Editing Tales of Perpetual Peace/JianghuLoresheets (section)

==New Factions==
===Eight Mountain Sect===
'''Concept''': The guardians of Daoist orthodoxy in Shen Zhou, and ideological bulwarks of the Xin Dynasty.<br>
Tracing their lineage back to the legendary Lonely Apostle, the Eight Mountain Sect has been tied from the outset to the fortunes of the Xin Dynasty.  Their Daoism eschews the practice of alchemy, and concerns itself more with ritual practice than philosophical reflection.  The Sect is notoriously intolerant of other philosophies, and have many enemies among Buddhists and eccentric Daoists for that reason.<br>
'''Virtues''': Righteousness (Yi), Daoism<br>

'''Secrets of Destiny: Eight Mountain Sect'''
*'''3+ Status''': You are a member of the Eight Mountain Sect.
*'''0 Bonus''': You have a -2 Destiny discount to purchase the '''Daoism''' Loresheet.


'''Secrets of Destiny: Eight Mountain Sect Kung Fu'''
*'''0 Bonus''': You have a -2 Destiny discount when purchasing one of the following as a secondary External Style: Destiny Cloud Fist, Flowing Universe, or Immortals' Supreme Boxing
*'''0 Bonus''': If you are a member of the Eight Mountain Sect, you probably have Breath of the Yellow Emperor as your Internal Style. You may learn all its techniques, rather than one per level.
*'''2 Technique''': You have mastered the '''Entangling Fists''' technique.  The purity of your Chi allows you to make your hands and feet seem to come at your opponents from all directions at once. Fighting Unarmed now also counts as fighting with a Flexible weapon. This allows you to combine the bonuses of both types of weapons and to combine different styles. If you know multiple Techniques that improve your Unarmed fighting, you may only use one at a time; you must choose at the start of each round.

Sect members with Yellow Emperor's Breath may learn the following Techniques:

*'''5 Technique''': Dark Cloud Judgment 
**If you are in Destiny Cloud Fist stance and use Mountain-Leaping Step, you may spend one more Chi for Lightfoot than your Rank would normally allow.
**If you are in Destiny Cloud Fist stance and use Pure Air Punishment, you attack causes Ripples as normal in addition to the penalties for respiring or using Corrupt Chi.

*'''5 Technique''': Master of Breath
**If you are in Flowing Universe stance and use Suffocating Blow, you may 'stack' a second Breath Disrupt condition on the same opponent to lower his normal Chi respiration by 2.
**If you are in Flowing Universe stance and use Balance Through Excess, you have a +15 rather than +10 bonus to your Minor Action.

*'''5 Technique''': Disciple of Huangdi
**If you are in Immortals' Supreme Boxing stance and use Pure Chi Armor, your bonus on Chi Aura rolls against energy attacks increases to +15.
**If you are in Immortals' Supreme Boxing stance and use Huangdi's Method, the cost of extending the technique is 1 Chi for the first and second rounds, 2 Chi for the third and fourth, etc.

'''The Minders of the Way'''<br>
During the days of the Great Proscription, the forces of strident orthodoxy within the Sect created a separate arm dedicated to rooting out and destroying anything that threatened the hegemony of Eight Mountain Daoism.  By the time the Proscription was repealed during the Regency, practically any departure from the proclamations of the Chief Abbot was considered a 'threat'.  Though they no longer have access to the Liquid Metal Delegates to carry out their dirty work, the Minders have not yet been disbanded; their plain brown robes with yellow piping are an all too familiar sight among those whom the Minders find unorthodox.
*'''0/5 Disadvantage''': You have been judged an '''Apostate''' by the Minders of the Way; in some respect, you have fallen short of the standards of orthodoxy, and must now suffer their constant remonstration.  Unrepentant apostasy may lead to more severe consequences than that.  Gain one additional Destiny in any Chapter where this apostasy causes you significant trouble.
*'''2+ Involvement''': The Minders inflicted all manner of injury upon the unorthodox during the Great Proscription; though it has been more than a decade since its repeal, the memories of harm are still fresh in the minds of many.  (Those outside the Eight Mountain Sect may purchase this option without buying the Sect Lore.)
**'''3 Fortune''': You bear an overpowering grudge toward the Minders of the Way; work with your Sage to design a Paired Chi Condition that grants a Hyperactivity when directly and openly acting against them, and a Weakness when you act more subtly (or forego action altogether).
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===The Diamond Vehicle===
*'''Secrets of Destiny: The Diamond Vehicle'''
*'''Secrets of Destiny: Diamond Vehicle Kung Fu'''
*'''The Shambalan Embassy'''
*'''The Western Rites'''

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===Three Harmonies Union===
'''Concept''': Part criminal organization, part political resistance movement, the Union are the dominant force in the Underworld.<br>
When the Xin first came to power, they were embraced by almost all of Shen Zhou as a source of stability and order.  Not everyone felt that way, however; some looked upon their claims to the Imperial Seal as fraudulent, and yearned for a legitimate claimant to the Han legacy.  Out of this was born the Three Harmonies Union.  Originally a secret society dedicated to undercutting Xin power, over time they evolved into the principal criminal organization in Perpetual Peace.<br>
'''Main Virtues''': Loyalty, Honor, Ferocity<br>
<br>
'''Secrets of Destiny: Three Harmonies Union'''
*'''3+ Status''': You are a member of the Three Harmonies Union.  While members can come from any class, very few 'foreigners' are allowed to join the organization.
**'''0 Bonus''': You have either a '''Politics Specialty: Criminal Underworld''' or '''Inspire Specialty: Intimidation'''.
*'''3+ Fortune''': Whether you are a member of the Three Harmonies Union or not, past dealings with a member of that organization has earned you a favor from their leadership.  The size of this favor depends on the amount of destiny spent, but until it is 'cashed in', you will be treated with respect and a certain amount of deference by the rank and file of the organization.
'''Secrets of Destiny: Three Harmonies Union Kung Fu'''
*'''0 Bonus''': You have a one-time, 2 Destiny discount to purchase one of the following as a secondary external style: Eight Legends, Grey Dusk, or Virtuous Adjutant.
*'''0 Technique''': The Union has adapted the Virtuous Adjutant style to suit its evolving (devolving?) mission; you no longer Fear acting under malicious orders (though you still Fear acting under foolish ones).
*'''5 Technique''': You learn the '''Honor Among Thieves''' technique; while in Virtuous Adjutant style, opponents suffer a -10 penalty to their checks when trying to use the Courtier's Arts against you.  If they fail their check, they suffer a Ripple.

'''Lords of the Lulin?'''<br>
For most of the Xin era, the criminal underworld has been a relatively small world.  An effective constabulary aided by the ubiquitous eyes of the Astral Directorate kept criminals cautious and unambitious.  Nevertheless, the Union were the undisputed masters of that small Lulin world.  Now that the Xin have slid into decadence and the enforcement of the laws is neglected, the Union has become more ambitious and more aggressive, demanding its "cut" of any criminal enterprise in the city.  But new opportunities have brought new competitors, and challenges unlike the Union has faced before.
*'''3+ Fortune''': At the ground level, the Union is divided into ''Spears'', semi-autonomous gangs with defined territory or activities.  You are the leader of one of these gangs, and have a crew who follow your orders.  You may not spend more Destiny on this option than your Status rating in the Union.
**'''-2''': You have a rival within the Union -- or even within your own Spear! -- for control of your territory.
*'''5 Destiny''': You will face outside competition for control of your territory, and this contest will bear on the fate of the Union as a whole!
'''The Harmonious Council'''<br>
The leadership of the Union is the Harmonious Council, a board of the three most respected members of the organization as voted upon by the heads of the Spears.  The three current Council members are '''Master Hong-bo''', the eldest of the trio and one of a dwindling number who cleave to the political origins of the Union; '''Bright-Eyed Crane''', the financial mastermind of the Union and operator of many of the city's gambling parlors; and '''Northern Tiger Yu''', the newest Councilor, much beloved by the rank and file, and eager to take the Union in new directions.
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===Guardians of the Bones===
'''Destiny Cost: 3'''<br>
<br>
'''Concept''': The agents and enforcers of the Astral Directorate, sworn to bring about what Fate demands.
'Recruited' from orphans and child captives, these fearsome warriors have been taught since childhood to submit their will to the dictates of fate.  They are trained in the arcane kung fu of the Purple Star Sages, and feared by all those who run afoul, knowingly or not, of the Astral Directorate's predictions.  The Guardians of the Bones are the stuff of whispers and legends throughout Shen Zhou.<br> 
'''Virtues''': Fatalism, Loyalty (Zhong), Ruthlessness (Hen)<br>
<br>
'''Secrets of Destiny: Guardians of the Bones'''<br>
*'''3+ Status''': You are one of the Guardians of the Bones. You serve the Astral Directorate, and work to ensure that the predictions of the Purple Star Sages come to pass.
**'''0 Treasure''': You may purchase a special weapon with a -2D discount.
**'''0 Bonus''': If you are a member of the Guardians of the Bones, you may purchase the Fatalism loresheet at a -2 discount.
**'''0 Bonus''': You have a free Inspire specialty: Bad Cop, that applies whenever you make use of your position to intimidate possible offenders or common folk.
*'''0/5 Disadvantage''': You have been placed on Probation. You have done something to earn the ire of your superiors; you can be sure they are aware of your every move, and further disappointments may result in more severe sanctions.  Gain one extra Destiny every time your compromised status causes you difficulty.

'''Secrets of Destiny: Guardians of the Bones Kung Fu'''<br>
*'''0 Bonus''': You have a one-time, -2D discount when buying one of the following as a secondary External Style: Bagua Tower, Murderous Shadows, or Ravenous Wings.
*'''0 Bonus''': All Guardians of the Bones are taught the Guidance of the Purple Star internal style; you may learn all techniques in that style, rather than one per level.
<br> 
The following techniques are based on the Guidance of the Purple Star; you must know that style in order to learn them.<br>
 
*'''5 Technique''': You learn the ''In the Shadow of the Tower'' technique.
**If you're in the ''Bagua Tower'' stance, and use the ''Heart-Finding Strike'' technique while acting in accord with a Prediction, you inflict a Rippling roll if your strike lands.
**If you're in the ''Bagua Tower'' stance and use the ''Gift of Foresight'' technique while acting in accord with a Prediction, opponents must exceed your initiative by 20 in order to break your waves.

*'''5 Technique''': You learn the ''Murderous Savant'' technique.
**If you're in ''Murderous Shadows'' stance and use ''Picking Among the Strands'', you may choose to keep up to twice the number of your Ranks achieved and reroll the remainder.
**If you're in ''Murderous Shadows'' stance and use ''Future Holds No Secrets'', you Fear no attacks or defenses this round.

*'''5 Technique''': You learn the ''End of Days Dance'' technique. 
**If you are in ''Ravenous Wings'' stance and use ''Falling Star Escape'', the bonus to Footwork increases to +20 if you are acting in accord with a Prediction.
**If you are in ''Ravenous Wings'' stance and use ''Death Comes for All'', your attack ignores armor.

'''The Purple Star Sages'''<br>: The Masters of Bagua Tower are said to be the greatest Scholars in Shen Zhou; their predictions, made with the aid of ''Pan Gu's Bones'', have given
*'''6 Fortune''': Your destiny has become a matter of interest for one or a few of the Purple Star Sages; he or they act as your patron within the Astral Directorate, and will give you a variety of direct and indirect support.
**'''-3''': You patrons are opposed by a rival clique; you will occasionally face bureaucratic red tape, or other such minor obstacles. If you should act in a way that is contrary to the overall interests of the Astral Directorate, however, you risk more serious problems, up to and including hostile Predictions.
**'''0 Bonus''': This interest gives you a wide latitude of action both in the Astral Directorate and across the Imperial Bureaucracy as a whole. You have the equivalent of Status 5 in the Astral Directorate, and Status 3 in the Imperial Bureaucracy as a whole.
**'''3 Fortune''': Once per story, you may petition your patron(s) for a Prediction on some matter. So long as it is limited in scope, and not contrary to the Directorate's interests, you can be confident that it will be granted. This counts as a Major Hyperactivity.
*'''5 Destiny''': In the past generation, the efficacy of the Sages' predictions has faltered -- and the Xin Dynasty, and all of Shen Zhou, has suffered for it.  Your story will involve this ominous turn of events; will you work to arrest the weakening, or speed it along?
'''The Thousand Eye Division'''<br>
There are 64 Purple Star Sages; there are perhaps twice that many Guardians of the Bones; a few hundred minor Scholars, and perhaps a thousand scribes who toil away in Bagua Tower. But the greatest number of the Astral Directorate comes from the so-called Thousand Eyes Division, the vast network of informers, spies and observers that keep the Astral Directorate well-informed about events in Perpetual Peace, Shen Zhou, and even beyond. Reports from all under heaven come into the Astral Directorate every hour of the day, and much of the toil that falls to those scribes comes in sorting, digesting and destroying those reports.
*'''4 Fortune''': Once per chapter, you may declare that you have received sensitive information from the Thousand Eyes on a topic relevant to your current activities; this information is something that is otherwise held secret, and you have a +10 bonus to any related social actions or Discovery attempts related to it. (This is a Laughs At bonus.)
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===The Great Clans===
The Xin are not, and never have been, a monolithic power in Shen Zhou; they have long depended upon the support of several Clans from different regions to support their reign, and often to act as their proxies in matters of local administration.  The Clans who have given their support to the Dynasty most unsparingly have been rewarded for it -- their daughters are taken in as Imperial Consorts (none can remember the last Empress who was not of one of the Great Clans), their younger sons are given choice assignments in the military or the bureaucracy, and, as long as taxes are paid, storehouses are filled, and laborers delivered, they are mostly left alone in their own territory to do as they wish.<br>
<br>
But these Clans are not only forces in the halls of government, but in the world of the Jianghu, as well.  In addition to the two listed above (the Yun and the Yue), the following are the five most prominent of the Great Clans.  
====Bei Clan====
Lords of the Northern Marches, the Bei are often derided for customs and bloodlines that have been shaped by the Steppes they patrol.  They nevertheless are the most reliable sources of horseflesh in the Empire, and few cavalry units in Shen Zhou don't feature a Bei Clan officer.
====Li Clan====
The current Great Clans are not the only ones the Xin era has seen; old Clans have fallen away, and new ones arise.  One of the original Clans to enjoy the favor of the Xin, the Li are in danger of falling into irrelevance.  These days they have little but their names and an honorable history to support them.
====Shu Clan====
The Shu are the rising star to the waning Li.  They have gone from a minor clan of the southern hills to a major force in the halls of power thanks to mineral-rich mines and a shrewd and ambitious patriarch.  Few know what to make of them, but none ignore them any longer.
====Wei Clan====
Merchants have always occupied the lowest strata of society in Shen Zhou; they neither produce, nor protect, nor rule, but instead profit by the work of others.  That's the ideology, anyway.  The Wei, whose power rests entirely on their shrewd mercantile investments and operations, give the lie to that theory. 
====Zhao Clan====
The Zhao were only a generation ago the greatest of the Great Clans, but what appeared at the time to be a crowning glory -- the Fifteenth Emperor's choice of one of their young princesses as Empress, followed by her Regency in the wake of the Emperor's suicide  -- turned into ruin in the reaction to the Dowager Empress's Regency.  The Zhao retain the formal rights of their station, but they are virtual pariahs among high society.