Chapter 1: Lotus Rises from Water

Battle Music!

Rong Hua
You hear a hiss of pain, telling you the invisible being can be wounded. You are dragged, kicking and struggling, through a flap in the back of the tent. There's an iron cage here, with a motionless figure lying on the floor. It looks like you are about to be tossed into the cage too. What do you do?

Wei
You hear her call out, and see her being dragged away by an unseen force. What do you do?

Iko, Xian Feng, and Wu Meng

You make for the East Water Gate. As you draw near, you gather some sort of trouble is happening over there. No one you ask knows for certain, but you do hear someone say a fire has started among the caravan camps.

Zhang WeiYou lash out with Kun Wu, but the blade cleaves nothing but air. There is a shimmer above Rong Hua, and the sorcerer materializes, a clawlike hand grasping your beloved by her braid. The Hiptite points a skeletal finger at you, and there is a blinding flash as magical projectiles of pure malice shoot forth and slam painfully into you!

Rong Hua

Atekhramun still has you by the hair, but his attention is on Wei. What do you do?

Iko, Xian Feng, and Wu Meng

You arrive at the courtyard of the East Water Gate. You see no fire, but there is a large tent billowing with unnatural, greenish smoke. Something else is happening behind the tent, evidenced by occasional flashes of bright light. Some people are running and calling for water buckets to put out the fire, and there are some screaming something about a sorcerer. Dae-Won points out a slim figure running towards the tent, an arrow nocked to its bow. "Sungyeol," says the elf.

What do you do?

Feng, you know fire and smoke. You can tell that greenish smoke is most unnatural. That tent isn't burning... yet. There's another flash, and Wei comes into view, stumbling backwards, trying in vain to fend off magical darts with his sword. The swordsman is hit, but fights on. Sungyeol shoots arrow after arrow. What sort of sorcerer could possibly stand against those two? He must be formidable indeed! Perhaps if you snuck up on the other side, you could catch him unaware. What do you do?

Battle Music!

Battle Music!

Wu Meng darts forward and finally sees what Wei, Rong Hua, and Sungyeol are up against.

Rong Hua tries to roll into a crouch and stab at Atekhramun, but the Hiptite has an unbelievable strong grip on her braid, throwing off her balance. "You bitch!" he screams, and kicks her in the ribs.Fighting through the pain, Wei charges the sorcerer. Kun Wu bites deep and tastes Hiptite blood.

Atekhramun's eyes blaze, and draws himself up to his full height. A forked tongue darts from his mouth, and his skin grows scales. Soon, the sorcerer has transformed into a gigantic snake. Still holding Rong Hua in the grip of its coiled body, it sinks its fangs into Wei!

Iko and Feng glimpse the giant snake briefly as it towers over the tent, then it disappears from sight as it strikes someone on the ground.

Meng, you watch in horror as the giant snake simultaneously tries to swallow Wei whole, and crush Rong Hua with its body!

What do you do (all of you)?