Adventure: City in Flames

19. Jun, 2013 Categories: Adventures, Antagonists by Marek Golonka 0 Comments

This time we want to show you Wolsung in action. We’ve prepared a one-shot pulp scenario in which Extraordinary Ladies and Gentlemen will face a mad scientist and unwilling victims of his immoral experiment!

City in Flames

A mad scientist has kidnapped a group of trolls and used them to power a doomsday device: an emitter that magnifies his prisoners’ fiery nature and corrupts everybody with it, filling the city with violence!

Genre: superhero

Duration: 2-3 hours

Best for: Daredevils, Investigators

Setting: any large city, by default Heimburg, the capital of Votania.

Introduction

Our Ladies and Gentlemen are having a leisure walk in the old, picturesque part of Heimburg port. Suddenly something strange happens: they begin to feel irritated for no obvious reason. Ask them to make a TN 15 spot test. Success allows them to see that other people on the coast also became nervous while a raise allows to notice something more important: a gigantic crane is trying to pick up one of the PCs!

If they notice it, they can easily evade the attack. If not, the character is picked up. There are many possible ways to save them, for example:

they can wrestle free (athletics TN 20, failure: loss of one Constitution point);
a technomage can take control of the crane with his Control Machines power (technics TN 15, failure: the crane puts the PC down – and picks up the technomage!);
one of other PCs can climb up the crane (athletics TN 10) and chase off a teenage troll worker operating it (intimidate or expression TN 15, failure: the troll sets PC’s clothes on fire, loss of one Reputation point).

If the PCs catch the young troll he’ll tell them that it was just a harmless prank. He’ll even be irritated that they don’t get the joke! Which would be perfectly normal if he was ten years younger, teen trolls usually aren’t so mischievous.

City in Flames

After this scene our Ladies and Gentlemen notice that unrest is spreading through Heimburg. Everybody is irritated, everybody argues with everybody about everything and all the old enmities come into play: the rich versus the poor, autonomists vs centralists, Dualists vs Reformists, sailors vs landsmen and so on. Trolls are the worst problem, shouting on the streets, fist-fighting and even treating others with firearms.

Our Ladies and Gentlemen aren’t free of this sinister influence, but they are too strong-willed to give in as easily as others do. However, trolls among them roll one die less on academics, bluff, empathy and stealth – they’re definitely not in the mood to be wise or subtle. In return, they temporarily get an additional racial trait chosen among those they don’t have yet.

What is Happening?

Dieter Kaltherz – a mad scientist – has taken control over the radio station of Heimburg and connected two dozens of captive trolls to the radio emitter. By doing so he created Dr Kaltherz’s Fantastic Furyfier: a doomsday device that makes everybody behave like trolls – and makes trolls behave even worse than ever! Young trolls go naughty, adult trolls go berserk and the ones already growing old are suddenly transforming into complete monsters…

The workers of the radio are held captive, but Widold has prepared lots of recordings from their earlier auditions and now he is airing them to evade suspicion. Of course he couldn’t record any news of the turmoil, so they are improvised by Doris Grummstein, his right hand.

There are many ways to find out that the radio is the source of the trouble. Below are some hints that your players may find:

If they listen to the radio in search of the news about the riots a TN 15 empathy test allows them to notice that the speaker (in fact, Doris Grummstein) is not a reporter – she speaks very monotonously and sometimes she stutters a bit.
Furthermore, if they pay attention to what is said on the radio a TN 20 technics test will tell them that other programs are not broadcasted live despite claiming to be so.
A mage with the Second Sight power may make a TN 20 spot roll (TN 15 for technomages) to see the Furyfier’s broadcast as a wave of ethereal flames in the air. They’re very erratic but analysing the direction in which they flow (research TN 15) allows to find out that their source must be the radio tower.
At a police station or an another place that gathers data of the turmoil the PCs may analyze the distribution of crimes (research TN 20) and notice that atmosphere is hottest around the radio station.

Of course your players may invent a different way of investigation – then you’ll have to improvise the TN of appropriate rolls. However, if they don’t know what to do, show them one of above methods – say, for example, that a safe police station is nearby.

Troll Means Trouble

During the investigation the PCs won’t be left in peace by the furious people of Heimburg. When they travel the city streets they see robberies, fist-fights and heated arguments – and, of course, they can interfere. Solving one problem requires a TN 15 test of an appropriate skill and is rewarded with a token – but remind Our Ladies and Gentlemen that they should learn the truth about the unrest, not just help with small problems.

Besides, Our Ladies and Gentlemen are not safe themselves! Some troubles they can run into include:

An aging troll turned into a monster! Use him when the PCs are inside a vehicle: he suddenly charges out of a small street, picks their vehicle up and climbs with them up a eight-floor building like King Kong! If your PCs are travelling by foot only, he may instead appear from the sewers and pick up a fragment of the street on which they are. Use the stats for a troll right after the transformation (Wolsung p. 464).
Fabian Ortling, a troll priest praying for self-control! He kneels before the door to Heimburg cathedral and fights with his fiery instincts. Rules-wise, he rolled 8 on a “self-control roll” but the TN is 20. If the players help him reach this TN by playing cards or backup rolls, he’ll regain full control of himself. Once he is in full control of himself he’ll help by calming others. If the PCs won’t manage to help him, he’ll go mad and begin to desecrate his own church (-1 Reputation for the PCs).
Heinrich Feuerbach, an alvar poet reciting epic sagas of the far North! His stanzas makes everybody around even more furious, so he has to be stopped. Attacking him would only make him more passionate, so the PCs have to discuss with him. In the case of failure they will also be affected and lose a point of Reputation due to their behaviour. Use the stats for Dick P. Kindred (Wolsung p. 499).

Use this encounters as you see fit, moderating the pace of the adventure and not allowing the players to forget that their Ladies and Gentlemen are in a city gone mad.

The Grand Finale!

The moment it becomes clear that the radio station is the centre of the trouble the park around it begins to burn! When Our Ladies and Gentlemen arrive there they see a troll woman with steam-powered arms setting trees on fire with her Wild Talent.

The woman – Doris Grummstein – mocks them to attack her. However, one of the PC notices that one of Doris’s hands contains a self-destruction device that would blast them if they attack without careful aiming. But how can she forbid them from aiming carefully at her?

She can’t, but Dieter can. The mad scientist knows that the PCs are outside the station and focuses his Fantastic Furyfier on this area. Our Ladies and Gentlemen begin to feel extraordinary angry on Doris and wish to beat her – hand to hand! – despite the consequences. It’s a discussion in which their opponents are both Doris and Dieter, but only she has to be defeated (and only she can be attacked) – Dieter attacks using the Furyfier, but cannot be attacked. He simply doesn’t hear what the PCs are saying and once Doris is defeated they can run from the area affected by his mad invention.

If the PCs lose the discussion, they attack and Doris’s arm explodes, making everybody badly hurt (-1 Constitution) and unconscious. The troll villain is largely fireproof and was prepared for the explosion, so she recovers quickly and takes the PCs captive. They awaken, bound, in a storage room below the radio station. Dieter and Doris are nowhere to be seen – they have fled Heimburg.

However if the PCs win, the troubles are still not over. They resist the power of the Furyfier and Doris flees inside the station. There Dieter begins to flee on his spider-legged platform while his troll right hand attacks the captive trolls to divert Ladies and Gentlemen’ attention from him. If the players want to gain absolute victory over the villains, they’ll have to split up – part of them will be fighting Doris while the rest chases Dieter. Of course Doris’s arm is still explosive, but this time Dieter isn’t here to focus the Furyfier on them so they can avoid the explosion by careful aiming.

The fight with Doris is a combat while pursuing Dieter is a chase, but play this out as a single confrontation. Deal initiative cards to everybody at once and jump between the combat and the chase, but remember who is after who – those who decided to fight Doris can only attack her and vice versa. If one of the villains is captured sooner than the other, the PCs fighting him need one round to get to the rest and assist them in their part of the task.

Aftermath

If the PCs succeeded at the radio station, the Furyfier was turned off before anything really terrible happened. Some buildings are destroyed and a few people will spend some time in hospital, but nobody was killed.

If Doris won the combat, she badly injured all the trolls in the radio station and escaped. Her victims were still connected to the Furyfier, so their agony sent a final wave of fury through Heimburg, making some trolls kill their enemies, set fire to their houses or perform other horrific deeds. If Dieter fled, he would soon be recruited by the Order of the Iron Maiden or a different organisation willing to use his Furyfier for even more nefarious ends.

All these bad things happen also if the PCs were defeated during the discussion in front of the station. What’s more, then the Furyfier worked longer and the city is really devastated, making it an ideal target for an invasion.

Villains

Below are the stats for Doris and Dieter. Their motivations aren’t important to this scenario – they did what villains do in pulp stories – but they may become important if you wish them to return in the future. To make this easier for you we’ve prepared a few ideas for their motives so thay you may choose the one that most suits your plot.

Dieter Kaltherz, a mad scientist

There are two most probable reasons for which Dieter attacked Heimburg. The first is that he was working for some organization, most probably the Monastic Order of Torburg Knights. The Knights may be willing to take the city by force or help to rebuild it and thus gain influence over its’ politics and technology.

Alternatively Dieter may not work for anyone – yet. His action was aimed at showing the Furyfier to the world so that all the villainous organizations on Urda will do anything for him in exchange for the plans of this doomsday device.

Default conflict: Chase

Opponent, human, dice pool 3d10, Challenge 5

Abilities:

Dr Kaltherz’s Fantastic Furyfier: this apparatus is so powerful that it either attacks all opponents during a discussion or takes an extra challenge marker for every raise if it attacks a single person.

Gadget – spider-legged platform: brawl +3*, drive +3*, raise on a drive test takes two challenge markers.

Technomage: powers: Control Machines and Telekinesis (Remote Glove).

Skills: technics 9/8+.

Combat: brawl 9*/10+; Defense 14.

Chase: drive 12*/9+; Endurance 14. Spider-legged platform, technomage.

Discussion: Furyfication 12/8+, intimidate 9/10+; Confidence 16.

Doris Grummstein

Doris surely is or was a Knight of the Monastic Order – that’s the only possible way she got her artificial arms. So if Dieter worked for the Order she was probably assigned as his bodyguard, but if not? She might be a gift from the Order or she may be a renegade, willing to enhance her own battle fury through Dieter’s inventions.

And finally she may owe her sanity to him – she might be already aging and still be a normal troll only thanks to his inventions. Why should a villain fear being a troll witch? Well, a really proud villain sees a huge difference between being evil on one’s own will and being a member of an evil race!

Default conflict: Combat

Opponent, troll, dice pool 3d10, Challenge 4

Abilities:

An explosive lady: in combat any attack aimed at Doris that isn’t a called shot activates the self-destruction mechanism on her arm, hitting anybody on close and medium ranges with a 15/8+ attack (dice pool 3d10) that takes an additional challenge marker for every raise. Doris loses only one challenge marker and the ability to trip enemies with two raises.

Racial traits: fireproof, flame of passion

Steel fists: takes an extra challenge marker with a raise, trips with two raises.

Wild talent: Smite (fiery fists).

Combat: brawl 9/8+; defense 16. All abilities.

Chase: athletics 6/8+; endurance 16. Flame of passion.

Discussion: expression (mocking) 3(9)/9+, intimidate 6/9+; confidence 16. Flame of passion.

If you use this scenario, please let us know how do you like it!

Sneak peek: La Mascarada

12. Jun, 2013 Categories: Characters, Gadgets, Setting by Marek Golonka 0 Comments

Our upcoming supplement, The Extraordinary Voyages, is adressed to both players and Game Masters.

Players will find in the book many new options for their character: Gadgets, Egdes, Achievements and non-Vanadian Contacts. One of our favourite additions are organizations – groups which you can join to fight for their cause and get some benefits. You already know some organizations from our website – we posted rules governing them as well as three Lyonesse societies: the Ash and Oak Club, the Inventors Club and the Triad of the Lotus Dragon. Now let me introduce you to one of organizations operating outside Vanadia – La Mascarada!

La Mascarada

An informal group of masked defenders of the oppressed. Freedom and justice, that sounds great, but in the political reality of Atlantis those ideals usually turn out to differ very much from the theory. In the Amacunu region the law protects only the rich, while poor people can count only on the heroes’ help. The mythical colonel Carioca may be somebody like that, but there are also others spreading his message – hidden behind masks, heroes of the oppressed.

La Mascarada is a group of eccentric self-proclaimed defenders of justice. Its members come from all social groups – from young Mictlans rejecting the murderous practices of their ancestors, to Vanadians moved by the immorality of their compatriots. The organization has no formal rules. Sometimes it just happens that a young character finds props indispensable for a masked hero planted in an unexpected place. Of course, companions of such masked defenders also belong to the organization – shaman friends, monks and missionaries, revolutionists, loyal servants, or inquisitive young ladies.

La Mascarada

Secret.

Goal: to make the life of humble Atlanteans easier and to inspire them to fight for their rights.

Identification: a mask, a sword and the first letter of a hero’s nickname cut on the wall, the belly of an evil sergeant, or the dress of a demonic femme fatale.

Requirements: to be masked and fight the oppression.

Privileges: once per game session exchanging a gadget for another one with the same number of traits, medical care and shelter guaranteed.

Adventures

Daring – nothing is more dangerous and contemptible than a fallen hero. A member of La Mascarada strayed from the straight and narrow, turning from a defender of the oppressed into a brutal tyrant. Someone has to end this madness.

Exploration – only few know that there is a huge complex of ancient dungeons, catacombs and natural caves stretching under Santa Luna. One can hide there and move around the city completely unseen. Provided that one first explores the dungeons and locates the areas that had better be avoided.

Investigation – more and more defenders of the people disappear in mysterious circumstances or are unmasked and have to leave the country. There is a traitor within the ranks of the organization. But how to find the man if the members know one another only by masks, nicknames and from press articles?

Society – a carnival fancy dress ball in the Governor’s residence is a perfect occasion to take aristocrats and politicians down a peg or two. Unfortunately, when over a dozen masked heroes come up with this idea at the same time, the situation gets a bit out of control.

Exclusive Gadget: Coriolean Rapier

Cost: 20 XP

Many Coriolean rapiers, handed down from generation to generation, reached Atlantis together with their owners. Each of these weapons was a tool of glorious deeds.

Or: a traditional weapon of the natives, a flock of trained battle parrots.

Traits: for a token an extra action: active defense (brawl) with dice pool 2d10, for one scene brawl re-rolls in combat may be based on Agility instead of Brawn, once per game session: disarm an opponent automatically, for a token: +5 to stunts in brawl.

Triad of the Lotus Dragon

05. Jun, 2013 Categories: Antagonists, Characters, Gadgets, Rules, Setting by Marek Golonka 0 Comments

You already know Shang-In (Wolsung non-China) from The Extraordinary Voyages, our upcoming supplement. It’s a good time to make an acquaintance with one of the most famous or notorious (depending on whom to ask) Shangese organization in Lyonesse – the Triad of the Lotus Dragon. They are the last of three factions available in Wolsung SSG, next to the Ash and Oak Club and the Inventors Club.

The masters of Pothill

No one is sure whether the Triad of Lotus Dragon came to Alfheim from the Dragon Empire or was conceived within the alleys and dens of Shang-Town. One thing is for sure – when the Lyonesse constables acknowledged the illegal lotus trade to be a serious problem and began to venture into the depths of Pothill they found the sophisticated criminals tattooed with the sign of the lotus dragon already there.

Officially, what the Triad of Lotus Dragon does is teaching martial arts, looking after immigrants from the Dragon Empire and promoting Shangese culture. Unofficially, it also deals in extortion, art smuggling, industrial espionage and black lotus trade. Residents of Pothill – Lyonesse’s Shang-Town – see no problem with that. The rest of Lyonesse have a different opinion, however. And many older members of the Triad agree with the foreigners, seeing such crimes as below Shangese dignity.

Notable members

Xen Jidao: an ancient Orkish spiritualist who believes that his duty is to subtly control Lyonesse (he uses to call Liao Nesse) for everyone’s sake – he is sure that Shangese wisdom will guide this young city better than a queen ruling for less than a thousand years. He doesn’t want his people to engage in crimes that further disturb the balance of Qi (magical energy) in the city, especially ones connected with dark arts. This careful attitude has recently been challenged by an ambitious youngster.

Mr Cheng: born in Shang-In but raised in Lyonesse, this orc understands the Western society better than his compatriots. Which means two things. First, he knows how to satiate the needs of various Lyonesse people by lotus trade, houses of ill repute and smuggling. Second, he has learned the Western focus on oneself perfectly and thus he works only for his own good, not caring about some abstract “balance” – a balance that may be destroyed by his experiments with lotus smoke and the Lyonesse Fog.

The Wandering Actor: a performer in the famous, sophisticated and utterly incomprehensible Shangese Opera and a masked hero who protects the residents of Pothill from any harm. Nobody knows who hides behind the mask and this revelation would surely change the balance of power in the Triad.

Triad of the Lotus Dragon

Goals: help the Shangese people in Lyonesse, weaken the influence of Xen Jidao or Mr Cheng (if a member of the Triad chooses to align closely with one of them).

Hallmarks: a dragon tattoo, scent of lotus (but Triad members usually hide their allegiance).

Requirements: any Achievement related to Lyonesse; being an orc or Achievement Gratitude (Triad of the Lotus Dragon).

Benefits: undeclared finisher in chases taking place in Lyonesse.

Exclusive Gadgets

Death Puppet of Karoa Temple (5 XP)

Stealing life energy is improper, forbidden and, to call spade a spade, villainous. However, it can be justified with lots of sophisticated remarks about the yin-yang balance and the unbreakable connection between losing and gaining (according to Mr Cheng).

Or: tattoo with The Circle of Life, Experimental Technomagical qi Redistributor

Traits: special action: once per game session you may regain one Challenge marker in a combat when somebody else loses it.

The Book of Seasons (10 XP)

A divination book written by Sun Fu Zi, the only mortal ever to be considered an equal by The Dragon Emperor. Some people also say that this is the only book considered cryptic by the Emperor’s standards. Having a copy makes a Shangese feel at home no matter where they are and, somehow, its auguries are always helpful.

Or: an ornate mahjong board, a prayer wheel.

Traits: Confidence +2, for a token: increased Wits re-roll range.

Shangese Fireball (15 XP)

The so-called “Shangese fire” looks great during the New Year’s Eve but can be deadly in combat. Triad members usually keep a small dragon-shaped flare up their sleeves.

Or: six pistols hidden in strange places on one’s body, a flamethrower in a fan.

Traits: with a raise (firearms): daze, for a token: extra attack (firearms), surprise.

Exclusive Edges

These Edges can be bought only by members of the Triad.

Concealed in the Crowd (5 XP)

Requirements: orc, skilled bluff.

Description: most Westerners find orcs very similar one to another and Triad members know how to use it to their advantage. When you are in a place where orcs are regularly seen you may roll bluff instead of stealth – you don’t need to hide, you just appear to be just another Shangese immigrant.

Mistwalker (15 XP)

Requirements: skilled stealth and occult.

Description: you have learned the ancient technique of traveling through mists, vapors and even shadows. At the beginning of a combat you may spend a token to gain one free move action every turn. Your Triad ability to make undeclared finishers during chases works in any urban area, not only in Lyonesse.

Picture of the Month: Enter the Dragon!

03. Jun, 2013 Categories: Setting by Marek Golonka 0 Comments

In all the fantasy worlds few creatures are as awesome as dragons – just take a look at this picture:

In Wolsung dragons played the key role in establishing medieval monarchies and are very, very important to this day. Before King Philip XVI of Aquitaine lost his head (literally, with the help of a guillotine), he summoned the dragon Graudel and gave him one order: Avenge me! The dragon became the new ruler and thus the Aquitean Revolution changed into The Great Terror.

After this period Graudel was trapped and enslaved by Rovannon Villanteau who used the beast to conquer most of Vanadia and was checked only by the dragons of other countries. And a few decades later the Great War erupted – the first war in which mortal races were armed well enough to kill dragons. But dragons are cunning and know how to escape most perils – among them death. Garwitnir, the royal dragon of Alfheim and the first one to be mortally wounded has revealed the secret of creating Named Golems and in return demanded to create an iron dragon bearing his True Name, thus returning to the mortal world as an invincible golem. Soon the same happened to other dragons and now, in the age of steel and steam, they still are the most dangerous creatures on Urda.

That’s the story for Vanadia – the inhabitants of other continents tend to have different relationships with their dragons. Ozumu draws its strength from its constant fights with the untamed dragon Genbaku. The empire of Attaman officially declares to control the ancient wyrm Basulicus but never proves it. Shang-In considers its sleeping dragon the Emperor, with his titular wives – Dowager Empresses – ruling during the wyrm’s deep slumber. You’ll learn more about dragons around the world from our upcoming supplement, The Extraordinary Voyages.

Our copy of this famous Vanadian postcard was drawn byKrzysztof “SirDuch” Rogulski.

Sneak peek: Shang-In

29. May, 2013 Categories: Setting by Marek Golonka 0 Comments

Lately we have finished the English translation of the first Wolsung supplement. The Extraordinary Voyages expands the setting and the world presented in the corebook.

Prepare for your first contact with ancient civilizations, the terrifying splendor of the colonies and undiscovered mysteries of distant continents. In the book you will find descriptions of the amazing lands outside Vanadia that can be used both as sceneries for your adventures or your characters’ birthplaces.

While we are still working on the publishing schedule, we want to share with you some parts of the book. Let us begin with the biggest non-Vanadian empire on Urda.

Shang-In

The Divine Empire of Shang-In

Continent: Sunnir

Capital: Jincheng

Political system: monarchy

Ruler: Long Huangdi, the Dragon Emperor (dragon)

Religions: Sanfucianism (philosophical trend) and Santism, Solarism

Languages: two dialects of Shangese: Guanhua (official language) and Renminhua (people’s language)

Currency: 1 kuai = 10 xiao

Population: around 300 million. 68% orcs, 14% halflings, 9% humans, 7% dwarves, 2% other

Legends say that when the Dragon Emperor feels unrest in his country, he will wake up from his sleep. The awakening will restore peace, and a new order will arise from the rubble of vile intrigues. Since Vanadians started lording it over Shang-In, the citizens have been turning their eyes towards the Forbidden City much more often than they used to. However, the gates of the palace still remain closed and the Emperor’s sleep – undisturbed. Rumors say that the ruler is dying and Vanadian powers will soon take over the orphaned country.

shang_in_tyczynska

Simple Shangese folk live according to the old laws, taught by Sun Fu Zi, the only man in the world that the Emperor has ever considered to be equal to himself. However, many mandarins forgot the crucial verses of “The Art of Rule” and were corrupted by Vanadian gold and bank checks. The country is in turmoil: the secret Boxer Brotherhood calls for a bloody rebellion against the colonizers, mandarins conspire to overthrow the Emperor, while big power-hungry corporations suck the country dry, no matter the consequences.

If no miracle occurs soon, temple gongs will ring out to call for a battle, while the yellow waters of Chang-yang will run with blood.

Characters

The key ideas for heroes from Shang-In are harmony and hierarchy.

Shangese people value order – both social and spiritual. They understand their place in the society: they know their responsibilities towards their superiors and what to require from those lower in the hierarchy. They seek inner peace through meditation, but they don’t neglect their physical shape: they read ancient works and practice martial arts. They never speak in a straightforward way, they are subtle and enjoy ambiguity. They try not to offend interlocutors and their tradition but require the same in return. Never count on that a Shangese will forget an insult.

Character concepts typical for Shang-In:

a warrior monk from the Telogan mountains hunting venrierites that seek the magical valley of Shangri-La;
a veteran’s daughter, serving in the army disguised as a man;
an ambitious mandarin, halfway between being a ritualist and a technomancer, intending to convince his fellow countrymen to industrialize the country;
an assassin and tattoo master who works for the Triads but wants to withdraw from the “business”;
an old, half-insane master of martial arts whose blows are directed by spirits;
a spiritualist who – thanks to the spirits of her ancestors and her stunning beauty – steals away the secrets of Vanadian corporations.

Shangese Hero in a Nutshell

Live by the rules of Feng Shui. Speak in riddles, listen carefully to your interlocutor, nod your head and tug at your beard meaningfully or hide your face behind a fan.

Names in Shang-In are constructed form segments (syllables) occurring individually or in groups of two.

Male names: Bo, Cheng, Hong, Kun, Min, Ping, Qiang, Rong, Wei, Wu, Yang, Zhou.

Female names: Ai, Bao, Lan, Li, Mei, Nuan, Shu, Wen, Xiu, Yi, Yin, Zhen.

Adventures

Daring – a fight with five Wuxia masters, infiltrating the post of Wolsung GmbH in Tayoan, a trip to the Forbidden City in a mandarin’s disguise, fighting against sky pirates, infiltrating a cell of Shangese utopists, taking revenge on the Triads that control Zhonglung.

Exploration – looking for the vault the terra-cotta army is buried in, discovering Shangri-La, forming a blood brotherhood with a Yeti chieftain, an expedition to Mount Eternal, exploring the dungeons under the Great Wall, making a map of the islands scattered around Zhonglung, searching for dragon Asusen’s lair.

Investigation – unmasking the conspirers who plan a rebellion against Vanadians, discovering a black lotus smuggling route, investigating a murder of a mandarin under the disapproval of local elites, finding the thieves of the Dragon Emperor’s mask (two tons of solid gold!).

Society – an audience with the Dowager Empress, drinking kumis with the Khan of Urgat, visiting the grand master of the Tien-Lin monastery, negotiations concerning opening a new port for Vanadian ships, a tea party in the Colonial Club in Zhonglung.

Behind the Scenes:

Shang-In is imperial China from the time of its fall, titularly ruled by the “Dragon Emperor”, but in fact consecutive empresses are in charge. The city of Zhonglung combines Shanghai, Singapore and Hong-Kong in one. The Telogan is the Himalayas with Tibet. And of course the famous Shao-Lin monastery (here: Tien-Lin).

It’s worth mentioning that if Vanadian powers continue tyrannizing the country like they are doing now, they will push Shang-In straight into the arms of utopists (communists) who will soon drown the land in blood. However, if the Emperor is saved, Shang-In will be reborn and, just like contemporary China, it will become a superpower, but without the legacy of its communist past.

And the Dragon Emperor’s title is nowhere near exaggerated – the steampunk counterpart of China is really ruled by a dragon.

Places of Interest

postacie08_orkK_andrew

Zhonglung – the biggest city on the continent and the oldest port open for Vanadians, surrounded by a hundred of small islands. The city where you can buy and sell literally everything. But be careful not to go in bad books of the Triads, Madame Jihng Sih’s sky pirates, or local branches of Vanadian corporations. Here the Shangese tradition mixes with Vanadian modernity, honor is a currency equal to money, while ancient temples stand right between gloomy industrial combines and skyscrapers enveloped in clouds.

Jincheng (Forbidden City) – the capital of the country, a huge citadel built around the Emperor’s lair. It is surrounded by a gigantic palace complex and a ring of villages, constituting the base for an army of imperial officers. No foreigner is allowed to enter the area.

Telogan – a giant mountain massif with the still unconquered Mount Eternal. Some say that from the peak of the highest mountain in the world you could see the way to Shangri-La, a mythical evergreen valley where the spring of the water of life flows. It is said that the way is guarded by monks-warriors and the bloodthirsty yeti. So, it is not a coincidence that no Vanadian explorer has ever reached the Crown of the World.

Tayoan – an island near the Shangese coast. A traditional place of exile for rebels who oppose the empire. The Wolsung concern established here a center supposed to manufacture on a mass scale the achievements of traditional Shangese spiritualism.

Steppes of Urgat – stretching far north of Shang-In, separated from the rest of the empire by the Great Wall. Here Gizminr-Khan and the whole Empire of the Golden Horde were born. According to new rumors, the lair (and the tomb) of Asusen, the serpent dragon of Urgat, is hidden beneath the Wall.

And soon we’ll introduce you to a most interesting Shangese organization operating in Lyonesse.

Stay tuned!

Inventors Club

22. May, 2013 Categories: Characters, Gadgets, Setting by Marek Golonka 0 Comments

You already know Ash and Oak Club. Now it’s time to introduce you to their rivals, the Inventors Club.

A hotbed of ambitions

Somebody has to invent all these wonderful gadgets used by Extraordinary Ladies and Gentlemen. And, judging by these gadgets, can their inventors be sane? Well… let’s just say it’s good to know them – at least to know from whom shall you run.

During the first World Exhibition in Orseaux many a famous inventor stumbled upon something previously inconceivable – rivals whose projects could not be scornfully dismissed. A year later the Inventors Club has been established in Lyonesse. The official goal of the organization is to expand the boundaries of science but in reality the idea is to determine once and for all who among the members is endowed with the greatest of intellects. Since the prevalent inventions are usually golems or new types of weapons and powered armor and the ones presenting tend not to respond well to criticism, the clashes of the scientists are often… interesting. The percentage of fatal accidents is relatively low, though, and the club is slowly growing.