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| | *Xin Shiliu Huangdi | | *Xin Shiliu Huangdi |
| | *Wei Chu'hua, Empress Dowager and former Regent | | *Wei Chu'hua, Empress Dowager and former Regent |
| − | | + | *Li Xiaohui, First Imperial Consort |
| | ==The Imperial Bureaucracy== | | ==The Imperial Bureaucracy== |
| | ===The Four Chambers=== | | ===The Four Chambers=== |
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| | *The Autumn Chamber | | *The Autumn Chamber |
| | ===The Astral Directorate=== | | ===The Astral Directorate=== |
| − | On the one hand, the Astral Directorate is, in one form or another, the oldest part of the Xin bureaucracy. From the very start of the reign of Xin Taizu, dedicated scholars have performed divinations about all matters of imperial policy, from the earth-shaking to the mundane. On the other hand, however, the Astral Directorate in its current form is the most recent addition to the Imperial Bureaucracy (dating back to the reign of the Xin Yizong, the Eleventh Emperor), and its predominance over the Four Chambers is more recent still. The more perspicacious observers of the bureaucracy note that the star of the Directorate has been in its ascendency just at the time when its efficacy seems to be waning.<br>
| + | *Bagua Tower |
| − | <br>
| + | *The Codex Sidereal |
| − | '''Bagua Tower'''<br>
| + | *The Thousand Eyes Division |
| − | <br>
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| − | '''The Codex Sidereal'''<br>
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| − | The Codex regulates the practice of prediction-making across Shen Zhou. The whole of the Codex covers eight large scrolls; perhaps a few handfuls of dedicated bureaucrats within the Directorate have read all of them, and perhaps one or two of them could be said to be really familiar with its laws as a whole. This is not, as it might seem to outsiders, a flaw in the Codex. To be sure, it has come over time to encompass a dizzyingly, almost impossibly wide array of specific circumstances and cases. The proscriptions, though often preposterously narrow, are so voluminous, in fact, that almost no scholar or seer outside of the Directorate (members of which are exempted by Imperial decree) has not run afoul of at least a few of them at some point in time. This is not accidental. The aim of the laws of the Codex (with one exception) is not to distinguish the lawful from the unlawful, but rather to ensure that all scholars can, with a little digging, be found guilty of something.<br>
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| − | But there is one exception. The first proscription of the Codex reads: "Make no predictions concerning the activities or nature of the Emperor and his State, neither in their essence nor in their perquisites, neither in matters domestic nor foreign, neither auspicious nor inauspicious." To run afoul of this rule is to ensure a visit from the Guardians; to ensure a visit from the Guardians is tantamount to suicide. Scholars must take great care to avoid rendering predictions about anything that might so much as enter the ambit of Imperial concerns; horror stories, perhaps untrue but nonetheless edifying, circulate about the poor scholars who accidentally make a prediction that bears on some obscure Imperial concern, and are never heard from again.
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| − | <br>
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| − | '''Pan Gu's Bones'''<br>
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| − | The Han Imperial Seal may be the direct expression of the Xin's hold on the Mandate of Heaven, but it is the set of ancient artifacts known as Pan Gu's Bones that truly embody their reign. Said to be held in the highest floor of the Tower, the Bones remain in use by the Purple Star Sages to manipulate the destiny of the Empire. | |
| − | | |
| | ==The Dragon Legions== | | ==The Dragon Legions== |
| | =The City of Perpetual Peace= | | =The City of Perpetual Peace= |
| | ==Layout and Geography== | | ==Layout and Geography== |
| | ==The Nine Districts== | | ==The Nine Districts== |
| − | The following options are available for any District whose loresheet you have already purchased.
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| − | *'''2+ Treasure''': You have a place you call home -- or a business, or any piece of real property that is under your control, legally or not. If you spend at least 4 Destiny on this option, you may choose a single, circumscribed bonus to some Skill use, Secret Arts, or combat.
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| − | *'''1+ Involvement''': This District will be an important part of your story.
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| − | *'''2+ Fortune''': You have valuable contacts in this District. Once per chapter, you may gain access to some valuable information relating to what is occurring within that District; work with your Sage to determine the nature of the kind of information to which you have access.
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| − | *'''1+ Status''': You are a famous (or infamous!) figure within the District; you are known, respected, and/or feared. What have you done to deserve this recognition?
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| | ===Nine Bells: Central District=== | | ===Nine Bells: Central District=== |
| − | ('''2 Destiny''')<br>
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| − | The Central District of Perpetual Peace is known for two things: the massive administrative complex in the exact center of the city (whose bell tower gives the district is nickname), and the Capital Colleges, the final stops on the long meritocratic path to the Imperial Bureaucracy. The presence of so many students makes for a great number of low-cost tea-houses, drinking rooms, and entertainment pavilions.
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| − | *Nine Bells Tower
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| − | *The Great Archive
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| − | *Shennong's Garden
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| − | *Sons of State Academy
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| − | *Other Notable Locations: the Weiqi Mall, Zhe Ruizong's Palace, Four Gates Academy, Heavenly Pattern Academy
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| | ===Imperial City: Northern District=== | | ===Imperial City: Northern District=== |
| − | ('''4 Destiny''')<br>
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| − | The Imperial City is divided into three sections. The smallest and easiest to access is the Temple of Law, where crimes against the Empire are adjudicated. Next is the Imperial Chambers, the complex of administrative buildings that is the nerve center of the Imperial government, including the Four Chambers and the infamous Bagua Tower. And finally, the largest and most exclusive is the
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| − | Forbidden City, home to the grand Imperial Residence, the Temple of Heaven, and the Bridal Palaces.
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| − | *The Temple of Law
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| − | *The Imperial Chambers
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| − | *The Forbidden City
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| | ===Canaltown: Northeastern District=== | | ===Canaltown: Northeastern District=== |
| − | ('''2 Destiny''')<br>
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| − | In the shadow of the opalescent belvederes of the Imperial Residence, across the boulevard from the overwhelming wealth of the Silver Borough is the poorest district in the city. Connected to the man-made lake to the east of the city where cargo vessels end their trip along the Grand Canal by a smaller canal that terminates under the city, much of the activity in this district is taking in all the goods necessary to keep a city this size thriving. Notable locales include: Pan Gu's Gullet (a ward known for its raucous drinking houses and entertainments), the Sorrow Markets (where the unfortunates who are forced to sell themselves or their families into debt peonage go to find buyers), and the Mouth (the wide hole where an elaborate system of machinery is used to lift goods from the underground mini-canal).
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| | ===Silver Borough: Eastern District=== | | ===Silver Borough: Eastern District=== |
| − | ('''2 Destiny''')<br>
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| − | Perpetual Peace boasts two markets of such wealth and grandeur that if another city were to have just one, it would be enough to make that city one of the commercial centers of Shen Zhou. The Eastern Market, sometimes called the Tea Market, is the more restrained of the two; it lacks the wondrous & exotic goods featured at its western counterpart, but the deals made here can affect the lives of tens of thousands across Shen Zhou. The Temple of Inexhaustible Wealth, formerly a Buddhist temple 'secularized' during the Great Proscription that serves as one of the primary Imperial Treasuries, is here, as is the headquarters of the Imperial Post, a rapid message service that's said to double as the headquarters of the spies of the Thousand Eyes Division.
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| | ===Three Jade Pools: Southeastern District=== | | ===Three Jade Pools: Southeastern District=== |
| − | ('''2 Destiny''')<br>
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| − | Many of the rich and the powerful make their homes in this district; each mansion is surpassed in grandeur and beauty by the next, while the shops, restaurants, theaters and parks here are as fine as any found in the city or beyond. One of the artificial lakes that gives the district its name is home to the Blushing Lily, where the finest courtesans in all Shen Zhou reside under the protection of the Resplendent Phoenix Society. On another lake sits a floating opera house, where the greatest works of the Xin era are performed by the few who can afford a ticket. This district is also home to the Futures Market, where many of the most highly reputed licensed Seers practice their craft for wealthy clients.
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| | ===Divine Gates: Southern District=== | | ===Divine Gates: Southern District=== |
| − | ('''2 Destiny''')<br>
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| − | Custom (superstition, if you prefer) dictates that one should enter the city from the south; the southernmost district, named for the three elaborate gates through which the majority of (non-mercantile) travelers enter, is designed to impress upon the newcomer the majesty of the Xin Dynasty. The Lonely Apostle Shrine, chief temple of the Eight Mountain Sect in the city, is found here, and shrines to great heroes of the Dynasty can be found on nearly every street. The Shambalan Embassy, a temple of the Lamaist Buddhists that was permitted to be built in the humiliating Jade Gate Treaty, is a blemish on a district that is otherwise the face of the capital.
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| | ===Persiatown: Southwestern District=== | | ===Persiatown: Southwestern District=== |
| − | ('''2 Destiny''')<br>
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| − | For all its cosmopolitanism, the authorities of Perpetual Peace take great care to keep tabs on foreigners in their city. Most of the wards approved for alien residence are located in Persiatown -- though few Persians live here, as they're often wealthy enough to escape the more onerous restrictions -- and the constabulary here is unusually active, even as the police become stretched thin elsewhere in the city. Luscious Peach Quarter, (in)famous for brothels catering to every conceivable taste and for sheltering the city's gay and lesbian community, is found here. There is also the Endless Carnival, a complex of theaters, pavilions, and performance spaces that cater to popular taste -- which also doubles as the Beggar Fraternity's home base.
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| | ===Road's End: Western District=== | | ===Road's End: Western District=== |
| − | ('''2 Destiny''')<br>
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| − | The western district, the eastern terminus of the Silk Road, is unlike any other place in Shen Zhou. The only thing more exotic than the goods offered at the Western (or Jade) Market are the merchants and adventurers who come from farthest west to sell them. The Aerie, headquarters of the Eagle Talon Syndicate, is located here, as is the famous Xianlu Brewery -- only the bravest and strongest souls can handle their most potent products.
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| | ===Guan Yu's Barracks: Northwestern District=== | | ===Guan Yu's Barracks: Northwestern District=== |
| − | ('''2 Destiny''')<br>
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| − | So named for the complex of military buildings -- barracks, offices, drilling fields, and armories -- that abutt the Imperial City, the Barracks these days is better known for the sporting fields and betting parlors that attract rich and poor alike. Polo, football, and tennis are all popular, but martial arts exhibitions are most popular of all.
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| − |
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| | ==The Catacombs== | | ==The Catacombs== |
| | ==Outside the Walls== | | ==Outside the Walls== |
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| | '''Destiny Cost: 2''' (This Loresheet is free for Priests) <br> | | '''Destiny Cost: 2''' (This Loresheet is free for Priests) <br> |
| | You may choose one of the following options, or work with your Sage to design a new one; additional options may be purchased for 2 Destiny each. | | You may choose one of the following options, or work with your Sage to design a new one; additional options may be purchased for 2 Destiny each. |
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| | *'''Shepherd of a Flock''': Whether you are Buddhist, Daoist, or an adherent of a less common philosophy, you have a devoted group of followers who look to you for spiritual guidance. | | *'''Shepherd of a Flock''': Whether you are Buddhist, Daoist, or an adherent of a less common philosophy, you have a devoted group of followers who look to you for spiritual guidance. |
| − | **'''0 Bonus''': You derive strength from the belief of those whom you serve. While among them, you never Fear an opponent's attacks (including Secret Arts uses).
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| − | **'''0 Bonus''': You have either a '''Inspire Specialty: Comfort''' or a '''Politics Specialty''' appropriate to the area in which you tend to your flock.
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| − | **'''0/5 Disadvantage''': Whatever satisfaction you derive from your ministrations, your flock nevertheless has constant need of you. You gain one extra Destiny in a Chapter in which the people you serve make demands on you that cause you serious trouble or interfere with your own agenda.
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| | *'''In the World, But Not of the World''': You seek Enlightenment, however you conceive it, with single-minded focus; the endless pleasures and distractions the city has to offer are but shadows on the wall to you. | | *'''In the World, But Not of the World''': You seek Enlightenment, however you conceive it, with single-minded focus; the endless pleasures and distractions the city has to offer are but shadows on the wall to you. |
| − | **'''0 Bonus''': Your meditations have inured you to the temptations of the world. Once per chapter, you may treat a single Passion or Inspiration condition as one step less severe for a single scene or combat; this does not remove the condition, but does allow you to ignore its effects.
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| − | **'''0 Bonus''': You have a +5 bonus to any Skill roll that involves physical self-denial.
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| | *'''Prophet in the Desert''': There is something ''wrong'' in the city, an evil that transcends the personal and the political -- and only you (and those of like mind) can perceive it. But you will convince them. You ''must'' convince them. | | *'''Prophet in the Desert''': There is something ''wrong'' in the city, an evil that transcends the personal and the political -- and only you (and those of like mind) can perceive it. But you will convince them. You ''must'' convince them. |
| − | **'''0 Bonus''': Once per chapter, you may declare that someone who hears your sermons is struck with a Trivial Passion or Inspiration (Recovery level: 40) appropriate to your message. Your Sage will determine the details, but this condition may be manipulated as normal.
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| − | **'''0 Bonus''': You have either an '''Inspire Specialty: Jeremiads''' or a '''Wu Wei Specialty: Curses'''.
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| − | **'''0/5 Disadvantage''': The authorities have marked you as a trouble-maker, and you are routinely subject to harassment from the constabulary and even those who follow orthodox philosophies. You gain an extra Destiny in any chapter where that harassment causes you significant problems.
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| | *'''Local Shaman''': For most inhabitants of Perpetual Peace, the finer nuances of the various religions and philosophies are irrelevant; the favor and disfavor of spirits, ancestors, and gods is what matters. As one intimately attuned to that world, you intercede on the common folk's behalf (perhaps for a modest fee). | | *'''Local Shaman''': For most inhabitants of Perpetual Peace, the finer nuances of the various religions and philosophies are irrelevant; the favor and disfavor of spirits, ancestors, and gods is what matters. As one intimately attuned to that world, you intercede on the common folk's behalf (perhaps for a modest fee). |
| − | **'''0 Bonus''': Once per chapter, you can declare someone to be afflicted by hostile spirits. This counts as a Trivial Curse that can be manipulated as normal; your Sage will determine the exact details, but you may give the general outlines of the Curse.
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| − | **'''0 Bonus''': You have a '''Wu Wei Specialty: the Spirit World'''.
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| | =Four Gates Valley= | | =Four Gates Valley= |
