Grueslayer

City of Jade

@GrueslayerI've just been having writers block for Haru. I don't really know what exactly to do other than just react to things but I guess that's better than nothing.

@rocketrobie2

Anything I can do to help?

City of Jade

@VecThanks for telling us!

@jumpadraw@Fancy Party@rocketrobie2Are you guys doing ok?

@The1Rolling1BoyWorry no longer, Grueslayer has responded to your message just as the fates had foretold.

City of Jade

@The1Rolling1BoyEverything looks good! Your Luck is 6, not a bad roll. Go ahead and add Vex to the CS section but don't post yet. I'll send you a PM tonight and we'll work out the details of your entrance.

@VecHa, well, I expected both you and Eklipse to have to work together to take it down but that just wasn't necessary in this case, the damage boost from your Empowerment did enough damage to kill it outright. Don't get overconfident though, most combats probably won't be that quick. Unless you get stupendously lucky, which would be kind of hilarious.

City of Jade

@Vec@Eklispe
The sound draws nearer until a silhouette appears against the fog; a creature walking on all fours! It looks like a tall, muscular man, but with a patch of white fur running along its back, and a face like a dog. It's wicked claws scrape across the ground, it breathes raggedly from a festering mouth of broken teeth. The Things head hangs limply toward the ground, but neither of you are fooled -- it sees you just the same.

Suddenly the thing leaps at Meng Wu!

Meng Wu reacts with supreme reflexes, at once moving aside and cutting the Thing with his sword as it flies by. With a surge of power his blade flies through its flesh as though it were cutting air.

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@jumpadraw@rocketrobie2
Beyond the gate is a well threaded sandy courtyard segmented into various areas that seem to be for both training and recreation, and there are some buildings off in the distance.
You only give that a cursory glance, however, for far more pressing are the dozens of men and women who occupy the courtyard itself. They are all bald, obviously monks of some sort, and most are wearing sickly yellow robes though a few wear robes of pure black, and one standing before everyone else is clad in white. They're all standing in rows, staring directly at you. There is a look of disappointment on many of their faces, as though they were expecting someone else, though some look stern and unwelcoming.

The one clad in white is an older man of intimidating size; there are jagged black tattoos along his face, and he also has a goatee and milky eyes. In fact, he looks to be blind.

The white clad man opens his mouth to speak, but closes it solemnly and nods. You realize that he is gesturing behind you, where a young man covered in scars has approached from the fog.

City of Jade

@The1Rolling1BoyHaving an immoral character could be interesting I suppose, but once you're in the game please refrain from randomly killing other players or anything like that. I ran a Runequest campaign once where this guy randomly chopped off another players head without warning and, well, we've had a "no evil characters" rule at the table ever since. But just don't go too far and the assassin thing will be fine!

Just a few things I'd like you to tune up before we finalize your character sheet; please list Quivering Palm under technique that way it'll be easier for me to see, and also list your katana's as equipment if you're going to be using them. Also could you give a little detail on your master's disappearance? Just a sentence or two would be fine.

And lastly remember that this is a low-tech setting, so Vex's clothes aren't going to be as grand in play as they are in that picture! Just poke me when you're done with all that and I'll give you your Luck and we can work on Vex's introduction.
And welcome!

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Okay the new post is up! @Fancy PartyYou need to read the part meant for @rocketrobie2 and @jumpadraw because you're the scarred character who appears at the end of it.

As for@Eklispe@Vec;
Vec not only managed to hit the creature, but hot-holy-damn he also successfully used his Empowerment Technique on the very first combat of the game. That's awesome, and does enough damage to dispatch the creature, which according to the rules means he gets to describe how the fight is resolved. Hop to it soldier, have fun!

I'll also begin working on maps of certain areas you've visited so far so that they'll be easier to visualize. Fair warning though -- I have very little artistic talent so the maps probably won't be very pretty.

City of Jade

@Fancy Party
The man smiles knowingly, but his eyes show disappointment.
"It is to the northeast, more north than east. If you see any vegetation you have headed too far north, and if you pass near a park of broken statues you are too far to the west. I hope your intentions are pure, young man, or you will find nothing but disappointment."

This old man is not the source of the energy you felt, you've been with him long enough to know that now, but the weary feeling from the north has grown stronger than when you first arrived. You feel something else too, from even further away, something cruel and. . . there is no other way to describe it than "unwelcome", though it is unlike anything you have ever felt before.

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@rocketrobie2@jumpadraw
Shortly after Haru finishes speaking you come to a great wooden gate in the wall, one marked with traditional religious symbols that are common all throughout Waidi, but never together. A temple of many different faiths, perhaps?

A plaque is embedded in the ground at your feet, it reads;
"Speak freely and be judged by our Master, our Gods, and all the Old Ways"

The writing on the plaque is written in an older form than either of you are used to.

You can faintly hear commotion from beyond the gate, though it is hushed, and the smell of incense is in the air.

City of Jade

I'll do the rolls then and I'll only include the numbers as a link, that way anyone who wants them to be "invisible" can ignore them.

Though I'm curious, once we've left a place we've already been, will we be able to easily find our ways back to those places if we want?

@Fancy Party

Normally, yes.

City of Jade

Would you guys like to make your own combat rolls once the time comes?

City of Jade

@Fancy Party
The old man doesn't relax a bit;
"The Temple of Old Waidi, of course, where the faithful are called to await the return of the Gods. Planning on staying in the City long? It's the only bastion of civilization left in this place."

His voice lowers almost to a whisper;
"Master Peng of the Temple sees through my eyes as you would see through glass. I could give you directions there if you'd like. Or, if you would test your skills against mine, I could give you directions to many more places as well. But, well, looking you over I can see that it's a miracle you even made it up Wua-Sho at all. ."
He grins, smug as can be.

@Vec@Eklispe
You begin your walk west, careful not to stray from the wall and lose your way. At first things are quiet, cold, empty. The towers your only companions along the flat land. But things quickly change; the ground begins to lose its luster, the fog in the air grows a black tint the further west you travel, the stench of rot hits your senses.

Soon the towers are completely gone, replaced instead with a jungle of tightly packed buildings of gray stone and darkness. This end of the City feels like an entirely different realm than the rest; it's the first time you've seen any doors or windows anywhere, and in some spots the land dips a bit rather than being entirely flat. Long burned out lamps hang from the buildings here, and worn benches rest against their walls.

To the east where you entered the City was perfect, untouched. Here the buildings have long since began to crumble, time beating against them as it should. The reason why is clear; this area was built by men, not Gods.

This place is not silent either; the sound of claw on stone is fast approaching, though from where you cannot tell.

City of Jade

@rocketrobie2I don't see any problems with you talking as much as you want.