As was foretold, we've added advertisements to the forums! If you have questions, or if you encounter any bugs, please visit this thread: https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/240191/forum-advertisement-faq-and-reports-thread/
Options
[OOC] Legends of the Wulin: Autumn Leaves on Summer's Wind.
destroyah87
They/ThemPreferred: She/Her - Please UseRegistered User regular
They/ThemPreferred: She/Her - Please UseRegistered User regular
The wind whistles mournfully through the highlands.
Soldiers walk the mountain path.
Their only warning, an owl's screech.
The enemy is upon them.
Few live at sun's rise.
Provincial and town councils are meeting, rumors abound of foreign devils being seen in ever increasing numbers. Many of the rumors speak of invasion.
Bandits, ever a problem, have been getting bolder and bolder. It becomes so that military patrols dare not travel through certain forests or use some mountain passes less than ten-strong. To send fewer is to condemn the men to death.
Legends of the Wulin is a system that works to give the feel of Wuxia action. The players are all wandering Wulin heroes. Wulin means Martial Forest or Warrior's Forest, though it's more accurate meaning is The Fighting Community or The Martial Brotherhood. (Also, unstated is Society of Badasses) To put it plainly, you're the major characters of a kung-fu action flick.
The rules in PDF form can be purchased through DriveThru-RPG here. It's 30 bucks, but it's a good pdf.
References are Iron Monkey; Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon; and House of Flying Daggers. To name just a few. Though really, if you've seen at least one good kung-fu movie you can guess what's this is going to be.
This game: One Hundred Kingdoms, One Hundred Woes (run on these very forums in the distant past) is actually what has kept alive and rekindled my intent to run this sort of game. As such, it has the feel and tone I'm going to run with in this incarnation.
Character creation is as default by the rules. Rank 4.
I'm looking for 4 or 5 players. Four would be preferred, but I can go up to 5 if there's interest and good submissions.
Now, show me your Excellence of Self. Show me your Kung-fu.
*More story details to follow*
Any questions?
Current Players:
Violet Fox, Zhi Hu, played by ArcanisTheImpotent
Silver Silk, Gu Wen, played by premium
Thirsty Mountain Shen, played by Iron Weasel
Jade Needle Zhu, played by Rchanen.
Players whose fate is shrouded in Mystery
Strong Arm Lau, played by Rainfall
destroyah87 on
0
Posts
figured i'd step forward and ask the wulin sage: are we getting the book's recommended 15 free entanglement to purchase lores? I went ahead and bought some to build some setting ties but if you disallow them I can change it no prob
To answer your question, I turn to the words of The Wise One, who sits atop the tallest of the Dragon's Teeth.
The traveler with the longest road behind,
Finds the richest journey lies still ahead.
So, that would be a 'Yes' in plain language.
i has a character
Also, this is a call out to anybody who is or might be making characters.
I'm throwing together my own ideas and plots, but that there's no reason to deny the group a say in the focus of the game.
If there's a faction or individual you'd want to see play a part in the plot, include connections to them.
Maybe you carry the blood of a great hero of the Wulin. Maybe your greatest rival fights under the banner of the Black Lotus Society.
3DS: 1289-8447-4695
3DS: 1289-8447-4695
3DS: 1289-8447-4695
Seven Roads.
Seven Roads is a prosperous trading town, situated on the northern edge of the central plains. The source of its name is mostly obvious, for roads leave the town to the north, east, west, and southwest. The fifth road is undoubtedly the waters of Lugu Lake. The lake drains into a river that eventually flows into the Grand Canal.
The sixth road is commonly believed to be a metaphorical road to enlightenment and lies at the summit of Spire of Storms, a forbidding mountain in the highlands north of the town.
The seventh road is a mystery, though many legends speak of the subject. As different as the legends are, on one thing they all agree: to walk the seventh is to court death.
That's all for now. I must away for the evening.
3DS: 1289-8447-4695
I really like the backstory.
So, if we can get one or two more players. (like the two people that have posted in this thread, hint-hint) We'd have a full band of wandering Wulin warriors.
3DS: 1289-8447-4695
This sheet might not get finished today but I'm loving this
Also, would dovetail very nicely with a couple of the overarching plots I have in mind.
So far, only one or two will be the main focus. But I have ideas and ideas.
Been watching lots of movies for reference and inspiration.
A lieutenant of the Eagle Talons, he is in charge of the group's operations in Seven Roads. Confident (some would say arrogant) and skilled with his pair of twin machetes Rake and Tear, Soaring Hawk is regarded as one of the great talents of his generation; not used to losing, he was nevertheless defeated in a short sparring contest with one of the Resplendent Phoenixes of Seven Roads, local merchant princess and courtesan Violet Fox. On his defeat Soaring Hawk said:
"It is not every day that you meet a woman that instills in you the desire to be a better man."
He has since made arrangements with the Resplendent Phoenix Society to attach Violet Fox to his regiment in the hopes of courting her to be a bride. She has, thus far, rebuffed his offers in marriage.
White Sparrow
A master of Bird Song Style, a variant of Southern Crane, White Sparrow is one of the three Resplendent Mothers of the society in Seven Roads. Despite being in her late fifties, White Sparrow's beauty is untarnished and her martial skill still regarded as one of the greatest in the south. She is also a gifted poet, and her Kung Fu manual not only delves into the secrets of Bird Song Style and the philosophies surrounding it, but also contains a volume's worth of her poetry. Despite all her accolades, she believes her protegé Violet Fox is her greatest success to date.
"After all, when we are gone, those we leave behind and the earthly works we have made are what future generations use to measure our character," she is fond of saying.
Laughing Turtle
One part scholar, one part jester, one part wandering warrior, Laughing Turtle is an enigma to many in Seven Roads. There is no doubt he is a member of the Jiang Hu, but his style is confusing and when asked about his martial philosophies the answers are contradictory at best. Popular opinion is that he's insane, though a few of the respected masters in town suspect there is more to the old man than he is letting on.
"The turtle is wise, the turtle is hard. Nothing is easy!" - Laughing Turtle
Violet Fox's personal attendant and assistant, First Student is a bookish man that sees to much of the day-to-day affairs of Sun Leng Shipping. He is in his mid-twenties and has worked with Fox for many years now to keep the business running smoothly during Fox's absences. He is, unsurprisingly, talented at accounting and planning. Ever practical, First Student does not understand why Fox continues to involve herself in the Jiang Hu when there is so much to be done and so little time to do it in.
"I don't see the point. Catching arrows is all well and good, but a shipping magnate's heir should be more concerned with ledgers and profits than arrows and unstoppable fighting techniques." - First Student
Dancing Wind
One of the three Resplendent Mothers and the oldest, Dancing Wind is a master of at least two different, opposing styles of Kung Fu, possibly three. Despite her name, Dancing Wind does not dance nor is she particularly like the wind; in fact, due to a cultivation of Wood and Earth Chi she is incredibly stubborn and favors careful consideration and deliberation before taking any action. Still, despite all that she is pleasant to be around and prefers to spend most of her time these days meditating.
"I learned my lesson about letting Dancing Wind have any input on short-term problems. Last time I got her opinion it took us three hours just to decide what to have for breakfast." - Smiling Cat
Smiling Cat
The third of the three Resplendent Mothers and the youngest in her late thirties, Smiling Cat is a fierce proponent of the idea that once you master martial arts, everything else falls into place. As such she devotes most of her time to perfecting her skills, spending a great deal of time outside Seven Roads, challenging other Wulin and trying to create a Perfect Style. Just about everyone scoffs at the idea, but no one denies that Smiling Cat's worldliness has made her into one of the most versatile fighters in the Jiang Hu.
"A hodgepodge fighter, like too little butter spread over too much bread." - Bright Fist
Bright Fist
Powerful and overbearing, Bright Fist is a relatively new arrival to Seven Roads, having decided to set up a private martial arts school only a few months prior. A bit of a bully, Bright Fist likes to demonstrate his skills at every opportunity, especially if he can embarrass them with people watching. Needless to say he has crossed paths with many of the warriors in Seven Roads. His most recent fight was with White Sparrow who defeated him handily and in full view of the Merchant's Square while composing a short poem.
"Bright Fist is why we don't teach apes kung fu." - Dancing Wind
One Claw
One Claw is the main Wulin doctor in Seven Roads and a master of the Unlocking Seven Chakras technique. Even more remarkably he manages to perform his Doctor's Arts with only one arm. What most in Seven Roads don't know is that One Claw is formerly Sagacious Lion, the leader of the Five Most Excellent Physicians. He fled to Seven Roads after losing in combat (and his arm) to Brilliant Tactician, his second-in-command.
"How he manages to strike all those pressure points with only one hand baffles even me." - White Sparrow
The Five Most Excellent Physicians
A group that until recently consisted of Sagacious Lion, Brilliant Tactician, Sharp-eyed Quen, Lu Shien Long, and Black Veil. Widely considered to be the best Doctors of the Jiang Hu, they are both respected and feared; while Sagacious Lion and Sharp-eyed Quen are renowned for their healing skills, Brilliant Tactician and Lu Shien Long are notorious poisoners and skilled assassins. Black Veil is an enigma to all; the only thing known about her is that she is a new addition to the group.
"Lu Shien Long always looks constipated. Odd for a doctor, don't you think?" - Laughing Turtle
A dark eyed youth possessed of formidable kung fu and a tragic backstory. At least, that's what he tells people. One part of his story is true at any rate: he is talented, making expert use of Catching Shadows. The fact that he spends so much time in the tea houses telling everyone the myriad tragedies he has suffered has led many people to suspect that he is probably lying.
"A man with a broken spirit wouldn't spend so much time talking about it." - One Claw
Lao Chen
Owner of the second biggest shipping and trade concern in Seven Roads, Ten Coins Trade. A shrewd and talented negotiator, he possesses no kung fu to speak of. What he does have however is a huge pile of personal wealth accumulated through investments in many different businesses alongside his own. He officially owns three different tea houses and one casino and unofficially owns two opium dens through proxy. Despite not being a member of the Jiang Hu he nevertheless seems to relish getting involved by hosting tournaments and inviting "interesting figures" to Seven Roads to dine with.
"Lao Chen enjoys making a show. Let him--we are at least thirty one percent more profitable." - First Student
Honest Jao
Owner and bartender of the Crescent Moon Tea House, Honest Jao used to be a prominent Wulin swordsman but has since hung up his blade Single Cut, keeping it on display behind the bar of the tea house. Whether it's out of respect for his past or fear of it, anyone who enters the Crescent Moon knows not to start any trouble lest the Three Brothers, Jao's bouncers, get involved.
"If only Jao would agree to work for me... all of the tea houses catering to all the different types of customer. He'd be a very rich man indeed." - Lao Chen
People are submissive to power.
Han Feizi - "Influence"
Born in Jiankang, the Imperial Capital, Lau was left on the streets to fend for himself at a very young age, and was forced to steal to survive. Unfortunately, his first target of theft was one of the Liquid Metal Delegates, a warrior of some repute, who collared young Lau and dragged him to face justice.
Some kindly twist of fate must have intervened in Lau's rapid descent into prison, for he found himself in the hands of the Liquid Metal Delegates, submitting to their cruel training and learning the rules of the laws of Shen Zhou. He adapted, he fought, and he found truth in the law, devoting himself to mastering it, swearing he would punish those who would break it.
He suffered pain, beatings, struggling in thick swamps under heavy weights while fighting those who were free of restraint, and he won, his metal will forcing his body to be as rigid as the law he obeys, regardless of the freedom his foes act with. He was fast and merciless, punishing those who would break the law and breaking them instead.
When he finished his training, Strong Arm Lau received a chain forged from the manacles of escaped prisoners, deemed unfit to restrain new criminals for fear that their fate would be repeated. He swore an oath to the Law in front of a dozen other Delegates, and stepped out into the Jiang Hu, ready to punish those 'heroes' who think themselves above the law.
hue hue hue
A Daoist master and sage, Fearful Cricket owns and operates a small tea shop off the main thoroughfare of Seven Roads. Also known as Master of Advice, Fearful Cricket always has some esoteric herbal tea or counsel to help those who enter his shop. Despite his friendly demeanor there is, many suspect, a darker side to his tale as the old man refuses to speak of his past before opening his business in Seven Roads two years ago.
"A tea master that is so world wise? Uncommon perhaps but not necessarily rare." - Sharp-eyed Quen
Master Chen
A self-proclaimed "master of all the styles North South East or West," Master Chen is nothing more than an entertainer who puts on amusing displays and tells entertaining stories on the Merchant Square. He is, strangely enough, rather talented at his pantomime, and several Wulin fighters have noted that with the proper tutelage Chen might become a force to be reckoned with. Chen, for his part, has denied any of this stating that he prefers putting on a good show over anything else.
"How does the saying go? Pretend as though you belong and soon you do." - Violet Fox