The Porcelain Mask - Part I

In which a Kidnapping by a Fractious Warlord reveals the presence of a Shadowy Cult and the dangers inherent in an Ancient Artefact...

Introduction.

This Chinese adventure features a well-known, real-life character of the period and, as such, is best set between the years 1925 to 1928; this was a period when Shanghai was in the pocket of the Fengtian clique Warlord, Chang Tso-lin – captured on his behalf by his lieutenant Chang Tsung-chang - and the New Republican Army was in retreat. After 1928, the forces of Chiang Kai-shek recaptured the city during the Northern Expedition and made it a Kuomintang stronghold.

During this period, various warlords attempted to raise funds by capturing passenger trains and holding the occupants to ransom. These incidents were often reported in the Western press and highlighted a general feeling that China was a wild and lawless place (which it was). These railway kidnappings were commemorated in the Josef von Sternberg movie “Shanghai Express” (1932), starring Marlene Dietrich. Keepers are urged to see this film before running this scenario (it was on YouTube last time I checked; just avoid the Madonna and Sean Penn abomination “Shanghai Surprise” which was recently re-packaged and sold with the title “Shanghai Express” to try and catch some inadvertent dollars).

Embroiling the player characters is largely up to the ingenuity of the Keeper and the establishment of the players within the story and its environment. This is a game best suited for characters who have some familiarity with Shanghai and its environs and who have some connexions (legal, quasi-legal or otherwise) within the milieu. It’s not recommended for a first swing with a fresh crowd.

That being said, this game works best with a mixture of Adventurers, Academics and professionals who are used to unearthing information (eg. Journalists, or Private Eyes). It’s also a good game for characters of an Oriental background, as this will help the party to gain access to the Warlord and his minions.

Just as an FYI, all of the spelling used in this adventure is contemporary with the setting – the Chinese names and terms were anglicised according to a particular standard in the Republican Era, a system no longer in use today. These days we would say “Zhang Zongzhang” instead of Chang Tsung-chang, but for period authenticity’s sake I’m using the constructions current for those times. Oddly, Chiang Kai-shek is still “Chiang Kai-shek” these days, but that’s what fame and notoriety will get you, I guess!

News of the Day

The story begins with the morning headlines: over breakfast, our party learns that a passenger train from Nanking has been stopped outside of Shanghai by the warlord Chang Tsung-chang, known as the “Dog-Meat General”; editorials speculate that the General was probably trying to intercept the earlier mail train from Nanking with its promise of cash or information but, arriving too late, made do with the ransom to be gained from the passengers aboard the later train. The articles focus on the fact that the Warlord has apprehended the train by means of his own armoured railway vehicle, armed with machine guns and heavy anti-tank guns; they also speculate upon who is on the captured train and whether they will be of pecuniary benefit to the General.

While digesting this piece of information, one of the players is addressed (either while reading, or shortly afterwards in some public space) by an elderly man in a rumpled suit and with a distracted air: this is Professor Hardcastle and he is in need of assistance. He will address a fellow academic for preference or, failing this, will attach himself to the character with the highest Credit Rating who seems to have some overt skills at investigation, say a Journalist, a Military type, an Adventurer or Detective. Hardcastle will be vaguely known to the group from society (especially academic) functions, and for widespread reports of profligate funding for archaeological digs in Western China which have – surprisingly - linked him with various warlords of the Fengtian clique. Apparently, Hardcastle’s digs have brought him into contact with several of the Warlords in the northern areas of China and his willingness to pay for their protection of his operations has inclined them favourably towards him.

Hardcastle reveals that a colleague of his was supposed to have been on the passenger train from Nanking that morning, bringing with him an important piece discovered at a site which was proving to date from the Xian Dynasty. Hardcastle doesn’t know what it is exactly but his friend Erh-Chang had written to him to say that it would revolutionise their thinking of that lost period of history. He is concerned that Erh-Chang is now in trouble and - more importantly to his way of thinking - that the artefact may be lost, or worse, destroyed. He produces a telegram which he received the previous night from Nanking.

The party now needs to decide whether they should help the academic and become involved with the vagaries of Warlord politics. If they choose to ignore him then nothing happens to them – apart from a disturbing news report several days later which may play rather negatively upon their consciences (See the newspaper article at the end of this instalment). If they choose to help – and the Keeper should use all of their ingenuity and knowledge of their player’s buttons to arrive at this result - then they will have to choose a course of action as their next move. There are a number of obvious first steps:

Journalistic Connexions: If any party members have links to newspapers, they can contact their contacts to gain further insights to the situation. Warlords were notoriously vain and took every opportunity to get their exploits favourably reported in the media: the right journalistic contacts could get the party embroiled in the activity (probably helped along by some hefty bribes).

Military Contacts: The captured train and the Warlord’s troops are being closely watched by the Municipal forces of Shanghai, given that the capture is taking place only two miles from the city outskirts. Some Fast Talking or Bargaining could get the party close to the Municipal forces and within sight of the action.

The Train Company: Concerned for their vehicles and fearing the compromising of their track network, the train engineers are keen to get ‘eyes on the ground’ to report on the situation. With the right Persuasion (and some cash) the party may be able to hitch a ride with the company truck heading to the incident with its military escort. With this option, the party gets extra confirmation that the mail train preceding the passenger train has made it safely to the city.

Going to Nanking: Erh-Chang’s cryptic telegram mentioned that he was staying with a friend in Nanking and, as this person was probably the last one to have seen him before he boarded the train, he may have further insights to add. This trip is achievable either by train from the South Train Station, by road, or by air.

Other options: There are other possible courses which the party may choose to pursue, including grabbing their own transport and heading out to the captured train. The Keeper should evaluate these options on their own merits and let them succeed or fail as they may. 

If any of the above options have been selected, details of how they’ll unfold are provided in the relevant sections below.

Journalistic Connexions

The local newspapers are keen to know what is going on and they certainly know how much the Warlords like to get their names in the ‘paper. Any character with a link to the local ‘newshound set’ can put their ear to the ground to see if anyone is heading out to the stalled train.

All trails lead to a freelance reporter named Jimmy Chow, Hawaiian-born, American-educated and a grade-A journalist. One of the local papers (whichever one with which our players has a contact) has furnished him with a truck and a photographer – although the ‘camera jockey’ has failed to appear. Jimmy will allow the party to tag along as long as he gets the by-line for the story; if any character has Photography as a skill, it will only sweeten the deal. 

If asked, Jimmy has heard of Prof. Hardcastle: his hefty bribes paid to the various warlords in his dig locations have made him notorious. In fact, Jimmy has met Hardcastle on several occasions when trying to access the various Faction leaders. The Prof. is very principled and never ‘kisses and tells’ about his warlord buddies.

If anyone mentions Erh-Chang, have them make a Luck Roll: if they fail, Jimmy hears the reference and understands the importance of the name (‘Erh-Chang’ means ‘Second Chang’, a clear reference to his status as the General’s son). Jimmy will hold this card very close to his chest until he can see how to use it...

Military Contacts

Any military characters will soon discover that armed forces of the Municipal Council of Greater Shanghai have taken charge of the incident and have asked the other foreign powers to keep their distance. Any members of The Shanghai Volunteer Corps are able to join the Municipal Council forces and will be assigned responsibilities as soon as they report to the commanding officer in charge of the event – a Major Li Huang-chan.

This being said, the foreign powers are eager to find out what’s going on and will allow keen characters to head out and ‘see what’s going on’, furnishing them with letters asking the Council troops to accept the character and their team as ‘observers’. A high Credit Rating or some astute Bargaining will see the team equipped with a vehicle for the duration of their ‘observation duties’.

The Train Company

The Shanghai Train Co. is not having a good day: the Mail Train having arrived as scheduled, the following passenger train from Nanking has not arrived and all succeeding trains have had to be cancelled or diverted to the Southern Station. The company engineers are going into meltdown trying to ascertain if damage has been done to the tracks and the stress that this is causing is matched only by their unwillingness to head out and see for themselves: rumours of the “Dog-Meat General” have preceded him as far as the train aficionados are concerned.

The Belgians in charge are pressed to their limits keeping the trains running around the mayhem: any character who steps forward and volunteers to undertake inspection duties will soon find themselves armed with papers, survey maps and a vehicle – assuming they can also pay a S$100 bond.

Nanking

The telegram has a code on it which identifies the Post Office from where it originated (“EX.PO:126”). This turns out to be across the square from the main Train Station in Nanking. Asking about Erh-Chang will yield no positive responses unless they have a photograph of him – something which Dr. Hardcastle can provide them with if they think to ask. If they ask for Pei Han-chen, Erh-Chang’s friend, they will have to make a Luck Roll to encounter someone who is inclined to point the way.

A successful Luck Roll discovers a small child who overhears the party talking to a passer-by. Overcoming nervousness, the child approaches the party member and tugs at their sleeve. They then proceed to lead the party to a partially burned-out railway workshop near the railyards. Entering, the party finds a wounded man lying on a makeshift cot. He has been badly wounded and is covered in dried blood: as the group enters, he takes fright and tries to scramble away; his condition however, is too dire. Questioning him, the party discovers that this is Pei Han-chen, beaten up and in hiding from his attackers. The street urchin has been providing him with water and some scraps of food, but he needs urgent medical attention.

What Pei Han-chen knows:

Erh-Chang arrived at his flat in Nanking two days previously, fresh from the western wilds, clutching a satchel and nervously talking about pursuit. They laid low and Pei Han-chen scrounged food and drink for their stay;

Erh-Chang told Pei Han-chen that he had found an amazing artefact that would cause shockwaves of excitement in the academic community. Han-chen had the impression that it was in the satchel that Erh-Chang carried but, as he seemed overly protective of it, he didn’t ask to see what it was;

Erh-Chang stressed the fact that he needed to get back to Shanghai but that he felt he was being followed; he couldn’t describe any of these pursuers claiming that they looked like normal people but that they “changed” periodically;

Erh-Chang and Pei Han-chen decided to sneak to the Train Station before dawn and catch the Mail Train to Shanghai, in the hope that the relatively fewer people on that train would make them easier to keep an eye on;

Unluckily, a Japanese general and his retinue commandeered the train and forced all Chinese nationals (excluding the crew) from the vehicle;

In disgust, Erh-Chang told Pei Han-chen to buy him a ticket on the next train – he said that he would try and send a telegram to Dr. Hardcastle from the Post Office across the way, where the postal workers were busy loading the train;

After this, they waited until dawn broke, found an early-opening teahouse and waited for the next train;

As they began to board, Erh-Chang started to panic: he said that his pursuers were in the crowd of boarding passengers but he couldn’t point them out to Pei Han-chen. In order to draw them off, Pei Han-chen broke from the crowd carrying his coat wrapped like a bundle: immediately, certain individuals set off after him. He led them through crowded streets but, try as he might, he couldn’t easily see who was after him: they seemed somehow nebulous and changeable;

As he heard the train whistle blowing in the distance, Pei Han-chen circled back to the Station. As he drew near, a woman stepped around a corner in front of him and slashed him badly with some kind of weapon: he passed out momentarily but came to in time to find her searching his clothing; finding nothing, she hissed and walked quickly away;

Pei Han-chen then crawled to the burned-out train workshop and collapsed, after surprising a beggar-child in the ruins...

Pei Han-chen is dismayed to hear that the passenger train has been commandeered. He explains that Erh-Chang is a childhood friend and that very few people know about the lad and his origins: if the party do not already know, this is where they discover that Erh-Chang is Chang Tsung-chang’s favourite son. If they still have Hardcastle’s telegram, Pei Han-chen can explain that Erh-Chang would only attempt to contact his father under very dire circumstances and that being “scared” might be enough to force him to do so. After this, the party has learned all that Pei Han-chen can provide: they may wish to take him back to his home or to get him to a hospital or doctor as they see fit: he could be a very useful contact in later adventures.

The Nanking Post Office

Some players may wish to confirm the details of the telegram at the Post Office. Enquiries will reveal that a young man had approached the postal workers while they were loading up the Mail Train and had asked to send an urgent telegram: if the party still has this missive they will reassure the group that the note is an accurate relaying of the message and is a legal receipt for the money being paid to send the note. The postal workers can also ferret out the original draft of the message in Erh-Chang’s handwriting by digging through the rubbish bins.

While talking to the postal workers, have the party members make Psychology Rolls if they talk to the men who loaded the Mail Train: a successful roll will reveal that one of the men is guilty about something. If pressed, the man will reveal that he slipped a parcel into the mail bags in return for a cash bribe which Erh-Chang gave him: the address was written in English so he doesn’t remember it at all but it was a square, flat box, wrapped in oiled paper and tied with string. He gladly accepted the money for this deed and forgot all about it until the party arrived.

The Hijacking

The Nanking passenger train lies stalled on its tracks about a mile from the outskirts of Shanghai, alongside a water tower, below - and facing - a low hill. At the crest of the hill, angled downwards over the passenger train, is Chang Tsung-chang’s armoured train with its forward anti-tank gun trained steadily upon its target. Around the armoured train, a rudimentary campsite has developed, serving the needs of the warlord’s men: trenches have been dug and machine gun nests have sprouted. To the Southwest, across a valley wilderness from the War-train, the Shanghai Municipal Forces have established an equally hasty beachhead.

Arrival at this location will depend upon the party’s previous choices and decisions:

An approach from Nanking will be stopped by a volley of sniper bullets: these are warning shots deployed by the Municipal Council forces ringing the Warlord’s troops and are designed to give the group fair warning. Ignoring them is perilous and the party will be taken into custody by soldiers as soon as they are stopped. They will be taken to the “Press Tent”: provide the players with above map: The Situation.

Arriving with the Municipal Council forces will place the group in a position to gain an immediate overview of the game-field: they will see the warlord’s troops and the disposition of the passenger train and will be able to start negotiations with the Municipal Council leaders from there. Provide the players with the map above: The Situation. For the most part though, unless they can bluff their way through, they will be regarded as nuisances: for their own safety, they will soon be relegated to the “Press Tent”.

Arriving as part of the engineering inspection team from the North Station at Shanghai will drop the party straight into the hands of the Municipal Council forces: they will be allowed closer to the scene as official inspectors, but their access to information of a strategic nature will be severely curtailed. Provide the players with the above map: The Situation. Party members may themselves be called upon to act as locomotive ‘experts’ and be required to offer information to help shape the impending attack. Once bullets begin to fly however, they will soon be hustled off to the “Press Tent”.

Approaching the situation as part of a journalistic throng will find the party well-accommodated in the form of the “Press Tent” – a polite term for ‘temporary imprisonment’ - while the tense situation develops. The tent that the party is crowded into is far from the action, although not especially well-guarded, and some may see their way clear to attempting an escape. Provide the players with the map shown above: The Situation.

Location 1 – The Municipal Forces

This is the Municipal Council Forces’ headquarters. Anyone approaching the stalled train by road will be stopped by troops and will be brought here on foot. Snipers are keeping watch over the area and characters should be warned about trying to make a run for it during daylight hours. The trip to the camp is hurried and tense: the Municipal troops are worried and their tension is pronounced.

1A – The Command Tent

The party will soon be brought here to meet Major Li Huang-chan, commander-in-charge of the forces at this location. Characters can use Psychology rolls to discern that the Major is feeling much put-upon: he is well aware that the General is a canny player and that, in a straight-up fight, he will probably take the day. The Major is looking for any opportunity, but is blinded by a pragmatism urging him to stick to tried and true procedures. He doesn’t take risks and will eliminate any outrageous or chance-y suggestions until he gets to something that sounds like a text-book plan. He will do his utmost to dissuade the party from any ‘wild’ schemes and, depending upon their insistence upon these, will moderate the guard upon the “Press Tent” accordingly.

1B - The “Press Tent”

As guests of Major Li, the characters have access to wine and sandwiches and a gramophone record player. As night falls, the players will quickly realise that they are only lightly guarded (unless they really got up Major Li’s nose) and that an escape effort is possible. If they don’t come to this conclusion themselves, Jimmy Chow can plant the idea. If the party has not met Jimmy before now, this is where they catch up with him.

At nightfall, the General begins firing ‘star-shells’, flares to illuminate the landscape and keep an eye on what’s going on. Initially, the Municipal Forces will misread this action as an attack and troops begin to scurry about, leaving the “Press Tent” largely unguarded. This is the prime moment for our heroes to escape.

Sneak, Hide and other associated rolls are useful here; unless the group is really unlucky (a failed average Luck Roll), the group will have to deal with obstructive Municipal grunts; however, most of these troops will just note them in passing and head for cover.

Location 2 – The Wilderness

The landward approach to Shanghai was notoriously boggy and treacherous – during the Japanese siege of the city in 1937 this fact rendered all of their army’s tanks and armoured vehicles practically useless. The landscape undulates through a terrain of low hills; the depressions beneath these are filled with thorn brakes, swamps and small standing pools with an occasional small stand of mulberry trees. Pushing through in the broad daylight without any need for secrecy would be difficult enough; sneaking through under cover of darkness is all but impossible.

Every 20 minutes a new burst of star shells flares out over the General’s encampment lighting up the night with a garish play of light. The shifting shadows make orientation difficult (-20% to Navigation) although it’s relatively easy to home in on the General’s train (+20% to Navigation).

If the group tries to head towards the Passenger Train, they need to make three averaged Luck Rolls (the average of all scores in the group); if successful, they make it to that location without hindrance. If they fail one of the rolls they will be encountered by Municipal Forces and escorted away from the area.

If the party tries to head towards the Warlord’s Train, they still need to make an averaged Luck Roll: Success means that they have been captured by the Warlord’s men; failure means they will be encountered by Municipal Forces and forced to flee (or be re-captured).

This low-lying part of the terrain is dotted with small copses of trees and clusters of low-growing vegetation making a surreptitious approach possible; the ground underfoot however, is very boggy and few characters will make it across without getting quite muddy (this isn’t just an instance of Keeper meanness – cleanliness will be a crucial issue if the party makes it to the War-train. Read on).

Statistics:

Professor Ernest Hardcastle

Hardcastle is an archaeologist with a Machiavellian streak – he believes that the end justifies the means. He has paid handsome bribes to those warlords claiming territories near his digs and has bought protection for his activities so that he can be left to work in peace. The Shanghai newspapers speculate as to how much money this entails and where it comes from, but official investigation has always shown Hardcastle to be free of any misdeeds. What they don’t know is that Hardcastle runs guns and trades information and intelligence to the Warlords, hiding contraband in the crates of equipment that he ships across the countryside to his dig sites and back. Some warlords suspect that he is playing the various cliques off against each other and they watch him carefully – to date, he has played a very careful hand and the benefits which they gain from his collaboration far outweigh any negative aspects.

From the above, it’s clear to see that the good Professor has a somewhat dubious moral compass. He doesn’t always consciously do so, but using people for his own ends suits him down to the ground, and he doesn’t see any problem with that. He has taken on Erh Chang as a private student simply because his father is a very large bargaining chip which he can use as necessary. In this adventure, his only focus is the artefact which he believes Erh Chang is carrying with him – any concern he has for his pupil is completely feigned. This is no Indiana Jones we have here – Hardcastle is all about the Fortune and the Glory. All for himself. Full stop.

Intrepid (but Close-Mouthed) Explorer

char.	value	char.	value	char.	value
STR	13	POW	15	Move	7
CON	14	DEX	11	HP	13
SIZ	12	APP	11	Magic Points	15
INT	17	EDU	24	SAN	75

Damage Bonus: +1D4

Weapon: .45 Revolver 35%: 1D10+2

Armour: None

Skills: Archaeology 75%; Bargain 70%; Conceal 85%; Speak Chinese 65% – Mandarin (65%), Wu (43%), Jin (22%)

Spells: None

SAN Loss: it cost no SAN to see Professor Hardcastle

Pei Han-chen

Han-chen grew up with Erh Chang as the bastard son of Chang Tsung-chang and one of his concubines. This means that he, too, is a son of the warlord, but one absolutely not recognised as such. Pei Han-chen and Erh Chang have been raised as friends and absolutely not brothers: if pressed neither of them would remotely consider pushing for familial recognition from their father. It simply would not occur to either of them to do so.

Regardless, both are sworn comrades and would defend each other to the death. Han-chen is wary about Hardcastle and suspects that there is a hidden side to the gweilo’s attachment to Erh Chang, although he can’t quite put his finger on what it might be. Hardcastle is quite happy to keep Pei Han-chen out in the field since he suspects (not altogether wrongly) that Han-chen has seen right through him. Pei Han-chen runs a lot of logistical planning for Hardcastle’s expeditions, providing accommodation, supplies and other necessities as they come up.

Staunch friend of the Warlord’s Son

char.	value	char.	value	char.	value
STR	14	POW	15	Move	7
CON	14	DEX	13	HP	12
SIZ	10	APP	11	Magic Points	15
INT	18	EDU	10	SAN	75

Damage Bonus: +/-0

Weapon: Punch 65%: 1D3 (2D3); Grapple 25%: Special; Head Butt 30%: 1D4 (2D4); Kick 45%: 1D6 (2D6)

Armour: Leather Jacket: 1 point

Skills: Accounting 75%; Bargain 80%; Drive Automobile 55%; Electrical Repair 45%; Martial Arts 60%; Mechanical Repair 50%; Speak Chinese 90% – Mandarin (90%), Wu (60%), Jin (30%); Speak English 70%

Spells: None

SAN Loss: it cost no SAN to see Pei Han-chen

Major Li Huang-chan

The young Major is still finding his feet in the shifting morass of politics that is Shanghai’s governmental structure. The Municipal Council is run by gweilos for their own interests and the duties handed over to the Chinese authorities are those which they feel are beneath them. These activities, in turn, are riddled by the corrupting influence of the Green Gang. The Municipal Forces do what they can to try and achieve results without treading on any toes but often the way forward is treacherous beyond belief. Obtaining positive results requires measuring three times and cutting once, and Major Li is determined to make no mistakes.

Outside of Shanghai, the going is a little easier, but it’s still results that matter. Li is looking for a textbook answer to a textbook situation – he will brook no complications. He is wary of people bearing paperwork from the Municipal Council – members of the Shanghai Volunteer Corps are often commissioned to replace leaders of the Municipal Forces on an ad hoc basis, and for Li, such a public demotion would entail a serious loss of face...

Municipal Forces Leader

char.	value	char.	value	char.	value
STR	13	POW	13	Move	7
CON	12	DEX	15	HP	12
SIZ	12	APP	11	Magic Points	13
INT	15	EDU	17	SAN	65

Damage Bonus: +1D4

Weapon: .38 Automatic 50%: 1D10; Dagger 40%: 1D4+2+1D4

Armour: None

Skills: Dodge 45%; First Aid 60%; Hide 30%; Listen 60%; Mechanical Repair 40%; Navigation 70%; Rifle 50%; Sneak 20%; Speak Chinese 90% – Mandarin (90%), Wu (60%), Jin (30%); Speak English 65%

Spells: None

SAN Loss: it cost no SAN to see Major Li Huang-chan

“Jimmy” Chow

Chow is the son of Chinese Christian converts and was shipped off to Hawaii at an early age to undertake his education in a Baptist College. Upon the deaths of his parents, when he reached his majority, he quit school and returned to China to work as a newspaper reporter.

Initially, he wrote various stirring pieces for Missionary organisations, but the material soon palled and he began looking for meatier things to write about. He has conducted many interviews with various warlords and even spent fifteen minutes with Du Yue-sheng (the Green Gang's infamous commander), a distinct feather in his cap. Chow likes to flaunt his American affectations – Hawaiian shirts, aviator sunglasses, cocky attitude – and lives fast by his wits, like nothing can ever harm him. Many reporters in Shanghai find him unnecessarily reckless; most will grudgingly assert that it does seem to get results...

Hapless Reporter

char.	value	char.	value	char.	value
STR	14	POW	15	Move	7
CON	12	DEX	11	HP	12
SIZ	12	APP	16	Magic Points	15
INT	15	EDU	17	SAN	75

Damage Bonus: +1D4

Weapon: None

Armour: None

Skills: Fast Talk 65%; History 40%; Library Use 30%; Speak Chinese 80% – Mandarin (80%), Wu (54%), Jin (26%); Persuade 65%; Photography 30%; Psychology 20%; Read/Write English 85%

Spells: None

SAN Loss: it cost no SAN to see “Jimmy” Chow

To Be Continued...