assassins_pursuit_rpg | Recent Entries

Dear Wen, I’m sorry. I have been someone else while you sat here alone.

In the Jianghu, it is common to have many names. For example, in Shandong I’m known as Liu the Seventh. Duke Ding’s guards know me as Zhang Weijun. Thus, imagine my surprise when I heard a woman call me “Ah Jing”. Only 3 people call me by that nickname, and 2 of them are in Henan.

Given the number of new hires there were, it was pretty easy to become part of the regular guard patrol at Duke Ding’s. I’m sure you with your geomancy or Mia with her observation skills would have done it in about 15 minutes, but it took me a few days of observing and mapping to figure out the exact courtyard that all the patrols are designed to protect. None of us were allowed to enter the courtyard, so naturally, I did. That was when I heard someone call me “Ah Jing?”

Turning around, I half-expected to see my Mei there, but instead, it was another woman. She chuckled. “I’m sorry, is that a name that’s reserved for Mei, Mr. Wu?”

She seemed familiar. Then it struck me … she is one of the girls at Madame Sang’s who first helped Mei adjust to the city lifestyle. “Lanfen? What are you doing here?”

“Well, you are talking to the mother of the next Emperor.” She chuckled again at my stunned expression. “Are you a guard here? Let me appoint you as my personal guard, and we can catch up.”

I was there when you were captured. It took all my strength to not step out and help in the fight, but Lanfen and the child are more important. The Eight Ghost Assassin’s web is tightening. We need to get them out.

yhlee

Event 2 (roll again: 3, encountered Eight Ghost Assassin and survived), Investigation 3

I thought I got away from Duke Ding's guards, and as far as ordinary guards went, this should have been true. I was very careful slipping through the woods. Nevertheless, I was followed.

I'd cached my bow and managed to get to it just in time. A tall shadow was coming after me. My pursuer was good, very good, taking full advantage of the trees and the brush. I saw a face that was like a mask, and sickle-shaped knives--couldn't tell whether it was male or female, even though the gait should have given me a clue. There was a woman too, whose powerful movements suggested that I did not want her to strike me. Endless Thunder Fist, I'm sure of it. A glimpse of a jade peony pendant at her throat, which maybe someone will recognize.

I could run from one but not both. It was exhausting trying to outguess them. But there was a bird's nest, and I shot the limb on which it rested. Phoenix Howl Arrow, which shook loose the nest right on top of the first pursuer. Fouled them long enough for me to shake them off my trail.

No more time for heroics. I ran more, and more, and more, until I reached a fishing village and hid in a boat overnight. There are many boats in our land, but I cannot run forever.

yeloson

Investigation 3/Event 5

I remember the first time Shui took my pulse. He stopped, listened close, shook his head that way he does, then told me to show him my stance. He had me take stance over and over, then had me stop before fully taking stance - "There! Hold that." Every few months he'd have me do it, each time, shorter and shorter. Until I didn't move at all.

"This is how you take a stance without taking a stance. You should do it more often."

I remember now and then, but I forget a lot. Today, in this cell, I remember because I don't want to alert the guards.

"How did you learn this?"
"I'm one of the few doctors the Beggar Gang will come to. Did you think they were laying about all day?"

Times like these, I wonder if I've been running around so much to avoid thinking about the past. Maybe, all the running has left me laying about all day in my head. My teacher tried to teach me so much, too much in the months before he was killed. Maybe he knew it was coming. And it's too much to think about, but I suppose I have nothing but time right now.

If I break out too early, the investigation might get shut down. If I wait too late, I won't be there to help. The Tao is about right time and right place.

So I take the stance without a stance and breathe.

yhlee

Event 2 (roll again: 5, no encounter with Eight Ghost Assassin) / Investigation 2

How useful it is to be able to disappear for a bit. Sadly, blending into the background is not the same as turning invisible, as I was so forcibly reminded.

Hearing that Falling Cloud had been captured was enormously alarming, even though the fact that he'd gotten out a message suggested it might be possible to rescue him. Not that I had any intention of getting involved in a knock-out drag-down fight with a hundred of Duke Ding's guards. Still, I started listening to rumors near Duke Ding's estates.

Upon hearing of a new captive at a location known for its weeping willows, I decided to investigate, especially since the place was crawling with guards. I don't mean the usual kind you can bribe with cheap plum wine, either, I mean the kind who keep to complicated patrol schedules and don't get distracted by pretty concubines going for walks. I spent a long time watching to make sure I understood the patrol patterns.

Turns out I didn't watch long enough. The pattern shifted and four guards spotted me as I was making for a copse of trees to get a better view of the prison.

I didn't have my bow, didn't use it; outnumbered by that much, my best hope was for speed. I ran, made it into a ditch, waited there overnight until I was sure they weren't coming. And then I slunk away from the estate.

Hell of it is, I am irrationally convinced Falling Cloud wasn't there anyway.

yeloson

Investigation 3 / Event 4 (rolling doubles.... aiyah)

I started thinking about the common thread to our lines of investigation. Why would Madame Sang know anything? I spent a few days looking through the Imperial Census. 3 years ago, a single woman moved from Madame Sang's House to Duke Ding's household and no others in the last 40 years. "Lanfen"

Why kill the Emperor? He's produced no heir in over the years, the noble houses would simply fall into disarray over which 22nd degree cousin should inherit the throne. With the rumor of Eight Ghost Assassin out, everyone was scrambling and protecting their interests... except Duke Ding. Why not? Maybe he already has a winning move.

Duke Ding's household is preparing for the Spring Festival, so it wasn't hard getting in on the grounds as a geomancer. I had gotten pretty far in when I heard the cry of a baby near the inner household. It took a few quick changes of clothing to look like one of the house's servants, and I reached a room full of curtains, a woman and a child.

"Lanfen?"

She looked up, her eyes got wide and I was lucky to see the reflection of my assailant in her eyes. The woman with the trembling hands and Endless Thunder Fist. I... haven't trained enough to fight her. I had managed to get to the outer courtyard when the dozens of soldiers surrounded me. I knew I could use Flying Step to escape the soldiers, but that woman would kill me as I tried.

The Duke laughed. "We only needed someone to blame for the Emperor's death, but attempted assassination of his son? What a gift!"

I'm in a dungeon, somewhere. Don't worry, I'll be free soon.

Protect the Emperor.

yhlee

Investigation 2 / Event 1 (I swear, third time in a row)

I have to admit that I wasn't eager to face Abacus Meng now that I had some idea of what she might be up to. Not to mention going over expenses is exactly as fun as you would expect. I had also heard that she displayed an unseemly amount of probity where bribes were concerned, even if my job was to prolong the confrontation rather than buy my way out of it. Besides, moral rectitude is something of a necessity in our line of work.

I had to wait to see her, of course. I am afraid that I spent most of the wait calling down curses on Shui, but only in my head.

Abacus Meng had managed to conjure up some irregularity in my last list of expenses even without my manufacturing something for the purpose, always worrisome. When I squirmed under her stern gaze, I wasn't faking it.

"It's embarrassing that your team has made such slow progress," she said, watching my face closely, "and that I have to lecture you on something this basic. You heard about the latest one?"

I hadn't, but some girl had turned up dead. All covered up because Duke Ding had fancied her, and no one wanted to--officially--bring his name into this.

Even worse, Meng claimed that they had found the body with the flesh intact except for a completely naked skull. Even the flesh of the neck was intact. What manner of killer kills like this--or wants to? And was Meng giving me this information to warn me to back off? I must find out if she's telling the truth, but I have a bad feeling about this.

locke61dv

Investigation 1 / Event 6

Mia, please read this note in private.

I heard that you have been inquiring into Abacus Meng, and have made arrangements for Bao's illness to take a turn for the worse - regrettable, of course. Reviewing expenses with her will give you a chance to make an inquiry, and possibly a confrontation if necessary.

I know you prefer to shadow your prey from a distance, and instead I've put you into a situation where you must make a frontal approach. For this I apologize. Have you been you merely sticking to your old strengths and routines, Mia, or are you protecting yourself from aggravating some old wound?

summercomfort

Investigation 1/Event 5

I’ve spent the past few days in Chang’s Gambling Hall, befriending Duke Ding’s guards over some wine and good games. A few cups in, the guards started joking about the Duke’s new “nighttime visitor” – apparently he stays up late into the night with some new woman. There was talk about maybe the Duke marrying for the 6th time, followed by a drunken debate whether the wedding bonuses would be worth the extra mistress to bow to.

Getting one of their entry badges was easy. A few more dice rolls and I got the clothes off their back, as well. But after they left, I spent the evening drinking instead of continuing the investigation. The thing is, I am not good at the spy stuff. I belong in the Jianghu, where I can solve problems by drinking or fighting. I can’t handle all of this intrigue and sneaking around. That’s what got me kicked out of Shaolin in the first place.

My right leg started tingling again – this happens whenever I feel nervous. Or maybe whenever I drink too much – it’s hard to tell. With my staff I hit a pressure point on the side of my leg to temper the tingling, and remembered Shui’s words when he taught me this trick.

“This stops the tingling temporarily, but the problem is that you’ve reached a plateau. Instead of learning new moves, you have been repeating the same old ones over and over.”

“But this is all I learned before I had to leave Shaolin.”

“That is not a reason to keep from learning and challenging yourself, and you know it.”

Dice is easy. Politics is hard. But maybe it’s time to do something that’s hard. I will be infiltrating Duke Ding’s estate tonight. Wish me luck.

yeloson

investigation 1/ Event 4

I briefly looked into the other criminal leads before dropping them altogether Either: they were unrelated; already dead; or still alive only because they were so far away they couldn't possibly interfere with Eight Ghost Assassin's plan.

Another lead occurred to me:

Eight years ago the Emperor had the ice pits built in areas around the Capital - quite ingenious for keeping food fresh, though getting the ice cut from the mountains and brought down was a pricey endeavor. A few nobles began doing the same 2 years ago, and that beyond the taxation, there's very little inspection or interrogation of the ice caravans that are not going to the Palace.

Of the seven pits built, one is under construction, two are still flooded from last year's quake, two are waiting for ice (it appears the Shu and the Bi both cross-sabotaged each other's ice caravans this year. Sigh. Politics.), and the last two - Duke Ding's household and his close ally, North Minister Yang, have working ice pits.

I started with Yang's, as it was easier to get a geomancy pass and enter for an inspection. Although I made a show of reading the elements and stars, I was mostly looking for clues. I found nothing. Until I came back to the geomantic compass.

The magnet was wrong. North pointed south, south pointed north.

When someone's chi is wrong, you can feel it. But what kind of person can live with reversed chi, thrive with it, strong enough to reverse the magnetic lines of a cellar and leave no other feeling? Was this hours, days, or weeks old? Whether this is Eight Ghost Assassin or not, we should be worried.

yhlee

Investigation 1 / Event 1

It's so tempting to hole up in a quiet corner, or maybe up in a tree, and read poetry. Poetry by the women of the court, or poetry by drunk but wise old men (it's funny how many of those there are among the sages), or even poetry by the occasional shapeshifting fox. Anything but poetry by the mysterious Daiyu.

I have been following scholars. Some of them stop to chat with every beggar and rag-collector, others pass through the streets in palanquins with the curtains drawn. Obnoxious beasts, palanquins.

In any case, I know that patience is how you bring down any quarry, whether it's a quail or a scholar. I have been keeping a chart in my head. It's a funny thing. Abacus Meng is not a scholar, although she can recite sententious sages as well as anyone else when she has to. But I saw her with one of the scholars in a palanquin, their heads bent in conversation too quiet for me to overhear. I once had to go over my expenses with Meng instead of our usual contact, Bao the Steady, because he was ill. As he so often is.

In fact, you could get a pretty good picture of what we do in the city by looking at our expenses. And Meng has held her position almost as long as the Eight Ghost Assassin has been at work. I will pass on this suspicion, but carefully. She is probably dangerous in her own right.

quinnmurphy

Investigation 1 /Event 6

Have you ever dreamed for someone, Wen? You see them, you see where they can go, you see where they are, and you decide "I will dream for this person because I know they cannot."

This person cannot see the stars because she cannot look up. The earth has bound her in one of your geomantic puzzles, it will simply not release.

So you place what should be this person's dreams in your knapsack and carry it; through rice fields, up the Sacred Mountains, into the iron gates and lantern-lit canals of Chan'gan. IF you can endure for them, then you can nurture that dream and protect it so one day they will reclaim it, becoming that which they were meant to be and pulled from the mud and rock of what troubled them in the now-forgotten past.

Have you ever loved someone more than she loved herself, Wen?

If your news proves true, then I must investigate. I will only say this:

There are two students ever expelled from my school. One is long dead.

The other is my sister.

summercomfort

Investigation 1/Event 3

One thing that people sometimes forget about assassins is that they, like us inspectors, work a job, pay bills, and have employers. No matter how mysterious an assassin is, they are contract workers, and before getting my current position with the 87 Gate, I worked quite a few contract jobs.

So I went to talk to an old friend of mine who deals with contract work.

I don't like going into brothels -- the way the girls look when they greet customers remind me of ... her. But Madame Sang knows this and she quickly led me to a private room and offered some of her best wine.

After some pleasantries, she cut straight to the chase, "Now Chun, much as I enjoy talking to you, I know you're not just here to chat. And you're definitely not here for the girls, so what are you here for?"

"I am trying to find the Eight Ghost Assassin."

Madame Sang turned visibly pale. "He is out of my league. He is out of yours, too." Her hand shook as she fiddled with a hair ornament. "Let's talk of something el..."

I placed my hand on hers. "Madame, remember that day, on the Bridge of Forever Peace?" Her hand still shook, but she sighed, "Yes, Chun." Looking away from me, she mumbled, "I think Duke Ding might better answer your questions."

I thanked her and left her with some money and trinkets for my Mei, and saved my confusion for after I exit the brothel.

Duke Ding is brother to the Emperor. What would it mean if he knew something about the Eight Ghost Assassin? I'm not even sure if Master Xu can deal with Duke Ding.

Will I need to find another job?

yeloson

Investigation 1 / Event 5

After finding Axe Hand Lao's...body... I rode back to the capital without delay.

The Grand Cryptkeeper was reluctant to assist me. I whispered the name of our quarry and he had the slightest of twitch, then agreed. We went to the Halls of the Unspoken Dead - not a crypt for the ancestors, the nobles or kings, no this served a very different purpose.

Each coffin held a body, each body held a secret. Each one the body of a person killed by a different fighting style and the lids were labeled.

The keeper stopped after 15 coffins. "You are forbidden from the rest."
"No. I must know what did this."
"Seeing further is death."
"Then let me see and leave a note for my comrades, at least."

He stared at me long and hard, then he hit my shoulder. My arm went dead and a terrible pain tore slowly up my arm. Tears welled up in my eyes and he moved the next few coffins, each one showing me a new way of harm I hadn't even thought of.

"Do you dare continue?"
"Yes."

A hit to my other arm. It was getting hard to stand. The pain almost made me vomit. A few more coffins. Another question, a reply. A hit to my stomach. Things were flashing in and out. Some more coffins.

"This one!"

I woke up later. The keeper said, "You have seen far more than you should have, but because you didn't fight back or flee, I knew you had to be telling the truth. I've cured the attack. Pain brings the truth."

The coffin was labeled "Endless Thunder Fist" - someone in Xu Zhun's lineage is likely to be our assassin. Xu Zhun, the bad news is that he or she works faster.

yhlee

Investigation 0 / Event 1

I despise going anywhere without my bow, but there are places where the guards will look upon you disapprovingly if you show up with one. And it's hard to pretend that you're out hunting pheasant when you're in the city. So I holed up in one of those restaurants with its sad excuse for chicken stew.

I'm not exactly an expert on food, and I have been trying to keep secret the fact that I can't tell most wines apart. But restaurants have their own flavors of people. This one was nicer than the ones I can usually go to. Not just laborers, but the occasional physician or poet or scholar, although not high-ranking scholars. I was lurking in a corner the way I usually do. You can make chicken stew last for quite a while if you have to.

In any case, two scholars met and talked about a book. I like books, since they don't expect you to talk to them, so I paid attention. They were interested in an old book of verses by the poet Daiyu, and the two scholars were terribly concerned with matching up the specific edition, printer, page numbers, and so forth.

I left some time after they did and hunted for that edition in bookstores. It was surprisingly difficult; you can find many printings of that book, some beautifully illustrated. But once I found it, I noticed that there was an additional section of poems satirizing the Eight Immortals and folktales about ghosts. I worry that I am on to some kind of book code. How many minions does the Eight Ghost Assassin have? I will have to be more careful in the future.

yeloson

Investigation 0/Event 5

My master once said to find something, you have to look for something else, first. The last time this came up, Chun and I got into a... philosophical debate. (“No path, just source. No mind, just Buddha.” “What does that even mean?”) We decided the only way to resolve it would be to go from winehouse to winehouse, talking to the poets, philosophers, and scholars to resolve it (There was also a side bet about which places had better wine. He won, and I really should have known better...)

Anyway, perhaps it was money well spent, because my investigation begins with the local hangouts of the Jianghu in the city - many are simply in and out - running errands for various officials that are best not spoken of. It’s easy enough for me to walk in and talk to the owners, make a few demanding inquiries, under the guise of a stolen planting vase or such, then settle down with a smile and say, “Well, now that the business is over, how about a drink?”

Eight Ghost Assassin is too smart to enter the capital without having gathered information, as well as made sure his or her informants are either indisposed or dead when it comes time to strike to avoid messy situations such as being identified.

Notable missing individuals of interest:
- ‘Ten Hells’ Bao
- Fire Needle Mei
- Axe Hand Lao

yeloson

Hi everyone!

Here's the text of the character creation section:

You are part of the 87th Division of Investigation and Criminal Capture - or simply known as The 87th Gate. Your team is small, but skilled - equally skilled in investigation as much as fighting and kung fu.

If you were rated against the warriors of the Jianghu, you’d be a strong mid-tier fighter - 3 out of 5 - strong enough to be a threat to many, but aware that there’s always someone out there who is stronger, and you don’t want to find out the hard way.

Choose: Name, Age, Appearance
Pick a name for the martial arts style you’ve studied

After everyone has done so, name a strength or capable talent in each of the other characters - this is your assessment of them and is factually true for the game.

Here's how this is going to work - put your character description as a comment to this post. Then, as everyone's posting up their characters, add a reply to their character which adds a strength or talent to their character AS YOUR CHARACTER sees it of them.

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The Assassin's Pursuit: a Play By Post Game

February 2013

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The Assassin's Pursuit: a Play By Post Game

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A scrunched up note that Wen discovers under his rice bowl

On Fishing Boats

Stance without a Stance

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A crumpled note attached to a messenger pigeon

Of Expenses and Skulls

letter tucked into a book of poetry

Report from Chang's Gambling Hall

What is the correct placement for something that shouldn't be?

Abacus Clues

The Burden of Dreams

Madame Sang

The First Victim

"A Book of Eight Immortals"

“Beat the Grass, Scare the Snakes”

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