Trouble in Chinatown - Part 2 The Spider Samurai Report

General Summary

Subsequent to their last confrontation with the mysterious ancestral spirits in the Chinese Underground, the New Champions began investigating video footage and eyewitness accounts of the numerous ‘mysterious’ robberies which had recently occurred in Chinatown. Thanks to the investigative work of Lil’Rocket and Wildthing, it became apparent that two individuals continually appeared at each scene of the crimes – and these were the same two individuals Lil’Rocket had “rescued“ from the collapsing supermarket above the first stolen artifact. Wildthing quickly surmised that these individuals were associated with another clan.   Meanwhile, Sandcrab wasn’t convinced of the authenticity of the victim’s responses — they all seemed too happy and complimentary of their robbers who had “saved face” and set things right afterward. So he followed the victims from a distance using his nanite trackers. Ultimately, he was convinced that the victims weren’t involved in the robberies, though their similar and ‘forced’ responses were a curious commonality.   Continuing the investigation digitally, Sandcrab identified an expert of Chinese Ancestral Spirits who might be able to assist the team. This person had written extensively about the spirit capsules which were being stolen. The hard part — this expert lived in Tianjin, China.   Undeterred from the distance separating them, Ghost made a whirlwind trip to visit the author, Luo Jian. Made more difficult by her inability to vocalize speech, Ghost and Luo had a precarious conversation in his high rise apartment overlooking the fog-covered lights of Beijing in the distance. The author was impressed by Ghost, first considering her to be the spirit of death but finally understanding her true nature as Earth’s guardian.   Ghost not wanting to harm Luo Jian by flying with him at breakneck speed, requested assistance from Fazer in the Xplore Plane. After a quick trip from Millennium City to Tianjin and back, the author was now poised to advise the New Champions on their efforts to avoid the catastrophe that would be caused by combining the stolen spirit artifacts.   Not wanting to place the author in harm’s way, the team made a second expedition to the Chinese Underground without him, seeking more direct observations of the artifacts. Nemesis would use her magical eyes to discern the nature of a more recently stolen artifact and Maximum Resistance would take energy readings of the same.   Though the New Champions were well prepared, the recently stolen artifact was being guarded by the Immortal Spider Samurai — with boundless energy and nearly limitless power. The mere entry of the New Champions into their sacred space was cause for hostility. But as strong as they were, Nemesis was equally as strong. Even Ghost’s pulverizing fists didn’t faze the immortal beings.   At a clear impasse and outnumbered by the immortal protectors, the team took hasty readings from the place where the sacred artifact once stood and then made quick retreat.   Later on, after telling Luo Jian of their hostile interaction, he explained that the Spider Samurai were among the most powerful of the Spirit Protectors...but who could get past them so as to steal the artifact? The team considered that it could be someone immensely powerful (Dr. Destroyer??) or someone with stealth and even invisibility. At that suggestion, Luo Jian suggested the possibility of the Soo Shin clan, a clan known for the mystical arts of Stealth, Invisibility, and even rumored to control people’s thoughts.   The readings Nemesis and Max made from the recently stolen object guarded by the Immortal Spider Samurai were proving very helpful. With that, the team went to work, immediately identifying similar mystical/energy readings across the continent. The objects were constantly moving, although in an unpredictable pattern.   Then, periodically, the objects’ energy readings began to disappear. Lil’Rocket moved quickly to observe one of the energy sources after its disappearance, but when he arrived at the location, nothing was there.   He then attempted to follow one of the still-moving energy sources, seeking to observe it before its disappearance. But when he arrived (carrying Nemesis) to one of the live energy source locations, he could still see nothing — except for two strikingly familiar individuals: The same two individuals visible in all of the security footage. The same two individuals Lil’Rocket had ‘rescued’ at the supermarket.   Why were *they* there? Why is the energy source being moved? Why is it invisible?   The story continues.   Watch the session here:

Rewards Granted

3XP

Missions/Quests Completed

• Gained the trust of Luo Jian, an expert in Chinese Ancestral Spirits.
• Uncovered the potential reason for the stolen artifacts - immense power in time of great need.
• Also identified a potential source of great catastrophe - if the artifacts are combined, millions of lives would be lost.
• Identified the energy source of the sacred artifacts, beginning to track their movement.
• Confronted the two 'mysterious figures' present at all of the robberies.

Character(s) interacted with

• Luo Jian, Author and expert in Chinese Ancestral Spirits
• Immortal Spider Samurai
• Two mysterious figures from an unknown clan.