Don't Hate the Player..
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Author: Fergal O'Brien
Homepage: http://www.irishgaming.com
System: Feng Shui
Type: Scenario
Category: Super Hero
Requirements:

This scenario, I am ashamed to admit, rotates around that bastion of crass modern popular culture. Yes, this scenario revolves around the world of professional wrestling. Why? Because if anything gets across the way in which Feng Shui combat is supposed to work, it’s the antics of WCW/WWF and the various other federations. Want to inflict vast amounts of damage on someone? Why, just climb up onto the top turnbuckle, leap into the air and pull off a 270 degree reverse layout somersault before landing on him^[1]. God forbid that you might just put the boot to him in a nice, safe, low-risk manner. This is at the heart of wresting - the more impressive something is, the more people feel it should be damaging. This is also the heart of Feng Shui. Just hitting some-one is boring. Do it with style or don’t bother doing it.

So how does wrestling fit into the Secret War of Feng Shui you might ask^[2]? Good question, funny you should ask that. Anyone actually know how to attune to a Feng Shui site? I sure as hell don’t. Maybe I missed something, but that seemed to be left quite vague in the rule-book. Certainly, one of the stories makes reference to a ritual of some kind, but there never seems to be any hard and fast rules for attuning to a site. Similarly, there is never any explanation for how control of a site can be wrested from one group to another; and yet this is what the Secret War is all about. So this is where I take a few liberties with the system. You might want to pay attention, because this is the plot bit. What if a particular Feng Shui site derives it power not so much from its geographical location, but from its location in people’s heads? Ever noticed how places of importance (whether personal or objective) are always remembered as being bigger than they really are? So a place which is close to the hearts of the general populace might conceivably be a large source of chi. So how would someone attune to this site? By making a strong connection between you and this site in the minds of the general populace. So this is where we bring in Madison Square Garden. It’s a venue with instant recognition value. While it is home to a basketball team, it has become more linked world-wide with large scale wrestling events. So in order to attune to this site, it must be done through wrestling. Simple huh?

Well, not so simple really. In wrestling it is not enough to simply win. If you truly wish to have the audience behind you, you must play them by the rules of the game. You have to whip them into a frenzy. And the worst thing is, the more you whip them up, the more chance there is for someone else to steal your heat and, in this case, your attunement. So, the Dragons (the generic Feng Shui good guys have sent some people in to work under cover as wrestlers. They’ve spent the last few months building personas for themselves and working their way into the hearts of the masses. They are aware that another faction (or possibly more) have also worked their way into the federation (for arguments sake, we are going to refer to it as the CWF - Championship Wrestling Federation). It’s up to them to score a monumental victory at the upcoming pay-per-view Independence Day Massacre. If they win enough fan favour they will be attuned to the site. If not....

A few things you need to know about wrestling.

There are a couple of pieces of terminology that may come in useful for the coming game.

Heel/face - gone are the days of referring to good guys and bad guys. Bad guys are now referred to as Heels, and good guys are referred to as (Baby)Faces.

Heel turn/Face turn - people don’t remain a heel or a face for good. If they make a turn, they are on their way to becoming the other. Face turns tend to take time. It’s a gradual thing which fans will notice in changing attitude of a wrestler over a period of weeks. Heel turns can be very dramatic and are normally carried out all of a sudden - usually by attacking someone from behind when they had ‘trusted’ you^[3]. One of the players should be doing a heel turn at the end of this game.

Shoot/promo - cutting a promo is anything that involves the wrestler talking to the crowd/audience. A shoot is a certain type of promo where they rag at another wrestler.

Ladder Match - Something is suspended above the ring. The wrestlers win by climbing a ladder and getting it. The ladder may be (and usually is) used as a weapon. Very often there are spare ladders available.

Table Match - you win by putting your opponent through a table. Brutal, huh?

Tornado Rules - a tag team type match up where all competitors are allowed in the ring at once.

There should be another sheet accompanying this scenario with a list of various types of moves. Study them well. Things will go badly for you if I hear you describing things in terms of ‘just hitting them^[4]’ Remember - moves aren’t ‘sore’, they are ‘devastating’. People don’t hit the canvas, they are ‘drilled into it’. You get the idea.

The cast

The next thing for you to get your head around is the player characters. After all, that’s what wrestling is all about - the people involved.

The Sexecutioner - a loner Dragon who has been sent in separate from the rest of the team. He is the stereotypical handsome stranger. Definitely a hit and run type guy, and the ultimate strong silent type. Has a reasonably good knowledge of the secret war.

‘Uncle’ Sam Adams - a bona fide wrestler with absolutely no knowledge of the Secret War whatsoever. He is a flag waving patriot guaranteed to nauseate anyone from Europe and hideously naïve to boot. He is however necessary for the Dragons plans. It is his popularity which will make it possible for the Dragons to attune.

Siam - by far the most knowledgeable about the Secret War, and possibly also the most accomplished warrior. Siam (really Sen See Yam) is currently portraying the valet of the Silver Dragons and it really chafes. She is very much an independent young lady.

Flight - one of the Silver Dragons (brothers). He is very charismatic and a bit of a show off. The only thing that inspires more devotion in him than the Dragon cause is his love for his brother.

Flame - the other Silver Dragon..literally. Flame has been eclipsed all his life by his brother. While he very certainly loves him, he is very bitter. He is very often reserved, so it doesn’t show. Flame is probably going to do the all important heel turn at the end of the game, as he has been in contact with the Lodge (Ascended). If he does it right, it could generate great heat for the bad guys and help them attune. It must however be done at the right moment.

The involved people break down into 4 groups.

The clueless - normal people (kind of including Uncle Sam). They know nothing of the Secret War. They just want to see great wrestling matches.

The Dragons - the Dragons need to generate huge popularity and win a big victory to win. The have aligned themselves with Uncle Sam so as to ride in on his coattails. Oh, it will also lead to great popularity for him.

The Ascended - the Ascended also hope to attune and have their own group in the organisation called the Posse. They will be facing off against the Dragons in the big final match.

The Architects of the Flesh - having recently started paying more attention to the contemporary juncture, the Architects have decided that they don’t want anyone to attune to Madison Sq. Garden. It could be a threat to them. They want to disrupt the whole proceedings, probably by killing Uncle Sam.

How thing Work

Right, in order to attune properly by playing the crowd, the wrestlers are going to have to do everything by the rules. There are a number of conventions in wrestling. No weapons. Neither side can charge the ring with guns and win that way; it won’t get them anywhere. Being exciting is far more important than being effective. Attitude is everything. It is far more important that the crowd get whipped up into a frenzy than it is that the wrestlers score a win. If they score a boring victory in the final match, no effect will occur. Their behaviour up until then will help with this. The fans have to be interested in these characters. Not that this means that effectively the Dragons and the Ascended help each other. They generate better crowd support for each other by playing their parts. Whenever they raise the stakes, they raise them for both sides.

Also note that your average character could win matches in ways not available to your average wrestler. A character with the abundant leap schtick could probably win a ladder match without a ladder. This won’t get them anywhere. The fans would just feel cheated. Long drawing out matches with emotion are important.

Obviously a few modifications to the system are important. In general, in a wrestling match, the characters only fight named characters. Damage for moves is largely up to you. How much damage a character does is dependent on how they build up to a move. Similar to the shot gun thing, if a player stops to pose before doing a move, they should be awarded extra damage.

Fluffed moves can be countered by the opponent. It then automatically is their turn to do an appropriate move.

Death Checks should be used to determine when someone is down for the count. When someone takes 35 points of damage, the must make their death check. If they completely fluff it they are going to be down for a long time. Less nasty fails allow them to crawl etc. Degree of success also determines how many damage points a character gets back. Finishing moves are automatically harder to get up from (5-10 penalty on death check depending on how well it’s done).

Also, finishing moves can only be done when dramatically appropriate. If a player goes for one at the completely wrong time it will automatically be countered.

For normal fights, use the normal fight rules.

Lets Get Ready to Rumble

The first scene actually starts off with a match about to take place. The Silver Dragons are teaming up with Uncle Sam to take on a high flying team of three known as 3 Time. This is a warm up match for a number of reasons. In the eyes of the wrestling company, it is a warm up match to get the crowd used to the idea of Uncle Sam and the Silver Dragons as a team. This is also a warm up for the players to get used to the game and the idea of using wrestling type manoeuvres. Siam is to accompany the Silver Dragons to the ringside. This is a match which they are expected to win quite easily. They are also expected to make it look good though, so they shouldn’t win too easily. Bear in mind that this is a tag team match so the players should only be in the ring one at a time.

What the guys don’t know is that just as the match finishes there is going to be a run in by the Posse. The Sexecutioner will be made aware of this about a minute before it happens. A nervous executive (called Tom Monsoon) will approach him backstage and ask him if he is ready for his big entrance. A couple of raised eyebrows later he should eventually be told by said nervous shaking executive that the Posse are going to do a run in and that the Sexecutioner is to make an entrance, help clear house and then leave.

Right, to recap so it happens as follows.

Start off with Uncle Sam and the Silver Dragons (with Siam) backstage. Allow them to discuss whatever it is they want to discuss as the 3 Time music plays.

The Silver Dragons make their entrance.

Uncle Sam makes his entrance to huge ovation.

Uncle Sam and the Dragons clean up in suitable impressive style only to be attacked by the Posse. Being somewhat outnumbered (there are many Posse members), they don’t do too well.

The Sexecutioner’s music plays and the crowd goes nuts.

Short fight scene where the Sexecutioner struts his stuff. In true bad guy fashion the Posse are reasonably easily run off^[5]

John Pineville tries to grab a quick interview with whoever he can. It’s up to the players how they leave the ring area.

Got that? That should of course take a while. Right now you need to know the necessary details about the Posse. There are 8 of them, but realistically only 5 of them are important (how handy; that’s exactly how many players you have).

Ebony - the Posse’s valet. Due to the Posse’s grunge rock image, she is not petite and sexy. She is a big bruiser of a woman. Very much into power moves. Martial Arts 12, Toughness 10

Axl - the Posse’s front man who does most of the mike work. Not the biggest, he is a great technician. He is also very into fighting dirty. Low blows aplenty. Considerable proficiency with submission holds. Martial Arts 13, Toughness 8

The Rook - The Posse’s high flier. He doesn’t talk much, but when he does it’s very intense. Tends to finish fights with the Rooks flight - a spinning shoulder block off the top rope. Martial Arts 14, Toughness 6

Smash - the Posse’s heavy hitter. Big, aggressive and very strong. Predictably enough, he tends to use a chokeslam to finish his matches^[6] Martial Arts 12, Toughness 14

Mania - undoubtedly the least stable member of the Posse. Tends to laugh maniacally during match ups. Very fast and very intense. Has a habit of getting distracted though. Martial Arts 13, Toughness 7

Give them whatever schticks seem appropriate. Whether they are actual Ascended or just Pledged is up to you. Some of them would be very appropriate as transformed animals (especially the Rook).

The other members of the Posse should be treated as being only slightly tougher than unnamed characters. They do have names (Rage, Dumper and Decay) but they aren’t really up to much.

So what happens next?

All of the major in ring personalities have been introduced. Once they get back stage, a promoter will come over and start gushing at them. His name is Verence O Reilly, and he’s distinctly overweight and dressed in a cringeworthy light blue 3-piece suit. If the Sexecutioner has just wandered off he’ll seem to be slightly miffed. In general though, he just wants to enthuse about their upcoming match with the Posse at Independence Day Massacre in Madison Square Garden. The scene has been set.

Right, so the players could just lounge around and wait for their big match coming up at the PayPerView? Not a chance in Hell. After all, there’s promotional work to be done.

The Public Appearance

So, in order to push the ratings for the PPV, the characters are going to do a public appearance at a Youth Centre, which is situated in a big shopping mall. The scene is fairly standard. The characters are welcomed by the Youth Centre manager. Lots of the staff are obviously thrilled to be so close to Sam Adams in person and will gush on about how all the kids look up to him, and what a great role model he is, and could he possibly sign this for their nephew who just happens to have the same name as them. Give the players a chance to interact with the staff (and get highly irritated by the levels of saccharine flowing), before moving on to the actual signing. There is a long table set up for them to sit behind. They can hear the sound of a swelling crowd being held back by security guards at the door. Eventually the doors burst open and hundreds of kids burst in to swarm all over their heroes.

It’s really up to you how much of this you want to play through. Do give the impression of them being thoroughly swamped though. There’ll probably be a few older fans there who wish to get an autograph from Siam and talk to her breasts. If the players want to say anything in particular to the fans, let them. If not, move on to the arrival of the Posse.

At some stage during the autograph signing (i.e. just before the players get bored) the Posse arrive in and start hurling abuse at the PCs. While this is very much in the vein of a standard publicity stunt thing, the fact of the matter is that this has not been cleared with the PCs at all. Anyway, nasty things are said and it gets into a brief scuffle (no actual moves just a lot of pushy shovey until they are dragged apart by security. The important thing is that at some stage during this, one of the Posse will lean close to one of the PCs and whisper “watch out for the Architects” in their ear. They will also push a piece of paper into said PCs hands^[7]. On the paper is an address.

Obviously, all this scuffling will be accompanied by the surrounding kids getting really into it (and adults trying to hide the fact that they are getting really into it).

The Carpark (or “Here’s an obvious place to ambush someone”)

Right, so the PCs get to finish up their public appearance and make their way down to the carpark^[8]. This is going to be where the Architects of the Flesh make their play. As mentioned earlier, the Architects have a far more simple approach than either of the other two sides. They just want to kill Uncle Sam. Without his monstrously popular presence, everything will probably fall apart for the other teams. Easy, huh? So in true bad guy style they have planned an ambush somewhere that has a lot going for it.

It’s out of the way, so they can trot out Abominations and the like without too much trouble from nosy public.

There are lots of cars which are expensive and shiny. Hence there can be lots of collateral damage. Otherwise, what would be the point?

Right, basic ambush plan. First off is the mooks with guns. Not really much of an issue. How many are there? As many as makes sense to you at the time. They aren’t supposed to be much of a challenge. Their function is to makes windshields explode and the like. It might also freak out Uncle Sam quite a lot.

The second wave is far more threatening. The first bit was a chance for them to loosen up and get into some funky combat. The second bit is actually serious, because that’s when the Abominations come out. Let’s get this straight from the start - this is not a fight they can win. These guys (DeathNell and SoulRipper^[9]) are more than the PCs can handle. They fight very well together. They are concentrating on trying to kill Uncle Sam. They are really, really hard. Did I mention how little chance the PCs have against them. In fact, if they manage to kill them based on the stats below, cheat. They can’t beat them. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with the PCs picking up some nasty wounds while trying.

Body 10, Chi 0 (Magic 10), Mind 5, Reflexes 10
Arcanowave Device 19, Creature Powers 16, Guns 16, Martial Arts 16
Feedback Enhancer, Helix Rethreader, Pulser, Variable Mass Sword (16 damage!)
Carnival of Carnage
Flight, Regeneration, Inevitable Comeback x 3.

So what do you do if you can’t win? You run^[10].

We’re Outta Here…

Cue car chase. The guy who drives their limo died tragically in the firefight (he didn’t have a name, what did you expect?^[11]). This means one of the PCs has to drive. Sexecutioner may have his own bike. So, it’s time for some hot four-wheeled action. They will be chased through the streets of New York by the ubiquitous black vans while being shot at for however long seems exciting. Eventually they lose them. For the purposes of drama, it would be great if you could arrange for someone to have a bad would by this stage. The kind of thing that needs medical attention. Got that? Cool.

..But they’re everywhere

This is when they realise that the Architects are a lot more organised than the single ambush would suggest. Anywhere they go, be it back to their hotel or towards a hospital they find black vans waiting for them^[12]. So where can they go? Well there is always the address on the piece of paper given to them by the Posse. This should hopefully generate a bit of argument. After all, the Posse are the bad guys, aren’t they? This should be an especially difficult one for Uncle Sam to get, thinking as he does in somewhat black or white terms. There isn’t much of a choice though^[13]. So eventually, they should seek out the address given to them by the Posse.

The address takes them deep into the ghetto (where the Architects would stick out even more, and their pretty black vans would probably end up on bricks in under a minute). Of course, the limo isn’t the most inconspicuous either. The players should definitely feel nervous down here. Eventually, they will pull up to a house with a big set of steps leading up to the front door^[14]. Once people see where they are headed, they seem to lose interest. Pointedly so. In fact, everybody is avoiding looking at this building if at all possible.

Assuming they go up and knock, the door will be answered by a lady of about 60 years of age. She has an incredible grace in her movements despite her obviously advanced age. She will usher the characters in saying that “Axl said we might have visitors”. She won’t make too much effort at conversation otherwise and is highly unlikely to tell them what her name is. She will however be quite eager to take a look at any injuries. If you can, try to get across the impression that her interest in the injuries isn’t so much humanitarian as it is a kind of curiosity. She will make comments along the lines of “hmm, frail” and other such irritating non-helpful phrases.

That said, she will be more than happy to heal injuries once reminded. Her method of healing the players might irritate them slightly. It involves lots of very stingy unguents which will really sear the flesh of any injuries. That’s just the start. Next come the foul-smelling poultices which will cause everybody’s eyes to run. Finally the bit that makes all the difference. She will lay hands over the injury and close her eyes, humming slightly. The injuries will heal at a rapid rate.

It’s very important to note here, that any suggestion of this being magic of any sort will highly offend her. She will get very angry indeed, telling them that she didn’t invite them in so they could insult her^[15]. It will take a lot of work to calm her down, but her eventual attitude will be one of not expecting any better from them. She will tell them that they will be staying there until the event (which at this stage is in about 20 hours). Not offering, telling. She will lead them to some very comfortable rooms indeed, but they are all together and very definitely restrictive.

At whatever stage they start talking about leaving, introduce the next character. He calls himself Geoff, and appears out of corners which seem to have been empty a minute ago. He’ll tell them that they are insane to leave. There are Architects looking for them all over the place^[16]. They’d be cut down in seconds. They made a mistake last time, but they’d be more prepared now. And so on, and on, and on. In fact, Geoff talks quite a lot. An awful lot. He tends to smirk all the time as well and very rarely stands up fully. Even in a comfortable sitting room he appears to be lurking.

Anyway, he’ll tell them that he has a much better way…

For now, leave them stewing. If they are stupid enough to actually go out and take their chances give them a run for their money and then kill them. Unless they come up with something really smart that is.

The Better Way

Wouldn’t you know it, the better way is through the sewers. Umm, comfortable. Geoff will lead the characters through the twisting and turning maze of the New York sewer system. Fun, fun, fun. It’s dark and slimy and smelly, and it doesn’t seem to bother Geoff at all. He actually seems to enjoy their discomfort at the surroundings. There is the unfortunate matter of it taking so long though. If they look at their watches they’ll see that the main show has started before they get there. Geoff will use as his excuse that he didn’t expect them to be so slow (he is far more surefooted in the slime than they are). Anyway, eventually they will make it Madison Sq. Garden…

Tonight’s Main Event

They eventually emerge in a boiler room. With the acoustics being what they are, they will be able to hear an interview being conducted and broadcast over the PA. John Pineville is asking someone their opinion on ‘Uncle’ Sam’s team not having shown up yet. They’ll hear one of the Posse (Axl) responding that Sam would show up and take his butt-kicking like a man. As it happens, the boiler room door is just down from where the interview is being conducted. As the PCs emerge, they are caught on camera and a huge roar erupts from the crowd. Observant PCs will notice a brief look of relief on Axl’s face. Brief face off type interview goes whatever way you and the players decide and then Axl will say that he and his four team-mates are waiting.

Hmm, that makes five - huh? Yup. Siam is expected to wrestle. The format of the match is as follows. It’s a ladder match with a mock laurel wreath hanging over the ring. One wrestler is let into the ring every 60 seconds are so (the match starts with 2). It ends when someone gets the wreath. Obviously the players need to make this a good match.

Right, once a handy official has explained this and the players have been given a chance to change, John Pineville will want to interview them regarding their feelings for the night. Give the players a chance to run their mouths (or eyebrows). Then it’s time for the main event.

The players enter the ring in whatever order you want (they may want to arrange this themselves, but you may deem it to be random if you wish). They each get to come down their theme music, but often short lived as there will be action going.

The ladder is set up in the route down to the ring. This gives them a chance to pose before reaching the ring. The Posse’s first wrestler to the ring will be The Rook. The reason this is relevant is that as the first player approaches the ring, a shadow will fall over them. The Rook is standing on the ropes (not the turnbuckle, he’s actually standing up straight in the centre of the top rope), with his arms out spread. He’ll leap at whoever is first down with a suitably dramatic move, starting the action off.

Things of importance

The ladder can be used as a weapon in whatever way you wish and there are probably spare ladders.

Undoubtedly there are other weapons conveniently stored beneath the ring.

For some reason it’s hard to climb the ladder quickly when going for the prize.

Provide reaction from the crowd. It will make it more interesting. The obvious one is that the crowd count down from 10 to 1 whenever someone new is about to enter the ring.

Of course, it isn’t that simple. Complication number one you already know about. That would be Flame. It’s really up to him whether he does the heel turn or not. He should though - far more fun.

The other complication is the fact that at some stage during the match, and observant PC (anyone except Sam) will notice an Architect sniper up in the stands. This is not a good thing. Obviously he intends to kill whoever wins so as to disrupt attunement. Someone has to stop him. That involves leaving the fight though. That will lead to a bad crowd reaction. He’s reasonable easy to find and stop, but while the player is gone the crowd will be disillusioned, and the team are outnumbered.

Ideally, the way it should go is that the PCs are winning, so as to give Flame a reason to turn. Anything else is up in the air.

Possible Endings

They attune - describe the rush of energy that goes beyond the ovation they are receiving. Everything feels wonderful. It seems as though all bad things in their lives are going to be erased, and everything will be alright. The Posse will do their losers act. It seems almost like they have some kind of respect for the PCs, but there is a challenge in their eyes. Note, the attunement will include Sam. They are stuck with him now.

The Posse attune - bummer. They feel crap, the Posse look radiant. It’s up to them what happens.

Neither attune - this happens if the fight sucks or if someone is killed. Well, each situation will bring it’s own wrap up. They might get booed out, or they might be following a stretcher out with an unspoken agreement between them and the Posse to seek out revenge.

There will be a few loose ends, but don’t spend too long wrapping them up. It really doesn’t suit the game to have long epilogues. Of course, the amusing thing will be to see what they told Sam all through thisJ

That’s it. No more. Nada. Go out there and have fun.

Some funky wrestling moves

Body slam - really simple. Pick someone up and drop them on their backs.

Back breaker - pick someone up and drop their back across your knee. There are several varieties of backbreaker.

Tilt a whirl slam/backbreaker - a back breaker or slam which first spins the opponent through 270 degrees. Can be done from an Irish Whip for extra impact

Irish Whip - throw your opponent towards the ropes so they can inexplicably be unable to stop running.

Drop Kick - jump into the air and put both feet out in front of you for your opponent to run into.

Clothesline - run at opponent and hit their neck with your outstretched arm.

Hurricanrana - jump up to sit on your opponents shoulders with your crotch in their face. Then do a backwards tumble, bringing them with you.

Suplex - Refers to a number of moves, most of which involve holding your opponent reasonable close and bringing them up and over your head so that both of you fall. Suplexes may be vertical, belly to back, german, gargoyle, tiger, belly to belly, gangrel, double underhook, or t-bone, to name but a few.

Superplex - any suplex done off a top rope.

Moonsault - a backwards layout somersault off the top rope which lands on the opponent.

Asai Moonsault - moonsault done from the middle of the ropes instead of from the turnbuckle.

Press Slam - hold opponent right up over head and drop him

Elbow/knee/leg drop - fall on an opponent with the relevant appendage hitting first.

DDT - Hold opponents head under your elbow and fall backwards so it connects with the ground.

Power bomb - a little tricky to describe. Start with opponent bent over with his head wedged between your legs. Next you grab him round the waste and lift him so he ends up almost sitting on your shoulders. Drop him as hard as possible.

Boston Crab - while opponent is lying on ground, straddle them and pull their legs back so they bend their back in a painful manner.

Death Penalty - Stand beside opponent with you both facing opposite directions and your arm holding them across the chest. Lift them and fall forward so his back is drilled into the canvas.

Piledriver - start as per powerbomb. Lift opponent until he is vertical and upside-down. Sit down at speed so he hits ground head first.

Spear - shoulder tackle into the stomach.

Low blow - what do you think?

Cross body block - jumping at someone while stretched out sideways in the hope of knocking them down and pinning them. Usually done off top rope.

Fireman’s carry - do an actual fireman’s lift, but drop them on the other side.

Bear Hug - squeeze someone around the ribcage until they give up.

Wishbone leg splitter - a 2 on 1 move. While opponent in on back, each grab a leg and yank in opposite directions.

These are just a few of the possible moves (I could go on lisitng for days). Remember, nearly any move can be performed from the top rope to make it that little bit cooler. Also, adding your own variations and giving the newly modified move a flashy name automatically makes it that little bit more devastating (don’t ask me why, it just does).

The Sexecutioner

There are times when a diplomat is needed. There are times when pretty words are needed, and when people need to be convinced of the rightness of a course of action. There are times when a winning smile and a reassuring word can do more to move a crowd than a million actions. And then there is a time when the talking ends and it’s time for action. At that time, it’s time for the Sexecutioner.

Women want him, men fear him. He is the the dark stranger that haunts the dreams of every frightened child and livens up those of bored housewives. He’s the smoothest, most fearsome wrestler to grace the ranks of wrestling in years. He’s a one man revolution all set to explode.

It can be hard to keep a character going, but Kevin Calloway has been doing it all his life. Marked out from his peers by his enormous size (7’), he developed an attitude to match their conceptions of him. They wanted him to be some kind of fearsome monster, so he gave them one. Over the years he has refined his image. Silent, brooding and always calm, he has learnt to say more with a single raised eyebrow than many people could say with a thousand words.

No-one was surprised when Kevin left his home-town. No-one except his mother was sorry.

Drifting from town to town, Kevin searched for a meaning that he knew was always missing in his life. He took work where he could get it - sometimes as a bouncer, sometimes as a barman. Always he moved on before too long. One day he finally found out what he was looking for. He stumbled across a fight in an old church (Kevin always liked quiet places) between an old Chinese man and a group of well armed thugs. The Chinese man didn’t appear to need his help, but that wasn’t really the point. Besides, he’d been feeling kinda grumpy of late, and enjoyed pummelling the goons. Looking back, he often wonders if it was more than chance that led him there.

The man intorduced himself as Kar Fai, and told young Kevin a number of things which he had almost known all his life. The world as he knew it was a lie. Behind the scenes a war raged to control history, by seizing control of sites through which the world’s natural energy flowed. Kar Fai led a group known as the Dragons, determined to wield these energies for the good of mankind. Seeing young Kevin’s potential, he was quick to recruit him to his cause. But he also knew that Kevin would never fit in properly with a team, operating better on his own. So for the last couple of years, Kevin has worked as a lone crusader, fighting the secret war the best way he knows how.

Recently, Kar Fai called on Kevin with possibly the strangest assignment yet. Apparently, control of one of the most powerful sites on the planet will be decided based on the outcomes of a wrestling event. And so Kevin entered the CWF, posing as the Sexecutioner. For the past few months he has been building a name for himself with his with and run interferences in matches. He is aware that during this assignment he will have to interact with other members of the Dragons, but he doesn’t really care. He’ll do his job like he always has, and if anyone gets in his way, they’ll wish they hadn’t.

Image and Personality

The Sexecutioner is 7’ tall and weighs 332lbs of pure muscle. He walks with a grace that belies his size and never seems perturbed. He has attractive features adorned by a dark goatee beard and framed by dark flowing locks. Whatever he wears, be it trenchcoat or sleeveless tshirt, it always screams of laid back credibility. Smirks, raised eyebrows and appraising looks have all been perfected over the years, and it is rare that his opponents are confident enough to meet him at their best.

Wrestling style

Pure, dominating power. Boots to the face; effortless backbreakers; throwing his opponent around like a rag doll. The Sexecutioner dominates and intimdates his opponents before finishing them off with the awesome Contract - a powerbomb over the ropes to the outside. Sexecutioner rarely pins his opponents, preferring to leave them outside for the count-out.

The Others

“Uncle” Sam Adams - So this is what you are supposed to protect?

Siam - a strong woman. Seems to know quite a lot. Very, very angry.

Flight - very full of himself. Not nearly as pretty as he seems to think.

Flame - hmmm

Statistics
Body 11 (Toughness 12), Chi 2, Mind 6, Reflexes 5 (Speed 8)

Intimidation 16
Martial Arts 14
Information (Secret War) 10
Convey volumes with facial expression 18
Seduction 13
Driving 12
Guns (not that you have any at the moment) 13
Leadership 12

Schtick - Only makes Death Checks when reaching -50

‘Uncle’ Sam Adams

Every child needs a hero. Everybody needs someone to look up to; who they can say embodies the ideals that they wish they were strong enough to stand up for. In a time of ever increasing scandal and faltering confidence in the government, everybody needs someone to bring their attention back to what is good and right about their country. Everybody needs ‘Uncle’ Sam Adams.

He’s young, fresh faced, and full of vigour. He is always ready to stand up for what he believes is the right thing to do. He is the embodiment of the American Dream. He is nauseating to any fans outside of the United States, but on American soil he is the greatest hero that every graced the wrestling ring.

Sam Adams was borne into a reasonably well to do family in the heartland of America. Growing up, Sam always felt good about himself whenever he thought about the USA. After all, he was a citizen of the greatest nation on the planet; the land of the free and the home of the brave. From a very young age, Sam endeavoured to be the best American he could be. In his mind, this meant always striving for the purest motives and the cleanest of acts. Of course, a good American couldn’t just be pure in and of themselves. They had to teach others to do the right thing aswell. Enduring abuse from his peers, he lectured them on the evils of communism, drugs and bad language. In order to be a good role model for them, he worked hard on developing his body, so that they might be able to admire him and look up to him, until such time as they learnt to admire his ideals rather than his physique. Adams became his class president, and helped those in his year reach the highest grades their school had seen in years. In spite of all this work, Adams still had time to visit the elderly in his neighbourhood and work a paper round.

Part of what is above is true. The fact of the matter is that Samuel DuChamp was born into a rich family, which had made millions off the wrestling industry. He never had to do a hard days work in his life, instead pursuing his dream of joining his childhood heroes in the ring. Samuel was never the brightest child (nor adult for that matter) and could see no finer profession than that between the ropes. It never sunk home with him when athletes careers finished; a carelessly executed move robbing them of their livelihood.

Still, his parents figured that his younger brother could always take over the business side of things, and surely Samuel would grow tired of the ring after the initial thrill wore off. They were wrong. Modelling himself on the great heroes of his childhood, Sam Adams made his debut 3 years ago in CWF to monstrous approval. Tired of cynicism and shades of grey, the crowd flocked to this young idealistic wrestler, and before long he was on his way to number one contendership. Caught up in the rush, Samuel started to identify with his character more and more. If one were to ask him now, he would be hard pressed to say where Samuel ended and Sam began.

Right now, ‘Uncle’ Sam Adams is locked in a bitter feud with The Posse - a bunch of no good layabouts who espouse unwholesome lifestyles and use crude references in their promos. The way the story line is progressing, he’ll be teaming up with some more recent arrivals to teach The Posse a lesson. He hopes they are as good role models as he is.

Image and Personality

‘Uncle’ Sam Adams wears tights with a Stars & Stripes emblem on them, has corn blue eyes, and tightly curled blond hair. At 23 years of age, he stands 6’4” and has rippling muscles. He has a wonderfully open smile (the product of thousands of dollars worth of orthodontic work as a child), and is upbeat and optimistic. Samuel is a bit of a primadonna. He’s never really had to work for anything, but only sometimes remembers this (he gets a bit confused). He basks in adoration, and loves to meet his fans. He sometimes wears shades, which really bring out the strong lines in his face, but always takes them off at some point in the interview. After all - no honest man need hide his eyes.

Wrestling Style

As clean as the driven snow. Sam will never attack someone from behind if he can avoid it (he prefers to tap them on the shoulder), and will absolutely never hit anyone with a low blow. He has a reasonably good command of both aerial and technical wrestling. His signature move is a gut wrench powerbomb, followed by the ‘All American Splash’ off the top ropes.

The Others

The Sexecutioner - the what? You haven’t met him yet, but that name bodes ill. What kind of an example is that to set to the children? Doesn’t he want to see America return to the clean decent values that made it so great? And what is it with the whole lone wolf thing? We stand together and thrive against the common enemy, for we are the voice of tomorrow…(and so on into long patriotic speech)

Siam - ah, but it’s wonderful to see how in this great country people of any race and gender can be allowed to shine. Where else would she get a chance to so admirably show off her…talents. She is quite a woman, and despite her dress sense probably knows her true place in society.

Flight - his winning smile and open attitude are wonderful. This is what the youth of today should be looking for - a way to be healthy active and honest. You’ve looked into his eyes and there is not an ounce of deceit there. How wonderful.

Flame - does he have to stay so quiet all the time? Of course, it is truly generous of him to realise that his brother is the true talent in the team, but surely he could smile a little more often.

Statistics
Bod 8, Chi 0 (fortune 10), Mind 4 (will 6), Reflexes 5 (Agility 7)

Driving 10
Martial Arts 12
Info Wrestling 14
Patriotic Speeches 16
See the best in every situation 16
Whip crowd into frenzy 14
Leadership 14
Photo opportunity 18

Schtick - Patriotic poses immediately prior to moves add to your damage. Patriotic paraphernalia add to your toughness

Siam

Behind every man there is a great woman. And some women are great enough to be behind two. Sometimes, it is more important that a man be seen to have such a woman, than that he prove himself a man at all. Sometimes, such a woman need only stand out and look lovely. Sometimes, they are there to be looked at. And sometimes they are Siam.

She is strong, independent and cool. She is ‘one hell of a woman’. She is going to kill someone if this stupid mission doesn’t end soon. 5’8” of Asian fighting fury packed into skin-tight hot pants and a ridiculous pair of shoes, she is the embodiment of the woman you don’t want to mess with.

1850’s China was not exactly a time and a place when women felt prized. In fact, with the anti-female British closing in on one side, and the reactionary traditionalists dictating the role of women on the other, it was not a good time to be female. Never mind that Shaolin Nuns had created some of the most significant advances in martial arts; common views held that women should not be allowed anywhere near such men’s activities. Thankfully, young Sen See Yam’s uncle knew better. Taught in private, she developed a strong affinity for the white crane and monkey schools of kung fu. And yet it constantly ate at her that her conservative parents would never acknowledge her skill, nor condone her practice; fearful as they were that the rest of the community would find out. Eventually, the last straw was broken when her parents arranged a marriage to an conservative old man. Seeing her last chance for freedom slipping through her fingers, See Yam snuck out of her parents home at night and fled. She never looked back.

Coming upon an old traveller calling himself Kar Fai, See Yam was shown that there were those who could appreciate women’s ability to make a difference. Indeed, she was given the chance to make a difference in matters she never would have dreamt existed. Bringing her to the Netherworld, Kar Fai introduced her to the Secret War - a battle raging across history for control of sites of power. Having been taught traditional Feng Shui by her uncle, See Yam was quick to understand the relevance of these sites, and started to make insights that no other scholars of the war had yet made. And so it was that See Yam became respected as both a warrior and a scholar in the ranks of the Dragons. Finally she was happy. Something had to give.

Then this mission came up. While See Yam had warmed to several aspects of the 20th century (especially female emancipation), there were several aspects she just couldn’t fathom. One such aspect was the American Public’s fascination with wrestling. To her it represented a throwback to primitive chest beating and embodied the worst aspects of man. Her opinion only got worse when she saw the lot women had in this endeavour. Skimpy bikinis and vacuous looks adorned the faces of the bimbos who fawned over their overly muscular beaus. When she worked out why Kar Fai wanted her to study this pastime, she nearly killed him.

So it was that she found herself as ‘Siam’, beautiful valet to the Silver Dragons; a high flying new tag team in the CWF. She stifles her anger at every sexist comment, and struggles to keep her smile as fat Americans leer at her from the crowd. She hates every moment of this charade, but knows that it is necessary that she be there. None of the other Dragons understand how the raw emotion pouring through the wrestling stadiums may lead to attunement. And so she has put up with her demeaning role and even managed to ring a few concessions out of the others in terms of being allowed get physically involved in matches. Now, if only they’d let her do something besides moonsaults.

Image and Personality

Take an extremely good looking Asian girl of 22 years and 5’8” in height, then dress her like one of Charlie’s Angels. Siam’s outfits don’t leave much to the imagination. It is a good thing they have such an effect on male wrestling fans, or they might notice the burning intelligence in her eyes. They might notice how her initial dumb valet act lasted up until the first time she opened her mouth, and how uncomfortable her charges looked when the strong independent Siam took over. Perhaps the only thing that has saved her credibility is the fact that she still isn’t completely comfortable in the 20th century, nor fully conversant with it’s technology. It is the occasional look of confusion in her eyes that allows wrestling fans to dismiss any notions that she might be more dangerous than the men in the ring.

Wrestling Style

There are two ways in which Siam fights. Firstly there is the ‘don’t ask me, I’m just a valet style’. This largely consists of hitting people over the head from behind with ring bells, hammers and high heels. To this she has added an array of moonsaults. In reality, she is astonishingly agile and can pull off any high flying move she wishes. She also knows a wide array of locks and breaks, as well as kicks, punches and a whole host of weapons styles.

The Others

The Sexecutioner - oh, like that’s supposed to send all the girls crazy, is it? What does he think he is? Some kind of Mongol lone rider? Pathetic. A curse on all mean who think they are Gods gift to women. And a curse on your weak heart for finding him so damn attractive. Mmmm, those eyebrows.

“Uncle” Sam Adams - this has to be a joke. No-one could really be that dumb, could they? Well, maybe. You’ve seen worse since coming to the 20th century. Several times you have had to restrain yourself from laughing in his face. He actually believes all those things he says. Bizarre.

Flight - Pretty boy. He thinks his moves are so hot, but he has some really obvious holes in his technique. If only you could get in the ring instead of him, you’d show everyone. At least he hasn’t tried to interrupt you too much during interviews.

Flame - you like him. Out of all the people you’ve worked with in the Dragons, you think you’ve connected with him the best. He’s quiet, and you get the impression that he feels under-appreciated. You can really sympathise with that.

Statistics
Bod 6, Chi 2 (KungFu 8), Mind 8, Reflexes 9 (Agility 11)

Martial Arts 16
Info Feng Shui 13
Info Secret War 13
Info Eastern Philosophy 13
Leadership 10
Intimidation 10
Withering Look 14

Schticks - Crane Stance, Wing of Crane, Beak of Crane, Talon of Crane, Prodigious Leap, Flying Windmill Kick

Weapons - any cool asian weapon you could possibly have handy

Flight

If man were meant to fly, he would have given them wings. And yet people sometimes need to believe that a man can soar. Sometimes they need to see a human form arc through the air with gravity defying grace. Sometimes they need to believe that they too could manage it. Sometimes, they need to witness the man called flight.

He is grace given human form. He is a blur on the edge of sight, which only ceases it’s movements when the referee’s hand falls for the third time. He is the fastest, most agile wrestler to explode onto American TV screens in years. Oh, and he has a partner.

Ever since he was born, the most important fact of Danny Su’s life has been his brother. Growing up he learnt that family was the strongest tie there was, and he has lived his life by this motto. Himself and his brother have always been inseparable. While they differ wildly in size and temperament, they have stuck together through thick and thin. They weathered high school together, when white kids wanted to make issue of their race and bully them. Those kids quickly learnt that messing with brothers was a bad idea. They stuck together in the gym, pushing each other to new heights, and they stuck through college together as their footballing endeavours paid the fees through scholarships.

Danny always knew that he and his brother were destined for great things together, and his suspicion was confirmed when the old Chinese man found them. Saying that he needed men who knew how to work as a team, he introduced them to a whole new world…literally. Taking them to the Netherworld, he showed them how everything they knew was a lie, and how a war was been fought to control history. Ever since that day, Danny and his brother have been fighting the good fight and Danny has never looked back.

Every day has helped Danny develop a new sense of wonder at the world. Working with new trainers, he has discovered previously untapped potential and developed hugely in his athletic ability. He has also developed as a person. Realising that he could make a difference helped Danny open up as a person, and he has become a truly charismatic individual.

Being always open for new experience, Danny was thrilled to learn about the most recent assignment. A long time fan of pro-wrestling, he was more than ready to work undercover as a wrestler - especially if it gave him a chance to work closer with the beautiful See Yam. Of course he realises how important his mission is, but the way he sees it, if he takes it too seriously he’ll fail. His job is to win fan support so that the Dragons can attune to Madison Sq. Garden. To do that he has to be at his relaxed best.

With this in mind, Danny intends to have the time of his life, and help fans around the world reach the top of their emotional scale. With his brother’s help, he is determined that he will show the world what having a good time is all about, and look fantastic while doing it.

Image and Personality

As his wrestling name would suggest, Flight is a high flying aerial wrestler. As such, he has a reasonably light build, though he is not a small individual. Weighing in at 237lbs, and standing 5’9” in height, Flight is a compact young man, who looks quite dynamic in his shining silver wrestling tights. The bright paint across his face does not hide the fact that he is quite an attractive young man, and he knows it. Danny is something of a show-off at heart, but he is fiercely loyal to brother and will never let anyone even consider harming him. He is very much a people person, loving to be in the middle of a crowd.

Wrestling Style

Why walk, when you can flip? Why punch someone when you can perform a flying body press. Flight’s feet rarely touch the ground for the duration of his matches, and he is constantly trying to come up with new ways of impressing the fans by taking higher risks. His finisher is the 450 degree splash, usually after Flame sets their opponents up.

The Others

The Sexecutioner - cool name. You’ve heard bits and pieces about him but haven’t met him yet. Not so sure you’re comfortable about him being here. Doesn’t Kar Fai trust you to get the job done?

“Uncle” Sam Adams - this guy is a real laugh. He seems so incredibly naïve and yet at the same time is a really nice guy. You never thought you’d be able to tolerate someone so, so, stupid. Despite all this, when he starts talking, it’s almost as if nothing he says could possibly be untrue. Incredible.

Siam - she is one foxy chick. And oh does she have an attitude. Her more Asian than though attitude can get to be a bit annoying at times, as can her constant air of superiority. And what’s with her completely ignoring her character and getting all aggressive and emancipated? You think you’re in love.

Flame - you’ve stuck it through thick and thin with your brother and you would move the earth for him. He is a wonderful person. Sometimes he can be a bit dry, not being so into partying as you are, but that’s ok. No-one ever said the two of you had to be the same.

Statistics
Body 6, Chi 1 (Kung Fu 3), Mind 5, Reflexes 8 (Agility 9)

Martial Arts 12
Drive 13
Seduction 9
Info Rock Bands 13
Perform ludicrously unnecessary move when something simple would have sufficed 14

Schticks - Prodigious Leap, Hands without Shadow

Flame

There are those who seem to be able to keep their head in any situation, and then there are those who fly into a rage at the slightest provocation. Then there are those who manage to incorporate both, burning with a cold intensity which frightens all. Then, there is Flame.

He is the embodiment of focus, the fire that tears through a house with no care for it’s inhabitants. He is the calm which comes before the storm and the storm itself. He is one of the most technically accomplished wrestlers ever. He is fixed firmly in the minds of the populace - he is Flight’s partner.

Ever since he was born, the most important fact of Michael Su’s life has been his brother. Growing up he learnt that family was the strongest tie there was, and he has lived his life by this motto. Himself and his brother have always been inseparable. While they differ wildly in size and temperament, they have stuck together through thick and thin. They weathered high school together, when white kids wanted to make issue of their race and bully them. Those kids quickly learnt that messing with brothers was a bad idea. They stuck together in the gym, pushing each other to new heights, and they stuck through college together as their footballing endeavours paid the fees through scholarships.

Some days, Michael wishes he were strong enough to call an end to the relationship. He has been living in his brother’s shadow for years now and he wishes he had the guts to step firmly out into the sun. He would, did he not love his brother so much, and he will because he hates him. Michael can’t remember the last time he made an independent decision, and that realisation terrifies him. Were it not for Danny, things might be different. Were it not for Danny, he might have continued his promising football career, rather than pursuing some fools notion of protecting the world and it’s history. Were it not for Danny, he might be happy. Were it not for Danny, he might be his own person.

The Su brothers have been involved with a faction known as the Dragon for years now. Together, they have faced down demons, travelled to the far future and saved villages from despair. And all because some guy named Kar Fai said so. It all sounds so insane when put that way, but when he is with Danny, Michael has always found himself swept up in such insanity. Well now he is sick of it. Now he wants to put an end to it. Now he wishes it would go on forever.

Michael doesn’t know what he wants. For a long time he has been in contact with a group known as the Lodge, who want him to betray his brother. Always, he has refused, lest his brother get hurt. Now however he has a chance. Himself and his brother are posing as wrestlers in order to swing fan opinion in their favour and so attune to a major Feng Shui site. It is the perfect time to turn on his brother and gain vengeance for years of being overshadowed. Of course it must be timed perfectly. Attacking his brother at just the right time, when the fans are at their most frenzied will ensure maximum effect.

The plan is flawless. Support will swing to the Lodges own wrestlers (who they’ll be fighting at the time) and ensure them victory, but not harm Danny in any permanent way. Michael looks forward to seeing the hurt expression on Danny’s face. Or maybe he doesn’t. Maybe he will only pretend to turn on him, playing the heel to Danny’s face; a great team act again. In truth, Michael doesn’t know. All he knows for certain is the growing malcontent souring in his stomach. All he knows is that things must change.

Image and Personality

Flame stands 5’10” and is stocky in build. He is quiet by nature, tending to defer to his brother. He has an intensity to him though that tends to make up for his lack of verbal expression. His voice when he speaks is calm and even, with no hint of his inner turmoil showing. He is a man of ice and fire. His demeanour is cold and unruffled, but his actions are often passionate in the extreme. His wrestling attire consists of a pair of silver wresting tights and flamboyant face paint is the form of stylised flames.

Wrestling Style

An intense flurry of blows and kicks is often followed by a dazzling array of suplexes leading into a maze of submission holds once his opponent is worn down. While wrestling commentators recognise the astonishing technical skill and variety of his suplexes, it just isn’t as crowd pleasing as his brother’s style.

The Others

The Sexecutioner - hrmph. Sounds just like another attention grabber. What kind of name is that anyway? Probably spends hours getting the designer stubble right so he can look rough and unkempt.

“Uncle” Sam Adams - it would probably be easier to get this job done if you weren’t partnered up with this circus act. OK, so he’s popular but he is intensely annoying. It would be a pleasure to suplex him through a table, but that isn’t what you are here for…yet.

Siam - sometimes she looks at you and you figure she can see your very soul. Be very careful. You can’t afford to get involved in any sort of new friendship right now. She is far too clever. She’d see right through you. Besides which, you don’t need any more regrets.

Flight - it’s incredible how one person can be the object of so much love and yet so much hate. The two of you have stuck together all your lives. Sometimes you are profoundly grateful to him for that, and sometimes you rage at how it stunted your own development. Enough; everything will be sorted out soon.

Statistics
Body 7 (Strength 9), Chi 2, Mind 6, Reflexes 6 (Manual Dexterity 10, Speed 7)

Martial Arts 13
Info anatomy 12
Intimidation 12
Intrusion 11
Fix-it 12
Act unnervingly calm while eyes scream violence - 15

Foot Notes:

[1] For those of you who are unfamiliar with anything beyond the People’s Elbow, this refers to the astounding Shooting Star Press as performed by Billy Kidman.

[2] Cue Christian pointedly looking at a potted plant before asking you if you are going to ask that question.

[3] Purists may insist that you use a chair for this.

[4] You probably know that Feng Shui assigns bonuses for original or impressive attacks. Let me get this straight right here and now. The People’s Elbow is neither original nor impressive. It should not garner bonuses. In fact, repeated use of the People’s Elbow as an attack for use in any situation should be penalised. It’s just an elbow drop for God’s sake.

[5] Remember that this is in their best interests. By playing the game, they set the stage for one of the factions to attune.

[6] Anyone else sick of all big men using chokeslams?

[7] Obviously, most confusion will be caused if said PC is Uncle Sam. Play it as you want though.

[8] Awkward PCs may want to do other things first. It should be made clear to them though that none of them wants to let Sam out of sight, just in case.

[9] Yes, named characters. We all know what that means

[10] No, the answer is not die

[11] That said, the driver being gunned down is a perfect excuse to have a dove fly across the carp-park in slow motion.

[12] Organised, but not necessarily smart.

[13] Choice is overrated anyway. Life isn’t fair.

[14] You know, the same house that is used as the set for every American street ever.

[15] Yes, she’s Ascended. Transformed Dragon to be precise.

[16] Incidentally, only Kevin and Siam will really know what that means in any detail. Even they would be sketchy on the Ascended.