Fantasy Core RPG: Jianghu Setting Adventure Part 1

Fantasy Core RPG
© Jerry Harris 2013
Published here as Open Game Content.
(This link will take you to the Fantasy Core Index.)

Jianghu Setting
Sample Adventure “Dark Waters Have Unknown Depths”

Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Monsters & NPC’s 1
Monsters & NPC’s 2

You see only the stream turning the wheel at the mill, not it’s source or it’s destination. For that, you must take a journey.

Adventure Background
This information section is only for the Ref. That’s the same as any other adventure, but this time doubly so. The characters should learn virtually nothing of this background information in this opening adventure. By the end, they should have been exposed to several of the power groups in the setting without knowing their goals, perhaps not even their names. However, it is essential that the Ref knows what’s going on, as succeeding adventures depend highly on the machinations between these groups. As usual, monster and NPC stats will be posted at the end of the adventure. This adventure is for four 1st level characters. They should all start off with a mount.

The “Old Man,” Wong-Fei, has passed away. It was he who turned the myriad of gangs of rural bandits, who terrorized the villages outside of the city of Shang-tu, into a single organization, the Brotherhood of the Immortals. Under his ironfist, they became prosperous, profitable, and even respected amongst the villagers under their “protection.” He bore the government officials he raided and the villagers he oppressed no ill will. It was just business. Wong-Fei only hated the Tongs, the urban gang in Shang-tu who rule all the criminal activity in the city, and their masters, the Heaven and Earth Society (popularly, the Triads), who dream of revolution against the current Imperial government.

His death has seemingly opened a window of opportunity for the Triads. Wong-Fei’s son and successor, Wong-Sim, is far more sympathetic to the cause. He just needs a little incentive to get past his upbringing, or so they think. The Tongs are also eager to expand their influence beyond the city. Their leadership, through various intermediaries, has egged on a small, upstart rural gang into challenging the Brotherhood by attacking one of the villages under its protection, Shinju-Mata.

The plan was simply to setup this gang as a bunch of patsies. The Tongs would capture them, return them and whatever they stole as a goodwill gesture to the Brotherhood. This would make Wong-Sim look weak and perhaps create challenges to his leadership, which would drive him into the Tong’s welcoming arms.

While the raid on Shinju-Mata was successful, the rest of the plan failed. The Tongs found their agent provocateur dead at the gang’s usual hideout. The gang itself has disappeared. Worse, and far worse, the Tong’s actions had not been anointed by Triad leadership. Not only have they now been dragged into this mess, they must clean it up, before the Brotherhood suspects their involvement.

Meanwhile, Lord Hanso ruler of Shinju-Mata, immediately appealed to the village’s protectors for aid. Wong-Sim, woefully inexperienced, has only just perceived the importance of this attack as a challenge to his leadership. He has since mobilized the entire Brotherhood to find the raiders, but they are chasing a trail two days old.

There’s more to it just this however. The White Lotus Society, a rival of the Triads (though they ironically both want the Imperial government deposed), has become aware of this scheme. They do not want the Tongs or the Triads to gain further influence in the countryside at this time. (They’d start an immediate peasant revolt, which the White Lotus would not be able to capitalize on.) They have located the gang and have asked their member, Lord Hanso, to find willing volunteers to apprehend the gang and bring them back alive, so that the Tong’s plan may be exposed. Not having success with the Brotherhood, Hanso has done so. (It should be noted that Hanso has only been told to ask for volunteers, not about the Tong’s plot.)

A little late to this affair, the Imperial government has learned of this raid, though not the parties responsible. They are also trying to find the gang to bring them to justice to show that the Empire is still fully sovereign in the rural areas and can protect them against these bandit gangs.