W20 - Changing Breeds.pdf

Within the past 15 years, the costal cities have swelledas a result of massive amounts of industrialization; theamount of pollution spewing into the air and water hasincreased at a similar rate. The nation's already largepopulation has doubled since the end of the war.Today, the Nezumi remain by far the most populousof the Vietnamese hengeyokai, with many hundreds oftheir kind in both Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. Theydo their best to try to curb urban populations with allmanner of diseases but advances in medicine now protecteven the urban poor from most contagious diseases. Inresponse, the Nezumi work with Ratkin elsewhere inthe world to develop new and ever more deadly plagues.Vietnam's rich coastal farmland also has a dense andgrowing human population, and the Nezumi's diseasestake root far more easily in these poorer rural areas. Here,they have slowed the growth of Vietnam's population— but not the cities.For the past decade, Vietnamese Beast Courts havefaced another threat: tourism. More than six milliontourists a year travel to the previously unspoiled partsof Vietnam, forcing the government to develop moreand more of the wilderness to cater or them. Bakemonooften enter Vietnam disguised as tourists and attempt tospread corruption to the Dragon Nests that are close tonew tourist hotspots. Those Bakemono who can pass asSunset People have an even easier way to make troublefor the hengeyokai. As long as they make sure that peoplesee them regularly, their sudden disappearance — or grislymurder — will draw attention from foreign governments.In their mountainous jungles, the Khan and theZhong Lung hear rumors that these visiting Bakemonodeliberately travel to the Blights created during the war.Precisely what they want with the Banes that dwell inthe poisoned land, none of the hengeyokai can be sure.In truth, these agents of the Wyrm are planning a largecoordinated attack on at least a dozen Dragon Neststhroughout the north of Vietnam. To soften up thedefenders, the Bakemono created in the jungle Blightshave started raiding Dragon Nests; many of the localBeast Courts have suffered serious losses in battles withthese monsters.APPENDIX TWO: HENGEYOKAI 283