The Mikado Affair
Summary
Adventure: The Mikado Affair
GM: Jim Arona
Season: Summer 816 wk
Night: Tuesday in Royal Oak
Level: Medium violent
- Party
- Employer
- Serafin, Lord of Patterns
- Mission
- Journey to New Terra, Reich & Victoria and uncover a devious plot amongst inscrutable orientals.
Ninjas may feature.
- Pay
- 80,000 sp in mechanical devices + salvage
Scribe Notes
A giant's view of the wondrous worlds of the Abyss
No one travels
Along astral paths but us,
This summer evening.
Introductions and Discussions
We met our employer and discovered what he'd like us to do for him - and it was a lot of things. There were a number of nice to have things in the realms we are to visit and in fact one was so important to him that he'd consider our contact fulfilled if we only did that one 'small task'. One of our main tasks was to find out more about a group called 'The Black Sea Conspiracy'.
We head for Victoria by way of the Abyss
Anyway once we'd girded our loins we set off across the Abyss on route to Victoria.
THE PLANE OF VICTORIA
Ah, Venice - 'the Floating City'
Some 4 weeks later we entered Victoria in lovely city called Venice and there we were the guests of Viti, the lord of Glass. Vitri was a splendid host and he helped us immeasurably by procuring suitable sleeper car travel on The Orient Express and being such a gracious host to even obtain 3 travelling chests (one each for Boris and I and another for the ladies) for us to carry our goods.
The Orient Express
We soon boarded The Orient Express and after a mere 2 weeks spent traversing the European, Middle Eastern and Asian realms we found ourselves in Vladivostok, the Easternmost point of the railway. We learnt to speak Lalange (2wks immersion) over this time.
One day in Vladivostok - 'The Ruler of the East'
Once in Vladivostok we decided to see if we could find our things about, about anything to do with what we'd been asked to do. We reviewed our skills in Spy like activities and found ourselves incredibly wanting but we managed to think slightly inscrutably and we found ourselves walking around the seedy dock area looking for clues.
After a bit of asking around the seedy area we were told to speak with 'lady Lee' of the Black River Emporium aka a brothel for sailors down at the docks. We conducted some surveillance of the emporium until we decided to enter and speak with her. Once inside we talked a while before Rahne could get a hypnotism off and so we could talk more freely.
We discovered that she works for The Black Sea Conspiracy under the name of the Black River Emporiums which are the brothel arm of the organisation. Ms Lee aka Neesau is a Japanese person born in the US and who has 'returned' to her homeland to gather information for her superiors. The emporiums are run by a prominent family who are supporters of the Shogunate. She tells us the 'The Black Dragon Society' is the militant branch of the organisation. She also tells us that nothing is written down and that couriers arrive and take messages by word of mouth for greater security.
We also realised that if we were to leave that her organisation would learn of our 'interest' in short order, something we could not afford to happen. So the choices were out of killing her, burning her emporium down (with her body in it) or taking her with us and while D & B were in favour of the terminal solution R and I thought otherwise and so we gained a tame travel companion. We got her to quickly pack as if she was going travelling and we all travelled to our luggage holding area and thence to the docks where we caught a ship traveling to Edo in 'The Sunset isles'.
We set sail for Japan
The 6 days passed quickly and we awake to find that we have arrived in Edo and our friend Ms Lee had been skin changed into a nice brown rat for safe keeping. We alight the vessel to find a young Japanese woman named May there who is expecting us, asks for us by name and states that she will escort us into the presence of the Lord of Intrigues, also known as the Lord of the Orient.
We gratefully accept the assistance May is providing us and we utilise a wagon to take ourselves and luggage onwards. We travel from the docks to the nearby train station where we alight for a short 20m journey into the mountains to the north of Edo. Once at our destination we again unload the luggage and take 2 wagons to our final destination - a tea house in the town of xxx.
May leaves us for a bit and we see the screens of the tea house being moved around to reveal initially a little girl in a pink robe with embroidered snapdragons in bright and beautiful colours. We then see another gentleman who we are introduced to as Wu Shin, the lord of Intrigues. He is a very tall oriental with a fu man chu moustache, a fine silk robe with yellow embroidary and golden dragons throughout the robe. He introduces us to Princess Snapdragon and we sit to have some tea in a very civilised manner.
Once the tea has been served and civility restored we then talk about matters of import to us all. He's worried about conspiracies involving the word 'Black' in the name, such as;
- The Black Oceans Cult
- The Black River Society (this has already spread into China and the rest of the Orient)
- The Black Sea Conspiracy
All of these and others like them are causes for concern for Wu Shin and his sphere of influence especially so as he's also the Lord of the Orient.
We offer to do all that we can and discuss near issues to our current realm and location.
Wu Shin tells us of the Tadeori Clan after we inform him of some details we had gleaned from Ms Lee before we had he reshaped. He tells us that the Tadeori Clan is likely one of the two shogunate families behind the local issues. The Tadeori Clan have a sizable presence in the Satsuma province to the SW centred on their seat of power - Tadeori Castle. Satsuma province was the location of a recent rebellion and the Clan are suspected of having acquired ways of foiling Wu Shin's ability to intrigue by communicating somehow with a local clan of Ninja. Wu Shin suggests that if we were to ascertain what the communication method is that he would be better able to Intrigue (as is his wont) and that if we could either destroy it or seize it then things would be most spendid. We review the issues and decide that we may be able to do something about the problem using our direct set of skills but we need to get closer to assess the option. So we recieve some small gifts which may be useful from Wu Shin and then take our leave and depart on another train to the SW.
- These gifts included a half dozen each of Flash Grenado's, Comm bombs and smoke grenades. We are given (and expected to return intact) 2 carpets, one which is great for sleeping and another which creates an Astral Gate over an hour. We're given 3 small oragami of a fox, crane and a wolf which we are told are ninja allies of Wu Shin. Lastly we get incantations of Unremarkable appearance and have it charged into our Phyactories.
- We're told that there are few allies where we are going in our later travels but Wun Shin operates a drop point at the Raffles hotel on Reich and on New Terra he may be able to contact us near a forbidden city. We're also reminded that New Terra is Dr Mesma's theatre of Operations and to avoid him unless you're insane.
We travel by train past Tadeori Castle area and onto a town to the south of the castle so that we don't do anything noticable and thus avoid suspicion. Once there in xxx town we espy the castle and find its very well built and formidable in its layers of protection and natural location. It's built high up a hill and has concentric rings of fortifications, multiple towers with overlapping fields of fire, anti-aircraft guns to repel aerial assaults and its central (and therefore best protected - most importanbt location is a 12 story tower which has the lower 7 stories buttressed up against the peak of the hill and then 5 more wooden stories. A hard target indeed. We plan how to gain access to the top story of the tower where we posit is the most valuable treasures. We go through many iterations of the plan which is a difficult one given our lack of 'subtle skills' (Spy, Thief or Assassin) before deciding on flying in on wings under darkness, landing on the roof and then gaining access to the topmost room by any means necessay. We wait until evening and then i suggest an alternate plan of travelling though the very hill the castle is atop and then exiting just before its peak into the 6th floor of the tower. This is recieved as a safer and better plan and so we enacted it.
We alighted out of the hill onto the 6th floor, there we silenced the guards and then cleared the way through multiple others (passing a Magical hearth area for ceremonially burning/heating their dead) until we reached the top story without much hue and cry. Note: Infravision works very well in towers with paper walls. We were very surprised at how well we did and hoped that luck would stay with us as well as some very bad luck on the sentries behalf.
On the top floor we took stock of the few bodies we'd collected on route here and found some envenomed darts, caltrops, itching powder and 2 sets of ninja swords.
We then looked around the room and saw some prints on the walls, areas for scroll storage, some urns, 4 sets of Samurai Swords, a triptych and an icabana arrangement of crysanthanums with cherry blossoms. We used our magical skills and DA's followed our gazes to reveal;
- the Urns are made of turned jade which is very delicate and that they contained sentinet ash which enabled one to talk with the dead
- the swords are exceptionally well made and 2 sets were magical
- A print on the wall was non magical but an exceptional piece befitting such a clan and location
- the Triptych was magical and it increases resolve
- the icabana arrnagement was determined to conceal a living sentient - GTN Cherry Dryad named Sakura. Sakura was being forced to communicate with another Dryad to pass messages and doing so against her will. We ascertain that she'd like to be free and promise to assist if we can.
We spend 2 hours rifling through the room before deciding on our next course of action. We ditch the sentient ash, stuff the urns full of the clans priceless scrolls, maps and information to pad the fragile urns, grab the rest of the treasure and then leave a parting gift (a slow fire that will burn the tower in 1 hour - muwahaha) before leaping off the balcony into the night.
An arrangement with the floral arrangement
Instead of heading back to our starting point to the south we instead fly north in search of the Bansai tree Sakura is a part of and for which she is forced to protect. 60m sees us closing on a small 3 storied compound upon a hill and surrounding wooded area which Sakura tells us is the area of her Bansai Tree.
We land around midnight just outside the walls of the ninja compound which looks to be a training ground/area of some sort. We get over the 8ft tall gates and enter the complex. It must be training grounds as our 'stealthy' entrance goes relatively unnoticed and 2 corpses later we move further in. 2 more guards pass on before we get to the target garden where the Bonsai tree is. When we finally are about to get it a small Hag appears and the battle is on with hideous spells going off and nefarious allies afoot.
We barely prevail and leap over the walls running down the hillside when we hear the sound of around 50 ninja's chasing us down the hill. We think to hide and avoid the ninja's but espy a set of 6 glider ninja's flying above us and a bit of pyrogenisis convinces them to fly higher once one of them goes down in flames. We realise that we can't run away and so 2 invested flying spells are used to give Rahne the ability to flee with the rest of us and we take off, head high and then fly south to our Inn.
We land, wait for effects to pass, get luggage and are on a train northwards to Wu Shin by mid-morning. We get to Wu Shin after dark and pass on our news, recovered documents and items of interest - all of which he is most happy to receive.
The next morning he discusses much with us - regarding the conspiracies;
- The Black Sea Conspiracy - Its ultimate aim is to Declare war of Korea and use the disaffected Samurai to be the troops
- The Black River Society - empowers brothels across asia to collect information on government and military targets/ area of interest; namely Korea, China, Malaysia and the rest of SE asia.
- The Black Dragon Society - this is a developed set of martial arts schools used to train disaffected peoples across asia and to use the trained people to ferment a rebellion.
Wu Shin says we have fulfilled his needs and we can continue onto our next destination. That afternoon we start our journey to Reich.
You maggots leave now!
I am turning out lights,
And passing onwards.
THE PLANE OF REICH
We use the carpet to access the astral and travel to Nualis and then astral to Reich.
Ah, Bucharest- 'the City of Joy'
We enter the city of Bucharest and meet with the Lord of Tinkers, a current ally of our employer.
From Bucharest we take ship to Alexandria where we take passge on the Marie Theres (a Vichy French ship) to Singapore via the Suez Canal which we expect to be a 10 day boat trip before we get to Singapore.
We spend the 10 days travelling to Singapore doing training and keeping to ourselves where possible. We stop at Aden, Goa, Ceylon and the Anderman colony. We espy Freight boxes being offloaded at the Anderman colony and some more Freight boxes being loaded aboard but we don't press our inquisitiveness much more than this. We have heard verbal and physical incidents on the voyage thus far followed by things being dumped in the water and so we judge it's better to the be safe than inquisitive.
We discuss that we should avoid Ord Wingate as he's undying (not undead) and generally a 'good hard man'. The 10 days pass and we find ourselves on the last morning docking in Singapore.
Ah, Singapore - the Lion City
We disembark back on land in a city which has hot rains daily from 10-12 and so we arrange carriage for ourselves and our belongings to Raffles Hotel where we check in to a suite of rooms as Lady Dellith, her companion woman and servants.
We partake of the free G&T's and then have a pleasant dinner before heading out to assess the city and possibly go to our rendezvous point to initiate contact. We take rickshaws to Suzy Wong's and once there take rickshaws to the docks area and the Scarlet Chrysanthemum warehouse which is the rendezvous point. We find a well secured empty bonded warehouse and we are unable to gain entry so decide to return during daylight. We return to Suzy Wong's pass the night away and then return to Raffles. Night passes.
We breakfast in our rooms at 10am and then travel down to the Scarlet Chrysanthemum warehouse where we meet with Mr Moto, establish our bone fides and have discussions.
- Colonel Ishi is associated with Unit 731, an ill reputed research unit based in Habyn in Korean Manchuria.
- Hong Kong is German territory.
- Gen Nu Shan is a local 'chapter' or clan who are working to create a lot of super soldiers with the aim of world domination.
Mr Moto says he will look into our needs and asks us to return in a week.
We go sight-seeing and shopping during this week. We purchase a nice scroll made from split bamboo which promises enlightenment for 5k. It has an incantation of Bolt of Fire on it. I purchase myself a spell rack (with 1 matrix) of a silvered tanto sheath made by a rank 8 artisan for 1k.
We visit the central gardens and I receive a vision that night from the lions which says "a dragon steed will come to our aid in the empire of the east"
At the end of the week we decide to drink our Summer Tea and start a new summer.
We return to the Scarlet Chrysanthemum warehouse and see Mr Moto.
- He tells us that there is a Japanese presence in the Forbidden City which supresses the Imperial Throne. We need to go there and assess what it is and act is possible to stop the active suppression.
We depart that afternoon and take a cabin aboard a Zeppelin bound for Beijing. After 5 days crossing much territory and many mountains we finally land in a smoggy city.
Ah, Beijing - The Northern Capital
We find Beijing to be a very large quartered city with several rivers running through it. After a little time we find what we are looking for which is a dilapidated and deserted warehouse near the borders of the Forbidden City which we are ensconced in by nightfall.
We don't mind the rubble strewn and potholed ground in the warehouse and in fact we like it as we dig under the piles and then bury our less portable loot to help safeguard it and then make the piles look as unpleasant as possible through 'natural' means of diverting attention.
Once that's all done we take final precaution and preparations before we go in.
I drink my falling leaves tea to help me with Earth magic etc.
Once we have done what we can we go invisible and then exit the warehouse. We move down to the nearby river. We enter the river almost undetected but a nearby drunken reveller spots an unusual eddy and goes to cause alarm when he's set upon by other drunks and in the ensuing melee we pass into the river.
In the river we locate a large outlet pipe and spend some time getting the cover off it without destroying it to the casual observer. We soon encounter a dozen skeletons which we destroy all but 1 which Boris retains for assistance.
The Hidden City
Hopping Vampires in the sewers. *NB Battle them with Axes!!
Halls of Healing
Hall of Mental Cultivation - Old Man Ninja Ritualist defeated and recruited by Boris
Palace of Concentrated Beauty: Statues, Sculpture, Rocks, Art, Pavilion - Old Man Ninja Ritualist bisected by Rahne
Glory Palace: Gong of Ascension, Reality Tree, Bowl of Strength - Old Man Ninja Ritualist shot while trying to escape by Bullseye Tsayoi
Palace of Longevity and Health Yet to be visited
<sic>
We continue along the sewers and are attacked by Hopping Vampires (aka Jiangshi) which we defeat with some difficulty until we figure out that they are very afraid of axes. We continue on and find stairs leading into the main part of the city. There we notice in the water that we'd just exited a foamy presence which covered a whole lot of sewer piranha with very nasty teeth. Lets just avoid those skeleton making machines!
We get to ground level and exit the door looking for which way to go to find the evil ritual center. we enter the nearest pavilion which is the medicine pavilion and there we find a huge Ginseng root and other medical paraphenalia which we all take and then head southwards still looking for the object of our quest. <br/.
We pass carefully beneath the outward facing/peering guards and wonder 'where next', when my heat vision pick up that the central metal statue actually has a heat source - which worries us quite a bit!
I remember that the Singapore lions dream told me that a Dragon Steed would help us here and we attempt to communicate but to little avail. We ask for directions to our task and it indicates NE and so we pass that way.
So we entered the indicated pavilion and we found ourselves in the Hall of Mental Cultivation. In the doorway we peered into the Hall and could see nothing except an empty hall but through my sight i could see an invisible old man praying in the center of the room. Now I was all prepared to do for him but the party leader decided she wanted to 'talk with' him and so instead of an attack I just ran up to him. Unfortunately this wasn't your normal old man but a wizened old evil ninja type old man armed with several pistols which hurt a lot after my first 6 spec grievous injuries. The party leadership realised their error and we ll piled in to kill him before we died in return. We looted him and room, got a bit of healing in and decided that the old man/men had to die as these were possibly the ones doing the evil suppressing ritual. Boris made the old man one of his retinue and we move onwards.
<I'm not bothering to detail the fights or loot as its in the treasure list>
Another old man was found in the Palace of Concentrated Beauty, which we took down quickly through arcane means. This is an amazing palace of such beauty that it must be seen to be felt. Loot and move on.
Another old man in the Glory Palace almost got away over a wall before I grabbed a pistol and shot him dead - earning myself the nickname of bullseye Tsayoi!
One more to go.
We go after the last 'old man' and entering the Palace of Longevity & Peace we pursue the fading ritual emanations. We find it empty and the trail that our fox ninja tells us leads over a near wall. We pursue and at one point head down a narrow alley between pavilions. We`are attacked there by a many limbed creature with multiple segments who tramples most of us causing a severe loss of pride before a well placed shot renders it unconscious. we ascertain that this is a Thonic Insectoid Demon which has elemental lightning abilities as well as being a very dangerous 1000 eyed monster. Once down we charm it and it proves an able mount for those who can ride it as it can move up and over walls on its many limbs. The chase continues and the time is now 3am but the tracks lead over the exterior wall of the forbidden city and into Beijing itself.
We pursue the scent over the walls, across the river (by creation of a bone bridge) and into the streets of the city. We seem to be closing on the old man when 5 secret police cars turn up out of the shadows. we quickly try to scatter to avoid weapon-fire and I'm forced to use a Dragon-flames which incinerates 3 of the cars and surrounding agents but gives us the opportunity to escape from the police.
Finally we catch up to the old man in a square where he unleashes Entropy Locusts on us which kill me (Tsayoi) but the rest of the party take down yet another evil and nasty 'little old man'. The party are surprised when i arise and relate that i was speaking to a nice man with whom I had tea and he gave me a toy sized chariot. <br/.
we use one circle in a nearby cemetery to return to our warehouse where we spend the next 18 days healing our wounds. We let our employer know of our success and we also attend the solstice ceremony in the city and all find our life levels raised to 'long lived sentient'. We take a fruit from the reality Tree which helps define world Lore.
We then depart the scene and head to Bucharest to get Dellith's Armour repaired by the lord of Tinkerers. He asks us to drop off a small tin soldier named Gluk where we go next.
THE PLANE OF NEW TERRA
Ah, Vishnali - the centre of peace
We travel to Vishnali to meet up with the Lady Angharad, the Lady of the Lake (aka the lady of swords) but we find she is absent at present. We take a brief rest before we use the location to travel and see David, the Lord of Artificers. David receives us even though he is packing for a journey soon. David wears a black dinner suit, has bryl-creamed hair, has an organic ruby as his left hand and wears a gear ring on his right hand. I beseech him to repair my Eisenkind armour and he does but takes my eyebrows in payment while at the same time offering me some copper red insectoid antenna eyebrows which he requests me to test on his behalf. After this we depart his tower and return to Vishnali.
One night in Vishnali
We spend the night in Vishnali and attend a nightclub where we entertain some of the locals and make an impression on a human lass named Ashwarra but we leave in the early morning and goodbyes are brief.
Headed across the Himalaya's
We depart Vishnali and using the chariot to which I have bound the thonic refugee and we pass quickly up and across the mountainous terrain. We are headed for Nanjing in SE China where we seek to make contact with the LoR or his agents and find out more about the 'Black' conspiracies. We spend 4 days traveling before we get down to the Chinese side and then we travel eastwards. One day we noted a storm approaching and we took refuge in a hollowed out tree shelter where we avoided what was a nasty storm or storm demon/god rampaging up the valley. Once the storm had passed we continued.
we came to a small city with impressive 60ft tall walls and we visited the markets where we found a scroll (7TSG) which enabled me to learn Ritual of summoning lessor effreet.
On the rails again
This small city has the end of a rail spur and so we wait for the train in the morning and we head East towards Nanjing. While passing through the carriages I notice an odd few passengers who i realise we have a mutual acquaintance in common from another time and place. We sit and greet each other and make the necessary introductions. The Korean chap and the Norwegian dwarf are both associates of the widow click who i/we met on Reich some time ago during The Lady Vanishes and we call them Minjoon and Lucas. We decide to travel together and offer any aid they need in their tasks.
They say they're working for a Capt Smallwood who has a squadron of Wellingtons piloted by highly trained Chindit pilots and they're looking to identify Colonel Ishi for the bombers. We're to help look for forward staging posts to enable the planes to land and refuel to carry on once Col Ishi has been identified.
We finally reach Nanjing.
ah, Nanjing - 'the Southern Capital'
The city of Nanjing was very busy, more so in fact due to he refugees from the west who had come to the city an taken up all the accomodation. We decided to bun down in the cramped quarters of Minjoo and Lucas while they undertook some tasks in town. During this time we visited some of the entertainment establishments and found one likely staffed with skilled spies. We were followed when we left but we coshed them and moved on. After s few days here we hatched a plan to steal a Zeppilin and use it to provide a fuel transport for the bombers. We would also hijack an army base to the north (by force) and then stage from there using their additional stores of fuel
The Weimar Zeppelin
We board the Zeppilin as planned and capture it and the crew along with the passengers. we head north.
Army base attack
Rahne and Dellith in their flying forms exit the Zeppilin when we're about 10-miles away from the Japanese held airbase which is our target. They fly to the target base and take out the two sentries on the gate so as to avoid anyone noticing our large Zeppilin coming in to land. Some time later at 2am we and the Zeppilin after dealing with crosswinds. We then find the rest of the sleeping troops and our ninja goes in, subdues them and we then take the remaining live ones and lock them up. We liberate the contents of the armoury for later use.
The Wellington bombers (24) land at 5am and we quickly get then refueled. 5;30am sees us all aboard the pathfinder plane and we depart for the last short leg to bomb the target - Unit 731 headquarters in Haibin.
an encounter with some fighters
on route we're lucky to avoid the Japanese AA guns but we do encounter a flight of 6 planes who fail to see us until we're right upon them. I shoot down 2 with fire bolts and the others use the heavy mounted machine guns in the planes to shoot down 2 more and damage the remaining two who decide to head home before they die.
bombs away
We make it to the target and the bombs are dropped, almost leveling the square block of buildings which is the headquarters of Unit 731. We all exit the plane through the holes in the fuselage and bomb bay and fly down to ground level.
Into the ruins of Unit 731 headquarters and Colonel Ishi's home
We entered the smoking crater and descended to the roof of the last level which was 4 levels below ground but not without incident. I almost fell into the bottom level trough some weakened areas but the quick reactions of my party saved me and so we proceeded into the 3rd level and started searching. We found laboratories for dissection and experimentation on all sorts of creatures including Mind-flayers and extra dimensional creatures from beyond the veil. We were discovered by a folded Mind Flayer and mentally set upon until we ascertained its location in folded space nearby where Dellith engaged and pureed it.
we finished level 3 and decided to see what the heat sources were on level 4 and we almost turned around when we saw what they were until we saw the huge safe inside a creatures pen.
In the room was an alien creature being serviced by smaller looking male aliens and caged inside a room surrounded by strange glass poles. Beyond the room and poles was a larger open room in which roamed a 40ft long creature with many legs and the skin of a mind flayer made into a hive mind - a most disturbing sight.
We considered how to get at the safe while avoiding the death stalking the room and beyond. In the end we used multiple areas of lava and a sack full of japanese grenades along with some magical water which turned an area into flammable material and so the mother alien died - burned to death. The many legged mind flayer beast we managed to hurt so much that it moved away deeper into the large room and the smaller alien males were all consumed by the mind flayer beast.
We managed to get into the safe using some thermite and looted the material contained therein, followed by legging it out of there.
The exit from the complex was spectacular but we then moved away and carpeted ourselves back to India and to a measure of safety.
a'dios new terra
we decide to hasten our departure and thence travel to Victoria.
Esteemed colleagues, associates and personages encountered on this sojourn
- The Lord of Intrigue - Wu Shin, Master of Intrigue. Nothing is every simple when he is involved. Currently working with Patterns
- The Lord of Patterns - Serifan, Lord of Patterns. Cares about the fate of mortals as a whole, not so much for individuals. Currently working with Intrigue
- The Lord of Glass - Vitri, Lord of Glass. He is a charming and erudite gentleman and most courteous host.
- The Prince of Daemons - Damien, Prince of Demons. Kind enough to repair Tsayoi's armour. aka The Lord of the Abyss
- The Lord of Tinkers - Ingarethon, allowed us use of his gate in Bucharest, Reich.
- Mr Moto - a well connected individual working for The Lord of Intrigue aka Wu Shin and based in Singapore. Mr Moto is from/based in Hawaii.
- Korean (known as Kamir - see Like the Night) or Minjoo as we know him. He is a saboteur, a mind mage, an associate of the widow Click. He is on the side of the allies and works for Lord Windgate, in Chinditz in Burma
- Norwegian Dwarf (known as Lucas to us), associate of Kamir/Minjoo and the widow Click?. He is on the side of the allies and works for Lord Windgate, in Chinditz in Burma. He's a Rune mage of middling ability?
- Col Ishii - Notes from The Lady Vanishes hath only one word to describe he - FREAK!! He be immortal but very weak. He hath done experiments like dripping acid into peoples eyes and removing their livers to see how long they live.
Locations visited or of interest
The_World_of_Victoria
- Venice, Italy
- Vladivostok, Russia
- Edo, Japan
- Satsuma Province, Japan
The Plane of Reich
- Venice, Italy
- Bucharest, Romania
- Singapore, Singapore
- Raffles Hotel
- Beijing, China
- The Forbidden City
The Plane of New Terra
- Vishnali, India
- Nanjing, China
- Shanghai, China
Buffs & Mil Sci
Long Term (assumed always on)
Magic (caster) | Rk | Effects | Dur | Rahne | Dellith | Tsayoi | Boris |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Greater Enchantment (Rahne) | 19 | +20% to 3 of Res, Mag, Com, S&S. | 5 days | RMCS | RMCS | RMCS | RMCS |
Short Term
Magic (caster) | Rk | Effects | Dur | Rahne | Dellith | Tsayoi | Boris |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ench Weapon (Rahne) | 10 | +11% SC +5 Dmg | 15 mins | Y | |||
Ench Armour (Rahne) | 12 | +26% Def +1 AP 2 DR vs Phantasm/Nightmare. | 6 1/2 hrs | Y | Y | Y |
Spell Racks
Standard contents of spell racks:
- Rahne
-
- TK Triple Strength
- Boris
-
- Tsayoi
-
- Fusillade of Flames
Watch Order
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Marching Order
Plans
Deaths
- Tsayoi - when killing the last evil old man in Beijing (Reich)
Notable use of xp
- Tsayoi - sacrificed 1xEN exp to use DF to kill secret police and spare the party further damage
Awards
Experience
After the Loot Auction: | |||||||
Income (less expenditures): | |||||||
Boris' Award
Dellith's Award
Rahne's Award
Tsayoi's Award
Treasure
Item | Qty | Effects | Bo | De | Ra | Ts | Used | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Consumables | |||||||||
Dark Sphere Bead | 1 | Dark Sphere | 1 | ||||||
Flash Grenado | 6 | Flash | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | |||
Smoke Grenado | 6 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||
Kobold Grenado | 6 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||
Thermite Grenado | 3 | 3 | |||||||
Red Iron Grenado | 6 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | ||||
Orange Summer Tea | 6 | Free Summer | 1 | 1 | 4 | ||||
Green Harmony Tea | 36 | Tea Ceremony WP+ | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 4 | ||
Annis Draught | 1 | Natural Armour | 1 | ||||||
Hellebore Wash | 1 | 12 drops | 1 | ||||||
Wraithcloak Potion | 1 | Draining | 1 | ||||||
Pureheart Potion | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||
Oil of Corrosive Resistance | 1 | 1 | |||||||
Oil of Mental Resistance | 1 | 1 | |||||||
Oil of Fire Resistance | 1 | 1 | |||||||
Oil of Cold Resistance | 1 | 1 | |||||||
Oil of Flammability x 3 | 3 | 3 | |||||||
Drowning Waters x 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||
Potion of Violets x 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||
Bridging Potion x 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||
Potion of Bound Reflection x 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Potion of Shadow Trapping x 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||
Waters of Reflection x 7 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | ||||
Potion of Flatness x 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Eye of Newt Potion x 8 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | ||||
Potion of Indigo Flame x 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Potion of Turkish Delight x 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||
Potion of Rain x 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||
Scroll of Scalps | 1 | 11 Disguises | 1 | ||||||
Mana Sense | 3 | Rk 10 scrolls | 1 | 2 | |||||
Other Consumables | |||||||||
Agate Amulet | 1 | Disease + | 1 | ||||||
Medical Bag | 1 | 1 | |||||||
Maruta Rolls | 1 | 1 | |||||||
Tongues of Seduction | 12 | 4 | 4 | 4 | |||||
Witch Salt | 8 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | ||||
Activated Charcoal of Yggdrasil x 8 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | ||||
Origami Fox | 1 | 1 | |||||||
Origami Crane | 1 | 1 | |||||||
Origami Hare | 1 | 1 | |||||||
Jiangshi Fingernails | 12 | Store Life Draining | 12 | ||||||
Entropy Spheres | 3 | Stream of Entropy Locusts rk 19 | 3 | ||||||
Wink of Sleep | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||
Butterfly Water | 1 | 1 | |||||||
Ghoul Dust | 6 | 6 | |||||||
Gems | points / Gem and remaining points | ||||||||
Sapphire | 1 | 7250sp 7 Sky | 3 | 4 / 1 | |||||
Amber | 1 | 3400sp 8 Stillness | 3 / 1 | 2 | |||||
Banded Jacinth | 1 | 12000sp 3 Heart | 1 / 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||
Aquamarine | 1 | 4350sp 6 River | 4 / 1 | 2 | |||||
Citrine | 1 | 8550sp 9 Heat | 9 / 1 | ||||||
Chalcedony | 1 | 3500sp 7 Redemption | 3 / 1 | 4 | |||||
Banded Sard | 1 | 4275sp 8 Corruption | 8 / 1 | ||||||
Ruby | 1 | 12000sp 6 Fire | 6 / 1 | ||||||
Rose Quartz | 1 | 2125sp 11 Facet | 1 / 1 | ||||||
Black Opal | 1 | 8375sp 8 Danger | 4 | 4 / 1 | |||||
Moonstone | 1 | 14000sp 7 Moon | 2 / 1 | 1 | |||||
Sunstone | 1 | 14000sp 7 Sun | 2 | 4 / 1 | 1 | ||||
Weapons | |||||||||
Browning ACP & Silencer | 1 | +14 clips | 1 | ||||||
Snub-nosed Pistols | 2 | 2 | |||||||
Iron Dagger | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||
The Woman Blade | 1 | Glaive/Staff/Javelin | 1 | ||||||
Void Spines | 3 | Darts, targets of animate body parts | 3 | ||||||
Obedience Blades | 1 (2) | K&W Face down armies (Tsayoi bonded) | 1 | ||||||
Silver Flawlessness Blades | 1 (2) | K&W chained lethal strikes | 1 | ||||||
Dipole | 1 | Big glass stick | 1 | ||||||
Armour | |||||||||
Silver Sable Robe | 1 | 1 | |||||||
Quilted Cloth Armour | 2 | 5 AP 1 DR 2 WT 0 AG +10 Stealth | 1 | 1 | |||||
Amulets | |||||||||
Enhanced Amulet of Luck | 1 | 1 reroll | 1 | ||||||
Enhanced Amulet of Jade | 1 | + IV vs undead | 1 | ||||||
Enhanced Amulet of Chalcedony | 1 | +detects lesser undead | 1 | ||||||
Jewellery | |||||||||
Throne's Heart Fob | 1 | BoE Variant | 1 | ||||||
Saturday Ring | 1 | + 7 Ranks to Spell | 1 | ||||||
Topacious Egg | 1 | Store potion in your heart | 1 | ||||||
Miscellaneous | |||||||||
Carpet of Repose | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||
Astral Carpet | 1 | Returned to Patterns | |||||||
Leaf of Mental Advancement | 1 | 1 | |||||||
Leaf of Physical Prowess | 1 | 1 | |||||||
Leaf of Skill at Arms | 1 | 1 | |||||||
Leaf of Gainful Conjuration | 1 | 1 | |||||||
Leaf of Mysterious Bounty | 1 | 1 | |||||||
Head in a Jar | 1 | Animate dead | 1 | ||||||
Plaque of False Dreams | 2 | 1 | 1 | ||||||
The Star Trump | 1 | 1 | |||||||
Ancient Root | 1 | ||||||||
Crystal of Illumination | 1 | 1 | |||||||
Chariot of Fire | 1 | 1 | |||||||
Ichor of a Distant Moon | 1 | Lunar aspect, astrology, | 1/4 | 1/4 | 1/4 | 1/4 | |||
Red Iron Bowl | 1 | Reduces cost of Waters of PS | 1/4 | 1/4 | 1/4 | 1/4 | |||
String of Thorns | 1 | 1 | |||||||
Jade Funeral Urn | 6 | communicate with sentient ash | 1/4 | 1/4 | 1/4 | 1/4 | |||
Tea Ceremony Tryptich | 1 | +vs Pain & Fear | 1 | ||||||
Wave & Stone Painting | 1 | Earth & Water GK spells (Rahne bonded) | 1 | ||||||
Meridian Needles | 1 | 1 | |||||||
Map of the Anatomy | 1 | DA Healer Empathy | 1 | ||||||
Bag of Rhinoceros Phallus | 1 | 1/2 | 1/2 | ||||||
The Burden of the Innocent | 1 | Selling off | |||||||
Scroll of the Land | 1 | 1 | |||||||
Blank Phylactery | 8 | 1 each has Walk Unseen: Unremarkable from Intrigue | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | |||
Stone from a Plover's Nest | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||
Allies | |||||||||
Oubliette | 1 | 1 | |||||||
Beast of a Thousand Eyes | 1 | 1 | |||||||
Mrs Vivacious Pond | 1 | Names | 1 | ||||||
Sakura | 1 | Mortality => Lord of Gardens | 1/8 | 1/8 | 1/8 | 1/8 | |||
Lore | |||||||||
The Name of the Wind | 1 | Binding Air | 1 | ||||||
Abysmal Travel | Abysmal Lore | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||
Incantations | |||||||||
Spectral Warrior - Improved Damage Capacity | 1 | Tougher Spectral Warrior | 1 | ||||||
Spectral Warrior - Pale Horse | 1 | Spectral mount | 1 | ||||||
Spectral Warrior - Spectral Hound | 1 | Spectral tracker | 1 | ||||||
Wraithform - Damage Reduction | 1 | 1 | |||||||
Bolt of Fire - Fusillade of Flames | 1 | Multiple bolts of fire | 1 | ||||||
Summoning Lesser Efreet | 1 | 1 | |||||||
Creating Dream Dust (E&E Q-3) | 1 | 1 | |||||||
Wink Dust (E&E Q-3) | 1 | 1 |
Calendar
Summer: Meadow (1) 816wk | ||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Moonday | Duesday | W'ansday | Th'rsday | Frysday | Reapsday | Sunday | ||||||||||
Beltane Full Moon | 1 | Guild Meeting Meet with S. | 2 | Abyss from Alusia to Kerberoth... | ||||||||||||
7 | ... Abyss ... | |||||||||||||||
14 | ...to Kerberoth. | 16 | Kerberoth | 17 | Abyss from Kerberoth to Victoria... | |||||||||||
21 | ... Abyss ... | |||||||||||||||
28 | Full Moon ...to Venice, Victoria. | 1 | Train from Venice to Vladivostok... | |||||||||||||
Summer: Heat (2) 816wk | ||||||||||||||||
Moonday | Duesday | W'ansday | Th'rsday | Frysday | Reapsday | Sunday | ||||||||||
5 | ... Orient Express ... | |||||||||||||||
12 | ...to Vladivostok. 14th: Midsummer Eve (Faerie Day) | 15 | Solstice Vladivostok. Sail to Sunset Isles... | |||||||||||||
19 | ... sail to Edo. | 24 | Edo to Mt Fuji (Intrigue) | 25 | Train South, Tadeori Castle, Ninja House | |||||||||||
26 | Full Moon Train North to Mt Fuji | 27 | Astral, Abyss to Prince of Demons | |||||||||||||
Summer: Breeze (3) 816wk | ||||||||||||||||
Moonday | Duesday | W'ansday | Th'rsday | Frysday | Reapsday | Sunday | ||||||||||
3 | Day of Death ... Abyss (Demons) | 4 | Armour Repair | 5 | Abyss to Reich ... | |||||||||||
10 | ... Bucharest (Tinkers) | 12 | Ship to Singapore... | |||||||||||||
17 | ... Singapore (Reich). | 22 | Singapore.. | |||||||||||||
24 | Full Moon .. Singapore .. | |||||||||||||||
Second Summer: Meadow (1) 816wk | ||||||||||||||||
Moonday | Duesday | W'ansday | Th'rsday | Frysday | Reapsday | Sunday | ||||||||||
Beltane Full Moon Singapore. | 1 | Air ship to Peeking | 6 | Peeking | ||||||||||||
7 | Peeking, Forbidden City | 8 | Peeking (healing time).. | |||||||||||||
14 | .. Peeking (healing time).. | |||||||||||||||
21 | .. Peeking (healing time).. | |||||||||||||||
28 | Full Moon .. Peeking (healing time) .. | |||||||||||||||
Second Summer: Heat (2) 816wk | ||||||||||||||||
Moonday | Duesday | W'ansday | Th'rsday | Frysday | Reapsday | Sunday | ||||||||||
5 | .. Peeking (healing time).. | |||||||||||||||
12 | .. Peeking (healing time). | 15 | Solstice Ceremony | 16 | Astral to Bucharest | 17 | Armour repair, Astral, Abyss | |||||||||
19 | .. Abyss .. | |||||||||||||||
26 | .. Abyss, Astral, New Terra, Vishnali. | 2 | David, Gotham. | |||||||||||||
Second Summer: Breeze (3) 816wk | ||||||||||||||||
Moonday | Duesday | W'ansday | Th'rsday | Frysday | Reapsday | Sunday | ||||||||||
3 | Day of Death Vishnali, north through passes to Gangtok | 7 | Gangtok NE to rail line.. | |||||||||||||
10 | .. rail. | 11 | Train to Nanjing | 13 | Nanjing ... | |||||||||||
17 | ... spying and mission prep in Nanjing ... | |||||||||||||||
24 | Full Moon ..Nanjing. | 26 | Hijacking | 27 | Unit 731 | 28 | Vishnali, Lady of the Lake | 29 | Astral, Abyss towards Victoria |
Autumn: Fruit (4) | ||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Moonday | Duesday | W'ansday | Th'rsday | Frysday | Reapsday | Sunday | ||||||||
Lugnasad | 1 | .. Abyss .. | ||||||||||||
7 | .. Abyss to Victoria. | 12 | Lord of Glass | 13 | Astral, Abyss.. | |||||||||
14 | .. Abyss .. Lady of the Abyss. | |||||||||||||
21 | .. Abyss to Alusia | 27 | Seagate | |||||||||||
28 | 29 | 30 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
House Rules
I write this because I prefer that people know up front how my game works. This is not an exhaustive list of the way I run my games because, well, life is too short..Players are encouraged to ask for clarification where they are uncertain, for as long as my patience lasts.
- Non-human characters have their Experience divided by the Racial Modifier in the book. If you're not human and you play in my game, you get less Experience. I do not countenance reducing Racial Experience Divisors. The only advantage humans have is that they do not attract this penalty, and I will police this strictly.
- Natural Armour is the same as Protection, but stacks with it in general. Unless specified otherwise. it is neither Damage Reduction nor Endurance Armour.
- Spell Armour reduces incoming damage from spells. Protection comes from armour or Natural Armour and reduces the physical damage of blows and certain magical attacks. It may be penetrated by a quality hit (i.e. possible Specific Grievous injuries or blows directly to EN). Endurance Armour reduces the damage component of a quality hit but never protects against the special damage of a Specific Grievous injury. Damage Reduction reduces damage from each attack, whatever the quality of the hit. However, if ANY of the damage gets past Damage Reduction, all of the special damage of a Specific Grievous injury is applied.
- Unless carrying capacity is specified (e.g. Instill Flight) a flying entity can carry themselves and Encumbrance calculated on their own PS or a flying PS of 5 + the Rank of the flying Magic, whichever is less (E.g. if you have PS of 13, and are flying on Rank 10 Shadow Wings, your Encumbrance is calculated on PS of 13, not 15 ). This may incur AG penalties and FT costs but has no effect on eligibility for wielding weapons, etc.
- If you move faster than your TMR, your Magic Resistance and Defence are reduced to zero, except against ranged attacks, in which case Def is calculated as 5 per hex moved through.
- Featherfall creates an inertial volume of air around the subject/victim. It can be counterspelled by the Adept or dispelled by a Namer, at which point falling resumes. Or flying. Any standard form of flying will be inconvenienced by Featherfall.
- When flying, a steep climb is 30 degrees, or 1 hex up for 2 travelled horizontally. This is as fast as a character can climb, generally speaking. Again, generally speaking, the rate of climb is a maximum of 1/3rd of your flying TMR. Similarly, the shallowest ballistic arc a character can travel is 1/3rd of the horizontal distance traveled. If you leap thirty feet horizontally in a tunnel 8 feet high, they're going to be scraping you off the ceiling.
- I use a slight variation on the Repulsing a Charge attack. If you are wielding an A Class Hafted weapon in 2 hands, then you roll for Unengaged Initiative. If you lose, you attack just before your opponent's Strike Check, if you win, you attack then AND just before your opponent. Roll 5 + Rank or less on a D10. If you succeed, roll a Strike Check. If you miss, it is a hit directly to EN ignoring Protection, if you hit, it is a possible Specific Grievous injury.
- I expect players to submit an electronic copy of their character sheet and their write ups to me before the game starts. If there has been little change since the time I last DMed you, then I do not mind if it is only an update. I reserve the right to exclude certain abilities and gear from my game. For reaons known only to the vast otherworldly intelligence that underpins the worlds we play in, Assassin abilities do not stack with Warrior abilities and Warrior abilities do not synergise with spell-casting. To reduce the amount of work I have to do, I expect players whose gear includes Arcane Items, provide me a write up of it, explaining what it does, what base item it derives from and when it expires. I will let you know if I will allow it.
- By convention, rather than as a rule change, when in close, add your modified PS to your Strike Chance and Defence, since this is what I do for my NPCs.