This is the original write up I did for our group several months ago. Certain elements have shifted and some have been dropped entirely. Besides serving as a place marker for the FS page to come, it should give a pretty good indication where this started. More coming soon at the end of Feb 2001

Neon Lotus, a 2056 critical shift setting for Feng Shui!

In keeping with the feel of the original game, it is not as much dark as it is gritty. Also calling it a critical shift may not be exactly correct though it is a shift from Feng Shui core background

Here's the overview

Name - Neon Lotus

Premise - Heroes from 1996 earth mysteriously wind up in the future of 2060 where science and magic fight for world dominance through control of Feng Shui sites. Why they are there and what they are going to do is up to them to figure out as they try to survive in a time they do not know.

In order of importance

Development of character - dramatic character portrayal encouraged

Fast and imaginative combat - Lots of stunts and fast combat pace

Investigative storyline - at the heart of the story, there will be abit of mystery,intrigue, and problem solving

System - Feng Shui of, course!

System Note - The only Feng Shui information used in this setting creation is the core book supplemented by online materials I have found. So Neon Lotus will diverge on certain points from the official setting.

So what am I going for?

1. The Look - Neon Lotus is in a bold foremostly militaristic sci-fi setting. In contrast to this, there will a be a mixed time period flavor to it such as the post-appocalyptic mix found in Road Warrior or the modern hero in a medeval kingdom found in Army of Darkness. Areas may range from desolate wastelands to more built-up locations with that touch of future urban sprawl you find in Blade Runner or other cyberpunk stories.

Why? - There is a protracted war going on involving two major factions, one technologically advanced and the other ancient and magical. Expect mixed terrains and cultures due to the extent and the nature of the conflict. There are also other more mysterious interests at work which accounts for lots of temporal/dimensional travel which in turn allows for people and things displaced from different times.

2. The Mood - Though the world of 2060 may seem pretty grim from the description above, the tone is not hopeless.

The heroes of Neon Lotus, atleast at the outset, are everday people (well, for Feng anyhow!) up to the challenges that the world of 2060 offers. They are resourceful, tough, and able to set the world on its ear. They may be like Jack Burton from Big Trouble in Little China, a mixture of lucky and naive enough to think they can do the impossible and thus can. They may be like John Carter of Mars (by ERB), out of place but having vast untapped core of courage and stamina. They may be like Ash from Army of Darkness, an unflappable hero who because they just roll with the strange turns that fate has to offer is a timeless champion in the face of corruption. Or any mix or variation on these examples for that matter.

Also since Feng Shui is based off of HK Action Cinema, all the flavor of what that entails is also present. Jackie Chan, Bruce Lee, Chow Yun Fat, Jet Li et al. The word here is style. Since intially the players will not be armed to the teeth, martial arts and quick thinking should be a focus. Being able to work from nothing but your surroundings and your abilites is going to be crucial.Each character should be more or less self sufficient. (See Template information below.)

Along with the displaced heroes of ingenuity and guile, there is the world of 2060 itself. With the two main factions being technological and magical respectively, there will be shifts from science fiction to horror but all in the action vein of things. Possibly dark, possibly strange, always faceable. Also expect some bloody violence!

With the prescence of supernatural foes and dimensional goings-on expect a cosmic scope at times. Not always prevalent but on occasion it'll be there. Nothing as despairing as Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos or as mind-debending as Moorcock's Eternal Champion Series (Elric et al.), but it will pop up at times.

And finally, it will all be fairly tongue in cheek. The humor that you find in Big Trouble in Little China, Tom Baker era Doctor Who, or even Evil Dead 2 may crop up at anytime. The characters and situations will be larger than life so why not?

One last addition - Due to Neon Lotus' one shot or occasional adventure status in a "gaming showcase" , certain elements may not be present in every adventure. The mood section above is an overview of the entire setting and not indvidual adventures.

Any template from the 2056 juncture is not appropriate intially. If this goes anywhere this may change.

Ghosts, Sorcerers, Supernatural Creatures are out as well barring my decision. Give me the idea and we'll see if it goes well.

Any templates outside of Feng Shui Core rules will be judged on situation to situation basis.

Cop templates, including the private investigator and spy, are iffy since for the adventure you won't have any access to the support that a cop would enjoy in 1996.

Scrappy Kids, Old Masters, Martial Artists, Ninjas, Thieves, Ex-Miltiary, Big Bruisers and Everyman Heroes are no problem. They get the automatic green light.

Still acceptable, though possibly problematic, are The Killer, Ascended Animal, Techie, and Medic Templates. Specific adjustments or background may be required.

Equipment limits for starting characters to Neon Lotus are situational but there will be limits. For the purpose of the adventure which starts with your sudden departure to Neon Lotus, you won't begin with a lot or anything big ( ie a car). You'll have plenty of oppportunity to get "new toys" during the adventure. Alot of latitude on equipment choices as long as requests are reasonable and with good cause. (ie Scrappy Kid is not just going to so happen to have an assualt rifle.)

Also due to the nature of the opening scene, it is important for half the characters not to know each other. So if there's four characters, it's two groups of two inter-related characters. Odd numbers... we'll just wing it.

With all of the above in mind, go nuts!

And Finally....

Why is it called Neon Lotus?

It is about advanced science (neon)and ancient magic (lotus) going head to head in seemingly endless conflict known as The War of All Flesh.Also a central villian of NL is The Eaters of Lotus and will be at root of much of the magical goings-on. ...Besides I like the sound of it.

A more detailed faction report on Neon Lotus 2060 is forthcoming. Stay tuned!

- AKA THE GREYSHIRT

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