One
of the more notorious secret societies in China during the pre-Republican Era
was the White Lotus Society, which played a shadowy role in supporting the
“Boxers” – The Fists of Righteous Harmony – whose goals in driving out the
foreigners from China aligned with their own ideals. The Siege of Peking saw a
cataclysmic end to the influence of the Boxers, but tacit support of their
cause remained a thorn in the Foreign Legations’ sides right up until 1923.
China’s
secret societies have always been a fluid and nebulous phenomenon. In most
instances, a particular society arises in opposition to the dynasty that
currently occupies the throne and aims to restore the former incumbents. The
White Lotus Society vehemently opposed Manchu rule of China (regarding them as
foreigners, along with the Japanese and Europeans) and sought to restore the
Ming Dynasty to the Dragon Throne, despite the fact that the Ming were –
objectively - despotically cruel and corrupt. To this end, the Society lent
their support to various other groups whose aims paralleled their own, the
Taipings in the 1860s and notably the Boxers, but also another group based in
Tientsin called the Red Lanterns.
The
Red Lanterns were an all-female offshoot of the Righteous Fists of Harmony, who
appeared as a support organisation formed to enable the Boxers greater
opportunities for victory. The two groups had very similar rites and
ceremonies, but the ‘Lanterns came to be seen as a more supernatural
contingent, almost a society of witches.
Given
the rigidity of a woman’s place in Chinese society, along with the
regimentation which European Victorian society placed upon its women, the main
power of the Red Lanterns was its flouting of convention. The women within its
ranks, defied the Manchu rule by cutting their hair and refusing to bind their
feet (not that Manchu women bound their feet, but the Manchu rulers liked to
maintain a distinction between “their” women and those of the indigenous Han);
the fact that they stood shoulder-to-shoulder with men in battle was in direct
contravention to the Confucian edict that women should not be seen outside the
family home unaccompanied by male relations, much less touch another man to
whom they were unrelated whilst outside of the household. The Red Lanterns’
contravention of accepted norms filled their opponents – European, Japanese or
otherwise – with a sense of dread and fear. If a woman was able to go this far
in the name of a cause, who knew just how far they would go?
In
this tactic, it’s possible to see traces of the Boxers’ main psychological
advantage: they too, acted wildly in opposition of what was expected and, in
doing so, startled their opponents into making errors on the battlefield. The T’ai-p’ing T’ao, the main form of Boxer
magic, also utilised this contravention of normality to surprise and dupe their
enemies. Weapons used against them seemed useless; their weapons seemed especially effective; their dead didn’t seem
to stay that way. In fact the Chinese secret societies, in the face of the
foreign powers’ technological advantages, turned to virtually the only edge
that they could use – a psychological one.
The
Red Lanterns were created by the White Lotus Society as an adjunct to the
Righteous Fists of Harmony. The movement crystallised around a young widowed
prostitute named Lin Hei’er, whose husband, Li Youquan, had been imprisoned and
killed by the British for protesting against the opium trade. A White Lotus member
and Boxer leader, Zhang Decheng, took her under his wing and initiated her into
the Boxer tradition, re-naming her “Yellow Lotus” and establishing her as the
leader of the newly-formed Red Lanterns. Their role was to be a secret
guerrilla organisation to spread panic and to assist the main Boxer troops
behind the lines, fighting the enemy from the shadows.
The
Red Lanterns spied on enemy troop movements, intercepted messages and destroyed
telegraph lines. They became infamous for setting fires to enemy equipment and
outposts along with other acts of sabotage. The main body of the Red Lantern
brigade fought alongside the Boxers, fighting and dying with the men on the
battlefield. Yellow Lotus undertook to train any woman who came to her with the
intention of fighting for the cause: only the rich, women with bound “lotus
feet”, were turned away. Widows and old women formed the Black and the Blue
Lantern brigades, who focused their efforts on sabotage and misdirection while
the Sha Guo Zhao or “Cooking Pan Lanterns”,
scoured the countryside scrounging food and equipment to aid the Boxers.
Yellow
Lotus operated not only as teacher for the Red Lanterns, but also as judge and
jury. Those guilty of dissension, or of breaking the traditions of the Boxer
oaths, were dragged before her for sentencing and punishment. Occasionally, the
accused was able to purchase their freedom with hefty amounts of cash, but this
was fairly rare. Yellow Lotus became a tactical advisor and confidante to many
magistrates and local governors who sympathised with the Boxer cause.
In
1900, after the Battle of Tientsin
against the British, the foreign press declared that Yellow Lotus had been
wounded and captured by British soldiers during the fight. It was reported that
she had been beheaded after a swift court session in the battle’s aftermath.
Other rumours pervaded, however: some said that Yellow Lotus had disguised
herself as a fisherman and had escaped by sea, leaving a decoy to stand in her
stead. Whether this rumour had any truth about it or not, the Japanese police
forces in China didn’t officially cease their search for Lin Hei’er, aka Yellow
Lotus, until 1923.
The
rituals of the Red Lanterns, derived as they were from the Boxer traditions,
were very similar to those of the parent organisation and may be of some
interest. In the investiture ceremony, the initiate was made to kneel before
the Boxer leader and swore a solemn oath, dedicating their life to the throwing
off of foreign tyranny, to solidarity with other society members, and to a
strict vow of secrecy. They also vowed to take the heavens as their father, the
earth as their mother, the stars as their brothers and the moon as their
sister.
The
new initiate swore allegiance using the following words: “If I, your pupil, do not respect your law, or if I divulge this Way of
Immortals, may my flesh be reduced to congealed blood. I will never go against
this teaching. If I should go against this teaching may a thunderbolt strike me
dead.” The sect leader would respond in this fashion: “I am a teacher; I do not teach an heretical sect. If I should transmit
any heretical teaching, or if I should use tricks to get people’s money for
myself, then may a thunderbolt strike me dead.” After this, the novice
would drain a bowl of chicken’s blood.
Once
the vow had been sworn, the initiate then began 49 days of intensive martial
arts training. The style of the fighting skill depended upon a number of
factors including the local area and the style which predominated there, or the
style preferred by the Boxer leader in charge. During this training, the
initiate was marked with a burn, usually to the back of the head, with a hot
brand made from wormwood leaves.
There
are other rituals which took place during this training and they were designed
to ramp up the initiate’s zealotry while simultaneously deadening their sense
of pain. Many of these rituals involved drugging by means of the
highly-poisonous compound, mercury sulphate. Hypnotism and the induction of
trance states allowed the initiates to ignore the ravages of the battlefield,
shrugging-off what they perceived as “mystically enlightened states of
consciousness” and continuing to fight in the face of certain death. It’s
likely that many Boxers killed in battle had no idea that they were even there.
Boxers
were all taught “True Words”, an eight-character chant which was supposed to
purify their soul and make them powerful fighters for the cause. The True Words
were chanted to the “Three Easts” thrice each day, twenty-seven times facing
east in the morning, fifty-four times facing south at noon, and eighty-one
times facing west at dusk. The society placed great stock in the notion of
spiritual purity and devotees were told that, if they weren’t sufficiently
pure, the Boxers’ magic would not protect them. Once this became common
knowledge, the foreign powers began to paint pictures of naked women on their
cannons to ensure that the Boxers’ spells were ineffective against them.
In
the final analysis, the Red Lanterns were a colourful and psychologically-challenging
adjunct to the main Boxer contingents, not unlike the bizarre Ten Nai, or “Tiger Men”, who campaigned
both with the Righteous Fists and the Imperials, and whose prancing and
cavorting on the front lines threw the foreign troops into consternation. To
this day the legend of Yellow Lotus and the all-female troops which she
commanded is a staple mythology of the city of Tientsin wherein she and the Red
Lanterns have attained the status of folk heroes.
*****
Additional Spells from the T’ai p’ing
T’ao
Like
most other spells from this set, there is a magical version of each spell and a
mundane, non-mystical form, which depends more upon trickery and legerdemain
than anything supernatural. Most spells require that the caster recite the
standard “true words” and burn offerings to the dead – “joss paper”, “gold
paper”, or “hell money”, a spiritual aid to the ancestors in the afterlife.
Pear wood is often used for writing charms, since the wood of the pear tree is
considered to be spiritually pure. Many of the mundane spells require that the
recipient of the “magic” be thrown into a confused state or stupor: this is
often achieved using fasting regimens, frenetic dancing or chanting, and often
the application of some decoction, often based on alcohol or opium. Not
uncommonly, these trances were induced using mercury sulphate – either breathed
in as “incense” or imbibed as a potion. Derived from native cinnabar, this
substance is lethally poisonous in sufficient doses.
When
discovered in a Chinese Mythos tome, the Keeper should decide if the spells are
the bogus rituals, the real magic, or a combination of the two, as suits their
purpose and their story.
“Fire
of Heaven”
Magical Version:
This
spell is a modified version of the spell Summon
Fire Vampire. The caster creates a magical cloth, investing it with 1 point
of their POW. The cloth should be either yellow or red, and dyed, painted or
embroidered with mystical sigils and “true words”. Into one corner of the
cloth, a small number of coins should be sewn. The caster then awaits an
evening when the star Fomalhaut is above the horizon and casts the Summoning spell as per usual; however,
when the Fire Vampire appears, the caster brandishes the cloth and the ‘Vampire
becomes trapped, inert, within it, able to be safely stored away. At a moment
of the caster’s choosing, they are then able to flick open the cloth (using the
weight of the coins to facilitate this action) and release the Fire Vampire to
cause havoc. These cloths are especially useful for causing arson, or attacking
enemies. Once freed, the Fire Vampire disappears back to whence it came; the
cloth may then be used in a repetition of the casting.
If
the coins used in creating the cloth are ones minted during the reign of the
Kiangsi Emperor (of the Ming Dynasty) then the Summoning spell has a base 20% effectiveness.
Mundane Version:
The
cloths in this version of the spell are not as elaborate. Usually, they are
knotted heavily in one corner, or have stones or other weights tied into them;
they are then dipped into some kind of accelerant liquid (petrol, or oil, say)
and then ignited and tossed onto roofs, or through open windows. The Black
Lantern brigade members are especially fond of this magic.
“Flying
Dagger”
Magical Version:
By
means of this spell, the caster enacts a long-range attack upon a chosen foe,
attacking with surprise from an almost unlimited range. The spell is cast when
the caster writes “true words” upon a piece of paper, using a pen made from
pear wood, whilst burning “gold paper” and chanting, investing the paper charm
with half their Magic Points (round
up). The caster must then smuggle the charm into the clothing of their target,
secreting it upon their person so as not to be detected. Ideal places for
hiding the charm are inside hat bands, watch fobs, coat linings, tobacco
pouches, snuff boxes, or similar: regardless, the charm must be on the person
of the target when the spell is put into effect.
At
the desired moment, the caster picks up a dagger and strikes the empty air with
it, rolling their normal attack dice with a thrown, or wielded, knife; bonuses
for Martial Arts skills, or similar,
are added to this roll, if applicable. Wherever the target is – assuming that
they are in the same dimension as the caster – they are suddenly attacked by a
mysteriously-appearing dagger and, if the caster’s attack roll was successful,
they take normally-rolled damage (including Damage
Bonus, if applicable). They may also be susceptible to any poison which the
blade may have upon it. If the attack roll was unsuccessful, then the blade
simply materialises near the intended victim and clatters uselessly off the
surroundings, startling the target (and causing concern for their security) but
inflicting no physical harm. Meanwhile the caster loses 1d6 points of SAN.
For
attack purposes, this dagger is able to Impale
– even if the target is normally unaffected by such attacks - and is considered
to be a magical weapon for this one strike.
Mundane Version:
This
form of the spell is the complete opposite of the magical version. Where the
magical version attempts to set up an ambush attack, the mundane version seeks
to make the target feel that they have narrowly escaped such an attack. The caster needs to let the target know
that they have the ability to cause a long-range attack upon their enemy, and
to subtly leak the information of the process to them. They then should try to
secret the charm – in this instance a non-magical scrawl upon a piece of paper
- upon the target’s person as outlined above: even if the intended target fails
to find the charm, they should be made to feel as though they have been
effectively targeted for a magical attack.
After
this, the caster then simply needs to find a way to sneak in to the target’s
place of habitation and hide a dagger on the premises in such a way as to
surprise the victim by its discovery. If possible, the blade can be hidden in
such a way that the victim hurts themselves by lying down on it, or by walking
or sitting on it; or it can just be left in plain sight. The target must be
made to feel that they have narrowly escaped powers outside of their control
and, if the revelation is especially effectively staged, they might be liable
for a SAN check...
“Soul
Travelling”
Magical Version:
In
this iteration of the spell, the caster sits facing into the sunset and stares
into the light of the setting sun until “their eyes glow with fire” all the
while chanting the protective “true words”. At the point when the sun
disappears over the horizon, the soul of the caster separates from their body
(along with 10 of their Magic Points and 1d4 SAN) and is free to fly invisibly
through the air and to spy upon the world around them. Red Lantern troops used
this spell effectively to spy upon the Foreign Concessions and to discover
enemy troop movements and supply lines. The soul is instantly returned to the
host body at the next breaking of dawn; meanwhile, the inert body is vulnerable
to any attacks or accidents which may happen to it and therefore the setting of
a loyal guard is strongly suggested...
Mundane Version:
This
version of the spell requires that the Red Lantern leader effectively
co-ordinates the resources represented by the Blue Lantern brigades, those
fifth column infiltrators who often work for the Foreign forces as servants and
drudges, picking up all the snippets of information that fall their way. The
caster may cobble together some mumbo-jumbo to impress their confederates with
their powers of insight, or they may simply suggest that they have access to
supernatural sources of information...
“Flying
Fan”
Magical Version:
This
spell requires the procurement of a well-made fan, either one well-made of
costly materials or a sturdy War Fan. The caster chants “true words” over it
whilst burning “gold paper” and costly incense for the duration. At the end of
the ceremony 2 points of the caster’s POW are invested permanently into the fan
and the caster loses 1d6 points of SAN.
This
item is especially effective if the wielder is versed in Martial Arts. Whenever they need to make a Dodge roll while carrying the fan, they are automatically carried
to a point just outside of the zone of danger, appearing to have executed a
prodigious, floating leap. The same effect appears if the wielder is a Martial
Artist and chooses to try and Parry
an incoming attack – obviously, in this case, the correct rolls must be made in
order for this effect to be successful.
The
fan only works if it is carried by the caster and retains all of its original
Hit Points. Once it loses these, it is no longer of any use. Repairing the fan
between engagements will not prolong its life of usefulness.
Mundane Version:
This
form of the spell requires a fair degree of initial set-up. The fan here is of
an especially tough construction and may not even be usable as a fan at all. In
fact, it is the handle of a secretive system of ropes, zip-lines and pulleys
which the caster has established at a point where combat is likely to occur.
Using these lines, the caster can engage with any enemies and appears to be
flying or making huge leaps during the fight. Of course, innate Martial Arts ability goes a long way towards adding to the effectiveness of
this illusion...
“Floating
Soul”
Magical Version:
This
spell requires the use of a copper bowl and water obtained from a high mountain
source, either from a spring or melted from a high-altitude snowcap. This
liquid must be used within a day of it being gathered otherwise the spell will
be ineffective. The caster creates an altar made with three pieces of wood, not
connected to each other by metal fasteners (such as nails, or wire), bonding
agents (such as glue or varnish), ropes, sinew or string, or wooden pieces that
have been worked by metal (wooden pins or dowels). The altar must be placed in
an open area where wind can move over it and sunshine and rain can fall upon
it. The copper bowl is placed upon this stand and is filled with the gathered
water.
To
cast the spell, the caster kneels before the altar and chants the “true words”
while burning incense and “joss paper”. An offering of rice or orange peel is
often made to whichever deity of ancestor the caster feels to be the most
pertinent. At the end of the ceremony, they lose at least 12 Magic Points (by
expending their full amount) and 1d10 points of SAN. Their soul now separates
itself from their body and hovers over the copper bowl, appearing as a sort of
heat haze to those who make a Spot Hidden
roll in the vicinity.
The
caster is now immune to any damage which affects their body. Any attack which
causes them harm will be restored at rate of 1 Hit Point per minute until they
are fully recovered. An attack which disintegrates the corpus completely will negate this effect, as will reduction of the
body to zero Hit Points by fire. If the body is pinned or held by the damaging
effect – beneath a landslide, for example, or held submerged beneath a body of
water – the process of regeneration will be halted until such time as the body
is freed, whereupon it will resume once more. The caster is not necessarily
unaware of what is happening to them during these restorations and this may
precipitate a SAN check.
The
effect lasts only as long as the altar with its copper bowl of water remains in situ; if anything happens to upset,
spill or dismantle the arrangement, the soul of the caster snaps back instantly
to where it belongs and the caster will become immediately aware of what has
taken place. This could well happen at a very inconvenient moment...
Mundane Version:
This
non-magical version of the spell has the same set-up as the supernatural
iteration, with one important difference: this spell is always cast upon
someone other than the caster. The
target of the spell is made to believe that afterwards, their soul has been
separated and that they are immune to any harm. The recipient of the charm is
made to chant and fast, creating a light-headed suggestible state; they are
given euphoric, or opiate, decoctions to drink and unbalanced by the
meaningless rituals. The bowl of water is surreptitiously topped up at some
point by a layer of clear oil which is then set alight by means of a
deftly-wielded joss stick: the heat haze that this generates is usually enough
to convince the target that their soul is now floating on the sacred water...
“The
Closed Fire and Sand Curse”
“Disciples in the red dust, obstruct the cannon’s
mouths. Let their guns resound together and part the sands on both sides of
us.”
Magical Version:
This
is another expression of the classic Boxer magic which renders the faithful
immune to Foreign weaponry, specifically the ballistic kind. Like all versions
of this spell, the physical component is a piece of yellow paper, written over
with coloured ink displaying “true words”, which is carried about on the
person. Most versions of this spell simply bestow extra points of Armour upon the bearer allowing them to
withstand a barrage for longer than normal; this version acts a little
differently.
The
Curse acts by repelling bullets away from the bearer of the parchment talisman.
When fired upon, the bearer rebounds the bullet and the shooter must make a Luck Roll or find that they have shot
themselves. If they make this roll, those nearby should then make similar rolls
to avoid being hit by the ricochet. In the case of artillery, the cannon’s Malfunction Roll should be rolled with a
+40% chance of failure, causing the gun to be destroyed by returning shot.
To
cast the spell, the caster utters the “true words” while inscribing the charm
with a pen made from pear wood, all the while burning “gold paper” and incense:
the last lines of the chant are listed above. The spell requires the permanent
loss of 1 point of POW and a number of Magic
Points equal to the number of times that the charm will be effective (the
sacrifice of POW is made first). The caster suffers a loss of 1d6 points of SAN
while the bearer of the charm loses 1d2 points of SAN the first time the charm
operates. Obviously, in a heated gun battle, the charm will lose its
effectiveness very quickly...
Mundane Version:
As
with other mundane versions of this spell, the casting ceremony involves much
trance-inducing chanting and dancing and the imbibing of a special “warriors’
potion”. This potion is simply a distraction, often alcohol or a home-brewed
narcotic to deaden pain (possibly opium). Once roused to an adrenalized
fever-pitch by the dancing and chanting, the recipients of the spell often
don’t even notice when they’ve been wounded anyway.
“The
Never-Empty Pot”
Magical Version:
This
spell requires the use of a sizable cooking vessel made of metal, like a
cauldron or large cooking pot. The caster sits before the vessel and chants
“true words” all the while feeding “joss paper” into a fire lit beneath the
empty pot. When the bottom of the pot begins to glow from the heat, the caster
stands and slices the palm of their hand with a knife: once the blood is
flowing, they must squeeze a piece of edible fungus in their wounded hand and throw
this into the pot. Immediately this is done, the fire must be extinguished and
the pot removed from the cooking place. When the bloodied fungus stops
sizzling, the pot’s interior can be examined:
For
every 3 Magic Points expended by the caster in enacting the spell, 10 kilograms
(22lbs) of edible fungus will be discovered growing on the sides of the pot and
filling its interior. This can be cut out and prepared in many varied and
interesting ways, even eaten raw if needs be. There is a catch: timing is everything
with this spell and if the pot is too hot, or not removed quickly enough from
the fire, then it will not work. The caster needs to make a Luck Roll to execute the manoeuvre
swiftly enough for the spell to work. If the spell fails the caster has suffered
1 Hit Point of damage and possibly ruined a good pot; if it succeeds, they take
the damage and lose 1d4 points of SAN. The caster is able to call upon others
to help in the ritual and these assistants may add their own Magic Points to
the spell; they do not lose Hit or Sanity Points for their involvement, but an
averaged Luck Roll of everyone involved is used to determine whether the spell
works.
Mundane Version:
The
Blue Lantern brigades are masters of this spell effect and it has a number of
expressions according to how hard the Devil is driving. The women of the Blue
Lanterns are well-versed in scrounging: infiltrating as they do the Foreign
Concessions, they are adept at stealing excess foodstuffs, spiriting away
edibles that the wasteful Foreigners disregard and eking out small supplies of
rations. The best Blue Lantern cadres are those whose averaged Bargain and Accounting skills are very high. In this way, they can make it seem
that the food supplies available to the Boxer forces are apparently limitless.
This
effect is not simply a remarkable sense of frugality, although that’s the
biggest part of it. Given the devotion that these women have for the cause,
there are other procedures and skills which they can bring to bear in order to
feed and clothe the Righteous Fists of Heaven. Opium is an appetite suppressant
and judicious lacing of food and drink with this substance can stop even the
hungriest fighters from whining. Ideologically, the Boxers see no problem with
using the Foreigner’s “Black Mud” against them in the war to drive them out of
China. In certain dire cases, the Blue Lanterns themselves eschew eating for a
steady diet of opiates, leaving more food available for the troops. And when
things get really desperate, the Blue
Lantern ladies know how to render any kind of meat unrecognisable on a dinner
table. Any kind.
“Puppet
Fighter”
Magical Version:
This
spell imparts a Martial Artist’s fighting skill to another combatant, allowing
them to fight a single session of combat with skills to which they would not
otherwise have access. Under the supervision of the caster, the recipient of
the spell effect and the skilled Martial Artist are subjected to a period of
fasting and chanting, along with the ingestion of mind-altering drugs (often
opium, but alcohol will serve). When both individuals are in a suggestible
state, they are made to stand within a circle drawn upon the ground and the
Martial Artist is told to practise their skills while the subject is told to
follow their movements as closely as possible. The two are beaten severely with
bamboo canes if they refuse, or fail to perform adequately; all the while, the
caster shouts words outlining the conditions under which the spell will come
into effect: these should be simple but specific – “attack so-and-so when they
come for your evening report”, “attack the first person you see wearing a
particular medal”, etc.
The
spell has a base 10% chance of working; for every Magic Point the caster
expends upon it, another 10% is added to the chance of success. The spell takes
several days to orchestrate and this should be roleplayed as much as is
possible. At the end of the casting, the Keeper rolls to see if the spell is
effective; the caster has no means of knowing if the spell was cast successfully
or not.
If
it is, the target of the spell uses the fighting ability of the Martial Artist
in a single combat session, the parameters of which are set by the caster’s
choosing. The subject will launch the assault and fight to the bitter end to
the best of the other victim’s ability. Until they see the end of the fight,
they will not recall the time and effort spent casting the spell; ironically,
they have no memory of these events even if the spell fails – until the trigger event transpires, whereupon it all comes
back in a rush, with a 1/1d6 potential SAN loss sting in the tail.
Mundane Version:
In
this form of the spell, the victim is imprisoned and denied food, sleep and
exposure to natural light. Once their resistance is sufficiently broken down
(accompanied by drugs and other procedures), a rigorous period of brainwashing
takes place. The victim and the caster compare POWs on the Resistance Table: if the victim succeeds, the programming continues
for another day. POWs can be compared only once each day, so the time invested
in this “magic” is fairly intensive. Once the victim’s resistance has been
overcome, the suggestion to attack the spell-caster’s target can be implanted
into their receptive mind.
Note
that, in this version of the spell, the victim fights using only such skills as
they already possess, and any equipment that they own, or are supplied with.
While executing the attack, they will believe that they have supernatural gifts
but this is unlikely to be the case. Once the fight is over and the hypnotic
state evaporates, the victim may well be required to undergo a SAN check.
*****
An
obvious benefit of the T’ai p’ing T’ao
is that they allow the keeper’s dubious NPCs to skitter about doing peculiar
things without actually causing any sanity-blasting damage to the characters.
Or at least, minimal damage. The mundane versions of the spells are complete
scübidüberisms; but, like all such gaming features, they give your players a
bit of a break between Mythos encounters.
