Editing Tales of Perpetual Peace/JianghuLoresheets

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=The Wulin in the Age of the Xin=
==The Wulin Registry==
===The Most Wanted List===
Even at the height of the Xin Dynasty, when the Imperial Constabulary kept a firm and constant peace in the city, it was unwritten policy to allow the Wulin to police their own, for the wise Ministers realized that no good would come of involving the Empire in the bloody feuds and long-standing rivalries of the Jianghu.  Yet some baneful Wulin could not be ignored, and it fell to the Liquid Metal Delegates to track and, if possible, to pacify these criminals by any means necessary.  The List currently features: '''Sword Bitch''', the leader of the Blade Dogs in Perpetual Peace (if such a group can be said to have a leader!); '''Abyssal Ink''', a notorious criminal famous for the incendiary anti-Xin calligraphy he leaves at the scenes of his crimes; and '''White Star Mask''', a seemingly recent arrival who is all too willing to sell his murderous services to the highest bidder.
===The Top Ten===
In a city such as Perpetual Peace, where the Wulin are drawn like moths to a flame, it is inevitable that they should rank one another, and compete to stand preeminent in the Imperial Capital.  Though the rankings are known to change, several Wulin are mainstays.  They include: '''Red Sky Raptor''', the sly and deadly Eagle Talon Executive whose special variation on the traditional Eagle Talon technique makes her a deadly opponent; '''Captain Hsi Jing-guo''', the chief of the Brocade Guards, the elite unit of the Liquid Metal Delegates, and bearer of the Legendary Weapon ''Numberless Blades''; '''Brazen Fist''', five-time champion of the Illustrious August Tournament; it is said his skin is pure metal, and that no weapon can harm him; and the '''Sword Bitch''', currently the only Wulin to figure on both the Most Wanted and Top Ten Lists.
==A Wulin Mengzhu?==
==Wulin Legends==

=Wulin Factions=
==Factions from the Corebook==
The following Factions are taken from the Legends of the Wulin corebook, and their loresheets are merely updated to reflect the setting.
===Little Forest Sect===


===Eagle Talon Syndicate===
====The Black Files====

*'''2+ Involvement/Destiny''': Perhaps someone close to you is the subject of one of the Eagle Talon Syndicate's Black Files, whether to be spied upon, stolen from, or assassinated.  Or perhaps you yourself are involved, though not centrally, in one of their files.  
*'''4+ Fortune''': You have taken out a contract with the Syndicate that has been designated a Black File!  What less-than-legal task do you need to see performed?
*'''0/5 Disadvantage''': You have been '''Targeted''' by the Black Files Division.  They are implacable and supremely dangerous; stopping them will be a very difficulty proposition.

'''Secrets of Destiny: The Black File Division'''<br>
(You must have at least Status 4 in the Eagle Talon Syndicate to take any of the following options)
*'''2+ Status''': You are a member of the Eagle Talon Synidcate's elite Black File Division
**'''0 Bonus''': You receive 1 point of Status free for every point over 4 you have in Eagle Talon Syndicate Status.
**'''0 Bonus''': You have a free specialty in either Stealth: Assassination or Inspire: Espionage.

'''Secrets of Destiny: Black File Division Kung Fu'''
*'''0 Bonus''': If you are a Black File Specialist, you probably have '''Ebon Shadow''' as your Internal Style.  You may learn all of its techniques rather than one per level.
*'''0 Bonus''': You have a one-time, -2 Destiny discount to purchase one of the following as a secondary external style: '''Malicious Wasp''', '''Murderous Shadows''', or '''Ravenous Wings'''.

*'''4 Secret''': You learn the '''''Stabbing Guest's Ease''''' Extraordinary Warrior Technique: You may perform any Minor Stealth Action on a single die.

*'''5 Secret''': You learn the '''''Single-Minded Assassin''''' Extraordinary Warrior Technique.  Once per chapter, you may designate one target for assassination.  You Laugh At the target's defenses and never Fear them; additionally, you may Flood a die on your attack roll to ignore 5 points of the target's armor (this stacks with the Massive weapon effect).

*'''4 Technique''': You learn the '''''Shadow of Death'''''.
**When you attack from the shadows or in darkness, the Damage bonus of Murderous Shadows increases to +15

*'''5 Technique''': You learn the '''''Inescapable Shadow Skill'''''.
**While in Murderous Shadows and you use Midnight-Flying Dragon, the damage bonus increases by +5 if you create a special weapon.
**While in Murderous Shadows and you use No Escape, you have a +5 to Strike against any opponent whose waves you've broken (this is a loresheet bonus)

*'''5 Technique''': You learn the '''''Moonlight Sting''''' technique.
**While in Malicious Wasp and you use Become the Night, you have a round-long +5 to Dodge;
**While in Malicious Wasp and you use Deepening Darkness, opponents who suffer Awareness penalties due to darkness are considered to be in a different zone for the purposes for Malicious Wasp techniques.

----

===Yun Clan===


===Heaven Sword Alliance===


===Beggar Fraternity===
'''The Eternal Carnival'''<br>
Even in Persiatown -- a place not known for an excess of propriety -- the Eternal Carnival stands out.  Most nights feature a performance of some kind, and at least monthly there is the kind of extravaganza otherwise not seen outside of the largest festivals in the city.  The Wulin know the Carnival for another reason, though: it is the Beggar Fraternity headquarters in the city, and they enforce a strict peace among the fighters of the city.  That makes the Carnival a natural location for meetings among otherwise hostile parties, and is as much a marketplace of secrets as the West Market is for exotic goods.
*'''1+ Status''': You are part of the '''Laughing Monkey Division''', the Beggar Fraternity special division tasked with operating and overseeing the Carnival.  (You must have at least 3 Status: Beggar Fraternity to purchase this option.)
*'''2+ Involvement''': The Carnival will play a significant role in your story.
**'''2+ Fortune''': You are a Carnival regular.  You have a +5 bonus to any Awareness check against pickpockets or eavesdroppers.

'''The Beggar's Tunnels'''
*'''3 Fortune''': You have been initiated by the Beggar Fraternity in the paths through the labyrinthine tunnels that run underneath the city.  Their favored paths are marked with symbols to orient the traveler, and they can travel across the vast expanse of the city in much less time than those who travel above-ground.  Once per chapter, you can declare that travelling via the Catacombs grants you some substantial advantage.
**'''0 Bonus''': You may access the Catacombs Loresheet free.
**'''0 Bonus''': You have a '''Survival Specialty: Catacombs'''.
**'''2+ Fortune/Treasure''': Though the Beggars know the Catacombs better than anyone alive -- that the Beggars know of, anyway -- there are nevertheless uncountable secrets to be found there.  You have found something (a new pathway, a storehouse, a record of the Yellow Ink engineers who built the Catacombs in the early days of the Xin) there unknown to the rest of the world.
**'''3 Technique''': You are a '''Catacomb Master'''; when fighting in the Catacombs, you always Laugh At opponents' defenses, and have a +5 bonus to any Wave or Marvel making use of the narrow passageways and dim light.

----

===Resplendent Phoenix Society===


===Fallen Leaves Society===


===Liquid Metal Delegates===
'''The Brocade Guard'''<br>
The most elite members of the Delegates are assigned to the Brocade Guard.  Originally founded as the personal guard of the Emperor, they have evolved over time to become the most elite warriors and assassins of the Xin Dynasty.  
*'''3+ Status''': You are a member of the Brocade Guard; you must have at least Status 5: Liquid Metal Delegates, know at least 20 destiny worth of techniques between at least 2 of the associated External Styles, and be at least 3rd Rank.
**'''4 Destiny''': You have been assigned to the Brocade Guard despite not meeting one or more (or all!) of the above criteria.  Was it a mere bureaucratic error that put you in this position, or was there some secret forces at work?
'''Informed by a Thousand Eyes'''<br>
The Liquid Metal Delegates and the Guardians of the Bones do not, as a rule, get along; each sees the other as a lesser version of itself.  Nevertheless, as a 'professional courtesy', the Guardians will pass along relevant (if redacted) information from the Thousdan Eyes Division.  The Delegates are often ambivalent about such courtesy -- they hate relying on the Guardians for anything, yet the information is awfully useful.
*'''3+ Fortune''': You have been given a report from the Thousand Eyes Division that will provide some useful nugget of information about an official task you have been assigned.
**'''+2''': A mistake has been made!  You have been given an unredacted report from the Thousand Eyes Division; in addition to the nugget of information, you learn something that will give you leverage against the Guardians of the Bones.
'''The Yellow Ink Armory'''<br>
When the engineers of the Yellow Ink Society lent their genius to the Xin Dynasty, they designed a host of weapons of remarkable ingenuity.  The Hundred Scorpion Crossbow, the Spider Staff, the Amber Mace -- these and many more were created to aid the Xin in self-defense, but in time they were used in offense.
*'''4 Treasure''': You have been entrusted with one of these famous weapons; work with your Sage on the details, but they generally add a non-standard weapon ability to an already existing weapon tag (unlike Unique Weapons, which combine two existing weapon tags).  
**You may apply your 2 Destiny discount to one of these weapons.
*'''4+ Fortune''': You have learned about an entire cache of these weapons!  What will you do with the information?
----

===Hundred Ghost Faction===


===Yue Clan=== 
(Formerly the '''Southern Dragon Pirate Clan''')


===Blade Dogs===


===Black Lotus Society===
The old Black Lotus Society is no more. The Xin armies razed the Black Sand Pagoda in the reign of the Second Xin Emperor, and Black Storm Buddha met his end at the hands of the Abbot of the Little Orphan Monastery. But like the noxious weed that gives them their name, they have grown up anew, taking advantage of the growing weakness in Xin power. A mysterious figure known as the Bodhisattva of Black Mist, bearing a panoply of potent intoxicants made from a strange western flower, has reformed the baneful society.  Now they begin to ply their foul trade once more.
*'''Cluttered Soil''': As Black Storm Buddha had before, the Bodhisattva encourages rivalries among his followers.  He will often go so far as to set two agents in the same region at odds in order to see which of them is more devious and capable.
**'''0 Bonus''': You have a -2D Discount to the increase Involvement from '''Rivals''' Loresheet (p. 155)
**'''2 Fortune''': Once per story, you can declare that two members of the Society have been set in competition by a superior (other than you!).
*'''Grains of Black Sand''': Although the old Black Lotus Society was destroyed, not every member of that wide-ranging organization was successfully hunted down.  These survivors laid low during the height of Xin power, but have flocked to the New Lotus Saint's call to form the Society anew.
**'''3 Destiny''': You descend by birth or martial tradition from an original Black Lotus Society member; this will be important to your story.
**'''2+ Involvement''': There are some among these holdovers who think the so-called Black Mist Bodhisattva is a fraud and usurper; they search for the reincarnation of Black Storm Buddha to take rightful possession of the faction.
**'''3+ Treasure''': You are in possession of some artifact of the original Black Lotus Society; perhaps it was passed down from master to disciple since the time of Black Storm Buddha, or perhaps you took it 'the old fashioned way'.  Work with your Sage to determine the details.
***'''0 Bonus''': As long as you own this item, your effective Status is one higher than normal among the Society.
*'''The Five Petal Lotus''': It is said that this strange flower, remarkable for its many-colored petals, was discovered on a distant peak in the Kunlun Mountains.  Manipulated by strange alchemies, it has produced a variety of powerful intoxicants, each based on a different petal of the flower.  Those who distribute the drug promise a kind of euphoria that would make the Buddha himself spurn enlightenment.
**The Five Petal Lotus is so called because of its multi-colored petals, each of which, when manipulated, creates a different class of drugs.
***The Bloody Petal: The hallucinogens produced by the deep crimson petal are much favored by shamans and seers, who swear that they gain unparalleled access to the spirit world thereby.  They apparently find the bouts of terror and paranoia to be worth it.
***The Void Petal: Those who have sampled the drugs crafted from the inky black Void Petal maintain that their minds have never been sharper, but rumors circulate about the unfortunates who have sought too much insight.
***The Weeping Petal: There are poor souls in Shen Zhou who are haunted by something that they cannot forget; drugs from the blue-white petal of the lotus are their only solace.
***The Thorn Petal: The drugs produced from the nettled, deep green petal are much favored by mercenaries, tournament fighters, and athletes.  They grant unparalleled strength and physical endurance -- but at a heavy price.
***The Sallow Petal: No opium or wine in Shen Zhou can induce the kind of euphoric stupor that the powders of the pale yellow petal.  No pain can pierce the veil these drugs produce, but no pleasure can rival it, either.
**'''3 Fortune''': You have taken one of the drugs created from the Five Petal Lotus.  Work with your sage to create the specifics of the effect, but it will be a Minor Paired Condition that grants a Hyperactivity when under the effects of the drug, and a Weakness otherwise.  In a time frame determined by the Sage, the Condition will inflame to Major intensity, requiring more frequent uses or more potent doses to avoid the Weakness.  
**'''2+ Treasure''': You have either a cache of drugs created from the Five Petal Lotus, or a reliable supply of them from your allies in the faction.

*'''Bodhisattva of the Black Mist'''
**'''4+ Fortune''': You have discovered a secret about the identity of the Black Mist Bodhisattva; perhaps you have been to his fortress in the Kunlun Mountains, or are privy to his plans.
***'''-2''': This information has come at a heavy price; in learning about him, he has seen into your heart of hearts.  You have a Major Weakness giving you an action penalty whenever you disobey or attempt to keep secrets from Bodhisattva of the Black Mist.
***'''5 Technique''': Along with whatever else you discovered, you have learned the '''''Five Petal Mastery Method''''', the potent Formless technique based on the flower that grants the Society its power and wealth.  How did you come by this knowledge?
**'''3+ Involvement''': The Bodhisattva is seeking five lieutenants to aid in his rebuilding efforts; he is calling them the Serpent Generals.  You are intimately involved in this process.
***'''+3''': You have been named one of the Serpent Generals!  What have you done to earn this accolade?  What honors and responsibilities accompany this role?  (You must have at least '''Status 4: Black Lotus Society''' to select this option.)

----

===Vile Rain Cult===
* See the [http://wiki.rpg.net/index.php/Tales_of_Perpetual_Peace/RDDloresheets#Vile_Rain_Cult_Legend|Vile Rain Cult Legend]

==Revised Factions from the Corebook==
The following factions are taken from the Legends of the Wulin corebook, but have been reimagined.
===The Small Schools===
('''3 Destiny''')<br>
(Based on the '''Dragon Well Sect''')

====The Destruction of the Raven Scholars====
While a number of smaller Daoist schools have managed to survive the hegemony of -- and persecution from -- the Eight Mountain Sect, the Raven Scholars did not.  Never loved by the 'orthodox' (the Scholars would've said: "power-besotted") Eight Mountain Daoists, whom they never tired of accusing of betraying the Dao; nor by the Confucians, who saw them as outright anarchists; nor by the Imperial bureaucracy, who saw them as a source of insurrection; they met their end during the waning days of the Great Proscription.<br><br>
While most think of the Buddhists as the victims of the Proscription -- and, as a rule, they were -- the Eight Mountain Sect also took advantage of their access to state power to persecute their rivals.  Some say it was the Minders of the Way, the fanatical cadre of Eight Mountain Priests, who petitioned for the elite Brocade Guard to destroy the Raven Scholars; others maintain that the impetus came from within the government, and the Way-Minders were enlisted only to disguise the real reason behind the attack.  The truth, if it exists, is known only by a few, none of whom are inclined to tell.  Whatever the reason, the destruction came quickly and brutally.  The Brocade Guard units used their deadly scorpion crossbows to rain death on the unsuspecting priests, and silent assassins flooded the Raven School to finish off the rest.
<br>
'''Secrets of Destiny: Raven Scholar Survivors'''
*'''3+ Status''': You are a (the?) Raven Scholar Survivor.  Few remember what the School taught, but even the young hear the stories of their bloody destruction.
**'''0 Bonus''': You may purchase the Daoism Loresheet at a -2D discount.
**'''0/5 Disadvantage''': You are a well-known Heretic.  The Minders of the Way no longer have the assassins of the Xin at their disposal, but they are still around, and they have not forgotten you.  Earn one additional Destiny whenever your Heresy gets you into trouble.
*'''2+ Involvement''': Though you are the only Raven Scholar, you have connections among other eccentric Daoists in Perpetual Peace.
'''Secrets of Destiny: Raven Scholar Kung Fu'''<br>
<br>
'''The Revenge of the Raven Scholars'''
*You bear the weight of the melancholy of losing your friends and mentors, but are driven on by the flame of vengeance that burns in your heart.  Work with your Sage to develop a Minor Paired Passion Condition; either element may be the hyperactivity, but one should reflect melancholy, and the other vengefulness.
*'''2+ Fortune''': You recognize an NPC as one who participated on the assault on the Raven School!  The cost of this option depends on the importance of the NPC and their role in the attack.
*'''2 Fortune''' (location): The site of the Raven School in a now run-down ward in Persiatown has never been completely torn down or rebuilt; a ruined shambles still stands there, and those who live nearby give it wide berth.  For you, however, it is still home.  While on your 'home turf', you always Laugh At the attacks of others.
*'''5 Destiny/Victory''': As far as you know, you are the sole survivor of the massacre of the Raven Scholars -- but you have found, or will find another!
*'''5 Fortune''': You have stumbled onto some clue regarding the truth of the destruction of the Raven Scholars.  Who was truly behind it, what was their agenda, and what did they gain?  Perhaps you will learn that some truths are best left undisturbed ... .

----

===Blood Wind Cult===
*'''The Coming Storm'''
*'''Anointed by Blood'''
*'''Tengri's Bride'''

===Brilliant Light Path=== 
(Based on the '''Western Fire Doctrine''')
*'''Secrets of Destiny: Brilliant Light Path Kung Fu'''
*'''A Sapling in the Martial Forest'''
*'''The Hierophant'''
*'''The Shadow Path'''

==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).
----

===The Diamond Vehicle===
*'''Secrets of Destiny: The Diamond Vehicle'''
*'''Secrets of Destiny: Diamond Vehicle Kung Fu'''
*'''The Shambalan Embassy'''
*'''The Western Rites'''

----

===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.
----

===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>
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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.

=The Criminal Underworld=
In the glory days of the Xin Dynasty, Perpetual Peace could boast of being the safest city in Shen Zhou.  The city's constabulary was effective and, from the perspective of common criminals, ubiquitous.  Crime was not unheard of -- like poverty, it shall always be with us -- but its growth was constantly checked, and those who would make their livelihoods by illicit means had to work twice as hard and be twice as smart as their counterparts in less lawful places and times.<br>
But the glory days of the Xin seem to have passed now, and as their authority recedes, the Green Forest (''Lulin'') grows.  The parts of the city that are home to the Great and the Good, and those that remain vital to the government's interest, remain relatively crime-free, but less fortunate parts have seen marked increases in thefts, beatings, the sale of illicit intoxicants, loansharking, unregistered brothels, and all manner of proscribed activity.
==The Trees of the Green Forest==
*'''1+ Involvement''': You story is tied to one of the many Lulin gangs in Perpetual Peace.  Work with your Sage to define the details of the gang -- their turf, their distinguishing marks, their preferred criminal activities.  If you wish the gang to acknowledge you as their leader, you should take this as a '''Fortune''' option, instead.
**'''0 Bonus''': If you are a member of the Eagle Talon Syndicate, the Beggar Fraternity, the Black Lotus Society, the Three Harmonies Union, or the Yue Clan, you have a one-time, -2 Destiny discount to purchase Involvement with a gang.
**'''2 Fortune''': Once per chapter, you may declare that you have received some useful information from the gang with which you're involved about activities within the criminal underworld.  Your Sage may couch the information in rumor and exaggeration, but there will be useful information passed to you.
==The Five Trades==
Custom among the criminals of Perpetual Peace divides the various criminal enterprises in the city into five 'trades': the Bronze Trade, which includes counterfeiting, loansharking, extortion and any smuggling or black market goods besides drugs; the Iron Trade, which covers any criminal activity involving violence (up to and including assassination); the Smoke Trade, which includes anything involving the manufacture, smuggling, or sale of illicit intoxicants; the Flesh Trade, which covers both non-licensed brothels and slave labor; and the Finger Trade, for anything involving theft, from the small scale to the grandiose.<br>
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'''The Bronze Trade'''<br>
('''2 Destiny'''; members of the Three Harmonies Union and the Yue Clan may access this loresheet free of cost)<br>
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'''The Iron Trade'''<br>
('''2 Destiny'''; members of the Three Harmonies Union and the Eagle Talon Syndicate may access this loresheet free of cost)<br>
*'''4+ Fortune''': You have stumbled upon information relating to as assassination plot against a figure of some importance.  What you do with this information is up to you -- you can act to protect the target, or to interfere with the plot as you wish.
'''The Smoke Trade'''<br>
('''2 Destiny'''; members of the Black Lotus Society may access this loresheet free of cost)<br>
*'''2+ Fortune''': Once per chapter, you may declare that a single NPC has a drug habit that you supply, directly or indirectly.  The Sage has final say based on plausibility, and the importance of NPC you can so designate depends on how much Destiny you invest in this option.
*'''2+ Treasure''': You have some valuable related to the drug trade; it can be a cache of intoxicants, a smuggling route, or an established drug den.
'''The Flesh Trade'''<br>
('''2 Destiny'''; members of the Three Harmonies Union, the Black Lotus Society, and the Resplendent Phoenix Society may access this loresheet free of cost)<br>
*'''5 Destiny''': Your story will have an impact -- perhaps a decisive one -- on the '''Willow War''', the struggle between various criminal organizations, for whom Willow Districts are resources to be exploited, and the Resplendent Phoenix Society, who are engaged in the ceaseless struggle to protect the well-being of women from harm.
'''The Finger Trade'''<br>
('''2 Destiny'''; members of the Three Harmonies Union and the Beggar Fraternity may access this loresheet free of cost)<br>
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==The Law==
('''3 Destiny'''; members of the Liquid Metal Delegates may access this loresheet free of cost)