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Miniatures Adventure => Pulp => Topic started by: Sakuragi Miniatures on 10 June 2025, 01:51:40 PM
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China Station Episode Seven: The Scroll
Hanamura Case Files No. 10
Abunakajima Chuo Town
Abunakajima, East China Sea
1932 (Showa 7)
PROLOGUE
Eight weeks ago had been a real mess; both Hanamura sisters were nearly killed in an insane rolling truck fight with a liberal use of automatic weapons in the mix. It went as well as could be expected for a trio of teenage spiritual power users. Natsuko was untouched but cried her eyes dry and nearly emptied herself pumping her own spiritual energy into her beloved friends to keep them alive.
After weeks of recovery, the girls were ready not just to fight but to learn the sad truth of their predicament. Tsubaki sighed and Yuri laughed until her sides ached; which really didn’t take all that long.
“His relic was a fake!” She alternated laughter and ached cries of pain. “It was all for nothing!”
“It was a valuable learning experience.” Tsubaki countered.
“I learned I never want to do that again,” Natsuko added. She latched on to Tsubaki and began to cry for the third time today. Tsubaki pat her on the head and shoved a cookie in her mouth, calming her outburst.
While her friends recovered, Natsuko found the source of the fake relic and learned the real relic had to be used in conjunction with a scroll to uncover the site of an amassed treasure hidden in these islands. Furthermore, she learned that obnoxious gold monkey statue they lost at sea could have also been used in finding the treasure. Until the treasure was taken out of play, Cmdr. Hara would make escaping the island impossible and local players trapped here could ramp up the danger for them.
Having obtained a theoretically real scroll in a high stakes game of koi-koi with a shady monk, the girls now set out to verify its authenticity.
Game Play
This game has five minor plot points which can be interacted with to verify “authenticity” of the teams’ scrolls. Only one scroll can be real in the end, and that is the last one verified. This means that team A can pass a plot point verifying their scroll is real, but then if team B does the same then that means B has the real one and A’s is not.
Brawling and shooting are not allowed, only underhanded tricks contesting might, finesse and cunning. The loser of a contest is bowled back d8 inches and takes damage, physical or emotional.
Plot Points
Suzugamori-san is the granddaughter and heir of a recently departed appraiser with a trustworthy eye. She can be found around Abunakajima Chuo Station sketching people.
Neko, who is not a poisoner, should be doing business at her apothecary’s chuo branch. A purveyor of esoteric knowledge, if she says it’s real then it probably is.
Marion the Librarian can be found at the Abunakajima Public Library; she has the resources to back up any statements she may make.
Prof. Tanaka of the Imperial University is stuck on island and happens to be among the world’s leading expert on Wuhan scrolls. Also, he’s quite keen on Qing Dynasty pottery. He is casually strolling through town.
Dr. Durand, mortal enemy of Prof. Tanaka, is an infamous French antiquarian looking to acquire certain items of interest on the island and may be convinced to appraise the scroll. He is in the central plaza near the Russo-Japanese War Memorial.
(https://www.wayfarerdaves.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/250608-GAME-SETUP.jpg)
The trio headed out for the Chuo plaza, where all their best bets for a proper appraisal could be found. It was lightly bustling and the smell of commerce wafted on the morning breeze. Yuri bounced along as carefree as always, while Natsuko watched her every step with concern and Tsubaki quietly trailed behind. Tsubaki was wary of everyone who passed within arm’s reach, her skin emitting an invisible electric tingle of spiritual energy every time she had a bad feeling about those passing her. She hoped the light static wouldn’t damage the scroll she clutched tightly in her arms; as the official “smart one,” it was her duty to carry their burden today to verify its authenticity.
“Please don’t push yourself Yuri,” Natsuko pleaded. “You’ve been off your feet for two months.”
“I’m fine,” she replied. “Besides, could an injured person do this?”
Yuri grabbed Natsuko’s cheeks in a death grip and pulled, stretching her face until she cried to stop. Satisfied the show of might would quiet the little mother hen, she let go. “Why aren’t you haranguing Tsubaki? She almost died too.”
“Unlike you, she knows her limits!”
Yuri shrugged. “You’ll only know what your limits are when you push them.”
Tsubaki cut in. “I’ll quote that in your eulogy.”
“Eulogy? We’re all going out together.”
“Thank you?” A confused Natsuko replied.
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Across the plaza, Bosun was further annoyed at her boss. Capt. Wolf had sent her to babysit Capt. Jack and his new White Russian bodyguard. Despite the decade since the revolution, it was impressive how easy it was to find cheap Czarist labor. Jack had his hands on a scroll he swore would make up for the disaster two months ago that ended in fire and lots of hush money. She couldn’t wait until the idiot found this treasure for her and Cricket to swindle it out from under him.
“The librarian here is probably our best bet,” he said with a gesture towards the art deco public library. The island’s architectural heritage reflected both unchanging tradition and new public and private investments, especially downtown in Chuo.
(https://www.wayfarerdaves.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/250608-20_1.jpg)
Just then, Svetlana spied the familiar figures of two dirty peasants and their bobcut friend across the plaza. The glasses peasant also had a scroll. She reached into a pocket for her Baby Browning when Bosun grabbed her wrist and nodded toward the nearby police box.
“What are they made of?” Jack said in surprise. They were pretty full of lead when he left them.
“Stupid.” Svetlana shot back. “Bosun, let’s say hello and keep them away from the library.”
(https://www.wayfarerdaves.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/250608-21_1.jpg)
“Captain Jackson I presume,” said the mousy librarian. He’d called ahead to confirm that she could help verify his scroll and she seemed eager to assist. For his part, Jack had worn his best shirt and lightly bathed in Bay Rum.
Being that she is The Brain, this conversation would take more finesse than Jack could muster in a single turn.
(https://www.wayfarerdaves.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/250608-22_1.jpg)
Tsubaki had an easier time with her old acquaintance, Neko.
Tsubaki started with small talk. “How’s the Strong-Arm?”
Neko revealed her scar covered left forearm; her body was her personal chemistry laboratory.
“No new cures, but no new unpleasantness,” she replied.
Neko looked over her scroll and said that Without A Doubt it was real.
“That’s wonderful to hear,” Tsubaki thanked her.
“Bear in mind, I’m a doctor, not an appraiser.”
“I didn’t know that, sensei.”
“Please don’t call me that.”
(https://www.wayfarerdaves.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/250608-23_1.jpg)
While scrolls were appraised, the others squared off in the square near the Russo-Japanese War Memorial. Yuri smiled and gave a slight bow to Bosun with Natsuko awkwardly following her lead.
“You need better friends,” she told Bosun. “This one can’t aim or fight. She’s as big a liability as my mouth.”
“Tough-talking twig,” Svetlana said. She took Yuri’s goad into a test of might but neither could move the other.
“Even ironwood has twigs, you know.”
The quartet went full into a rather passive aggressive game of “I’m not touching you” resulting in bloody noses and Svetlana sent packing as Yuri shouted, “That’s why you lost the revolution!”
“What are you talking about?” Tsubaki asked.
“As usual, I have no idea.”
Natsuko begged, “Can you please not make life so… interesting?”
Tsubaki shook her head. “I can’t take you anywhere.”
Marion consulted with half a dozen tomes and after three more phone calls concluded the scroll was real! “This information, you may rely on it!”
Jack now had the real scroll.
(https://www.wayfarerdaves.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/250608-24_1.jpg)
Exiting the library, he saw the aftermath of “not fighting.” Tsubaki had disappeared, Natsuko was apologizing and there was an angry Yuri, clutching where she’d been poked in her bullet wounds –twice- and accusations of puppy kicking. Svetlana and Bosun had tried to bully back Natsuko with cunning, for which they were under-prepared. A little known fact is that while Natsuko’s cunning is 4d8, it’s only because “dumb luck” isn’t a stat in Pulp Alley.
Watching the comedy of errors as his two sidekicks took bumbling damage Jack decided that “this is strange and I’m not confronting that dork.”
(https://www.wayfarerdaves.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/250608-29_1.jpg)
Tsubaki blocked off Suzugamori-san the appraiser before she could enter the station. She pleaded for a few minute of her time and the promise of an interesting site. Suzugamori asked how exactly she planned to stop her if she said no.
“I’m a menacing brute?”
Tsubaki is incapable of menacing. At all. Switching tactics, she convinced Suzugamori helping her was the lost key to proving her worth as successor to her grandfather.
“Most likely, this is the real scroll. I’d bet my reputation on it!”
“Do you really have a reputation?”
“You came to me didn’t you?”
“In my defense, I can’t afford an official appraisal.”
Tsubaki has the real scroll! Having the upper hand, the girls fell back around her.
(https://www.wayfarerdaves.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/250608-32_1.jpg)
Capt. Jack approached Durant, a familiar face.
“I heard you were the shadiest appraiser on Abunakajima,” he said.
“All of Dai Nippon actually, to include Manchukuo,” Durant corrected.
They trade smiles and strongly clasped hands with a meaty slap.
“Jack!”
“Durand!”
“You son of a bitch!”
After a cursory glance at the scroll, a frown crossed Durant’s face.
“Is it the real deal?” Jack asked.
“Better not tell you now,” he said apologetically. “I’d need to cross reference a few things.”
Successfully achieving this bit of bad news, Jack went to try his luck with Neko who is not a poisoner. Warily, the Hanamura girls and Natsuko approached Durant’s nemesis, Prof. Tanaka, just in case…
(https://www.wayfarerdaves.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/250608-34_1.jpg)
“We’re not done yet,” Bosun said as she and Svetlana got in their way.
Yuri tried to play a game against Bosun, a test of might, which she failed again. Luckily she has a lot of pride to wound. Tsubaki joined in the contest of cunning and broke Bosun’s winning streak. Svetlana attempted to regain the director’s chair by besting Natsuko in the one area they were evenly matched: might. It was like two kids in a slap fight; Natsuko won and Svetlana’s pride was also wounded.
(https://www.wayfarerdaves.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/250608-37_1.jpg)
Capt. Jack met with the legitimate medical practitioner, Neko. She was able to connect the pieces…
“Ask me again later.”
“Why?”
“Because I said so,” she told him sternly.
“I’m beginning to think the famously neutral Neko is taking sides.”
“Only against those who oppose me. Do you… oppose me?” She asked. A window opened at the apothecary, inside several large, muscular men who were not hired for people skills watched him with intent.
He tipped his hat. “I’ll be going.”
“I bet you will.”
(https://www.wayfarerdaves.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/250608-39_1.jpg)
The pointless “not a fight” continued across the plaza resulting poor Natsuko bonking her head against a light pole 8” away.
As there is no way for Jack to get his scroll appraised in the next turn, the game draws to an early end.
(https://www.wayfarerdaves.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/250608-40_1.jpg)
EPILOGUE
Yuri, nonchalant as ever, met her old “friend,” Capt. Jack in the middle of the plaza.
“Where did they find enough blood to put you back together?” He asked.
“With money the impossible becomes possible,” she explained. “You should know. You paid for it.”
Jack smirked. “I owe you a few more bullet holes but give me your scroll and we’ll call it even.”
Yuri beamed with a rabbit-toothed smile. “So yours is a fake then! Good! I hate witty wordplay and trying to trick information out of people. Gokigenyo!” She said with a mock bow before scampering off.
This is the opposite of our last fight, in which Jack and Svetlana’s brawling and shooting overmatched the trio. This kind of underhanded fight is where Tsubaki and Natsuko excel, while Yuri is the brawler. Jack and Bosun share stats, with Svetlana’s also being the same except for swapping brawl and shoot, finesse and cunning.
Poor Jack couldn’t catch a break, passing three minor plot points only for the latter two to confirm his scroll wasn’t the real deal.
ERRATA
“Chuo” means “central”
For dapper Jack, I had to look up what cologne would be appropriate for him. Old Spice wasn’t introduced until 1938 and the colognes of the era looked like they would have been out of his price range so went with the classic.
“Sensei” is an honorific applied to teachers, doctors, certain working professionals, and artists.
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If you want a Natsuko for your own games, she's available here: https://www.wayfarerdaves.com/sakuragi-shoten/ (https://www.wayfarerdaves.com/sakuragi-shoten/)
She is SM-6 Bespectacled Kimono Girl (Natsuko)
(https://www.wayfarerdaves.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/SM-6-Natsuko-Color-1-Front.jpg)
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Interesting way to do a competition! I always enjoy the girls' banter... :D
Mike Demana
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A clever and thoughtfull scenario and a good story to go with it.
Cheers
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Excellent layout! Did you scratch build the library?
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Excellent layout! Did you scratch build the library?
No, it's a 3D print "art deco bus station." Take off the "bus" sign and it can be anything you want it to be.
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That was interesting. More answers questioned that questions answered. But it is part of a campaign, so I'm sure there will be more that goes on...
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Neko, who is not a poisoner sure gets around. And she seems to have a franchise of stores all over. One to marry, I think.
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Neko, who is not a poisoner sure gets around. And she seems to have a franchise of stores all over. One to marry, I think.
She gets around; your best bet is not to cross her. I cannot imagine the kind of man who could catch her fancy and survive.
I like taking opportunities to re-use characters and build them, creating a larger world around the girls. Capt. Jack was just a one-off end of scenario character that's developed into an adversary with a White Russian sidekick.
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What a fabulous world you've built, I love it.
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What a fabulous world you've built, I love it.
Thanks! I look forward to adding more.