Chapter 1A: Aftermath

That old Weapons of the Gods game, now all archived and stuff
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Chapter 1A: Aftermath

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After the incident at the silkworm hatchery, the two surviving thieves (that is, the two who still have hands, don’t have arrows sticking through their necks, or aren’t lying in a pool of their own intestines) are carted off into Winding Silk City for questioning. The one Settling Stone humanely incapacitated with a whack of his wolf-teeth staff is down for the count; though alive, even a few hours later he still hasn’t come to. As for the other one, Xi-Tong’s lute string seems to have a detrimental effect on his vocal cords. Despite the best efforts of Wang Hsi Ping and Dutiful Fei, who insists on participating in the interrogation to make up for missing most of the fight, the defeated man is unable gasp out more than a plea for mercy before his voice fails him entirely.

Meanwhile, Scholar Xi-Tong carefully examines the men and becomes convinced they’re suffering from a minor Earth Element curse which encourages them to commit acts of folly. They’re not known locally, and they weren’t invitees to the martial arts tournament; nobody seems to know their names, but a few people Xi-Tong speaks with vaguely remember all five of the would-be thieves enjoying quite a few bowls of rice wine earlier at the Laughing Monk Tavern.

Settling Stone, after ensuring the thieves are securely transported (he drags the one by his ankle all the way back), returns to pavilions of the Heaven Sword clan to relate the tale of the afternoon’s events to his pupil, Princess Song Blossom, and her father, the renowned swordsman and clan patriarch Double-Edge Tan, using the story to illustrate certain Buddhist principles (namely, that the three dead thieves will be reincarnated as lower life forms, while the survivors still have a chance to achieve Nirvana by leading lives of moderation and wisdom). Double-Edge is taken by the monk’s dramatic narrative, but the princess seems detached and distracted. With an apology to her father and Settling Stone, she retires to her lavishly appointed tent, accompanied by two handservants.
Mike Olson
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Post by mordraine »

Scholar Xi-Tong pondered the implications of the Earth curse. Clearly someone was practicing Secret Arts. This should be investigated with subtlty. He considered discussing his discovery with Wang Hsi Ping and Settling Stone, but all three of them stomping into the Laughing Monk Tavern would be less than subtle, to be sure. So he decided to investigate on his own first, then report back on what he found out.

So, off the Scholar went, to have a bowl or two of rice wine. Before going, he strapped his lute on his back. Perhaps he'd play some tunes as well.
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[quote="mordraine"]Scholar Xi-Tong pondered the implications of the Earth curse. Clearly someone was practicing Secret Arts. This should be investigated with subtlty. He considered discussing his discovery with Wang Hsi Ping and Settling Stone, but all three of them stomping into the Laughing Monk Tavern would be less than subtle, to be sure. So he decided to investigate on his own first, then report back on what he found out.



So, off the Scholar went, to have a bowl or two of rice wine. Before going, he strapped his lute on his back. Perhaps he'd play some tunes as well.[/quote]

[color=#2d69b9][font=Verdana]The Laughing Monk Tavern was essentially an enclosed courtyard surrounded by a three-room structure in the shape of a horseshoe. A popular gathering place year-round, it’s especially packed during the New Year celebration. The early afternoon crowd was a jovial and inebriated lot, and no sooner had Xi-Tong entered than a handful of patrons, spotting the pipa on his back, shouted out for a song.[/font][/color]



[color=#2d69b9][font=Verdana]"Aiya, musician! Play 'Dance of the Yi People!'"[/font][/color]

[color=#2d69b9][font=Verdana]"'Flute and Drum at Sunset!"[/font][/color]

[color=#2d69b9][font=Verdana]"Come on, give us 'White Snow in a Sunny Spring!'"[/font][/color]



[color=#2d69b9][font=Verdana]Xi-Tong turned his head to look at them from within the obscuring shadows of his wide-brimmed hat. They ceased their shouts and sat][/color]



[color=#2d69b9][font=Verdana]He gave them "Ambushed from Ten Sides," a stirring martial piece well-known across Shen Zhou, and his rendition threatened to make the clouds weep from sadness. However, his audience in the tavern was significantly more… earthly.[/font][/color]



[color=#2d69b9][font=Verdana]"Here-I-Come! More wine here!"[/font][/color]

[color=#2d69b9][font=Verdana]"Quit being so demanding!" the proprietor yelled back from across the courtyard. He was sitting on a low stool eating a bowl of plums, his feet resting on a nearby cask of wine. "I'm a busy man!"[/font][/color]

[color=#2d69b9][font=Verdana]"Shut up, both of you! I'm trying to listen!"[/font][/color]



[color=#2d69b9][font=Verdana]Xi-Tong continued, undaunted, and by the time he'd finished the song the tavern was back to its rowdy self. He sighed.[/font][/color]



[color=#2d69b9][font=Verdana]"Wonderful!" A middle-aged woman trotted up to the scholar, apparently the only one in the place who'd listened to the whole piece. "Let me get you a bottle of wine."[/font][/color]



[color=#2d69b9][font=Verdana]Xi-Tong nodded sagely in response.[/font][/color]



[color=#2d69b9][font=Verdana]"Son! Wine!" the woman shrieked at the proprietor.[/font][/color]



[color=#2d69b9][font=Verdana]On the far side of the courtyard, the plum-eater spat out a pit unceremoniously. "Here I come, here I come," he said glumly, and, with a heavy sigh, got to his feet.[/font][/color]



[color=#2d69b9][font=Verdana]"Lazy layabout," the woman muttered, then remembered the scholar at her side and turned back to fawn over him some more. "It won't be three seconds, sir."[/font][/color]



[color=#2d69b9][font=Verdana]A couple minutes later, Here-I-Come brought Xi-Tong a ceramic bottle of wine as gracefully as if he were dumping a bucket of fish heads into a stew.[/font][/color]

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Post by mordraine »

Xi-Tong kept his composure as some of the wine sloshed out of the ceramic bottle onto his tunic. He nodded his head serenely at Here-I-Come and his mother.

"Thank you both, honorable proprietors. I've heard many good things about your wine. Some recent aquaintances of mine spoke very highly of it and recommended I come for a visit."

He poured a small amount into a wine bowl and sipped, then nodded appreciably and let out a sigh of contentment.

"My friends were here just last night, as a matter of fact. I was going to meet them but was unavoidably detained. Do you remember them?"

(Xi-Tong will give the woman and Here-I-Come a description of the thieves to jog their memory if needed)
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Post by J@ke »

Troubled by the agitation within the two families Settling Stone bids goodbye to Double-Edge makes his way to the quartermasters tent, gathers a large bowl of rice, a large bowl of noodles and broth, a plate of steamed vegetables, and as many leftover Nine-Devil Dumplings as he can find, and heads out of the encampment to find a peaceful place for meditation… and maybe a nap.
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Post by jimmy corrigan »

after the incident at the silkworm hatchery, hsi-ping takes the surviving interlopers back to qichao palace. on the road back the myriad questions about the silkworm bandits run through hsi-ping's mind (not to mention the humbling defeat at the martial arts tournament at the hands of righteous hand li, before his father and "brother" no less).

back in town, even though distracted by the day's events, he tries to compose himself while he interrogates the bandits. after a long session of interrogation, he absent-mindedly gestures to a guard, ordering him to "keep interrogating the dishonorable thieves until they talk" and leaves for his home.

at night, princess song blossom comes to mind in his peripheral thoughts. he finds he cannot sleep. he silently prepares to meet the princess at the township of the heaven sword clan, in an attempt to speak to her about their arranged future, and ultimately how she feels about it.
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[quote="mordraine"]Xi-Tong kept his composure as some of the wine sloshed out of the ceramic bottle onto his tunic. He nodded his head serenely at Here-I-Come and his mother.



"Thank you both, honorable proprietors. I've heard many good things about your wine. Some recent aquaintances of mine spoke very highly of it and recommended I come for a visit."



He poured a small amount into a wine bowl and sipped, then nodded appreciably and let out a sigh of contentment.



"My friends were here just last night, as a matter of fact. I was going to meet them but was unavoidably detained. Do you remember them?"



(Xi-Tong will give the woman and Here-I-Come a description of the thieves to jog their memory if needed)[/quote]

[color=#2d69b9][font=Verdana]Here-I-Come and his mother listened to the scholar's description of the men and shook their heads as one.[/font][/color]



[color=#2d69b9][font=Verdana]"Sorry," said the woman, "but I see too many customers every day to remember anyone in particular. Unless they stand out, of course, like yourself. Here-I-come, you good-for-nothing-- do you remember these men?"[/font][/color]



[color=#2d69b9][font=Verdana]"Huh?" The man's mind and attention had apparently already drifted.[/font][/color]



[color=#2d69b9][font=Verdana]She slapped the back of his head. "This one won't even remember you five minutes from now! Shameful! Scholar, do you see what I have to put up with in this one? What have I done to deserve such a disrespectful son? If only I had a learned man like yourself for a husband to set him straight."[/font][/color]



[color=#2d69b9][font=Verdana]Xi-Tong took another drink of wine. It suddenly occurred to him that [i]he[/i] could be the one to marry her and forge Here-I-Come into a decent man. Surely no one else in Winding Silk was wiser than Xi-Tong-- or more handsome, for that matter. She'd be lucky to have him as a husband! With the way the Laughing Monk was doing business, she'd make him a wealthy man. And anyone who could turn her lugubrious son into a respectable member of society would [i]surely[/i]--[/font][/color]



[color=#2d69b9][font=Verdana]The scholar's keenly trained mind put a stop to these thoughts. Focusing his self-awareness, he quickly realized this sudden impulse was coming from outside himself. It was the same Earth Curse he'd detected on the two surviving thieves that'd encouraged them towards foolish acts of their own. Xi-Tong, superior as he was to those thugs, easily shrugged off the curse once he became aware of it.[/font][/color]



[color=#2d69b9][font=Verdana]Another look at the proprietress was enough to convince him that only a curse could have made marrying this woman seem attractive. Had [i]she [/i]cursed him? Then it came to him. It wasn't her. It was her wine.[/font][/color]

Mike Olson
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Post by devlin1 »


[quote="J@ke"]Troubled by the agitation within the two families Settling Stone bids goodbye to Double-Edge makes his way to the quartermasters tent, gathers a large bowl of rice, a large bowl of noodles and broth, a plate of steamed vegetables, and as many leftover Nine-Devil Dumplings as he can find, and heads out of the encampment to find a peaceful place for meditation… and maybe a nap.[/quote]
*roll* You find a place to nap! Whew. Danger at every turn!


[quote="jimmy corrigan"]after the incident at the silkworm hatchery, hsi-ping takes the surviving interlopers back to qichao palace. on the road back the myriad questions about the silkworm bandits run through hsi-ping's mind (not to mention the humbling defeat at the martial arts tournament at the hands of righteous hand li, before his father and "brother" no less).



back in town, even though distracted by the day's events, he tries to compose himself while he interrogates the bandits. after a long session of interrogation, he absent-mindedly gestures to a guard, ordering him to "keep interrogating the dishonorable thieves until they talk" and leaves for his home.



at night, princess song blossom comes to mind in his peripheral thoughts. he finds he cannot sleep. he silently prepares to meet the princess at the township of the heaven sword clan, in an attempt to speak to her about their arranged future, and ultimately how she feels about it.[/quote]

I take this to mean that you're not doing anything until the next day. Correct? If so, you are successful in not sleeping and in thinking.

Mike Olson
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Post by jimmy corrigan »


[quote="devlin1"]I take this to mean that you're not doing anything until the next day. Correct? If so, you are successful in not sleeping and in thinking.[/quote]well, no. like i said, before my bout of insomnia, i do interrogate the surviving thieves:



in a quiet and metered, yet unsettlingly severe tone hsi-ping asks each bandit square in the eye (ooc: with the aid of [i]extraordinary courtier technique-exploitation of sorrows*),[/i] "who are you?.. surely, you men do not wish to join your departed brethren in the afterlife? i happen to know that the leader of this clan is severe with his punishments for theft. no doubt he will ask for your lives. and for what? an attempt at taking silkworms? a pitiful, and trite death... i can help keep that from happening. all you have to do is cooperate. why have you done this? i beseech you to please help me to ask the leader of the qichao clan, my father, to spare your lives... i ask again, why have you done this and who are you working for?"







*it's nice having a thread with our character sheets.

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Post by J@ke »

Hey danger finds Stone, not the other way around.
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Post by devlin1 »


[quote="jimmy corrigan"]well, no. like i said, before my bout of insomnia, i do interrogate the surviving thieves:[/quote]
Ah, okay. That's the source of my misunderstanding. When you skip ahead past the day's events and start going into what your character does hours later, I just assume that the point at which you leave things is the point at which you expect me to pick things up. Know what I mean? E.g., Andy told me that Xi-Tong wanted to go to the Laughing Monk, but he didn't then go into where he'd eat dinner later, what he'd do before going to sleep that night, etc. If you skip ahead, I'll skip ahead with you and assume that everything in between is to be left as is.



Who knows, maybe spending more time on something earlier in the day, like interrogating those guys, will alter your evening plans.


[quote="jimmy corrigan"]*it's nice having a thread with our character sheets.[/quote]
Agreed. Handy.

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Post by jimmy corrigan »


[quote="devlin1"]Ah, okay. That's the source of my misunderstanding. When you skip ahead past the day's events and start going into what your character does hours later, I just assume that the point at which you leave things is the point at which you expect me to pick things up. Know what I mean? E.g., Andy told me that Xi-Tong wanted to go to the Laughing Monk, but he didn't then go into where he'd eat dinner later, what he'd do before going to sleep that night, etc. If you skip ahead, I'll skip ahead with you and assume that everything in between is to be left as is.



Who knows, maybe spending more time on something earlier in the day, like interrogating those guys, will alter your evening plans.[/quote]
point taken. sorry for the confucian (ha!). so yeah, omit the last paragraph in my first post about the insomnia and let's take it from the interrogation.

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[quote="jimmy corrigan"]
[color=#2d69b9][font=Verdana]In a quiet and metered, yet unsettlingly severe tone Hsi-Ping asks [b]the conscious bandit [/b]square in the eye, "Who are you? Surely you men do not wish to join your departed brethren in the afterlife. I happen to know that the leader of this clan is severe with his punishments for theft. No doubt he will ask for your lives. And for what? An attempt at taking silkworms? A pitiful, and trite death... I can help keep that from happening. All you have to do is cooperate. Why have you done this? I beseech you to please help me to ask the leader of the Qichao clan, my father, to spare your lives... I ask again, why have you done this and who are you working for?"[/font][/color][/quote]

[color=#2d69b9][font=Verdana]They don't call Hsi-Ping "Golden Tongue Blade" for nothing. His words clearly have a profound effect on the terrified man, who swallows painfully and opens his mouth in an attempt to answer, but only manages to croak out a few incomprehensible syllables before wincing in agony. Xi-Tong's lute string, as Confucius would say, has really done a number on him. Were the thief able to speak, Hsi-Ping knows he would tell him everything. He need only wait.[/font][/color]



[color=#2d69b9][font=Verdana]"Do you not know to whom you speak?" Dutiful Fei asks angrily. "This is Wang Hsi-Ping, second son of the Qichao clan, and my brother! Did not Confucius stress the importance of obeying one's superiors? Are you so offensive to Heaven as to refuse a prince? Your defiance can only mean your death! If you know your place, dog, you'll do as you're told!"[/font][/color]



[color=#2d69b9][font=Verdana]By the time he's through, Dutiful Fei has gotten pretty worked up. He turns away from the captive, who's virtually wetting himself with fear. "I'm sorry, brother-- please forgive me," he says to Hsi-Ping, clasping his hands together respectfully. "It's difficult to maintain my temper knowing how these men have violated our clan."[/font][/color]







[color=#2d69b9][font=Verdana]P.S.: Based on what it looked like you were trying to accomplish, I used your Secret Arts in a slightly different way from what you'd said. Your Exploitation of Sorrows Technique would've only been a temporary measure, and not really suited to what you're trying to do here-- that is, make the guy feel so sorry for what he'd done that he'd crack. Here's what I had him do instead.[/font][/color]



[color=#2d69b9][font=Verdana]First, he used his Story of Self to "discover" (that is, create) a Minor Grief Passion in the man (Minor instead of Trivial because he rolled a 27 on his Awareness when he only needed a 15-- a Critical Success). From this, he used the Yin-Yang Technique to create a Benevolence Inspiration, encouraging the guy to help others (specifically, Hsi-Ping). His Inspire roll for this was a 43-- very delicious! After that, he was all about helping you, as indicated above. So that's how that went down. Does that make sense?[/font][/color]

Mike Olson
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Post by mordraine »


[quote="devlin1"][color=#2d69b9][font=Verdana]Another look at the proprietress was enough to convince him that only a curse could have made marrying this woman seem attractive. Had [i]she [/i]cursed him? Then it came to him. It wasn't her. It was her wine.[/font][/color][/quote]

Xi-Tong looked from the proprietress to the bottle of wine, his thoughtful expression hidden by the shadows of his rain hat.



"I regret, good woman, that I would not be a fit husband," replied the scholar. "My life is such that I could not commit to such a worthy cause. No one can see their reflection in running water. It is only in still water that we can see." He made the tone in his voice sound a trifle regretful.



"I am, however, highly impressed with your wine!" He added, the inflection in his voice more cheerful. "You must tell me where you get it!"

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Post by jimmy corrigan »


[quote="devlin1"][color=#2d69b9][font=Verdana]First, he used his Story of Self to "discover" (that is, create) a Minor Grief Passion in the man (Minor instead of Trivial because he rolled a 27 on his Awareness when he only needed a 15-- a Critical Success). From this, he used the Yin-Yang Technique to create a Benevolence Inspiration, encouraging the guy to help others (specifically, Hsi-Ping). His Inspire roll for this was a 43-- very delicious! After that, he was all about helping you, as indicated above. So that's how that went down. Does that make sense?[/font][/color][/quote]
works for me.

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Post by jimmy corrigan »

golden tongue blade asked a servant standing outside the holding room, "boy, fetch me a calligraphy brush, ink and a scroll of paper at once." when the dutiful servant returned hsi-ping laid out the items before the theif and instructed him to write down what he could not speak.
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[quote="jimmy corrigan"][color=#2d69b9][font=Verdana]Golden Tongue Blade asked a servant standing outside the holding room, "Boy, fetch me a calligraphy brush, ink and a scroll of paper at once." When the dutiful servant returned Hsi-Ping laid out the items before the thief and instructed him to write down what he could not speak.[/font][/color][/quote]
[color=#2d69b9][font=Verdana]"An excellent idea, brother," Dutiful Fei says, and looks the prisoner in the eye. "Do you see the resourcefulness of the Qichao princes? Surely you have no choice now but to confess."[/font][/color]



[color=#2d69b9][font=Verdana]The man's gaze darts fearfully from Hsi-Ping to Dutiful Fei like a trapped beast. Finally he reaches out a trembling hand for the brush. Leaning on his right elbow and dipping the brush into the ink, he begins to write. His calligraphy is clumsy and unpleasant, but Hsi-Ping can't be sure whether that's a product of his education or his nerves. The captive makes a fair mess of things, spattering ink liberally across page and table alike, but as Hsi-Ping takes the paper from him he sees that it's at least legible. Dutiful Fei looks on over his brother's shoulder.[/font][/color]



[i][color=#2d69b9][font=Verdana]"Leader dies when you attack us. Please do not kill me too please."[/font][/color][/i]

Mike Olson
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[quote="mordraine"]Xi-Tong looked from the proprietress to the bottle of wine, his thoughtful expression hidden by the shadows of his rain hat.



"I regret, good woman, that I would not be a fit husband," replied the scholar. "My life is such that I could not commit to such a worthy cause. No one can see their reflection in running water. It is only in still water that we can see." He made the tone in his voice sound a trifle regretful.



"I am, however, highly impressed with your wine!" He added, the inflection in his voice more cheerful. "You must tell me where you get it!"[/quote]

[color=#2d69b9][font=Verdana]She bowed her head and clasped her hands. "You honor us, sir," she said, and kicked Here-I-Come, who also offered tokens of respect, albeit belatedly. "Truly you have a discriminating palate. We make our own wine here, following a centuries-old recipe. The wine you're drinking now has been aged for five years underground. My son only just opened this batch yesterday."[/font][/color]



[color=#2d69b9][font=Verdana]Here-I-Come pointed across the courtyard at the collection of prodigious ceramic jugs among which he'd been enjoying his plums. "Two dozen I had to dig up and carry out here, all by myself! Is it any wonder I want to be left alone and get some rest?"[/font][/color]

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Post by jimmy corrigan »


[quote="devlin1"][color=#2d69b9][font=Verdana]"An excellent idea, brother," Dutiful Fei says, and looks the prisoner in the eye. "Do you see the resourcefulness of the Qichao princes? Surely you have no choice now but to confess."[/font][/color]



[color=#2d69b9][font=Verdana]The man's gaze darts fearfully from Hsi-Ping to Dutiful Fei like a trapped beast. Finally he reaches out a trembling hand for the brush. Leaning on his right elbow and dipping the brush into the ink, he begins to write. His calligraphy is clumsy and unpleasant, but Hsi-Ping can't be sure whether that's a product of his education or his nerves. The captive makes a fair mess of things, spattering ink liberally across page and table alike, but as Hsi-Ping takes the paper from him he sees that it's at least legible. Dutiful Fei looks on over his brother's shoulder.[/font][/color]



[i][color=#2d69b9][font=Verdana]"Leader dies when you attack us. Please do not kill me too please."[/font][/color][/i][/quote]

“as i have already said, we can ask for our father to grant you clemency if you cooper—“ after a pause golden tongue blade reconsiders his diction and says, “I give you my word, we won’t kill you if you help us… who was this leader we killed? whose idea was it to steal the silkworms?” playing good cop to dutiful fei’s bad cop, hsi-ping does his best to suppress his frustration and carries on in a compassionate and sober manner.

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Post by mordraine »


[quote="devlin1"][color=#2d69b9][font=Verdana]She bowed her head and clasped her hands. "You honor us, sir," she said, and kicked Here-I-Come, who also offered tokens of respect, albeit belatedly. "Truly you have a discriminating palate. We make our own wine here, following a centuries-old recipe. The wine you're drinking now has been aged for five years underground. My son only just opened this batch yesterday."[/font][/color]



[color=#2d69b9][font=Verdana]Here-I-Come pointed across the courtyard at the collection of prodigious ceramic jugs among which he'd been enjoying his plums. "Two dozen I had to dig up and carry out here, all by myself! Is it any wonder I want to be left alone and get some rest?"[/font][/color][/quote]


Xi-Tong got up from the table and walked slowly to the large jugs. He put his hands on them and slowly felt their texture.



"A truly impressive feat, Here-I-Come, to have dug them up by yourself," declared the scholar solemnly. "And I'll wager there were several people around watching you and not giving a helping hand at all."



(OOC - I admit to not really knowing what to do next. Could I examine the jugs and determine if they've been cursed? Could I tell if they've been cursed for 5 years? Do curses have to be purposefully placed, or can they occur spontaneously? Would I be able to trace the source of the curse? Also, Xi-Tong is fishing to find out if someone might have been on-hand who'd know how to curse the wine, if perhaps it was cursed after being dug up... and for one last thing to check, since it seems that Here-I-Come is slightly less than forthright, is it possible that these are actually someone else's wine jugs? Are there any markings on them?)

Hey man, I'm slinging volume and fat stacking benjies, you know what I mean? I can't be all about spelling and shit!
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Post by devlin1 »


[quote="mordraine"]
[color=#2d69b9][font=Verdana]Xi-Tong got up from the table and walked slowly to the large jugs. He put his hands on the wine and carefully felt their texture. Here-I-Come and his mother shared a perplexed look, then followed after him, still sharing it.



"A truly impressive feat, Here-I-Come, to have dug them up by yourself," declared the scholar solemnly. "And I'll wager there were several people around watching you and not giving a helping hand at all."[/font]
[/color]
[/quote]
[color=#2d69b9][font=Verdana][color=#2d69b9][font=Verdana]Here-I-Come opened his mouth to reply, but his mother interrupted him.[/font][/color]



[color=#2d69b9][font=Verdana]"Please, good scholar, don't encourage him!" she admonished Xi-Tong.[/font][/color]



[/font]
[/color]

[quote="mordraine"](OOC - I admit to not really knowing what to do next. Could I examine the jugs and determine if they've been cursed? [/quote]
You determine that yes, they've been cursed. Anyone drinking the wine within is encouraged to commit acts of folly.



(If you want the numbers, it has Recovery 20, Duration 1, Interval 1 Scene. You shook it off immediately.)


[quote="mordraine"]Could I tell if they've been cursed for 5 years?[/quote]
No, but it seems likely, given the circumstances.


[quote="mordraine"]Do curses have to be purposefully placed, or can they occur spontaneously?[/quote]
Occasionally, a curse can occur spontaneously within a person, but where an inanimate object is involved, it's more likely that, as they say, a wizard did it.


[quote="mordraine"]Would I be able to trace the source of the curse?[/quote]
Through normal investigative means, yes. The Dao probably won't help you here (and even if it did, it's probably tell you something like "The guy who placed the curse who can be named is not the true guy who placed the curse"). The Secret Arts of Predictionism probably could, though, but you don't know them, so... no.


[quote="mordraine"]Also, Xi-Tong is fishing to find out if someone might have been on-hand who'd know how to curse the wine, if perhaps it was cursed after being dug up... [/quote]
The easiest way to find out about that would be to ask Here-I-Come and/or his mom. You feel that, given the rapport you've established with them, you could probably do just that, although it'd take a Grace roll to do it well. That is, without alarming them. Too much, anyway.


[quote="mordraine"]and for one last thing to check, since it seems that Here-I-Come is slightly less than forthright, is it possible that these are actually someone else's wine jugs? Are there any markings on them?)[/quote]
They're plain white ceramic jugs, not entirely clean of dirt. No markings that you can see.

Mike Olson
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Post by devlin1 »


[quote="jimmy corrigan"]
[color=#2d69b9][font=Verdana]“As I have already said, we can ask for our father to grant you clemency if you cooper—“ After a pause Golden Tongue Blade reconsiders his diction and says, “I give you my word, we won’t kill you if you help us… who was this leader we killed? Whose idea was it to steal the silkworms?” Playing good cop to Dutiful Fei’s bad cop, Hsi-Ping does his best to suppress his frustration and carries on in a compassionate and sober manner.[/font][/color][/quote]
[color=#2d69b9][font=Verdana]The man nods and immediately winces in pain][/color]



[i][color=#2d69b9][font=Verdana]"Fierce Shadow. Hired me. His plan. I know nothing. Please help. Pain. Great pain."[/font][/color][/i]



[OOC: Just in case you do want to help the guy with his wounded neck/throat, you do have a doctor available. Just throwing that out there.]

Mike Olson
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Post by jimmy corrigan »

"boy, don't just stand there. can't you see that this man is in a tremendous amount of pain? go tell chiang, the healer that i require his presence immediately," commands hsi-ping to the palace servant.

he looks over to the mute thief again and with calm says, "you will soon learn that wang hsi-ping is a man of his word. now that you have aided us, i will do my best to convince my father to spare your life. however, also know this: the man that goes by 'fierce shadow' who exchanged his coin for your dirty work will not be treated with such grace in the afterlife. this i assure you." the look of golden tongue's conviction pierces the mute thief causing him to forget his pain for the moment. it occurs to him that this pain is but a taste compared to what fierce shadow felt when he was slain.

waiting a moment, after the ink has dried, hsi-ping unceremoniously takes the scroll of paper with fierce shadow's name clumsily scrawled on it, tucks it in his silken sleeve and silently retires to his chambers.
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Post by devlin1 »


[quote="jimmy corrigan"] it occurs to him that this pain is but a taste compared to what fierce shadow will feel if he is ever caught. or worse, what will happen to the thief if fierce shadow ever finds out who sold him out.[/quote]
OOC: Just to clarify, if what the guy has told you is true, you've already caught Fierce Shadow. He's currently missing either his hands, his intestines, or an arrow-free throat.
[quote][i]"Leader dies when you attack us. Please do not kill me too please."[/i][/quote]
However, death provides no certain escape from righteous punishment. You can defile his corpse or otherwise make things miserable for him in the afterlife.

Mike Olson
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Post by jimmy corrigan »

[ooc: screwed that up royal, din't i? for some reason i mistook fierce shadow for a mr. johnson (Fierce Shadow. Hired me) not disemboweled/armless dead guy (Leader dies when you attack us). oops.

i'll make appropriate edits above. as a first-time pbp-er, i appreciate your patience.]
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Post by devlin1 »


[quote="jimmy corrigan"][ooc: misread that royal, din't i? for some reason i mistook fierce shadow for a mr. johnson [i](Fierce Shadow. Hired me)[/i] not disemboweled/armless dead guy [i](Leader dies when you attack us).[/i] oops.



i'll make appropriate edits. as a first-time pbp-er, i appreciate your patience.][/quote]

I'm only [i]typing [/i]patience. Inside, I'm a seething ball of rage. And Triscuits.

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Post by jimmy corrigan »

you should get that looked at.
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Post by devlin1 »


[quote="jimmy corrigan"]"boy, don't just stand there. can't you see that this man is in a tremendous amount of pain? go tell chiang, the healer that i require his presence immediately," commands hsi-ping to the palace servant.[/quote]
The servant bows sharply and runs off in search of Doctor Chiang without a word.


[quote="jimmy corrigan"]he looks over to the mute thief again and with calm says, "you will soon learn that wang hsi-ping is a man of his word. now that you have aided us, i will do my best to convince my father to spare your life. however, also know this: the man that goes by 'fierce shadow' who exchanged his coin for your dirty work will not be treated with such grace in the afterlife. this i assure you." the look of golden tongue's conviction pierces the mute thief causing him to forget his pain for the moment. it occurs to him that this pain is but a taste compared to what fierce shadow felt when he was slain.[/quote]
OOC: Yeah, no shit. None of those three really had what could be called anything less than a horrific death.


[quote="jimmy corrigan"]waiting a moment, after the ink has dried, hsi-ping unceremoniously takes the scroll of paper with fierce shadow's name clumsily scrawled on it, tucks it in his silken sleeve and silently retires to his chambers.[/quote]
Later in the evening, Hsi-Ping receives word that Doctor Chiang has successfully treated the man's fire system expects him to regain his speech by the morning. Apart from that, the night is uneventful, and Hsi-Ping is able to have his insomnia in peace, if such a thing is possible.

Mike Olson
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Post by jimmy corrigan »

[ooc: should i pbp the next in-game day? in other words, when did you want us to stop posting and want to pick up the next time we actually meet up?]
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Post by devlin1 »


[quote="jimmy corrigan"][ooc: should i pbp the next in-game day? in other words, when did you want us to stop posting and want to pick up when we actually meet up?][/quote]
I'll finish up with Xi-Tong's thing first, then move on to everyone else on the morrow. I'd also do something with Sam's Guy (and Settling Stone, who would be connected to that) if only he'd send me a character sheet. However, if those two aren't dealt with before we meet face-to-face, it's not big deal; I'll just open with it on the day.



But as long as I'm on the subject: Sam, if you're out there... this is another one of those times when I ask you to send me your character sheet.

Mike Olson
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Post by SpaceMonkey »

[quote="devlin1"]I'll finish up with Xi-Tong's thing first, then move on to everyone else on the morrow. I'd also do something with Sam's Guy (and Settling Stone, who would be connected to that) if only he'd send me a character sheet. However, if those two aren't dealt with before we meet face-to-face, it's not big deal]

I know, that guy's such a slacker lately! Geez! Oh wait, that's me.. darn. Well, I stick by my statement.

Oh honored master of the wulin ways, I shall do it post haste. Like now even. And I ordered the book, that counts for something, right? :biggrin:

Seriously though, I've been doing 6 day work weeks on 2 jobs and GMing my off day. I'll carve out some time at work today (I did manage to burn my stuff to CD and bring it in, so I'm good to go, I hope).
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Post by devlin1 »


[quote="dnd3eplayer"]I know, that guy's such a slacker lately! Geez! Oh wait, that's me.. darn. Well, I stick by my statement.



Oh honored master of the wulin ways, I shall do it post haste. Like now even. And I ordered the book, that counts for something, right? :biggrin:



Seriously though, I've been doing 6 day work weeks on 2 jobs and GMing my off day. I'll carve out some time at work today (I did manage to burn my stuff to CD and bring it in, so I'm good to go, I hope).[/quote]

Good stuff. But don't bother with all that kowtowing-- not now, anyway. Save it for Sunday, when I see you in person, so I can make sure you're actually doing it.

Mike Olson
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Post by mordraine »

(OOC1 - okay so a little birdy told me I should change my tactics)
(OOC2 - also, I have no points in Grace, since you mentioned that might help. But my Presence is 2 if that means anything.)

Xi-Tong slowly stood from the earthen jugs and turned back to face Here-I-Come and his mother.

"I don't mean to alarm you, but it appears that your wine is cursed. Would you know how this happened?"

As he asked that he prepared himself to attempt to remove the curse.
Hey man, I'm slinging volume and fat stacking benjies, you know what I mean? I can't be all about spelling and shit!
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Post by devlin1 »


[quote="mordraine"]Xi-Tong slowly stood from the earthen jugs and turned back to face Here-I-Come and his mother.



"I don't mean to alarm you, but it appears that your wine is cursed. Would you know how this happened?"[/quote]

[color=#2d69b9][font=Verdana]“Cursed?!” they both shouted at once, but Xi-Tong was already at work muttering incantations and tracing patterns in the air. He closed his eyes and pressed two fingers against one of the jugs. It was now clean. One down, many more to go. And that wasn't all.[/font][/color]



[color=#2d69b9][font=Verdana]“But that means—all our customers—” She couldn’t finish her sentence, but she didn’t have to.[/font][/color]



[color=#2d69b9][font=Verdana]OOC: We'll use one Learning roll to determine whether you can remove the curse from all the jugs and patrons. Since you got a 26, you can. It'll just take time.[/font][/color]

Mike Olson
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