Xian Tze Tzu Sorcerer Body 5 Chi 0 Magic =8 Mind 5 Ref 5 +2,+2,+2|+2 Sorcery +7 Info/History Info/ +2 Info/ +2 Lin hao, stranger. I am Xian Tze Tzu, a gentleman and scholar of the Great Kingdom (China, circa AD66). How I came to be here is a long and strange tale, a tale for another time. For now, let me say simply that, a few years ago, I wason the trail of some vile kidnappers of strange mein, who several had reported to be devils. Devils hold no fear for me, especially not when my older brother's youngest son is the victim, for I know what it is like to be the youngest of the family. I followed the strange creatures down strange paths to strange places -- twisting caverns of fire and ice which do not belong to this earth. Yes, the demons seemed to be walking a pathway of the Mountain of the East. The caverns contained signs of passage, but never did I encounter the villians myself. When I finally emerged from the twisting passages, I had arrived, not in the Mount, but some altogether stranger place, a twisted reflection of the Kingdom (1848). A quick search of the area led me to a nearby temple of some sort, and a strange sight of a different type. A contest between two groups of people -- and what a contest! even as the youngest son, I have seen masters of martial arts, but the demonstration I beheld on that night was woundrous. There was a sort of savage beauty to the scene, as 12 men fought for their lives. They were all garbed strangely, and each seemed to be a warrior of great prowess. They fought quickly, efficiently, and quietly, and the scene had a quality of rightness that is even now hard for me to describe. But I digress... Suffice to say that, although the battle had been joined ere I encountered it, I did still watch, and absorb, the conclusion, some few moments later. The battle seemed evenly matched, although finally the more strangely-garbed of the two groups proved victorious, by a single man. After defeating his last two opponents, he recovered for a brief moment, and then began to systematically destroy a section of wall and three small statues. He then used a nearby lantern to light a large tree on fire, and sprinted off into the night. As I attemtped to determine if I should give chase, I heard a low moaning nearby -- one of the victims was somehow still alive! Being a healer of some skill, I attempted to revive the man, hoping to question him in his weakened state. Imagine my surprise when, rather than being roused, injured old man is instead transformed into an adder! Now doubly shaken, I made off a small ways and consulted the signs. Although they cannot tell me where my nephew is, they do tell me that he was NOT taken by either the victor or the victims. Being shortly past the middle of the night, in a strange and hostile environment, I decided to wait until morning before attempting to pick up the trail again. My search proved fruitless, as you've probably already guessed, and, even more disturbing, I was unable to find my way back to the odd tunnel that had led me to the strange world. After several days of searching, I decided to return to the temple area. There were several monks nearby, of a strange religion, repairing the damage to the grounds. The monks prove more than willing to allow me to share their temple, and so I began my watch, consulting the oracles, hoping to find some path forward on my journey. It was a good place, and a good time. I learned much about the changed world there, and made many friendships, including my young friend there, but my soul chafed to return to the recovery of my nephew, and so it could not last. While I watched, and waited, and learned, I did sometimes see strange sights at the temple grounds, including other conflicts. After several months, the oracles finally came through, warning me of another grand change, and so and I were ready when, a few days later, another conflict of shadowy groups began. This time, we laid in wait, and followed the victors from the temple grounds to yet another strange cavern, and through...