Philosophers with Kung Fu - A Mash Up on my Mind
The Empress of Chains is dead, and the Palace of Doors is covered in black of mourning, and will remain so until one of her heirs or other claimants to the Barbed Throne manages to raise above the pack and seize it, and in the meantime the Wheel is in chaos. Without a guardian, old locks grow weak and new doors to fresh hells open every day.
In this era, the secret societies are the true movers and shakers behind things. Some operate in the shadows of the Palace, playing politics and pushing agendas. Others have cells in the countryside, some ruling over small domains, others fighting to protect the people from the dangers that are running amok.
The Brotherhood of Harmony, known for their red sashes, believe in rule of law over all things, and one law for all people - even the empress must serve the law. They are seen as champions by some, oppressors by others.
The Clenched Fist of Fate have some of the strongest kung fu in the land for that is their sole focus. They feel they have the rights to anything they are strong enough to take, though what they will do with what they take is something of an open question.
The Shattered Pillars of Heaven are the bane of temples, for they reject the gods themselves. They have a reputation for smashing (and looting) them, testing their kung fu against the priests and monks of the land.
The Sharpening Stone feel life is a constant test, and they actively seek out ways to test themselves (most often in the form of kung fu) in pursuit of ascension, possibly to the very heavens themselves.
The Cabal of Crumbling Sand feel the Empress's death signaled the end of all things. They are nihilists with no creed or real beliefs save to do whatever one does during the end times.
The Keepers of The World of Dust also feel the Empress's death signaled the end, but they take it to mean the death of all worlds. All things died with the Empress, they just do not know it yet, but the keepers will show them.
The Chrysanthemum Magistrates are a cabal of judges and law-keepers whose kung fu is weak but whose mastery of history, law and the word makes them powerful indeed.
The Suspended Blade are said to have been the Empress's secret band of assassins, now lacking a patron. They are killers, but with a strict code of conduct that demands only the death of lawbreakers. Of course, if you look hard enough, almost everyone has broken some sort of law.
The Graceful Brush is a society of artists who secretly use their art to manipulate magic.
The Turning of the Wheel take the death of the Empress as the sign of change. There shall be no new occupant upon the Barbed Throne if they have their way, the Palace of Doors will be torn down and something better will grow in its place.
The Blissful Repose control much of the opium and narcotic trade of the Wheel, and much of the crime that goes with it, but they maintain it all under a vast facade of art, luxury and decadence.
The Cipher of Transcendence pursue unity of thought and action, and while they are not political, their unwillingness to engage in politics seems to draw their swordsmen into more trouble than you might expect.
Edit: benhimself noticed I skipped some, and having been called on it, I add the following:
The Broken Plow are barely considered a society at all despite their great numbers, for they are made of farmers and other lowly folk, banded together for protection in these troubled times. For all their base nature, they have eyes, ears and hidey holes everywhere, and there are whispers of peasant heroes rising to challenge the other societies.
The Unspoken Question are a rough monastic order who travel the world raising questions at the temples and meetings of other groups (a practice which requires their kung fu be strong enough to survive the answers). They are gadflies, with no ethos of their own, save to pick apart the falsehoods and contradictions of other beliefs in hopes that if they unravel enough threads, the truth shall be revealed.
In this era, the secret societies are the true movers and shakers behind things. Some operate in the shadows of the Palace, playing politics and pushing agendas. Others have cells in the countryside, some ruling over small domains, others fighting to protect the people from the dangers that are running amok.
The Brotherhood of Harmony, known for their red sashes, believe in rule of law over all things, and one law for all people - even the empress must serve the law. They are seen as champions by some, oppressors by others.
The Clenched Fist of Fate have some of the strongest kung fu in the land for that is their sole focus. They feel they have the rights to anything they are strong enough to take, though what they will do with what they take is something of an open question.
The Shattered Pillars of Heaven are the bane of temples, for they reject the gods themselves. They have a reputation for smashing (and looting) them, testing their kung fu against the priests and monks of the land.
The Sharpening Stone feel life is a constant test, and they actively seek out ways to test themselves (most often in the form of kung fu) in pursuit of ascension, possibly to the very heavens themselves.
The Cabal of Crumbling Sand feel the Empress's death signaled the end of all things. They are nihilists with no creed or real beliefs save to do whatever one does during the end times.
The Keepers of The World of Dust also feel the Empress's death signaled the end, but they take it to mean the death of all worlds. All things died with the Empress, they just do not know it yet, but the keepers will show them.
The Chrysanthemum Magistrates are a cabal of judges and law-keepers whose kung fu is weak but whose mastery of history, law and the word makes them powerful indeed.
The Suspended Blade are said to have been the Empress's secret band of assassins, now lacking a patron. They are killers, but with a strict code of conduct that demands only the death of lawbreakers. Of course, if you look hard enough, almost everyone has broken some sort of law.
The Graceful Brush is a society of artists who secretly use their art to manipulate magic.
The Turning of the Wheel take the death of the Empress as the sign of change. There shall be no new occupant upon the Barbed Throne if they have their way, the Palace of Doors will be torn down and something better will grow in its place.
The Blissful Repose control much of the opium and narcotic trade of the Wheel, and much of the crime that goes with it, but they maintain it all under a vast facade of art, luxury and decadence.
The Cipher of Transcendence pursue unity of thought and action, and while they are not political, their unwillingness to engage in politics seems to draw their swordsmen into more trouble than you might expect.
Edit: benhimself noticed I skipped some, and having been called on it, I add the following:
The Broken Plow are barely considered a society at all despite their great numbers, for they are made of farmers and other lowly folk, banded together for protection in these troubled times. For all their base nature, they have eyes, ears and hidey holes everywhere, and there are whispers of peasant heroes rising to challenge the other societies.
The Unspoken Question are a rough monastic order who travel the world raising questions at the temples and meetings of other groups (a practice which requires their kung fu be strong enough to survive the answers). They are gadflies, with no ethos of their own, save to pick apart the falsehoods and contradictions of other beliefs in hopes that if they unravel enough threads, the truth shall be revealed.