Chapter 1: Lotus Rises from Water

As Iko prepares to defend himself, Feng leaps atop the knife-wielding assailant, wrestling the man to the ground. The unarmed thug, now faced not only with his leader's burning head, but also the fiery demon that slew him, turns around and flees.

The crazed thug is burnt half to death, but is still very much in the fight.

Meng can now see that Iko and Feng are involved in this fight somehow, though there's no telling if the wounded elf in front of him is an ally. Even though the two thugs are likely in the same gang as the one Feng is wrestling, there's no way of telling that for sure.

What do you all do?

Battle Music

Pinned on the ground by Feng, the crazed thug continues to fight like an animal. "Demon! Go back to hell! Aaah!"

The other thugs have enough brains between the two of them to realize the odds are against them, and attempt to flee. One of them still has Meng's chopstick sticking out of his shoulder. Do you pursue?

Iko, Feng, Meng

The thug lands a final, panicked knife-slash before Feng's onslaught leaves him burnt and bleeding out on the ground. The other two disappear into the shadows like sewer rats. Tamchim's elf, Dae-Won, is down on one knee, breathing hard, bleeding from a bad stab wound in the armpit. His hand still clutches his slender sword, but his arm hangs at his side.

What do you do?

---

Wei
You spot a trio of Hiptites gathered around a campfire. Before you can reach them, a pair of city guards stop you. "Whoa there. In a hurry, are you? State your business here." Opal City guards are notoriously lazy. This uncharacteristic vigilance must have something to do with the trouble in the Upper City. The trouble you're guessing Rong Hua had something to do with.

What do you do?

---

Rong Hua

You sweep your gaze around the interior of Atekhramun's tent, taking in the lavish furnishings, profusion of books and scrolls, and instruments of unknown function. Some sort of strong incense is burning, making your head swim a little.

Mei is not here.

"May I offer you food, or drink?" the sorcerer raises a pot of aromatic brown brew that almost drowns out the smell of incense. Almost. "Kaff. A wondrous brew from my home."

What do you do?

Wei

The two guards visibly relax, grinning. "Yeah, that's what we like to hear! There's a little watering hole over there. Come buy us a drink and we can part as friends. In fact, why don't we help you find your buddy so he can join us?"

The shorter of the two guards nudges his buddy. "You hear that, Bao? This guy and his friend can read. I keep tellin' ya, if you wanna move up in the world, you gotta learn to read! See, he's even got a fancy sword and everything!"

The taller one isn't listening. "So where's your fancy friend, so we can go get that drink?"

The tall one takes the coins, but it's the shorter one that speaks again, "That knife-ears looks even fancier than you. I think I get it, Bao. Our new friend here has himself some competition for a lady's attention! Am I right, fancy-pants? Don't worry, we'll get him off your back and toast to you and your lady friend after."

With a wink from the chatty one and a grunt from Bao, the two move off and accost Sungyeol.

What do you do now?

Roll Fighting Fire With Fire if you wish, Feng.

Wei, you now have the Hiptites' attention. They look at you curiously, but say nothing. What do you do?