Re-reading Simple World, it's actually even simpler than the moves and such I had created. I'll lean more toward Simple World as written but keep the moves I made in the event Harmony tries something that isn't quite covered by Simple World. I've also shortened this adventure to more of a five room dungeon so I don't waste time writing about Yet Another Empty Room. Harmony had two encounters previously, so three left.
I'm still in a Simple World mood, but I also have an idea for 5e Mystara Sword and Sorcery. Mystara is still being internally debated, though.
White Breath Cave, Part III
"Ok," Harmony says, stepping up to the kneeling sorcerer. "What is Ghost Eye really doing in the cave? Why does he need laborers?"
Fung clears his throat. "It should have been a simple recovery mission. Get it, get out. But after we cleared the rubble, we came across the traps. The mist is poison; breathing it killed the first few laborers. Then the statue... when a laborer reached for the scroll, it came to life and cut him in two! A vicious beast made of metal. Ghost Eye sent laborers, one after the other, to no avail."
"And you allowed this to happen?" she asks, voice dangerously quiet.
"Well, yes, I ha-"
The jian sings as it whips out of its scabbard. One slice and Fung falls quiet. Blood pours onto the ground, and Harmony cleans the blade before putting it back in its place.
"You lost your soul dealing with sorcery."
One of the other men begins to stir. Harmony glances over her shoulder, saying, "Go back to Willow Bridge. You have a chance at redemption," then walks back towards the trees.
Harmony's meager scouting ability reveals a hidden path leading to the north. She eyes the trail that passes around the hills, deciding that this may shorten the journey. A day later, the cave looms in front of Harmony. Her approach is lined by trees slowly mutating, the leaves curl and wither. The trunks warp and grow bulbous protrusions. Twenty feet from the cave, all vegetation has died. White mist seeps from the cave's mouth and conceals the ground.
Harmony rolls +Thief to search the hall within the cave and marks XP : 10.
The thick mist roils across the floor, reaching up to her knees. Harmony enters the cave and makes her way down into the passageway carved into the rock at an excruciatingly slow pace. The mist nearly conceals everything under her feet, so she takes extra precautions to keep her footing. Her caution is rewarded as she nears a four way intersection; Harmony's eyes catch the briefest glimpse of a pit in the middle of the intersection, a narrow ledge allowing safe passage down each corridor.
Picking a careful path around the pit, Harmony continues toward the right hand passage, the other two entombed beneath rubble that had not yet been cleared by the laborers. The passage takes her through a small series of rooms : a dining hall, a kitchen, sleeping quarters for the lower ranking members of the cult. Then a light catches her eye. Her pace slows even further.
Harmony rolls +Thief to stealthily approach the room and marks XP : 7, reveal an unwelcome truth.
Harmony approaches the doorway and peers in. A lone figure is pacing and talking to himself within a room covered in carvings of demons rampaging across the countryside, other carvings show demons slaughtering people. The eyes of the demons within the carvings seem to watch the figure in his pacing. His black robes are tied by a yellow sash. His head clean shaven but for the well groomed white goatee.
"We've lost all the laborers to that accursed statue," he utters to the carvings. "No matter what we try, the thing kills whoever touches the scroll." He rubs his chin, "Thankfully, it can not get past the treasury."
Harmony looks down the hall then back at the robed figure. She has an idea and slips by the opening. Further down the hall, she finds the vault the man had been ranting about. Lined with torches lit by ghostly blue flames, the entire chamber is covered by tapestries depicting scenes of slaughter. In the center is a suit of ornate armor, its mask the visage of a smiling demon. Its hands hold an equally ornate jian. At its feet is a bamboo scroll, corpses surrounding it with signs of singular cuts.
"Can't leave the vault, hm?" she ponders, pulling her rope and grappling hook from the satchel she carries.
Harmony rolls +Thief to snare the scroll from the vault and marks XP : 7, show signs of an approaching threat.
The grapple sails through the air and lands behind the bamboo scroll. Harmony smiles and begins to draw the scroll towards her. The head of the statue snaps to level an empty gaze at Harmony. She pulls the rope faster, even as she hears footsteps coming down the corridor behind her.
Harmony snatches the scroll from the floor just as Ghost Eye comes into view. The statue runs toward the door with supernatural speed, the jian rising in preparation for an overhead chop.
Harmony rolls +Warrior to tumble forward and push Ghost Eye out of her way : 8, turn their move back on them.
She rolls away from the blade as it crashes into the stone where she stood. The suit emits an infuriated howl. Harmony breaks into a sprint and runs along the wall, using her momentum to spring at Ghost Eye and shoulder past him. Ghost Eye falls back against the wall, his hand flailing out and catching a hold of the scroll. Harmony and Ghost Eye glare at each other, both of them holding one end of the scroll. Ghost Eye's other hand pushes forward to knock Harmony off balance, using the scroll and her as leverage to pry himself off the wall.
Harmony rolls +Warrior to avoid the shove and elbow Ghost Eye : 9. 2 harm inflicted.
Harmony attempts to roll with the shove, her elbow striking Ghost Eye across the temple. He exhales sharply but continues forward, one foot snaking behind Harmony and tripping her to the ground. His free hand comes down toward Harmony's shoulder.
Harmony rolls +Warrior to grapple Ghost Eye with her legs : 8, 2 harm received.
She hisses as the fist impacts her shoulder, the grip on the scroll loosening. Harmony brings up her legs and wraps her legs around Ghost Eye's head. Ghost Eye grabs hold of the scroll with both his hands and pulls.
Harmony rolls +Warrior to grab one of Ghost Eye's arms in an arm bar : 7.
At the expense of losing the scroll to Ghost Eye, both her hands grab one of his arms. Harmony uses her legs and his head as a fulcrum and twists. Ghost Eye's arm locks uncomfortably beneath one of Harmony's knees. He stands in spite of the pain and punches at her leg.
Harmony rolls +Warrior to break the arm : 12. 2 harm inflicted, 2 harm received.
The fist sends pain up Harmony's thigh. Enough of an incentive to end the fight quickly. Using one leg and both hands, she applies as much pressure on Ghost Eye's arm as she can muster. The limb gives way with an audible crack. He screams, relinquishing his hold on the scroll and falls to the floor while cradling his arm gingerly. The animated armor seethes from his view at the doorway, white mist billowing from the nostrils.
Breath heaving, Harmony rises and grabs the scroll from the floor. Her jian comes out of its scabbard as she stalks toward Ghost Eye.
He grimaces and stares up at her, "This is only one part of The Battle Scroll," he grunts.
The jian stabs into the back of Ghost Eye's neck. Harmony pulls the blade free and sends a glare toward the demon statue. It continues to loom in the doorway, its bulk blocking most of the light. Sheathing the jian, she sets the scroll within the satchel and turns back toward Willow Bridge.
GM Note : End of session, Harmony spends her 5 XP to learn a new move. She chooses to learn the technique from The Battle Scroll.
Lin Jingyi, "Harmony"
Harmony's small athletic form wears black cotton trousers and sash with a steel blue cross collar tunic. She has long ebony hair pulled into a tail and mahogany eyes.
Moral Code : somewhat kind, totally focused, somewhat selfish, very honorable, very brave
Descriptors Heart of silver; selfish but just
+2 Warrior
+1 Detective*, Scout, Thief*
+0 Alchemist, Leader, Mystic, Scholar, Sorcerer, Strategist
"Air is as Real as You or Me" : While you have one Qi, you may leap long distances as part of your movement, run on water and move on vertical surfaces.
Final Parry : Spend one Qi, you may destroy your weapon or shield and reduce incoming Harm to 0.
"Overwhelming Phoenix Strike" : Spend one Qi, your attack is +1 harm.
"Thundering Whirlwind Kick" : You may split your Harm inflicted against multiple opponents.
Gear : fine fan, grappling hook, Heavenly Pill (cure one condition), jian (2-harm hand), needles (1-harm 3 ammo close), Pill of the Ox (+1 forward on physical tasks), riding horse, survival pack, 3-tael
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