THE TEMPLE AND THE WELL "What begins as a dragon's head often ends in a snake's tail" - traditional Chinese proverb. The P.C.s are bound to be told about the building of this temple at some point - either because they notice the oddness of the building, or because they notice the absence of the seven red poles erected by An Keng and the original founders. The Temple of the Pig King is a blocky black structure placed on a rise overlooking the village to the west. Although there are no walls, the roof is supported by six thick black poles. Inside, there is a black alter with a hog wearing a crown crudely painted on the side. Any P.C. with some knowledge of religion will find the whole affair to be very unusual. The Pig King is a deity entirely unknown to them. If they tell the villagers that they have never heard of this god, the good people of Hung Lian will react with great surprise. They will earnestly claim that the Shih Feng Fa has declared that all villages in his domain must erect a temple to this god. If the P.C.s have been elsewhere in Feng Fa's domain, or can roll against Savoir-Faire to reflect their knowledge of court gossip, they will know that this is false. Feng Fa has never issued any such order. Questioning various local inhabitants will reveal different parts of the story behind the temple. The P.C.s can find out that near the end of last autumn, a messenger from the court of Feng Fa arrived in splendid regalia. The messenger conveyed the orders for the temple to be built to the magistrate Cheung Ch'i, who passed it on to the town. Cheung Ch'i summoned Fan Shu, the blacksmith, who knew more about carpentry than anyone else in Hung Lian. He ordered Fan to build the Temple of the Pig King, using the three under-worked constables as unskilled labour. Fan Shu reasonably objected that he had neither the skill nor the materials to construct such a temple. The three constables, not wishing to do any more work than is necessary, backed him up. The messenger from the court, who never gave his name, took a ride around Hung Lian and upon returning, ordered the seven red poles that he had seen standing around pointlessly to be cut down, painted black, and used as the framework of the temple of the Pig King - thus providing most of the materials needed. That done, it would merely be a matter of Fan Shu constructing a crude roof and painting a crowned hog on an alter. Obediently, this is what Cheung Ch'i ordered Fan Shu and the constables to do, and obediently, this is just what Fan Shu and the constables did. And what, the P.C.s may wonder, happened to the seventh red pole? The very day after the messenger left, an old man from the distant city of Chong Mu arrived, declaring himself a master of the art of Feng Shui. Wang Leng, of course, offered to feed and house the wise one while he stayed at the village. In gratitude, the old man, who refused to give his name, told his host that if the villagers dug up the last red pole and threw it into the Shou, they could dig a new well where it had stood and would no longer have to draw water from the river. Wang Leng passed the message on to Cheung Ch'i who approved it. The pole was removed and the well was dug. And the rest, as they say, is mythology. THE JOURNEY TO NIGHTINGALE MOUNTAIN "Traveling ten thousand miles is better than reading ten thousand books" - traditional Chinese proverb. The journey to Nightingale mountain can take as long as your party is interested in trekking through a forest. It could be as little as three days travel, but make the path winding and difficult through heavy and mysterious woods so that it is no easy matter to navigate. Nightingale Mountain itself is more of a hill than a mountain although it is still astonishing that the villagers didn't know about it. In fact, they didn't know about it because Li Hsien usually uses his magic to lead people away from it. He will, however, allow the P.C.s to approach. Nightingale Mountain will not be easy to ascend. The party with either need successful rolls against climbing or T'ung Pailanti and a rope. Roles against climbing must be made twice - once to get to a broad shelf half-way up the mountainside and once to make it the rest of the way to the peak. Alas, there is a spirit that lives at Nightingale mountain and doesn't like to have its territory disturbed. If your party is powerful enough, you might want to make the spirit a Shan (Fantasy Bestiary p.93). Otherwise, it is the "Mountain Spirit" Wei described below. The spirit will appear as if out of nowhere when the party have reached the level point half-way to the top. WEI, THE MOUNTAIN SPIRIT Wei is two meters tall and basalt-black. His eyes are smoldering coals and his long hair is cast from solid black iron. ST 15 DX 15 IQ 10 HT 10/20 Speed 8. Move 8. PD 1. DR 1. Dodge: 9. Thrust: 1d+1 (1 turn to ready). Swing: 2d+1 (2 turns to ready). Heavy Dah-Dau (Heavy Horse-Cutter): 2d imp / 3d+2 cut. ADVANTAGES: Magical Aptitude 3 (Earth Only). DISADVANTAGES: Odious Personal Habit (Arrogant) -2 Reactions, Vulnerable to Flattery. SKILLS: Area Knowledge (Nightingale Mountain) -20, Climbing -15, Polearm -15, Spell Throwing (Ice Sphere / Stone Missile) -16. SPELLS: Seek Earth -15, Shape Earth -15, Earth to Stone -15, Create Earth -15, Stone Missile -15. QUOTES: "How dare you trespass on the lands of Wei, King of the Mountain?" "Kings are invincible!" The Mountain Spirit carries a Heavy Dah-Dau (Heavy Horse-Cutter MA p. 130) and has more than enough strength and skill to use it. Even though it must spend a lot of time readying its polearm, fighting Wei is a horrible prospect. Unless your party has a high degree of martial skill, it may be best to try to make peace with the spirit. This will not be easy, as the P.C.s have already angered Wei by trespassing in its domain. Diplomacy and Fast-Talk could be useful here. Savoir-Faire is not useful - the Mountain Spirit just doesn't have the sophistication to recognize good manners. Asking for pardon is a good idea, as is general bowing and scraping and praise of the spirit. Wei thinks of himself as a king, and treating him as such will improve his temper. If the party insults him however, then there can be no peace without a major groveling apology and a nice present. This said, Wei will allow the P.C.s to run away - he likes to be run away from. Insults from a distance will be replied to with a Stone Missile. Wei knows Li Hsien and knows where the Cave of the Dancing Tiger can be found. He doesn't attack Li Hsien, nor does he demand obeisance from him. He has no idea why and never thinks about it. If the party makes him think about it, he will become angry and go off for a confrontation with the Taoist hermit. He will return from such a confrontation without remembering or caring what happened. Such is the power of Li Hsien. THE CAVE OF THE DANCING TIGER "Without going out of doors, one can know all he needs to know" - Lao Tzu "If deferential to experienced old men, you can rely on them when you are perplexed" - traditional Chinese proverb It is easy to recognize the mouth of the Cave of the Dancing Tiger. For a start, it is eternally shrouded in light mist. Secondly, there is a tiger's head fixed just above the entrance. The head is not stuffed, but neither is it decaying. Neither, one might observe, does it seem to be dancing. Indeed, its eyes are closed and its expression is one of peaceful contentment. Beneath it hang some jade chimes which sound when, and only when, someone enters the cave. A strong smell emanates from within. It is not, as one might expect, the stench of filthy- hermit sweat, but a strong and spicy tang made up of the scents of thousands of exotic herbs. Li Hsien himself sits on the ground at the back of the cave, illuminated from below by flickering yellow candlelight. He whistles tunelessly to himself and is carefully and rhythmically pounding away at a yellow powder in a copper bowl with a wooden pestle. Little do the P.C.s realize it, but he is actually performing a magical ritual to summon them to his cave so that they may defeat the Five Brothers. The pestle represents the characters, the yellow powder the Five Brothers of Thunder and the copper bowl is himself. The whistling is a special spell. He will explain as much if the P.C.s ask him what he is up to, but won't volunteer the information if they don't. LI HSIEN Taoist Hermit Priest. Li Hsien is quite a small man and has a gentle smile. Although his beard is white, his skin is only slightly wrinkled. He wears the flat cap and blue robe of a Taoist monk. ST: 12 DX: 12 IQ: 16 HT: 16 Speed: 7. Move: 7. Thrust: 1d-1. Swing: 1d+2. Karate Punch: 1d. Karate Kick: 1d+2. Dodge: 9. Parry: 12. ADVANTAGES: Combat Reflexes, Literacy (All), Magical Aptitude 3, Toughness 2, Unaging, Very Fit. DISADVANTAGES: Magical Prohibitions against personally interfering in people's problems beyond giving them advice. SKILLS: Acrobatics -15, Alchemy -16, Calligraphy -15, Climbing -20, First Aid -20, Forest Survival -20, Herbary (Magic) -16, Naturalist -20, Yin/Hang Healing -19. MARTIAL ART: Pakua (Cinematic). MARTIAL ART SKILLS: Judo -16, Meditation -16, Philosophy (Taoism) -21, Brawling -15, Karate -15, Broadsword -15, Immovable Stance -14, Mental Strength -14, Power Blow -14, Push -14. MARTIAL ARTS MANEUVERS: Arm Lock -20, Enhanced Dodge, Enhanced Parry (Bare Handed). SPELLS: Seek Air -20, Seek Earth -20, Seek Metal -20, Seek Wood -20, Seek Water -20, Create Air -20, Shape Earth -20, Earth Vision -20, Create Earth -20, Earth to Air -20, Lend Strength -20, Recover Strength -20, Divination (Feng Shui) -25, Divination (I Ching) -25, Judge the Balance -25, Itch -20, Spasm -20, Pain -20, Might -20, Boost Strength - 20, Paralyze Limb -20, Total Paralysis -20, Block -20, Shield -20, Mystic Mist -20. Li Hsien's power over Wei is not due to Mind Control spells - it is a special enchantment woven from Hsien's knowledge of geomancy. QUIRKS: Never says "I" - always says "the humble Li Hsien" instead, Unintentionally uses circular hand-gestures when he speaks, Can be very cryptic sometimes - if asked to explain a cryptic comment he will simply smile and nod his head. QUOTES: "Tell the people of Hung Lian to stay calm. Without water, no trees will grow, without trees there is no wood, and without wood, there is no fire. Let them meditate on the riddle of why water needs fire! When they understand that, I will come down from my mountain". "Your enemies cannot be overcome by opposing them. Rather you must assist them as they naturally flow away from where they are and towards their next destination. A good walker leaves no trail". Li Hsien has no weapons or armour. He doesn't need them. He will not act directly to help the P.C.s beyond advising and possibly healing them. His function is simply to divulge vital information as mysterious old men in woods have been doing for heroes for thousands of years. It is only within the last century that such old men have been Taoists - it is quite possible that Li Hsien knew Lao Tzu, founder of the sect. Li Hsien will explain that long, long ago, even before the reign of Shih Huang Ti, the first Emperor, the Five Brothers of Thunder had ruled in all the lands bordering the river Shou. Their reign was monstrous and cruel. Simply to prove their power over the poor humans of the area, they took to eating nothing but children. This state of affairs lasted for centuries, and the prayers and incantations of the wisest Wus seemed to have no effect at all. But then the hubris of the Five Brothers grew to the point where they declared themselves mightier than Ti, The White Jade ruler himself. In outrage, Ti sent the god Chih- Chiang Fyu-Ya to punish them for their arrogance. As always, Chih- Chiang Fya-Ya's bolts hit their mark. As usual, they killed on contact. However, less usually, the Five Brother's of Thunder kept coming back from the dead, as healthy and impudent as ever. Undeterred, Chih-Chiang Fyu-Ya fought them back beneath the earth into an underground river, then sealed them up with powerful magics so that they would never be able to leave. For centuries, The Five Brothers of Thunder schemed and plotted in their subterranean prison, their rage and hate growing only stronger with the passing of the years. With the founding of Hung Lian above them, they saw their chance. Hung Lian, the priest will explain, is associated with fire. The very name "Red Lotus", is a fire name. Furthermore, the seven red poles erected by the founder were powerful magical talismans to make sure that the village had strong Feng Shui by binding it to fire. If the P.C.s don't know about the poles, Li Hsien will tell them that they should speak to Shan Tsai about it, as he is the only man in Hung Lian old enough to remember the founding of the settlement. The Five Brothers of Thunder, the priest will explain, are associated with Earth. Their number, their ties to thunder, and the yellow colour of their robes are all associated with Earth. According to the mystic cycle of changes, when Water is controlled by Earth, Water can overcome Fire. Thus, through using Water, the Five Brothers could conquer Hung Lian. Lying Brother used powers of illusion to appear above the earth and to arrange for the removal of the seven red poles that provided Hung Lian with most of its fire energy. Just to make the magical metaphor complete, he also arranged for a black temple to a pig god to be built for the state from six of the poles, and for a well to be dug at the point of the seventh. Six, black, pigs, labour for the state, and wells are all associated with Water. Now that the Feng Shui had been reversed, the Five Brother's of Thunder were at last rulers in magic of Hung Lian and accordingly, could no longer be bound beneath it. Once they were released, it was simple to use the Water energy to punish Hung Lian for disobedience in refusing to hand over their children for consumption by striking down Hung Lian's beans and geese with pestilence and raining out the village's wheat crop. Punishment and rain are associated with Water, while beans, fowl and growth in general are associated with the Fire that Water conquers. The Five Brothers of Thunder cannot be overcome by opposing them directly. They have the changes of nature on their side, and nothing can stand against that. The only thing that can be done is to assist them in turning the wheel, so that it turns too far and topples them from power again. Only Wood can conquer Earth, but luckily, the P.C.s, in their generosity or quest for vengeance or merely by becoming detectives in questioning the villagers have become Wood. As a further magical aid, Li Hsien will give each P.C. a silken green scarf, just to make the symbolism for Wood absolutely clear. He will also warn them that as soon as the Five Brothers realize the character's element, they will fear the P.C.s and try to harm them! Conquering Earth with Wood is one thing. Conquering the Water that is the Brothers' tool of destruction is another matter entirely. It would be no good to end the Brother's rule while still leaving Hung Lian devastated by their magic. To conquer water, Earth will be required - the Brothers' own element. At this point in his explanation Li Hsien will grin very broadly and comment that "If only the Five Brothers of Thunder could understand this central irony, they would not only have power beyond their meager ambitions, but would catch a glimpse into the very heart of the Tao". The Earth that will be needed to exorcise the powers of Water is five yellow sticks of magical incensng all around Hung Lian for five days straight without them going out, and if they can do so, then the power of The Five Brothers of Thunder will be broken. They will lose their immortality. However, the P.C.s must be very wary. The Brothers will not give up their prize easily. "Beware of the element Metal. Metal opposes the conquest of Water by Earth. Beware of that which is cold, beware of that which is western, of that which is white, of that which is nine in number. Let no dog touch you nor any hairy animal. Make no and break no oaths. Above all, and as always, beware of metal itself." Li Hsien will give no more advice, although he will be compassionate enough to repeat bits that the players missed the first time around. Having given them the five yellow sticks of magical incense, wrapped about in the green silk scarves, he will return to deep mediation and will say no more.