Chronicle of the Wandering Stars: The Curse of the Crimson Reprieve

 
The party’s time on Angel Island was meant to be brief. But this place—half-forgotten paradise and half-test of character—had its own ideas. Bo-Jing confronted his sins beneath the eyes of an angel. Bang-qiu and Salt learned nonsense from a simian madman that felt more like prophecy. When they finally left, it was aboard a ghostly vessel with a name that whispered promise and danger: The Crimson Reprieve.

Captain Hu welcomed them with the gravity of a man hiding centuries of guilt. His ship was fast, his crew loyal—but strange. They moved like shadows, and the nights belonged to the dead.

First came Niao, pale and drifting. Then Tong, water-logged and bitter. Then Youshi, a child too young for such tragedy. The party tried to ignore them at first, as the crew did—but some truths demand attention. Bo-Jing and Salt confronted the captain, who revealed the truth: a curse, binding ship and crew since the days when he had served an evil master. The party, it seemed, now sailed with the crew beneath that weight of the same curse.

Fog swallowed the sea. For days there was no sky. When the light returned, it revealed a different world—new constellations, unfamiliar waters. They encountered a merchant vessel from a nearby island. The sailors spoke in hushed tones of the Dragon Claw, a cult rising across the Sea of Jiudian. Among them was Nanji Laoren, a curious old man with eyes like a storm in still water. He asked to join the Crimson Reprieve, claiming he was looking for “the clever ones.”

Soon after, a ghost ship emerged from the mist.

Its hull was barnacled and blackened, sails shredded, but it moved as if guided by malice alone. Spectral figures leapt across the waves to attack. The crew of the Reprieve, long unchallenged, fought alongside the party. Ryu’s serene command of the waves stalled the enemy ship. Bo-Jing’s bodyguarded destroyed the ghastly crew with a barrage of arrows.

In quieter hours, Nanji befriended Fen, Salt’s apprentice. He saw potential in the man’s quiet curiosity and taught him a dangerous spell—one that could bend memory, make people forget their most recent actions.

Soon after, the ship stopped at a deserted island to gather food and fresh water. There, Nanji Laoren told a fuller story. Captain Hu, long ago, had carried people—living people, including Niao and Youshi—from their home island of Zhuazhu to another, where his master was building a tomb. "Why," Nanji asked, “would a being of great power need a young woman or a child to build a tomb?”

The question lingered, unanswered.

That night, they encountered a group of mermaids, beautiful and predatory. They claimed they could help destroy Captain Hu’s old master. They even named him: Acererak. To prove their power, they bit into a live sea-snake and offered to write the lich’s name in dragon’s blood upon a blade. Salt, horrified by their cruelty, lashed out. The party followed her lead and slew the mermaids. In the quiet that followed, Nanji asked again: “Are you truly the clever ones?”

Their next destination: Zhuazhu.

Captain Hu explained that he had thrown Niao overboard there, hoping to distract the authorities in a moment of panic. As they drew nearer to Zhuazhu, Niao's ghost became more active, shrieking throughout the night, watching the sailors eat their meals. And as they approached the sea stack off the shore of western Zhuazhu, the screeching was so incessant, that jumping into the cold seawater was pure relief. The party helped him search for her remains. Salt used her elemental power to let the others breathe water. Tetsukichi talked to a bottom-feeding fish that directed them to Niao's general location. Bo-Jing used the Coin of the King of the North to find a glint of gold in the deep—Niao’s necklace.  They dug in the sandy bottom and found her bones, and returned with them, wrapping them with her jewelry in a coffin carved from the ship’s own wood.

They arrived in Zhuazhu’s port, and found it much changed. The name Zhauzhu had been forgotten, the island and its port were now named after the Guibao family.  The Crimson Reprieve’s foreign design drew suspicion. The harbormaster, eager for bribes, levied unjust taxes. But Tetsukichi’s advisor Mustapha used magic to ease the price. The harbormaster, in sneering surrender, insulted Bo-Jing by calling him Mustapha's servant and slapping him. Bo-Jing drew steel.

Salt intervened. Her magic dropped Bo-Jing to the deck in slumber before blood could be spilled. The harbormaster, unaware how close he had come to death, gratefully waved them through, promising them an invitation from the Guibao family would be forthcoming.

The party nodded vaguely in a show of gratitude, fixed on their immediate goal of giving Niao’s body a proper burial at last.

And as they looked back at the harbor of Guibao, something in the shadows of the mountains stirred. They had retrieved one of the dead—but the true weight of their journey, and the evil behind it, still lay
ahead.

Mad Monkey Style

After his meeting with the Angel, Bo-Jing consulted with Salt regarding how they would return home. Salt assured him that she had learned much about the arcane workings of the teleportation room. If they wished to return to the familiar surroundings of Banua, she could accomplish that with very little chance of error.

Very little chance that they would be transported underneath Banua, embedded in solid rock. Like 1 chance in a hundred.

An alternative that offered greater, but more attenuated risk, would be the assist the sailors who were marooned on the island. They knew they could repair their ship, but had lost many of their crew. Bo-Jing's skills would be most welcome. The Captain of the ship would make him his first mate, giving him full authority over the ship whenever the Captain was not on deck. The sailors welcomed assistance in repairing their ship and gathering supplies but were fully willing to fulfill these tasks by their own labor, leaving Bo-Jing, Salt, and their friends time to explore the beautiful island.

The island was small but incredibly varied so a day's walk would always thrill the senses in a new way-- waterfalls, luscious flowering gardens, delicious fruit, the songs of birds, all hinting at something even more purely beautiful and soul-enriching-- Bo-Jing mulled over the angel's suggestion that maybe he was home. 

And then one day, Bo-Jing, Bang-qiu and Salt came upon an old man in a sunny clearing, beset upon by two horned giants. Bo-Jing leapt up and hovered in the air, firing arrows at the monsters, while Salt attacked them with her magic. But these monsters had their own magic and also took to the air, drawing their huge serrated blades. This combat suited Bo-Jing very well. He drew his flaming sword and fought both enemies at once. Salt supported him, firing magic missiles into the monsters' eyes. 

The heroes killed the monsters and received the congratulations of the old man who surprised them with a display of his own martial prowess. "You are formidable and honorable warriors. At the risk of immodesty, I assure you that those monsters offered no real threat to me, but this not take away from your righteous valor in coming to the defense of a seemingly defenseless stranger."

He offered to teach them his secrets, "Because, if your life goes the way I pray it does, you will be old one day, and may wander into the forest without your sword."

Bo-Jing, Bangqiu, and Salt agreed, and stepped into a kung-fu training montage . . . 

Bo-Jing's Redemption Quest

 There was peace in Banua and across the lands of the Naran horde, and all threats posed on the Northwestern frontier of the Zhou Empire had been neutralized. And yet Bo-Jing brooded still on the horrors he had confronted when possessed by the spirit of Hosadas. In both the looking glass, he saw the haggard face of a man who had been ready to give up his honor for power. He was haunted by his shortcomings and yearned to return to Angel Island, the place where he remembered making the right choice, even when confronted with the threat of death.   

To reach Angel Island, Bojing knew he needed to return to the Master’s Palace, where a teleportation room could whisk him away to his desired location. But first, he and his friends had to traverse the rugged terrain of Hunza. Salt, Tetsukichi, and Bangqiu agreed to accompany him. Salt offered the use of her enchanted house, allowing her and several others to hide themselves in a comfortable apartment that shrunk to the size of a walnut and placed in Bo-Jing’s pocket. Bo-Jing, meanwhile wearing his ring of invisibility and mounted on Tse-Hami, his jet black khimori, could traverse Hunza’s night sky with great speed and with little risk of being seen.

Their first major stop in Hunza was Magden, a town in ruins. The once-thriving settlement lay in tatters, a testament to several seasons of depredation. The culprit, a fearsome dragon, had wreaked havoc before retreating to its lair.

Bojing and his friends tracked the beast to its lair and engaged in a fierce battle. They killed the dragon, skinned it, and claimed its treasure. They considered further exploring the dragon’s expansive lair, but noticed signs that they were being surveilled by invisible forces.  Considering the risk and remembering their mission, they pressed on, avoiding Gilgat and other towns to prevent further conflict.

Upon reaching the Master’s Palace, they were met with a scene of devastation. The once-beautiful fields were now scarred, and wyverns circled menacingly above the damaged towers. The sight was grim, but the urgency of their quest drove them forward.

Salt, in a burst of creativity, transformed herself into a khimori—allowing both her and Bo-Jing to navigate the chaos from the sky. As they approached the palace, the damage became more apparent. Inside, they encountered a bizarre conflict: optics, sentient but faceless beings of light and color, were engaged in a chaotic skirmish with a group of white apes.

Navigating through the mayhem, they finally reached the teleportation room. As they neared their goal, a burst of white fire erupted, blocking their path. Quick thinking and teamwork allowed them to evade the flames and reach the teleportation room, where they activated the magic that would take them to Angel Island.

Arriving on the island, they found a group of men working diligently to repair a ship. The scene was one of industrious hope amidst the backdrop of the island’s ethereal beauty. Bojing, feeling a mix of awe and trepidation, approached the angel who presided over the island.

The angel greeted him with a serene smile. “Come back again when you are ready to stay,” he said. “Keep your sword; it is not to punish you but to guide you.”

With that, Bojing felt a profound sense of relief and purpose. The harrowing aspects of his previous encounters, including the unnerving meeting with Horadas, seemed to fade. He was restored to a state of normalcy, ready to embrace whatever challenges lay ahead with renewed strength and clarity.

Blue City Blues Part 2: Death of Batu

 Batu and Wujin Fen were quietly congratulated by the authorities of Blue City, and were offered support in making another foray into the darkness beneath.

Batu wanted to first return to the large pool they’d seen briefly on their first visit. In the words of ChatGPT (lightly edited):

Batu, the brave Baghatur, ventured into the labyrinthine cavern. His torch flickered against the damp stone walls, casting long dancing shadows. The air was heavy with the scent of earth and mineral, and each step he took echoed with a hollow, rhythmic thud. He was followed closely by Wujin Fen and his trusted retainers.

The tunnels were narrow and twisting, choked with stalactites and stalagmites, their shapes distorted by the uneven light. Batu's breath came in small puffs of fog as he advanced deeper into the maze-like passages. His senses were heightened, attuned to the slightest change in the environment, every sound and shift of air.

As the party turned a sharp corner, the tunnel opened into a grand chamber. The ceiling soared high above, lost in shadow, and the space was filled with a profound stillness. The torchlight revealed the underground pool that Batu had sought, its surface perfectly still, its depths unpenetrated by the glow of the torches. The pool's edge was framed by smooth, glistening rocks.

The silence was almost reverent, broken only by the occasional drip of water from the cavern's ceiling into the pool, creating concentric ripples that spread outward and then faded away.

Batu knelt by the pool, peering into its depths, and saw his own reflection mingling with a ghostly light beneath the surface.

Wujin Fen trailed behind Batu, his own torch casting a steadier, less frantic light than the flickering flame of his friend's torch. The cavern was a maze of echoing sounds and shifting shadows, and Wujin’s eyes were alert to any sign of danger.

Batu, had knelt by the pool, absorbed by its quiet majesty. Wujin’s sharp eyes scanned the surroundings, noting the eerily quiet atmosphere and the strange, bioluminescent fungi.

The surface of the pool began to roil and bubble, and a massive shadow emerged—a frog the size of a pony. It eyes glowed with a menacing light and its skin was slick and dark, blending seamlessly with the shadows of the cavern.

The giant frog's mouth opened wide as a horseman’s shield, revealing rows of glistening, jagged teeth. The creature’s tongue sprang from its mouth like a serpent; in a blink the tongue was wrapped around Batu’s neck, pulling him into the gaping maw. Batu dropped his sword and stumbled forward.

Instinctively, Wujin shouted the magic command words and thrust his hand out; a streak of green light blasted the frog between the eyes; instantly it sank back under the water, pulling Batu with it. Batu’s men flung their spears an instant later; too late, they penetrated the water without striking the frog, instead bobbing back up to the surface.

Batu’s men drew their swords and charged into the water, slashing around them on all sides. They waded waist-deep, to where there was a steep drop-off.  One of them retrieved his spear and plumbed for the bottom of the pool without success.

Batu’s second-in-command, Ulaan cast aside his shield and his helmet, ready to dive under. The others started to follow suit, until another one of their number, Altan stopped them, “Stop! Stop thrashing, be still and watch! Under the water!”

The men stood in place and Altan pointed, “Look there!” He pointed to a dark shape rising to the surface; the water roiled and bubbled, and the frog sprang into the air, landing on Ulaan. The men stabbed ferociously, but their spears glanced off the frog’s rubbery skin. Altan drew a dagger and drove its point into the back of the frog’s head. The frog buckled, but Altan held on, jumping onto the frog’s back. The frog jumped backward into the water and still clung tightly.  The frog dove and Altan went with it, twisting the knife deeper. When the frog stopped thrashing, Altan rolled under it and gave it a fierce kick toward the surface. He swam up to the surface gasping for air. The dead frog popped up a few moments later; the other men grabbed it and dragged it to shore. They cut the frog open and found Batu’s body. Ulaan was also dead. The other men gave Batu’s sword and armor to Altan, recognizing his valor and declaring him their new leader. He ordered the bodies of Batu and Ulaan to be laid out with reverence, their faces covered with blue cloth.

“And now we must complete the mission on behalf of our fallen lord.”

Alongside Wujin Fen, Altan navigated the labyrinthine passages with focused determination.

As they pressed deeper into the darkness, the sounds of their footsteps and the occasional drip of water from the cavern ceiling were their only companions. Their search led them to a group of teenage thugs, members of the gang they’d encountered previously, huddled in a small cave filled with garbage. They were hiding from One Law. Having failed at guarding the other hostages, they had deserted their post. They were clearly shaken by the cruelty of the One Law warriors, whose reputation for brutality had pushed them to flee.

Wujin and Altan, understanding the precariousness of their situation, approached the teens cautiously. They struck a deal: if the teens assisted them in locating the hostages, Wujin and Altan would ensure their safe escape from the cavern. The frightened young thugs, though initially wary, were swayed by the promise of safety and the evident strength of their negotiators.

With the teens’ guidance, the party navigated treacherous passages and avoided numerous traps laid by the One Law warriors. The thugs, knowledgeable about the layout of the caves, proved helpful in directing them past dangerous areas and hidden perils. The uneasy alliance grew more cooperative as they worked together toward their common goal.

The climactic confrontation came when Wujin, Altan, and their newfound allies managed to surprise the One Law warriors in their lair. The battle was fierce, but the element of surprise and the combined might of Altan’s combat skills and Wujin’s potent magic turned the tide. The One Law warriors, caught off guard, were swiftly defeated.

With the warriors dispatched, the team freed the hostages, who were in dire need of rescue. The grateful hostages were escorted out of the caverns with the utmost care, while the teenage thugs, motivated by both awe and relief, led the way to a safe exit.

As they emerged into the fresh air, the weight of their ordeal lifted. The mission was a success—hostages were saved, the One Law warriors were vanquished, and even the once-dubious teenage thugs had earned the party's gratitude. Wujin and Ganbold, though weary, knew they had triumphed against overwhelming odds, securing both the safety of their charges and the respect of those they had helped along the way.

Blue City Blues Part 1

Bo Jing sent his Baghatur, Batu, along with a small retinue of footmen, to the Imperial Blue City to investigate rumors of growing disquiet and even insurrectionist intent.

The new Governor in Blue City as well as his ministers were beyond reproach. Following the scandal the had led to execution of the last Governor, there was no tolerance for corruption at any level of the government.

But there was still the problem of the local temples. Among the dozens of shrines that had been established over the centuries, The Bright Path enjoyed official favor, but a variety of foreign merchants had brought their own beliefs, and their own rivalries. In recent decades, the Fire Temple had been most prominent among this population, but now that preeminence was being challenged by the followers of One Law. Unlike the Bright Path, which catered mainly to government ministers, and unlike the Fire Temple, which fully closed itself to outsiders, the followers of One Law eagerly sought and claimed new converts among Tuigen nomads, caravan guards, and imperial soldiers. So when the name of the Prophet of One Law was insulted by the High Priest of the Fire Temple, men from all quarters reacted with outrage.

The High Priest of the Fire Temple was arrested. But the Governor of Blue City refused to execute him, or to turn him over to the One Law to stand trial. The High Priest was a holy man and when it comes to blasphemy and the edicts of the Emperor, two wrongs did not make a right. There would be no trial, no punishment. Instead, the High Priest was ensconced in the Governor’s palace.

In retaliation, some men of One Law attacked an imperial caravan, taking two dozen prisoners, most of them government bureaucrats. Three of the prisoners were devotees of the Fire Temple. Their heads were found in Blue City markets over the next three days. The followers of One Law announced they would allow a week and then begin killing the other prisoners.

The Governor of Blue City officially ignored these threats.

Batu was approached by a group of low-level bureaucrats who asked for his help. They had collected some money and offered to pay him to rescue their friend who was among the hostages. Batu declined the offer of payment, but agreed that he and his men would help as a matter of his honor and that of his lord, Bo-Jing. He also assisted the desperate clerks in securing the assistance of Wujin Fen, Zaire, and Tayo. These were not Baghaturs, but they had talents that would be helpful. And they would gladly accept payment.

Given that the decapitated heads had been placed in the market, the party reasoned that the prisoners were being held somewhere in the city.  Following a chain of rumors, they found a dilapidated mansion in the merchants’ quarter that allowed access to the maze of wells and caverns on which the temples of Blue City had first been established as small shrines, long before the city itself was organized.

Here they met a pair of men, outfitted in armor made from giant crabs, and Tayo’s skills proved most useful. Relying on her arcane abilities, she understood their strange language and communicated that she had come to assist them. For their part, the crab men were keen to destroy some interlopers from the “blinding world” above.  The crab men led the way to the hideout of small-time teenage gangsters.

Greatly outnumbered, the teenagers were eager to surrender. The crabmen, on the other hand were eager for blood. Batu intervened, drawing his sword on the crabmen and forcing them to stand down. He ordered his men to keep the crabmen at bay while he and the rest of the party followed the teenagers to their boss.

Arriving in a large cavern filled with giant mushrooms, the party began to doubt their decision. When their guides began singing, and were answered by other songs throughout the cavern, they knew they’d been led into an ambush. But then the boss made the mistake of showing himself, sitting on top of an especially large mushroom. A small man with a long beard, he asked what Batu had brought him.  Zaire responded by shooting a bolt of blue energy, knocking him off his mushroom and killing him. Except it wasn’t a giant mushroom, they were simply in a large dank cellar. The dozen or so teenage thugs, deprived of their illusory camouflage looked like the lost boys they were.

The two sides struck a deal. The boys admitted that they were holding a number of prisoners on behalf of “the big sword men.” And, they agreed to free them in exchange for the small bag of coins collected by the bureaucrats.

The crabmen were allowed to return to their own part of the caves, the thugs, returned to their miserable den, and the party, together with 12 rescued hostages returned to the surface.

Tetsukichi and Salt follow Bo-Jing Part 2 - the Grand Reunion

 Tetsukichi and Salt, disguised as Guardians, joined a group of the Master's soldiers who were pursuing the mysterious foreigners that Tetsukichi and Salt hoped in fact were their friends.

The soldiers were happy and honored to be joined by such learned companions and the group set off. Conversation was awkward as most of the party, despite their disguises could not speak Hun-Yi. However, the white-robed soldiers did not question the apparent reticence of their superiors; they set themselves to their mission and with their locals’ knowledge of the countryside, the group traveled quickly, reaching the banks of a river by the end of the day. Here, the soldiers, explained, they should camp for the night and the make a plan to ford the river the next day.

The travelers, still disguised as Guardians, agreed to the plan and made their own camp some distance from the soldiers. According to Mustapha, the effects of his magic would wane as the sun set.

The soldiers, accepting another rebuff with little protest, made their own camp next to the river, and prepared a fire.  A few hours after sunset, the party noticed another group approaching from the other side of the river.  A woman from the other group called out a greeting, and then asked if any of the soldiers spoke Zhou.  By luck, two of them did and they exchanged banter with the woman and her friends across the river.  In time, the party recognized the voices of Salt and Bo-Jing.  They called out to them from the upper camp, and using a few words in Tuigen, confirmed that they were all friends. The soldiers, confused at first, gratefully accepted the words of their “superiors” that these charming foreigners were spreading Ignorance. The soldiers were especially grateful to recognize the foreigners as “allies” when a they suddenly appeared on the other side of the river (thanks to clever use of Salt’s portable apartment and Bo-Jing, night-colored flying horse.)

The still-disguised “Guardians” explained to the soldiers that they had fulfilled their mission. They should sleep until morning and then return to Gilgat alone.

The night passed and in the morning, the soldiers followed the instructions they’d received the night before, breaking camp and departing with an awkward salute to the sleeping tents of the Guardians on the hill. When the soldiers had gone, the assembled company greeted each other and planned their next move.  Salt the sorceress, finding the presence of Narnutang the woman warrior even more objectionable than her reputation, retreated into her magical apartment.

The others began their journey home, sharing stories about their respective journeys across Hunza and pondering the strange words of the giant bird. Bo-Jing made frequent scouting sorties and assisted his companions to avoid any more encounters with the remnants of the Master's armies and other followers.

Bo-Jing Follows HIs Wife Part 2

Based on Batar’s directions, Bo-Jing flew west, following the course of a rod. When the road forked North and South, he didn’t follow either fork but continued westward, toward the darkest spot in the mountain range before him. Towards sunset, Bo-Jing saw an enormous bird rising into the sky, carrying a limp body in its talons. He urged Tse-Hemi to gradually descend as he continued his approach toward a group of people and horses on the ground. Some men were struggling to manage panicked horses while others cowered behind rocks or under trees. Among the horses and shouting men was Narantsetseg. She had seen Bo-Jing and was walking toward him, even as he glided toward the ground.

Bo-Jing slid off his horse and walked slowly toward her. Her eyes fixed on his face and she smiled and ran to him and kissed his haggard cheeks. 

“Let others have the morning sun. Too long I have waited for the cool evening rain.”

Bo-Jing received a full recounting of his wife’s quest to find him. He thanked Narnutang and Dolkar for protecting her and mourned the loss of Altani, who had been killed a band of savage and cunning bears, seemingly of the same ilk that had harassed Bo-Jing on the red dragon’s bluff. Finally, he dismissed the bandits who had trailed her from Banua.

And so it was time to return home. After giving the bandits an opportunity to ride out of sight, Bo-Jing asked his wife to join him on Tse-Hemi’s back and started the return journey. After an hour’s travel in darkness, they made camp, with Narnutang and Dolkar agreeing to share responsibilities for keeping watch. The next morning, they were met once more by the giant bird, who spoke to them in Zhou: “Your friend was a holy and righteous man, a most noble soul. His beautiful and generous heart has nourished my children.”

The bird continued, “So, you human children must nourish yourselves for a time is coming when you will be tested like never before. Hosadas was a wicked man, corrupted by power, but centuries ago he defeated a greater evil. When Hosadas gone, the Zaharans are preparing their return.”

The Zaharans, according to the bird were an people besotted with death and cruelty. The remnants of their capital lay beyond the Dark Wall. “Whoever told you to seek passage to the place of Hosadas was not your friend.”

The Roc explained that at the time Hosadas first came to the land of Hunza, he had a rival, a man remembered only as the “Broken Saint” who preached that the Zaharans could not be defeated by any human army, but only by the power of love and righteousness. When the Broken Saint was killed, his followers buried him in secret, and their descendants might still be found in the most remote corners of Hunza. But that was a quest for another day.