Rivers and Lakes

Wu Ning straightened up.
"No more than six horses," he said, "They took Jun northeast."
Yin Hai Heng snorted, "We already know where they are taking him- straight to the Undying Lord's fortress. We cannot catch them on foot. I warned you we should never have come through his lands." She swung her sword in frustration, slicing through a small stand of bamboo.
Jin Yong, the foreigner, dropped down from above lightly, barely seeming to touch the branches. "They have crossed the river. Two men with bows have dismounted and concealed themselves on the far bank."
"So it's to be an archery duel?" Yin Hai Heng said.
"You sounded as though you were ready to abandon him," Wu Ning said.
"I do not like to admit defeat. We shall pursue them, even if we have to storm the fortress itself."
Jin Yong plucked the string of her bow, Twelve Sorrows, happily. "There is something else- Captain Bai leads the group that captured Jun. I saw the two of them deep in conversation while the rest of the group was absorbed with crossing the river."
Wu Ning stroked his beard, "Bai? Jun had said he believed that the captain could be turned to our cause. Did he allow himself to be captured as some sort of gambit?"
Yin Hai Heng laughed, "He is as subtle as you are, Wu, and less than half your age. And I think he has talked Bai into betraying the Undying Lord- why else would he split his forces and make it easier for us to overwhelm them?"
The three of them wasted no more words- they turned northeast and broke into a run.

This was the second time I set myself the challenge of writing a role-playing game in a month, and I think this one turned out particularly well.

• Rules, in dead tree or free pdf
• Character sheet
• NPC reference sheet