Dramatis Personae
- An Rang (Played by Chris D): Genius doctor, decent artist, escaped fugitive. Tagline: “They’re still alive if they aren’t dead yet.”
- Gushou Miren (played by Rory F.): Chains of lightning, drums like thunder, refreshing as a gentle rain, swift like the wind, bring on the Storm! Tagline: “It is better to have less thunder in the mouth and more lightning in the hands.”
- Shen Feng (played by Christian G.): This white haired warrior’s calm hides the fury of a thousand winds. Tagline: “The ground is your pillow and the sky your blanket.”
- Xhai Kiyun (Played by Calvin J): Stands head and shoulders over others. Solider, horseman, Swordmaster, merchant, leader, and he very tall. Tagline: “Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt..”
Previously . . .
After resting for a night to allow Shen Feng some time to heal, the group makes their way towards the Sacred Fancy Temple of Sacredness after the dark. They ride for three nights until they come to a depression that they can’t take the horses down into without them risking a leg being broken, they try to arrange for them to arrive during daylight hours. Xhai determines that they’re in at a shrine dedicated to fallen soldiers of the Reformation that occurred a millennia ago as well as a shrine to a dragon that lives in the lake. There are those that come to the lake for healing properties.
Release The Krocken
An Rang, Gushou Miren, Shen Feng, Xhai Kiyun
The Water Temple
Sixth Month 20th day, 975 Zao Dynasty, 16th hour
Tengzou Province
They’re forced to walk down the pathway which is rather steep, but well established with worn stones forming a pathway down. The dark man stands at the shore, staring off into the distance. They can hear his voice almost by their ears as he tells them that they’re too late and large bastard child of a kraken and a roc lands behind them, which is affectionately now dubbed Krocken, roaring loud enough to stun most of the group while causing Gushou to almost soil his pants.
Xhai charges forwards, the krocken dodges backwards while the others mostly break from their stun, except for Gushou who continues to void himself. The krocken slips forwards and nips at all of Xhai’s limbs who manages to avoid everything but the crippling bite to his shield arm. The group is showered with acid, with An Rang managing to be outside of the sphere of influence. Gushou gets a large amount splashed on him, defended partially by Iron Skin while Shen Feng parries the acid and the lady Fu Ren merely dodges out of the way.
Xhai manages to get some attacks off on the Krocken’s leg and while Shen Feng heads for the dark man and Gushou breaks free from his stun, An Rang deduces the Krocken’s weak points, making it easier to locate the weak point on their neck and breast. Xhai gets savaged some more in the chestular region. In return, Xhai savages its breast, driving his dao into its vitals. Shen Feng leaps forwards to strike into the dark man to disrupt his spell casting, missing both times. Lady Fu Ren heals Xhai with magic, repairing his arm. Gushou, finally free from his stun, lashes out at the krocken with Stormcaller supercharged with lightning, bringing the funk and dropping it in a second with the electrifying results. With it down, An Rang toddling towards the dark man.
Aftermath
It only takes a second later before the dark man opens up a portal and steps through it followed by the villager shambling through the portal behind him. An Rang takes the opportunity to heal his companions while Gushou bathes himself in the sacred waters.
After Action Report (GM)
The session was fast and quick. I put the PCs down for their third combat against a major foe. The Jiutouniao (nine-headed bird) was originally a way to describe a variety of phoenix by the natives of the Hubei province in China. I decided it made a perfect boss monster and wrote it up. Added an acid breath weapon and a sonic scream – because hey, stunning and area attacks scream boss critter. The combat was actually fairly fast thanks to a critical failure on the bird’s part and subsequent attack to its own leg. This made it less than mobile and Rory’s character moved in with a helluva “alpha strike” that was hard to defend against and just took the critter down. I intend to use the bird again at some point and I’m going to improve it – this should be a difficult creature for heroes to take down and an impossible one for soldiers and other ordinary warriors. That screams about DR 24 to me (Most handheld weapons won’t go past 4d in a TL3 campaign).
Overall, another solid session leading to . . . something.
Other Notes
Bonus report from Rory. This was a short game – about half my usual allotted time.
Soundtrack
None.