used with a club (e.g., his cane) to do a bit of extra damage. Old Fox commonly whacks people who irritate him with his cane anyway.

LEGSWEEP is a damaging attack which also knocks your opponent prone.
PUNCH is a basic attack. Self-explanatory.
SLEEPING THROW is a maneuver in which both you and your opponent fall prone; the difference is, he takes damage and you don't.
SLEEPING MAN FINISHING STRIKE can only be used against a prone target. It involves falling backwards upon your foe as a finishing move, and frequently follows the Waking Shout (see below) for added effectiveness.
SLEEPING MAN DODGE avoids your opponent's attack by falling prone as if asleep.
DEFENSIVE BLOCK is a standard defensive maneuver.
SLEEPING ESCAPE is a method of slipping out of a Grab by falling limp and sliding from your opponent's grasp.

Like most martial artists, Old Fox relies on his inner reserves of ch'i to perform the amazing abilities he's learned over his decades of training. Unlike most martial artists, however, the practitioner of Sleeping Fist replenishes his ch'i not through meditation, but through sleep. Even a few minutes of sacktime is enough for Old Fox, although he prefers much more.

Sleeping Fist's sole special technique is the WAKING SHOUT, a form of ki'ai shout which temporarily increases Old Fox's strength. The maneuver itself, however, is unique to his style. First he stretches wide, both arms extended, back arched, then simultaneously yawns and shouts at the top of his lungs. The drawback: within five minutes Old Fox must sleep.

VENGEFUL PORCUPINE TECHNIQUE is a most unusual maneuver. When Old Fox is struck by a weapon that sticks in his body, by concentrating for a moment and focusing his ch'i he can forcibly eject the missile and fire it back at an opponent.

[devlin1]

Leng Wu Cho

BACKGROUND
At one time, Leng Wu Cho was the most advanced student of Au Yeung, master of the Invincible Heavenly Sword. For years Wu Cho trained with a fierce dedication to his master, but that all ended in tragedy when the school was attacked by unknown assailants: practitioners of a sinuous, snakelike fighting style Wu Cho had never seen. As his fellow students were hewn down around him like wheat during the harvest and even Au Yeung was beset by the mysterious leader of the interlopers, Wu Cho realized that they must've been after the school's sacred scrolls. Like a whirlwind of steel and rage, he cut his way through their ranks until he reached the scrolls' secure hiding place. When they were safe in hand, he turned just in time to see his master impaled through the heart. Wu Cho didn't hesitate. He leapt at Au Yeung's killer, sword before him, and caught him by surprise. The force of his blow and the fury of his heart drove his jien into the murderer's back up to the hilt, and as the man struggled for breat, Wu Cho spoke in low tones through gritted teeth.

"That is for killing a great man," he said, and yanked his sword free in one smooth motion. But his foe had a final surprise. Instead of falling dead, the swordsman turned and neatly lopped off Wu Cho's left arm. The young student screamed and fell to his knees, tearing off his shirt to staunch the wound. Through sheer force of will he clung to life, and when he was finally strong enough to get to his feet he discovered that he was the last surviving student of the Invincible Heavenly Sword style. Though he had lost his arm and Au Yeung, the fact that he had saved the school's secret knowledge and avenged his master's murder was some consolation.

Or so he thought. A few months later, Wu Cho heard stories of a merciless Manchu warlord who practiced the same martial arts style as the men who'd attacked the Invincible Heavenly Sword school. Whoever this evil man was, Wu Cho was positive he was the real culprit behind the raid. It wasn't over after all. After retraining for nearly a year to compensate for the loss of his arm, Wu Cho has dedicated his life to tracking down this unknown cabal of fighters.

PERSONALITY
Wu Cho cares for little but revenge. However, in order to earn a living and freely travel the countryside in search of his avowed enemies, his has become a biao shi, or bodyguard. While he is a consummate professional who takes utmost pride in his work, he's merely biding his time. Perhaps stung by the shocking death of his master and all his fellow students, Wu Cho never allows himself to have friends-- only clients, business associates, and potential challenges.

QUOTE
"Trust? The only thing I can trust in this martial world is my sword."

POWERS/TACTICS
Wu Cho's Invincible Heavenly Sword style hits hard and fast. While he has learned to use it unarmed, it's meant primarily as an armed fighting style. Wu Cho's blade of choice is the jien, or Chinese broadsword.

FAST STRIKE/PUNCH is the style's basic strike, either with blade or fist.
SACRIFICE LUNGE/FLYING KICK is a moving maneuver in which your velocity adds to your damage. If armed, this involves flying through the air, sword first, towards your foe; unarmed, it's a classic flying kick.
PARRY/MARTIAL BLOCK is a defensive move you can use to protect yourself when attacked.
SACRIFICE DISARM provides an effective disarm maneuver at the expense of defense.

Despite his violent nature, Wu Cho replenishes his ch'i the traditional way: through meditation. Every morning his Ch'i END Reserve starts at zero and can be replenished by taking a few moments to focus and center himself. The Invincible Heavenly Sword style gives him access to a number of fantastic quasi-supernatural powers, all of which cost ch'i to use.

INVINCIBLE HEAVENLY STRIKE is a vicious attack that cuts through your foe's armor (and your foes) like so much butter.
SWORD ENERGY is a ranged attack you can use by focusing and projecting your ch'i energy through your sword. In effect, you are able to extend your blade to strike everything directly in your path.
ALL-DIRECTIONS SWORD ATTACK enables you to attack all opponents in a 12-meter radius in a single stroke. Useful for fighting off multiple attackers.
INVINCIBLE DEFLECTING BLADE is an all-out defensive move. By parrying with superhuman speed, you create a nigh-impassable wall of steel around you which only the most skilled swordsman can penetrate.

Wu Cho has also trained to use his iron-reinforced sword sheath to parry attacks, deflect incoming arrows, and even use as a bludgeon.

As when he recovered from the loss of his left arm, through strength of will Wu Cho can slowly heal his own wounds, given enough time, by focusing his ch'i.

[devlin1]

Wei Gao-Shu

BACKGROUND
Wei Gao-Shu hails from the famous Southern Shaolin Temple in Fujian province, where he has trained as a monk all his life. Though Emperor Kangxi has publicly supported Shaolin, Gao-Shu's mentor, Master Zhou, has confided in him that he suspects that over time the strength of the Shaolin Temple will be seen as a threat to the Manchu rule. After all, during the Han Dynasty, a standing army of 2,500 Shaolin warrior-monks had been retained by the Emperor, and it is no secret that most Shaolin monks feel a strong loyalty to the Han, though the Manchus have been in power for nearly two generations. Master Zhou's response to what he sees as the inevitable destruction of the Shaolin Temple is to send his finest students out across China to keep the Shaolin teachings alive-- and, if worthy pupils are found, to share what they've learned.

Gao-Shu is one of these wandering monks. He strongly shares Master Zhou's political views where the Manchus are concerned, and firmly believes in his mission to spread the good name of the Shaolin Temple. If the destruction of his school is inevitable, as Master Zhou has foreseen, the support of the common citizen will be vital to the survival of the Shaolin monks.

PERSONALITY
Gao-Shu is a quiet, contemplative man, trained for violent conflict but not prone to it. When faced with a problem, he would rather find a peaceful solution if possible. The trouble is, practically nobody else feels the same way, which means he finds himself in fights more frequently than he'd like (but at least they usually don't last long). Though Master Zhou's prediction makes it difficult for him to trust Manchus, he also recognizes that the common Manchu citizen is, at heart, a decent human being who deserves to be understood.

QUOTE
"The strength of the fist is nothing compared to the strength of the spirit."

POWERS/TACTICS
Gao-Shu is trained in two different forms of kung fu: Yielding Willow, a mostly defensive style which uses his opponent's strength against him, and Emperor Taizu Long Fist, a more traditional southern external style. In fact, so firmly does he believe in the open-hand Shaolin styles that he has sworn off the use of all weapons until he has mastered these two forms.

BLOCK is a defensive move and the core maneuver of Yielding Willow, whose offensive capabilities largely depend on blocking your opponent's attacks.
BLOCKING THROW is like the Block in most respects, except that it also involves throwing your opponent to the ground.
ESCAPE increases your chances of breaking an opponent's hold when Grabbed.
COUNTERSTRIKE is the primary attack of Yielding Willow, but can only be used after a Block or Blocking Throw.
OFFENSIVE COUNTERSTRIKE is like the Counterstrike in most respects, but it does more damage and leaves you more vulnerable to attack.

PUNCH is Emperor Taizu Long Fist Kung Fu's primary attack. "Southern Fist, Northern Kick," as the saying goes, and Emperor Taizu Long Fist Kung Fu is definitely a southern style.
TWO-PALM STRIKE is an all-out attack that uses both hands, causing more damage than a Punch but making it difficult for you to defend yourself immediately afterwards.
BODHIDHARMA PALM bypasses a foe's natural defenses by targeting specific pressure points to attack him where he is weakest. Nothing short of actual armor can protect against it.
DODGE is exactly as it sounds.

As a Shaolin monk, Gao-Shu relies on his store of ch'i energy to execute his secret Shaolin techniques. This is replenished through quiet meditation. Each morning, his Ch'i END Reserve starts at zero, but even a few minutes of meditation is enough to restore it.

NO-SHADOW STRIKE is a series of punches so rapid the eye can scarcely follow them. Oftentimes this one maneuver is enough to end a fight within seconds.
IRON FINGER TECHNIQUE is one of your favorite attacks, because it allows you to incapacitate your foe without harming him. Thanks to your in-depth knowledge of ch'i flow and Chinese medicine, you are able to strike your opponent in a series of pressure points which effectively paralyze him. Only the very strong or the very wise can escape the bonds of the Iron Finger Technique.
IRON ROBE TECHNIQUE renders you nigh-invulnerable to killing attacks through ch'i focusing and breath control. To allow for proper ch'i flow, however, a single channel somewhere on your body must be left open, and therefore vulnerable. Because of the southern styles' focus on the upper body, your open channel is your left foot.

Through his training, Gao-Shu has developed a peculiar sensitivity to the flow of ch'i energy, although he doesn't yet have the ability to control it. However, at times it provides unique insights to which most people, including his Shaolin brethren, would be blind.

[devlin1]

Li Chao-Xing, aka Silken Spear

BACKGROUND
Li Chao-Xing's father was a magistrate. Though he was Han, he managed to hang onto his position at a time when the Emperor was still encouraging Han involvement in government. The day a Manchu aristocrat arrived bearing the Imperial seal, however, everything changed. According to Imperial decree, all Han provincial magistrates were to be replaced with Manchus. The new magistrate, Feng Hui, immediately demoted Mr. Li to a menial position, then abused his newfound power to make the Han's life difficult. Then Hui crossed the line and demanded Chao-Xing's hand in marriage, offering a substantial bribe to grease the wheels. Impoverished and downtrodden though he was, Mr. Li nonetheless still had his pride; but Chao-Xing, over his objection, volunteered to marry Governor Feng to help her family out of debt. Money changed hands, and with a tear in her eye Chao-Xing became the Manchu's wife.

What Feng Hui didn't know, though, was that both Chao-Xing and her father were members of the White Lotus Society, a secret Han organization dedicated to expelling the Manchu invaders and putting an end to Emperor Kangxi's illegitimate rule. She had also trained in the Silken Spear technique, a fluid, northern kung fu style whose practitioners are able to use simple lengths of cloth as deadly weapons. That night, Chao-Xing killed Feng before he could lay a hand on her, using the linens of his own bridal bed to end his life.

Shortly afterwards, both Chao-Xing and her father fled the province, each in a different direction to throw off possible pursuit. Each had arranged to meet up with other White Lotus members, who would help them reunite after a few weeks, but when Chao-Xing arrived at the rendezvous points, she was shocked to find her contacts dead. Clearly Manchu assassins were one step ahead of them. Someone had to stop them before the entire White Lotus Society was compromised, and Chao-Xing resolved to take them on herself. Disguising herself in flowing white silk robes and a half-mask, she began to wage her own one-woman guerrilla war against the oppressive Manchu regime. In her "civilian" identity, she is an accomplished travelling musician, a cover which enables her to move about the province freely. For the Han, her ability to turn something as mundane as silk into a weapon of resistance has come to symbolize the rebellious spirit of her people. So closely is she identified with her kung fu that they call her Silken Spear.

PERSONALITY
Chao-Xing is the Robin Hood of her time and place. To her, her powerful kung fu and noble aims form a moral high road the Manchus are unable to walk. At the same time, she recognizes that not all Manchus are evil or corrupt; wherever innocents are threatened, she is there to protect them. However, she tends to favor the Han regardless of the circumstances. When she isn't fighting oppression as Silken Spear, she is a polite, friendly young woman of 20 who makes a decent living performing as a di-zi (flute) player for appreciative audiences.

QUOTE
"Down with the Manchu usurpers! The Mandate of Heaven belongs to the Han!"

POWERS/TACTICS
Silken Spear style is an open kung fu style typical of the North. By focusing her ch'i, Chao-Xing is able to give simple cloth (usually silk) the rigidity of a staff or spear (her "Feather Cracks the Stone" and "Wondrous Silken Lance" techniques, respectively). Even "unarmed," she is a formidable fighter, but when she has a length of silk in hand, few can match her.

THRUST/PUNCH is a straightforward attack and the most basic maneuver of the Silken Spear style.
LEAPING STRIKE/SPIN KICK is one of two moves. If armed, it is an attack wherein you leap straight up into the air and bring your weapon down upon your opponent, using your momentum to cause increased damage. If used with an open hand, it is a spin kick. In either case, a more powerful blow is exchanged for a sacrifice in defense.
FLYING DODGE is a defensive move that not only avoids your opponent's attack, but enables you to leave the area altogether. This is especially useful if you are surrounded by enemies.
PARRY/DEFENSIVE BLOCK is exactly what it sounds like. If armed, you parry with your weapon; if not, you redirect your foe's attack with your hand.

Silken Spear style is very ch'i-intensive. Chao-Xing replenishes her ch'i reserves each day through meditation, and the superhuman powers granted by her style are all variations of her ability to harden cloth.

FEATHER CRACKS THE STONE and WONDROUS SILKEN LANCE transform a sufficient length of cloth into the equivalent of a staff or spear.
SILKEN GRIP TECHNIQUE lets you use that same length of cloth to reach out and entangle a foe-- but while he's entangled, none of your other special attacks are available.
SILKEN WIND OF HEAVEN deflects incoming arrows or thrown objects through a combination of your fantastic speed and your incredible skill.
IMPASSABLE SILK BARRIER momentarily turns your cloth into a full-length shield large enough to protect yourself and one other.
SILKEN HANDS lets you reach and grab someone using your cloth. It can also be used to extend your other attacks to a short range.

[mordraine]

Dibs on Old Fox!