The Chronicle:

Kai Bian-sai shi-Bing reflexively checked his reflection in a pool as he hurried to his audience with Her Imperial Majesty in the Outer Court of the Ministry of Taxation.  The day before, he had received a summons to appear before an official of the Celestial Court for an assignment in the service of the Jade Empire.  He had been instructed to pack for an extended journey and be ready to depart immediately after your appearance.  To someone with his background and training, this could only mean that he was being sent on an extended assignment, either alone or with others - possibly even an independant command of his own!  Whatever the task, he intended to perform his duties to the best of his abilities.

He crossed vast courtyards and strings of scented rooms, until he was brought to a long audience chamber.  On a slightly raised dais at the far end, a beautiful young woman sat in a chair.  The Empress was, for this meeting, accompanied only by her loyal warlord and advisor, Taou Tze Lung, two personal bodyguards in ceremonial armor and totally non-ceremonial halberds, and a small, middle-aged monk from Khimal named Sonam ("Fortunate").  Kai Bian-sai fell to his knees and made his obeisance to the Celestial Empress, Wu Shang Fon.  The Empress of the Seven Kingdoms bade his rise.  As he did so, a woman was introduced in the Imperial presence.  She wore the garb of a member of "The Devil's Horsemen", an elite unit of cavalry from Xian Bei who serve the Empire and the Celestial Empress.  The woman was introduced as Ge Xin-zang Ku.  Again, the melodious voice of the Empress told the newcomer to rise and stand by Kai Bian-sai's side.

Next were introduced a slight man dressed in Lanna style, called Gu Lu Yu; then an austere man in the robes of a Tashil lama, with the name of Pavan Haroon, apparently sent by the High Lama himself.  Then arrived the one of the largest men any of them had ever seen, a mountain of a man dressed as a Koryo monk.  This last one, introduced as Ting Ho, froze in terror upon recognizing the Empress, threw himself on the ground, and touched his forehead to the ground, refusing to rise. 

At last, the Master of Protocole announced a sixth visitor; his voice, this time, bristled with disapproval.  "Uttam of the Tiakhar Volunteer Navy!" he snapped.  A couple of Imperial Guardsmen escorted a prisoner in, a slender woman with a long scar running down the left side of her face.  She was chained, but her hair and clothes were cleaned.  The two guards removed the chains and grudgingly stepped back a few paces, looking alert for trouble.

The Empress spoke again, in her clear melodious voice, and everyone held their breath.  Word has reached her, she explained, that the High Lama has received a prophecy in a dream that there is a man who might bring about the disruption of the Empire both from without and within.  The Empress had decided that she must meet this man to determine what threat he posed to the Empire.  The High Lama (who was the only one to have seen him in his dream) reported that he appeared to be a slave, so the Empress decided to send an expedition to search the slave markets of Tiakhar.  Seven was considered by the High Lama to be a propitious number, and because there are seven kingdoms within the Jade Empire, the Empress has determined that she would find one representative of each to send on the journey.  A discreet search for such individuals had been underway for months. 

Regrettably, no suitable representative had been found in Khimal, but the Empress nevertheless hoped the Gods would look favourably upon the assembled individuals.  Kai Bian-sai had been handpicked from the Imperial Guard, and Ge Xin-zang from the elite Xian Bei cavalry. Gu Lu Yu had been sent by Queen Vidura of Lanna herself.  Pavan Haroon and Ting Ho had been selected by agents of the High Lama.  And as for Uttam, the Empress said little save that she had her own skills, and would be necessary to an expedition to Tiakhar.

At this moment, a commotion broke in the next room.  Guards rushed to investigate, weapons drawn, and encounter a few of their colleagues escorting a confused-looking man in a Khimal scholar's robes.  When he realized he was in the Celestial Presence, the man made a deep obeisance and, prompted by an irate guard, identified himself as Xue-jia Xue-sheng Yong-yuan.  He had been permitted to study in the Imperial Libraries, he said, and looking through the books, he had become distracted and lost his way through the maze of corridors.

The Empress smiled, and said this was auspicious indeed since it completed the propitious number.  She asked the seven assempled individuals if they would accept to serve her in this, and bring her the gwailo.  One after the other, they swore to serve her faithfully, under Kai Bian-sai's command.

Once the party has been properly introduced and has sworn themselves to the service of the Empress, Sonam explained that he was an emissary sent from the High Lama of Khimal, Kunchen Choden.  Six months ago, the High Lama received a prophetic dream.  In it, a powerful celestial dragon (a Lung dragon) appeared, wrapped around a warning bell which stood atop one of the gates to the celestial city.  In the gateway stood a man – a gwailo – with long hair on his head and face.  He was lighter in complexion than the Crescents who sometimes trade with Cathay, but darker than the Ussurans.  He was dressed only in a slave's clothes, but his bearing was not that of a slave.  As the dream unfolded, the gate shut, blocking out the sight of the gwailo.

Sonam explained that the High Lama had his dream for seven nights running.  Sonam had been instructed to bring this matter before the Empress.  The Empress had decided, in her wisdom, that since seven was the number in the dream, and seven is the number of kingdoms in the Empire, that she would bring together seven honorable heroes, one from each kingdom, to seek this gwailo.

All Seven Heroes, along with Ge Xin-ziang's horse T'wang, boarded an a small junk boat bound for Tiakhar, the Tranquil Dawn, sailed by "Captain" Fang-mien Dan-xian Feng-bao ("Respect Loyalty Storm"), his wife Ling, and their six daughters Li, Lung, Pao, Shu, Gao, and He.  All six daughers had inherited all the worst features of both father and mother, and were horse-faced, plain, and appeared pretty much the way one would expect someone who has lived their entire life on a junk to look.  Feng-Bao had made a living for many years as a small, innocuous trader ferrying small innocuous people and things to places that the Empire wanted them to be take discreetly.

There was a certain amount of awkwardness among the Seven Heroes, particularly as Kai Bian-sai was distrustful of some of them and most of all of Uttam.  Kai Bian-sai insisted that they practice fighting together, so that he might know their capabilities and they get used to working together.

En route to the Island Kingdom of Tiakhar, a sail was spotted.  A small but fast ship was moving on an intercept course.  After getting a good view, Uttam warned everyone that this was the vessel of the notorious pirate Captain "Wooden Teeth" Fong of the Tiakhar Volunteer Navy.  The Tiakhar ship came within hailing distance, signalling for the Seven Heroes' ship to come to and prepared to be boarded for a "customs inspection".  The heroes refused, and a swift but bloody battle with the Tiakhar pirates ensued. 

After defeating their would-be boarders, the Empress's Chosen examined the captain's cabin.  They found his correspondance, including orders from the Volunteer Navy of Tiakhar to be on alert for a wanted gwailo slave.  The orders were accompanied by a crude drawing of the foreigner slave.  The heroes also found two young girls of sixteen and thirteen, ill-used, who had been kept as Captain Fong's personnal slaves.

After interrogating "Wooden Teeth" Fong but learning very little more, the heroes agreed that they could not let the pirates live if they hoped to keep their mission a secret.  They put the Tiakhar crew to the sword and scuttled the pirate ship.

Three days later they reached the largest port in Tiakhar, Bandar Serai.  They agreed to meet and the Inn of the Quiet Repose, then split up.  Gu Lu Yu and Ting Ho went to buy some clothes that would look inconspicuous, while Pavan Haroon, Kai Bian-sai, and Xue-jia Xue-sheng decided to explore and get a feel for the city.  Meanwhile, Uttam went to see some of her contacts which, she said, would not be talkative if she brought outsiders along.

Wandering through Bandar Serai, Haroon noticed that, despite perfect feng shui alignment, the local energies were entirely neutral.  Haroon, Kai Bian-sai, and Xue-jia Xue-sheng stumbled upon the Temple of Ravana, god of death, which looked impressively prosperous.  They uneasily noticed that the street seemed empty of children and elderly people, and there were few women to be seen.  They observed a man leading a child toward the Temple, so they approached to question him.  They learned that the boy was a slave the man had purchased as a sacrifice to Ravana.  When Pavan Haroon tried to buy the child back, the man refused.  Xue-jia Xue-sheng, unwilling to let the child be sacrificed, seized him and ran away, making a spectacular exit across rooftops. 

While this was taking place, Uttam contacted her allies at the Golden Coin Society, a secret society dedicated to stamping out the slave trade.  She learned that the gwailo had been captured after all, and sold to the Temple of Ravana for the Mid-Summer Sacrifice, along with nine hundred and ninety-nine other slaves.  The Mid-Summer Sacrifice was to take place in five days.  The Golden Coin Society gave Uttam a small jar of ointment, and informed her that if the slave was found, she must examine him for a red mark like a fingerprint on the forehead.  Should such a mark exist, she must smear it with the ointment, else the slave would die.  Under no circumstances was anyone else to know of this, or to get an opportunity to examine the ointment.

The Seven Heroes regrouped at the inn and planned a reconnaissance of the Temple.  Gu Lu Yu and Ting Ho bought roosters to offer as sacrifice, and went to examine the Temple's layout.  Although the roosters were clearly found to be inferior sacrifices, this afforded Gu Lu Yu a look at the public areas of the temple.

That night, Gu Lu Yu and Ting Ho would break into the Temple of Ravana, while the rest of the heroes prepared to cover the break out with a distraction.  Gu Lu Yu dressed up as a priest and with Ting Ho, made his way to the prisoner holding areas on the sixth floor. He explained that a slave had died and Ting Ho was his replacement.  Then the two struck out at the guards and took them by surprise, silencing them.  Meanwhile, Xue-jia Xue-sheng decided to tag along and absent-mindedly climbed to the window of the sixth floor to help.

The three infiltrators found the keys to the slave pens and started freeing prisoners, but could not find the gwailo.  They questioned the guards and learned that he had been taken to Khajuraho several days ago by the Tuanku, agents of King Rasak.

Downstairs, the rest of the Heroes had created a distraction by starting a big fight.  Hundreds of slaves stampeding out turned the scene into complete havoc, and the Seven Heroes were able to leave without interference from the Temple Guards or the authorities.

The Seven Heroes sent the Tranquil Dawn on to Kajuraho, while they galloped on the trail on the Tuanku agents and their prisoner through the jungles of Tiakhar.  Ge Xin-zang was able to find enough of a trail to track the Tuanku. 

However, Ge Xin-zang frowned when the trail started veering away from the direction of the capital.  The Heroes kept following their quarry, but they eventually discovered that this was an ambush.  The Tuanku agents sprung their trap as the Heroes were half-way through crossing a rope-and-plank bridge. The distance was too great to reach either end before the ambushers finished cutting the ropes – except that they had not counted on Ge Xin-zang's incredible horsemanship.  Where other people could barely coax a horse into cautiously walking across the long swinging bridge, the Xian Bei horsewoman ran her mount at full gallop and cut the brigands down before they could finish their black deed.

After this, the Seven Heroes headed directly for Khajuraho, reaching the capital on the very day of the Mid-Summer Festival.  Uttam checked in with Golden Coin Society and learned that only one prisoner would be part of the Royal Sacrifice this year, the gwailo.  The grounds of the Royal Enclave were patrolled, vicious guard dogs were let loose at night, and perhaps even (rumour said) demons.

After Uttam repeated this information to her companions, they discussed a plan.  They would drug the dogs with meat from small game caught by Ge Xin-zang; Gu Lu Yu and Ting Ho would sneak in after dark, drug the dogs, then signal to the rest of the heroes when the coast was clear.  One by one, the heroes managed to get over the wall between holes in the guard patrol, as signalled by Gu Lu Yu.  Ge Xin-zang even managed to jump the high fence with her horse!  She then asked her horse T'wang to find the scent of blood, and the horse led the heroes to the Temple of Ravana.

Pavan Haroon, who had already been more and more disturbed by the capital's feng shui and that of the Royal Enclave, declared the Royal Temple to be a supernaturally evil place.  The Temple was entirely dark.  Gu Lu Yu opened the door and stepped in, but found the place disturbingly disorienting.  Pavan Haroon, Kai Bian-sai and Uttam followed him in, while the others stayed outside as lookouts and to protect their companions' escape.  Reaching for their way in the gloom, they eventually found a naked prisoner tied onto the altar.  When Pavan Haroon cut the prisoner's bonds, a voice rang:

"Now why would you want to do that?"  The dark shape of King Sayari Razak, the "Black Heart of Tiakhar" and High Priest of Ravana, stepped forward, barely recognizable in the gloom.

The doors of the Temple slammed shut of their own accord.  Pavan Haroon immediately reached into the center of his chi and partially countered the negative feng shui energies of the location, giving his companions a small reprieve from their disorientation. 

"We are the Agents of Heaven," he answered to the challenge.

While Pavan Haroon and Sayari Razak exchenged a bit of banter, Uttam snuck up to the altar, found the mark on the prisoner's forehead, and rubbed the ointment on it.  To her companions' horror, the prisoner jerked as if he had been hit by a pistol shot, and a bleeding wound appeared on his forehead.  Uttam was as horrified and surprised as everyone else, but rolled the prisoner off the altar and started draggin him out.  The area's feng shui immediately improved again. 

Kai Bian-sai attacked King Razak, causing him a shallow cut.  Pavan Haroon and Gu Lu Yu joined the fight, while Uttam continued to drag the prisoner toward the door.  Meanwhile, Ting Ho and Ge Xin-zang were trying to break down the door from the outside with fists and horsekicks.  King Razak proved to have preternatural speed, strength, and skill.  His blows were devastating, while the heroes could barely nick him from time to time.  Pavan Haroon infuriated Razak, drawing his attention, but not in time to save Gu Lu Yu from being crippled in the fight.  When Ting Ho and Ge Xin-zang at last managed to break down the door, Ting Ho ran in to engage the evil sorcerer King Razak while Ge Xin-zang drew her bow and started shooting with good effect.

Pavan Haroon, too succesful at distracting Razak, finally fell unconscious.  Kai Bian-sai was barely standing.  Ting Ho managed to wound the evil mage, but the Seven Heroes were in dire straits.  At last Uttam managed to pass the prisoner to Xue-jia Xue-sheng, who ran like the wind. 

King Razak then laughed cruelly.  "You fools!  You only managed to recover a corpse for your Empress!" 

In the name of duty to the Empress, Uttam convinced Ting Ho to pick up Pavan Haroon, and with the rest of the badly battered heroes to make their escape, while she stayed and covered their retreat. 

Ting Ho, Kai Bian-sai, Gu Lu Yu, and Ge Xin-zang met back with Zue-jia Xue-sheng at the Tranquil Dawn, which was just raising anchor, and set sail.  Zue-jia Xue-sheng saw to the party's wounds, particularly Pavan Haroon's and the gwailo's.  The foreigner had regained consciousness and seemed very agitated, but no one could understand his language.  As they passed under the cliffs from which the Royal Enclave overlooked the harbour, he pointed excitedly, trying to draw attention to something.

The puzzled heroes tried to understand, then suddenly saw a small figure fall from the cliff into the waters far below.  The gwailo became even more excited, pointing to the spot where the body had sunk, and mimed pulling it out.  The heroes, thinking this man who had attracted the attention of the High Lama, the Empress and King Razak might know something important, fished out the body – which turned out to be Uttam's, barely breathing.  The Tranquil Dawn sailed away at all speed.

The gwailo did his best to express thanks to the Seven Heroes.  With much pantomime, he asked for their names and bowed to each.  In turn, he pointed to himself and said: "Sandoval."  The Tranquil Dawn sailed back towards Jing Du and the Empress's Celestial Palace, as the Seven Heroes savoured the pride of duty accomplished.