Editing EdgeOfHeaven/CampaignLoresheet (section)

===The Four Devil Ring===
While the departure of the Old Owl Legion and the subsequent fall of the Jade Gate fortress essentially closed Huangdi's Path to the Silk Road, the corridor remained the fastest and most convenient route from the western lands into the heart of Shen Zhou. As a result, smuggling became a viable and often immensely profitable activity for those who still lived in the towns of the region; it was also very dangerous, and prone to create gang wars that made the Warring States period look pacific. In time, order emerged from the chaos of competing gangs and criminal overlords. A syndicate of gangs, one representing each of the three major towns along the Path, plus a gang of outlaws from the barbarian Storm Brother Clan, formed and has controlled the smuggling routes for the past generation. The members are: the Hell Riders (from the desert); the Stone Pig Gang (Blazing Beacon); Bloodwine Brotherhood (Wine Springs); and the Trackless Friends (Bronze Horse).<br>
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With the return of the legions and the Silk Road caravans, their 'business model' is very much in danger. But they know the territory, and the gangs command loyalty and respect in their respective towns. Surely they must have something up their sleeves to survive this change in circumstance!
*'''2 Bonus''': You know the ways of the Four Devils Ring as well as any member, and quite a bit better than most. You get a +5 bonus to any social action involving the Four Devils Ring, including the Courtier's Arts.
*'''3 Fortune''': Somehow, you have learned of the Ring's plans for surviving - and thriving - once imperial government returns to the Path. Secrets like that can be dangerous ... both for you and them.
====The Stone Pigs====
Blazing Beacon's own "Devil," and by an impartial reckoning, the strongest individual gang of the four. In addition to their criminal enterprises in the region (including, but not limited to, smuggling, theft, extortion, and murder), they also serve, often quite capably, as the police, the firemen, the militia and all-around civil servants of the town. Few would call their governance merciful or enlightened, and to wear the blue sash that marks membership in the gang is to be immune to what passes for law, but that hardly distinguishes them from many places that enjoy the protection of the Emperor.<br>
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It's something of an open secret that Duke Ko, the boss-in-all-but-name of the town, is their chief.
*'''1+ Involvement''': Your tale will intertwine with the Stone Pigs Gang; perhaps you will set them on a righteous path, or perhaps you'll come to lead them.
*'''2 Status''': You're not a member of the gang, but you're known and liked and/or respected by them. Senior members of the gang will treat you with respect, while junior members who treat you disrespectfully will suffer censure behind closed doors.
**'''0 Bonus''': No one knows the region better than the Stone Pigs do, and you've absorbed much of their knowledge. You gain a +5 Bonus to any survival rolls in and around Blazing Beacon.