Fellow role-players, here are my notes for “Vanished Lands” Session 40.13, which was held on Sunday, 9 March 2014:
Long ago in a distant land, spirits and men directly traded bamboo, silk, and steel. Wars to the west, twisted monsters, and power-hungry sorcerers threatened the eastern kingdoms, so the call went out for new heroes of honor and tact….
Player Character Party 40 in Gene D.’s “Vanished Lands: A New Dawn” Asian-style telecom campaign, using the Basic Fantasy Role-Playing Game and Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (1st Ed.) Oriental Adventures, plus house rules, Skype, and an online dice roller, as of spring 2014:
- “Souji Nobuto ‘Sonny’ Yoshimitsu” [Beruk A.]-male Shengtese Tian Kensai (eastern human weapon master) from a dishonored house in the Lion Clan, specializing in chain weapons; LNg, Lvl. 4
- “Toshiharu ‘Toshi’ Sembutsu” [Byron V.O.]-male Shan Sao Wu Jen (eastern Halfling Wizard) from the Tiger Clan with a destiny; NGc, Lvl. 4
- “Ember Talon” [Sara F.]-female Crane Hengeyokai Wu (shapeshifting Druid), actually a young gold dragon banished from the Celestial Court; NGl, Lvl. 4
- “Saigo Kasugi” [Bruce K.]-male Bamboo Spirit Folk Samurai (eastern Sylvan Elf Cavalier) discreetly serving his daimyo; LNg, Lvl. 4
- “Soske’ Tiatoshe” [Geoff C.]-male Shengtese Tian Shukenja (eastern human Cleric), priest of Shang-ti and animist from the Phoenix Clan, prophesied to do great things; LNg, Lvl. 4
- “Moon Jung-mo” [Dexter V.H.]-male Nannuattan Ninja (Msamaki, eastern Dark Elf Assassin) who has left the Shadow’s Claw clan and is posing as a River Spirit Folk Yakuza (eastern Grey Elf Rogue); LNg, Lvl. 4
“12 to 16 April 1227 B.C.E.:” The wanderers questioned bandit Shiskikura Eiji about Undead farmers, and they smote ghoulish children at another abandoned farm. After confronting an angry mob of villagers, the group found and slayed three witches before deciding to leave Chin Mok.
Rather than stop in the villages of Chung Kwang Shui or Honeize, the team escorting Nannuattan emissary Lady Yun Aei-Yong decides to head directly across the eastern Plains of Sathendo. The town of Kuan Chou is 540 li (about 120 miles) east of Chin Mok, and a canal leads 224 li (50 miles) from it to Sogewa, the capital of Tong Sheng.
For the first time in weeks, the party rides across the wide-open grasslands without being attacked by bandits, Undead, or summoned monsters. The spring rains, however, slow their horses and Jung-Mo’s carriage, in which Lady Yun and her Draconian bodyguard Oh Kum Ja ride.
That night, Ember finds a campsite partly sheltered from the rain. While on first watch, Saigo notices Jung-Mo looking at a large egg inside a lacquered box. Saigo inquires about the unidentified brown and blue egg, and Jung-Mo asks him to keep it between them.
Later, during a thunderstorm, lightning illuminates a tower on a nearby hill. Sonny and Ember wake Saigo to report what they saw, and he agrees that it may be worth investigating on the way the next morning.
Toshi and Soske’ spot lights in the pagoda during the third and final watch of the night. The next morning, Jung-Mo and Toshi scout ahead. The Yakuza is stealthy, and the Wu Jen casts Chameleon for camouflage.
Jung-Mo senses movement within the stone tower and begins scaling it. Toshi casts Know History and learns that the pagoda is named Kai Sou Xian Haknam, or “the castle of Master Haknam.”
Unfortunately, Jung-Mo kicks out a loose brick and has to use Levitate to keep from falling or being seen by a guard. Toshi hides and Detects Magic from a number of sources. Wu Ember shifts into crane form and flies overhead to check on her companions.
They regroup with Saigo, Soske’ and the horses. The adventuring party decides to give the tower a wide berth. Samurai Saigo recognizes a pennant flying from the top as belonging to Zhan-Shi Hu Ho, a disgraced officer in the Shengtese army.
The next night, Spirit Folk Saigo and Jung-Mo hear animals but are not attacked during their watch. The caravan continues eastward, with no other people in sight. The Kwang Shui, Hothe, and Kuo Lui streams are easily forded, and the diplomatic escort arrives at the bustling town of Kuan Chou.
Shengtese humans Sonny and Soske’ know their way around. The Kensai is wary of certain clans, and the Shukenja hopes to avoid his meddling family. Shan Sao Toshi practices his martial arts in the morning with Sonny and asks about a Magisterium (magic school).
Saigo talks with Lady Yun about her plans for Sogewa. The representative of Gokuri says that she shouldn’t need an escort as she relays the truce to Duke Kou Fei Seng, but she will eventually need to travel north, to Bazran Hai in Saigo’s homeland of the Zedu kingdom.
Like Jung-Mo and Saigo, Ember hasn’t been to a large human city before, so she hopes to go sightseeing. While Saigo is still searching for his missing grandfather, Hengeyokai Ember wants to evade notice.
Saigo, Toshi, and Soske’ report to the local garrison at Kuan Chou. They meet Hiroshi Sanlang, a young warrior who recommends the “Happy Duck” hotel. The trio also passes vagrants and searches for a Magisterium but finds none.
Meanwhile, Ember, Sonny, and Jung-Mo stay with Lady Yun and Oh Kum Ja at the town gate. Chain master Sonny observes Monks among the street performers and acrobats, and Druid Ember looks out for fellow shapeshifters. Merchant Jung-Mo points out gangs of young men who might belong to the Tong or Yakuza.
Ember notices that the carriage’s curtain pulled aside, and Sonny asks Lady Yun to be more discreet. He leaves Jung-Mo at the reins as he runs after someone suspicious who has spotted the Dark Elf. After a brief chase, Sonny corners the man in an alley.
The goon tries to shove Sonny into a wall, but the Kensai dodges and punches him in the stomach. Despite being winded, the man calls for help and pulls a balisong (butterfly knife) from his orange sash.
Saigo, Toshi, and Jung-Mo return to the carriage and horses, and Ember sends Saigo and Toshi after Sonny. Ember and Jung-Mo look for a stable to get out of the street, while the others ask a beggar for directions.
Sonny tries to sweep his opponent’s leg, but he is nimble. Sonny strikes twice as Toshi and Saigo race members of the town guard to the scene. Wizard Toshi casts Updraft, lifting the man 30 feet and dropping him.
Saigo stalls the police by explaining how his friend was almost mugged. They find the man in the orange sash with broken bones. The sentries send for a healer and take the unconscious man into custody, but they also ask the knight and company to stay in town for a day or so in case they have further questions.
The travelers go to the “Happy Duck,” where they plan to take a barge on the canal between the Chuan Hosun and Chung Hsien rivers to speed their trip from Kuan Chou to Sogewa, capital of the Principality of Silado….
Remember to review your Player Character records on Obsidian Portal and let me know of any changes. In addition, note that our next “A New Dawn” virtual session on Sunday, 16 March 2014, will start a little later, around 7:30 p.m. Eastern time, because I’ll be getting back from a concert.
I also enjoyed last night’s “Vanished Lands: Vistel’s Circus” face-to-face game, and I look forward to resuming Jason E.R.’s “Glassworks: the Devil’s Den” superhero scenario next Monday. Don’t forget to reply to Thomas K.Y. regarding upcoming movies.
Gene's Worlds 
