The Way Back 2 (Return of the Blind Captain II and Almost home)

Over the days the followed, Bo Jing, Bayan, and Shoji directed the efforts to remove wires and other eldritch attachments from the Binggongchang. They considered throwing these objects overboard or leaving them on the beach, but at last elected to keep them in a waterproof sea bag, well doused with holy water. Other sohei were sent ashore to fill their water barrels, collect food, and recruit additional crew members. Upon their return, the sohei reported that they had found a good spring, but food was scarce, and they had alienated themselves from the local inhabitants, who seemed to have encountered the blindman and associated him with the benevolent newcomers. But the sohei contended that they had learned how to sail the ship at least as well as the sailors who had hired on back in Zhou Dang. Shu Yin, in studying the blindman’s books and nautical charts had learned that if they could find a westward current, their return travel could be accomplished in about a month. They had enough water, and their chances of finding food, in the form of fish, were better on the open sea than in this accursed land.

And so the Binggongchang began its homeward voyage. Early setbacks came in the form of submerged reefs and the kelp fields, but one night when they found the westward current, there was a stirring below decks. A walking skeleton, with burning red eyes emerged from below, sending the sohei not terrors. It was the blindman, and he demanded an explanation. Bo Jing directed him the bag where they had secured his instruments. Opening it eagerly, he splashed himself with holy water. Screaming with rage, he lunged at the nearest sohei, threatening to kill him if his demands weren’t met. Bo Jing drew his katana and attacked. The blindman release the sohei who fell to the deck, trembling and retching. With a last kick, the blindman turned and ran toward the captain’s cabin. Shoji castigated him with a blistering sermon; the blindman screamed and stumbled, but continued his mad dash, pushing other sohei out of the way. The blindman made it to the cabin and closed the door, but Bayan was right behind him. She battered the door down and found the blindman holding his spellbook and a small box, while opening the cabin window. Bayan splashed him with a vial of the holy water from Saradin’s cave and the blindman was consumed in a burst of blue flame. Bayan suggested the book should be destroyed. They doused it with oil and set it on fire. After it had burned for a few minutes, they cast it into the sea. They did the same to the wooden chair that had been set at the nexus of the gold wires. The small box, was empty, but they decided to keep it.

The voyagers on the Binggongchang enjoyed several days of smooth sailing, even finding what appeared to be verdant island. After sending a boat ashore, they found that it was blessed with waterfalls and fruit trees.

After leaving the island, the Binggongchang sailed into a fierce storm. The sky was so dark, that Shu Yin could not get a bearing day or night and Bo Jing ordered the crew to out all their efforts into keeping the ship together rather than holding a particular course. Days and nights merged together. When the weather cleared one fine morning, they beheld a huge island or continent, and as they approached, a small location of human settlement.

The first people they encountered were fishermen piloting small, narrow boats. The fishers were friendly and greeted the voyagers in a language that Bayan recognized, having heard Beatriss use it in conversations with Tetsukichi. Shu Yin confirmed that they were in northern Zipang, close enough to home that they could afford to linger. The Binggongchang was anchored in a sheltered harbor and the voyagers were welcomed ashore.

The Way Back 1 (Return of the Blind Captain I)

The explorers, with Saradin’s assistance, climbed out of the pyramid, and drew untainted clean air into their cramped lungs, and then rinsed their mouths with long pulls from their waterskins. Still thirsty, they searched for water, Bo Jing leading the way toward the stream he remembered splashing through when being chased to the pyramid. They found the stream, but its flow was reduced to a trickle, the surface coated with a fine layer of ash. They drank half-heartedly and surveyed their surroundings, noting that the vegetation looked dry. They sky was hazy. They discussed their next move. Unanimously, home.

For Rhialle, Maztica was everything he remembered and worse. These people had risked their lives to bring him home; his home then should be with them. “I am not ungrateful, but . . .”

Bangqiu assured him that he would be glad for his support in whatever future adventures he pursued, starting with the voyage back to Oa.

And so the explorers set off through the untracked jungle to find their ship. Traveling due west they came to edge of a steep-sided valley where they encountered many mysteries: a monkey wearing a feathered hat, a cacophony of birds feasting on a panicked mass of snakes and birds and insects, a stone altar strewn with flowers and a twist of paper with a prayer for rain.

Strangest of all, they met Mai-Thi, the sohei who had been left in charge of the boat. She wore the simple smock of a Maztica woman and greeted them without surprise, advising them that the valley was a place of peace that she did not want to leave. “However, if you desire to continue your lives of meaningless striving, do not stop, even to sleep. If you meet any of the people who live here, you must not harm or threaten them in any way.”

Bayan was dubious, but did not argue. Marching through the night, they crossed the valley and climbed up the other side by morning, finding themselves on a high ridge overlooking a misty sea. From the ridge, they found a path that led down to the cove and, hopefully their ship, where they’d left it anchored. Hopefully, but not actually. Just open ocean. They climbed back up to the top of the cliff for a better view. It was midday, the fog had lifted, and the Binggongchang was visible, anchored much further out, beyond sight of the cove. But it was there. So they marched down to the cove once more and spent the rest of the day cutting trees to build rafts, and then camped on the beach.

The next morning, they set to the tasks of assembling the felled tree trunks into something that could carry them out to the Binggongchang. But they hadn’t been working for long when Hayam spotted a boat—the landing boat from the Binggongchang.

Shu Yin, one of the sohei, piloted the boat together with four other sohei and explained that he “had a good feeling I would find my master today.” Shu Yin, it turned out, had been selected by general consensus to lead the sohei in Kafka’s absence after Mai-Thi went crazy. Went crazy? Strange things had happened on the ship in Kafka’s long absence—

Long absence? Oh, there was so much to explain, and it was difficult to talk and pilot he boat at the same time.

As they drew closer to the Binggongchang, it became more and more apparent that much had changed. Gleaming metal objects had been attached to the railing. Golden wires were strung from the prow to the stern. “I have made some changes,” Shu Yin explained, “and I hope you like them.”

Once on board, Shu Yin became increasingly animated in expressing his excitement about how the Binggongchang had been enhanced. The objects nailed to the railings turned out to be the “oddly-formed metal shapes” retrieved from the ghost ship. At the nexus of the gold wire (which they had also taken from the ghost ship) there was a chair. And Shu Yin asked Bangqiu to please sit in the chair so that he could demonstrate the ship’s new capacity. Bangqiu refused. Hyamsam expressed interest, but the others restrained him. Sharp words were exchanged and at last Shu Yin retreated to his cabin.

Bayan, Bangqiu, Bo Jing, and Hyamsam began asking questions of the sohei on deck, most of whom seemed to be preparing the Binggongchang to set sail, with some conducting both typical nautical duties like checking lines while others polished the strange metal instruments or plucked at the gold wires. Those who could be exchanged in conversation said contradictory things, especially when it came to explaining Mai-Thi’s disappearance.

At some point, a group of shei went to the captain’s cabin and knocked on the door. Not long after, a figure emerged, dressed in a monk’s robes, but with his face wrapped in bandages, just like the captain of the ghost ship. By his bearing and at last his voice, they knew they were dealing with a familiar adversary. And he was accompanied by eight more just like him. In a strange chorus, they commanded Hyamsam to sit in the chair at the center of the wires. Hyamsam refused. Bangqiu wanted to know what would happen.

“We will sail to the stars.”

Bayan refused to discuss the matter further. She attacked with her katana and was joined by Kafka, Rhialle, and several of the sohei, who seemed to have been waiting for just this opportunity. The blind man’s many doubles proved to be illusions, but he showed himself to be a formidable opponent in his own right. His frightful voice struck several party members into paralysis—Bo Jing, Bangqiu, Bayan, and Shoji were unable to move. Most of the sohei found themselves too frightened by the blind man’s presence to attack him directly, but could only attack his illusions. He focused his magic on the party’s most powerful henchmen—Kafka, Sing-ha, Rhialle, and Damai were all overcome by powerful illusions. The blindman continued to plead with Hyamsam to try sitting in the chair, even as Hyamsam blasted him with missiles.

Bangqiu silently called upon Sarandon for help again, and help appeared in a pillar of flame. Bangqiu and the others were freed from their curses. The blindman fled to the Captain’s cabin. Damai and Bangqiu chased after him. While Damai battered the door down, Banqiu prepared a spell. As the door burst open, Banqiu saw the blindman standing with one foot out the cabin window. Not giving him a change to speak, Bangqiu blasted him with magic missiles. He burst into flame; the bandages burned away revealing a gleaming white skull. In an instant, there was nothing left of him. Saradin warned his friends that their enemy stored its soul in a magical box and that the blindman would likely return.

The Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan (collab with Rainbow Monkey Sock)

What happened inside the pyramid?

Bo Jing remembers it this way . . .

I Bo Jing was on the ship seeking adventure and new trade routes that would benefit my family.  I found many adventures, but as we reached Maztica, I wondered what new goods I would find. .But I really wanted adventure.

Inside the pyramid, I had many adventures.

There was a huge boulder that turned out to be a giant crab.  I leaped on top of it, drawing my fiery sword and with a great shout and a mighty blow, cleaved its shell in half and killed the monster.

Approaching another room, we heard singing.  We put wax in our ears to thwart any magical charm.  There was a woman swimming in a pool. I did my best to ignore her, telling myself she was an ugly siren, like a tadpole without a tail.  I knew that she wasn't really beautiful but just looked that way because of magic.

In another part of the pyramid, Bayan and I  got trapped behind iron bars that fell from the ceiling.  My friends noticed a painting of a sun and Shoji pressed it.  The bars opened and a secret passage was revealed behind the sun.

In that hall, there were four animal heads, one an eagle with a shiny thing in its beak.  When Kafka tried to get the shiny thing, the eagle's mouth shut and hurt him. Bayan unlocked the eagle's mouth with a tickle on the chin.

Continuing to explore the pyramid, we were alarmed when suddenly two iron doors slammed in front of us and behind us and sand began filling up the little space we had.  Singh got his axe and kept battering the door then he gave me the axe and I screamed my battle cry and smashed it down.

We came upon a room filled with giant beetles.  Bangqiu was a  coward. He floated up to scare the beetles and climb the mountain of trash and then he grabbed a shiny knife from inside the stinking pile of beetle excrement.


After the ball game (a tale for another day) my cowardly friend Bangqiu called out for help from Sardan. We got out of a hole in the roof that sardan made.

Play Report: The Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan

Sometimes I write reviews of adventures that are five years old.  Sometimes I write reviews of reviews that are 5 years old.  In this case, Dungeon of Signs, reviewing The Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan.  I'm doing this because I don't have much to add to what Mr. Lux wrote, except that I won't follow him to his bizarre conclusion that this is a really good module, but not good enough to play.  Because I did run the adventure, I have access to some additional insights, that I offer as tips on how to run the adventure.

As Lux notes, this one is hard to drop into a campaign, and I can't imagine re-skinning its Meso-American setting.  Its far from "accurate."  Mayan and Aztec pyramids were places for sacrifices, not burials, and didn't have much of an inside.  The Nereid (beautiful naked temptress) is from Greek mythology and feels really foreign to the Meso-American view of life as pain without pretense.  Despite this, the illustration booklet is very important to the adventure and everything in it looks Aztec  (or Chinese-- but only slightly and it's just one room.)  For me, the setting was easy.  My players wanted to leave their faux-Asian homeland to sail across an open ocean and discover a new world.

The illustration booklet is great and essential.  I very much agree with Lux that rather than try to describe the various trap-ridden rooms, it's great to have a picture to pass around.  My copy had no map booklet, but it's easy to find the illustrations online.

In the 70s, everything was foreign and foreign was always a license to weird.  Unlike Maztica, which tries, oh so earnestly tries, to respect other cultures (and makes them all sound like hippies), this module's authors have no embarrassment about their ignorance and rely on their imaginations to fill in the gaps.  Again, the Nereid makes no sense but provided a lot of laughs, even though none of the PCs wanted to play the straight man and instead went to great lengths to avoid looking at the cavorting nymph. (Shoji revealed that he was asexual.)

The monsters are good, though as Lux notes, PC will easily miss the most interesting ones. This could be fixed by coming up with a quest to retrieve a particular object rather than simply escape the pyramid.  He's also correct that all the monsters all seem attack-oriented.  (Except the Nereid, I keep coming back to the Nereid.)  I'm not sure this is a problem worth fixing.  The rooms are self-contained and the residents are so alien that it's believable that they wouldn't have knowledge or interest in other parts of the dungeon.  And the aggressiveness kind of fits with Aztec views of the world.  On another note, the monsters, while individually tough, are not numerous.  My party of 10 (PCs and henchman) was probably too large.

Lux disapproves of the poison gas, but it worked well for me.  We have limited time IRL so it was good to have an in-game reason for haste.  I didn't track the time closely, but the players had a sense of urgency about them. And they could not take a brute force approach to every problem ("Everyone stands guard and I individually press each block on the south wall.  Ok, now the west wall.  Ok, let's rest and heal and re-learn spells.") Lux is correct that this feeling of haste creates tension with all the weird objects begging for attention, but I think this helps preserve the wonder.  My PCs know they missed some things and are talking about going back.

Lux is correct about the clunky text and clunkier special mechanics.  I don't agree, however, that this necessitates hours of preparation.  Because the rooms are self-contained and because the residents are combat-oriented, you don't need to think too much about how it all fits together.  The adventure kind of runs itself so you can just pause and skim each room while your players look at the illustration.

Here's what I would do to prepare:

1. Look at the map.  Starting with a cave-in that lands the PCs in room 1 works well and the gas extends through to room 39.  Like Google maps, there are three routes that lead to the same destination.  The routes cross over each other, so there are probably 7 or 8 combinations that will get PCs through the maze.
2. Think about whether you want to move the cover star to a different room where the PCs are more likely to meet him.  Or if he has something that will cause them to seek him out.
3. Be ready to wing it on things like drowning or dodging boulders.  The mechanics are complicated and inconsistent and rather than study them it might make sense to use saving throws.  As with the poison gas, the threat of sand filling up a closed room is scary.  But the in-play emphasis should be on the atmosphere rather than the mechanics.  Rolling dice doesn't really enhance the suspense. 

Over the Waves Part 10 (Landfall)

And so the Binggongchang left the Island of Wisdom and after another day of smooth sailing reached a suitable place to land.  Bangqiu dropped anchor about one hundred yards off shore and the boat was lowered.  All passengers and sailors were ferried to shore, just to give everyone a chance to walk on dry land after their many weeks at sea. 

The landing place was a narrow beach surrounded by marshes and jungle.  Rhialle recognized a mountain range further inland and Bagqiu concluded that he had made good use of Sakatha's ring.  The sailors and sohei returned to the ship while Bangqiu organized an exploration party that would travel inland to find Rhialle's settlement.  Kafka argued that he should remain with the ship to maintain order among the sohei and sailors.  But Bangqiu insisted that he would need his help in this strange new land.  Kafka relented and placed Mai-Thi in charge.

Thus, the exploration party comprised:
Bangqiu, with Kafka, Damai, and Rhialle
Bo-Jing
Shoji and his bodyguard Singha
Bayan and her adviser Minh
Hyamsam

The Lucky Ten camped on the beach and then set off into the jungle the next morning.  By midday, they came upon a human settlement, one where the people spoke the same language as Rhialle.  They did not know him, but they knew the way to his home.

A few more days of travel brought them to the village of Tamoachitz.  Here Rhialle was recognized and the party was welcomed and honored-- but not in a manner that they recognized as friendly.  After a few nights, Rhialle heard the shrill piping that he recognized as the prelude to a special sacrifice.  He thanked Bangqiu for bringing him home and urged him to flee with his friends. Bangqiu agreed that he did not wish to be sacrificed but convinced Rhialle that he was ready to explore other paths to enlightenment.  And so the Lucky Ten left Tamoachitz in the middle of the night, setting up across the surrounding jungle.

A full moon guided their path, and they made their way toward a light that glowed in the trees.  This turned out to be the ruins of a towering pyramid.  They slept on the white stones of the deserted city.  In the morning, while planning their next move, the explorers heard the noise of the pursuers.  In controlled panic, they ran toward the pyramid.  Then the earth shuddered and gaped open beneath the party's feet.  They fell amidst a roar of collapsing masonry.  Dust filled the air and the sunlight disappeared as the darkness swallowed the,. 

Over the Waves Part 9 (The Island of Wisdom)

Morning showed no obvious place to seek harbor.  Binggongchang skirted beneath the rocky cliffs of the new continent, close enough to enjoy fragrant breezes but without finding a place to put the boat ashore.  After a few hours, the tantalizing cruise seemed to offer something better-- a verdant island with a deepwater harbor with a channel that was navigable into its interior-- a huge flooded cave. 

Shoji and Bo Jing who had improved on their rudimentary knowledge of sailing during the course of the voyage were able to bring the Binggongchang to a natural dock.  Artful placement of the gangplank allowed the passengers to walk down to a gravel beach without getting their feet wet.  The dripping water sounded like music.  Or maybe that was music, even singing.

Was this Party Island at last?

No,  it was her older, wiser older sister.  About half the sailors refused to get off the ship.

The leaders of the expedition, however, were intrigued and after disembarking made their way eagerly toward a gentle light.  They met a man there who introduced himself as Saridan and invited them to join him in meditation. 

Weeks passed.  Those who weren't familiar with seaweed salad learned to love it.

And then it was time for The Tests.

Hyamsam was brought into a small room and told to sit at a table and watch a rock until it jumped.  It seemed boring and pointless but (with some meta-game encouragement from White Bear) he persisted.  Saridan reward him with this lesson-- moderation in all things including patience, especially when someone asks you to wait for a rock to jump.

Shoji was brought a shrine dedicated to The Path of the Red Mountain and invited to re-dedicate it to his own School.  Although he found the practitioners of The Path of the Red Mountain to be insufferable busybodies, he allowed that their beliefs affirmed goodness in thought, word, and action, and that he refused to treat his faith as a tribal affinity.  He declined to disturb the rival shrine.  Saridan congratulated him.

Next, Saridan invited Bo Jing into a cave lined with swords and asked him a provoking question.  "What would you do if I tried to kill you?"  Bo Jing laughed off the piece of hypothetical sophistry.  When Saridan picked upa fiery sword, Bo Jing drew his katana and fended off a flurry of attacks without seeking to strike Saridan.  Saridan congratulated Bo Jing on his ability to defend himself without excessive force and gifted him with the fiery sword.

Finally, Saridan led Bangqiu and Bayan to a cave with a seemingly bottomless pit in the center.  He told them that they would be leaving the island soon but that he would answer a call for help if they were willing to sacrifice their most valuable possession.  After some debate between the two of them Bayan cast her magical sword-- a gift from her mentor Beatriss-- into the pit.  Bangqiu, reasoning that even though he didn't see much use in the Blood Gem Crucible, he had fought a dragon to get it and assassins to keep it, and thus it was, objectively, the most valuable.  He cast it away with little reluctance.  Saridan scolded them for their lack of confidence in their own abilities but promised that he would honor his promise.

Shoji and Bo Jing were each presented with an additional gift, a glowing pearl, that when dissolved in saltwater, resulted in a bubbling ruby-red drink that was sweeter than honey.

Everyone else-- except those sailors who had refused to leave the ship-- got a vial of holy water.

Over the Waves Part 8 (Another Blind Captain)

In the tense days after the ghost ship encounter, Shoji tended to Bayan and the most shaken sohei, many of whom had suffered spiritual or mental trauma from their contact with the crate. As their minds cleared, Bayan requested to see the contents again.

Bangqiu claimed the mirror — the most obviously magical item. Bayan identified a functional astrolabe and chronometer among the odd metal pieces, intuiting their purpose. Bo-Jing quietly pocketed a set of intricate keys, believing they must unlock something important. The jar of dark liquid, too strange to keep and too dangerous to discard, was entrusted to Shoji.

The remaining contents — oddly-shaped metals and rotting books — were given to Bangqiu for future study.

But the real threat was hunger. Hyamsam shared his food with the sailors, and Captain Won asked Bangqiu to requisition rations from the sohei. Bangqiu agreed — enforcing shared rations across the ship. The crew’s mood improved, and with long oars, they rowed day and night, trying to escape the stillness of the sea.

Then things broke.

During sparring with Bo-Jing, a sailor hurled a hammer at Captain Won. It missed — but signaled a mutiny. More than a dozen sailors attacked. Won cut down several, even as Hyamsam turned against him, firing magic missiles. The rest overwhelmed him. Bangqiu appeared on deck, commanding them to stop.

The sailors, afraid, obeyed. Bangqiu demanded answers. The crew confessed: Won had threatened that if they didn't obey, he was going to let Bangqiu eat them. As Won stood up and killed another crewman, Bangqiu struck him down with a blast of blue-green energy. The sailors finished him off.

They named Hyamsam their new captain, who promised to sail to “Party Island” — a myth Won had used to keep them in line.

That night, Bangqiu searched the captain’s cabin, uncovering the truth: Won had long since given up on escaping the doldrums. In his cabin, Bangqiu took out Sakatha’s ring. He turned it, imagining faraway places. The ring turned to lead and cracked.

A wind rose. The ship turned north. The current swept them east. In five days, they saw land: a vast continent.

That night, the crew danced. Shoji led meditations, joined by Bo-Jing and three students. But inside the ship, the jar of dark liquid boiled violently, shaking as if possessed. Shoji hurled it out the window.

It exploded.

From the steam and shattered glass, a man emerged, newborn and slick-skinned, but Shoji recognized the face — twisted, skeletal, now soft and blank — the undead captain reborn.

He hit the water and disappeared. Bayan, awake, saw the figure in the moonlight, clutching something to his chest as he sank beneath the waves.

Over the Waves Part 7 (The Blind Captain)

At dawn, the Binggongchang drifted through still waters when the lookout spotted a ghost ship approaching — silent, splintered, and crewed by a full complement of animated skeletons. It moved without wind or sail, dragged across the sea by three massive rusted chains, each pulled by something submerged.

As the ghost ship closed in, one of its crew climbed the mast — a skeletal figure dressed in the once-elegant cloak and hat of a merchant-captain, his face hidden behind tight, white bandages. When he reached the top, he transformed — soft, pink flesh bloomed into a clumsy, winged horror, which lurched into the air and landed in the crow’s nest of the Binggongchang.

There, Bangqiu appeared midair, invisible no more, and unleashed a barrage of magic missiles, ripping away the creature’s outer flesh to reveal a skeletal face grinning beneath.

“Oh, a wizard!” it said with glee. “I’ve been looking for another wizard. I think we can help each other.”

On the deck below, chaos stirred. Bo-Jing, eager to strike, misjudged the distance and fell into the sea. There, he found the chains belonged to three scaled and clawed monsters, fishlike and fiendish, pulling the ghost ship forward. They lunged for him — but he drew upon his ki and a blessing from Shoji, grabbing one of the chains and vaulting upward. He scaled the side of the ghost ship, dodging fangs and slashing as he climbed, leaping from wall to mast in a storm of blade and water.

Back in the sky, Bangqiu hesitated at the creature’s offer. He responded with a trio of flaming shurikens — but they were deflected by a giant skeletal hand conjured from nothing. The fight was on.

“Why am I fighting this one alone?” Bangqiu shouted.

Shoji called back calmly, already directing the crew to stay below. He called on sacred light, shielding Bangqiu from the worst of the lich’s magic. He moved through the fray, chanting prayers and guiding his allies — a steadying force amid the mayhem.

Bayan attempted to climb the mast but was caught in a web spell, dropped by the lich. Arrows passed harmlessly through the lich’s spectral body until Damai’s magical shots found purchase. Bangqiu and Hyamsam combined their power, launching a final wave of elemental fury that brought the creature down — it vanished in a burst of flame.

With the captain gone, the deck skeletons crumbled to dust. Meanwhile, Bo-Jing killed the sea monsters, severing the ghost ship’s means of propulsion.

The group crossed to the ghost ship and descended into its rotten interior. Beneath the deck, fish-zombies waited in the shadows, but sunlight piercing the hull held them at bay. Following Shoji’s advice, the party broke open more holes in the deck to let in the light.

Bayan crashed through the rotted floor into a pool of ankle-deep water and stood firm in a patch of sunlight. There they discovered a strangely pristine wooden crate, marked with a symbol they had seen before, glowing faintly and sealed tight. When Bayan touched it, she fell into despair and wandered toward the shadows. Shoji and Bangqiu worked together — one casting, the other grounding her spirit — and Bo-Jing dragged her back into the light.

Bangqiu went above desk and called for Kafka’s assistance in opening the crate. About a dozen sohei brought axes to chop their way into it.

 It was grueling work, physically and spiritually. The effort in chopping through a single plank reduced a disciplined monk to tears.  When the hole was large enough, Bangqiu squeezed inside. The contents were strange and-- except for a large, highly-reflective mirror and some spools of gold wire-- did not, at a glance, seem to deserve such protection. Nevertheless, Bangqiu called for baskets, sacks and ropes so that the entire contents of the crate could be removed from the ghost ship to the  Binggongchang. 

As the sun was setting, Bangqiu followed the last of the dubious treasures—a large jar filled with dark liquid—out of the hole and back to his own ship. Once everyone was accounted for, they cast off from the ghost ship, tossing an oil-soaked torch behind them. The sailors had brought up the long oars and those who had strength joined them in rowing the ship slowly forward through the seaweed-choked sea. All night, they watched the ghost ship burning. Those who slept pretended to forget their dreams.

Over the Waves Part 6 (Strange Sightings)

A few days later, the Binggongchang was attacked again, this time by denizens of the deep. Hyamsam spotted something moving toward them at high speed, just below the surface. This something turned out to be a group of about a dozen mermen, who, in surfacing, hurled iron javelins at the ship’s passengers. Hyamsam led the counter-attack—sling stones, arrows, and magic missiles broke up the mermen’s attack. Moments later however, more mermen surfaced, over one hundred, surrounding the ship on all sides. `More frightening, another group of mermen surfaced with what was later referred to as a “demonic eyeball” (Bayan) and “Billy” (Bo Jing). Billy Eyeball was restrained with thick ropes by seven or eight mermen. He struggled ferociously against his captors, but was not friendly to those on the ship either. A beam from his eye stunned several sailors and sohei. This combined with javelins from every direction threatened complete chaos on board the Binggongchang.

 Not all the javelins were hurled as weapons. About a dozen were hooked on one end, and trailed a rope on the other. The mermen were using the hooks to catch hold of the ship itself and pull it to a stop. Shoji chanted a prayer to maintain courage on board the ship abd Captain Won ordered full sails. Bayan and Bo-Jing coordinated the cutting of the tethers. Hyamsam hurled spells at the eyeball wranglers and as their numbers dwindled, they were forced to pull the Billy back under the waves. With the advantages of a strong wind, quick thinking, and sharp blades, the Binggongchang. escaped. The mermen pursued, as the BG passed over an extensive underwater city of stone houses and places, populated by merpeople. On a vast plain of seaweed, Hyamsam counted the wrecks of seven other ships. The mermen continued their pursuit until the Binggongchang had passed over their city.

Captain Won complimented Bo Jing for his bravery at the hostile island and against the fishmen. “If it had been your choice, you would have fought them with your sword, I believe.” And he challenged him to spar, bringing out a pair of wooden swords. He showed himself to be a skilled sword-fighter, more accomplished than Bo-Jing or Bayan. He offered to teach Bo Jing some advanced techniques in exchange for some of the trophies and treasure Bo-Jing had collected. Bo-Jing as reluctant; he did not like the Captain because of the way he treated his crew. But this seemed to be a special opportunity and timely It was likely that Bo-Jing would be pulled into another mortal combat before the voyage was over. A bargain was struck and in fact, Captain Won seemed to benefit from his new role, and was distracted from gratuitously beating his crew.  

And from the weather. A fierce storm overtook the ship, buffeting it from wave to wave for three days and blowing it from its easterly course due northwards. When the storm ended, they founded themselves in a dead calm, in a sea choked with seaweed. Captain Won punished his crew for his shame. And he became vicious in his sparring with Bo-Jing, one day suggesting hey fight with real swords-- to first blood. He won handily—and to relief of Bo-Jing’s friends, made a single slash across the young warriors chest before ending the duel with a smile and a bow. “You have learned much, but I’m still better!” His mood of happy triumph lasted another day in the doldrums, but then he returned to lashing his crew. Hyamsam shared his food with the starving crew members. Bangqiu directly demanded that Won treat his crew better. Captain Won flatly refused to take any advice regarding his methods for performing the job he’d been paid to do—crossing the Unknown Ocean to the land of gold! Bangqiu, after admitting did not wish to turn back, had no choice but to acquiesce.

Temporarily defeated, Bagqiu used his magic to become invisible and hover high above the ship, tethered to the highest mast. From this vantage point, towards dusk, he spotted a ship on the horizon. He shared the news with his friends and Shoji watched the ship with interest. A slight wind had filled the sails of the Binggongchang. The other ship followed behind them throughout the night. By moonlight, Shoji caught the occasional glimpse of the other ship’s sails—its masts were crooked and its sails so badly torn that rather than catch the wind, they fluttered in tatters. Nevertheless, it was moving, in unnatural lurches and gradually closing the distance.

Over the Waves Part 5 (Not Party Island) with guest editor Rainbow Monkey Sock!

Bo-Jing: 

“After a few more days sailing, we found an island that the crew thought was party island. Party island was supposed to be a place where there were going to be food and wine and welcoming women. We discovered instead that there were hostiles. They welcomed us by try to kill us Using spears. They were along  half the beach  in numbers about a 100.  Bangqiu  commanded  a retret. We shot are connons at the the hostile men. There were moaning cause they wanted party island.”

Over the Waves Part 4 (Oil and Water)

The good ship Binggongchang sailed out from Akari and by the end of the day had left behind all sight of land. Captain Won revealed himself to be a harsh taskmaster, stalking the decks with a whip and addressing his crew in tones that ranged from disdainful to explicitly life-threatening. He was, however, very respectful to his passengers, and to the spirits of the sea. On the first morning on the open ocean, he produced an exquisitely-detailed model of the Binggongchang with gold fittings. He asked Shoji to pray over it and then tossed a silver coin to the water, a ritual that he would perform every morning.

Nevertheless, all aboard were awakened the next morning by a ferocious storm. The ship lost her course and the clouds so obscured the sun, that the passengers lost all sense of direction. The Captain ordered all passengers off the deck. After two days of fitful sleep, Bayan was awaked by an odd sound, that of small waves crashing on a beach. The storm had cleared but they were about to hit land. She went above deck and alerted Captain Won. After assuring her that he had already seen the hazard ahead, he made slight adjustments to their course. All the passengers came up to see what first looked the corpse of an enormous whale, pinned by the current on a coral reef just below the surface of the waves.

The ship dropped anchor. Except that it was suspended in the water, the object resembled a long, smooth stone. Much of it was under the water—its full size was at least ten times as long as the ship. The boat was dropped and a small party approach for a closer look. The object was made of dark metal, battered, and badly rusted at the water line. Paddling their boat around it, the party deduced that the object was the hull of a capsized metal ship. Hyamsam sensed a magical aura and detected an eldritch symbol etched into the metal at the center of the hull—that of a burning eye surrounded by arrows pointing in every direction.

The water around the metal ship was covered with an iridescent sheen and the coral was covered with a black sticky substance. Hyamsam experimented a little and learned that the substance burned easily and with great heat. Great quantities of the black oily substance were found inside the metal ship. At Bayan’s suggestion a barrel was ordered from the Binggongchang and filled with the black oil.

The Captain congratulated them on the discovery suggesting that it could be fed to the crew.

After several more days at sea, the voyagers spotted an island just big enough to offer resources. Bo Jing offer to go ashore in the boat, accompanied by Shoji, and two of the sohei. He was oddly unnerved by what he found. Circling the island, he noted a likely landing place, a sandbar connecting the two rocky islets that composed the island. Drawing closer, he noticed the bodies of four sharks on the beach. The circling birds swooped down over the rotting bodies, but each one recoiled before it got close enough to eat. Seeking another place to land, Bo-Jing found another beach, this one bisected by a shallow stream of water. The boat landed. Shoji tested the water and found it good. They followed it upstream to a cave. There was a rusting inside and Bo-Jing decided than rather than entering alone, they should seek reinforcements.

The next day, a much larger group that added Bangqiu, Bayan, and Hyamsam entered the cave. They were attacked by odd, blood-sucking birds, but these were killed or driven off. In following the stream through the cave, they came upon a locked door. When Kafka tried to open the door, he was nearly overcome by intense pain. A symbol glowed on the door—the same symbol that they’d seem on the bottom of the metal ship. Bayan steeled herself and shouldered the door open. Immediately a half-dozen starving giant shrews charged out. The explorers fended them off with swords, spells, and scraps of food. Inside the guarded chamber, they found little that seemed to justify the magical protection—some unfamiliar metal objects that seemed worthless and did not hold any magic dweomer, plus some mouldering tomes in an unknown language. There was a small sack of gold coins and uncut gemstones. But the greatest treasure found in the caves was water-- a large pool that was the source of the stream. The party filled their water barrels with good, clean water.

Over The Waves Part 3 (The Last Known Island)

After a sojourn of a few months in Dar E Lan, it was almost time to begin the real voyage.  The news came that a peace treaty had been signed and the Straits were safe for merchants.  So it was a fortuitous time to set out over the waves. Hyamsam the young magician, intrigued by the prospect of living on a ship in search of places that might not exist, asked the join the expedition.

There was a final port of call before advancing into the uncharted ocean.  Some of the slaves that Bangqiu had rescued came from an island nominally claimed by Zhou Song, but populated by an independent people with their own culture-- Akari. 

The week-long journey to Akari passed without incident and the surprise return of the youths who were kidnapped by slavers over a year ago earned Bangqiu and his friends a heroes' welcome.  They were provided rooms in the best house in the island's, small, but beautiful capital.  The return of those who had given up as lost was only increased by Bangqiu's description of how he had punished and destroyed the slavers, ensuring that they would never return.  Every comfort was provided, and some members of the party joked that they might never want to leave.

And then the party.  The noise of hammers woke them up early in the morning.  The people of Akari were building a a series of colorful tents to host a celebration.  Throughout the day, Bangqiu and his friends were feted with food, drink, gifts, songs, and every manner of attention.  As day passed into evening, the great feast was laid out for them.  Though the day had been clear and sunny, cooled by the mildest breezes, halfway through the feast, a storm broke.  Thunder boomed in the sky and the wind shook the hanging lanterns. 

The ghostly figure of a blue-green man had appeared above the town.  Lightning crackled from the swords he swung above his head.  His breath was a fierce gale, rising in intensity.  Three flying creatures flew about him.  They had bat-like wings and the heads of monkey, with tusks as long as their bodies. 

As the people of Akari ran for cover, the heroes rushed to their defense.  Bayan fired an arrow at the giant air-spirit.  Her bow was strong and her aim was good.  Hyansan shot a magic arrow that hit the spirit in the face.  It howled with anger disappearing into the clouds as the winds increased to hurricane strength.  The flying monkeys descended, one flying at Bayan and another at Hyamsam.  Bayan was struck by a tusk, but managed to grab hold of the monkey and throw it to the ground.  Shoji blessed Bo-Jing's sword as he sprang into action, and struck the grounded monkey with great force.  Bangqiu released a cloud of steam at monkey diving at Hyamsam.  As it neared the ground, Kafka stood in front of Hyamsam, ready with his frost brand.  Kafka was struck by both tusks, but nearly killed the monkey.  The third monkey, meanwhile had noticed that Bangqiu posed the greatest threat and dived at him.  Damai shot it with several arrows.

Flying monkeys are horrific.  Eight-foot monkeys on the ground, slashing you with their tusks are terrifying.  Shoji began to chant, sustaining his companions' courage.  The storm tore the tents away from their moorings, sending huge sheets of canvas careening into the sky.  The lanterns were extinguished, the only illumination now being, bursts of magic missiles from Bangqiu and Hyamsam and from the glowing swords of Bo-Jing and Bayan.  Bayan stood her ground, taking more damage from her assailant and slashing.  Seizing a pefect opportunity, Bo-Jing baited the monkey into turning on him, only to receive a pair of fatal cuts.  Kafka backed away from the monster attacking him, and then surprised it with mighty thrust of his sword.  A magic missile from Hyamsam feleld the feast.  Bangqiu stayed quick on his feet, diving behind tables as the monkey pursued him and blasting it with magic whenever it got too close.  Finally he lured it into a place where the warriors could attack it from all sides and destroy it.  Shoji healed the wounded.  Bo-Jing claimed a pair of tusks as a trophy.

The next morning, the people of Akari bid the heroes farewell.

Tales from Dar E Lan: The Lost Silver Mine (Over the Waves Interlude 2)

The slayers of the earthquake beetle shared news of their success, and were summoned by officials in Dar Elan to provide proof. Bo Jing had collected the mandibles and other samples, which were received with great interest. A sage offered payment for the samples, most of which Bo Jing was willing to part with. He kept one of the mandibles, and asked a grateful weaponsmith to fashion it into a weapon.

Bo Jing wanted to send his reward money, including the silver coins collected from the beetle’s lair back to his parents in Khanbaliq. Compared to the price of sending a ship through the Imperial blockade or hiring a caravan for the months-long trip over desert, mountains, and jungle, his treasure was paltry, and Bo Jing did not find a willing courier for a price he could afford. News of his filial loyalty enhanced the story of his courage against the earthquake beetle, reaching the ears of a wealthy merchant who invited Bo Jing and his friends to dine at his house. The merchant, named Daye, was the son of ex-patriates from Zhou Dang, and, it seemed, distantly related to Bo Jing. During more peaceful times, he regularly traded with his relatives in Tian Jing [check]. He suggested a way that Bo Jing could bring much honor to the family.

The family had rights to a silver mine not far from Dar E Lan. The mine had been abandoned after being overrun by monsters. That was a generation ago and those had claimed to be eye-witnesses were dead.

Daye acknowledged that he did not know the true story. He hoped that it was a tall tale spread by the family to discourage claim jumpers. It was possible that the mine had deserted because the silver ore had been exhausted. Or, perhaps the stories about monsters was true! Regardless, if Bo Jing resolved the mystery, he would be doing the family a great service.

Batzorig and Shoji asked to join the adventure. Sang and Han Bee also agreed to assist.

Daye’s servants showed Bo Jing and his friends the way to the mine cutting a path through the jungle in the foothills above Dar E Lan. Once the dark hole of the mine came in view, the servants returned to the city and the explorers were to left to rely on their courage.

There was a clearing in front of the mine, and several heaps of depleted ore. Among these piles, they found bones and the half-eaten carcass of a recently killed animals.

The heroes lit a lantern and ventured into the mine. A wide, well-worked passage led straight into the hillside, sloping steeply downwards and with evenly-spaced side passages. The party quickly explored these side passage, found that they terminated in dead ends and continued their way down. As the passage leveled off, the floor suddenly gave out beneath them. Sang fell into a deep chasm that had been covered by a sheet of canvas strewn with gravel. Shoji called out to him. He was hurt, but alive. The explorers had no rope, and Shoji encouraged Sang to climb out, if he could. Sang picked out a climbing route and began his re-ascent, encouraged by his companions. They never saw him alive again. They heard him fall again and then silence.

Batzorig, a fearless climber offered to climb down into the pit and see if Sang was still alive. About halfway down, he lost his purchase on the slick walls of the chasm and also fell to his death. The survivors decided to leave the mine.

Back in the clearing, Bo Jing, Shoji, and Han Bee silently cooked a small, quiet supper. It was too dark to return to the city, They thought they should retrieve the bodies of their friends, but weren’t sure how. A unexpected guest joined them, a capricious, self-style magician of the jungle who, besides the other powers he boasted of, possessed a large of quantity of rope. He also knew that the mine was hope home to monsters, though he refused to describe them. “In the morning, we will all see them for ourselves.”

The next morning, the reformed band of explorers entered the mine. When they reached the chasm, the magician (who had refused to reveal his name) climbed down into the pit with an easy nimbleness that made him resemble a spider. Within seconds, he called down from the bottom of the pit that the friends were there, and as expected, dead. Bo Jing and Shoji threw down the ends of two ropes. The magician tied them round the bodies.

As Bo Jing, Shoji, and Han Bee were beginning to hall up the ropes, they were surprised by a ten-foot tall, two-headed woman who was swinging two spiked clubs as she leapt over the chasm into their midst. One club sent Han Bee sprawling. The other club pounded so hard against the wall that small rocks fell from the ceiling. Shoji attended to Han Bee and Bo Jing drew his sword to fight the monster. Bo Jing’s skill and courage was no match for the monster’s brute strength and blind rage. Although he spilled much blood, he surely would have been battered to a pulp if the unnamed magician had not emerged from the pit to shoot blue and green glowing bolts of energy into the monsters back. When the monster turned to fight the new attacker, the magician hid in the pit. Bo Jing rallied. Climbing onto a fallen boulder, Bo Jing sprang at the monster and cut off one of its heads. Shoji too joined the battle. The monster struck Shoji full in the chest with its club. Shoji tumbled backwards to absorb the blow, and then sprang at the monster’s knees, knocking her off balance so that she tumbled into the pit.

The friends worked together to pull their friends out of the pit and bore their bodies back to Dar E Lan. Daye gravely congratulated them on having confirmed that the old tales were true.

A few days later, the explorers returned to the mine, this time accompanied by Bangqiu. Bangqiu, with his knowledge of powerful magic, transformed himself into an owl and led the way into the mine.  When the party reached the chasm, Bangqiu flew down into it and investigated the body of the dead giantess.  He discovered a jeweled necklace and pulled it off of her. He flew back up to the top and returned to human form to pocket the necklace.

The party proceeded down the mine, Bangqiu still leading the way, now wearing his invisibility cloak. In time, the tunnel opened into a large, smoky cavern. A larger, male, two-headed giant was there and he attacked them immediately.  Bangqiu dashed for a corner and threw a fireball at the giant's chest.  The giant chased him, running into Bo Jing's flashing blade.  Han Bee lit an arrow from the giant's firepit and shot it at his face.  Shoji chanted a blessing, calling on the force of good to help them defeat this evil aberration.

With its clothes on fire, the giant, howled and ran wildly. Bangqiu threw flashing stars of fire at its face, giving Bo Jing an opening to slash across its abdomen. Han Bee dropped her bow and joined the attack. The howling giant dropped one of its clubs and caught her by the hair. With a quick twist, he broke her neck and dropped her body to the ground.  Shoji rushed to her body, but there was clearly nothing to be done. Bang Qiu levitated into the smoky darkness of the the heights of the cavern.  Bo Jing didn't flinch, but attacked with renewed courage, determined to avenge his fallen companion or die trying. Thoguh battered by the giant's club, he stayed on his feet, andcalled on his ki power to release storm and blinding cutting strokes. Shoji's kicks to the giant's back were a valuable distraction and a blast of magic missiles from Bangqiu finally felled the terrible monster.

The survivors lit torches and surveyed the cavern. Bangqiu discovered a thick vein of silver ore. Knowing what to look for, Bo Jing found another. And then another. After satisfying himself that they had reached the bottom of the mine, Bangqiu ordered his friends to stand guard while he studied his magical books. The mine was eerily silent, but for the occasional gust of wind from outside carrying the sound of birdsongs. After several hours of this, Bangqiu himself took upon the form of a bird and flew out of the cavern.

More hours passed. Bo Jing slept and Shoji meditated. Finally, Bangqiu returned. With mining tools. Much to Bo Jing's annoyance, Bang Qiu began to mine the silver from the family mine. Hours of hard work accompanied by insults, recriminations, and threats, generated enough silver ore to pay for the pick an shovel that Bangqiu had bought in Dar E Lan. Fianlly Shoji intervened, advising Bang Qiu and Bo Jing that if thier argument turned violent, he would not offer healing or other assitance to either one of them. At last Bangqiu agreed to leave the mine and go back to Dar E Lan. Bo Jing and Shoji carried the body of Han Bee. Bangqiu carried his tool and the sack of ore.

Daye congratulated Bo Jing on his success and promised that as soon as the shipping lanes were sent, he would send news-- and a generous sample-- to Bo Jing's family in Zhou Dang.

Kafka's congratulations were less ebullient, burdened as they were with his questions, "How did Han Bee die? And why?"

Tales from Dar E Lan: The Earthquake Beetle (Over the Waves Interlude 1)

Bangqiu’s ship arrived in Dar E Lan, and as he went about the business of getting paid and compensating the local monastery for a surprise visit of foreign sohei, his associates found other ways to keep themselves occupied. A trader who had just returned from peddling his wares in the remote villages told the harrowing story of how he’d lost his mule. He was coming down the mountain on his way back to Dar E Lan when he was overcome by fatigue and decided to take a short nap. When he awakened, his mule was nowhere to be found, though its tracks were easy enough to follow. The tracks led into a marshy area at the bottom of the valley and across it to a cave at the base of the cliff. Inside the cave, he found the half-eaten body of his mule. Even more horrifying, the walls of the caves were lined with what looked like over-sized insect eggs. The trader confessed that he had fled in panic and hoped that braver people would solve this mystery.

Bo Jing, Bayan, and Shoji agreed that this was their quest. Two of Kafka’s most promising students (Sang and Han Bee) asked to join them, offering themselves as bodyguards for wise Shoji and spiritual advisors for the courageous Bo Jing. The party and their new henchmen set off the next morning very early, and followed the valley trail up into the hills above the monastery. The first day of travel was peaceful and they spent the night at a half-ruined tower, in the company of a small garrison of monks of the Two-Fold Path.

The next day, the party continued on their way, following directions from the trader and from the monks—who had sheltered the trader hours after he fled from the cave. As their path brought them higher and higher into the mountains and they lost sight of the valley, they realized they had missed a landmark and retraced their steps. It was late afternoon when they re-entered the marshy valley, wandering somewhat aimlessly, looking for signs of – a giant insect?

These signs took the form of tremors in the ground so violent that Sang and Han Bee were knocked off their feet. A flash in the sky of luminescent blue-green caught Shoji’s eye moments before an enormous beetle dropped down on Sang, slashing at him with its machete-like mandibles. As Shoji pulled his bodyguard to safety, Bo Jing shot two arrows into the beetle’s abdomen and then charged with his sword. Bayan drew her own sword and attacked the beetle from the opposite flank. The beetle, though wounded continued its pursuit of Sang, now slashing at his legs. Shoji kicked the beetle in the head, and Sang slashed at it with his own weapon. As the beetle turned, Bo Jing jumped on top of it and drove his blade into a seam in its carapace. Bayan repeatedly slashed its underside until it collapsed and flipped over dead.

After Bo Jing collected a few “samples” (the mandibles, some glowing blue-green beetle “juice”), the party set about finding the cave. After locating the place from which the tremors had originated and Shoji had seen the beetle spring into the air, the party was able to find their way to the “cave”, a noisome hole at the base of chalky cliffs, lined with sticky blue-green goo. As the party made their way into the cave, they were attacked by smaller beetles. These were easily killed and the party soon found themselves in the egg chamber. As the trader had said, the walls were completely covered with oily blue-green membrane sacs, each about the size of a person’s head. The floor was littered with bones and scarps of metal, some silver. After collecting the valuables, the party threw down their torches, and with a flask of lamp oil, started a fire.

Over The Waves Part 2 (Running the Straits)

The good Bīnggōngchǎng sailed out of Tianjing on a fine spring morning under a clear sky and steady winds. Captain Huan showed himself to be a foul storm. When strode the decks with a whip in hand, and his trembling crew heard every order as a mortal threat. The crew’s provisions consisted of scant rice, flavored with rotten fish. They drank water mixed with vinegary wine. Despite his treatment of the crew, he was always deferential to Bangqiu and the other passengers and blamed his crew for any problems caused by the non-sailors. Bayan and Shoji noted the Captain’s conduct as unnecessarily strict but did not intervene, instead opting to stay in their cabins. Bangqiu had provided good rations for his friends, including Kafka’s sohei and despite the small space, the two groups lived side-by-side while barely acknowledging each other.

A week passed and, after leaving the Zhounese coastal waters for the open sea, the ship was allowed to drift for a day so that the canons could be tested. Kafka’s sohei had received minmal instruction on how to load and fire the strange devices but through trial-and-error became quite competent. They retrieved coconuts, rocks, and flotsam from a small coral island, and practiced with these items to avoid wasting ammunition, using the island as their target. After hitting it several times successfully, the sohei, switched to iron balls and fired on the island until they had blasted it into two tiny islets. Captain Huan ordered his crew to watch this demonstration and it also proved to the passengers—except for Dai Duo and Pao Tiānkōng who practiced a strange martial art on the foredeck.  The blindfolded Pao, was struck again and again while Dai Duo shouted cheerful encouragement.

A few days later, sailing south-by-southwest, the Bīnggōngchǎng entered the contested waters of the straits of Malaca. They saw no ships the first day, no the second. This was a slight surprise as they had been warned that the navies of both Empires patrolled the waters. A merchant or other neutral ship such as the Bīnggōngchǎng would be treated as an enemy by either side.

Bo Jing kept a careful watch from the top of the tallest magic. Bangqiu, by his magic, was perched on raft of air another 100 feet higher. On the third day, as the Bīnggōngchǎng was entering an especially narrow passage between two long, jungle-covered barrier islands, Bang Qiu spotted another ship behind them and relayed this to Bo Jing who climbed down to report it to the Captain on the rear deck. The distance between the two ships was narrowing quickly and by the time Bo Jing reached Huan all on board could see the other ship. Captain Huan, inspecting it through a telescope, noted that it did not bear the markings of either Empire and did not even resemble a military. No danger. Dai Duo disagreed, “That’s Noh-Moon. The most ruthless pirate in the known seas.”

Bo Jing sided with Dai Duo and ordered Captain Huan to change his course, skirting the barrier islands in favor of the open sea and turning the Bīnggōngchǎng to port to maximize use of the canons.

As the other ship came closer, it became clear that Dai Duo was right. Though know bigger than the Bīnggōngchǎng, it held 3 times as many men, all of them armed. As it drew to within 500 yards, it also turned to port, giving its dozens of archers the opportunity to fire directly on the Bīnggōngchǎng. But the canons fired first. All five of Bīnggōngchǎng’s port canons. Perhaps they fired too soon. Most did of the shot did not reach the enemy ship. The one that did landed on the middle of deck, seemingly causing little damage. Still as the pirates moved toward the rear of the ship, Bangqiu, from his aerial perch blasted the rear decks with a massive ball of magical fire.

The pirate archers were unflappable professionals. They took careful aim at the sohei cannoneers and sent many of them below decks with grievous wounds. Those cannoneers who escaped unscathed fired another round of canon fire—only three rounds this time, but one of the cannon balls cracked a mast. Bo Jing order the Bīnggōngchǎng turned to starboard and to sail southeast.

The pirate ship pursued but in its damaged state could not catch them. As the Bīnggōngchǎng cleared the barrier islands, now several miles to the west, they saw another larger ship lying in wait for them or any other ship that had followed the narrow course. This ship flew the private banner of Noh-Moon. It did not pursue.

Over The Waves Part 1 (Preparations)

Bangqiu had decided to set sail from Tianjing, the closest port to Khanbaliq and the home port of the Zhou Dang Imperial Navy. Besides the on-going war efforts, there were shipbuilders who worked for merchants and other private concerns. Beatriss and Tetsukichi had declined to leave their families to explore unknown seas and continents, but Betriss's protege Bayan was for up for the adventure. She assisted Bangqiu in finding a shipbuilder and a captain. The shipbuilder demanded a high price, but Bangqiu had collected much wealth over his adventures. With the help of a broker, Bangqiu traded Sakatha's crown for a promise to construct the ship over 6 months, built sturdy and fast, along the lines of a war junk, except that, by Imperial decree it would not be permitted to carry cannons.

As Captain, Bangqiu hired Huan, a seasoned sailor, who did not balk at the strange voyage Bangqiu proposed, but merely quoted his price, while asserting that he was the best captain and navigator alive. Again, Bangqiu parted with a large share of his treasure hoard, turning over to Huan enough money to pay for the first half of what he estimated to be a year-long voyage.

While the ship was being constructed, Bangqiu traveled to Pasar to say farewell to his parents. While there, he became acquainted with Bo Jing, Batzorig, and Pasar, and paid for them to travel with an Imperial Caravan to Khanbaliq so that they could join him in Tianjing for the voyage.

As the ship was nearing completion, Bangqiu was introduced to an intriguing pair of monks seeeking passage to Dar E Lan, a distant city, reached only through dangerous waters contested by the rival Zhou empires.  Dai Duo, was an itinerant holy man, advanced in years, who neverthless showed a confidence in rough and seeedy sailor's taven that suggest great power, probably of an supernatural source.  Pao Tiānkōng was his young companion, a farmer's son who bragged of his own experience as a sailor (on a lake) when Bangqiu quoted a high price for passage.

Dai Duo, agreed to the price but said they couldn't pay it until they reached Dar E Lan. Bangqiu was willing to accept this arrangement, especially because Dai Duo offered to help Bangqiu equip his ship with canons. Bangqiu would have to provide the money but Dai Duo knew how to evade the Imperial embargo. And again, Bangqiu would get the money back once he brought Dai Duo and Pao to Dar E Lan.

Breaking the Slavers' Stockade

Do the rules for invisibility (stay invisible until you attack someone) need a rewrite? My players exploit this so that when they are going into enemy territory, their standard practice is to rinse-and-repeat over a couple days until the entire party is invisible—and then have the magicians memorize it once more before they set out. And this is what they did when it was time to invade the slavers’ fort.

It was a large party that set out from Quitokai—Gwinch & his secretary Saisho; Kishi and her protectors, Deng & Little Gamo; Kreppu-San; Gunjar; and a new a new PC, a wandering priest named Sho-Ji (I think, please correct me Isa-Girl-Monkey, if necessary). And then there were Gwinch’s student-monks and a couple villagers from Quitokai to guide them to the fort, which was situated, like most forts, on a rocky promontory at the confluence of two shallow rivers.

A couple scouted out the way on foot, first, and finding a ramshackle combination of ruined stone work and wooden palisade at the back of a muddy plateau near the top of the promontory, the party decided it was ok for everyone to go up, with their horses.

I said everyone was invisible, but the horses were not, and neither were the student-monks. Sticking to the cover of the rocks and vegetation, the party circled the fort and made a camp above it and hatched a rough plan. They’d wait for nightfall, when the invading party (everyone except little Gamo and the student-monks who’d be “watching” with their bows in case their invisible friends looked like they needed help) would scale the wall at the back of the fort. The fort was surrounded by a muddy ditch that seemed to have something living in it and a few hours observation had suggested the thing in the ditch stayed at the front of the fort.

As they approached the fort, they noticed guards patrolling the walls. They chose an opportune time and place, and used some magic to incapacitate the guards, and then get everyone over the wall. (And yes, casting invisibility again on the briefly visible priest who’d cast hold person.)
Then they began to look around. They found in a tower, the barracks for a large number of off-duty guard. In a recent, generally unsuccessful expedition, they’d encountered a vicious spirit creature which, when wounded by magic (seemingly the only way to harm it) took the form of a spider. Whereupon, Saisho, a collector of spiders, had scooped it up in a little jar. So . . . Kishi picked the lock on the barracks door, Saisho tossed the spider jar inside, Kishi barred the door shut again, and everyone listened to the spider resume its fierce undead monster form and begin tearing up slaver guards. The guards had a nice alarm system, and soon much of the fort was rushing to the aid of their comrades.

The party watched. Icar—a man of seemingly considerable power, both in his person and in his role as sort type of commander, held his ground against the vicious creature, but even his glowing sword seemed useless against it.



Taking advantage of the “distraction,”-- and also by following the ebb and flow of defenders first marching towards and then running away from the spirit creature—the party found a long and dark terraced room prison in which a deep-reverberating moaning provoked a great sense of unease among the party and seemed to hold its occupants in a dread trance. The source of the moaning—something like a very large bat that hovered in the air like a fish does in the water— was brought down by twin volleys of magic missiles from Saisho and Kishi.

Gwinch removed from Icar, the fallen commander, his glowing sword and they keys to the prisoners’ shackles. The party moved quickly—although the sounds of “battle” had moved to the opposite side of the fort, the slavers’ panicked screams were more infrequent suggesting to the party that the creature would eventually circle back toward them—and unlocked the slaves and climbed back over the wall. As they were remounting their horses and beginning their descent from the plateau, they could hear the sound of a woman’s voice rallying the remaining troops. A flash of lightning from inside the fort suggested perhaps she had resources for dispatching the evil spirit.

The party made haste back down the trail to the river.