Dr Simon
Explorer
[Sblock=Hiatus Recap]
Several individuals gather in the Catfish, in Llaza's floating Thievestown, to meet man named Vaal Zeshon, identifiable by the yellow sash he is wearing. Zeshon claims that he has white jade for sale, and all those meeting him have their own reasons for seeking the rare and valuable mineral.
Things go awry, however. Vaal is killed by a creature hidden in his drink, a Palu Devil from the Hudan Technocracy. In the ensuing ruckus, several people are implicated. The waitress who delivered the trapped drink flees, hunted by Hang Shemin and Malachite she transforms into an otter and escapes in the harbour waters. Two men who attempt to slope away in a suspicious fashion are apprehended, and a third man also tries to make his escape. His name is Shem and he is also wearing a yellow sash.
At Hang's apartment in town, questioning of the three captives reveals that Zeshon's death was an accident. Shem was the real target. The two men work for Kalog the Knife, an enforcer for the Black River Society criminal cartel, and Shem owes them money. Kalog can be found at a drug den known as the Chrysanthemum Garden.
The shaman, Blue, had salvaged several items from Vaal Zeshon's body. The white jade serpent ring that he bought as a sample, and a key to a Merchant's League strongbox. Zeshon had hinted at the existence, somewhere, of another 20 000 yen's worth of white jade to be auctioned in two day's time. With this only lead, and a need to report the capture of two criminals to someone in authority, the group heads to the Merchant's League Headquarters. Shem attempts to hire Mal as a bodyguard, and follows on regardless.
En route, the group come to a disturbance. Another man has been killed, and the culprit is a crazed man with supernatural powers. A chase across the rooftops ensues, aided by some guards from the Turif Clan of the Merchant's League. The crazed man is possessed by a red jade spirit, and the group manage to impress the leader, Jantrashan, of the Turif guards with their prowess. He offers them a job.
The group find Vaal's deposit box which turns out to contain not white jade, but a map, depicting the Necklace of Plenty archipeligo, referring to an Island of the Smoking Crown. Here a trail leads upriver from Circular Bay, to a fork of twin waterfalls and a Cave of Three Eyes where it is noted that the whote jade is hidden.
The next day the group decide to investigate the offer of a job. They meet Lady Calis Onrad-Turif, aka Lady C, octogenarian matriarch of the Turif clan. She asks for their help in tracking down who in House Turif is trafficking in illegal red jade (and thus bringing red jade spirits into the city). In payment, Hang asks for a ship and a crew, which Lady C agrees to.
Shem, although proving unreliable when it comes to money matters, turns out to be a valuable resource when it comes to navigating the seedier parts of Llaza, and in underhand accountancy practices. With his help, and information from Jantrashan, the investigation points to a House Turif factor names Zh'man Zh'ai, "sundries" from Nirhamsa, where red jade is found, and selling on East Wind Associates, which happens to be a front for Kalog the Knife and the Black River Society.
Based on this lead, the group head to the East Wind Associates depot on East Dock, where a sleek black galley is moored in front. The party board the galley to be confronted by exotic turbanned sailors with suspicious serpentine traits. When one of them attempts to use magic to persuade the group that they have no red jade on board, things devolve to a fight. The traders and sailors are killed swiftly, and now the group are facing a crew of lizard-men creatures intent on killing them.
[/sblock]
The lizard creatures boil forth from the fore and aft-castles of the galley. Mal wings one with an arrow and Hang wounds another with his guisarme but neither goes down - these things are tougher than the more human-looking sailors. Two from the forecastle move to attack hang, slashing with their claws as they duck under his reach. His armour mostly turns the attacks but he is still scratched.
Meanwhile, more lizardfolk continue to advance cautiously from the stern of the ship.
[sblock=OOC]
Finally got a map up! Hopefully symbols should be self-explanatory. I've assumed that Hang's dog Quinn is waiting next to Shem below the bow of the galley.
Hang, guisarme attack on lizard#1 hits for 4 damage.
Mal, bow attack on lizard #3, hits for 8 damage.
Lizard #1 attacks Hang, provokes AoO (Miss), attack misses.
Lizard #2 hits Hang Shemin with claw attack for 4 damage
[MENTION=40413]GlassEye[/MENTION], Blue is next up in initiative.
[/sblock]
Several individuals gather in the Catfish, in Llaza's floating Thievestown, to meet man named Vaal Zeshon, identifiable by the yellow sash he is wearing. Zeshon claims that he has white jade for sale, and all those meeting him have their own reasons for seeking the rare and valuable mineral.
Things go awry, however. Vaal is killed by a creature hidden in his drink, a Palu Devil from the Hudan Technocracy. In the ensuing ruckus, several people are implicated. The waitress who delivered the trapped drink flees, hunted by Hang Shemin and Malachite she transforms into an otter and escapes in the harbour waters. Two men who attempt to slope away in a suspicious fashion are apprehended, and a third man also tries to make his escape. His name is Shem and he is also wearing a yellow sash.
At Hang's apartment in town, questioning of the three captives reveals that Zeshon's death was an accident. Shem was the real target. The two men work for Kalog the Knife, an enforcer for the Black River Society criminal cartel, and Shem owes them money. Kalog can be found at a drug den known as the Chrysanthemum Garden.
The shaman, Blue, had salvaged several items from Vaal Zeshon's body. The white jade serpent ring that he bought as a sample, and a key to a Merchant's League strongbox. Zeshon had hinted at the existence, somewhere, of another 20 000 yen's worth of white jade to be auctioned in two day's time. With this only lead, and a need to report the capture of two criminals to someone in authority, the group heads to the Merchant's League Headquarters. Shem attempts to hire Mal as a bodyguard, and follows on regardless.
En route, the group come to a disturbance. Another man has been killed, and the culprit is a crazed man with supernatural powers. A chase across the rooftops ensues, aided by some guards from the Turif Clan of the Merchant's League. The crazed man is possessed by a red jade spirit, and the group manage to impress the leader, Jantrashan, of the Turif guards with their prowess. He offers them a job.
The group find Vaal's deposit box which turns out to contain not white jade, but a map, depicting the Necklace of Plenty archipeligo, referring to an Island of the Smoking Crown. Here a trail leads upriver from Circular Bay, to a fork of twin waterfalls and a Cave of Three Eyes where it is noted that the whote jade is hidden.
The next day the group decide to investigate the offer of a job. They meet Lady Calis Onrad-Turif, aka Lady C, octogenarian matriarch of the Turif clan. She asks for their help in tracking down who in House Turif is trafficking in illegal red jade (and thus bringing red jade spirits into the city). In payment, Hang asks for a ship and a crew, which Lady C agrees to.
Shem, although proving unreliable when it comes to money matters, turns out to be a valuable resource when it comes to navigating the seedier parts of Llaza, and in underhand accountancy practices. With his help, and information from Jantrashan, the investigation points to a House Turif factor names Zh'man Zh'ai, "sundries" from Nirhamsa, where red jade is found, and selling on East Wind Associates, which happens to be a front for Kalog the Knife and the Black River Society.
Based on this lead, the group head to the East Wind Associates depot on East Dock, where a sleek black galley is moored in front. The party board the galley to be confronted by exotic turbanned sailors with suspicious serpentine traits. When one of them attempts to use magic to persuade the group that they have no red jade on board, things devolve to a fight. The traders and sailors are killed swiftly, and now the group are facing a crew of lizard-men creatures intent on killing them.
[/sblock]
The lizard creatures boil forth from the fore and aft-castles of the galley. Mal wings one with an arrow and Hang wounds another with his guisarme but neither goes down - these things are tougher than the more human-looking sailors. Two from the forecastle move to attack hang, slashing with their claws as they duck under his reach. His armour mostly turns the attacks but he is still scratched.
Meanwhile, more lizardfolk continue to advance cautiously from the stern of the ship.
[sblock=OOC]
Finally got a map up! Hopefully symbols should be self-explanatory. I've assumed that Hang's dog Quinn is waiting next to Shem below the bow of the galley.
Hang, guisarme attack on lizard#1 hits for 4 damage.
Mal, bow attack on lizard #3, hits for 8 damage.
Lizard #1 attacks Hang, provokes AoO (Miss), attack misses.
Lizard #2 hits Hang Shemin with claw attack for 4 damage
[MENTION=40413]GlassEye[/MENTION], Blue is next up in initiative.
[/sblock]
)[/sblock]
