[IC] An Oriental Story [Martial Arts Themed RP] - LF Force Master

[Holy Soldier]

Tu

Tu, a land of myth and beauty and ruled by the four gods, or otherwise known as The Four Heavenly Kings. The wisdom of the kings were passed down to four wisemen, known to mortals as the Four Grandmasters:

Zhi Ming, The Black Tortoise of the North, who is head of the Iron Tortoise School of Kung Fu.

Ling Guang, The Phoenix or The Red Bird of the South, who is head of the Weifong Temple.

Meng Zhang, The Dragon of the East, who is head of [To be named by a player].

Jian Bing, The White Tiger or sometimes, The Kirin of the West, who is head of the Blade Master school.

There has been an evil, stirring, festering, and spreading, corrupting everyone and everything it touches. It seeks to upset the balance and lead the world straight into blood and destruction. Six warriors from around the world will gather to diffuse the evil and bring harmony back to Tu. It is a battle that cannot be fought alone. They will have to rely on each others' strength to overcome the pain and suffering the Dark Chi brings. Will they be able to stop its infectious nature before it consumes the world?

[Holy Soldier]

The sun no longer shines on this place. Black clouds cover the sky and an eerie fog encases the school.

The Iron Tortoise School of Kung Fu was the first to submit to the darkness. A week before, Grandmaster Zhi Ming went missing. The master’s absence was a closely-guarded secret in the case someone or something threatened to take advantage of the school’s vulnerability, but somehow, the secret had escaped to the ears of one wicked man. Black clouds enveloped the sky when the sorcerer, Guozhi Han (Click for image), came to the school, and ever since, the sun has not shined on the place. He arrived escorted by the traitor, Bao Wang (click for image), a fighter much larger than Fang Yin, the grandmaster’s star pupil. Bao felt that he had finally acquired the power that he needed to best Fang Yin and claim the title as the strongest kung fu master in all of Tu. Even with all of Han’s dark ki, and despite all the destruction it brought to the school, Fang bested Bao and was certain he would best Han soon after, when the sorcerer uncovered his one weakness from the rubble. Sorcerer Han held Chenguang, Fang’s little sister, in his wicked clutches and threatened to pump her full of dark chi if he did not surrender. Scared for his sister’s life, Fang surrendered himself and the school. Bao shamed Fang before Chenguang’s eyes, the child forced to watch her brother get beaten and hung from the school wearing a scroll that welcomed visitors to the new Iron Tortoise School ran by Grandmaster Bao Wang.

As much as Han wanted to give Bao the satisfaction of humiliating Fang, he knew who the strong warrior truly was. Even while Bao was infused with dark chi, he still hadn’t been strong enough to beat him. There were still three other schools Han was interested in claiming under the dark influence. Why would he do it himself when he could send Grandmaster Ming’s strongest student to claim the schools for him? After all, if he was able to do so successfully, then Fang just proved to be an invaluable servant. If not, then it was no waste on his part.

Manipulating Bao Wang into believing that he would soon own four schools, Han was able to use both martial artists in his plans. He performed a ceremony to imbue Fang’s body with dark chi and sent him east to the Force Master School.

Do you have what it takes to take on the whole school?

Gouzhi Han has made a lair for himself deep within the school. It is accessible from the Grandmaster’s Shrine. From the main floor behind where the grandmaster sits, there is a stairwell hidden by magic that ki-users can dispel. The stairwell winds all the way down to a dark basement lit only by torchlight, and where the air is thick with dark ki. Guozhi Han sits in meditation at the center of a stone chamber with Chenguang in a black cage with bars crackling with dark ki.

But! Before one manages to get there, there are several dark chi possessed kung fu masters our brave heroes have to fight. Understand that these kung fu masters were once good people, and can still be if the heroes manage to purge their bodies of the dark chi. By incapacitating the former students, the heroes may manage to calm them down long enough to rid their bodies of the dark chi’s influence (if they possess healing capabilities, if not, then defeating Guozhi Han is the best method).

They also have to defeat the GM-controlled Bao Wang. He is just a treacherous bastard who is willingly evil and doesn’t really need to be spared. However, whatever your characters decide to do will have consequences, whether positive or negative.

Kung Fu Masters are primarily unarmed combatants. They are not capable of projecting ki. Under the dark chi’s influence, they are like wild beasts without any conscience restraint. They will fight at optimum ferocity without any morals holding them back.

Bao Wang is a GM-controlled NPC. So while, players have free liberty to fight kung fu masters however they would like, Bao Wang will be controlled by the GM and so players can expect a moderate-level of difficulty. He is the mini boss before the main boss after all.

Enemy Numbers

Kung Fu Masters: 100
Bao Wang: 1
Guozhi Han: 1

Player Goals: Defeat all enemies and rescue Chenguang!

Player Liberties

1. You are free to write your own fights against the kung fu masters and make them as badass as you want.
2. Do not control any GM characters. There are three in this scenario: Guozhi Han, Bao Wang, and Chenguang.
3. Be careful with transitions. This is the advanced section. Transitions should not be an issue.

[Milkman]

The west – Temple of the Kirin

The west is a region of Tu that is renowned for it's swordmasters and weapon smiths. Some would even argue that the fist sword was made in this region. Needless to say is that the people of The West honor their ancient tradions. To become a master swordsman is regarded as one of the highest honors a man can achieve. People who never have visted the west often believe that there are more swordsmanship schools then rice farms in the region. That however is not true. Last week a new ricefarm was opened and it is now a draw. That is how the joke goes. However there are many swordmanshipschools and the most famous is the Temple of the Kirin, headed by grandmaster Jian bing.

The Temple of the Kirin is a huge complex. It is not only a school for swordsmanship but also a place of worship. A place where comon people can go to bring offerings for The white tiger, say a prayer or for spiritual guidance. At the western corner lies the School of Grandmaster Jian Bing. The school itself is a walled complex measuring about 3 acres in size. Within the walls there are several buildings, all located around a large courtyard where most of the training takes place. Some buildings where dormentories while others are training halls. Legend goes that the school of Jian Bing was the first swordmanshipschool in all of Tu.

Most students where send to the school by their masters. Hoping on a chance to study under the grandmaster himself. However getting entry is not that easy, in fact most wannabe aprentices get turrned down before even laying an eye on Grandmaster Bing himself. Initial selection is done by the grandmaster's first apprentice, master Dao Wong.

Dao was standing inside the courtyard. In front of him where dozens of swordsmen, all sitting on their knees waiting patiently for their turn. The large Lyn looked at the men and simply yelled “next”. A pale skinned Jin stood up and walked towards master Wong. As Dao wanted to hand over a boken (wooden practise sword) to the man the guys simply smirked and drew his sword. As the sunlight bounced of from the shiny blade, the man spoke. “I don't need such a child toy! I will simply kill you here and become the grandmaster's apprentice.” Dao nodded and pointed his boken at the man. “as you wish”

The Jin charged at the large Lyn and raised his sword for an attack. As he brougth his sword down to slash the Tiger Dao moved forward with great speed, striking with his wooden sword at the man's thump. The sound of bones crack filled the air as the man grabbed his thump. Yelling in agony “You broke it! You my thump you motherfucker! How am I going to hold a sword now, you basterd!”

Dao looked at the man in front of his feet and smiled. “You will never hold a sword again. Next!”

[CelticSoldier]

Kitsune had never believed the rumour of the number of sword schools in the west. He had assumed it another myth told by adventurers who hadn't actually done much. Now he was here though, he must have passed at least five or six just a day in, and he quickly learned not to put his sword on show. The people here seemed very fond of duelling, and the first man he'd come across had instantly demanded a duel if he wanted to cross the bridge he was guarding. He shot him. Kitsune was never the best swordsman, and it was a waste of ammunition to continue in such a way.
Most people, however, seemed quite cheerful and pleasant, which was always a good sign. A little girl even offered him a bright red flower when the road had taken him through a small village. That was sweet. He wore it in his hair as he made his way gaily down towards the sword school at the temple of Kirin, his first stop. Hopefully, some fancy swordsman would be willing to help him. He wasn't sure quite how he'd convince them, nor how he would even get in, but he would work that out when he got there.
While the landscape was not particularly impressive, mostly rice paddy's and small farms, the temple itself wasn't too shabby, as of course, one should always expect of a temple. He saw many people queued outside of the (very elaborate) doors, waiting to offer incense and prayers to the Kirin of the West. Each to his own, he supposed.
It took him a while to make it to the school, the complex was huge, with so many turns and corridors that Kitsune wondered if anyone even used it, or if it was just a trap for would be thieves. There weren't even any signs. Eventually, he managed to convince one of the temple guards to tell him where the school was, (No, he was not going the cause a disturbance. Yes, he just wanted to do the selection. Sucker.) Finally, after walking all the way back out again and round to the western corner, he found the small gate they used to allow potential students into the courtyard. "Sorry kid, too late, it's started." There were two swordsmen on the gate, likely new students at the school, they would be prideful. Easy.
"Come on, I was just a little late!"
"Well too bad! Better luck next year."
"I bet you couldn't even beat me, you just got lucky."
The guards eyes bulged, he'd been allowed into the most prestigious sword school in the world, he could beat anyone who came through these doors. "Oh yeah? Prove it!" He yelled, placing a hand on his sword hilt. The other was trying to calm him down, but to no avail.
"If I win, will you let me through?"
"With pleasure, but it won't happen."
"Very well." Said Kitsune. He drew his sword, and one of his revolvers, offering both to the guard. "Sword or gun?"
"Sword." The guard spat contemptuously.
"Your choice." Said Kitsune, sheathing his blade. "Then I have the gun." The man's face fell.
"B...but...you..." He stammered.
"Go" Said Kitsune, and pulled the trigger. A large boom followed soon after, and the guard collapsed, holding his shoulder. Kitsune knelt down to whisper to him, "You're lucky it was first blood."
Then he threw open the doors, and stepped into the courtyard. "So...can I speak with someone important? Please?

[Lexicon]

The Black Rooster Tavern, The Crossroads, The South

"Honored disciple, I am still confused," Bong Ju said, his eyes shining in the flickering torchlight illuminating the Black Rooster Tavern's interior.

Amaya, Disciple of the Phoenix and student of Grandmaster Ling Guang, felt her smile starting to slip. She'd spent the last thirty minutes explaining her intentions to Bong Ju, but he was still confused. That didn't bode well. In truth, Amaya was starting to feel a little confused herself. She'd given her last gold coin to the town crier of the Crossroads, a weaselly-looking Jin named Honest Shota, to spread the word that she was looking for companions to join her on an arduous journey to the North. Her teacher wanted to know why the other grandmasters, including Grandmaster Zhi Ming of the Iron Tortoise School of Kung Fu, hadn't sent him any messages in over ten months. While Amaya planned to visit all of Tu's major martial arts schools on her teacher's behalf, she'd decided to tackle the most difficult challenge first. According to the rumors and legends, the Iron Tortoise School was located beyond the Takata Icefields in an isolated corner of the North. If she could successfully traverse the cold, inhospitable tundra then she shouldn't have any trouble reaching the other two schools. Honest Shota, who'd seemed more interested in the gold coin then the tattooed woman that had given it to him, had grinned at Amaya and promised to do whatever he could to aid her in her "noble quest."

Delighted by the town crier's eagerness, Amaya had informed him that she was staying at the Black Rooster Tavern, a glorified shack just outside the Poor Quarter, and would meet any potential allies there. For the first hour or so, nobody had arrived, but then a veritable flood of people had burst through the tavern doors, each one demanding to speak with the Disciple of the Phoenix. Hulking Gon mercenaries had shoved past fidgety Jin archers while a few Yun made a scene when an impatient Lyn tried to take their place in line. Amaya was surprised and humbled to see so many men and women willing to risk their lives on her behalf. And to think people on the road had warned her that the Crossroads was full of degenerates and greedy sellswords. Utter nonsense! Even Fat Cheol, the tavern's owner, had pitched in, offering free samples of his home-brewed kafas tea to those waiting for their chance to talk to Amaya.

Unfortunately, after Amaya and her new acquaintance finished their tea, things always seemed to take a turn for the worse. The Disciple of the Phoenix, a firm believer in telling the truth whenever possible, made it clear that she didn't have any money to offer her new traveling companions. She'd spent most of her coin on supplies needed for the journey. This lack of funding proved to be something of a sticking point. One Lyn with a peacock's head had actually laughed in Amaya's face before sauntering out of the tavern. Over the course of the morning and into the afternoon, fewer and fewer people visited her table. Bong Ju was the first person to talk to her in over an hour.

Clearing her throat, Amaya asked, "What is confusing you, friend Bong Ju?"

"Well, you want people to join you on a trip into the frozen North, yes?" the scrawny Jin asked as he ran a hand through his greasy black hair. When Amaya nodded in response, Bong Ju tilted his head to one side like a dog confronted by a puzzling scent. "You want people to follow you into a land where the wind never stops howling? Where savage beasts stalk the fjords seeking human flesh? Where Kozoi barbarians flay anyone unfortunate enough to fall into their hands? And you don't have any coin?"

Amaya blinked. That did sound...unpleasant, but so did anything if you only focused on the negatives. Before the Jin could continue, she held up one slender finger and said, "Yes, but think about it, Bong Ju! You would get to see many of Tu's greatest marvels. For instance, we'd have to cross the fabled Takata Icefields in order to reach the Iron Tortoise School. Dozens of scrolls have been written about the beauty of the icefields, and you'd get to see them for yourself. And that's only the beginning!" Grinning, the white-haired Yun reached into the knapsack resting beside her chair and pulled out a travel-stained bark scroll. After moving a few empty tea cups out of the way, she laid the scroll on the table, revealing a detailed map of Tu. "First, we'll take the High Road out of the Crossroads and keep traveling north until we get to the Fallen Dancer. It's a colossal granite statue that marks the border between the North and the South. We should probably head northeast from there so we can...what is it?"

Bong Ju was gaping at Amaya as if she'd suddenly sprouted a second head. The man took a breath and slowly stood up as he said, "A thousand apologies, honored disciple, but I don't think anyone in the Crossroads would willingly embark on such a dangerous journey without some offer of compensation. We are a...erhem, pragmatic people. I hope the Four Heavenly Kings bless you and anyone fool-ummm, valiant enough to join you on your travels. Be well, honored disciple."

Amaya opened her mouth to speak, but Bong Ju quickly bowed to her and dashed out into the Crossroads' darkening streets. The Master Summoner couldn't believe it. Were people in this town completely insane? They were passing up an opportunity to see some of the most incredible places on Tu. Sighing heavily, she stared dismally down at her map. Even if nobody decided to join her, Amaya would leave the Crossroads tomorrow. She'd wasted far too much time here already, and the only person she'd managed to help was Fat Cheol. Most of the people who'd come to see her had stayed to buy a drink or two so the tavern owner's pockets were bulging with gold coins. The portly Jin noticed Amaya looking at him and waved cheerfully from behind the bar.

At least one of them was having a pleasant evening.

[Milkman]

Temple of the Kirin

Dao looked at the man he just defeated. The Jyn was definitely not suited to study under the grandmaster. The whole idea of killing someone in order to gain a spot on the school was utterly repulsive. It went against every teaching of grandmaster Jiang Bing and everything the large Lyn believed in. Killing for such superficial goals during an event where no lives where at stake is simply morally unjust. Such actions was something Dao could not tolerate.

Just as the next participant was about to show his skills some kind of ruckus occurred at the gate. The crowd of wannabe swordsmen went silent as the sound of a gunshot filled the air. For a moment Dao stared towards the gate the sound was coming from. In the blink of an eye he could see a small character dressed in red storming through the entrance and yelling something about wanting to speak to someone important. De large lyn sighed as he walked towards the gates.

Master Wong eyed the person in red. Considering the size and facial tones of the lyn, Dao judged that he could not be much older then eleven years. Was it really true that a kid just shot someone at the gates just to get in? Does getting entrance to the school to speak to someone really warrant such violence? And yet, Dao did not sense any trace of dark chi coming from that kid. If this is the next generation, Tu will definitely change for the worse.

Dao walked straight by the kid and bowed down next to the guard that was shot. He quickly grabbed the wrist to feel is the man still had a pulse. As he felt for the heartbeat of the wounded swordsman the other guard mumbled something about a challenge for a sword duel and grabbing a gun instead. The lyn did not care much for the details. Those who live by the sword, die by the sword. That is the faith of those who walk the path of the warrior. Luckily Dao could feel the mans heartbeat. It was still there but the guard needed medical attention immediately. The large lyn quickly turned towards the other guard and commanded “ Quit mumbling about honor and see to it that your pal gets medical attention immediately!”

The guard jumped up. “ Yes master Wong” and ran off to get the help he needed.

Dao turned towards the kid and looked at him. Absorbing every detail and finely the swordmaster realized how small he was. The anthropomorphic tiger towered above him, being nearly twice his size. The little kid was flamboyantly dressed in red robes which looked like they where a size to big for him. Compared to the kid, Dao looked rather shabby. He was often confused for a homeless and impoverished soldier. The truth is that the large lyn simply did not care for such earthly desires. Master Wong devoted his life to the teachings of the Kirin, grandmaster Jiang Bing and finding his brother. Dao could not care less about the extravaganza displayed by the kid in front of him. Master Wong looked deeply into the kids eyes, trying to find out what kind of person he would be. Judging from the way the fiery haired kid was dressed, his noisy entrance and the way he treated the guard at the entrance Dao was sure that he did not come to the temple to train under the grandmaster. It was more likely that the kid got into some kind of trouble and needed a strong man to help him out. The least thing master Wong could do was to hear the kid out. He looked at the lad in red in front of him and spoke firm “Tell me kid, what is so important that you need to shoot someone at the door?”

[CelticSoldier]

Damn, that Tigre was big. Not particularly well dressed, but big. Kitsune was almost afraid when he began stalking over to him. He'd heard rumours, sure, but damn. Strangely, he checked the guard first. Kitsune personally thought he was a bit puffed up, but each to his own. Time for that amazing speech that he really should have planned and now he really regretted enjoying the scenery.

"OK, first of all, the guy is fine. It went in through one side, out the other. Boom. Hit nothing. I never miss, done it loads of time, well, not shot guards just to get in, but I've shot people. Actually, that doesn't sound any better, um, meh doesn't matter, the guy's just being a wimp. As to why, well, two reasons. One, he was stopping me from getting in, guards have an annoying habit of doing that, and two, he was insufferably arrogant, you should do something about that, discipline or....something. Anyway, got your attention, didn't it? I'll assume that you're master Wong, because you're bloody huge, that's what people say, funnily enough. Always before they tell you about him being a great swords master, strange, but....here's the deal."
Kitsune took a deep breath.
"A Bandit Lord, possessed by dark chi, is expanding him empire, so that it covers almost the whole of Tu. He runs the underworld of every major city and town in the south, and he's beginning to head north. If he successfully follows through with his goals, he will become the single most powerful man in Tu, controlling the governments of all nations through corruption, bribery and threats, as he does already in the south. The region is falling apart, and more and more people are becoming subject to dark chi as part of his organisation. I figured I'd drop by on the way, give you a chance to join in saving the world. I hear he has hired a so called unbeatable Lynn swordsman, Tigre like you, apparantly. I thought you might also like a chance to put the record straight. And, uh, that's it." He concluded. "Wanna come, because I really have to get going."

[FantasyChic]

ignore

[Milkman]

Dao listened patiently to what the kid had to say. In fact, he was a bit amazed by the amount of words flowing from the little guys mouth. It was a long time ago that master wong met a person who spoke so much but said so little. The large lyn smiled at the remark of saving the world. The young lyn's upbeat attitute kind of reminded Dao about how he once was. Believing he could change the world for the better with a cut of his sword. However, in the end all master Wong could do was burry the corpses he would leave behind. Some things cannot be changed with violence. A truth the kid in front of him would learn one day.

However what the kid told about dark chi was of a totally different story. Dark chi is an unnatural force of pure evil and not the natural devices that shape the people and history of Tu. Dark Chi was a force that people could embrace or even have forced upon them. Bringing unmeasurable suffering to whatever place if would find root. It was the duty of a master of martial arts to root out the practice of dark chi and the suffering that followed in its wake. Dao had first hand accounts of what happened when people let themselves in with these dark arts. It twisted their minds and let them do unspeakable horrors. And then the boy mentioned something about an unbeatable Lyn swordsman. A tiger like himself.

For a moment Doa spaced out, suddenly looking into the distance as if there was something to see while in truth, there was nothing. The large lyn simply relived events of the past. That unfateful night where Dao learned what his actions had caused. Just that instant he whispered “Hai” as he instinctively grabbed his left arm, as if old wounds suddenly where causing pain again. The burdon of the past where weighing down heavily on the tiger's shoulders. If the rumor the kid told was true, then he might have an opportunity to find his younger brother. Dao simply had no real other option then to with the kid.

Dao blinked a few times with his eyes. As if he had to convince himself that his mind was back into the real world. The Lyn relaxed and smiled. “I am indeed master Wong. Most people simply call me Dao. It seems that you have given yourself quite the task. I will help you out. By the way, you forgot to introduce yourself”

[CelticSoldier]

"Um, hello?" Kitsune waved as Dao seemed to zone out for a second, "Are you okay?" He soon proved to be perfectly fine. Which is good, as he would hate to have had a wasted trip.

"Right, name." He said, "I'm Kitsune, pleased to meet you. Yes, my parents thought they were very clever. They're nice though, just don't tell my mom I'm here, we'll never get rid of her. Anyway, I come from down south, small village, no point naming it, well, more of a town, actually, probably smaller than it was, bandits aren't good for business." He poked his nose back through the gate towards all the students, who were still on their knees, looking towards them. "What are you gonna do about this lot, they look they were about to do something important. Oh yeah, the trial...thing. So, do you wanna do something about these guys? In fact, it's probably best that you did get ready or, something. What do you do when you want to eat? I mean, on the road, we'll probably have to, like, raid a farm, or something. Actually, how many guys this big are there? Are there loads? Is it why there are loads of farms? Where was I going with this, I had a point, I swear. It'll come back to me, um also, do you have like, you know, a map, or something? I've just got this." He pulled out a cracked and broken compass, and the needle seemed to hang a little limply. It looked like it was pointing south east. "Yeah, it took me a while to get here, luckily the place is pretty important so most people seem to know where it is. One guy lead me to a dead end where a bunch of other people attacked me. They weren't very good, I think they wanted money. I think the guy must have got it wrong.

"So, yeah. I imagine you'll walk faster, what with your legs being as tall as me, so I'll get a head start. I'll probably meets you in....Crossroads? Probably? If you don't catch up before then. Unless you wanted me to wait with you." He turned to walk back down the road down the hill. But then seemed to remember something. "One more thing, I don't do swords, it ain't me, far easier to shoot people." He doesn't seem to realise that at this point his sword is visible but not any guns, he's far to busy focusing on the journey ahead. And trying to interpret his compass.

@Milkman@Lexicon

[Milkman]

Dao listened patiently to the tsunami of words flowing out of Kitsune's mouth. For a moment we wondered if the kid would ever stop talking. The prospect of having to spend a lot of time on the road with this fiery fox guy wasn't to promising. However it was the best lead to the whereabouts of his brother that master Wong had in a long time. The large tiger just had to put up with the energetic kid for the time being. Just as Dao was about to say something but Kitsune started to walk towards the road again. The kid really had no patience at all. But before the young Lyn could leave the dojo, Dao grabbed him by his clothes, lifting him up from the ground effortlessly with just one arm. “Wait here for a bit Kitsune. No need to rush. We'll take the steam train to the crossroads. That will shorten the journey by days.”

As master Wong put the kid down he waved to one of his students. “See to it that our guest gets a proper meal. He has traveled all the way from the south up here and must be hungry.” The student ran off and Dao turned towards Kitsune again. “If you don’t do swords, you better hide your sword. The people in the west are crazy about sword duels. Walking around with a sword in plain sight will only draw attention from people who want to test their strength. I’ll be off now to grab some stuff. Keep in mind, we depart in 1 hour.” Said master Wong as he turned around and started to walk towards one of the buildings that functions as dormitories for those who inhabit the school.

Dao opened up the door of his room. The small room did not have much furniture besides a bed, a table and chair. Next to the bed was a trunk that holds Dao’s personal possessions. On the wall was a small sword rack holding a single sword. The large Lyn picked it up from the wall land pulled the blade out of the pitch black sheet. The perfectly straight blade reflected the little light that entered the room from the small window. Dao stared at the blade, as if he was looking for imperfections. Any sign that the blade was damaged. On the blade, just above the guard was a small signature of the sword’s creator, Xiang Ji.

Xiang Ji was considered the best swordsmith of the last couple of hundred years. The quality of his swords are legendary but he is retired now. 20 years ago Jiang Ji made his last 2 swords, a pair of two straight bladed swords. One came finished with a black scabbard and handle while the other sword came with a white scabbard and handle. Xiang Ji called them Yin and Yang. Two swords that complement each other. Two forces that create balance in a world at chaos as long as they stick together. Once separated, they would be nothing more than tools for murder. Jiang Ji eventually gave the two swords to two young Lyn brothers.

However, it was not the time to reminisce about the past. Dao had to prepare for the journey ahead and put his sword back into its sheet. He reached for the trunk and opened it. The trunk was mostly empty. It contained not much more than some spare clothes, a small knife, a small leather pouch, containing master Wong’s money and some other stuff. On the back of the trunk lid was carved into the wood “Never forget what you’re responsible for”. Dao quickly grabbed the stuff he needed for the journey and closed the door of his room behind him.

As the large Lyn left the dormitory and walked towards where he left Kitsune, he could see some of the students on the move with the food. One carried two bowls of rice while another carried a bowl with vegetables and meat. Dao sincerely hoped that the kid had walked off to the kirrin know where. It would be a drag to find him.

[Loki Odinson]

Dawn was just breaking the horizon of the Eastern Lands when she landed soundlessly atop the thatch roof, not that it mattered to her anyway, for the thick canopy above ensured little sunlight passed through and hit the lower levels of the rainforest below. No one would see her in this insufficient light. To think that an entire community could live in this constantly dim environment had at first boggled her mind until she heard constant complaints about the chilly conditions of the North. Having grown up near the Northern-most belt of that land, Hei-Ran had gotten used to the unforgiving conditions there. Thinking back, she shouldn’t have been all that surprised. Every race of Tu were an adaptable sort given the opportunity. A quick sweep of her eyes over the scattering of wooden huts and various-sized plots revealed that no one was yet awake. Or even if they were awake, they weren’t yet out and about. Perfect.

Padding her way to the south side of the rectangular house, she leaned down to peer over the edge, seeking the flutter of the curtain through an open window. Her trained eyes caught the slight movement of dyed brown fabric and with a single backflip, she swung through the opening. However, she didn’t let go of the ledge immediately, for doing so would result in a light thud of soles against wood, and asleep as he was, her target wasn’t dead to the world. So with tight control over her abdominal and arm muscles, she lowered herself carefully until her toes neared the floor. The moment she was inside the room, Hei-Ran headed straight for the bed and the single occupant slumbering upon it. Deft fingers slipped beneath the pillow to retrieve the expected dagger, which was placed on the floor, out of reach. Her left hand clamped firmly over his mouth as her right index and middle finger extended to press against his jugular. The man shot awake instantly, scrabbling for the blade no longer hidden beneath his pillow. First option gone, he tried to bite her hand.

“Stop that right now, Jia Wen, or I wouldn’t hesitate to choke you.” She hissed, words slightly muffled by the half mask.

The man stopped struggling, abruptly going limp. Satisfied he would remain compliant, she removed her hands and stepped back, closing the bedroom door and drew the curtain close before coming back to stand over him.

“What in the name of the Dragon, Hei-Ran! You can’t just barge into a man’s home and threaten to kill him!” Jia Wen croaked, rubbing his abused throat. When she didn’t say anything, he glanced up, wincing at the glare. “Let me guess, the traitor escaped again?”

“No. It’s worse than that, Jia Wen. He wasn’t even there in the first place.” Hei-Ran replied, voice deceptively calm and even. “Your information has always been good, but not this time, apparently.”

His hand fell away from his throat, and this time, it was the Jin’s turn to glare. “The rumour held a grain of truth. I told you to wait until I uncovered more, but you went ahead anyway on a wild goose chase with only a speculation on my part.”

“Never have you sent me on a wild goose chase and your speculations were valid. You used to be able to discern truths from gossip. You are slipping.” She ploughed on relentlessly, frustration from a fruitless endeavour spurring her on. “All of you are slipping. Whatever happened to the oaths you took when you became a Scorpion? The promises you spoke to continue fighting against corruption until your last breath? May fortune or disaster befall you, you shall not falter. Did you forget all that when Sil-Sung died? Did you – ”

“I am not one of you anymore!” Jia Wen yelled, yanking the loose shirt from his body to expose his left collarbone. Where a black scorpion should sit was now an ugly burnt patch of skin. “Everyone scattered after that night. I left my old life behind. It is dead and gone. Buried. I gave you information because I owed you – owed her – at least that much. But two years of watching you run yourself ragged…no more, Hei-Ran. Stop trying to chase him. Let him come to you, because he will. Sometime in the future, your paths will cross again. But not before the time comes. And if it never comes, maybe he is dead and good riddance.”

“So you gave me false information to stop me from becoming obsessed?” Hei-Ran managed to keep the outraged snarl from her face, fighting to remain calm because as infuriating as this situation was, she could see the logic in his words, could understand the reasonings behind his actions. But it didn’t stop the sting of mistrust from hurting. “How long have you been leading me astray?”

The reply was immediate, his gaze steady. “This time, and twice before. The only apology I will make is that I didn’t think this one through as thoroughly as the previous two.”

Hei-Ran whirled on her feet, wrenched the curtain to one side and hopped up onto the sill. Because what else was there to say or do? Ranting at him wouldn’t change anything, and threatening to kill him wouldn’t get him to talk if he truly hadn’t bothered finding more leads. She would just have to find someone else, she supposed, as information gathering wasn’t her speciality. Other than sitting around a tavern to eavesdrop on people’s conversations, she knew no other ways. So it would either be her trying to find a lead, or have her coins encourage people to talk.

“Go North.” Jia Wen’s resigned voice made her pause in the middle of clambering back up to the roof. “The best lead I currently have points that way. Dark ki have begun to manifest and grow in the northern most parts of that region. If the traitor is anywhere, I wouldn’t put it past him to be there.”

“Another rumour you happened to overhear?”

“Believe what you will.” As Hei-Ran disappeared out of the house and onto the roof, she heard his parting comment. “Don’t come looking for me either.”

‘No promises’, she wanted to say, but settled for swallowing her words before they could pass her lips. As she moved steadily from tree branch to tree branch, she frowned, casting her mind back to Jia Wen’s information. The way he said it convinced her he wasn’t lying, but some things didn’t quite add up. There was nothing up in the northern most parts of the North besides the Takata Fields, the Iron Tortoise School and a few isolated towns on the other end of the Fields, one of which was Yuen, her home. She couldn’t see any feasible places this Dark chi users were gathering at, seeing as there hadn’t been talk of an entire town being overran and even if there was such a thing happening, she couldn’t see the Grandmaster of the School letting the corrupted run wild. Still, there was no harm in traveling north, if not for something to do, then to check in on the residents of Yuen.

Fortunately for her, the Forest of An Ling laid relatively close to the East-North border. It wouldn’t take her more than a day to enter the North if she took the Mountain roads of the northeast, where the pine forest dwindled into cold-tolerant shrubs and grassy mountain gave way to rocky grounds with random patches of spiky grass. The dramatic changes apparent with every step forward marked the North-East borders. No village nor towns settled a mile in any direction along this border, for rocks embedded itself deep into the ground, making for terrible foundations. The land on one side was too barren to produce sufficient crops and the other side too steep for ideal living arrangements. The first landmark one would come across after the first few hundred steps into the North is the Twin Hills preceding a large lake beyond. Here was the first obstacle, for giant heu-goms roamed, protecting their territory from trespassers. The heavily-furred, four-legged beasts were generally peaceful beings as long as one doesn’t come within a hundred feet of their young or their caves.

For hours, as Hei-Ran made the trek North, across the damp forest floor or up in the trees above. She couldn’t help the fond memories springing forth as she stopped for a quick break in the cradle of a branch. Memories of her childhood spent in the bosom of the North. Harsh, treacherous and bleak it may be compared to the others, but it was the very grounds that nurtured her, that forged her to be the woman she was now. One with a spine of steel, tested and yet unbroken. Beneath her mask, a slow, sorrowful smile formed. A little premature, but I’m coming home.

[CelticSoldier]

Kitsune kept walking for an embarrassing amount of time before realising that he wasn't going anywhere. Show off, if the damn Tigre had creased his clothes, there would be complaints. Luckily it was nothing a quick brush down wouldn't solve.

The food was very nice, he had to admit, almost good enough to stop him exploring, but the temple was very interesting. The artwork he found particularly fascinating, oft depicting golden tigers with big teeth and claws, usually roaring at something. They were like Dao, but less serious. The students followed him like a train of freightend sheep, not quite sure whether or not they should stop him, and no-one wanted to be the first to try.

When he eventually finished, he made his way to one of the balconies overlooking the surrounding country. He had to admit, it was quite beautiful. "Hey, you!" He said, pointing to one of the students.
"M-me?"
"Yes, you, what's your name?"
"Po, um, sir?"
"Nah, just Kit. OK Po, what am I looking at?"
Po seemed confused, "Well, rice farms, sir..um.. Kit...just-"
"So there's nothing important surrounding one of the greatest temples of the western?"
"If you look over there, you can see the city."
"The city? What imaginative names they have in the west."
"It's the only city I ever knew sir, not much point calling it anything else."
"A very good point." He gazed in the direction Po had indicated. "Nope, can't see it, I'm going higher." And he leaped onto the roof, scrambling up the red tiles to the closest peak. "The view is even better from up here! You should come up!" The view really was much better. He seemed to remember something about leaving in an hour...or two, maybe a day. He'd be down in an hour. Probably. He'd always wanted to see a train. He glanced down to see Po struggling up the tiles below him. "Hey, Po, my man!" He reached down and helped him to the top. Po was beaming from ear to ear, while the other students just gazed up at them. Perhaps one of them would soon have the presence of mind to tell someone where they were. "See Po, told you the view was better from up here."

[Milkman]

Dao had grabbed everything he needed for the journey and walked back where he had left Kitsune behind only to find out that the kid had gone. Somehow this did not surprise the swordsmaster at all that the the young Lyn had ran off to somewhere. With such an attentionspan it was remarkable that he had managed to get to the temple of Kirin at all. For a moment master Wong looked around the large courtyard to see if he could spot the little guy anywhere but didn't saw him. At least not until some of the students started to point to the roofs.

Kitsune seemed to have climed onto the roofs of the buildings. Dao wasn't really sure why the kid did what he did. He seems to have an endless supply of energy and no focus at all. Master Wong sighed and started to walk towards the entrance of the school. Just about as he was to leave the large Lyn turned around, looked at the roof. “Kitsune, we'e leaving now!” and headed out.

The journey to the railways station at the city was of little interest. Not much happened as all the swordsmen looking for duels tend to avoid challenging Dao. Some people along the road greeted the large Lyn while others just minded their business. The city itselfs was one of the largest towns in the area and numbered about 15.000 souls. A couple of years ago the railways station was opened. Connecting the city to the rest of Tu. Dao walked up to the ticked boot and buyed two tickets for the train ride to the crossroads.

As Dao entered the train cart he bumped his head. These carts where defenetly not designed to accommodate a man of his size. He quickly sat down and stared out of the window a bit before closing his eyes in deep thought. Thinking about what happened between him and his younger brother. Trying to figure out what to do when he would confront him. Should he kill his brother? Would he even be able to best his brother in combat? And if that was the case, could he force himself to spill his families blood? All such questions came to Dao's mind as the train crossed through the endless rice fields and hills of the west.

As day was about to pass into night the train finely arrived at the railway station of The Crossroads. It had been a long Journey but they finely arrived at the first stop of their journey. Dao turned towards his companion and spoke quickly. “It is getting late. We'll stay the night at the Black Rooster tavern. It's a shabby place but the owner, Fat Cheol is an old friend of mine. It is a place full of degenerates, mercenaries, sellswords and thugs so behave yourself and don't cause any trouble!”

Dao navigated the narrow streets and corners with an ease that betrayed that he had been to the crossroads before. In the past, the large Lyn used to travel to all corners of Tu together with his younger brother. Offering their help to those in need. Using their swords to ease the suffering of the common folks and the defenseless. However that was now nothing more then a distant memory of times that would never come back.

As Dao was about to open the door of The Black Rooster Tavern, a confused looking Jin dashed out of the door, bumping into master Wong before landing on his bottom in the mud. The Jin quickly started to mumble appology after appology. Mumbling something about a disciple that confused him. Dao sighed and helped the man back up on his feet. “Just watch out where you going. Next time you bump into someone you might be in trouble!”

As the large Lyn stepped into the dimly lithed tavern noticed Fat Cheol waving. “Master Wong honourable disciple of the Kirrin. Long time no see. What brings you to my establishment on this late hour? I heard rumour that you stopped traveling but since you're here those must not be true? And how is your brother? I have not heard anything from him in years. We'll have much to talk about old friend. Just have a seat at the bar. I'll poor you a drink. It's off the house” Fat Cheol reached under the bar and grabbed a bottle of Baijiu, a strong alcoholic drink usually distilled from sorghum. “ Can I give this this to your little friend or should I poor him some water?”

Dao quickly sat down and looked serious at Fat Cheol. “We won't be staying long. Just for the night. We're heading up north to the Iron Tortoise school. I am looking for someone who might be there.” The swordsmaster quickly took a nip of his drink, hoping that Fat Cheo would not bring up the topic of his brother again.

[CelticSoldier]

The journey to the city was boring. Dao just wanted to get there as fast as possible, no distractions, no looking around, nothing. Some people just didn't appreciate the journey, only the destination. If you applied that to life, it didn't really work, as the destination for most people tended to be death. Dao, however, didn't appear to be in the right frame of mind to appreciate philosophy. He was reminiscing again, for all the good it did. What did he have to reminisce upon anyway? From what he could gather, all swords masters did was train to become better, always focused on one, unattainable destination, never appreciating that all the time life was passing them by. Never appreciating the journey. There was probably a lesson in that, but Kitsune couldn't be bothered to find out what it was. He was too busy trying to get Dao to carry him, as he had bigger legs, so it was only fair. Eventually he gave up and just jumped on while Dao was deep in thought, and sat on his shoulder until he noticed. It drew some strange looks.

The city was the largest town Kitsune had ever seen, bustling with thousands of people, and it absolutely stank. As in, he'd smelled buckets of manure, better than this place. The markets were alright, the scent of so many people covered up by the sweet aromas of perfumes and spices, but the platform was a nightmare. He would much rather have walked. The train itself, however, was wondrous. Despite living in the south, Kitsune had never seen a train before. His own small town had never been important enough to warrant a station, and he'd hadn't had the opportunity to travel much. One of the downsides of being basically at constant war for 5 years.

As soon as they got in the train, Dao looked like he went to sleep. At first he thought the Tigre was mad, as he watched the scenery go whizzing past. After about ten minutes of nothing but rice fields, Kitsune decided that Dao had the right of it, and curled up on his seat. When he awoke, they had arrived at the crossroads. Finally. I mean, really, the journey took, hours. And there was nothing to do. At all. Why would you take a train? It's a stupid idea. Probably. People use it, so it must be Okay but, its just, you know, right?

Anyway, Mr Big & Stripy headed straight to the tavern, an unusual move for a swords master, but at least the guy was more interesting than he appeared. “It is getting late. We'll stay the night at the Black Rooster tavern. It's a shabby place but the owner, Fat Cheol is an old friend of mine. It is a place full of degenerates, mercenaries, sell swords and thugs so behave yourself and don't cause any trouble!”, on second thoughts, maybe he was boring. "You say that as if I've never been anywhere worse."

The innkeeper/barkeep/all round jolly man seemed very much like almost every richish barkeep he'd ever met, and they were usually quite nice guys. He seemed to know Dao, so that might get him a few freebies. Or a few blind eyes. “Can I give this this to your little friend or should I poor him some water?”
"Ahem, his little friend, is, officially, of the age of sixteen, and very much appreciates your gift of apology, for making such a cataclysmic error." And he jumped up and plucked the bottle from the barkeeps hands. Then looked for something interesting.

As he saw it, there were two options. One: The was a dejected looking woman with pure white hair, sitting on her own, not dressed like a harlot, and a phoenix tattoo on her forehead. Interesting. Two: The was a very large man wearing black with a huge sword at his hip, and he looked like he knew how to use it. Fun. Unfortunately, smashing up a tavern never made you very popular, so since crossroads was the kind of place you tend to pass through a lot, he settled for option one. She was kinda pretty anyway.

He sat on the bench opposite her. Well, I say 'sat', more half-kneeling half-standing so that he was eye level with her. It took a while for her to notice him. "Hey, hey lady, it's rude to ignore people." She glanced up at him, "Are you the disciple the other bloke was talking about? Why are you here? Where are you going? Why is your hair so white?" He took a large swig of the bottle, "I am not drunk, yet. Please hold my interest, because otherwise, I may be forced to get drunk and start a fight with that guy over there. Who knows, we may be able to help each other. Are you going north? Why? Who are you? You know what, lets start again." He took a deep breath, slowing down. Everyone always told him that he talked too fast, and she probably hadn't caught a single word that he'd just said. "Hi," He extended a hand, "I'm Kitsune. You are presently the most interesting thing in this room. Congratulations."