Ho'thai Kantawong sits idly in his seat, the Tiger Throne of Tam Bình, one of the 12 Islands of Wuxia, in it's capitol city of Sihapong. Having reviewed several orders for shipments of ore to the Big Island, he slams the papers down, and in his native dialect of Wuxian pronounces a heavy curse onto Kotowari. "The damn bastard thinks he can swindle me out of my iron, he'll see! I'll piss on his grave if he swindles me again." One of his sultry concubines saunters into the room at his behest, and lays herself before him. "O, Great One, might your handmaid have the delight of resting in your arms for her pleasure and yours?" Lord Ho'thai beams at his concubine. "You were always my favorite, Phạm Hoài An!" With a gesture, she leaps up onto the Throne with him, and wraps her arms around his neck, kissing his chest rapturously.
Lord Ho'thai of Tam Bình smiled. He was still one of the few lords in power from the Old Emperor's time. He ran the affairs of state, successfully managed one of the most illustrious iron ore mines this side of Alwyn. He was also known for his debauchery and his finery. Secretly he ran a human trafficking ring throughout Wuxia, and no one knew of his perversions....
Until now.
The large doors of his throne room swing open in a spray of splinters as an enormous stone-headed hammer crashes through them, followed by the man wielding it...
Standing over 6 feet tall and broad in every way, the heavily armored man walks into the room, hefting the hammer in his hands, bouncing the head up and down as he tosses it slightly.
"The people of Sihapong have spoken, Ho'thai... you're done. No longer will you sell women and children for your own gain. You will present yourself to your subjects for a trial, or you will be judged by me."
With the last word, the man slams the hammer down against the fine marble floor, shattering a large piece of it before lifting a book suspended by a thick chain hung at his side, opening it with the red ribbon bookmark.
"Choose. You will face justice, either by your people or me. The judge of Tyr."
Lord Ho'thai nearly jumps out of his seat at the intrusion. He vehemently throws his concubine to the ground, and stands up. Six of his heaviest armed and armored guards race into the room, their heavy iron spears trained on the hulking intruder. "What," he says in a heavily accented common, "is the meaning of this impingement? I have no idea who you are, or what you're talking about, you boor!" With an irritated gesture, he orders his heavily armored spearmen to attack the mammoth trespasser.
The six armed men attack at once, charging with their spears pointed straight at the newcomer. Yelling as they charge, their spears bear down...
(Rolled a 20 for one of them, a 16 for the next, an 8 for the next, a 14 for the next, a 5 for the next, and an 18 for the last.)
In one action, the mammoth of a man carefully closes his book and grabs his monstrous hammer, spinning on the balls of his feet, swinging the hammer in a large arc. (18)
"I have no quarrel with you! Stop your attack now or I will be forced to treat you the same as your master..."
Four of the six heavily armored spearmen crumple like soft paper before the whirlwind attack of the massive hammer. The other two, still standing, back away slowly. The four prone figures are still and un-moving.
Ho'thai Kantawong takes a step back, and nearly bowls over the Tiger Throne. His discarded concubine slinks off, her nose bloodied from being thrown roughly to the ground. "You--you have no place here! Get out! Be gone! I have no dealings with hooligans who profess to be above my law!" With that, he reaches into a secure area behind the throne, and pulls out a double barrelled shotgun. He aims right at the hulking interloper, and fires both shells. (Shoot! Dat's a 20!)
Recovering from his massive swing, the large man turns and looks at Ho'thai, slowly advancing on him.
"I have a place anywhere The God of Justice sends me... I am his Judge. His jury..."
The shots ring out, both slamming into his heavy armor, making him falter in his step. The towering man looks down at his dented armor, then back up to his quarry...
"And when Lord Tyr demands it... his executioner."
(Nat 20 to hit)
The man brings the heavy hammer down with a sickening crunch on Ho'thai's knee, destroying it. He then grabs the little man and drags him out onto the balcony, throwing him against the podium before once again slamming him enormous hammer into the ground.
"People of Sihapong! Your voices have been heard by Tyr! Justice is at hand..." he shouts, holding the people's corrupt leader harshly up for all to see.
Ho'thai bellows out an equally sickening shriek as his knee is destroyed. He struggles against the grip of the titan holding him fast, but cannot get free.
A crowd has gathered outside the Kinh thành (equivalent of a Vietnamese citadel), and watch as the lumbering man throws their leader on the balcony. Ho'thai quails like a cornered dog, and shouts orders and pleas for help in the Hmong dialect of Wuxian, but to no avail. The cries fall on deaf ears, and the crowd begins to chant menacingly in Wuxian as well, saying "xuống với tham nhũng!" ("Down with the corrupt"), and "Treo anh!" ("Hang him")
.
First it is quiet, but it gets louder and louder. Lord Ho'thai Kantawong's eyes widen as he bleats like a goat, realizing he has lost.
"You see, Ho'thai... the people have spoken... and Tyr heard them. He sent me." He whispers the the crumpled man.
He raises his hand for silence, lifting the ancient text onto the podium and opening it once again to the page marked by the red ribbon.
"The Lord of Justice has heard your pleas! Tyr sent me to rid your city of this filth... for too long has he stole and sold your children and women, making a profit off of debauchery and lewd behavior. This ends now! You, the people, will appoint someone to take his place upon The Tiger Throne. Choose wisely!" He shouts to the crowd below.
He raises his hammer and plants it like a standard, before reciting a text from the book:
"Tyr has blessed this proceeding. Justice has been called. It shall be brought out by the people's request. Ho'thai Kantawong is hereby sentenced to death by the sword. May justice be met and paid in full with your blood."
He slams the book shut, and lets it fall back to his waist before removing his helmet and once again addressing the crowd below.
"I am Konrad Oakhart, last prophet of Tyr the Just. This city has been cleansed in a court of Tyr! Any of you who are evil like this man, I strongly urge you to change your ways and not push the bounds of true corruption! For the moment you cross over into my domain, you too will face justice!"
Konrad picks up his helmet and turns, leaving the balcony and Ho'thai. He walks to the desk and looks around. (14 investigate)
The people come up the stairs to the balcony of the Kinh thành, and grab a hold of Ho'thai. They string him out on a flagpole hanging perpendicular to the citadel, and wrap a noose around his neck. Tying his hands and feet together, they throw him off the balcony, the hangman's rope going taught. He dangles and convulses violently as the people continue their chant, and dies ignominiously.
Meanwhile, back in the main chamber of the Tiger Throne, Konrad approaches the desk on which lay several papers in a neat Wuxian script and well-crafted kanji. They talk of a war in the central region of the Forest Rend in the Korosvye Helots waged by Kotowari, the tyrant of Wuxia.
Konrad ignores the people and their execution, and upon finding the information on the desk, returns to the docks.
As he approaches, he lets out a sharp whistle to get the attention of his helmsman. "Chloe! Chart a course. Korosvye Helots. Rend area. Kotowari was there." He yells to her.
Once aboard his airship and underway, he kneels down at the altar in his room and prays to Tyr.
"Allow me to be your Judge once more, Lord Tyr. Let your hand of justice guide me to where I need to be."