User blog comment:SensibleCenobite/Product Review: Masters of Jade./@comment-38456962-20190414162740

StrangerThings,

1).  Jun and Sam ["PTSD", by Guillaume Singelin]:  Jun turned her back during a medicine run in a shady part of town and it's like Sam was plucked from thin air.  He was by the Monkey Kings from the Boon Haw Gardens.  She investigates and finds that all the veterans that she helps on a day to day basis have vanished too.  This was due to The Guild devaluing opium overnight to receive payment in slaves, which was it's intended goal.  These sad souls have been put to the lash and are being death marched to one of the five Poles.  There they will be devoured by Rakshas unless Jun can intervene.  For the last twelve years Jun has been studying under a Shih master and has been sent to Hong Kong after catching wind that Sam may have resurfaced in the last few years.  Jun has no information on the rest of her crew and would do just about ANYTHING to find their current location. Sam has become a staple part of the Seelie Courts in the last twelve years and has been pulling some great pranks with Miao Min (Wonderfully Sharp). His tale will be a tale of wonder, Glamour, Fae green tea, and the many pranks that he got to play on Hong Kong.

2).  Angelino, Willie, and Vinz ["Mutafukaz", by Guillaume Renard]:  Angelino is actually a native resident of Malfeas and was demanded to CHOOSE his own path.  Being a mass murderer and terraforming a planet weren't two choices he wanted to make.  Vinz is a Fae Fire Spirit who's Seeming is a flaming skeleton.  I don't remember Willie mentioning Vinz being on fire, but Angelino does for sure.  Angelino can sense Vinz's Seeming because he has increased Auspex after his transformation.  Willie and his dumb luck randomly wins a trip for three to Hong Kong all expenses paid.  It's February and Chinese New Year is in full swing.  Red clothing, jade, paper lanterns, gift money, and other festivities are but a few sights the trio will see as they indulge themselves like pigs.  This wasn't a coincidence however.  Strike Force Zero agents have been deployed to Hong Kong to keep tabs on the Triad/Yakuza slave trade and recruit new agents. The hacker on the team likes to keep tabs on black and white listed video surveillance feeds. She happened to be connected to California's data banks when she came across the scene the news reporter caught from the helicopter. The agent doesn't know for sure if these three are right for strike force zero, but they did out maneuver gangsters and a nasty fire fight. If they don't pan out, the three will wind up missing after a restaurant boat explosion.

3).  The Scientist and the Guardians ["Mutafukaz", by Guillaume Renard]:  The scientist worked for the Technocracy before he was kidnapped and sold to the Machos by The Guild.  The Guardians are the South American version of Shih, who adhere to the ancient teachings and are tutored from a young age by family and friends.    The rocket was a success, but it did cause a Paradox backlash that's been building up like a pressure cooker.  Reality can't handle the massive changes wrought by the ice storm and the pendulum must swing back.  Remember, that all those Machos went to Yomi Wan/Malfeas.  This has gotten the interest of Mikaboshi who thinks the addition of Akuma Machos would easily beat Ravana's Rakshas.  During the backlash, Mikaboshi intends to start the Sixth Age with his army of Akuma Machos.  The Coterie must find a way to balance reality before this can happen. If Mikaboshi does get through with his legions of devils, there will be a temporary moment of weakness for the Coterie to try and stop him in the flesh.

4)  Camille T'sien and Clive Cooper [World of Darkness: Hong Kong]:  There is no way that Camille got her hands on the Atlantis documents that described the techniques to build Second Age weapons by herself.  It was a Factor in Hong Kong that knew she was the only person that could get Camille the quality of raw jade she would need for her weapons project.  Camille has her eyes on the short term prize of transforming Hong Kong, but hasn't realized The Guild will devalue whatever product it buys to get hits claws on slaves.  By that time Camille will be very dependent on The Guild who could easily cut her off and supply her enemies.

I hope those are Chronicle quality,

TheBeardedDragon