<div dir="auto">Thanks for the update,<div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto">Glad to see Lev mining the "she-demon attempts to steal Tripikaka's manly essence" trope from Journey to the West.</div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto">S</div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto"><br></div></div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr">On Thu., 27 Sep. 2018, 8:23 pm Lev Lafayette, <<a href="mailto:lev@rpgreview.net" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">lev@rpgreview.net</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">==================================================<br>
Story Two: Episode Two : Troubles in Wa'an village<br>
==================================================<br>
<br>
Scene One: Journey to the Village<br>
---------------------------------<br>
<br>
As Exalted left the lands of the Great Yue, now known as the Southern Han,<br>
the hills and forests becamed less prounced and they gradually entered<br>
into flatter and more arable land. Their first encounter was a tax<br>
collector with covered cart, horse, and driver, who revealed himself as <br>
Li Yu'ang, an official of the Ma Chu court. The official expressed many<br>
opinions of the desires of the people to have better roads, more guards,<br>
less bandits, and better weather, but he found it curious that nobody<br>
would want to pay for it. He was particularly perplexed by a nearby<br>
village, Wa'an, which despite good land and rainfall had little to pay in<br>
tax. The Exalted recognised this as the village in which they must reach.<br>
<br>
Indeed it seemed to be so; arriving at the village at dusk the twenty or<br>
so homes were quiet and a careful eye revealed that the rice paddies had<br>
been poorly attended to. Further ahead there was a large house with bold<br>
lights from the balcony. Like mosquitos to the light the Exalted ventured<br>
to the large house only to be surprised by a naked man with a bloody face<br>
howling and running into the woods. An attempt was made to follow him, but<br>
his speed was like that of a madman, and the wood were deep. At the<br>
juncture from which he had departed the remains of a rabbit was found; it<br>
was deduced he had been eating it raw when disturbed.<br>
<br>
Reaching the large house, it was discerned that this was the home of Wang<br>
Wei and Ma Shu, the nephew of Prince Wang Shenzhi and Ma Shu, the daughter<br>
of Ma Yin. Oh joyous occassion! The visiting Exalted were treated with<br>
great respect, and Wang Wei was dressed in splendid court clothes,<br>
although this was not necessary for such an occassion. As the Exalted were<br>
attended to you by a young serving woman, Wang showed himself to have a<br>
great fondness for the food provided, whereas Ma Shu was positively sultry<br>
towards Hěn.<br>
<br>
Scene Two: Noctural Admissions and Glorious Mornings<br>
----------------------------------------------------<br>
<br>
Bedding down for the night the Exalted found themselves very sleepy after<br>
such a long journey and delicious food. Shí, of all people, was the first<br>
to fall asleep. During the night, Hěn had the strange dream than Ma Shu<br>
had come to visit him and apply her womanly affections upon the priest.<br>
Although there was no doubt of the degree of pleasure such attained, Hěn<br>
felt as if he could fall under the spell of this woman, and came to his<br>
senses, even in the dream. The following morning he found it more than<br>
disconcerting that there was evidence of Ma Shu's visit in addition to his<br>
own evidence. Further, over the breaking of fast, Ma Shu's disposition was<br>
somewhat less convivial towards him.<br>
<br>
Taking a trip into the viallage Qian noticed a shrine to Sennong [1], the<br>
god of agriculture, which seems to have been disturbed and poorly attended<br>
to. He took the opportunity, to the best of his ability, to put things<br>
back in order or at least the order which seemed fit to him. Afterwards<br>
the Exalted went to see the local peasants it seemed that whilst they were<br>
doing their work, they did so without finesse or initiative. Talking to<br>
them seemed to generate a similar result. But who can tell whether this<br>
was due to an innate stupefication or something more?<br>
<br>
[1] <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shennong" rel="noreferrer noreferrer noreferrer" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shennong</a><br>
<br>
Shí for story two, episode one = 3<br>
Hěn for story two, episode one = 4<br>
Qian for story two, episode one = 4<br>
Xiǎo for story two, episode one = 0 (not present)<br>
<br>
<br>
-- <br>
Lev Lafayette, BA (Hons), GradCertTerAdEd (Murdoch), GradCertPM, MBA (Tech<br>
Mngmnt) (Chifley)<br>
mobile: 0432 255 208<br>
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</blockquote></div>