In the fair city of Canton, at the back of a rich house's garden, lies the lily pond, hidden in a bamboo grove. It is a simple round pool, approximately two meters wide, filled with water lillies and often visited by cranes. The usual feeling of peace and harmony one has in feng shui sites is very strong here, making the grove around the pond an ideal place to learn philosophy or practice kung fu.
The house belongs to Great Uncle Bao, an old master known as the Ghost Tiger. He created a style of kung fu based on his observations of the great Siberian tiger. His style is a much a way of life as it is a fighting art. His followers learn to enjoy life, sharpen their senses and never waste their energy when it's not necessary. It should not come as a surprise that most kung fu sects disapprove Bao's teachings. Before they were forced out of Canton, the Guiding Hand monks were the Tigers' fiercest opponents. The Shaolin were even more determined to eliminate a master who taught indolence and gluttony when they discovered about the Lilly Pond. Unfortunately, the Perfect Master never managed to seize the site, despite all the resources he put into it.
The Lilly Pond has the unique ability to change locations. Well, the site itself doesn't move, but the chi does. If the pond is seized or burned, its chi goes to another place owned by the person who first attuned to it. The site needs water to reform, so it usually goes to a location with a pool or a stream of some kind, but the "pond" has been known to appear in damp places like caves or cellars. Within a few days, the new site develops an aura of harmony, while waterlines start to grow and cranes gather in the vicinity.
The Ghost Tigers aren't directly involved in the Secret War, but they have a shadowy protector. Bao teaches his kung fu to a young gwailho, the son of a wealthy American merchant. This man, Theodore Simmons, is a Transformed Tiger and so is his son. Simmons discovered how easy it was for his troubled and rebel offspring to learn discipline and self-control with the old master's techniques. He now watches over the Ghost Tigers. He makes sure the Manchu governor stays out of Bao's way and doesn't imprison his students involved in school rivalry fights.
The other local sects have grown resentful of Bao's prosperity and favors. No doubt that this situation will sooner or later erupt in a big Cantonese kung fu riot.
The Lily Pond grants the normal benefits for attunement, but it is far more easy to spot than any old site. With a successful Chi check against a Difficulty of 5, anyone can guess that the place has some kind of hidden power. The site can only be seized or burned by killing its owner (the first person who attuned to the pond) at the same moment. Otherwise it just moves to another place. Burning it is worth the trouble, though. The great quantity chi released grants 10 experience points to the burners. If a monkey asks about this, I've never told you anything.
"The wise man knows how to listen to his feral instincts. When he is hungry, he eats. When he is tired, he sleeps. When he is furious, he kills."
He's a very old man still alert (some would say that rice alcohol has preserved him) with a round, protruding belly. His pointy chin is adorned with a bushy beard he inquisitively points towards people he's talking to.
Attributes: Bod 4 (Tgh 5), Chi 10, Mnd 7, Ref 7
Skills: Martial Arts 16, Leadership 8, Info/Cooking 9, Info/Wine 12, Gambling 10, Intimidation 13
Fu Schticks: Claw of the Tiger, Tiger Stance, Unyielding Tiger Stance, Vengeance of the Tiger, Friend of Darkness, Gathering the Clouds, Awesome Downpour, Signature metal pipe
Weapons: Punch (5), Kick (6), Pipe (10)
"Yes, Sifu! We'll eat all that food!"
Big chinese men in peasants clothes. They always seem to be eating something.
Attributes: Bod 8, Chi 0 (Fu 4), Mnd 5, Ref 6
Skills: Martial Arts 8, Intimidation 7, Info/Good Cantonese Food 6
Weapons: Punch (9), Kick (10)
| Unknown Armies | Aberrant | Fist of the Wolf | Links | Comments | Personal |