Lost in Jianghu/Loresheets/Other - Revision history

Ru: /* Secrets of Destiny: Azure Dragon's Kung Fu */

2014-06-09T15:26:09Z

Secrets of Destiny: Azure Dragon's Kung Fu

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:26, 9 June 2014
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	*'''3 Technique''': ''The Music of the Saints''. If you know the Deadly Music Formless technique, any attacks made with it count as selective Area attacks, and those affected always Fear those attacks.		*'''3 Technique''': ''The Music of the Saints''. If you know the Deadly Music Formless technique, any attacks made with it count as selective Area attacks, and those affected always Fear those attacks.
	*'''2 Technique''': You learn the ''Effortless Grace'' stance. You have been trained to use your weapon as if it is a natural extension of your very body. Your sword attacks count as being unarmed. This allows you to claim the weapon bonuses of both and to combine different types of styles. If you know multiple Secrets that improve your unarmed fighting, you can only use one at a time; choose at the start of each round which one you’ll use.		*'''2 Technique''': You learn the ''Effortless Grace'' stance. You have been trained to use your weapon as if it is a natural extension of your very body. Your sword attacks count as being unarmed. This allows you to claim the weapon bonuses of both and to combine different types of styles. If you know multiple Secrets that improve your unarmed fighting, you can only use one at a time; choose at the start of each round which one you’ll use.
	*'''3 Technique''': You learn the level 3 formless technique ''Brush drawing clouds'', that gives +15 block.		<strike>*'''3 Technique''': You learn the level 3 formless technique ''Brush drawing clouds'', that gives +15 block.</strike>

	====Meng Zhang, The Eastern Saint Beast====		====Meng Zhang, The Eastern Saint Beast====

Katechon: /* Bird's Progress */

2014-03-05T00:23:22Z

Bird's Progress

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:23, 5 March 2014
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	<font face="garamond" size="3">''Ain't no cause of wonder that this place's such a mess. The 'Gates' are to the west; water predominates; a cliff bisects the walls, for heavens' sake! Even a simple initiate in Feng Shui like this one can tell you it means nothin but trouble.''</font><br>		<font face="garamond" size="3">''Ain't no cause of wonder that this place's such a mess. The 'Gates' are to the west; water predominates; a cliff bisects the walls, for heavens' sake! Even a simple initiate in Feng Shui like this one can tell you it means nothin but trouble.''</font><br>
	—'''Sister ~~Peace-among-Waves~~''', Daoist nun of the Bright Clean Waters ~~School~~.		—'''Sister Chun''', Daoist nun of the Bright Clean Waters Temple.

	Whether you incline toward the political views of Master Zhou or the more mystical interpretations of Peace-among-Waves, one cannot disagree with the basic fact: Bird's Progress is barely governable. Whatever the true cause, it doesn't help that the Magistrates sent from Jiankiang are ill-disposed to try. In the portions of the city perched atop the cliffs, ''the City Above'', the law is impotent; home to the wealthy and powerful, they are well-insulated from the attentions of the law. And the portions at the foot of the cliffs, ''the City Beneath'', criminality simply does not matter unless it impacts the business interests of those who live above. It is a single city, but it is divided; for the priestly devotees of feng shui, it is the physical division that produces the disorder.		Whether you incline toward the political views of Master Zhou or the more mystical interpretations of Peace-among-Waves, one cannot disagree with the basic fact: Bird's Progress is barely governable. Whatever the true cause, it doesn't help that the Magistrates sent from Jiankiang are ill-disposed to try. In the portions of the city perched atop the cliffs, ''the City Above'', the law is impotent; home to the wealthy and powerful, they are well-insulated from the attentions of the law. And the portions at the foot of the cliffs, ''the City Beneath'', criminality simply does not matter unless it impacts the business interests of those who live above. It is a single city, but it is divided; for the priestly devotees of feng shui, it is the physical division that produces the disorder.

Katechon: /* The City Beneath */

2014-02-20T22:13:12Z

The City Beneath

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:13, 20 February 2014
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	:'''''Spear Maiden's Purchase'''''<br>		:'''''Spear Maiden's Purchase'''''<br>
	:When the Xiongnu destroyed Stone-Conquers-Sea fortress, the better part of it collapsed onto the marshy ground beneath. When the small fishing village at the base of the cliffs began to grow into a city, it wasn't long before residents took advantage of the now-stable ground to expand. It wasn't long after ''that'' that entrances into the ruined-but-not-destroyed fortress were discovered; while the above-ground district provides a place to live and set up shop (mostly to those who can't abide living in Plain-Girl's Nest but can't afford to live in Virtuous Poesy or Bixi Gardens), the submerged halls beneath have become a kind of distorted mirror image of the great bazaar of Great Open Yamen, where goods and services that cannot be traded in the light of day are up for sale.		:When the Xiongnu destroyed Stone-Conquers-Sea fortress, the better part of it collapsed onto the marshy ground beneath. When the small fishing village at the base of the cliffs began to grow into a city, it wasn't long before residents took advantage of the now-stable ground to expand. It wasn't long after ''that'' that entrances into the ruined-but-not-destroyed fortress were discovered; while the above-ground district provides a place to live and set up shop (mostly to those who can't abide living in Plain-Girl's Nest but can't afford to live in Virtuous Poesy or Bixi Gardens), the submerged halls beneath have become a kind of distorted mirror image of the great bazaar of Great Open Yamen, where goods and services that cannot be traded in the light of day are up for sale.
	:*'''3 Fortune''': Finding the Looking-Glass Bazaar is all but impossible for those who have not already been led there; you are one of the 'lucky' few who have.		:*'''2 Fortune''': Finding the Looking-Glass Bazaar is all but impossible for those who have not already been led there; you are one of the 'lucky' few who have.
	:*'''2+ Treasure/Fortune''': You have come into possession of one of the strange treasures (or contracts for service) that are traded in the Looking-Glass Bazaar. Work with your Sage to determine the details.		:*'''2+ Treasure/Fortune''': You have come into possession of one of the strange treasures (or contracts for service) that are traded in the Looking-Glass Bazaar. Work with your Sage to determine the details.

Katechon: /* Bird's Progress */

2014-02-18T22:34:42Z

Bird's Progress

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:34, 18 February 2014
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	—'''Zhou Junde''', Master of the White Jade Academy, Falling Leaves Society member, and Martial Sage.		—'''Zhou Junde''', Master of the White Jade Academy, Falling Leaves Society member, and Martial Sage.

	~~And who could argue with~~ Master Zhou? Bird's Progress is barely governable, ~~and~~ the Magistrates sent from Jiankiang are ill-disposed to try.		<font face="garamond" size="3">''Ain't no cause of wonder that this place's such a mess. The 'Gates' are to the west; water predominates; a cliff bisects the walls, for heavens' sake! Even a simple initiate in Feng Shui like this one can tell you it means nothin but trouble.''</font><br>
			—'''Sister Peace-among-Waves''', Daoist nun of the Bright Clean Waters School.

			Whether you incline toward the political views of Master Zhou or the more mystical interpretations of Peace-among-Waves, one cannot disagree with the basic fact: Bird's Progress is barely governable. Whatever the true cause, it doesn't help that the Magistrates sent from Jiankiang are ill-disposed to try. In the portions of the city perched atop the cliffs, ''the City Above'', the law is impotent; home to the wealthy and powerful, they are well-insulated from the attentions of the law. And the portions at the foot of the cliffs, ''the City Beneath'', criminality simply does not matter unless it impacts the business interests of those who live above. It is a single city, but it is divided; for the priestly devotees of feng shui, it is the physical division that produces the disorder.


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	:*'''3+ Fortune/Treasure''': The small group of architects (known as '''The Blue-Sky Goose Guild''') employed to build the gravity-defying homes in which the wealthy dwell are at the very forefront of their art in Shen Zhou; Daoist principles are married to the bleeding edge of Mohist mathematical studies in order to produce these marvels. You have either come to know one of these architects, or have come into possession of their valuable plans.		:*'''3+ Fortune/Treasure''': The small group of architects (known as '''The Blue-Sky Goose Guild''') employed to build the gravity-defying homes in which the wealthy dwell are at the very forefront of their art in Shen Zhou; Daoist principles are married to the bleeding edge of Mohist mathematical studies in order to produce these marvels. You have either come to know one of these architects, or have come into possession of their valuable plans.

	:'''''~~Golden Bay Overlook~~'''''<br>		:'''''Archer's Lament'''''<br>
	:While it does not quite rise to the standard of the Willow Districts in Magnificent Ink or Notably Picturesque, for sheer spectacle, ~~Golden Bay Overlook~~, the upper city's Willow District, is hard to match. Like the grand homes of Cloud Happiness, the inns and theaters of the Overlook hang over the vertiginous cliffs, but instead of looking down on the city below, they sit on a promontory over the Bohai Bay itself.		:While it does not quite rise to the standard of the Willow Districts in Magnificent Ink or Notably Picturesque, for sheer spectacle, Archer's Lament, the upper city's Willow District, is hard to match. Like the grand homes of Cloud Happiness, the inns and theaters of the Overlook hang over the vertiginous cliffs, but instead of looking down on the city below, they sit on a promontory over the Bohai Bay itself. At the point where the promontory reaches farthest out into the bay stands a massive statue of the legendary archer Houyi, his bow pointed up into the sky to aim at his beloved Chang'e, whom he cannot bear to shoot though it means she will float away to the moon. The tip of the arrow is in fact a giant lantern, and the statue in fact a (suitably grandiose) lighthouse.

	:'''''Yang's Last Bastion'''''<br>		:'''''Yang's Last Bastion'''''<br>
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	===The City Beneath===		===The City Beneath===
	'''(2 Destiny)'''		'''(2 Destiny)'''

			Far beneath the grand parties and subtle machinations of the Cloud Happiness District, beneath the graceful beauties of Archer's Lament, beneath the watchful eye of the Last Bastion, the everyday labor of Bird's Progress goes unceasingly on. Goods are moved in and out of Endless Prosperity Gates; merchants haggle over the smallest advantage in Great Open Yamen; and mean and deprived lives get lived out in Plain-Girl's Nest. If you're not well-connected or paid up with the right parties, walking the narrow streets is an exercise in constant watchfulness: pickpockets, short-con artists, and worse can be found almost anywhere—if they're any good, they're right where you're not looking.
			*'''2+ Status''': You have a reputation in the City Beneath; maybe it stems from your life in the workaday world, or maybe in the underworld, but it will make your life in these environs easier (in proportion to the amount of Status).

	:'''''Bixi Gardens'''''<br>		:'''''Bixi Gardens'''''<br>
	:Long before Bird's Progress was a city; before Stone-Conquers-Sea fortress was built upon the cliffs; before there was even a minor fishing village to take advantage of the bay's bounty, there stood a garden of steles standing atop dragon-headed, tortoise-bodied [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bixi_(mythology) Bixi statues]. None know who built these steles, what they commemorate or who they propitiate or what they ward off; they are marked, but with a strange and ancient script that frustrate the attempts at translation of even the best scholars in all of Shen Zhou. Common folk treat these stele with something approaching reverence, but even the educated tread lightly around them. The district that has grown around this garden is home to many temples and shrines; it's thought that the mystical energies that collect around these monuments.		:Long before Bird's Progress was a city; before Stone-Conquers-Sea fortress was built upon the cliffs; before there was even a minor fishing village to take advantage of the bay's bounty, there stood a garden of steles standing atop dragon-headed, tortoise-bodied [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bixi_(mythology) Bixi statues]. None know who built these steles, what they commemorate or who they propitiate or what they ward off; they are marked, but with a strange and ancient script that frustrate the attempts at translation of even the best scholars in all of Shen Zhou. Common folk treat these stele with something approaching reverence, but even the educated tread lightly around them. The district that has grown around this garden is home to many temples and shrines; it's thought that the mystical energies that collect around these monuments.

	:'''''Endless Prosperity ~~Gate~~'''''<br>		:'''''Endless Prosperity Gates'''''<br>
	:If the Great Open Yamen is the city's soul, Cloud Happiness District is its face, and the Grand Docks its mouth (though the aristocrats of Virtuous Poesy might suggest a different orifice ...), Endless Prosperity ~~Gate~~ is its stomach. Warehouses stretch as far as the eye can see, packed to overflowing with goods of all sizes and descriptions. In daylight hours, laborers haul them hither and thither, making the district a veritable beehive; at night, there's also a great deal of activity, albeit of a more surreptitious kind. The Gate doubles as another Willow District, one that serves a meaner class of clientele and features a coarser class of companions than the beauties of ~~Golden Bay Overlook~~, but that is no less profitable for it (indeed, the opposite is likely true).		:If the Great Open Yamen is the city's soul, Cloud Happiness District is its face, and the Grand Docks its mouth (though the aristocrats of Virtuous Poesy might suggest a different orifice ...), Endless Prosperity Gates is its stomach. Warehouses stretch as far as the eye can see, packed to overflowing with goods of all sizes and descriptions. In daylight hours, laborers haul them hither and thither, making the district a veritable beehive; at night, there's also a great deal of activity, albeit of a more surreptitious kind. The Gate doubles as another Willow District, one that serves a meaner class of clientele and features a coarser class of companions than the beauties of Archer's Lament, but that is no less profitable for it (indeed, the opposite is likely true).

	:'''''Great Open Yamen'''''<br>		:'''''Great Open Yamen'''''<br>
	:Like almost all cities in Shen Zhou, at the very center of Bird's Progress is its walled Yamen, the administrative compound from which the Imperial magistrates exert the influence of the Jin Empire. But whereas every other city's Yamen is fortress of Imperial authority, held fast by power military and civil, the Bird's Progress Yamen is a glorified open air bazaar. Instead of enforcing Imperial law, its magistrates are glorified night watchmen, making sure the merchants' concerns remain secure. It is a perversion of Confucian ideals, and it is the very soul of Bird's Progress.		:Like almost all cities in Shen Zhou, at the very center of Bird's Progress is its walled Yamen, the administrative compound from which the Imperial magistrates exert the influence of the Jin Empire. But whereas every other city's Yamen is fortress of Imperial authority, held fast by power military and civil, the Bird's Progress Yamen is a glorified open air bazaar. Instead of enforcing Imperial law, its magistrates are glorified night watchmen, making sure the merchants' concerns remain secure. It is a perversion of Confucian ideals, and it is the very soul of Bird's Progress.
			:*'''2+ Involvement''': You have crossed paths with one of the corrupt and venal magistrates of Bird's Progress. Whether they are an enemy, an ally, or an asset, the association will surely continue. Or, who knows? Perhaps you've found the one honest magistrate in Bird's Progress!

	:'''''Plain-Girl's Nest'''''<br>		:'''''Plain-Girl's Nest'''''<br>
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	===The Grand Docks===		===The Grand Docks===
	'''(2 Destiny)'''		'''(2 Destiny)'''

			Without the Grand Docks, there is no Bird's Progress—or at least no Bird's Progress worth talking about. A magnificent testament to the engineers of the Jin Empire, nowhere under heaven sees more ships, great and small, day and night, arrive and depart. And all the while, new ships are being constantly being built and old ones repaired at the attached shipyard. So while the grasp of imperial authority on the city itself is tenuous, on the docks it is vise-like. The elite Sea Turtle Marines patrol the shipping lanes, fighting a constant battle with pirates; soldiers hand-picked for their incorruptibility patrol the shipyards; and while the tax-assessors might not look too closely at the contents of cargo ships, they will not allow one copper coin of tax to go unpaid.

Katechon: /* The City Beneath */

2014-02-18T19:58:57Z

The City Beneath

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:58, 18 February 2014
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	:'''''Endless Prosperity Gate'''''<br>		:'''''Endless Prosperity Gate'''''<br>
	:		:If the Great Open Yamen is the city's soul, Cloud Happiness District is its face, and the Grand Docks its mouth (though the aristocrats of Virtuous Poesy might suggest a different orifice ...), Endless Prosperity Gate is its stomach. Warehouses stretch as far as the eye can see, packed to overflowing with goods of all sizes and descriptions. In daylight hours, laborers haul them hither and thither, making the district a veritable beehive; at night, there's also a great deal of activity, albeit of a more surreptitious kind. The Gate doubles as another Willow District, one that serves a meaner class of clientele and features a coarser class of companions than the beauties of Golden Bay Overlook, but that is no less profitable for it (indeed, the opposite is likely true).

	:'''''Great Open Yamen'''''<br>		:'''''Great Open Yamen'''''<br>

Katechon: /* The City Above */

2014-02-18T19:46:45Z

The City Above

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:46, 18 February 2014
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	High upon the cliffs, far above the noise and bustle of the merchants and laborers below, there is a veritable paradise. Here are the wealthiest residents of Bird's Progress – the heads of the largest trading concerns, a few aristocratic families, and officials grown fat on bribes and kickbacks – living lives blissfully free of the lower city's muck and mire. The roads from the lower city to the upper are few and tightly guarded; the City Above's streets are impeccably clean and well-patrolled.		High upon the cliffs, far above the noise and bustle of the merchants and laborers below, there is a veritable paradise. Here are the wealthiest residents of Bird's Progress – the heads of the largest trading concerns, a few aristocratic families, and officials grown fat on bribes and kickbacks – living lives blissfully free of the lower city's muck and mire. The roads from the lower city to the upper are few and tightly guarded; the City Above's streets are impeccably clean and well-patrolled.
	*'''2 Fortune''': You can pass between the two cities without trouble; perhaps you possess a pass (obtained licitly or otherwise) that permits you to use one of the official gates, or perhaps you know of a secret route.		*'''1 Fortune''': You can pass between the two cities without trouble; perhaps you possess a pass (obtained licitly or otherwise) that permits you to use one of the official gates, or perhaps you know of a secret route.
			*'''2+ Status''': You have made a name for yourself in the high society of the Cloud Happiness District; this doesn't mean you're thought of as 'one of them', necessarily, but you're known.
			**'''0 Bonus''': You get the '''Politics''' specialty '''High Society''' for free.

	:'''''Cloud Happiness District'''''<br>		:'''''Cloud Happiness District'''''<br>
	:Perched high atop the cliffs that ring the lower city are the mansions of the city's wealthiest residents: the very best families, the most successful merchants, and of course the officials who enrich themselves on the trade flowing through the city.		:Perched high atop the cliffs that ring the lower city are the mansions of the city's wealthiest residents: the very best families, the most successful merchants, and of course the officials who enrich themselves on the trade flowing through the city.
	~~:*'''2+ Status''': You have made a name for yourself in the high society of the Cloud Happiness District; this doesn't mean you're thought of as 'one of them', necessarily, but you're known.~~
	~~:**'''0 Bonus''': You get the '''Politics''' specialty '''High Society''' for free.~~
	:*'''2+ Involvement''': The families that make Cloud Happiness their home are in constant, vicious competition to outdo their neighbors: to build more impossible homes, to throw more fabulous parties, to sponsor the more praiseworthy temple, or artist, or whatever fashion might demand. These are generally low-stakes affairs, but occasionally they spiral into something ... bigger. You've found yourself embroiled in just such a circumstance!		:*'''2+ Involvement''': The families that make Cloud Happiness their home are in constant, vicious competition to outdo their neighbors: to build more impossible homes, to throw more fabulous parties, to sponsor the more praiseworthy temple, or artist, or whatever fashion might demand. These are generally low-stakes affairs, but occasionally they spiral into something ... bigger. You've found yourself embroiled in just such a circumstance!
	:*'''3+ Fortune/Treasure''': The small group of architects (known as '''The Blue-Sky Goose Guild''') employed to build the gravity-defying homes in which the wealthy dwell are at the very forefront of their art in Shen Zhou; Daoist principles are married to the bleeding edge of Mohist mathematical studies in order to produce these marvels. You have either come to know one of these architects, or have come into possession of their valuable plans.		:*'''3+ Fortune/Treasure''': The small group of architects (known as '''The Blue-Sky Goose Guild''') employed to build the gravity-defying homes in which the wealthy dwell are at the very forefront of their art in Shen Zhou; Daoist principles are married to the bleeding edge of Mohist mathematical studies in order to produce these marvels. You have either come to know one of these architects, or have come into possession of their valuable plans.

Katechon: /* Bird's Progress */

2014-02-18T19:37:41Z

Bird's Progress

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:37, 18 February 2014
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	(The following loresheet options supplement the Bird's Progress loresheet on p. 140; they require at least 3 Involvement to purchase.)		(The following loresheet options supplement the Bird's Progress loresheet on p. 140; they require at least 3 Involvement to purchase.)

	"You ask me why Bird's Progress is perpetually on the edge of chaos? Hmmph. Barges loaded with every conceivable good coming in and out at all hours; people from every corner of Shen Zhou and beyond all mixed together pell mell; the meanest laborers mingling with the wealthy during the day, yet barred from their luxurious mansions at night; the close attentions of the Imperial Bureaucracy on a place once a Yang Kingdom redoubt—and all this to say nothing of a city where magistrates kowtow at the feet of mere merchants! Is it any wonder a place that accommodates—nay, is built upon—such a bald repudiation of the order of heaven should suffer such profound disorder?"<br>		<font face="garamond" size="3">''You ask me why Bird's Progress is perpetually on the edge of chaos? Hmmph. Barges loaded with every conceivable good coming in and out at all hours; people from every corner of Shen Zhou and beyond all mixed together pell mell; the meanest laborers mingling with the wealthy during the day, yet barred from their luxurious mansions at night; the close attentions of the Imperial Bureaucracy on a place once a Yang Kingdom redoubt—and all this to say nothing of a city where magistrates kowtow at the feet of mere merchants! Is it any wonder a place that accommodates—nay, is built upon—such a bald repudiation of the order of heaven should suffer such profound disorder?''</font><br>
	~~—Zhou~~ Junde, Master of the White Jade Academy, Falling Leaves Society member, and Martial Sage.		—'''Zhou Junde''', Master of the White Jade Academy, Falling Leaves Society member, and Martial Sage.

	And who could argue with Master Zhou? Bird's Progress is barely governable, and the Magistrates sent from Jiankiang are ill-disposed to try.		And who could argue with Master Zhou? Bird's Progress is barely governable, and the Magistrates sent from Jiankiang are ill-disposed to try.
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	:''Cloud Happiness District''<br>		:'''''Cloud Happiness District'''''<br>
	:Perched high atop the cliffs that ring the lower city are the mansions of the city's wealthiest residents: the very best families, the most successful merchants, and of course the officials who enrich themselves on the trade flowing through the city.		:Perched high atop the cliffs that ring the lower city are the mansions of the city's wealthiest residents: the very best families, the most successful merchants, and of course the officials who enrich themselves on the trade flowing through the city.
	:*'''2+ Status''': You have made a name for yourself in the high society of the Cloud Happiness District; this doesn't mean you're thought of as 'one of them', necessarily, but you're known.		:*'''2+ Status''': You have made a name for yourself in the high society of the Cloud Happiness District; this doesn't mean you're thought of as 'one of them', necessarily, but you're known.
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	:*'''3+ Fortune/Treasure''': The small group of architects (known as '''The Blue-Sky Goose Guild''') employed to build the gravity-defying homes in which the wealthy dwell are at the very forefront of their art in Shen Zhou; Daoist principles are married to the bleeding edge of Mohist mathematical studies in order to produce these marvels. You have either come to know one of these architects, or have come into possession of their valuable plans.		:*'''3+ Fortune/Treasure''': The small group of architects (known as '''The Blue-Sky Goose Guild''') employed to build the gravity-defying homes in which the wealthy dwell are at the very forefront of their art in Shen Zhou; Daoist principles are married to the bleeding edge of Mohist mathematical studies in order to produce these marvels. You have either come to know one of these architects, or have come into possession of their valuable plans.

	:''Golden Bay Overlook''<br>		:'''''Golden Bay Overlook'''''<br>
	:While it does not quite rise to the standard of the Willow Districts in Magnificent Ink or Notably Picturesque, for sheer spectacle, Golden Bay Overlook, the upper city's Willow District, is hard to match. Like the grand homes of Cloud Happiness, the inns and theaters of the Overlook hang over the vertiginous cliffs, but instead of looking down on the city below, they sit on a promontory over the Bohai Bay itself.		:While it does not quite rise to the standard of the Willow Districts in Magnificent Ink or Notably Picturesque, for sheer spectacle, Golden Bay Overlook, the upper city's Willow District, is hard to match. Like the grand homes of Cloud Happiness, the inns and theaters of the Overlook hang over the vertiginous cliffs, but instead of looking down on the city below, they sit on a promontory over the Bohai Bay itself.

	:''Yang's Last Bastion''<br>		:'''''Yang's Last Bastion'''''<br>
	:Long ago, when Bird's Progress was a small fishing town, a mighty fortress called Stone-Conquers-Sea sat upon the high cliffs that now house the wealthy & powerful, watching over the same waters that now carry treasures into Shen Zhou. In the chaotic days after the fall of the Han but before the arrival of the Jin, the Yang Kingdom occupied this fortress to safeguard the naval approach to their lands. When the Xiongnu invaders who would become the Jin did come to the East, they tried, without success, to lay siege to Thrashing Minister; as long as the Yang controlled the naval approach, the capital could be supplied indefinitely. So the Xiongnu came to the fortress, and the battle that commenced shook the very foundations of the earth - in the climactic battle, a great Xiongnu warrior named Thunder-Shakes-the-Earth cast down Yang Lide, daughter of the Yang King and the last of the defenders, and with her the better part of the fortress collapsed, falling to the marshy ground below.		:Long ago, when Bird's Progress was a small fishing town, a mighty fortress called Stone-Conquers-Sea sat upon the high cliffs that now house the wealthy & powerful, watching over the same waters that now carry treasures into Shen Zhou. In the chaotic days after the fall of the Han but before the arrival of the Jin, the Yang Kingdom occupied this fortress to safeguard the naval approach to their lands. When the Xiongnu invaders who would become the Jin did come to the East, they tried, without success, to lay siege to Thrashing Minister; as long as the Yang controlled the naval approach, the capital could be supplied indefinitely. So the Xiongnu came to the fortress, and the battle that commenced shook the very foundations of the earth - in the climactic battle, a great Xiongnu warrior named Thunder-Shakes-the-Earth cast down Yang Lide, daughter of the Yang King and the last of the defenders, and with her the better part of the fortress collapsed, falling to the marshy ground below.

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	:*'''3 Fortune''': You are so inspired by this story, it has instilled in you a Minor Paired Chi Condition, likely an Inspiration to follow the example of one the heroes and a Passion involving hatred, fear, or contempt for the other. Work with your Sage to determine the details.		:*'''3 Fortune''': You are so inspired by this story, it has instilled in you a Minor Paired Chi Condition, likely an Inspiration to follow the example of one the heroes and a Passion involving hatred, fear, or contempt for the other. Work with your Sage to determine the details.

	:''Silver Bough Park''		:'''''Silver Bough Park'''''
	:Beyond the northern gates of the city, a magnificent park is maintained for the pleasure of the well-born; it is best known (and named) for its magnificent and rare silver-barked scholar trees, but placid pools and well-tended flower gardens can also be found by those who wander its many narrow paths. For all its beauty, however, a pall hangs over the woods: it is said that demons haunt the park, waiting to entrap unwary visitors. There are all too many stories of people going off for a stroll and never returning, or found hanging from one of those scholar trees, or coming back ... but somehow fundamentally changed.		:Beyond the northern gates of the city, a magnificent park is maintained for the pleasure of the well-born; it is best known (and named) for its magnificent and rare silver-barked scholar trees, but placid pools and well-tended flower gardens can also be found by those who wander its many narrow paths. For all its beauty, however, a pall hangs over the woods: it is said that demons haunt the park, waiting to entrap unwary visitors. There are all too many stories of people going off for a stroll and never returning, or found hanging from one of those scholar trees, or coming back ... but somehow fundamentally changed.
	:*'''2 Fortune''': You have walked the paths of Silver Bough Park and returned, (mostly) unscathed. When and if you return, you will always Laugh At and never Fear any challenges or obstacles its strange influence presents.		:*'''2 Fortune''': You have walked the paths of Silver Bough Park and returned, (mostly) unscathed. When and if you return, you will always Laugh At and never Fear any challenges or obstacles its strange influence presents.
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	'''(2 Destiny)'''		'''(2 Destiny)'''

	:''Bixi Gardens''<br>		:'''''Bixi Gardens'''''<br>
	:Long before Bird's Progress was a city; before Stone-Conquers-Sea fortress was built upon the cliffs; before there was even a minor fishing village to take advantage of the bay's bounty, there stood a garden of steles standing atop dragon-headed, tortoise-bodied [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bixi_(mythology) Bixi statues]. None know who built these steles, what they commemorate or who they propitiate or what they ward off; they are marked, but with a strange and ancient script that frustrate the attempts at translation of even the best scholars in all of Shen Zhou. Common folk treat these stele with something approaching reverence, but even the educated tread lightly around them. The district that has grown around this garden is home to many temples and shrines; it's thought that the mystical energies that collect around these monuments.		:Long before Bird's Progress was a city; before Stone-Conquers-Sea fortress was built upon the cliffs; before there was even a minor fishing village to take advantage of the bay's bounty, there stood a garden of steles standing atop dragon-headed, tortoise-bodied [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bixi_(mythology) Bixi statues]. None know who built these steles, what they commemorate or who they propitiate or what they ward off; they are marked, but with a strange and ancient script that frustrate the attempts at translation of even the best scholars in all of Shen Zhou. Common folk treat these stele with something approaching reverence, but even the educated tread lightly around them. The district that has grown around this garden is home to many temples and shrines; it's thought that the mystical energies that collect around these monuments.

	:''Endless Prosperity Gate''<br>		:'''''Endless Prosperity Gate'''''<br>
			:

			:'''''Great Open Yamen'''''<br>
			:Like almost all cities in Shen Zhou, at the very center of Bird's Progress is its walled Yamen, the administrative compound from which the Imperial magistrates exert the influence of the Jin Empire. But whereas every other city's Yamen is fortress of Imperial authority, held fast by power military and civil, the Bird's Progress Yamen is a glorified open air bazaar. Instead of enforcing Imperial law, its magistrates are glorified night watchmen, making sure the merchants' concerns remain secure. It is a perversion of Confucian ideals, and it is the very soul of Bird's Progress.

	:''~~Great Open Yamen~~'~~'<br>~~		:'''''Plain-Girl's Nest'''''<br>


	:''Plain-Girl's Nest''<br>
	:Less of a defined district than the absence of defintion, this is the place that houses the city's laborers, its indigent, its underclass. Because of the sheer numbers of such residents, the Nest is a sprawling place; but because space is at a premium in the lower city, that sprawl must go vertical rather than horizontal. Rickety buildings spread upward like kudzu on invisible supports, and the compounds that result are both incredibly dangerous and all but impossible for outsiders to navigate. The magistrates and their constabulary pay little attention to this area if they can avoid it, and as a result it is very popular indeed with organizations that run afoul of the Imperial law.		:Less of a defined district than the absence of defintion, this is the place that houses the city's laborers, its indigent, its underclass. Because of the sheer numbers of such residents, the Nest is a sprawling place; but because space is at a premium in the lower city, that sprawl must go vertical rather than horizontal. Rickety buildings spread upward like kudzu on invisible supports, and the compounds that result are both incredibly dangerous and all but impossible for outsiders to navigate. The magistrates and their constabulary pay little attention to this area if they can avoid it, and as a result it is very popular indeed with organizations that run afoul of the Imperial law.
	:*'''1+ Involvement''': You either currently or once did make your home in the Nest, and its current residents treat you as one of their own.		:*'''1+ Involvement''': You either currently or once did make your home in the Nest, and its current residents treat you as one of their own.
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	:**'''2 Fortune''': Not only do the residents treat you as one of their own, but they really ''like'' you. Within reason, you can count on them to provide you shelter, hide you from the constables, and other small story benefits.		:**'''2 Fortune''': Not only do the residents treat you as one of their own, but they really ''like'' you. Within reason, you can count on them to provide you shelter, hide you from the constables, and other small story benefits.

	:''Spear Maiden's Purchase''<br>		:'''''Spear Maiden's Purchase'''''<br>
	:When the Xiongnu destroyed Stone-Conquers-Sea fortress, the better part of it collapsed onto the marshy ground beneath. When the small fishing village at the base of the cliffs began to grow into a city, it wasn't long before residents took advantage of the now-stable ground to expand. It wasn't long after ''that'' that entrances into the ruined-but-not-destroyed fortress were discovered; while the above-ground district provides a place to live and set up shop (mostly to those who can't abide living in Plain-Girl's Nest but can't afford to live in Virtuous Poesy or Bixi Gardens), the submerged halls beneath have become a kind of distorted mirror image of the great bazaar of Great Open Yamen, where goods and services that cannot be traded in the light of day are up for sale.		:When the Xiongnu destroyed Stone-Conquers-Sea fortress, the better part of it collapsed onto the marshy ground beneath. When the small fishing village at the base of the cliffs began to grow into a city, it wasn't long before residents took advantage of the now-stable ground to expand. It wasn't long after ''that'' that entrances into the ruined-but-not-destroyed fortress were discovered; while the above-ground district provides a place to live and set up shop (mostly to those who can't abide living in Plain-Girl's Nest but can't afford to live in Virtuous Poesy or Bixi Gardens), the submerged halls beneath have become a kind of distorted mirror image of the great bazaar of Great Open Yamen, where goods and services that cannot be traded in the light of day are up for sale.
	:*'''3 Fortune''': Finding the Looking-Glass Bazaar is all but impossible for those who have not already been led there; you are one of the 'lucky' few who have.		:*'''3 Fortune''': Finding the Looking-Glass Bazaar is all but impossible for those who have not already been led there; you are one of the 'lucky' few who have.
	:*'''2+ Treasure/Fortune''': You have come into possession of one of the strange treasures (or contracts for service) that are traded in the Looking-Glass Bazaar. Work with your Sage to determine the details.		:*'''2+ Treasure/Fortune''': You have come into possession of one of the strange treasures (or contracts for service) that are traded in the Looking-Glass Bazaar. Work with your Sage to determine the details.

	:''Virtuous Poesy District''<br>		:'''''Virtuous Poesy District'''''<br>
	:A haven of calm amid the roiling sea; a shelter from an unending storm; a bastion of virtue, of filial piety, of righteousness amid a world that has lost its moral bearings—this is how the residents of Virtuous Poesy view themselves. These are some of the oldest families of the East, many of whom have deep and abiding ties to the Yang Clan of Thrashing Minister. Their compounds are tasteful and, in comparison to the grand mansions of Cloud Happiness District, modest. It is also home to the White Jade Academy, a traditional Confucian school for the training of future magistrates (and hopefully better ones than the current crop who govern the city) and the headquarters of the small, but influential Fallen Leaves Society of Bird's Progress.		:A haven of calm amid the roiling sea; a shelter from an unending storm; a bastion of virtue, of filial piety, of righteousness amid a world that has lost its moral bearings—this is how the residents of Virtuous Poesy view themselves. These are some of the oldest families of the East, many of whom have deep and abiding ties to the Yang Clan of Thrashing Minister. Their compounds are tasteful and, in comparison to the grand mansions of Cloud Happiness District, modest. It is also home to the White Jade Academy, a traditional Confucian school for the training of future magistrates (and hopefully better ones than the current crop who govern the city) and the headquarters of the small, but influential Fallen Leaves Society of Bird's Progress.

	===The Grand Docks===		===The Grand Docks===
	'''(2 Destiny)'''		'''(2 Destiny)'''

Katechon: /* Bird's Progress */

2014-02-18T18:59:16Z

Bird's Progress

Show changes

Katechon: /* The City Beneath */

2014-02-18T18:51:26Z

The City Beneath

Katechon: /* Bird's Progress */

2014-02-18T18:29:17Z

Bird's Progress

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:29, 18 February 2014
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	(The following loresheet options supplement the Bird's Progress loresheet on p. 140; they require at least 3 Involvement to purchase.)		(The following loresheet options supplement the Bird's Progress loresheet on p. 140; they require at least 3 Involvement to purchase.)

	"You ask me why Bird's Progress is perpetually on the edge of chaos? Hmmph. Barges loaded with every conceivable good coming in and out at all hours; people from every corner of Shen Zhou and beyond all mixed together pell mell; the meanest laborers mingling with the wealthy during the day, yet barred from their luxurious mansions at night; the close attentions of the Imperial Bureaucracy on a place once a Yang Kingdom redoubt—and all this to say nothing of a city where magistrates kowtow at the feet of mere merchants! Is it any wonder a place that accommodates—nay, is built upon—such a bald repudiation of the order of heaven should suffer such profound disorder?"		"You ask me why Bird's Progress is perpetually on the edge of chaos? Hmmph. Barges loaded with every conceivable good coming in and out at all hours; people from every corner of Shen Zhou and beyond all mixed together pell mell; the meanest laborers mingling with the wealthy during the day, yet barred from their luxurious mansions at night; the close attentions of the Imperial Bureaucracy on a place once a Yang Kingdom redoubt—and all this to say nothing of a city where magistrates kowtow at the feet of mere merchants! Is it any wonder a place that accommodates—nay, is built upon—such a bald repudiation of the order of heaven should suffer such profound disorder?"<br>
	—Zhou Junde, Master of the White Jade Academy, Falling Leaves Society member, and Martial Sage.		—Zhou Junde, Master of the White Jade Academy, Falling Leaves Society member, and Martial Sage.

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	<font size="3">Virtuous Poesy District</font>		<font size="3">Virtuous Poesy District</font>
			A haven of calm amid the roiling sea; a shelter from an unending storm; a bastion of virtue, of filial piety, of righteousness amid a world that has lost its moral bearings—this is how the residents of Virtuous Poesy view themselves. These are some of the oldest families of the East, many of whom have deep and abiding ties to the Yang Clan of Thrashing Minister. Their compounds are tasteful and, in comparison to the grand mansions of Cloud Happiness District, modest. It is also home to the White Jade Academy, a traditional Confucian school for the training of future magistrates (and hopefully better ones than the current crop who govern the city) and the headquarters of the small, but influential Fallen Leaves Society of Bird's Progress.

	===The Grand Docks===		===The Grand Docks===
	'''(2 Destiny)'''		'''(2 Destiny)'''

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:51, 18 February 2014
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	'''(2 Destiny)'''		'''(2 Destiny)'''

	<font size="3">Bixi Gardens</font>		<font size="3">Bixi Gardens</font><br>
			Long before Bird's Progress was a city; before Stone-Conquers-Sea fortress was built upon the cliffs; before there was even a minor fishing village to take advantage of the bay's bounty, there stood a garden of steles standing atop dragon-headed, tortoise-bodied [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bixi_(mythology) Bixi statues]. None know who built these steles, what they commemorate or who they propitiate or what they ward off; they are marked, but with a strange and ancient script that frustrate the attempts at translation of even the best scholars in all of Shen Zhou. Common folk treat these stele with something approaching reverence, but even the educated tread lightly around them. The district that has grown around this garden is home to many temples and shrines; it's thought that the mystical energies that collect around these monuments.

	<font size="3">Endless Prosperity Gate</font>		<font size="3">Endless Prosperity Gate</font><br>

	<font size="3">Great Open Yamen</font>		<font size="3">Great Open Yamen</font><br>

	<font size="3">Plain-Girl's Nest</font>		<font size="3">Plain-Girl's Nest</font><br>
	Less of a defined district than the absence of defintion, this is the place that houses the city's laborers, its indigent, its underclass. Because of the sheer numbers of such residents, the Nest is a sprawling place; but because space is at a premium in the lower city, that sprawl must go vertical rather than horizontal. Rickety buildings spread upward like kudzu on invisible supports, and the compounds that result are both incredibly dangerous and all but impossible for outsiders to navigate. The magistrates and their constabulary pay little attention to this area if they can avoid it, and as a result it is very popular indeed with organizations that run afoul of the Imperial law.		Less of a defined district than the absence of defintion, this is the place that houses the city's laborers, its indigent, its underclass. Because of the sheer numbers of such residents, the Nest is a sprawling place; but because space is at a premium in the lower city, that sprawl must go vertical rather than horizontal. Rickety buildings spread upward like kudzu on invisible supports, and the compounds that result are both incredibly dangerous and all but impossible for outsiders to navigate. The magistrates and their constabulary pay little attention to this area if they can avoid it, and as a result it is very popular indeed with organizations that run afoul of the Imperial law.
	*'''1+ Involvement''': You either currently or once did make your home in the Nest, and its current residents treat you as one of their own.		*'''1+ Involvement''': You either currently or once did make your home in the Nest, and its current residents treat you as one of their own.
Line 111:		Line 112:
	**'''2 Fortune''': Not only do the residents treat you as one of their own, but they really ''like'' you. Within reason, you can count on them to provide you shelter, hide you from the constables, and other small story benefits.		**'''2 Fortune''': Not only do the residents treat you as one of their own, but they really ''like'' you. Within reason, you can count on them to provide you shelter, hide you from the constables, and other small story benefits.

	<font size="3">Spear Maiden's Purchase</font>		<font size="3">Spear Maiden's Purchase</font><br>
	When the Xiongnu destroyed Stone-Conquers-Sea fortress, the better part of it collapsed onto the marshy ground beneath. When the small fishing village at the base of the cliffs began to grow into a city, it wasn't long before residents took advantage of the now-stable ground to expand. It wasn't long after ''that'' that entrances into the ruined-but-not-destroyed fortress were discovered; while the above-ground district provides a place to live and set up shop (mostly to those who can't abide living in Plain-Girl's Nest but can't afford to live in Virtuous Poesy or Bixi Gardens), the submerged halls beneath have become a kind of distorted mirror image of the great bazaar of Great Open Yamen, where goods and services that cannot be traded in the light of day are up for sale.		When the Xiongnu destroyed Stone-Conquers-Sea fortress, the better part of it collapsed onto the marshy ground beneath. When the small fishing village at the base of the cliffs began to grow into a city, it wasn't long before residents took advantage of the now-stable ground to expand. It wasn't long after ''that'' that entrances into the ruined-but-not-destroyed fortress were discovered; while the above-ground district provides a place to live and set up shop (mostly to those who can't abide living in Plain-Girl's Nest but can't afford to live in Virtuous Poesy or Bixi Gardens), the submerged halls beneath have become a kind of distorted mirror image of the great bazaar of Great Open Yamen, where goods and services that cannot be traded in the light of day are up for sale.
	*'''3 Fortune''': Finding the Looking-Glass Bazaar is all but impossible for those who have not already been led there; you are one of the 'lucky' few who have.		*'''3 Fortune''': Finding the Looking-Glass Bazaar is all but impossible for those who have not already been led there; you are one of the 'lucky' few who have.
	*'''2+ Treasure/Fortune''': You have come into possession of one of the strange treasures (or contracts for service) that are traded in the Looking-Glass Bazaar. Work with your Sage to determine the details.		*'''2+ Treasure/Fortune''': You have come into possession of one of the strange treasures (or contracts for service) that are traded in the Looking-Glass Bazaar. Work with your Sage to determine the details.

	<font size="3">Virtuous Poesy District</font>		<font size="3">Virtuous Poesy District</font><br>
	A haven of calm amid the roiling sea; a shelter from an unending storm; a bastion of virtue, of filial piety, of righteousness amid a world that has lost its moral bearings—this is how the residents of Virtuous Poesy view themselves. These are some of the oldest families of the East, many of whom have deep and abiding ties to the Yang Clan of Thrashing Minister. Their compounds are tasteful and, in comparison to the grand mansions of Cloud Happiness District, modest. It is also home to the White Jade Academy, a traditional Confucian school for the training of future magistrates (and hopefully better ones than the current crop who govern the city) and the headquarters of the small, but influential Fallen Leaves Society of Bird's Progress.		A haven of calm amid the roiling sea; a shelter from an unending storm; a bastion of virtue, of filial piety, of righteousness amid a world that has lost its moral bearings—this is how the residents of Virtuous Poesy view themselves. These are some of the oldest families of the East, many of whom have deep and abiding ties to the Yang Clan of Thrashing Minister. Their compounds are tasteful and, in comparison to the grand mansions of Cloud Happiness District, modest. It is also home to the White Jade Academy, a traditional Confucian school for the training of future magistrates (and hopefully better ones than the current crop who govern the city) and the headquarters of the small, but influential Fallen Leaves Society of Bird's Progress.

	===The Grand Docks===		===The Grand Docks===
	'''(2 Destiny)'''		'''(2 Destiny)'''