BAY CITY CHINATOWN

Wedged in between the Financial District and Civic Center area to the south, and North Beach and Fisherman’s Wharf to the north, Chinatown is usually entered by tourists through the “Dragon Gates” on Grant Avenue at Bush. It was founded by Chinese immigrants who came to “Kam Saan” (“Mountain of Gold,” as they knew California) to work on the Transcontinental Railroad and make their fortunes. Today it is an ethnic neighborhood with about 20,000 residents, almost all of them of Asian descent. It has its own newspapers, banks, and chamber of commerce.

On the main streets, you are likely to find shops catering to tourists, but off the beaten paths, on the “Chinatown Alleys” and other side streets, they are more likely to find the “traditional”
Chinatown they’re seeking—fine restaurants, herbalists’ shops, and the like. Characters of mystic bent are particularly likely to find things to interest them in some of the small “antique shops.”

In one such shop, an Uncle and his niece are eating noodles at a 400-year-old rosewood table decorated with images a Pheonix inlaid with mother of pearls. Outside a heavy rain is keeping any likely customers from braving the streets.

Masterfully handling his chopsticks, Uncle Wu Fan slurps his noodles as he talks about his niece's future.

"You need to show the same diligence to your study of Gung Fu that you showed to school. But it is not all about fighting. A fist can only destroy. But it takes an educated mind to teach the hand to build and heal. Anyone can spot a disaster that has already occurred, but it takes a keen intellect to spot the signs before the crisis occurs."

"Being the Jade Dragon is no game. The people of this city are depending on you Qui-Lin." Uncle Wu Fan said motioning out the window at the passerby's dashing by to get out of the unexpected downpour.

"No matter how hard it rains the streets of this city will not be cleansed of sin. For that, it takes a diligent scrubbing by pure souls. That is the task of the Jade Dragon."
This message was last edited by the player at 22:44, Sun 10 Feb 2019.

Evelyn looked across at the man who - for the majority of her life - had been her kindly, indulgent uncle.  This man - this demanding, stern tone - was alien to her.  It was the kind of tact her mother might have tried on her... once, before learning that it was futile, and only drove her further away.

But with the death of her father and her elder brother, everything had changed.

She hesitated a moment, her eyes stinging, but her spine firm as she drew herself up.

"My name," she said, her voice quavering, "is Evelyn."

"I didn't ask for this," she insisted.  "You never told me what you wanted. You pulled me into this.  I wasn't ready.  I didn't want it.  I'm not my brother.  This legacy, this ancient chop-sake stuff is not my life.  You always encouraged me to be myself.  Is this me?" she demanded, tears standing out in her eyes.  "Do I seem like a savior to you?  I'm a 21-year old college student.  I play baseball.  I study fashion design.  What did you expect?"
This message was last edited by the player at 01:18, Sat 09 Feb 2019.

Her Uncle's face remained unchanged for a moment before softening, "Evelyn, I know you didn't ask for any of this to happen. Your father and mother didn't want this for you. Nor did I."

"But the responsibility falls upon you now. A rose is a beautiful flower until it is trampled, then it is the thorns that matter more than the petals."

"It falls upon the Jade Dragon protect the people of Gold Moutain. There are dark forces at work, the balance must be maintained. The time has come for you to focus. You must learn to harness the power of the Jade Dragon." Wu Fan said. But it was clear to Evelyn that there was something he was not saying. Something had changed. Something dangerous was coming.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:36, Wed 13 Feb 2019.

OOC: Sorry, busy week.

Jade wiped her eyes as if angry at her own tears.

"I know," she admitted.  "I know that.  But I have no idea what I'm doing, here.  These powers... they're amazing... and frightening."

"I'll do my best," she said.

"I know you will." Uncle Wu Fan replied as he sipped his tea.

"Always remember you are not alone. You are but one in a long line. You will never be alone.  Your ancestors will guide you, you but have to listen." Uncle Wu Fan smiled.
This message was last edited by the player at 08:20, Fri 15 Feb 2019.

Suddenly the shop door opened and along with the wind and the rain a costumed super clad in a hooded red cowl staggered inside.

"Jade .." the figure muttered in a fragile young sounding voice.

Even a quick glance told Evelyn she was hurt just before she tripped and crumpled to the floor.

"That's what scares me," Evelyn said, almost a whisper.

Then a costumed girl in a red cowl staggered in, obviously hurt... called her named, and collapsed.

"Omigod!" Evelyn cried, then sprang up and ran to the girl. "Are... are you okay?!"

When Evelyn reached the crumpled figure she pulled away the girl's hooded cape and revealed the battered and bruised superhero Whiz Kid. While the two had not yet crossed paths, Whiz Kid has already developed a reputation as a tenacious detective who has taken on some of the city's toughest underworld figures in the last few months.

At five feet four inches and maybe a hundred and twenty pounds even clad in her lightly armored costume Whiz Kid seems tiny when she comes up against some of Bay City's toughest villains.

But what Whiz Kid lacks in imposing physicality she makes up for with moxie and smarts. While it is clear she has studied various fighting arts in her young life it is her gift for gadgets that has kept her alive on the tough streets of Bay City.

Based on how beat up she is, it is clear one of those enemies has caught up with her.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:38, Sat 23 Mar 2019.

Uncle Wu Fan, moving a bit slower than he used came up along Evelyn's side. Kneeling next to Whiz Kid he began examining the barely conscious girl.

"Be careful she is charged with powerful yin energy." Uncle Wu Fan said.

Looking over at Evelyn his eyes conveyed the urgency of her condition. Calling to Evelyn's mother for the bag in which he kept his tools for rendering aid in the ancient tradition of Chinese medicine, there was no doubt your superheroes life likely hung in the balance.

Just as Evelyn's mother arrived, Whiz Kid seemed to pass out as she said one final word "Cyclone."

At the same moment, her hand relaxed and a piece of torn blue and silver cloth fell from Whiz Kid's gloved hand.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:35, Tue 19 Feb 2019.

Jade knelt near the fallen girl and reached out to touch her, but pulled up when Wu Fan warned her to be careful.

"Cyclone?" she said, hearing the girl's words.  "Who the hell is Cyclone?"

Reaching out, she took the silver cloth that fell from the girl's hands...

Jade's Uncle moved in closer and rubbed his hands together. After a moment his hands seemed to glow with heat.

"She needs yang energy to balance her chi, or she will die."  Uncle Wu Fan said as he laid his hands on the crumpled form.

Make an Intellect roll to identify the reference about Cyclone. Add Martial Arts.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:33, Wed 13 Mar 2019.

"Yang energy to balance her chi?" Evelyn repeated, lost.  "What about some broth to balance her chow?  Water? Blankets?  Should I call 9-1-1?"


13:48, Today: Jade Dragon rolled 10 using 2d6+3 ((3,4)). Adding martial arts makes it a 12.

Seeing that scrap of the uniform and hearing the word cyclone, Evelyn remembers last month when she ended up joining forces with some other supers in a battle against a team of villains. One of them was kind of cute and not a half bad martial artist went by the name of Cyclone due to his mastery of the wind.

"Chi follows like a stream of energy around your body, through the important energy channels or ‘meridians’ that connect all your vital organs. Fine tuning and balancing the quality and flow of your chi energy is the basis of all Chinese medicine practices."

If your chi energy moves out of balance it can be to either of two extremes: yin or yang. Yin and yang are opposite but complementary ‘qualities’ or ‘characteristics’ of the same energy. The healthy balance of chi energy between yin and yang is known as wu wei."

As Uncle Wu Fan applied his hands, he shook his head with disappointment, "The Jade Dragon needs to learn more than fighting. You will face many dangerous foes, some will be masters of chi energy. To survive you too must master those techniques as well."

"The Cobra Venom Strike?" Evelyn's uncle said with some surprise.

"The last known master of this technique was the Hooded Cobra. But he was crippled years ago by your father in their final confrontation and I have not seen anything like this since." Wu Fan said.
This message was last edited by the player at 06:51, Thu 14 Mar 2019.

Beneath her cape, the costume-clad girl began to stir. Looking at her Evelyn figured she was a teenager, still in High School.

"The storm .." the girl mumbled seemingly doing a bit better.

When she had staggered into the shop, the girl that went by the super name of Whiz Kid was dying, but thanks to Uncle Wu Fan's knowledge of Chinese medicine it seemed she would live.

Whiz Kid raised her head and looked Evelyn in her eyes, "We have to find Cyclone and stop the storm."
This message was last edited by the player at 06:53, Thu 14 Mar 2019.

"I know what Chi is," Evelyn muttered.

"I'd love to master all this stuff but, like, Ki had his whole life to train for this. And look where it got him.  How am I supposed to pick it up in, like, 5 minutes?"

When Wu Fan mentioned the Hooded Cobra, she added, "Maybe it's his son?"

Then Whiz Kid stirred and spoke.  Evelyn dropped to her side and took her hand compassionately.

"How do we find him?" she asked.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:10, Wed 20 Mar 2019.

"Such is the way of the Jade Dragon. But you are not alone in this, on the path you walk all of the other Jade Dragons walk with you." Evelyn's uncle replied having heard every word.

"It is not a son.."

".. but maybe his daughter." Whiz Kid said interjecting herself into the conversation, her voice why but her mind clearly working.



Whiz kid looked up at Evelyn, her face was bruised, one eye nearly swollen closed, "The eye .."

".. find the eye."

23:39, Today: Whiz Kid rolled 13 using 1d6+8.  Investigation.
This message was last edited by the player at 07:29, Mon 01 Apr 2019.

"Great.  Just what I need. A cat fight," Evelyn replied, rolling her eyes.

"They eye?  The Eye of Agamatto?  No, wait," she added, listening to Whiz Kid.  "The eye of the storm, maybe?" 

She almost unconsciously glanced to the window, looking to the skies.

Uncle Wu Fan's eyes drifted to the window as well, "This storm is quite intense and most unusual for this time of year. Perhaps some sorcery is at work. Storm magic is very powerful, but also hard to control. If whoever is behind this were to lose their grasp over all this power it is not impossible that the city will be destroyed."

"Well we can't just sit here and let that happen," Evelyn protested. "What can I do?  Go out and look for this bee with an itch who's daddy was a doddering dickhead?"

She moved towards the door, not sure what to do, only that sitting still wasn't an option.

"Wait a moment."

Uncle Wu Fan turned back to a wall of vials and jars and gathered a few items. Quickly heading to a small tabletop workshop he mixed up some sort of elixir.

With the potioned brewed, the old sorcerer went to a counter filled with what seemed like bric-a-brac and after a moment pulled out an ancient looking box.

Evelyn's uncle handed her the vial and the box, "The first is a potion that will offer you some protection versus Cobra Venom Strike. Drink it shortly before you fight a practitioner of that dark art."

"This is a compass. It will lead to the greatest imbalance of the elemental forces."

"Keep your phone on and come home safe." Uncle Wu fan said as returned to the crumpled form of Whiz Kid.

Evelyn paused and turned back to her beloved uncle. Nodding, she took the elixir he offered, then the box.

"I will," she promised.  Reaching into her back pocket, she made sure her phone was on.

Then she set off, using the box to find trouble... and hoping she was up to it when she did.