Editing Xia: Twelve Zodiac Stances (section)

=Overview=

This page is a '''Lore Sheet''' for '''Twelve Zodiac Stances''', a set of twelve '''Wushu Secrets''' that explore the animal forms of kung fu.

These techniques can only be used for '''physical conflict'''. The fighting styles relating to the Twleve Zodiac stances mean that '''while you are in a Zodiac Stance you can only make unarmed attacks'''. You can still defend against any physical attacks as normal though.

In time, animal kung fu stances will become widespread across the middle kingdom. At present, such techniques are still rare and exciting, and have much greater power thanks to their primal forms. A Xia seeking to learn zodiac animal techniques has three options.

First, he could seek to discover the fundamental truths by watching real animals. The Monkey style, for example, can be deduced by watching apes playing and fighting with each other. Such observation is easier for some creatures than others - watching battling dragons would require one to climb a sufficiently tall mountain to observe their battles in heaven, for example. Even with observation, enlightenment is not guaranteed. Often, such observations are just the first step, revealing to a Xia warrior the idea of animal kung fu, but not the actual secrets.

Second, he could be taught animal kung fu by an already established practitioner. Of course, Animal Kung Fu is still pretty rare in the Middle Kingdom, so this is easier said than done. Such knowledge would certainly have to be earnt.

Third, he could seek out texts on the kung fu secrets. The problem is that these texts don't exist yet, at least not in the Middle Kingdom. A Xia would either have to travel up to Heaven or down to Hell to find the celestial/infernal scrolls with the secret styles in them.

Unlike most Lore Sheets, knowing one Stance doesn't automatically give you the option to buy other Stances from this sheet. These are precious secrets, and every form is unique!

==Stances==

This Lore Sheet introduces a new concept - '''Stances.''' This is explained in the keywords section, but is so important to this Lore Sheet it's probably worth discussing again here.

If a power is marked as a '''Stance''', it follows the rules below:

* At the start of your turn, you can select a ''stance'' you know. Paying the Chi cost puts you in that ''stance''. This does not take an action.
* You don't have to keep paying the activation cost for a ''stance'', once you're in that ''stance'', you stay in it in subsequent turns. 
* Each ''stance'' has a ''"maintain"'' condition. You must meet this condition at all times while in the ''stance'' - if you fail to do so the stance ends. Note that this maintain condition sometimes has a chi cost which is entirely separate to the activation cost.
* You can only be in one ''stance'' at a time. If you adopt a new ''stance'', then the previous one automatically ends.
* Stances only ever effect '''Physical Conflict'''. See also ''postures'' and ''disciplines'', which effect social and mental conflict respectively. You can be in one stance, one posture and one discipline all at the same time!
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