This is support a game of Feng Shui that I am running for RPGS
7th Centaury China
Chan Shi walked across the courtyard of Lotus Eater compound, around him various apprentices excercised their craft, throwing bolts of energy at the practice dummies set up around the courtyard. They would never have the same power as himself though, they were of the new generation recruited by Biao Bang since they had fled to the 7th century and some still held their manhood, ….weaklings. But the constant battles since their relocation to this juncture with the forces of Wu Zeitian, the Empress of China, plus the expansion in the Chi War made it the only practical solution. That of course would not stop Chan Shi using it as a sign of weakness of his leader should the need arise.
As he was one of the most influential sorcerous in the order some of the practicing recruits stopped in their tasks to show their defence to him but he just greeted them with a contemptuous sneer……weaklings, what’s next, letting women wear the robe?
Chan Shi’s sneer turned into a scowl as he noticed the man waiting for him at the palace gates, Yue Dong, one of Xiwei Gundong’s underlings.
“My master sends his apologies that he could not be here in person to hear your disgrace” Yue Dong said as he fell into step behind the other man, “But he toils setting up a new circle to call the founder to us.”
Like himself, Xiwei Gundong was one of the Eaters of the Lotus that was striving to bring the founder of the order, Gao Zhang, back to them from the first century. His method involved using the portals in the Inner Kingdom to gain access to the 1st Century to retrieve him, or by some form of summoning directly.
“He says” the other man continued, “That he had told you it was unwise to seek the tomb of the founder in such a distant juncture and what di..”
Yue Dong stopped as Chan Shi glared at him, the fire in his eyes quite literal as they burned with blue flames. Taking the hint, he stopped the delivery of the message of his master and the two men continued in silence.
Guards at the end of the corridor snapped their polearms that the warriors called Ji, upright to allow the two men to enter the chamber beyond.
It was lit by torches, yet their reddish glow was paled by the green fire that burned in summoning well in the centre of the room. Within the green fire a fearsome creature of the Underworld formed, writhing and struggling against the will of the Biao Bang, de facto leader of the Eaters of the Lotus.
Green fire spued from the old man’s mouth in a tendril that joined with those in the fire pit binding the creature and his eyes blazed white as he channelled his power.
Chan Shi could see that the demon was a large one to be calling this plane and that although the old man may have lost his senses in recruitment, he was not missing a step then it came to demonstrating his power.
Beside him he could feel Yue Dong baulk as he witnessed the scene. It was unlikely that being apprenticed to Xiwei Gundong that he would ever have seen a creature of this power.
With a malevolent scream the creature was torn into the realm of men, and it glared at the two new arrivals. Slowly Biao Bang’s wispy tendril of green fire retreated from the summoning well and returned to his mouth. As it did so his whole posture slumped as if drained from his efforts.
Chan Shi knew that this was a test, had Biao Bang even thought that he was to be sufficiently weakened for his summoning, the guards would have been ordered not to let them enter until they had been called for. No, this was a test of loyalty, the old man being as canny as he was powerful.
Instead, Chan Shi dropped to one knee in deference to his leader “Forgive me Master, I have failed to retrieve the Dragon keystone. We found much more resistance that was anticipated as apes of the New Simian army were present and many Dragon fighters, about 20 or so.”
“Then maybe you should have secured it when it was dug up” Yue Dong interjected with a sneer.
Holding his head lower, Chan Shi continued, no options for him, “It is true master, the forces of the Ascended dragon were too great for us to be able to retrieve it. The limited resources of my search team insufficient and my power limited in the contemporary juncture. But these are not excuses just the reasons for my failure, which has been total and complete, I place myself at your mercy.”
Biao Bang straightened and moved over to the prostrate man, though he did not walk. Instead he glided across the floor his robes billowing slightly from the movement but not disturbed by his legs at all. Stopping suddenly in front of Chan Shi, one hand reached down, unfurling like a claw due to exaggerated length of the old man’s fingernails until he gently tucked the other man under the chin and raised his eyes to his own.
“Leader” Yue Dong spoke, “My master has sent me to offer service to load a mission to retrieve the Dragon Keystone from the infidels!”
Ignoring him, Biao Bang spoke in a soft voice, the milky white of his eyes boring into Chan Shi’s as he gazed down, “So you think you have failed. I had thought that you were more aware of the circumstances than that. Surprising.”
Suddenly and without warning, Biao Bang disappeared from in front of the prone Chan Shi to appear directly in from of Yue Dong, who took an involuntary step backwards in surprise. When the old man spoke, he had more of an edge to his voice, “Your Masters sacrifice is appreciated, though the keystone is no longer important to us, the sudden resurgence in the Dragons is of more concern. In that you can assist, and I will thank your Master for your sacrifice as I chastise him for sending an imbecile into my presence that cannot respect his betters.”
Yue Dong gawped in shock “Master, I do not understand!”
“That much is apparent” Biao Bang snapped and then tapped the other man on the forehead with one of his exaggerated fingernails.
Where the nail had struck, a small green fire ignited and started to spread, sweeping out slowly like a petrol fire, eating flesh as it spread. Yue Dong’s eyes looked upwards but the scream in his throat did not have time to form as his whole being was consumed by the green flame, consolidating into a ball of sickly green flame that floated in front of the old man.
With a contemptuous flick of his wrist, Biao Bang sent the green ball of flame whizzing over to the demon in the summoning pit, who snapped it out of the air greedily with gnash of its jaws. Power flowed through the creature as it consumed the human soul before it turned its gaze toward Chan Shi, wondering if it was going to get another tasty treat.
Chan Shi looked expectantly at the old man, wise enough not to show his lack of understanding and to await the explanation from his better.
“Our continual inability to find the resting place of Goa Zhang has long made me believe that someone was working against us. Your discovery in the contemporary juncture confirms my suspicions and explains many things.” Biao Bang indicated for the other man to stand, “Additionally, I had long questioned the sudden decline in the effectiveness of the Dragons and again you have cleverly found the reason for that.”
At the pause in the old man’s diatribe, Chan Shi reluctantly spoke, “I am sorry, but I do not follow Master.”
A small smiled crept onto the older man’s face, “On the contrary, you are an excellent ally as you show respect. But in the machinations of the Chi War you still have much to learn.”, he turned toward the other man, “One of our enemies, probably those monks from the past juncture, stole the Dragon Keystone from the Dragons shrine in Hong Kong. They then used its power as a talisman to thwart us and hide the location of Goa Zhang.”
As he continued, Biao Bangs speech got more fervent and passionate, “You will be able to return to the location where the Keystone was retrieved, and you will find the remains of the founder, Goa Zhang, and return him home. Then we will restore him to life so that he can take his place as leader of the order and use his power to cement us victory in the Chi War so that we will rule all of existence.”
“Yes, yes” Chan Shi was pulled into fever of moment, “Then we shall crush the Dragons!”
“Oh No” Biao Bangs voice had dropped back to a calculating menace as his gaze turned towards the summoning well, “I have other plans for these new upstart Dragons.”