Yin Yang Panda

Artifacts of the empire

Author
Łukasz Kołodziej

Cooperation
Tomasz Piątkowski, Tytus Rduch

Art
Łukasz Kołodziej, GDJ, British Library

Based on
Lasers & Feelings, John Harper 2013
Maze Rats, Ben Milton 2017

License
CC BY 4.0

Version
1.0, August 2022

Disclaimer
This game came into being through our love for kung fu movies. It is a
work of fiction, and its purpose is to bring joy, not to offend anyone.
 table of contents
Introduction 4
How to use it 4
Find them! 4
Protect them! 4
Creating Artifacts 4
Famous artifacts 7
Dragon Spheres 8
Everchanging Staff 8
Dancing Cloud 9
Banana Leaf Fan 9
Sacred Lotus Lantern 10
Immortal Bashing Cane 10
Scroll of Destiny 11
Sash of the Crimson Tongue 11
Prison Gourd 12
Peaches of Immortality 13
Calming Pearls of the Crab Sea 13
The Mirror of All-seeing Wisdom 14
 Introduction
Artifacts of the Empire is a splatbook for the Yin Yang Panda role-playing
game. It contains basic information about an eclectic collection of magical
items scattered throughout the Empire, their history, protectors, and pow-
ers.
How to use it
To properly use Artifacts of the Empire you will need the base Yin Yang
Panda manual and everything listed in it (people, dice, paper, pencils, and a
few hours of spare time). All participants should agree beforehand to use
this manual during the game, too. If this is the case, you can move to actu-
ally using the booklet, and you can do it in two ways:

Find them!
Play a Yin Yang Panda story centered around a treasure hunt. Epic journey
to a distant province of the Empire or even foreign land. Meet new friends,
explore ancient temples and fight the treasure’s protectors. Adventure
awaits!

Protect them!
Play a Yin Yang Panda story centered around an artifact that is already in
the player characters’ possession and must be protected at any cost. Fortify
your temple, gather your allies and prepare for the invasion. The enemies
are coming!
Creating Artifacts
In this chapter, we will help you to create your own mystical artifact. Nar-
rator can do it before the game to save some time, but it is much more in-
teresting and fun to do it during the game, discussing everything with play-
ers and playing to find out. To create your own unique artifact, simply pick
or randomly choose one thing from each of the tables, write it down and
use the resulting artifact during the game.

4
 The name
d12 1st part 2nd part 3rd part
1 Legendary Golden Mirror
2 Mystical Jade Spear
3 Sacred Banana Leaf Sword
4 Ancient Silk Sash
5 Forbidden Bamboo Gourd
6 Divine Bronze Rod
7 Famous Pearl Scroll
8 Glorious Serpentine Staff
9 Miraculous Flaming Wonton
10 Forgotten Yin Yang Rope
11 Enchanted Alchemical Bottle
12 Shimmering Imperial Brush

The legend
d12 It was created by To fight against It fell into the hands of
1 A protective deity A vicious demon Filthy thieves
2 A legendary exorcist An evil warlord Traitorous deity
3 A blessed blacksmith A false Emperor Humble peasant
4 A crazy alchemist A greedy official Grumpy ogre
5 An inspired chef An army of monsters Shapeshifting demon
6 An angry goddess A vengeful witch Mighty warrior
7 A royal astrologer Their evil siblings Decrepit hermit
8 An ancient warlock The heavens themselves Annoying fool
9 An Empress Herself A renegade deity Local drunk
10 An accident A creature from the stars Curious kid
11 A falling star The great conqueror Restless spirit
12 An exalted master The plague A wise woman

5

d12 It was placed in
1 The mighty temple
2 The tiny shrine
3 The famous monastery
4 The holy lake
5 On the sacred island
6 Under the holy boulder
7 Within a magical tree
8 In a dragon’s stomach
9 On the mountain top
10 In one of Royal Palaces
11 In locked tomb Abandoned monastery
12 On a public display
d12 It is guarded by
1 An order of assassins
2 A mighty warrior
3 An order of monks
4 A fallen deity
5 An ancient sage
6 A secret council
7 A master thief
8 A greedy warlock
9 An army of living statues Brewing potent potions
10 A water spirit
11 A holy dragon
12 A mysterious cult
The shrine
Near the In the land of
Peaceful village Spider Kingdoms
Floating mountain Locust Khanate
Tranquil lake Beetle Islands
Bamboo grove Water Strider Tribes
Primeval forest Cicada Principality
Capital city Ladybird Republic
Huge waterfall Hornet Unity
Rice fields Dragonfly Empire
Active volcano Butterfly Barony
Lair of evil Scorpion Sultanate
Crab Sea
Haunted forest Shrimp Sea
Protectors
Famous thanks to But
Defeating the dragon Very old and tired
Never sleeping Being always sleepy
Legendary fighting prowess Loving a good food
Sun goddess blessing Loving a good drink
Taming demons Loving puzzles
Serving hungry spirits Fearing cucumbers
Never surrendering Being overly honorable
Unparalleled arsenal Fearing darkness
Incredibly greedy
Knowing the future Disregarding opponents
Breathing fire Young and naive
Winning great tournament Wanting a different life
6
 Powers
d12 Effect Element Form
1 Animating Wood Armor
2 Binding Fire Weapon
3 Duplicating Earth Wall
4 Fusing Water Beast
5 Imprisoning Metal Web
6 Shapeshifting Light Mask
7 Banishing Darkness Aura
8 Charming Spirit Beam
9 Mesmerizing Wind Portal
10 Revealing Noodles Sphere
11 Enlightening Rice Storm
12 Summoning Paper Vortex

Remember! Some results may seem strange. Especially some powers. After
the draw is complete, participants should discuss together how it all comes
together, what the artifact actually does, and how to weave it into the game.
This may require some clarification or modification to some values drawn,
and there is nothing wrong with that. Work together to create a legend
that’s fun to tell and that fits your story!

Famous artifacts
Dragonfly Empire is a land full of magic, strange technologies, ancient
deities and other wonders. Some are incredibly old, some others—brand
new. In this chapter, you will find just a few of the most famous ones. In
the next chapter, you will find tools to create your own treasures, along
with their shrines, protectors, and legends.

7
 Dragon Spheres
Legend: Long ago, the fiery dragon Hong She lost seven crystal spheres
containing all his power. A brave young monkey known as Hao Haizi went
on a great trip around the world to gather the spheres and return them to the
dragon. The grateful dragon granted the monkey boy's one wish as a re-
ward. Legend has it that every year, Hong She scatters their spheres around
the world so that someone could gather them and make their greatest dream
come true.

Shrine: Seven Dragon Spheres are scattered all over the world. Each of
them is in a different place, that is always dangerous and beautiful.

Protectors: Some or even all the Spheres can fall into the hands of a wide
variety of people: warriors, sorcerers, ordinary farmers, or fierce spirits.
Most people know what they are and will try to amass them all or sell their
Sphere at an exorbitant price.

Powers: If you gather all seven Spheres, a mighty dragon will appear to
grant you one wish. After that, the spheres will disappear from the face of
the world for one year to recharge, and then the dragon will scatter them for
others to find once more.

Everchanging Staff
Legend: The story of Hao Haizi says that one of the seven legendary
Dragon Spheres was located on top of Sagarama - the highest mountain in
the world. In order to get there, the brave monkey stole one of the infinitely
long rays of the sun goddess and used it to get to the top. The Everchanging
Staff is considered to be that stolen ray of sunshine.

Shrine: Currently, the Everchanging Staff is housed in a remote monastery

just below the summit of Mount Sagarama in the Spider Realms.

Protectors: The monks of the Sagarama Monastery guard the staff with fa-

8
natical zeal, believing that it is not just an unusual weapon, but a bridge to
move between Heaven and Earth.

Powers: Person wielding this staff can control its length with a mere
thought.

Dancing Cloud
Legend: In the legend of Hao Haizi, the title character searches for one of
the legendary Dragon Spheres in the endless desert of the Scorpion Sul-
tanate. Searching the dunes takes a lot of time, so the brave monkey tames
a lonely cloud hanging in the sky and uses it as a mount to speed up the
process. Many believe that this cloud still roams the world, helping people
with good hearts.

Shrine: Last time the Dancing Cloud was seen roaming the sky above the
Locust Khanate, wild and free, as clouds should be.

Protectors: Dancing Cloud needs no protectors, as it is perfectly capable of

taking care of itself. It is a highly intelligent, compassionate and fiercely in-
dependent creature that will never let any person not of a pure heart to ap-
proach it. Some believe that evil clouds also exist and can be tamed by vil -
lains.

Powers: A purehearted person can use it to fly at supersonic speed.

Banana Leaf Fan

Legend: In search of one of the legendary Dragon Spheres, Hao Haizi trav-
eled to the Beetle Islands. The sphere was at the heart of Fuhei's fiery vol-
cano. In order to extinguish the unimaginable heat of the volcano, the
clever monkey seduced a vain princess of the Beetle nation and stole her fa-
mous fan, which brought coolness even in the cruelest heat.

Shrine: The enraged princess was finally able to retrieve her fan, and since
then it has been kept in a heavily guarded vault at the Imperial Palace in

9
Toko.
Protectors: The Imperial Palace in Toko is one of the most powerful
fortresses in the world. Behind the moat and thick walls waits a literal army
of selected soldiers obeying the orders of the royal family.

Powers: Waving the fan produces incredibly strong wind, which can
quickly evolve into storms and tornadoes.

Sacred Lotus Lantern

Legend: In search of one of the legendary Dragon Spheres, Hao Haizi
ended up in an ancient tomb on one of the Water Strider Tribes islands.
Malicious spirits made this place a maze with no way out, but fortunately
one of the brave monkey's friends gave him a lantern made of lotus petals.
Its soothing glow lulled the evil spirits and allowed Hao to escape the dun-
geon.

Shrine: After Hao left, the evil spirits carried the magic lantern deep into
the tomb, where it is said to rest to this day.

Protectors: The evil spirits of the underworld jealously guard the magic
lantern, because its glow brings them relief and peace.

Powers: Its light allows you to get out of any prison or labyrinth.

Immortal Bashing Cane

Legend: Apparently, the gods created this unusual weapon specifically to
punish Hao, who was happy to stuff his belly full of Peaches of Immortal-
ity. Apparently, Hao managed to steal this weapon from them and brazenly
beat some very important and serious gods. Apparently, in the resulting
confusion, the Cane was lost and no one wants to admit that they have it.
Maybe that’s for the best?

Shrine: Vague and uncertain rumors are that a blissfully ignorant catfish
from the Cicada Principality is using the Cane as a seaweed fishing rod.

10
However, there is no evidence that this is true.
Protectors: If the aforementioned catfish is really in the possession of the
Cane, then he will not give it away for free, because he catches seaweed
very well with it.

Powers: You can whack immortal and indestructible beings as if they were
mere mortals.

Scroll of Destiny
Legend: At the dawn of time, Destiny had no control over the events in the
world, and anyone could become a hero, a wizard, or even a god. It quickly
became a problem, because farmers, tailors, and bricklayers were laying
down their tools to mix into the crowd of heroes, wizards, and gods. So a
group of the wisest gods made a list of all beings in the world and assigned
a role to fulfill to each of them. Destiny was supposed to keep an eye on
this scroll, but, absentminded as they were, of course they lost the list.

Shrine: Venerable monks from a little-known monastery on the border of

the Dragonfly Empire hid the Scroll in the basement of the monastery so
that it would not fall into the wrong hands. The underground is, of course,
secured with an intricate system of traps and alarms to keep unauthorized
visitors away from the Holy Scroll.

Protectors: The monks have guarded the Scroll for centuries, and they
surely won't hand it over without a fight. However, they are reasonable
enough to understand that someone may need access to the Scroll, for ex-
ample, to save the world. The traps, however, have no such scruples.

Powers: List of people chosen by destiny to be the greatest in history. Can

be manipulated with consecrated ink and brush.

Sash of the Crimson Tongue

Legend: During his quest for the Dragon Spheres, Hao Haizi encountered
the great serpent Huanxing. Hao was convinced that Huanxing had de-

11
voured one of the Spheres, but the great serpent denied it. Angry, Hao
Haizi killed the serpent and found out that he was wrong - Huanxing did
not have a Sphere. Crushed, Hao interrupted his mission and carefully car-
ried the body of the great serpent to the gates of the spirit world, begging
for Huanxing’s life to be restored. The goddess of silk took pity on the
monkey and transferred the serpent's soul into a crimson sash to live for-
ever as Hao's friend and protector.

Shrine: Legend has it that after gathering the seven Dragon Spheres, Hao
Haizi fell asleep in a monkey temple on an island off the coast of the Spider
Kingdoms. However, it is a sacred and secret place—and only monkeys
know the way to it.

Protectors: If the legends are true, the sash is owned by Hao Haizi himself,
who is considered one of the greatest warriors in history, immortal, and the
owner of countless artifacts with truly fantastic powers. And Sash doesn't
want to part with him at all.

Powers: Behaves like a huge constrictor snake, loyal to the owner. Regen-
erates instantly when cut.

Prison Gourd
Legend: One of the legendary Dragon Spheres fell into the hands of Bo
Bao—a wandering exorcist, who had no intention of giving it to a com-
pletely strange monkey. Bo Bao managed to trap Hao inside a magical
gourd, but the cunning young man managed to trick the monk and switch
places with him—and released him in exchange for giving back the Sphere.

Shrine: Bo Bao and his gourd roam the world, visiting villages and cities.
Usually you can meet them where evil spirits and sorcerers cause trouble.

Protectors: Bo Bao may not be the brightest anteater in the world, but this
does not prevent him from being a powerful warrior and experienced exor-
cist who knows many secret techniques and spells.

12
Powers: A creature struck by a gourd becomes trapped inside and sleeps
until another creature is struck and takes its place.

Peaches of Immortality
Legend: In search of one of the legendary Dragon Spheres, Hao wandered
into a wonderful orchard full of sweet, ripe peaches. He ate them to his
heart's content and fell asleep under the tree. He was awakened by the cry
of angry gods who had come to taste the Peaches of Immortality, ripening
for a thousand years. How the brave monkey managed to escape the angry
gods is another story entirely—but being immortal definitely helped a lot.

Shrine: The Peaches of Immortality ripen in a sacred grove in the heart of

the Dragonfly Empire.

Protectors: Sacred Peaches ripen for an unimaginably long time, and since
the Hao incident, the gods have personally looked after them, keeping
watch at the entrance to the sacred grove and patrolling its picturesque al -
leys.

Powers: First consumed peach cures all ailments of body and mind. Sec-
ond restores youth. Each next grants 100 years of health and youth.

Calming Pearls of the Crab Sea

Legend: One of the legendary Dragon Spheres got stuck among the storm-
swept rocks in the Crab Sea—twelve days by swimming from the shore. To
reach it, Hao Haizi sang a soothing song for the oysters living in the depths
for twenty-four nights. When he was finished, the oysters gave him twenty-
four pearls—each one to calm the choppy waves for one night.

Shrine: Hao Haizi was throwing pearls into the sea one by one, and appar-
ently, while wandering long enough along the coast of the Crab Sea, you
can come across one of them shining in the sand.

13
Protectors: Pearls are said to bring peace to the sea and its inhabitants, and
if anyone tries to take them inland, the whole sea will pursue them.

Powers: Pearl placed in a shrine brings peace and prosperity to the sur-
rounding land (or sea).

The Mirror of All-seeing Wisdom

Legend: A wandering exorcist, Bo Bao created this extraordinary item
from silver that was collected by a witch from the Shrimp Sea. It was this
mirror that allowed Bo to recognize that Hao was not an ordinary monkey
and that giving him a Dragon Sphere could be risky. Bo used the mirror
many times later, but due to its size and weight, he rarely carries it with
him.

Shrine: Most of the time, the Mirror is in the main temple in Bei Lin—the
capital of the Dragonfly Empire. It happens, however, that Bo Bao needs it
for work and sends an armored cart to transport them to the site of opera-
tion.

Protectors: Depending on the circumstances, the Mirror may be guarded

by the temple guards in Bei Lin, by the caravan guards, or by Bo Bao him-
self.

Powers: Reveals demons, shape-shifters, disguises and all forms of lies,

trickery, and deceit.

14
 The greatest treasures
of the Dragonfly Empire
await the brave!