As Zithembe, Rumble, and now Maria begin to yell taunts back at the Scorpion students, Hepsubia takes the opportunity to sidle away as though she's not with the group and quickly slip into the nearby shadows.
While the apparent 'leader' of the Scorpion School students seems to be keeping his cool - if barely - in the face of your taunts, the same can't be said for his two companions. One of the students jumps up from their table and shouts, "That’s it! You're going to regret insulting the Scorpion Style!"
Her fellow students follow her lead and leap to their feet, sending teacups and other dishes crashing to the floor as the teahouse employees and other patrons scatter and take cover!
Moving with surprising speed Purple reaches into her pouch and pulls out a vial, tipping it up and gulping it down in one go. As she flings the empty vial aside, she points at a shadowy spot just next to the group's table.
"Hey! Look at the elf that's with them being all sneaky-sneak!" Purple yells. "Jade Ogre Style? More like Yellow-Bellied Snake Style!"
Meanwhile, an old Tian man sitting over at a table by himself next to the far wall looks up at the sound of the yelling and blinks, as though finally becoming aware of the ruckus that's been captivating everyone else for several seconds.
"Eh...? What're they doin'? A fight?" The old man looks around and scowls before reaching down beside him and pulling up an old sanxian. "It's not a real fight unless there's some music to go with it; every young grasshopper should know that by now!"
And as chaos erupts within the Wang Li Fa Teahouse, the old man begins singing...
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Round 1
Purple
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Hepsubia
Zithembe
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Red
Orange
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Maria
Rumble
Active Conditions: None
Acting quickly and decisively Zithembe channels the power of the Champion and moves to square off with Orange, hopping up on a nearby table as he does. It's not a particularly graceful hop but the shabti more than makes up for it with the swift and decisive knee that slams into Orange's groin! Orange's mouth opens in a high-pitched shriek that only dogs can hear before the excruciating pain overwhelms his senses and he collapses to the floor, unconscious. The crowd cheers its' approval!
"Whoa! He dropped that guy in one blow, did you see that!?"
"That was amazing! WOO!"
Meanwhile, Hepsubia grabs a nearby plate and flings it like a disc at Purple's legs but Purple easily sidesteps it. The plate shatters harmlessly against the far wall...and yet the crowd of onlookers seem pleased with the outcome just the same!
"I like her style!"
"THIS IS AWESOME!"
Though looking rather rattled at how quickly and easily his companion went down, Red doesn't back down. He too reaches into a pouch and pulls out a small vial, drinking it down.
"That was a lucky shot! We'll show you!" he growls at Zithembe.
Round 1
Purple
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Hepsubia
Zithembe
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Red
Orange
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Maria
Rumble
Active Conditions: None
Maria and Rumble are UP!
As Maria and Rumble utter their battle cries and leap into the fray, the watching crowd continues to cheer...while quickly scrambling out of the way lest they get hit by random flying plates or elbows.
"I! Have had! Enough of thiiiiiis!" Purple cries as she attempts to deliver a quick sweeping leg kick at Zithembe...
...and delivers a solid blow! She then attempts to backflip away, onto the table behind her...
...and executes it beautifully, as the crowd gasps with awe!
"I don't know, these Jade Ogre folks seem tough but those Scorpion students definitely have some style! I'd like to see one of those Jade Ogres flip around like that!" a young girl cries.
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Round 2
Purple
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Hepsubia
Zithembe
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Red
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Maria
Rumble
Active Conditions: None
Zithembe and Hepsubia are UP!
As Zithembe nimbly steps onto the unconscious body of Orange - without doing the student further damage - the crowd cheers with approval!
"That Jade Ogre mascot is lighter on his feet than he looks!"
And the cheering grows even more loud as Zithembe's punch does indeed send Purple toppling off the table and to the floor with a loud *THUD*! Purple struggles weakly for a moment as if she might attempt to rise to her feet but then she flops back onto the ground, out cold!
"You're doing wonderfully!" Jiang Fei calls out, clapping her hands with glee. "Oh, but try to, er...draw it out a little! Make it more showy!"
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Round 2
Hepsubia
Zithembe
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Red
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Maria
Rumble
Active Conditions: None
Hepsubia is UP!
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Hepsubia comes closer to a Scorpion student, taking a quick run before jumping and sliding on a table to hit him in the chest with both feet, then jumping from the table catching her foe's head in mid air, spinning around and slamming the scorpion's student head on the floor (or at least this is what she intended!)
Jade Ogre lay the smackdown on your roody poo candy a**!
Hepsubia springs forward, leaping onto the table and attempting a sliding maneuver to catch Red in the chest - it sort of works; instead of a truly graceful slide it's more like a roll, sending plates and drink cups flying in all directions as Red barely ducks out of her way. But even though she wasn't able to pull off her fancy maneuver quite like she wanted to, the crowd still seems fairly impressed and amused with her antics.
"Eh...that is a strange sort of fighting style but I like it!" one of the onlookers cheers.
"What's 'roody poo' mean? Some sort of Western insult?"
Meanwhile over in the corner, Jiang Fei seems to be taking notes; scribbling furious on a small sheet of parchment as she watches the group fight.
Unfortunately, Red gives better than he got and delivers a swift jab to Hepsubia's ribs!
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Round 2/Round 3
Hepsubia
Zithembe
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Red
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Maria
Rumble
Active Conditions: None
Everyone is UP!
As Rumble chugs toward the battle (possibly hoping his companions will save a little Scorpion for him) Maria does a forward roll underneath Red's arm as he tries to throw a quick punch at her and misses! When she pops up next to him, her knee slams into his hip and...
...his eyes flash with pain and fear as he loses some of his wind and strength! Meanwhile Zithembe falls back, allowing his companions to tag in while he prepares to climb atop the mantel over the fire...
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Round 3
Hepsubia
Zithembe
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Red
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Maria
Rumble
Active Conditions: None
Hepsubia is UP!
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Jade Ogre Lightning Blinding strike!
Hepsubia feints a gut kick and quickly throws her arm, index and middle fingers extended, putting them in her opponent's eyes
Jade Ogre spanks his foe!
Whatever the success of the dirty trick, a quick slap on the bottom follows, to the humiliation of the Scorpion student
You would use the 'Dirty Trick' combat maneuver to pull this off, but unless you have the Improved Dirty Trick feat you'll provoke an AoO for doing so.
Hepsubia presses the advantage against Red, attempting to fake a gut-kick to throw him off his guard...and it works! Red instinctively makes to block the kick that never actually comes, leaving him vulnerable to Hepsubia's next strike.
Growling in frustration at being fooled, Red tries to strike back against the wily Hepsubia...
...but misses! Though practically surrounded now he refuses to give up or back down, calling out, "Come at me! Students of the Scorpion School never back down from a challenge!"
Hoping to take advantage of her earlier gambit, Hepsubia dives in and attempts to jam her fingers into Red's eyes; though off-kilter Red still attempts to throw a quick punch...
...and misses yet again! Hepsubia manages to poke Red right in the eyes, eliciting a howl of pain as he finds himself temporarily blinded!
"Well, that's a little unorthodox but I guess it works," Jiang Fei calls out. "Good show, my students! Now...FINISH HIM!"
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Round 3/4
Hepsubia
Zithembe
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Red
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Maria
Rumble
Active Conditions: None
Maria, Rumble and Zithembe are UP!
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Despite the physical drain of releasing the warrior spirits, Zithembe manages to haul himself onto the fireplace's mantel. "Never back down? I hope not," Zithembe says. "It took you all long enough to rise to it."
He steps over to loom above the last Scorpion student and swings his leg at the man's head.
Move: Climb onto fireplace mantel (5 ft x 4) + 5 ft along mantel
Standard: Attack (Ogre Swings the Clumb)
Acting in perfect unison Maria, Zithembe, and Rumble converge on Red; Maria delivers a quick punch to the blinded student's chest, Zithembe follows it up with a swinging kick to the head just as Rumble comes charging up and delivers another sidekick to the knee. Red stands there stupidly for a moment, swaying on his feet, before slooooowly toppling backward with a loud *THUD*.
For a moment, the entire teahouse is silent; one could hear a pin drop if one were to be dropped.
Then, the onlookers break into thunderous applause and cheers!
"Amazing!"
"Stoopendous!"
"They really showed those Scorpions what for!"
"Jade Ogre Style? I wanna learn! Sign me up!"
"Me too, me too!"
The entire teahouse is in an uproar as customers clamor around all of you, giving you congratulatory slaps on the back, shaking your hands, and even asking for autographs. Meanwhile, the teahouse employees simply look at each other and shrug before beginning the task of cleaning up and moving the unconscious Scorpion School students outside.
After a few minutes, Jiang Fei comes squirming through the crowd, looking quite pleased. "Well done, my students, well done! You did all that I could have asked for and more besides," she gushes happily. "I noticed that a couple of you even improvised your own moves - very clever! I might even have to incorporate them into my teaching, giving all due credit of course!"
She looks around; all of the ruckus inside the teahouse seems to be drawing even more curious faces in from the outside. "There are more prospective students now than I could shake a stick at! Tell you what - go and take a break, because you're earned one, and then meet me back at my home in about an hour. You made good on your end of the bargain and when I return, I will make good on mine, as promised," Jiang Fei smiles.
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Unable to help himself, Rumble raises his arms and cheers with the crowd too. I can see how a bunch of scoundrels and hellions would make a habit of this sort of thing! Quite the rush, but Torag forgive me for the trouble I have caused.
Eager to eat away his free time, once the group has discussed their plans, he makes his way to a street particularly laden with food carts and begins to chow down.
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"By Torag's mighty an' thick beard, now THA' was ah burp! How are ya steamed buns Maria?" Rumble asks the Elf. The reciprocal answer is clear: the Dwarf has bits of food all over his beard and at least 9 large dishes have been precariously stacked nearby. "Once ya geh tha hang o' these choppin' sticks, ih all goes down easy!"
After taking some time to relax, unwind, and pick up a meal (or ten), you all make it back to Jiang Fei's home only a few minutes before she does.
"This was the most wonderful day," she chatters away as she steps into a small room to the side; you can hear the sounds of rustling as she obviously searches for something. "There were so many people interested in signing up for my school! I'll have no shortage of students now, thanks to all your hard work. You have no idea what that means to me."
A few moments later, Jiang Fei steps back out to the common room with something clasped tightly in one hand. She holds it out and slowly unfurls her fingers, revealing a beautiful comb of jade. Carved into it is a depiction of a grand palace, as well as nearby landmarks.
"The Jade Ogre Comb," Jiang Fei smiles. "When Imperial Lung Wa fell, my ancestor took the comb with her for safekeeping and it's been handed down through my family ever since," she explains. "Even with all the bad luck and financial misfortune we've suffered over the last century we've never been tempted to sell it. But it holds what you and Mai Chun seek - clues to the location of the Summer Palace. See, there's Ogre Rock," Jiang Fei continues, pointing out the depiction of a very distinctive-looking rock formation in the likeness of an ogre.
"While I can't let you take the comb with you, you're more than welcome to take as much time as you need to study it and copy its' carvings and patterns," she finishes. "Oh! And before I forget, here's a reward that's a little more tangible - seems those Scorpion School students happened to drop some of their belongings when they were hauled outside and, well, they won't be needing them anytime soon..."
Jiang Fei then offers the group a small bag containing several potions. "I hope that will be enough to repay you. I wish I could offer more but it's the best I can do until my school really takes off!"
Six potions of Cure Light Wounds.
Six potions of Mage Armor.
Three potions of Magic Weapon.
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Pleased with a successful mission, Rumble cradles his food baby while the others set to the task of copying the comb and testing the potions. "Yer dedication to yah family is tah be admired!" he says to Jiang Fei after hearing the comb's story. Now to take this back and find out what our next task is to be!
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"Thank you, Laoshi," Zithembe says. "Mai Chun will surely appreciate your assistance."
While Maria studies the comb, Zithembe turns his attention to the other vials from the Scorpion Style students.
He pushes half a dozen to one side and ties a single-knotted cord around them. He pushes another half dozen to the other side and ties a double-knotted cord around them. "These provide healing," he says, pointing to the single-knotted potions. "These others generate a protective force ."
More than happy to accept the pilfered potions that Jiang Fei offers, you all settle in and spend the next day or two painstakingly documenting every possible detail about the Jade Ogre Comb and doing what you can to reproduce the carvings that it bears. Well, Maria and Zithembe do, anyway. Rumble and Hepsubia both seem more interested in helping Jiang Fei do some rudimentary training with her new students, more of which arrive every single day. So no matter what, there's plenty to keep you occupied until the time comes to bid your Laoshi good-bye and turn your attention towards the last task that Mai Chun had set before you - a trip to Changdo, capital of the Successor State of Po Li and a meeting with a minor bureaucrat by the name of Yue Xin...
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The nation of Po Li includes the former capital of Imperial Lung Wa, and most of its citizens dream of the return of the empire. The oracular bureaucracy ruling from the capital of Changdo allows only one form of worship: the monotheistic veneration of the Eternal Emperor, a figure absent since the fall of Lung Wa but much sought after by the governing Oracular Council. It is to Changdo that you now travel, enjoying the safety of the heavily-patrolled roads of Po Li. As you approach the city you take in the extraordinary sight of the Eternal Emperor, a colossal statue that has been under construction for over 3 centuries.
A busy trading yard just outside the city gates is populated by all manner of people from across Tian Xia. To one side of the yard stands a well encircled by a low stone wall. A young Tian-Shu man wearing a broad straw hat stands beside the well, the line of his bamboo fishing pole disappearing into its depths.
At first, the man doesn't move as Maria inches up to the well and peers in, nor does he answer Zithembe's inquir. Then, he gives the fishing pole in his hand a brief, puzzled glance before unceremoniously dropping it down into the well. The clattering echoes of the falling pole are just audible above the sounds of the trading yard. The young man with the round hat then turns to you, remarking, "魚がいないところで釣りをすることは知恵を知ることです."
"To fish where there are no fish is to know wisdom."
Although Hepsubia's poker face is pretty darn good, she gets the feeling that the man - ostensibly Yue Xin - isn't buying it when he scowls, giving her a surprisingly stern look.
"The ruler who listens more closely to his fool than to his councilors knows only foolish counsel," he sighs. "If none of you speak Tien then I will repeat my greeting in Common: 'To fish where there are no fish is to know wisdom'."
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What an odd way to great a group of strangers... Are we supposed to respond in kind? Unsure how to respond, Rumble gives something a go. "...A blacksmith who makes only iron daggers has found a cheap way to making Daedric Plate," he explains with as much sage in his voice as he can muster. Where is my comrade Zheng when you need him? The strong and silent type is much easier to socialize with!
Yue Xin simply stares at Rumble for a moment before ignoring him and turning his attention to Maria and Zithembe. He reaches into a satchel slung across his shoulder and pulls out a bundle of poorly-preserved papers, handing them off to Maria. The papers are crowded with Tien characters and Yue Xin elaborately gestures at one section in particular, outlined in red ink.
"You see here why Mai Chun was so interested in my find."
He pauses expectantly but when it becomes clear that none of you can read Tien either - at least not without outside assistance - he heaves another elaborate sigh. "If you cannot read words writ in black ink, how will you read words writ in green fire?"
Shaking his head, Yue Xin reaches into a voluminous sleeve and draws forth a red-lacquered wand and passes it to Zithembe.
It's a wand of Comprehend Languages with 6 charges remaining.
"When Imperial Lung Wa controlled these lands, quick and accurate communication was of paramount concern to the Eternal Emperor and his servants," Yue Xin explains. "Relay stations formed a network covering much of the continent, speedily carrying imperial dictates to the farthest corners of the realm. In these dark days, those relay stations have fallen into ruin. But into darkness comes light, as into memory comes charitable action. My researches indicate that some of the messages that passed through these redoubts were secretly recorded. A clue to the location of the palace Mai Chun seeks is certainly to be found in a ruined communications station just half a day’s walk to the west, down that road and left at the first crossroads you reach."
"Directions to the palace are said to be ‘writ in letters of green fire.’ Surely heroes of your mettle will have no trouble traveling to the ruin, avoiding the soldiers who guard it by day, exploring it by night, and overcoming the ghosts said to haunt it. The restless dead offer no threat to he who sparks the tinder, after all," Yue xin finishes with an enigmatic smile.
As Zithembe begins to move to activate the wand, Yue Xin snatches the papers back from Maria's hands and stuffs them back into his satchel.
"Cranes fly on the north wind, but the swallow knows autumn approaches," the young man remarks cryptically. "You've already learned everything you need to know from my notes."
As bizarre or maybe just infuriating as Yue Xin's behavior is, you also have other resources available to you regarding his comments about the ruins and both the living and the dead who guard them...
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Po Li’s obsession with the artifacts and practices of Lung Wa extends to jealously guarding any imperial ruins within its borders. Soldiers who guard these ruins are particularly diligent during the day, but known to be somewhat lax by night.
Ruins associated with Lung Wa are frequently said to be haunted, if not literally by undead then by mystically bound guardians of various types, such as creatures from the spirit world or from other planes.
Lung Wa’s Bureau of Communications made use of fireworks to send messages over great distances. Trained alchemists at relay stations would read messages outbound from the capital in the night skies, then prepare and fire rockets encoded with the same message so that watchers at the next station could repeat the process.
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Maria is about to ask Rumble to pull out her scroll so they can read the notes, but then the rude man explains what they are anyway and then supplies a wand to help with translations down the road. She nods her thanks to him, well maybe he's just crass on the outside but has a heart of gold or something, anyway didn't we have this specific conversation once about being able to speak the language? No matter. Now what do I recall about this specific area from my studies earlier...
"Well that would make sense, Po Li is obsessed with guarding any imperial ruins but I've heard that doesn't extend to all of those he sends to do the guarding jobs. It should be easy to sneak in at night and uh... I doubt ghosts actually exist. Tis probably just some sort of illusion magic. Gnomes love to use that and I'm sure there are gnomes here just like anywhere. Yup, that's gotta be the explanation for that one."
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Why is it always sneaking? Torag'll whip my hide when I get to his realm for this! "If we're gonna be sneakin' 'round again, we need tah stick to tha plan. We're only there fur the infurmation, righ'?" Rumble says, attempting to at least keep his companions on as straight and narrow a path as possible.
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Maria nods, "of course, that's the whole point of these things. But if a ghost that may not exist, illusion or what Zith dug up information about attacks us we have to defend ourselves. And we can always use non-lethal if it just looks like it is something or someone doing a job."
She adds quickly, "I won't apologize for killing that feral rabid bear, it obviously had been corrupted, probably by the spirit inhabiting it."
Maria is ready to go and she prepares her best sneaking boots as they head out that night.